Videoconferencing is changing the way Education is being imparted. It facilitates the effective teaching, a face-to- face meeting environment, clearing the way for efficient communication. It is an effective form of communication with distinct benefits. Today, more than ever, it is proving to be an extremely powerful tool, helps to gain knowledge with ease by helping us to increase effectiveness, maximize the resources and optimize the productivity. Some of the distinct benefits of videoconferencing are: it lets you be at two different places at the same time, and you can have more frequent contacts with students, parents, other institutes, universities without leaving the place of work. It allows for ad-hoc meetings, letting you discuss the urgent matters and take immediate decisions. The Audio and video interaction enables you to act as you would in a physical meeting by letting you save the time, the resources and money. With respect to instructions, student's achievements and attitude towards learning, research has not proven the efficacy of computers and software alone. However, when used appropriately as a supplement to conventional instructions, several researchers have found the results to be overwhelmingly positive, in education. Computer software provides many instructional benefits, but Computer Aided Instruction (CAI) can have a much greater impact on student's learning. In a classroom utilizing CAI, students often work independently or in pairs at computers around the room. Training had become most essential and integral part of our life. Hence, in order to sustain with today's enormous pressure of healthy competition, it is the need of an hour to review the various teaching /training aids and accordingly choose the best one like video conferencing combine with CAI.


In recent years, it has become necessary for retailers to manage and integrate a variety of channels in order to reach more customers and provide them with a seamless shopping experiences adding new opportunities and challenges to this evolving scenario.  The present study investigates how and why e-tailers adopt an omnichannel strategy, which roles and functions they assign to different channels and which effects derives from the adoption of an omnichannel strategy. This work seeks to contribute to the body of knowledge on omnichannel businesses thanks to an exploratory analysis based on 29 in-depth interviews with CEOs and managers of e-tailers firms.  Results show that all interviewees adopt an omnichannel strategy, integrating and coordinating channels and customers touchpoints. It has emerged that financial and customer relationship performances are the main drivers that guide the adoption of an omnichannel strategy. Findings also reveal that e-commerce, social networks and mobile are strategic channels to engage with customers. In addition, firms synergistically integrate online and offline channels in order to achieve complementary effects and thus create additional value for customers.  Two are the main challenges that arise from this scenario: marketing and organizational ones. The former involve the reconfiguration of firms marketing strategies, by harmonizing their marketing and communication mix, and their brands. The latter refer to the overcoming of the traditional silos organizational structure in favor of the omnichannel one.


In the light of contributions from the literature, the authors describe their experience with metabolic problems in patients who have had a hepatectomy. The initial post-operative phase is characterised by changes proportional to the amount of parenchymal loss, consisting of a reduction in gluconeogenesis and visceral protein synthesis, accentuation of muscle proteolysis, and a slowing down of detoxifying activity with the accumulation of catabolic substrates, such as aromatic amino acids, which cannot be metabolised. However, provided that the operated liver is not cirrhotic and that the vasculo-biliary part of the remaining segments is left intact, the regeneration of the remaining parenchyma is completed within a few days and metabolic haemostasis of glycoproteins appears to be almost completely restored within the first week. The changes in the amino acid profile and their molar ratio, though transient, confirm the benefits of nutritional support that includes selective amino acids in the initial post-operative phase.


Some theories suggest that gravitational waves created in the early universe may be observable with future gravitational wave interferometers. As a result, identifying the characteristics of these gravitational waves and their corresponding power spectrums at different epochs has become an important area of study. The general solutions to these equations can become quite complex, making the task of obtaining analytical results a difficult one without simplifying assumptions. Using numerical techniques, a general solution to the birefringent gravitational wave equation is explored. This form of the gravitational wave equation is partly composed of a mode function that resembles the Coulomb wave equation from quantum mechanics, which has been explored computationally in the past. An attempt is then made to numerically solve these equations and the corresponding power spectrum for the present universe. Current/planned observatories such as LISA and Advanced LIGO can test these results.


Purpose Certification is a benchmark for recognizing clinical expertise among nursing professionals. The review of the literature does not represent a specialty certification in organ donation management for critical care nurses. Educational interventions are an integral part of promoting best practice. Charleston Area Medical Center in association with the Center for Organ Recovery and Education offered the first educational intervention specifically targeted to critical care nurses for the care and management of donor patients and their families. The program is organized as a certification review course. Methods The course outline and materials were compiled by faculty representing medicine, nursing, quality management, organ and tissue recovery, transplant, and administration. The title of the course and hospital recognized certification is the CAMC Certified Donor Management Nurse (CDMN). The first course was offered in November of 2013. The course is offered twice a year and open to registered participants from critical care units throughout the organization. The most recent course was offered in March 2017. Results The first group of participants represented nurses from the eight critical care units at CAMC. The subsequent classes have continued to represent critical care nurses from throughout the organization. Classes and the certification examination are scheduled twice a year and open to all critical care nurses. The nurses are recognized on their units as the clinical experts in the care of the donor patient. They are also charged with promoting a culture of awareness and education on donor rights and management. Conclusion Currently improvement data is being monitored. The number of donors in West Virginia and nationwide has declined during the past year however the organs yielded per donor at CAMC has risen from 2.58 in 2013 to 3.0 organs yielded per patient in 2014. Organs yielded per donor dropped slightly during 2015 to 2.77 per donor but trends indicate that 2016 will show continued improvement. One hospital having the highest ever documented at 3.83 organs yielded per donor. References 1. Krapohl G, Manojlovick, M Redman, R (2010) Nursing specialty certification and nursing sensitive outcomes in the intensive care unit. American Journal of Critical care. 2. Watts MD (2010) Certification and the clinical ladder as the mpeetus for professional development. Critical Care Nursing Quarterly.


An energy-saving system for SOCs using multiple threshold voltage CMOS was developed. It equips process sensors and process-voltage conversion table generated from static timing analysis results, and adjusts. The supply voltage according to die-to-die process variation. We applied this system to an embedded dual-core microprocessor using 90nm triple Threshold voltage CMOS technology. When the microprocessor executes video stream decoding program, 17% power reduction was measured with dies of typical process condition


Although it had been known since the early part of the twentieth century that soil could be a source of virus infection to newly established plants, the first direct demonstration that soil nematodes transmit plant viruses was not reported until 1958 (Hewitt et al., 1958). Quickly thereafter, other examples of virus transmission by nematodes were reported (Harrison and Cadman, 1959; Jha and Posnette, 1959), leading to the current acceptance of 30 nematode species that are known to transmit 15 viruses (Tables 26.1 and 26.2). The viruses are of two types that previously were referred to as either nepoviruses, with spherical particles, or tobraviruses, with rod-shaped particles. The name "nepovirus" originates from the contraction of "nematode-transmitted virus with polyhedral particles" (Cadman, 1963), while "tobravirus" is derived from the virus name Tobacco rattle virus. Recent changes to the classification of nematode-transmitted spherical viruses mean that not all of these viruses now are placed in the genus Nepovirus. Nevertheless, to simplify the discussion, we will continue to refer to this collection of viruses as nepoviruses. A comprehensive review detailing the biology of virus-vector nematodes was written by Taylor and Brown (1997). We build on this review to include new information about the molecular mechanism of virus transmission by nematodes, and we discuss current work that aims to control plant diseases caused by these viruses and their vector nematodes. Plant Viruses Transmitted by Nematodes


The authors of this NIH-sponsored study report the long-term effects of 2 inhaled antiinflammatory drugs, budesonide and nedocromil, on lung function, airway responsiveness, morbidity, and physical growth in children. More than 1,000 children from 5 through 12 years of age with mild to moderate asthma were randomly assigned to receive 4 to 6 years of treatment with 200 mcg of budesonide, 8 mg of nedocromil, or placebo twice daily. All of the children used inhaled albuterol as needed for symptoms of asthma. Lung function, the primary outcome measure in this study, as assessed by the change in forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1 expressed as a percentage of the predicted value) after the administration of a bronchodilator, was no better in the groups receiving budesonide or nedocromil than in the


Background: We aimed to investigate the association between kidney stones and polycystic ovarian syndrome (PCOS). Materials and methods: In a cross-sectional study, data from the Tehran Lipid and Glucose Study (TLGS) were used to investigate the risk of kidney stones in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS). Four distinct phenotypes of PCOS, as defined by the Rotterdam criteria, were examined in a sample of 520 women and compared to a control group of 1638 eumenorrheic non-hirsute healthy women. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression models were employed for analysis. The four PCOS phenotypes were classified as follows: Phenotype A, characterized by the presence of all three PCOS features (anovulation (OA), hyperandrogenism (HA), and polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound (PCOM)); Phenotype B, characterized by the presence of anovulation and hyperandrogenism; Phenotype C, characterized by the presence of hyperandrogenism and polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound; and Phenotype D, characterized by the presence of anovulation and polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound. Results: The prevalence of a history of kidney stones was found to be significantly higher in women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS) compared to healthy controls (12.5% vs. 7.7%, p = 0.001). This increased prevalence was observed across all PCOS phenotypes (p < 0.001). After adjusting for potential risk factors, including age, family history of kidney stones, waist-to-height ratio, total cholesterol, and low-density lipoprotein, the odds ratio for kidney stones in women with PCOS was found to be 1.59 [95% CI: 1.12–2.25, p = 0.01], indicating a 59% increase in risk compared to healthy women. Women with PCOS Phenotype A [OR: 1.97, 95% CI: 1.09–3.55, p = 0.02] and Phenotype D [OR: 3.03, 95% CI: 1.24–7.41, p = 0.01] were found to be at a higher risk for kidney stones. Conclusion: Women with Polycystic Ovary Syndrome (PCOS), particularly those exhibiting menstrual irregularities and polycystic ovarian morphology on ultrasound (PCOM), have been found to be two to three times more likely to develop kidney stones. This increased prevalence should be taken into consideration when providing preventive care and counseling to these individuals.


