OBJECTIVES
To identify factors associated with dependence for basic activities of daily living (BADL) and instrumental activities of daily living (IADL) in elderly adults in Mexico.

METHODS
A cross-sectional study of data from the first round of Mexico's National Study on Health and Aging, 2001, was undertaken. The sample consisted of 7 171 participants, 60 years of age or older. Multifactorial regression analysis was used to identify associations between BADL and IADL dependence and lifestyle, sociodemographics, family background, and health history, from childhood to present.

RESULTS
The mean age of the participants was 69.4 +/- 7.6 years of age, with a range of 60-105 years; females made up 53.4% of the sample. The BADL- and IADL-dependent groups had a higher mean age (P < 0.01), were predominantly female (P < 0.01), had a greater incidence of illiteracy, and reported a significantly higher number of chronic diseases and greater frequency of pain than did the independent participants. Among the 521 (7.3%) BADL-dependent, there was a higher percentage who were single or widowed (P < 0.01), and their self-assessed health was poorer, than that of the independent (P < 0.01). Among the 603 (8.4%) IADL-dependent, significant, independently associated factors were age, cerebrovascular and other chronic diseases, depression, vision issues, excessive pain, and amputation of a limb. Absence of childhood trauma and fewer years of employment were related to a lower incidence of IADL dependence.

CONCLUSIONS
Functional dependence in older adults is directly related to aging and has multiple determinants. Awareness of these determinants should help design health programs that can identify individuals who are at high risk of losing their independence, and implement interventions for slowing or reversing the process.


In the present work, carbon foam (CF) coupled multi-wall carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) and CF/MWCNTs coupled nanodiamond (NDs) hybrid composites were prepared by the direct treatment of MWCNTs and NDs with pretreatment pitches through foaming, graphitization, and carbonization process. Both series of CF composites were compared and explored by Fourier-transform infrared spectroscopy, X-ray diffraction, scanning electron microscopy and energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy techniques. It was investigated that the structural morphology, pore size and pore uniformity upgraded with the increment of MWCNTs content, however, the effect of ND particles in this aspect was more influential. Furthermore, the effect of additive loading of MWCNTs and NDs on the mechanical, electrical and thermal properties of CF composites were checked. The results revealed that maximum compressive strength 15.8 MPa and electrical conductivity 30.2×103 S/m of CFs were obtained at 4 wt.% MWCNTs and ND loadings respectively. While the maximum thermal conductivity value of 32.2 Wm-1k-1 was revealed by CFs having 2 wt.% MWCNTs and NDs loadings.


Renal transplant programmes are seriously limited by the continuing shortage of donor organs. Kidneys from marginal and non-heart-beating donors are increasingly being used, but their viability may be compromised. There is currently no rapid yet accurate method for assessing donor organ viability which can be applied within the window of opportunity between harvesting and implantation. Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is a non-invasive technique which is being increasingly applied to delineate biochemical changes in vivo. Studies in animal models and humans now suggest that phosphorus-31 MRS may be useful in the non-invasive assessment of isolated donor kidney viability.


Introduction By 2020 people aged 50 years and over will make up almost half of the adult population in the UK. Policy aims to enable more people to work for longer however there is a dramatic drop in labour participation after age 50. Our aim was to investigate the impact of age, and health on return to work (RTW) in welfare benefit claimants engaging with the Work Programme (WP); the UK Government's main RTW initiative. It supports two main groups of claimants for two years – Job Seeker Allowance (JSA), for people who are unemployed but capable of work; Employment Support Allowance (ESA), for people with a disability that makes it more difficult to work. Methods The data were from the SOPIE cohort (13 461 unemployed clients aged 18–64, who entered the WP in Scotland in 2013/2014). Data were analysed using STATA 14 and a Poisson modelling approach using fractional polynomials to model age as a continuous variable. Results Clients aged 50 and over accounted for 15% of JSA and 30% ESA groups. The proportion of clients disclosing health conditions (HC) were: 'JSA under-50', 25%; 'JSA over-50', 53%; 'ESA under-50', 97%; 'ESA over-50', 98%. Multiple HC were more common in ESA clients. Job start rates for clients were: 'JSA under-50', 65%; 'JSA over-50', 49%; 'ESA under-50', 23%; 'ESA over-50', 14%. There was a strong relationship between age, health and job start with the predicted probability of job start highest in the first three months of the WP. The analyses also investigated the influence of biopsychosocial factors on RTW. Conclusion This study is on-going and will inform interventions focussing on addressing age-specific, health and biopsychosocial barriers for future RTW programmes with the aim of improving employment outcomes, so that not only individuals but employers and the economy can benefit from extending working lives.


Purpose – This paper presents the characteristics of effective literacy and numeracy teachers within the current context of teaching in Malaysia from the viewpoints of a sample of trained and experienced primary school teachers of literacy and numeracy.The characteristics were established based on what the teachers perceived as important in guiding their pupils, to equip themselves with the necessary literacy and numeracy skills in order to cope with imminent educational demands and challenges.Design – In this exploratory qualitative study, the data were collected in two phases.In Phase-1, the literacy and numeracy teachers individually responded to the Literacy Teacher Questionnaire (LTQ) and the Numeracy Teacher Questionnaire (NTQ) respectively.Both these questionnaires comprised open-ended questions.In Phase-2, focus-group discussions and reflection sessions, which focused on the teachers' experiences in the primary schools' literacy and numeracy teaching and learning processes, were carried out.The fully transcribed data from both the phases were thematically analysed.Findings – The findings indicated notable skills and characteristics of effective literacy and numeracy primary school teachers from the viewpoints of the teachers in the study. These characteristics were distinctively categorized into four main themes, namely (a) structure, (b) knowledge and understanding, (c) strategies and skills, and (d) values.Significance – The characteristics of effective literacy and numeracy primary school teachers that emerged from this study would serve as a frame of reference for education policy-makers and curriculum developers in determining the directions and plan of actions towards enhancing effective teaching and learning of literacy and numeracy in primary schools. The frame can also be adapted by teacher educators in aligning the training and learning activities with their literacy and numeracy trainees within their training institutions.Additionally, the findings of the study would serve as a flexible and adaptable foundation for improving the literacy and numeracy education of the Malaysian primary school pupils.