Cyclosporine-induced gingival hyperplasia was investigated in a clinical study of 80 renal transplant patients. 34% of the patients exhibited at least mild gingival hyperplasia in the anterior, and 9% presented this finding also in the posterior region. No direct correlation was found between the oral dose or the whole blood concentration of cyclosporine and the presence of gingival overgrowth. Young and female patients were at a significantly greater risk of developing cyclosporine-induced gingival hyperplasia than the other patients. The presence of dental plaque or gingival inflammation was not found to be related to the incidence of gingival hyperplasia.


Poly (ADP-ribose) polymerase (PARP) inhibitors (iPARPs) have shown efficacy in homologous recombination (HR) deficiency patients with advanced castration resistant prostate cancer and have shown a radiosensitizing effect in preclinical and early clinical trials. Preclinical data in prostate cancer cells suggest a similar cytotoxic effect with half the radiation dose under the effect of Olaparib or Rucaparib irrespective of HR status. Due to the biologic synergy of radiotherapy (RT) and iPARPs, the risk of recurrence of high-risk prostate cancer and the morbidity associated with prostate cancer local treatment, this interesting strategy seems promising, and a better understanding of the clinical implications remains to be elucidated.


: Excessive food consumption concerning to high calorie, dyslipidemia, obesity and cardiovascular disease. One alternative therapeutic approach in dyslipidemia patients is traditional use of herbal medicines such as Zingiber montanum rhizome. The aim of this study is to compare the anti-dyslipidemia activity of ethanol (EEZR), methanol (MEZR) and ethyl acetate extract of Zingiber montanum rhizome (EAEZR). EEZR, MEZR, and EAEZR were made by maceration method. The solvent extract was evaporated to obtain a viscous extract. Then a phytochemical screening for the compounds contained in each extract was performed. To induce dyslipidemia, Wistar male rats were given standard feed (80%), duck egg yolk (5%) and lard (15%) for 30 days, followed by administration of 1500 mg EEZR, MEZR and EAEZR dose for 30 days. On the 60th day, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride (TG) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) blood measurements of the test rat were performed. Phytochemical screening result showed that EEZR, MEZR, and EAEZR contained flavonoid and terpenoid compounds. EEZR, MEZR, and EAEZR could decrease TC, TG and increased HDL in mouse blood significantly compared with dyslipidemia group (p <0.05). The TC and TG percentage decrease and the highest HDL level were owned by ethyl acetate extract of Zingiber montanum rhizome. EEZR, MEZR and EAEZR could decrease TC, TG levels and increase HDL in rat blood. The ability to decrease TC and TG levels from Zingiber montanum rhizome extract could be caused by the EEZR ability to inhibit pancreatic lipase enzyme activity so that it could suppress the fat absorption from the rats' small intestine. The EAEZR ability was best amongst other because the active compound contained in non-polar Zingiber montanum rhizome is 2-methoxy-8-(3,4-dimethoxyphenyl) -1,4napthoquinon. EEZR, MEZR, and EAEZR have the ability to anti-dyslipidemia, where the best activity was owned by EAEZR.


We compared signal-averaged electrocardiography with invasive electrophysiological study in patients after surgical repair of congenital heart disease to determine if potentially useful correlations exist between the two methods for assessment of risk for ventricular tachycardia. Thirty-one patients (age, 1-49 years; mean, 10.6 years) with congenital heart disease repaired with right ventriculotomy or postrepair right bundle branch block (77% postoperative tetralogy of Fallot) who had electrophysiological study were studied with signal-averaged electrocardiography. Patients were classified by electrophysiological study results as having no inducible ventricular tachycardia, nonsustained ventricular tachycardia, or sustained ventricular tachycardia. Signal-averaged electrocardiograms were examined for the duration of low-amplitude (less than or equal to 40 microV) QRS signal, duration of total QRS, and root-mean-square voltage of the terminal 40 msec of the QRS. Low-amplitude terminal root-mean-square voltage of 100 microV or less had 91% sensitivity and 70% specificity for ventricular tachycardia inducible by electrophysiological study. Similar sensitivity but less specificity were seen using the criterion of 20 msec or more total low-amplitude QRS signal (initial plus terminal) or using total QRS duration of 128 msec or more. There was a weaker association between terminal low-amplitude QRS signal of 15 msec or more and inducible ventricular tachycardia.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


A myriad of factors can rapidly destabilise a nation's energy security. Factors such as extreme weather events, geo-political tension, and supply instability may result in acute or chronic energy supply shortages occurring with little or no warning. In a critical response context, a society's resilience is tested, and the ability to change consumption behaviour is vital. Energy conservation campaigns are often implemented to elicit this behaviour.
New Zealand and Japan have both experienced conservation campaigns in the past decade as a result of natural disasters (Japan) and weather-related generation shortages (New Zealand). The context from which each campaign developed and the resulting urgency of the reductions were distinct. However, the goal of appealing to the public to reduce electricity consumption was comparable. This provides a unique opportunity to explore determinants of willingness to change consumption behaviour during a conservation campaign in different socio-cultural contexts.
Values are guiding principles in people's lives informing their behaviour, and value orientations can be shaped by socio-cultural contexts. Therefore, differences between value orientations may be present cross-culturally. Specifically, the Schwartz theory of basic values is used as a theoretical basis for investigating value orientations underpinning individuals' willingness to participate in a conservation campaign.
This thesis investigates the relationships of two socio-psychological determinants, (1) value orientations, and (2) environmental concern, with willingness to participate in a conservation campaign and adopt curtailment behaviours. A sequential mixed-methods study was utilised in two countries, New Zealand and Japan. The quantitative questionnaire examined associations between values, environmental concern, and willingness to adopt curtailment behaviours. Furthermore, a cultural dimension was captured in both societies to determine each society's preference for placing more importance on either personal, or social interests. Different sets of determinants were associated with willingness between countries.
The qualitative component provided an opportunity to explore value relationships and motivations through the dialogue of participants when discussing electricity shortage scenarios and conservation campaigns. Diversity among determinants that promote and hinder willingness to reduce electricity consumption transpired between participants from New Zealand and Japan, and these differences are found to be related to the personal versus social preference of their respective socio-cultural contexts.


This paper reports an application of a previously proposed procedure to diffraction of a normally incident, arbitrarily polarized plane electromagnetic wave by a canonical structure which consists of a wedge with different face impedances and a semi-infinite impedance sheet bisecting the exterior of the wedge. The use of the Sommerfeld-Malyuzhinets technique converts the original boundary value problem into a system of linear equations for two coupled spectral functions. Eliminating one of them, we get a second-order difference equation for the other spectral function. From this function and the boundary condition on the upper wedge face we construct an even and in the basic strip regular new spectral function. Then we transform the second-order equation into a simpler one by means of a generalized Malyuzhinets function /spl chi//sub /spl Phi//(/spl alpha/), and express the solution to the latter in an integral form with help of the so-called S-integrals. Solving a Fredholm equation of the second kind for points on the imaginary axis of the complex plane, which follows from the integral representation, enables one to compute the sought-for function. The second spectral function is obtained via its dependence upon the first one. We present a first-order uniform asymptotic solution, as well as numerical results.


We show that chiral symmetry breaking enables traveling domain wall solution for the conservative Landau–Lifshitz equation of a uniaxial ferromagnet with Dzyaloshinskii–Moriya interaction. In contrast to related domain wall models including stray-field based anisotropy, traveling wave solutions are not found in closed form. For the construction we follow a topological approach and provide details of solutions by means of numerical calculations.


OBJECTIVE
This study aimed at increasing the glycolytic flux and pyruvate productivity in Torulopsis glabrata with glucose as carbon source.

METHODS
For this target, we introduced a mitochondrial located alternative oxidase encoded by Histoplasma capsulatum AOX1 gene into T. glabrata, and a mutant strain named as AOX with total NADH oxidase activity was 1.8-fold higher than that of the parent stain, was achieved.

RESULTS
The heterologous expression of NADH alternative oxidase resulted in decrease of the dry cell weight and fermentation time by 20.3% and 10.7%, but the specific rate of glucose consumption and pyruvate production increased 34.7% and 54.1% higher, respectively. The reasons for high glycolytic flux were the intracellular NADH/NAD+ ratio and ATP concentration decreased 74.7% and 52.9% respectively, the specific activity of phosphofructokinase, pyruvate kinase increased 185.0% and 28.1%.

CONCLUSION
Introduction of a novel NADH oxidation pathway by alternative oxidase can efficiently increase the rate of glucose consumption and the target metabolite productivity.


A good performance of reinforced concrete structures is ensured by the bond between steel and concrete, which makes the materials work together, forming a part of solidarity. The behavior of the bond between the reinforcing bar and the surrounding concrete is significant to evaluate the cracking control in serviceability limit state and load capacity in the ultimate limit state. In this investigation, the bond stresses between reinforcing bar and reactive powder concrete (RPC) was considered to compare it with that of normal strength concrete (NSC). The push-out test with short embedment length is considered in this study to evaluate the bond strength, bond stress-slip relationship, and bond stress-crack width relationship for reactive powder concrete members. The compressive strength of concrete, the nominal diameter of reinforcement, concrete cover, and amount of steel fibers and embedded length of reinforcement were considered as variables in this study.
The test results show that the ultimate bond stress increased with increasing of the compressive strength of concrete, decreasing the nominal diameter of the reinforcing bar, increasing the concrete cover and increasing steel fiber content. In a bond stress-slip relationship, the NSC specimen shows a very short softening zone after reaching the peak point in comparisons with RPC specimen. In RPC, bond stress-slip relationship shows stiffer behavior when the steel fiber content was increased. RPC shows stepper softening zone due to the presence of steel fiber, and the absence of steel fiber cause push-out failure without descending part after peak point. Using NSC instead of RPC in anchorage between reinforcement and concrete, decrease the crack width produced due to radial tensile stresses through the push-out of reinforcing bar. In RPC, the absence of steel fiber, decrease the nominal diameter of the reinforcing bar, increase the concrete cover, decrease the embedded length of reinforcing bar cause push-out failure and vice versa cause splitting failure.


Abstract Training in social skills has been shown to have a strong, positive impact, according to behavioral measures, on social skills, self‐rated assertiveness, and the hospital discharge rate. It is important to establish a system of assessing social skills because it is necessary for the effects of social skills training to be assessed in Japan. In Project 1, we devised a Japanese version of the role play test to quantify social skills using a standard method. We tested 30 patients attending the day hospital who were considered to need intensive rehabilitation. We found the role play test had high inter‐rater and test‐retest reliability, and had construct validity and criterion related validity. Thus, the role play test was thought to be a useful tool for assessing social skills. For Project 2, eight inpatients who were ready for discharge but who needed to improve their skills in self‐managed medication participated in this study. The social skills of self‐managed medication assessed using the role play test were significantly improved after the subjects participated in the Medication Management Module of the UCLA social and independent living skills program. Knowledge of self‐managed medication also tended to improve after training. This study is preliminary and it should be confirmed that improved skills influenced by the medication management module decreases the relapse rates.


The encapsulation of graphene‐based Hall sensors on foil is shown to be an effective method for improving the performance in terms of higher sensitivity for magnetic field detection. Two types of encapsulation were investigated: a simple encapsulation of graphene with polymethyl methacrylate (PMMA) as a proof of concept and an encapsulation with mechanically exfoliated hexagonal boron nitride (hBN). The Hall sensor with PMMA encapsulation already shows higher sensitivity compared to the one without encapsulation. However, the Hall sensor with graphene encapsulated between two stacks of hBN shows a current and a voltage normalized sensitivity of up to 2270 V/AT and 0.68 V/VT, respectively, which are the highest reported sensitivity values for Hall sensors on foil so far.


The occurrence of bacterial pathogens in the food chain has caused a severe impact on public health and welfare in both developing and developed countries. Moreover, the existence of antimicrobial-tolerant persisting morphotypes of these pathogens including both persister-cells as well as bacterial spores contributes to difficulty in elimination and in recurrent infection. Therefore, comprehensive understanding of the behavior of these persisting bacterial forms in their environmental niche and upon infection of humans is necessary. Since traditional antimicrobials fail to kill persisters and spores due to their (extremely) low metabolic activities, antimicrobial peptides (AMPs) have been intensively investigated as one of the most promising strategies against these persisting bacterial forms, showing high efficacy of inactivation. In addition, AMP-based foodborne pathogen detection and prevention of infection has made significant progress. This review focuses on recent research on common bacterial pathogens in the food chain, their persisting morphotypes, and on AMP-based solutions. Challenges in research and application of AMPs are described.


JVRB, 5(2008), no. 13. - Incorporating physical activity and exertion into pervasive gaming applications can provide health and social benefits. Prior research has resulted in several prototypes of pervasive games that encourage exertion as interaction form; however, no detailed critical account of the various approaches exists. We focus on networked exertion games and detail some of our work while identifying the remaining issues towards providing a coherent framework. We outline common lessons learned and use them as the basis for generalizations for the design of networked exertion games. We propose possible directions of further investigation, hoping to provide guidance for future work to facilitate greater awareness and exposure of exertion games and their benefits.


Exposure of purified hydrophilic tetramers of acetylcholinesterase (AChE) from fetal bovine serum to various guanidinium chloride (Gdn) concentrations led to inactive tetramers (2 M Gdn) and dimers (6 M Gdn). The native tetramers were almost fully monomerized by reduction, a minor fraction of the released monomers remaining active. Sedimentation analysis and hydrophobic chromatography showed that the modified tetramers, dimers and monomers had amphiphilic properties. Intrinsic fluorescence spectra and binding of the amphiphilic probe, 1-anilino-8-naphthalene sulfonate (ANS), revealed that AchE subunit in the modified tetramers were in a 'molten globule' structure, the dimers in a denatured stated, and the inactive monomers in a 'native-like' structure. These data show that AChE subunits possess a flexible conformation, which may be important for generating a full set of molecular forms. In addition, the behavior of the active monomers with amphiphiles may explain the interactions of type II AChE forms with membranes.


The use of solid expandable tubular technology during the last decade has focused on solving many challenges in well drilling and delivery including zonal isolation, deep drilling, conservation of hole sizes, etc. not only as pioneered solution but also providing cost effective and long lasting solutions. Concurrently, the technology was extended for construction of multilateral in typical wells. The process of horizontal tubular expansion is similar to the vertical expansion of expandable tubular in down-hole environment with the addition of uniformly distributed force due to its weight. The expansion is targeted to increase its diameter such that post expansion characteristics remain within allowable limits. In this study a typical expandable tubular of 57.15 mm outer diameter and 6.35 mm wall thickness was used with two different elastomer seals of 5 and 7 mm thickness placed at equal spacing of 200 mm. The developed stress contours during expansion process clearly showed the high stress areas in the vicinity of expansion region which lies around the mandrel. These high stresses may result in excessive wear of the mandrel. It was also found out that the drawing force increases as the mandrel angle, expansion ratio, and friction coefficient increases. A mandrel angle of 20o requires minimum expansion force and can be considered as an optimum geometrical parameter to lower the power required for expansion.


The authors deal with mapping techniques for uniform loop nests. Target machines are SPMD distributed memory parallel computers. They use affine-by-variable mapping to synthesize a virtual grid architecture from the original loop nest. The key to the mapping strategy is the communication graph, which enables us to derive optimal mappings, i.e., where the number of communications is proved to be minimal.<<ETX>>


A method for analyzing belladonna alkaloids--hyoscyamine, scopolamine, anisodamine and anisodine, by means of capillary GC and GC-MSD was described. The retention data and characteristic ions of the parent and TMS derivatives of these alkaloids are given and will be very useful for identification of unknown alkaloids. The derivatization of different silylation reagents was compared, and the derivatization with MSTFA was found to be better than with BSA and BSTFA. The method has been used for studying biotransformation of these alkaloids in biosynthesis. Analysis of anisodamine and anisodine by CGC and GC-MS has not been found in the literature. In addition, the advantages of TMS derivatization are also discussed.


We considered call admission control (CAC) algorithms both for the reverse and forward link with multiple types of services requiring different SIRs (signal to interference ratio) and transmission rates. In the forward link, a call is admitted if the requested power is available at the base station, whereas in reverse link, a call is admitted if the interference level is below a certain revel that guarantees the communication quality. First, the optimal power ratio that characterizes the effect of different service types is considered. Then a simple CAC algorithm is proposed and evaluated through simulation. With these CAC algorithm, we compare the capacity of forward link and reverse link for commonly used SIR equations.


We analyze a model of dynamically broken topcolor in the limit in which the number of colors is large. We show that the second order nature of the phase transition, necessary for the success of topcolor models, passes the nontrivial check of consistency with the large N limit. We also identify and discuss a class of theories that generalizes the topcolor phenomenon to a theory with a richer structure of fermions and global symmetries.


Introduction. The aim of this study is to assess the level of health-related behaviours among adolescents with type 1 diabetes and excess body weight, and the correlation occurring between the locus of control and the intensity of selected health-related behaviours among the respondents. Material and methods. The study was conducted among patients of the Diabetes Clinic of the University Clinical Hospital No. 1 in Lodz and the Outpatient Clinic for Obesity Prevention and Therapy, Polish Mother's Memorial Hospital — Research Institute in Lodz. The age of the patients ranged from 12 to 20. The measurement of the variables was done utilising three methods: the Health Behaviour Inventory (IZZ), the Delta questionnaire to measure the locus of control and a survey of the author's own design. Results. The results indicate, inter alia, that the surveyed young people suffering from type 1 diabetes or excess body weight do not engage in health-related behaviours more intensely than healthy individuals, though, the belief of having influence on their lives (the internal locus of control) dominates among them. What is more, a strong need for social approval is correlated, in the study groups, with the level of healthrelated behaviours, which can suggest that the average level of health-related behaviours stems from a desire to present oneself in a best possible light. Conclusion. Young people with type 1 diabetes and people with excess body weight present a comparable, unfortunately only average, level of health-related behaviours. Results suggest that the respondents probably tried to present themselves in a best possible light and the outcomes obtained, not higher than average, can be overstated, as compared with the actual level of health-related behaviours.