We investigated heat tolerance at the reproductive stage in six spring-type B. rapa accessions and one B. juncea accession as a control. Plants were subjected to two temperature treatments for seven days in controlled environmental rooms, beginning one day before the first open flower on the main stem inflorescence. The high-temperature treatment ranged from 25 ° Ct o 35°C during 16 h light and 25 °C during 8 h dark. The control temperature treatment was set at 23 °C during 16 h light and 15 °C during 8 h dark. Soil moisture was maintained at close to field capacity to avoid drought stress. Main stem buds that emerged during the treatment period were tagged, and pod and seed production was recorded at each reproductive node. Leaf temperature depression and leaf conductance increased in the high-temperature treatment which indicated that plants were not drought stressed. A leafy vegetable type of B. rapa from Indonesia was the most tolerant to high temperature, as defined by its ability to set seed equally well in the control and high-temperature treatments, followed by an oilseed type from Pakistan. Pollen viability remained above 87 % in all accessions and treatments. We conclude that bud number and length, and pod number produced under high temperatures, might provide a useful preliminary screen for high-temperature tolerance and that B. rapa may be a valuable source of heat tolerance in canola (B. napus).


Abstract Three components of L-ascorbic acid, amino acid and functionalized norcantharidins were constructed together in several steps to form 42 norcantharidin derivatives in a high yield. The structure of these synthesized l-ascorbic acid-amino acid-norcantharidin conjugates are determined by 1HNMR, 13CNMR and MS spectrum. The results showed that compounds 6e, 6g, 6j, 6l, 6m, 6b, 6e, 6i, and 6n showed high cytotoxicity to HepG2 and compounds 6b, 6e-g, 6l, 6n, 7b, 7d, 7h, 7i, 7n, 8g, 8i exhibited high cytotoxicity to SW480; Meanwhile, besides 6b, 6e, 6g, and 6k, the other compounds showed less toxic to LO2 at a concentration of 50 μg/mg after 72 h. Compound 6g can induce Mφ-type macrophages derived from mouse bone marrow to polarize to M1-type macrophages. Graphical Abstract


A qualitative analysis was conducted exploring physicians' use of compliance gaining strategies used in attempts to change patient behaviors. Analysis revealed six sets of perceptions that describe the ways physicians manage the difficult task of compliance gaining - recognition of failure, tolerance of outside credibility, labeling the "art of medicine," assigning patient responsibility, placing patients on "their journey," and acknowledging "the event." Analysis also identified three key sets of strategies that physicians use in compliance gaining: 1) message strategies (which include direct and strategic attempts to manage interactions about behavior change); 2) relational strategies (which emerge from the relationship shared by the physician and the patient); and 3) personal strategies (which include the individual physician's approaches to compliance gaining). Eight message strategies, three relational strategies, and two personal strategies are identified and described.


This paper describes a theoretical investigation on the response of "all-steel" dismountable buckling restrained braces (BRBs) through the analysis of finite element models (FEMs). The focus of this investigation is on a special type of BRB developed for seismic upgrading of existing reinforced concrete buildings and experimentally tested previously. After a short summary of experimental results, the paper describes the finite element models and the analysis results. Sub- sequently, a discussion addresses the following issues: (i) influence of the core-to-casing clearance; (ii) influence of spac- ing of connections along the casing longitudinal axis; (iii) compression-to-tension strength ratio; (iv) core buckling wave- lengths and core-to-casing interaction forces. Finally, the paper presents a comparison of numerical results and available analytical models.


This paper examines fiscal sustainability in an inflationary environment, particularly the interrelation between government debt and inflation. A model that explicitly incorporates the political utility/objective function of government is constructed. The government's borrowing behavior and inflation are determined through the simultaneous optimization of government and households. The sustainable fiscal debt in an inflationary environment was found to equal the present value of primary balances discounted by the time preference rate of government, not by the interest rate. This result raises the question of whether it is appropriate to apply the fiscal sustainability test of Hamilton and Flavin to high inflation countries.


Classical homocystinuria (HCU) due to cystathionine β -synthase deficiency is an inherited disorder of methionine metabolism. HCU has a reported worldwide prevalence ranging from 1 in 344 000 to 1 in 65 000 in Ireland. Molecular studies indicate a much higher incidence of between 1 in 6500–20 000 and as high as 1 in 1800 in a highly consanguinous Qatari population. Recognized complications from the untreated disease affect four major systems: ocular (ectopia lentis), skeletal (osteoporosis), vascular (thromboembolic events) and central nervous systems (intellectual disabilities). The natural history is such that 82% will have ectopia lentis by the age of 10 years, 27% will have had a clinically detected thromboembolic event by the age of 15 years, 64% will have radiological evidence of spinal osteoporosis by the age of 15 years and 23% will not survive to the age of 30 years. Long-term outcome studies on a group of Irish patients detected by newborn screening and commenced on early treatment document that homocysteine-lowering treatment is effective in preventing complications and normal intelligence is achieved. Vascular events are the major cause of morbidity and mortality. The results from a multicentre study show that homocysteine-lowering therapy is effective in significantly reducing the vascular risk during treatment. In the half-century since its discovery in 1962, homocystinuria with its devastating complications has been discovered to be a treatable condition, with the best possible clinical outcome in cases detected early by newborn screening.


Calcium carbonate percentages at Þve Ceara Rise sites were estimated at 1- to 2-k.y. intervals over the past 5 m.y., using resectance spectroscopy and magnetic susceptibility proxies. From these estimates and detailed correlations between sites, gradients of calcite and terrigenous sediment accumulation rates in a depth transect of sites reveal variations in local climate and calcite dissolution related to deep-water masses. Relative to shallow sites on the southern Ceara Rise, accumulation rates of terrigenous sediments at deeper sites near the Amazon Fan were higher during glacial periods. Analogous variations in terrigenous sedimentation before the expansion of Northern Hemisphere ice sheets ~3 m.y. ago suggests that tropical climate cycles occurred independently of polar glaciation. Decreasing accumulation rates of calcite with increasing water depth reveal patterns of carbonate dissolution, which varied on orbital time-scales (10 - 100 k.y. periods) throughout the PlioceneÐPleistocene. Maximum dissolution at deep relative to shallow sites occurred in the transition from interglacial to glacial conditions, and maximum preservation occurred during global warming, at all orbital periods. If the local dissolution gradient is linked to relative contributions of North Atlantic Deep Water and Antarctic Bottom Water, this phasing of events conÞrms a key prediction of SPECMAP that deep-water adjustments may translate climate changes between hemispheres. Dissolution and preservation events, however, may also resect a transient response to a net sux of organic matter between the continents and the oceans during ice-age climate transitions.