Abstract 5073 Population based studies have reported that about 25–35% of DLBCL patients are older than 70 years. It is usually assumed that elderly patients are too frail to receive optimal chemotherapy regarding their frequent co-morbidities, leading to non-manageable treatment toxicity. However clinical trials dedicated to elderly patients demonstrated that a curative approach, based on a dose reduced anthracycline regimen combined with rituximab, is currently realistic in elderly patients. Nutritional parameters may be also crucial in the geriatric setting. Relationships between body compositions, specifically proportions of lean and fat tissues, with cancer incidence and cancer outcomes are of recent interest. In this field, sarcopenia, defined by the depletion of skeletal muscle, is known to be an unfavourable prognosis factor in patients with solid tumours. Its clinical relevance in NHL is still unknown. Taking advantage of the initial staging performed by computed tomography (CT) scan imaging to evaluate lean body mass, we assessed retrospectively the prevalence of sarcopenia and its prognosis value in a population of DLBCL patients older than 70 years treated by chemotherapy and rituximab. Patients and methods This retrospective analysis included 82 patients diagnosed with DLBCL and treated by R-CHOP or R-miniCHOP. Muscle mass was measured by analysis of stored CT images. A lumbar vertebral landmark (L3) was selected because skeletal muscle in this region corresponds to whole-body tissue quantities. To calculate tissue cross sectional area (cm2), the surface of the muscular tissues was selected according to CT Hounsfield unit. This value was normalized for stature to calculate the lumbar L3 skeletal muscle index (LSMI, in cm2/m2). Sex-specific cut-offs for LSMI associated with mortality ascertained by optimum stratification were determined according to "R" for men and women (55. 8 cm2/m2 and 38. 9 cm2/m2 respectively). Results Sarcopenia was determined in 82 DLBCL (median age: 78 y, range 70–95 y, 36 males; age adjusted IPI: 0–1 = 27, 2–3 = 55; mean body mass index (BMI) 24 kg/m2). According to the sex-specific cut-offs for LSMI, 45 DLBCL patients (55%, 24 males) were considered as sarcopenic. Sarcopenic patients, as compared to non sarcopenic patients displayed a similar level of aaIPI. By contrast the mean age was 80y in the sarcopenic group and 77y in the non sarcopenic group (p=0. 006). With a median follow-up of 39 months, the 2y overall survival in the sarcopenic population was 46% as compared to 84% in the non-sarcopenic group (HR = 0. 31; CI95%, 0. 16–0. 57; p=0. 0002). The prognostic value remains significant in the subgroup of patients younger than 80y (n=47) (HR=0. 2; CI95% 0. 07–0. 51; p=0. 0009). Mortality was mainly related to progressive disease in the sarcopenic group. Hypoalbuminemia is related to an unfavourable outcome (p=0. 002). In multivariate analysis including albuminemia, age, treatment and aaIPI, sarcopenia remains predictive of the outcome (p=0. 03). Our results indicate that refine anthropometric measurements based on lean or fat body composition, represent clearly a future field of investigation to optimize rituximab and cytotoxic drugs dose adaptation in a geriatric context. The LSMI, evaluated by routine staging CT scan is a relevant and predictive tool in elderly DLCBL treated by rituximab plus chemotherapy. Sarcopenia defined by this index is related to albuminemia and age but remains predictive of the outcome independently of the aaIPI. A prospective multicentric study is currently on-going to confirm these results and to integrate this anthropometric measurement in a larger comprehensive geriatric assessment. Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Bank erosion is the wearing away of the banks of a stream or river. Impacts of river bank erosion are multifarious: social, economic, health, education and sometimes political. Groynes are structures constructed in rivers to protect the shore. Groynes are generally made of wood, concrete, or rock piles etc. In the present study coir geotextiles in the form of cocologs are used as the groynes to make the groyne more ecofriendly. Study mainly concentrates on analysing the effects of placing groynes at different angles from 450 to 1350 and to find the most effective arrangement for minimising the erosion. Results indicate that cocolog-groynes are effective in minimizing the erosion and protecting the bank. Maximum protection is observed for groyne angle of 1350. © 2016 The Authors. Published by Elsevier Ltd. Peer-review under responsibility of the organizing committee of ICETEST – 2015.


Abstract Phoresy is an association in which a small animal clings to a larger one exclusively for transportation. We searched for phoretic mites on fleas and ticks of small mammals. A total of 169 fleas of 7 species were collected in the Białowieża Forest (E Poland) and in Kosewo G órne (NE Poland) in July and August in 2007 and 2008. Moreover, 20 nymphs and 12 females of Ixodes hexagonus (Leach, 1815) were collected in the beaver farm of the Research Station of Polish Academy of Sciences in Popielno (NE Poland) in April and May 2009. Phoretic mites were found on 26 fleas (15.4%) of the following species: Megabothris walkeri (Rothschild, 1902), Megabothris turbidus (Rothschild, 1909), Ctenophthalmus agyrtes (Heller, 1896), and Hystrichopsylla orientalis (Smit, 1956). The mites were located mainly on abdominal sternites. Among ticks, only one female was positive for mites, whose larvae (hypopi) were found on its legs. A total of 6 species of mites were identified. On I. hexagonus, we found Acarus farris (Oudemans, 1905) (53 larvae), Acarus siro (L., 1758) (2 larvae), Acarus nidicolous (Griffiths, 1970) (1 larva), Caloglyphus rhizoglyphoides (Zachvatkin, 1937) (1 larva), and Histiostoma feroniarum (Dufour, 1904) (28 larvae), whereas on fleas, 79 larvae of Acarus nidicolous, 1 male of Tyrophagus putrescentiae (Schrank, 1781), and 1 unidentified trombiculid larva. The last 2 mite specimens were found on M. turbidus. This is the first report on phoretic association of the flea H. orientalis and the tick I. hexagonus with mites


Although supervised machine learning classification techniques have been successfully applied to detect collapsed buildings, there is still a major problem that few publications have addressed. The success of supervised machine learning strongly depends on the availability of training samples. Unfortunately, in the aftermath of a large-scale disaster, training samples become available only after several weeks or even months. However, following a disaster, information on the damage situation is one of the most important necessities for rapid search-and-rescue efforts and relief distribution. In this paper, a modification of the supervised machine learning classification technique called logistic regression is presented. Here, the training samples are replaced with probabilistic information, which is calculated from the spatial distribution of the hazard under consideration and one or more fragility functions. Such damage probabilities can be collected almost in real time for specific disasters such as earthquakes and/or tsunamis. We present the application of the proposed method to the 2011 Great East Japan Earthquake and Tsunami for collapsed building detection. The results show good agreement with a field survey performed by the Ministry of Land, Infrastructure, Transport and Tourism, with an overall accuracy of over 80%. Thus, the proposed method can significantly contribute to a rapid estimation of the number and locations of collapsed buildings.


This year's program reflects the wide variety of exciting new approaches that have recently emerged for gene and protein function prediction. The Program Committee and the Scientific Committee were tasked with selecting 19 presentations from the 32 submitted. We have striven to provide a mix of scientific excellence and variety of approaches, and we believe that this effort is reflected in the program you are now holding. Our keynote speakers will address the wide variety of problems associated with automated function prediction. New to this year, we have introduced a discussion panel engaging the audience with the keynote speakers. We are especially excited about discussing our plans for 2007, which include a Critical Assessment of Function Annotations, in the spirit of ongoing activities in the fields of computational structure prediction, and the prediction of protein-protein interactions. Please join us for this discussion on the second day of the conference. Special thanks to John Wooley, Associate Vice Chancellor for Research at UCSD for securing conference funds and for his ongoing and enthusiastic backing of this endeavor. Finally, we would like to thank everyone who supported this conference financially. AFP 2006 was made possible by grants from the We hope you will find AFP 2006 a stimulating and fruitful meeting. Identifying meaningful functional modules in the yeast protein protein interaction network


Quantitative reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) assay was used to examine the induction of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) transcript in human osteosarcoma cells, MG-63, under hypoxic culture condition. Using this assay system, the expression of VEGF mRNA was estimated eight-fold higher when cells were cultured under hypoxic condition. Transcription level of hypoxanthine phosphoribosyl transferase (HPRT) mRNA was also examined as an internal control. HPRT mRNA level under hypoxia was reduced to one fourteenth. Secretion of VEGF into the cell culture medium was implied by its stimulating activity on the growth of mouse vascular endothelial cultured cells in vitro.


In this chapter, a discussion is presented about what Big Data and Internet of Things (IoT) really is and what intricacies are used while building big data and internet of things. Further Big Data and Internet of Things have been used for building an application used for Smart City & Agriculture. A smart city is an urban development vision to integrate multiple information and communication technology (ICT) solutions. Smart city's goal is to improve quality of life with technology to improve the efficiency of services and meet residents' needs. Smart agriculture approach is to develop, transform and reorient agricultural development under new realities of climate change. It increases productivity enhances resilience (adaptation), reduces mitigation with achievement of national food security and development goals. This chapter includes detailed discussion on Smart City and Smart Agriculture along with planning, designing as well as various approaches used to build and implement them effectively.


The synthesis of 2,6-disubstituted pyridines 10, 23, 27a–28b is reported. These compounds are expected to complex iron(II) and yield hydroxyl radicals by interaction of the aqueous complex with oxygen. In addition a second series of 2,6-disubstituted pyridines 24a, 24b and 29 having additional features (nitro or N-oxide groups), which are expected to prevent complexation of iron, is described. These deactivated compounds are expected to be reduced in hypoxic tumour cells to yield products 25a, 25b and 10, respectively, which are able to complex metals and yield hydroxyl radicals. EPR and fluorescence spectroscopy provide evidence for the production of hydroxyl radicals from all the compounds except the prodrugs 10, 25a and 25b and the compounds not having an imidazole nucleus 27a–28b. The prodrugs were not cytotoxic in air alone to Chinese hamster V79 cells in vitro. However, when the prodrug was added to the cells and then exposed to hypoxia followed by air, the nitro compounds 24a and 24b showed slightly increased cytotoxicity. However, the N-oxide 29 showed marked cytotoxicity similar to that of the corresponding N-deoxygenated compound 10.


This final project is written based on the job training done by the writer as an English teacher in SD Negeri Jagalan No. 81 Surakarta. This final project describes the process of teaching and learning reading in the sixth grade of SD N Jagalan No. 81 Surakarta including the difficulties faced in teaching reading and the solutions of the difficulties faced in teaching reading. In writing this final report, the writer collected the data by observing the class, interviewing the students and teacher staffs and directly teaching English lesson in the classroom. The observation was done in the sixth grade class. In teaching reading, the writer used some procedures. They consist of opening, BKOF, modeling text, joint construction, independent construction and closing. There are some difficulties related to the teaching reading. The difficulties are the students' condition, the students' problem in understanding the text and the limited materials and facilities. The writer also presents the solutions of the difficulties faced in teaching reading. It is necessary to pay attention in teaching English in the elementary school, because children have great ability to learn a new language.