Monte Carlo simulation of solitonic phonon propagation on a 2D plane in Weyl fermion-sea is analyzed. We assume materials are filled with Weyl spinors located on $256\times 256$ 2D lattice points, which are expressed by quaternions ${\bf H}$. The topology of solitonic phonon propagation is defined by modifying fixed point actions of 4D Quantum Chromo Dynamics action to (2+1)D action, replacing Dirac fermions by Weyl fermions, and changing the electric charge current flow to the energy flow. We consider $A$ type loops whose path are on a 2D plane, and $B$ type loops which contain two parallel links that connect two 2D plane on different time slices. The length of loops are restricted to be less than or equal to 8 lattice units. At the moment spatial lattice unit and time lattice unit are same. They can be chosen arbitrarily when one compares hysteresis effects with experimental data. Using the quaternion expression of Porteous, we calculate the plaquette part of loop actions and the link part of loop actions. Link actions of $A$ type loops cancel with each other, but those of $B$ type loops depends on whether the spin rotation is clockwise or that is counterclockwise. In the present work we consider average of clockwise rotating and counterclockwise rotating loop contributions.


We describe a rare sequel of ethmoid fracture--a growing skull fracture associated with cerebrospinal fluid rhinorrhoea following trauma sustained in adult life. The natural history of its development, diagnosis, and the results of surgery are discussed. The literature is reviewed with regard to aetiology, incidence, imaging characteristics and management of this rare post-traumatic complication.


ABSTRACT Objective: To analyze the clinical features, diagnostic strategies and therapeutic methods associated with paraneoplastic neurological syndromes. Methods: A retrospective study of paraneoplastic neurological syndromes was performed at a single center in Shandong, East China. The medical records and follow-up data of 28 patients were intensively reviewed between February 2011 and December 2014. Results: Twenty-four (85.7%) patients experienced subacute or chronic onset of disease, and the most common symptoms reported were mild myasthenia and paresthesias. Twenty-five (89.3%) patients presented nervous system lesions prior to occult tumors, and the median time frame between paraneoplastic neurological syndromes onset and the diagnosis of a tumor was 15 weeks. Sensorimotor neuropathy, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome and limbic encephalitis were the three most common neurological syndromes reported. Elevated serum tumor markers were observed in 44.0% of patients, while 40.7% of patients were positive for onconeural antibodies. Tumors were detected in 21 (75.0%) patients after repeated whole-body screening, and lung carcinomas were the most common primary tumor detected. Seventeen patients received anti-tumor or immunological therapy, and clinical symptoms were relieved in 13 (76.5%) of these patients. Conclusions: In the majority of paraneoplastic neurological syndromes patients, the onset of disease is subacute or chronic with mild clinical symptoms. Nervous system lesions usually occur prior to occult tumors with complicated and various clinical manifestations. Neither tumor markers nor onconeural antibodies exhibit a high rate of occurrence, while repeated whole-body screening is helpful in identifying occult tumors. Early diagnosis and treatment are crucial to these patients.


Recent discussions of intensity discrimination in vision have focussed attention on initial events in the process. Hecht (1935), in particular, has proposed a theory which states that brightness discrimination is due to the photochemical processes which take place at the initial moment when the eye, already adapted to a given intensity, is exposed to a just discriminahly higher intensity. Results of recent observations by Smith (1936) and Steinhardt (1936) lend support to the hypothesis. An important question which arises when we consider a theory in terms of initial events is the problem of how such a formulation may be related to the Bunsen-Roscoe law. This law states that, for brief flashes of light, the product of intensity and duration is constant for the production of a constant photochemical effect. I t has been found to apply within well marked limits of exposure to both the fovea and periphery of the human eye, for threshold (Graham and Margaria, 1935; Karn, 1936) and supraliminal excitation (McDougall, 1904; Blondel and Rey, 1911; Graham and Cook, 1937). Adrian and Matthews (1927) and Hartline (1928) have demonstrated the law for the eyes of lower organisms, and Hartline's findings for the single fiber of Limulus (1934) give adequate evidence on the nature and limitations of its application. The strict reciprocity relation fails for exposures longer than a "critical duration" beyond which, in the Limulus eye and probably in the human eye (Karn, 1936), the relation I . t = Constant is superseded by the relation I = Constant. These considerations have led us to perform the experiments reported here. I t has seemed important to us, because of the emphasis on initial events in brightness discrimination, to determine the effect 635


Managing the removal of Radioactive Materials found in public locations. In January 2006 the Environment Agency for England and Wales requested assistance in preparing a project to plan, collect and safely dispose of radium painted aluminium aircraft hatches, discovered in 3 separate business premises in the UK. These World-War Two aircraft hatches had been marked with radium "luminous" paint, to guide crew in the dark to the escape exits if they needed to bale out. The hatches had been stored since the early 1960s in one location, with some of the inventory being moved two other locations in 2003/2004. The North West Region of the Environment Agency appointed a consortium of Enviros, Safeguard International and Aurora Health Physics to undertake the work, and they funded it from the sealed sources disposal budget. The paper will set out how the project was complicated by an assortment of "real world" problems; preliminary estimates of both the activity per hatch and the number of hatches established the potential for a significant quantity of radium to be disposed of safely. The total number of hatches was not known for sure at the start of the work. Access to retrieve the majority of the frames was hazardous due to the poor structural condition of the building roof. Other difficulties included constrained access under a railway line, and bird-related biohazards. The sites involved in the collections were not intended to house radioactive materials, so physical security was another important issue. Some of the hatches were known to be in poor condition, with a very high probability of radium contamination being spread to the surrounding areas. The hatches had to be removed from the sites before the full extent of contamination of other materials could be established. As it was difficult to identify a disposal route in the UK at the time for the estimated inventory, a novel metal recycling option, using a facility in the USA, was proposed as a solution. This was a new approach for dealing with such radioactive materials in the UK. The hatches were successfully recovered, sectioned appropriately and packaged for transport by road and air to the USA for metal recycling in June 2007. Subsequently approximately 0.75 tonnes of other contaminated materials were finally removed from the premises later in the year for authorised waste disposal in the UK.Copyright © 2009 by ASME


Methanol poisoning is an insidious event that can culminate in severe metabolic disturbances, permanent neurologic dysfunction, blindness, and death. Although numerous adult cases have been extensively reviewed, there is a paucity of reports about pediatric ingestions. We present a case of acute methanol intoxication in a 6-year-old male patient who presented with headache, nausea, altered mental status, and drowsiness. His blood methanol level was 350 mg/dL (109.4 mmol/L), despite the absence of any history or identifiable source of methanol. Treatment with ethanol, alkalinization, and hemodialysis resulted in full recovery without residua. Unusual facets of this case are the child's relatively older age, the extremely high methanol blood level, and, most remarkably, the complete lack of visual disturbances on routine ophthalmologic evaluation.