The preparation of the alpha-1 and alpha-2 isomers of the Wells-Dawson 17 tungsto derivatives by standard methods is accompanied by a significant proportion of the other isomer present as an impurity. In this study, the alpha-1 and alpha-2 isomers of [Zn(H(2)O)P(2)W(17)O(61)](8)(-) have been prepared in >98% purity by reacting isomerically pure K(9)Li[alpha-1-P(2)W(17)O(61)] and K(10)[alpha-2-P(2)W(17)O(61)], respectively, with ZnCl(2), while rigorously controlling the pH at 4.7. The molecules were isolated as potassium salts. For (183)W NMR and (31)P NMR characterization, both molecules were ion exchanged by cation-exchange chromatography, maintaining the pH at 4.7, to obtain the lithium salts. Removal of water and isolation of a solid sample of [alpha-1-Zn(H(2)O)P(2)W(17)O(61)](8)(-) was achieved by lyophilization at -40 degrees C. The chemical shift data from (31)P and (183)W NMR spectroscopy of the isolated [alpha-1-Zn(H(2)O)P(2)W(17)O(61)](8)(-) and [alpha-2-Zn(H(2)O)P(2)W(17)O(61)](8)(-) isomers are consistent with a mixture of the alpha-1 and alpha-2 isomers reported previously;(1) the molecules have the expected C(1) and C(s)() symmetry, respectively. The [alpha-1-Zn(H(2)O)P(2)W(17)O(61)](8)(-) isomer is stable in the pH range of 4.6-6 at temperatures <35 degrees C. Using the same ion exchange and lyophilization techniques, the lacunary [alpha-1-P(2)W(17)O(61)](10)(-) isomer was isolated as the lithium salt; characterization by (183)W NMR spectroscopy confirms the C(1) symmetry.


A study of the influence of microwave radiation, at a frequency of 2.45 GHz on the evolution rate of the hydrolytic decomposition of phenyl acetate evolving in a radiated environment, is presented. The experimental data refer to temperatures of 25, 30, 35, 40, and 45°C at radiating powers of 500 and 1000 mW and to 35°C at the radiating powers of 50, 100, 200, 300, and 400 mW. Experimental data were obtained using the initial rate method and are correlated with a differential procedure. A comparison with the previously obtained results in a nonradiated environment is presented. From this comparison, the catalytic effect of microwave radiation with the reaction evolving in a nonradiated environment is proposed, replacing that running in a solution with catalytic acetate ions. © 2004 American Institute of Chemical Engineers AIChE J, 50: 1523–1529, 2004


This guide contains direct links to Lane Library's resources such as the library catalog and databases. There are also links to outside websites suitable for Art research.


Novel aqueous (aq) blends of N-methyldiethanolamine (MDEA), sulfolane (TMSO2), and 1-butyl-3-methyl-imidazolium acetate ([bmim][Ac]) with amine activator 2-methylpiperazine (2-MPZ) are analyzed through conductor-like screening model for real solvents (COSMO-RS) for possible application in the chemisorption of CO2. The molecules associated are analyzed for their ground-state energy, σ potential, and σ surface. Thermodynamic and physicochemical properties have been assessed and paralleled with the experimental data. Vapor pressure of the blended systems and pure component density and viscosity have been compared successfully with the experimental data. Important binary interaction parameters for the aqueous blends over a wide temperature, pressure, and concentration range have been estimated for NRTL, WILSON, and UNIQUAC 4 models. The COSMO-RS theory is further applied in calculating the expected CO2 solubility over a pressure range of 1.0–3.0 bar and temperature range of 303.15–323.15 K. Henry's constant and free energy of solvation to realize the physical absorption through intermolecular interaction offered by the proposed solvents. Perceptive molecular learning from the behavior of chemical constituents involved indicated that the best suitable solvent is aq (MDEA + 2-MPZ).


OBJECTIVE
To explore the expression and significance of serum programmed cell death 5 (PDCD5) in patients with bronchial asthma.

METHODS
From June to December 2011, a total of 40 adults with bronchial asthma treated in Peking University Third Hospital were enrolled. Among them, the categories were acute phase (n = 12), chronic phase (n = 14) and remission phase (n = 14). Fifteen healthy adults were selected into the control group. The percentages of peripheral blood neutrophils and eosinophils were collected and detected for each patient. Serum PDCD5 was detected with enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and asthma control test (ACT) questionnaire filled in. The relevant pulmonary functional indicators were analyzed with a pulmonary spirometer. Two-independent sample t-test and Pearson's correlation analysis were used for statistical analysis.

RESULTS
No significant difference was found between two groups with regards to the percentages of peripheral blood eosinophils and neutrophils (all P > 0.05). Serum PDCD5 was significantly higher in the patient group ((47.7 ± 29.6) vs (19.3 ± 9.8) µg/L, P < 0.05). Patients of chronic and acute phases showed a significant higher expression in PDCD5 than the remission phase ((55.2 ± 24.5) & (68.5 ± 22.1) vs (16.0 ± 7.9) µg/L, both P < 0.05). Serum PDCD5 of asthmatics showed a negative correlation with FEV(1)%, FEV(1)/FVC ratio and ACT scores (r = -0.539 to -0.798, all P < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
PDCD5 participates in the inflammatory process of asthmatic airway. Its abnormal expression may be associated with the uncontrolled state of asthmatics. It may serve as an indicator of assessing the levels of asthma control or a target for the treatment of asthma.


Detectors based on deep learning tend to detect multi-scale faces on a single input image for efficiency. Recent works, such as FPN and SSD, generally use feature maps from multiple layers with different spatial resolutions to detect objects at different scales, e.g., high-resolution feature maps for small objects. However, we find that such multi-layer prediction is not necessary. Faces at all scales can be well detected with features from a single layer of the network. In this paper, we carefully examine the factors affecting face detection across a large range of scales, and conclude that the balance of training samples, including both positive and negative ones, at different scales is the key. We propose a group sampling method which divides the anchors into several groups according to the scale, and ensure that the number of samples for each group is the same during training. Our approach using only the last layer of FPN as features is able to advance the state-of-the-arts. Comprehensive analysis and extensive experiments have been conducted to show the effectiveness of the proposed method. Our approach, evaluated on face detection benchmarks including FDDB and WIDER FACE datasets, achieves state-of-the-art results without bells and whistles.


Bivariate survival data arise frequently in familial association studies of chronic disease onset, as well as in clinical trials and observational studies with multiple time to event endpoints. The association between two event times is often scientifically important. In this article, we examine the association via a novel quantile association measure, which describes the dynamic association as a function of the quantile levels. The quantile association measure is free of marginal distributions, allowing direct evaluation of the underlying association pattern at different locations of the event times. We propose a nonparametric estimator for quantile association, as well as a semiparametric estimator that is superior in smoothness and efficiency. The proposed methods possess desirable asymptotic properties including uniform consistency and root‐n convergence. They demonstrate satisfactory numerical performances under a range of dependence structures. An application of our methods suggests interesting association patterns between time to myocardial infarction and time to stroke in an atherosclerosis study.


Are Supreme Court justices with prior experience in the executive branch more likely to defer to the president in separation of powers cases? While previous research has suggested that such background may signal judicial policy preferences but does not shape them, I argue here that institutional socialization may indeed increase future judicial deference to the president. Using an original data set of executive power cases decided between 1942 and 2007, I model justice-votes to test this hypothesis. I uncover three noteworthy findings: (1) a clear correlation between prior executive branch experience and support for the executive branch, (2) the degree of this support intensifies with increased executive branch tenure, a finding congruent with a socialization hypothesis, and (3) contrary to received wisdom, executive powers cases possess a clear ideological dimension, in line with the expectations of the attitudinal model.This is a preprint of an Article accepted for publication in Law and Society Review, © 2012 Law and Society Association.


We suggest a low cost, non invasive healthcare system that measures haemoglobin levels in patients and can be used as a preliminary diagnostic test for anaemia. A combination of image processing, machine learning and deep learning techniques are employed to develop predictive models to measure haemoglobin levels. This is achieved through the color analysis of the fingernail beds, palpebral conjunctiva and tongue of the patients. This predictive model is then encapsulated in a healthcare application. This application expedites data collection and facilitates active learning of the model. It also incorporates personalized calibration of the model for each patient, assisting in the continual monitoring of the haemoglobin levels of the patient. Upon validating this framework using data, it can serve as a highly accurate preliminary diagnostic test for anaemia.


BACKGROUND
It is difficult to predict the hypoglycemic effect of pioglitazone (a thiazolidinedione) as an insulin sensitizer. The purpose of the present study was to investigate whether insulin resistance index, homeostasis model assessment index (HOMA-IR) is a useful predictor of hypoglycemic effect of pioglitazone in comparison with body mass index (BMI).

METHODS
Thirty-four type 2 diabetic patients (14 men and 20 women, mean age 60 +/- 14 years) were treated with pioglitazone, 15 mg per day for 3 months. Eighteen subjects showed a decrease of 0.5% or more in HbA1C after treatment and were considered responders while 16 subjects were non-responders. A receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analysis was performed to determine HOMA-IR and BMI sensitivity and the false positive rate (1-specificity) for discriminating responders from non-responders.

RESULTS
Although there was no significant difference in age, sex, fasting plasma glucose, HbA1C and BMI between responders and non-responders, fasting insulin levels and HOMA-IR prior to treatment were significantly higher in the responders than in the non-responders. In ROC analysis, the sensitivity, false positive rate, and efficiency for HOMA-IR at the cut-off value, 4.6, with the highest efficiency were 81.2%, 22.2%, and 79.4%, respectively, and those for BMI at the cut-off value, 29.1, were 87.5%, 53.3%, and 67.7%, respectively.