The authors examine several topical subjects, commencing with a general introduction to path integrals in quantum mechanics and the group theoretical backgrounds for path integrals. Applications of harmonic analysis, polar coordinate formulation, various techniques and path integrals of SU(2) and SU(1,1) are discussed. Soluble examples presented include particle-flux system, a pulsed oscillator, magnetic monopole, the Coulomb problems in curved space and others. The second part deals with the SU(2) coherent states and their applications. Construction and generalization of the SU(2) coherent states, formulation of coherent path integrals for spin and unitary spin, and semiclassical quantization are presented. Applications are made to the study of quantum fluctuation, the nonlinear field model and phase holonomy. The final chapters present the theory of the SU(1,1) coherent states and their applications. The radial Coulomb problem, the Morse oscillator, and the large-N approximation are discussed. Applications to problems in quantum optics such as squeezed states, interaction with the squeezed vacuum states, and phase operator formalism are also included. This book is intended as an introduction to the subject as well as a work of reference.


Single-embryo transfer has been proposed as a way of limiting multiple births after in vitro fertilization (IVF) in women less than 36 years of age. Extending embryo culture from the 3-day cleavage stage to the 5-day blastocyst stage might make pregnancy likelier and, in addition, the morphologic criteria that guide embryo selection are less subjective at the later date. This study analyzed the outcome of IVF in 351 infertile women age 35 and younger; 176 were assigned to have transfer of a single cleavage-stage embryo, whereas 175 received a single blastocyst-stage embryo. Multifol-licular ovarian stimulation was carried out using recombinant follicle-stimulating hormone and a gonadotropin-releasing hormone antagonist. Oocyte maturation was promoted by administering human chorionic gonadotropin, and the luteal phase was supported by vaginally administered progesterone. More than 90% of women in both treatment groups were having their first or second trial of IVF or intracytoplasmic sperm injection. The groups were similar demographically and in embryologic characteristics, but significantly more embryos in the cleavage-stage group were cryopreserved. Approximately two thirds of each group had a top-quality embryo for transfer. Compared with cleavage-stage cases, the blastocyst-stage group had a significantly higher rate of ongoing pregnancy (33% vs 22%). The relative risk (RR) was 1.54 with a 95% confidence interval (CI) of 1.08 to 2.18. Deliveries also were significantly more frequent in the blastocyst-stage group (32% vs 22%); the RR was 1.48 with a 95% CI of 1.04 to 2.11. A higher rate of first-trimester pregnancy loss in the cleavage-stage group (34% vs 19%) may be partly responsible, although the difference was not statistically significant. Two of 94 deliveries (2%), both in the cleavage-stage group, resulted in monozygotic twin births. These results affirm the effectiveness of single-embryo transfer in reducing the risk of multiple births. In younger women having their first or second trial of IVF, transfer of a single blastocyst-stage embryo is significantly likelier than use of a cleavage-stage embryo to result in pregnancy and delivery.


The output characteristics of a two-colour Nd3+:YAG laser with a dispersive cavity, emitting at 1.32 and 1.06 μm, are considered. The enlargement of the region of stable two-colour lasing, due to the reduced competition in the case of spatially separated channels, is demonstrated. The influence of the size of the pumped region on the laser efficiency and the competition between the lasing channels is studied. It is shown that, in the case of a single pump source, the weakening of the competition between the waves is accompanied by a reduction in the laser efficiency. A novel construction of the two-channel laser with two pump sources is proposed, which offers increased stability without the reduction in the efficiency.


The activation of the renin–angiotensin–aldosterone system prevents the uptake of norepinephrine in the myocardium. However, the additive effects of combined spironolactone and candesartan on cardiac sympathetic nerve activity (CSNA) have not been determined. We investigated the effects of the angiotensin-receptor blocker candesartan alone and in combination with spironolactone on CSNA in patients with congestive heart failure (CHF). Methods: Fifty patients with CHF (left ventricular ejection fraction [LVEF] < 45%) were randomly assigned to candesartan plus spironolactone (group A; n = 25) or to candesartan alone (group B; n = 25). All patients were also treated with a loop diuretic. The delayed percent denervation, delayed heart-to-mediastinum count (H/M) ratio, and washout rate (WR) were determined from 123I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy, and plasma brain natriuretic peptide (BNP) concentration was measured before and 6 mo after treatment. The LV end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), LV end-systolic volume (LVESV), and LVEF were also determined by echocardiography. Results: After 6 mo, all of these parameters were improved in both groups. However, the degree of change in the percent denervation was −14 ± 12 in group A and −7 ± 10 in group B (P < 0.05); the change in the H/M ratio was 0.19 ± 0.18 in group A and 0.08 ± 0.14 in group B (P < 0.05), the change in WR was −12% ± 8% in group A and −5% ± 13% in group B (P < 0.05), and the change in plasma BNP was −100 ± 83 pg/mL in group A and −43 ± 97 pg/mL in group B (P < 0.05). The degree of change in LVEDV, LVESV, and LVEF in group A tended to be better than that in group B, but these changes were not statistically significant. Moreover, there were significant correlations between changes in the 123I-MIBG scintigraphic findings and changes in the LVEDV (% denervation, r = 0.692, P < 0.001; H/M ratio, r = −0.437, P < 0.05; and WR, r = 0.505, P < 0.01) or the LVESV (% denervation, r = 0.663, P < 0.001; H/M ratio, r = −0.438, P < 0.05; and WR, r = 0.532, P < 0.01) in group A. In contrast, there was no relationship between these parameters in group B. Conclusion: These findings indicate that the combination of spironolactone and candesartan may be more beneficial for CSNA and LV performance than candesartan alone in patients with CHF.


This retrospective study aims to assess a potential difference in the management of patients with a psychiatric history in somatic emergencies. Indeed, the psychiatric population has higher mortality and morbidity rates than the general population. The negative stigmatization of patients with mental health disorders remains one of the factors to consider when studying this morbidity and mortality. In this context, adult patients diagnosed with myocardial infarction, pulmonary embolism, stroke, acute cholecystitis or appendicitis in the emergency department of the Brugmann University Hospital Center during the year 2021 were selected. The presence or absence of a history psychiatric was then recorded for each patient. Different key intervention times, the total length of stay and the occurrence of complications were also studied for 459 patients, 74 of which had a history psychiatric. A significant difference in the time preceding the prescription of the first complementary examination for patients with a psychiatric history was thus highlighted. No other differences in care were demonstrated within the limits of this sample. This difference could be associated with the phenomenon of diagnostic overshadowing. It is the fact of associating the somatic complaints of a patient with his psychiatric pathology. Another potential explanation, present in the literature, could be the discomfort felt by somaticians when dealing with psychiatric patients. Finally, the integration of the experience of psychiatric patients into the training of physicians and the question of the relevance of applying the triage system to psychiatric patients were raised as potential future studies.


Casl is an expressive language for the algebraic specification of software requirements, design, and architecture. It has been developed by an open collaborative effort called CoFI (Common Framework Initiative for algebraic specification and development). Casl combines the best features of many previous main-stream algebraic specification languages, and it should provide a focus for future research and development in the use of algebraic techniques, as well facilitating interoperability of existing and future tools. This paper presents Casl for users of the CafeOBJ framework, focusing on the relationship between the two languages. It first considers those constructs of CafeOBJ that have direct counterparts in Casl, and then (briefly) those that do not. It also motivates various Casl constructs that are not provided by CafeOBJ. Finally, it gives a concise overview of Casl, and illustrates how some CafeOBJ specifications may be expressed in Casl.


Abstract In a recent report [J, J. Kotyk et al., J. Magn. Reson, 98, 483 (1992)], estimates of NMR frequency and amplitude parameters obtained from Bayesian probability theory were shown to be more precise and more accurate than those obtained from the discrete Fourier transform (DFT). This previous study examined the effects of varying signal-to-noise ratio and did not address the performance of either probability theory or the DFT as a function of acquisition time, i.e., truncation. Herein, a quantitative comparison between probability theory and the DFT is presented and discussed in terms of the accuracy and precision they provide in estimating the frequency and amplitude from truncated free induction decay data. For simplicity, data containing only a single frequency are examined. For frequency estimation, Bayesian probability theory gives either more precise and accurate estimates or exactly the same estimates as the DFT. This latter result only occurs when the theory indicates that the Bayesian procedure is functionally identical to the DFT. For amplitude estimation, the results presented herein are consistent with those cited in previous work. Even for the best DFT procedure, probability theory outperforms the DFT by a factor of two or more depending on the signal-to-noise ratio and the prior information supplied in the analysis. The amplitude estimates from probability theory are more precise and/or more accurate than the DFT results for all levels of truncation. Additionally, the only time the DFT amplitude estimates are more precise (less uncertain) are when they are inaccurate (give an incorrect answer). Thus, the use of probability theory offers significant improvement over the use of DFT in highly truncated NMR free induction decay data.


With rapid advances of powerful image processing softwares, it has become easier to commit a forgery by damaging originality of an image. Copy move forgery is one of the most widely used methods of image forgery. In this paper, a copy-move image forgery detection technique is proposed which use together LBP (Local Binary Pattern) and DCT (Discrete Cosine Transform). Firstly, we divide the image into overlapping blocks and then we convert each image block to LBP domain. We have derived the feature matrix of the image by applying DCT to the image blocks which is converted to LBP domain. We lexicographically sorted the feature matrix and after this step, similar image blocks are sequentially sorted. It is aimed that minimising the false positives and deriving of local features which is less sensitive to varying lighting conditions by applying DCT to the image blocks which is converted to LBP domain. Experimental results show that when used together LBP and DCT demonstrate the better results with fewer false positives according to individual usage in copymove image forgery detection.


This paper combines the enhance poor light image (which has reducing contrast for dark regions in image) then compresses it by recognition a background regions. At first, A Block Analysis for Gray level images method has been used to detect the background region in image by depending on an information from image block with dark regions or poor lighting. The presented work has been carried out by two steps; The first step, an information from each image block has been analyzes by A Block Analysis for Gray level images method ( i.e. background analysis based on high and low means for each block), while the second step, background for image with dark regions which has been enhanced is compressed. The aim of this paper is to detect the background image and enhance the contrast in gray level image with poor or reduced lighting then compresses it in low bit rates with good reconstructed enhanced image quality.


Food festivals provide unique opportunities for leisure, social and cultural experiences, help generate business and income for the host community and promote a positive image of the local community. This study examines the behavioral intentions of first time and repeat visitors to revisit and recommend a festival when admission fee is charged vs no admission. The study also investigates the impact of admission fees on the intention to revisit and recommend the festival for different age groups. Two-way ANOVA and independent t-tests were used. Results found that admission fees impacted the intentions to revisit and recommend the festival.
Keywords: Festival, Behavioral intentions, Revisit, Recommendations, Admission fee, Age


A simple non-radioactive method for the simultaneous assessment of stomach emptying and intestinal propulsion in intact fasted conscious rats was developed employing Amberlite pellets. The Amberlite pellets were administered by gastric gavage and the rats were killed 20 or 120 min later. The number and percent of the pellets in the stomach and intestines and the distance travelled by each pellet in the small intestine were determined. The distance travelled by the leading pellet in the small intestine was employed as a parameter to determine effects on intestinal propulsion independent of the stomach emptying activity. Chlorisondamine (s.c.), atropine (s.c.), pentobarbital (i.p.) and sesame seed oil (p.o.) inhibited both stomach emptying and intestinal propulsion in a dose-related manner. All these agents also caused a dose-related displacement of the pellets in the small intestine which resulted in a more cephalad-oriented distribution of the pellets. Propantheline (s.c.) exerted a dose-related inhibition on the stomach emptying but not on intestinal propulsion. Carbachol (s.c.) increased both the rate of stomach emptying and that of propulsion in the small intestine.