CONCLUSION
HOMA-IR is a useful predictor of pioglitazone treatment in type 2 diabetic patients.


The Cantonal Police of Zurich, Switzerland, use a checklist to identify impaired drivers when conducting traffic stops. This checklist was developed by subject-matter experts and has been in use for eight years. The goal of this study was to redesign the checklist while considering human factors and ergonomics principles in combination with findings from a retrospective analysis of a set of 593 completed checklists. The checklist was amended in accordance with the results of the retrospective analysis by adding missing items and discarding superfluous ones. In addition, a hierarchical cluster analysis of the retrospective data suggested an improved spatial organization of checklist elements and the grouping of similar items of the checklist. Furthermore, aspects related to Fitts's law, visual complexity, and an optimized direction of processing the checklist underpinned the design process. The results of an evaluation of the redesigned checklist by 11 laypeople and 13 police officers indicated an improved usability of the redesigned checklist over the original.


The purpose of this research is to know : (1) Influence of entrepreneurial variable (2) Influence of variable of entrepreneurship strategy (3) Influence of social capital to continuous competitiv sustainability and performance of entrepreneurs of UMKM carving inJepara. This research is categorized as survey research, where the instrument of this research is a questionnaire. Population in this research is all Business actors UMKM carving in Jepara. Sample taken in this research counted 88 respondents. Instrument validity test using Confirmatory Factor Analisys while reliability test using Cronbach Alpha. The analysis technique used is multiple regression. The results of the study found that : There is influence between Entrepreneurial Competence, Entrepreneurship Strategy and Social Capital to Performance Pengsuaha with the concept of Competitive Arms as intervening variable is as follows : t table are 4.411, 2.183, 4.411> 1.662, and significance below 0.05. The contribution of independent variable to dependent is (R2) is 0%. The regression equation obtained Y = 1.096 + 0.316X1 + 0.161 X2 + 0.472 X3. Keywords: Entrepreneurial Competence,Entrepreneurship Strategy, Social Capital and Understanding Concept of Competitive Advantage and Performance of Entrepreneur.


Cooperative communications is a multiuser framework for wireless network environments. The collaboration among the users can exploit the inherent spatial diversity gains to thereby enhance the system performance significantly. Due to the mobility of users, especially in cellular systems, the exact locations of them are usually unknown a priori and hard/costly to discover. Therefore it is reasonable to model their locations as Bernoulli process. In this work, the uplink of a microcell in a decode-and-forward cooperative cellular system is investigated. The outage probability is derived based on a practical channel model including not only path loss but also shadowing and multipath fading effects. It is shown that considerable performance gains can be obtained.


Developing countries identify a set of strategic objectives to promote agricultural production, and assure food security and reduced level of poverty. Two of these objectives are (i) sustainable increase in agricultural productivity, and (ii) accelerated agricultural commercialization. Each of these objectives is backed-up by a long-list of priority investment areas. However, most of these countries cannot satisfy the financial and technical requirements to execute both of the strategic objectives and all of these investment areas. In light of this, taking the case of Ethiopia as an example, this study employs an economy-wide model and assesses the relative efficiency of alternative investment options on agricultural performance and poverty reduction. Results show that the policy instruments cause significantly different production and welfare responses. Productivity enhancing interventions such as input subsidy and irrigation provision have superior welfare consequences, while policies aimed at small holder commercialization have the least effect.


Subterranean clover and Wimmera ryegrass were grown in pots at a range of levels of applied phosphate for up to 33 days after emergence. From the results of sequential sampling, the rates of uptake of phosphate, its distribution and its effect on the rate of assimilation were calculated. The assumption involved in the widely used approximate method for calculating the average specific absorption rate (SAR) of nutrients by roots was found to be invalid. Hence instantaneous values of SAR were calculated from multiple regressions which allowed the simultaneous determination of the effects of phosphorus level and of time. For both species, SAR increased until about 2 weeks after emergence, and then declined. The effect of level of application on SAR differed between the species. For the ryegrass, SAR increased with phosphate level and reached a maximum value. For the clover, there was a level of application below which phosphate was almost ineffective. Above this level, the slope of the relationship between SAR and phosphate applied increased with increasing level of phosphate. It is suggested that this upward-curving relationship occurred because the proportion of added phosphate in the soil solution increases with increasing phosphate level. There was no evidence of a maximum value of SAR for the clover within the range of levels of phosphate used. At all levels of application, the SAR for the clover was lower than that for the grass. Ryegrass transferred a greater proportion of the phosphate to the tops than did clover. The net photosynthetic effectiveness of the tops of both species increased with phosphate concentration. The ryegrass had higher values for photosynthetic effectiveness than the clover at high phosphate concentration. At low phosphate levels the ryegrass allocated a greater proportion of its growth to roots than did the clover. *Part I, Aust. J. Agric. Res., 26: 137 (1975).


Purpose. The purpose of this study is to trace the theoretical developments of the gravity model of trade. The key question is: what are the dominant features of the development of the gravity trade model?

Methodology. This research is conducted by employing a number of methods
that include the historical, descriptive and analytical methods. The main contribution of this paper is to trace the historical and theoretical development phases of the gravity model.

Findings. This study is a novel attempt in terms of the identification of the four distinctive phases of the development of the gravity model. This work would, therefore, expand the existing literature on the gravity model. We argue that the development of the gravity model is the
outcome of many research efforts. A large body of literature has given the model a solid theoretical foundation. But there is no consensus about the proper econometric estimation methods of the model. The gravity model is significant both historically and analytically. It is a
useful tool for the analysis of international trade. It has become a popular research device used by the researchers and policy makers around
the world. The gravity is regarded as one of the most successful models
in the literature of international economics.

Originality. The original contributions of this paper lie in streamlining the consistent historical development of the gravity model over a longer period of time-frame, ranging from 1885 to 2018.

Limitations and Implications. This work is theoretical aspects of the trade gravity model. Future researchers could overcome the limitations by combining the theoretical and empirical studies in a paper. This paper can help the future researchers in dealing with the broad body of literature of gravity model.

Acknowledement. This study was supported by the National Natural Science
Foundation of China (grants No.71673223 & 71473197), and a PhD scholarship from the China Scholarship Council (CSC). The first author would like to thank the CSC for the financial support. He also acknowledges the invaluable research advice and guidance received

from Dr. Yoto V. Yotov, professor at the School of Economics of the Lebow College of Business at Drexel University, Philadelphia, USA. The authors are highly grateful to the anonymous reviewers, managing editor,
and the editor-in chief for their kind help and critical comments

on the earlier drafts of the paper. However, the authors are responsible
for the contents and limitations of the study. They declared no conflict of interests.


We develop a single-end-access strain/temperature sensor configuration based on multimodal interference in a polymer optical fiber (POF) with an extremely high sensitivity. The light Fresnel-reflected at the distal open end of the POF is exploited. We obtain high strain and temperature sensitivities of –122.2 pm/με and 10.1 nm/ ̊C, respectively, which are shown to be comparable to those in two-end-access configurations.


Learners often have difficulty finding and retrieving relevant learning materials to support their learning goals because of two main challenges. The vocabulary learners use to describe their goals is different from that used by domain experts in teaching materials. This challenge causes a semantic gap. Learners lack sufficient knowledge about the domain they are trying to learn about, so are unable to assemble effective keywords that identify what they wish to learn. This problem presents an intent gap. The work presented in this thesis focuses on addressing the semantic and intent gaps that learners face during an e-Learning recommendation task. The semantic gap is addressed by introducing a method that automatically creates background knowledge in the form of a set of rich learning-focused concepts related to the selected learning domain. The knowledge of teaching experts contained in e-Books is used as a guide to identify important domain concepts. The concepts represent important topics that learners should be interested in. An approach is developed which leverages the concept vocabulary for representing learning materials and this influences retrieval during the recommendation of new learning materials. The effectiveness of our approach is evaluated on a dataset of Machine Learning and Data Mining papers, and our approach outperforms benchmark methods. The results confirm that incorporating background knowledge into the representation of learning materials provides a shared vocabulary for experts and learners, and this enables the recommendation of relevant materials. We address the intent gap by developing an approach which leverages the background knowledge to identify important learning concepts that are employed for refining learners' queries. This approach enables us to automatically identify concepts that are similar to queries, and take advantage of distinctive concept terms for refining learners' queries. Using the refined query allows the search to focus on documents that contain topics which are relevant to the learner. An e-Learning recommender system is developed to evaluate the success of our approach using a collection of learner queries and a dataset of Machine Learning and Data Mining learning materials. Users with different levels of expertise are employed for the evaluation. Results from experts, competent users and beginners all showed that using our method produced documents that were consistently more relevant to learners than when the standard method was used. The results show the benefits in using our knowledge driven approaches to help learners find relevant learning materials.


Planned efforts to probe the largest observable distance scales in future cosmological surveys are motivated by a desire to detect relic correlations left over from inflation, and the possibility of constraining novel gravitational phenomena beyond General Relativity (GR). On such large scales, the usual Newtonian approaches to modelling summary statistics like the power spectrum and bispectrum are insufficient, and we must consider a fully relativistic and gauge-independent treatment of observables such as galaxy number counts in order to avoid subtle biases, e.g. in the determination of the $f_{\rm NL}$ parameter. In this work, we present an initial application of an analysis pipeline capable of accurately modelling and recovering relativistic spectra and correlation functions. As a proof of concept, we focus on the non-zero dipole of the redshift-space power spectrum that arises in the cross-correlation of different mass bins of dark matter halos, using strictly gauge-independent observable quantities evaluated on the past light cone of a fully relativistic N-body simulation in a redshift bin $1.7 \le z \le 2.9$. We pay particular attention to the correct estimation of power spectrum multipoles, comparing different methods of accounting for complications such as the survey geometry (window function) and evolution/bias effects on the past light cone, and discuss how our results compare with previous attempts at extracting novel GR signatures from relativistic simulations.