Public libraries are taking on business ventures that involve the selling of products and services. Most common are food services but these are primarily for customer and staff convenience rather than profit as they generally earn less than 0.25 percent of a library's operating budget. The real income is in services, as in managing libraries at other institutions (Martin Library, York, PA), which earns nearly half of the library's operating budget, or services such as issuing passports, and establishing a virtual university (Palm Springs Public Library, Palm Springs, CA) which are estimated to earn 15 to 20 percent of the library's operating budget. In considering business ventures libraries should pay attention to the following considerations ‐ the library's mission, its capability, the financial impact, legal aspects, community relations value, and professional and ethical issues.


This study demonstrates how the physical, electrical, and thermal characteristics of vegetable oil (SUO) vary depending on the nano particle composition. With particle volume fractions ranging from 0.1 percent to 0.4 percent, h-BN nanoparticles were individually injected into the vegetable oil (SUO) to form nanofluids (NFs) that act on the oil's fundamental properties. At room temperature, it was possible to predict properties including flash point, breakdown voltage (BDV), firepoint, and viscosity, depending on IEC and ASTM standards. The breakdown voltage will rise as the vegetable oil (SUO) oil is heated in the presence of nanoparticles. The viscosity has changed as nanoparticles have grown in size, and the flash point and fire point have expanded from 10°C to 15°C.


An estimate is made, based mainly on surface measurements, of the net radiation entering or leaving the system atmosphere plus surface layer of earth at Kew during the whole period May 1953 to April 1954, and for separate periods of three summer and three winter months. The heat liberated by phase changes of H2O and the heat conduction from the system to the ground are also estimated. The deduced dynamical and advective heating is compared with the latitude means derived from similar world-wide studies, and from published studies of the meridional eddy flux of heat. In the course of this work new estimates are made of the local albedo for visual plus ultra-violet, infra-red and total radiation, and of the photometric albedo.


A dual-frequency microstrip antenna is presented. The proposed antenna consists of a rectangular radiating patch, the ground, and a periodic offset double-sided parallel-strip line structure that is used as the substrate. The phase constant of the substrate is less than 0 at the frequency of operation, which makes the rectangular microstrip antenna work in different modes, and has two resonant frequencies. Experimental results show that the proposed antenna works at 3.3 GHz and 3.9 GHz.


The Story of Baby Jesus retold using simple language to help beginner readers develop reading stamina. Follow Mary and Joseph as they travel to Bethlehem in this magical retelling of the Christmas story. Part of the Usborne Reading Programme developed with reading experts at the University of Roehampton.


The paper describes an instrument termed the `vibration wattmeter? which consists of a cavity in which is suspended a thin metal rod mounted on a fine glass spindle with a quartz fibre suspension. The rod is free to execute torsional oscillations in the horizontal plane. The oscillating system receives periodic impulses from the interaction between the metal rod and the electromagnetic field within the cavity, and by the automatic switching of the microwave source a steady amplitude of mechanical oscillations can be maintained. The amplitude of these oscillations is measured by means of a small mirror attached to the spindle and a lamp-and-scale arrangement. The relationship between the power delivered to the cavity and the amplitude of the mechanical oscillations can be found theoretically, and with knowledge of the specific couple of the quartz fibre suspension and of the damping factor of the mechanical system, measurements of power can be made. The instrument measures microwave power with an error estimated as not exceeding ±2%. The measurement is absolute, since the calibration depends only on measurements of mass, length and time.


Background: Neutrophil inflammation in bronchial asthma is often therapy resistant and leads to severe exacerbation and hospitalization. Haldar and colleagues identified a refractory subpopulation of asthma patients (high-dose corticosteroids), whose asthma was dominated by neutrophil inflammation. The analysis of migration of neutrophil granulocytes in complex matrices has been made difficult by the lack of advanced methods for ex vivo real time analysis. We developed a novel 3D migration assay with a computerized analysis and in this study, we aimed to compare a simple matrix (fibronectin, FN) with a highly complex matrix (human placental matrix, HEM) in the presence of a corticosteroid. Methods: Neutrophil Granulocytes were isolated by density gradient centrifugation and viability, activation and eosinophil contamination were assessed. Cells were incubated with 10-6M prednisolone or vehicle for 1h and then embedded in FN or HEM on a µSlide (IBIDI). Time lapse microscopy was performed for 1h and trajectories were analyzed using an optimized algorithm. Results: Migrational speed of neutrophils in FN was 1.00 u/min whereas the more complex matrix HEM showed lower speeds (0.61 u/min). Migration in FN was more focused (directionality 0.52 vs. 0.47) towards IL-8 (Forward Migration Index = FMI FN; 0.11 vs FMI HEM: 0.079). Prednisolone results in a significant reduction of migration towards IL-8 in both matrices. Discussion: A more complex matrix such as HEM leads to a less focused and slower migration of neutrophils. This indicates that extracellular matrices from different organs could regulate neutrophil infiltration differently. Corticosteroids may not be able to alter this effect.


A filter transmitting a narrow band of light at 560 mIL is of particular importance in the colorimetry of sugar solutions, in optical pyrometry, in abridged spectrophotometry, and in photometry. A new 4-component glass filter has been designed, which isolates and transmits light at 560 mIL more effectively than previous filters. Two components of this filter are of Corning glass and two of Jena glass. The spectral transmissions of the filter and its components are illustrated. The spectral centroid of the light transmitted by the filter is at 560 mIL for both incandescent and daylight illuminants. Various other luminous characteristics of the filter are also defin ed and valucs given. CONTENTS Page


It is beyond doubt that patients with diabetes are at high risk of developing renal and cardiovascular disease. Both outcomes have significant clinical implications and are associated with high additional costs. Several traditional (blood pressure, HbA1c, cholesterol) and novel cardiovascular biomarkers (C-reactive protein, pro-brain natriuretic peptide) are at hand to identify those individuals who will develop end-stage renal or cardiovascular disease, as early as possible. The traditional biomarkers have been successfully applied in clinical practice and have proven their clinical usefulness. Renal biomarkers, in particular, albuminuria and estimated glomerular filtration rate (eGFR), have been added to the biomarker armamentarium. Both are indeed associated with renal and cardiovascular disease in individuals with diabetes and may be used to identify individuals at risk of long-term complications. Although identifying individuals at risk is important, even more important is the question whether we can lower this risk by changing renal biomarkers through pharmacological (or other) intervention. This overview describes the performance of albuminuria and eGFR in predicting renal and cardiovascular disease. In the second part, the relationship between treatment-induced changes in these two renal biomarkers and renal and cardiovascular outcome will be described.

### Albuminuria

The relationship between albuminuria and renal and cardiovascular disease has been well established. Its association was first described in patients with type 1 diabetes (1,2). Several studies followed these initial reports and confirmed the significance of albuminuria in predicting long-term renal prognosis. Data from prospective trials showed that patients with type 2 diabetes appear to progress from micro- to macroalbuminuria to end-stage renal disease (ESRD), similar to the earlier reports of patients with type 1 diabetes. The Reduction in End Points in Non-Insulin Dependent Diabetes Mellitus With the Angiotensin II Antagonist Losartan (RENAAL) showed that albuminuria is the most critical baseline predictor for ESRD (3). Similar data …


The elastic field caused by a centre of dilatation in a plate is given in terms of Galerkin vectors. The field caused by a thermal inhomogeneity is obtained by a method which is based on the integration of properly weighted centres of dilatation over the volume occupied by the plate. The potential functions for the problem solved are the harmonic potential functions of attracting matter filling the element of volume and its mirror images. One of the applications, the thermal elastic stresses due to an expanding (or contracting) inclusion of any shape embedded in the plate, is given as an example. Numerical results for a spherical inclusion with pure dilatation eigenstrain are also presented.


Posterior mediastinal masses by their location pose a risk of compression of heart, great vessels and airway. These risks are further exaggerated, with the use of neuromuscular relaxants and lateral positioning during anesthesia. We report a case of a 2.5 months old baby with posterior mediastinal mass causing compression of left bronchus and significant mediastinal shift with respiratory distress as a primary complaint. This posterior mediastinal Mass (PMM) was removed by right lateral thoracotomy without the initial use of neuromuscular blockade till the pleura was opened.


In this paper, we study the gains from opportunistic spectrum usage when neither sender or receiver are aware of the current channel conditions in different frequency bands. Hence to select the best band for sending data, nodes first need to measure the channel in different bands which takes time away from sending actual data. We analyze the gains from opportunistic band selection by deriving an optimal skipping rule, which balances the throughput gain from finding a good quality band with the overhead of measuring multiple bands. We show that opportunistic band skipping is most beneficial in low signal to noise scenarios, which are typically the cases when the node throughput in single-band (no opportunism) system is the minimum. To study the impact of opportunism on network throughput, we devise a CSMA/CA protocol, multi-band opportunistic auto rate (MOAR), which implements the proposed skipping rule on a per node pair basis. The proposed protocol exploits both time and frequency diversity, and is shown to result in typical throughput gains of 20% or more over a protocol which only exploits time diversity, opportunistic auto rate (OAR).


This article is devoted to identifying the features of the application of information and communication technology (ICT) in the formation of the international image of South Korea. The authors argue that information communication has had a positive effect on enhancing the image of the Republic of Korea throughout the world. They analyzed the role of ICT and key factors in its use in shaping the image strategy of South Korea. They also tried to reveal the conceptual and ideological foundations of the image strategy of South Korea, analyzing such concepts as "information policy", "information technology", and "image".


A 44 year old male alcoholic was throttled by his wife. The visible white furrow after strangulation was massaged with unguentum; afterwards, the corpse was transported with a scooter by the sons of the victim into a lake. Here, the man was found 24 hours later without any external signs of strangulation. Experimentally produced strangulation furrows (at lower legs of human deceased and at neck of shaved and deeply narcotized guinea-pigs) disappeared when exposed to water or treated with ointments.


Laser welding of aluminium generally creates embedded welding defects, such as porosities or cracks. Non Destructive Inspection (NDI) after processing may ensure an acceptable weld quality by defect detection. Nowadays, NDI techniques used to control the inside of a weld are mainly limited to X-Rays or ultrasonics. The current paper describes the use of a Laser Ultrasound (LU) technique to inspect porosities in 2 and 4-mm thick sheet lap welds. First experimentations resulted in the detection of 0.5-mm drilled holes in bulk aluminium sheets. The measurement of the depth of these defects is demonstrated too. Further experimentations shows the applicability of the LU technique to detect porosities in aluminium laser welds. However, as the interpretation of raw measures is limiting the detection capacity of this technique, we developed a signal processing using Time-Reversal capabilities to enhance detection capacities. Furthermore, the signal processing output is a geometrical image of the material's inner state, increasing the ease of interpretation. It is based on a mass-spring simulation which enables the back-propagation of the acquired ultrasound signal. The spring-mass simulation allows the natural generation of all the different sound waves and thus enables the back-propagation of a raw signal without any need of filtering or wave identification and extraction. Therefore the signal processing uses the information contained in the compression wave as well as in the shear wave.


The aim of this paper is to propose a new adaptive technique to improve the performance of 3G ad-hoc networks based on CDMA2000 in fading channels. The RAKE receiver combined with channel searchers provide improved estimation of the time of arrival and amplitude of arrival of the strongest received signal. Ad-hoc networks based on the Grid protocol are considered for the analysis and simulation. A novel two-dimension figure of merit is suggested to describe the channel effects on delay and amplitude estimation. Errors in delay are corrected by adaptively increasing the number of RAKE fingers while the amplitude errors are corrected through adaptive power control


Purpose: In this retrospective study, we tried to find out potential prognostic factors that can be used to determine the optimal treatment for some conditions that are indicated for surgery like pathological fractures or epidural compression. Materials and Methods: Between 1985 and 2003 we treated 78 patients with skeletal metastases. A multivariable analysis was conducted using the Cox proportional hazard model. The rates of survival were calculated by the Kaplan-Meier method. Results: We identified four significant prognostic factors for survival: the site of the primary lesion, the presence of visceral or cerebral metastases, any previous chemotherapy and multiple skeletal metastases. With these factors, we could divide the patients into two prognostic groups: the good prognostic group satisfies more than two of the four significant factors and the poor prognostic group doesn't. For the good prognostic group, the average rates of survival at 6 months and a year were 95% and 28%, respectively, and those for the poor prognostic group were 28% (6 mo) and 13% (1 yr), respectively. Conclusion: Each patient's life expectancy should be considered when we decide the surgical method for treating metastatic bone tumor. Patients with a very short life expectancy should probably be treated with a less invasive method but patients with a long life expectancy require aggressive surgery. If the life expectancy is estimated to be at least more than 2 month and 3-6 months for bony metastases to the extremity and spine respectively, then an aggressive surgical method should be chosen. With these practical prognostic factors, the life expectancy may be predicted more accurately and so the optimal surgical treatment can be selected more appropriately.