This research arose out of an interest in capturing the value of R&D. An interest which brought the two areas R&D and Business Models together and led to the following research question: How to build a business model for a research and development organisation?
The quest for an answer did not only contribute by illuminating the shady grounds of value creation
within R&D, it strengthened the fundaments where this research is built upon as well. For this research, a generic method to build a business model in a structured and reproducible manner (Meertens et al, 20011) is tailored to be applicable for R&D organisations. The adjustments
of the method based on typical R&D characteristics led to the solution design which then was demonstrated and validated via a case study. To ensure the quality of the validation an expert validation is done as well.
In section 2.1 the BMM is introduced based on the following business model definition: "A business model is a simplified representation that counts for the known and inferred properties of the business or industry as a whole..."
By a thorough literature study in section 2.2 the known and inferred properties of R&D were classified as project oriented, managing activities, risk management, cost management, value and external linkages. These characteristics were used in section 2.3 to research the suitable techniques within the BMM. The solution design which is built upon the outcomes of 2.3 is presented in chapter 3. First the roles are identified using a stakeholder analysis which is especially designed for R&D projects. Second, the relations are recognised by mapping the value exchanges with e3-value modelling. Third,
the activities are specified using Stage Gate Systems and the fourth step quantification of the model is covered by job costing. The fifth and the sixth step are general steps and outside the scope of this research. The solution design is based on two assumptions:
o a R&D organisation is project oriented
o the business model of R&D is a portfolio of innovation processes
In chapter 4 is demonstrated by at SE Blades Technology with a case study on New Product Development projects and a case study on Technology Projects.
In the expert validation in chapter 5 the strengths, weaknesses, opportunities and threads of the solution design were discussed. One of the strengths confirmed the results in chapter 4, that the method appeared well structured and useable in practice. The lack of an earning model was addressed as a weakness. However, the solution design is demonstrated at a R&D organisation which is seen as a cost centre. Therefore this is not a weakness but a limitation, as earning models are more useful for profit centres. This automatically leads to the opportunity of doing further research on how to shift from a cost centre to a profit centre. The threads of overlapping definitions which the experts warned for are taken into account during the revision of this thesis. In this research a BMM method is tailored and the solution design turned out to be suitable for building the business model of a R&D organisation. It was not only suitable, it encouraged
continuous improvement as well when working with the method. The solution design is validated by experts as well. Based on this validation the limitations of this research have been cleared.


Based on administrative data of unemployed in Belgium, we estimate the labour market effects of three training programmes at various aggregation levels using Modified Causal Forests, a causal machine learning estimator. While all programmes have positive effects after the lock-in period, we find substantial heterogeneity across programmes and unemployed. Simulations show that "black-box" rules that reassign unemployed to programmes that maximise estimated individual gains can considerably improve effectiveness: up to 20% more (less) time spent in (un)employment within a 30 months window. A shallow policy tree delivers a simple rule that realizes about 70% of this gain.


The building energy simulation program, Energy Plus (E+), cannot use standard window performance indices (U, SHGC, VT) to model window energy impacts. Rather, E+ uses more accurate methods which require a physical description of the window. E+ needs to be able to accept U and SHGC indices as window descriptors because, often, these are all that is known about a window and because building codes, standards, and voluntary programs are developed using these terms. This paper outlines a procedure, developed for E+, which will allow it to use standard window performance indices to model window energy impacts. In this 'Block' model, a given U, SHGC, VT are mapped to the properties of a fictitious 'layer' in E+. For thermal conductance calculations, the 'Block' functions as a single solid layer. For solar optical calculations, the model begins by defining a solar transmittance (Ts) at normal incidence based on the SHGC. For properties at non-normal incidence angles, the 'Block' takes on the angular properties of multiple glazing layers; the number and type of layers defined by the U and SHGC. While this procedure is specific to E+, parts of it may have applicability to other window/building simulation programs.


Acute Respiratory Tract Infection can be defined as a respiratory tract disease caused by infectious agents that can be transmitted from human to human. The infectious agents in question are viruses, bacteria, and other factors such as the environment and the host. Acute Respiratory Tract Infection is influenced or caused by three things, namely the presence of germs, the state of endurance, the state of the environment, and air quality. The design of this research is Literature Review or literature review. Literature review study is a method used to reveal data and sources related to a particular topic that can be obtained from various journal sources, and data from the Samarinda City Health Office which are accessed online.


Low-dose ionizing radiation (LDR) may lead to suppression of smoking-related lung cancer. We examined the effects of a known cigarette smoke carcinogen Benzo[a]pyrene (B[a]P) alone or in combination with fractionated low-dose gamma radiation (60 – 600 mGy total dose) on the induction of lung neoplasms in the A/J mouse. Our results show that 600 mGy of gamma radiation delivered in six biweekly fractions of 100 mGy starting 1 month after B[a]P injection significantly inhibits the development of lung adenomas per animal induced by B[a]P. Our data also indicated that the six biweekly doses suppressed the occurrence of spontaneous hyperplastic foci in the lung, although this suppression failed to reach statistical significance when analyzed as average foci per lung possibly related to the small sample sizes used for the control and test groups.


Blood is a liquid found in humans and all high-level animals that serves to transmit substances and oxygen needed by the body's tissues, transport chemicals from metabolism, and also as a defense of the body against viruses or bacteria. This study aims to find out the content of globulin and biuret in the blood of adolescent women and identify hemoglobin levels contained in this. Method used in this study is qualitative research that is descriptive, with sampling techniques that use purposive sampling method. The results showed that in this globulin test aims to see the presence of globulin or protein deposits in serum and the results obtained are deposits in serum samples. Then the biuret test aims to see the discoloration, and the result Occurs discoloration of the serum (white) and for this hemoglobin test aims to see if the sample blood is normal or not and the result is normal


Assume that we have a group G of known order q, in which we want to solve discrete logarithms (dlogs). In 1994, Maurer showed how to compute dlogs in G in poly time given a Diffie-Hellman (DH) oracle in G, and an auxiliary elliptic curve ˆÊ (Fq) of smooth order. The problem of Maurer's reduction of solving dlogs via DH oracles is that no efficient algorithm for constructing such a smooth auxiliary curve is known. Thus, the implications of Maurer's approach to real-world applications remained widely unclear.In this work, we explicitly construct smooth auxiliary curves for 13 commonly used, standardized elliptic curves of bit-sizes in the range [204, 256], including e.g., NIST P-256, Curve25519, SM2 and GOST R34.10. For all these curves we construct a corresponding cyclic auxiliary curve ˆÊ(Fq), whose order is 39-bit smooth, i.e., its largest factor is of bit-length at most 39 bits.This in turn allows us to compute for all divisors of the order of ˆÊ(Fq) exhaustively a codebook for all discrete logarithms. As a consequence, dlogs on ˆÊ(Fq) can efficiently be computed in a matter of seconds. Our resulting codebook sizes for each auxiliary curve are less than 29 TByte individually, and fit on our hard disk.We also construct auxiliary curves for NIST P-384 and NIST P-521 with a 65-bit and 110-bit smooth order.Further, we provide an efficient implementation of Maurer's reduction from the dlog computation in G with order q to the dlog computation on its auxiliary curve ˆÊ (Fq). Let us provide a flavor of our results, e.g., when G is the NIST P-256 group, the results for other curves are similar. With the help of our codebook for the auxiliary curve Ê(Fq), and less than 24,000 calls to a DH oracle in G (that we simulate), we can solve discrete logarithms on NIST P-256 in around 30 secs.From a security perspective, our results show that for current elliptic curve standards< the difficulty of solving DH is practically tightly related to the difficulty of computing dlogs. Namely, unless dlogs are easy to compute on these curves G, we provide a very concrete security guarantee that DH in G must also be hard. From a cryptanalytic perspective, our results show a way to efficiently solve discrete logarithms in the presence of a DH oracle.


Tape recordings of telephone conversations of Consolidated Edison's system operator (SO) and his immediate superior (CSO), beginning an hour before the 1977 New York blackout, were analyzed for indications of psychological stress. (SO was responsible for monitoring and switching power loads within the Con Ed network.) Utterances from the two individuals were analyzed to yield several pitch and amplitude statistics. To assess the perceptual correlates of stress, four groups of listeners used a seven-point scale to rate the stress of SO and CSO from either randomized vocal utterances or transcripts of the randomized utterances. Results indicated that whereas CSO's vocal pitch increased significantly with increased situational stress, SO's pitch decreased. Listener ratings of stress from the voice were positively related to average pitch. It appears that listener's stereotype of psychological stress includes elevated pitch and amplitude levels, as well as their increased variability.


: In this report we study the computational performance of variants of an algebraic additive Schwarz preconditioner for the Schur complement for the solution of large sparse linear systems. In earlier works, the local Schur complements were computed exactly using a sparse direct solver. The robustness of the preconditioner comes at the price of this memory and time intensive computation that is the main bottleneck of the approach for tackling huge problems. In this work we investigate the use of sparse approximation of the dense local Schur complements. These approximations are computed using a partial incomplete LU factorization. Such a numerical calculation is the core of the multi-level incomplete factorization such as the one implemented in pARMS. The numerical and computing performance of the new numerical scheme is illustrated on a set of large 3D convection-diffusion problems; preliminary experiments on linear systems arising from structural mechanics are also reported.


While jet aircraft can be operated into and from short unpaved runways in regular airline service, increased costs and other limitations dictate improved airfields and minimum terminals. Airport development in areas such as the islands of Micronesia in the Pacific requires consideration of many factors. Realistic forecasts of requirements necessary due to high construction costs for improvements and limited financing alternatives. User airline input and participation must be included in the planning and design process. To maintain maximum flexibility in the air service offered, airports in a region should be studied and developed on a system basis.


Nielsen (2003), and Yang (1996) and (2002) are excellent principle sources for Chinese terminology. Note that I generally use traditional Chinese characters, but sometimes lapse into their modern simplified forms. This is particularly the case where the traditional character is very complex (I'm lazy) and/or the simplified character has an obvious semantic connection. For example with ti (body) the characters are 體 and 体–"body" here from the idea of the root of man in the simplified character provides an easy mnemonic. However, in some cases the simplification is hardly worthwhile, as in shu (number) where the traditional and simplified characters are 數 and 数 respectively. In that case, I generally stick with the traditional character. I'm nothing if not inconsistent.


Online matching markets (OMMs) are commonly used in today's world to pair agents from two parties (whom we will call offline and online agents) for mutual benefit. However, studies have shown that the algorithms making decisions in these OMMs often leave disparities in matching rates, especially for offline agents. In this article, we propose online matching algorithms that optimize for either individual or group-level fairness among offline agents in OMMs. We present two linear-programming (LP) based sampling algorithms, which achieve competitive ratios at least 0.725 for individual fairness maximization and 0.719 for group fairness maximization. We derive further bounds based on fairness parameters, demonstrating conditions under which the competitive ratio can increase to 100%. There are two key ideas helping us break the barrier of 1-1/𝖾~ 63.2% for competitive ratio in online matching. One is boosting, which is to adaptively re-distribute all sampling probabilities among only the available neighbors for every arriving online agent. The other is attenuation, which aims to balance the matching probabilities among offline agents with different mass allocated by the benchmark LP. We conduct extensive numerical experiments and results show that our boosted version of sampling algorithms are not only conceptually easy to implement but also highly effective in practical instances of OMMs where fairness is a concern.


The effects of two treatments, irrigation and fertilization, were examined on specific gravity (SG)-related wood properties of loblolly pine trees (Pinus taeda L.) grown in Scotland County, North Carolina. The effects on the core as a whole, on the juvenile core, on the mature core, and from year to year were all analyzed. The results indicate that fertilization significantly lowered latewood SG, overall SG, and percent latewood and did so consistently throughout the period of study. Irrigation significantly lowered earlywood SG during the phase of juvenile wood production but significantly raised latewood SG during the period of mature wood production. Significant interaction between fertilization and irrigation indicated that irrigation helped overall SG and percent latewood of fertilized trees to increase to the level of untreated trees. Therefore, this study provides evidence that although fertilization significantly affects several SG-related properties, water availability is beneficial to the fertilization process; over time, an adequate water supply may help fertilized trees to maintain SG levels similar to those of unfertilized trees. FOR .S CI. 56(5):484-493.


Exfoliated cells from the human uterine cervix have been induced to concentrate 67Ga both in short-term culture and after alcohol fixation. Cells from normal patients and patients with cancer of the cervix and endometrium have been studied using both nuclear counting procedures to measure uptake of whole-cell populations and autoradiography to determine the localization of the 67Ga and the uptake of single cells.

Uptake of 67Ga varied with cell type in both the normal and malignant cell populations. Single cell-uptakes of gallium may be achieved up to ppm of gallium per wet cell mass corresponding to µC of 67Ga or 40,000 dps/cell under suitable conditions. Uptake by fixed cells in alcohol solutions was found to be dependent on pH and gallium concentration. The average gallium uptake per cell from a cell population taken from a patient with squamous cell carcinoma of the cervix was measured to be twice the gallium uptake per cell from a cell population taken from a normal patient. A small number of cells from cytological specimens obtained from a patient with cervical cancer and a patient with endometrial cancer exhibited an order of magnitude greater in uptake than other cells in the same population or within similar cell samples taken from a number of normal subjects. (Since cells with such great gallium uptake were observed only in cell populations from patients with cancer, their presence may be indicative of cancer.)


It was confirmed, using an objective assay of motility, that fowl seminal plasma restores and stimulates the motility of fowl spermatozoa at 40 degrees C in a dose-dependent manner. By separation of a 100,000 g supernatant of fowl seminal plasma with Sephadex G-15, two peaks of motility-stimulating activity were distinguished. One peak coincided with that of calcium and was absent when calcium was removed from the seminal plasma with Dowex 50. The other peak, which accounted for 44% of motility-stimulating activity, contained a low molecular weight, dialysable factor which remains to be identified.


The phoretic relationships between the nematode Bursaphelenchus conicaudatus and the yellow-spotted longicorn beetle, Psacothea hilaris , collected at various districts in Japan were investigated. A high proportion of all ten subspecies of the beetle examined were infected with the nematodes, suggesting the universality of this phoretic association. Molecular analysis based on the partial base sequence of cytochrome oxidase subunit I in the mitochondrial DNA revealed that the phylogenetic relationships among ten subspecies of the beetle was similar to that among associated nematode isolates obtained from each beetle subspecies. Intraspecific vector replacements were supposed to occur in the isolates of B. conicaudatus on two islands. The phoretic association between the nematode and the beetle is assumed to have been established before the divergence of P.hilaris into subspecies.


In follow-up investigations on 41 patients with primary cancer of the colon that had been assayed for the presence of steroid-binding activity, six of eight patients whose tumors showed steroid-binding activity for at least one steroid were free of disease one to three years postoperatively. In contrast, only two of 12 patients who had negative binding assay (16%) were free of disease in the same interval. The finding of steroid receptors in human colon cancers does not immediately imply therapeutic advantage. These binding activities may not be receptors, and even if they are, cytoplasmic receptors are a necessary, but not sufficient condition for hormone response. There are, however, sufficient epidemiologic, etiologic, and nutritional observations that seem to link breast and colon cancers to indicate further investigation into the biologic significance of the association of steroid-binding protein in human colon cancer.


Introduction Syncope has myriad etiologies, ranging from benign to immediately life threatening. This frequently leads to over testing. Chest radiographs (CXR) are among these commonly performed tests despite their uncertain diagnostic yield. The objective is to study the distribution of normal and abnormal chest radiographs in patients presenting with syncope, stratified by those who did or did not have an adverse event at 30 days. Methods We performed a post-hoc analysis of a prospective cohort of consecutive patients presenting to an urban tertiary care academic medical center with a chief complaint of syncope from 2003–2006. The frequency and findings for each CXR were reviewed, as well as emergency department and hospital discharge diagnoses, and 30-day outcome. Results There were 575 total subjects, 39.7% were male, and the mean age was 57.2 (SD 24.6). Of the 575 subjects, 403 (70.1%) had CXRs performed, and 116 (20.2%) had an adverse event after their syncope. Of the 116 people who had an adverse event, 15 (12.9%) had a positive CXR, 81 (69.8%) had a normal CXR, and 20 (17.2%) did not have a CXR as part of the initial evaluation. Among the 459 people who did not have an adverse event, 3 (0.7%) had a positive CXR, 304 (66.2%) had a normal CXR, and 152 (33.1%) did not have a CXR performed. Fifteen of the 18 patients (83.4%) with an abnormal CXR had an adverse event. Eighty-one of the 385 patients (21.0%) with a normal CXR had an adverse event. Among those who had a CXR performed, an abnormal CXR was associated with increased odds of adverse event (OR: 18.77 (95% CI= [5.3–66.4])). Conclusion Syncope patients with abnormal CXRs are likely to experience an adverse event, though the majority of CXRs performed in the work up of syncope are normal.


Introduction. Effectively teaching English vocabulary in practical courses of English at tertiary linguistic schools is one of the most difficult issues in the efficient organization of the teaching/learning process. As research shows, the learning/acquisition of vocabulary directly depends on the number of repetitions in communication of every lexical unit to be learned or acquired. The sufficient number of such repetitions just cannot be achieved for every lexical unit introduced in the language course because time constraints do not allow ensuring that number in the existing conditions of teaching future translators/interpreters or language teachers. Purpose. To discuss and determine the possible ways of solving the vocabulary learning/acquisition difficulty by rational distribution of the vocabulary to be learned/acquired into different categories with different approaches to organizing students' learning/acquisition of lexical units belonging to those different categories. Methods. Reviewing the studies devoted to foreign language vocabulary learning/acquisition and analyzing the authors' own practical experience in this area with the view of developing the above mentioned approach to optimal vocabulary distribution into different learning/acquisition categories for achieving students' better mastering and retention of lexical units. Results. This study revealed that the optimal categories into which the vocabulary to be learned/acquired should be divided are: 1) the primary basic vocabulary the lexical units from which are to be acquired by students mostly subconsciously through numerous encounters with them and numerous repetitions of them in communicative processes of their speaking, listening, reading, and writing in the target language; 2) the secondary basic vocabulary the lexical units from which are to be consciously learned by students through using specific procedures and exercises for ensuring such learning depending on whether individual lexical units are meant for being mastered receptively or reproductively – in this case, conscious learning may be aided by unconscious retention (acquisition) organized by the teacher wherever possible by addressing the resources of learners' involuntary memory; 3) the optional vocabulary acquired by students mostly subconsciously through involuntary retention occurring in the process of learners' extensive reading – this is why different learners may acquire different lexical units from such an optional vocabulary stock; 4) the potential vocabulary the lexical units from which the students mostly do not retain but consciously learn how to understand their meanings when encountering them in the English texts they are reading. Conclusion. The practical application of the suggested approach in courses of English for future translators/interpreters and language teachers has demonstrated its great positive potential in developing and improving students' lexical skills and enhancing those skills both qualitatively and quantitatively. This opens further prospects for research in the suggested direction.