The cancers generally occur when the cells multiply vigorously. The cells damage the tissue. These cancers are the leading causes of the cancer related deaths in the women. these cancers are divided into many types. 1Uterine cancer 2 Cervical cancer 3 Ovarian cancer 4 Vulvar cancer 5Vaginal cancer 6 Gestational trophoblastic tumours 7 Fallopian tube cancer 8 Primary peritoneal cancer 9 Uterine sarcoma The above mentioned some are benign and some are malignant cancers.


Polycrystalline particles with a roughly spherical shape (spherulites) have been identified in the industrial production of an aromatic amine derivative, where powder handling is one of the downstream processes following crystallization. This comparative study focuses on how uniaxial flow functions as measures of flowability of dry material of L-glutamic acid and an aromatic amine are affected by the crystal morphology and size, as analyzed by the chord length distribution measurements (FBRM) and scanning electron microscopy (SEM). L-glutamic acid was chosen as a model substance since it can be crystallized as spherulites as well as needle-shaped and polyhedral particles. Failure strength values were measured as a function of consolidation stress using the uniaxial tester. The failure strength values of L-glutamic acid were found to be lower for polyhedral particles than for needle-shaped particles with approximately the same mean chord length. Needle-shaped particles were found to have lower values for failure strength than L-glutamic acid spherulites with smaller chord lengths. It has been shown that spherulites are more unstable with respect to particle breakage than the other morphologies. Although the chord length distributions of the L-glutamic acid spherulites were shifted towards smaller values than those of the aromatic amine spherulites, the failure strength of the aromatic amine particles is more than four times as large. This can be explained by more extensive particle breakage during filtration, sample storage, and consolidation of the aromatic amine.


This paper presents a new concurrent dual-band radio frequency receiver front-end design that is intended for Global Positioning System (GPS) and Bluetooth applications. A low IF architecture was chosen for low-cost and low-power purpose. Using a dual-band sub-harmonic mixer make this new concurrent dual-band receiver architecture requires only a single frequency synthesizer so the chip area could be reduced. This concurrent frequency synthesizer only needs to provide 0.784GHz and 1.24GHz local frequency signals in this dual-band topology. This receiver is operated at 1.8V, and the simulation shows a voltage gain of 27.7dB at 1.57GHz and 24.2dB at 2.45GHz, a noise figure of 4.13dB at 1.57GHz and 6.84dB at 2.45GHz with a total power consumption of 22.2mW.


Background
Pragmatic trials have been suggested as a way to improve the relevance of clinical trial results to practice. PRECIS-2 is a trial design tool which considers how pragmatic a trial is across a number of domains. It is not known whether a pragmatic approach to all PRECIS-2 domains leads to results being more relevant to primary care. The aim of this study was to investigate the views of people with influence on primary care practice towards the design of randomised trials, pragmatic approaches to trial design, and the PRECIS-2 domains.
Methods
We carried out semi-structured interviews with people who influence practice in primary care in the UK. A thematic analysis was undertaken using the framework approach.
Results
We conducted individual or small group interviews involving 17 individuals in total. We found a wide range of views. These highlighted that an exclusively pragmatic approach may not always make the results of trials more applicable to primary care. For example, it may be better to have less flexibility in the way interventions are delivered in randomised trials than in practice. In addition, an appropriate balance needs to be struck when thinking about levels of resourcing and the intensity of steps needed to improve adherence in a trial. Across other aspects of a trial's design, for example the population and trial setting, a pragmatic approach was viewed as more appropriate.
Conclusions
To maximize the relevance of research directed at primary care, trials should be conducted with the same populations and settings that are found in primary care. Across other aspects of trials it is not always necessary to match the conditions found in practice.


Many theoretical claims about the folk concept of moral responsibility coming from the current literature are indeterminate because researchers do not clearly specify the folk concept of moral responsibility in question. The article pursues a cognitive approach to folk concepts that pays special attention to this indeterminacy problem. After addressing the problem, the article provides evidence on folk attributions of moral responsibility in the case a failed attempt to kill that goes against a specific claim coming from the current literature – that the dimension of causation is part of the structure of the folk concept of moral responsibility.


Introduction: Exopolysaccharides (EPS) are compounds that contain one or two types of monosaccharide. They are synthesized by some strains of bacteria during fermentation stage; they contribute to the improvement of health by improving the Rheological properties of fermented dairy products. Objective: This study aimed to determine the ability of some bacteria to produce EPS in different Medias. Methods: In this study, three strains of bacteria (Bifidobacterium bifidus actiregulari, lactobacillus delbrueckii subsp.bulgaricu and Streptococcus thermophilus were examined to evaluate their ability to grow and produce Exopolysaccharides in the presence of bile acids (Na-cholic and Na-dexoycholic Acid (50:50%)) in different concentrations. Results: All tested bacterial strains were grown in the low and moderate concentrations of bile acids, while its growth was particularly inhibited with the presence of high concentration of bile acids. The results also show that all of the experiment strains produced different quantities of exopolysaccharides in different media cultures. The production of exopolysaccharides was ranged from 100 to 560 mg/l, and it was associated with bacterial growth. Conclusion: Bacterial strains in this study have high ability to produce EPS in the presence of bile acids.


In today's world of rapid and sometimes frustrating change in the practice of medicine, this anthology of medical stories, poems, and essays is a breath of fresh air. Medicare and Medicaid reform (or lack thereof), the resource-based relative value scale, diagnosis related groups, third-party review, increasing reliance on technology, litigation, decreasing enrollment in medical schools, and the departure of many of our colleagues from the art itself have caused many of us to lose sight of why we originally entered the practice of medicine. These writers, many of them physicians themselves, restore the vision that induced us to go into medicine in the first place. Many of these stories use the prism of medicine to explore the spectrum of human emotions from extreme frailty to unbounded courage. Through poetry, medicine's more poignant moments are portrayed beyond the usual powers of expression. The writers range from the authors of the Old


The high consumption of processed beef products is a separate business opportunity to be developed. The shifting consumption pattern of the people in consuming processed beef products from fresh meat to processed products ready to encourage some parties to develop technology in terms of processing beef. In making abon now it is still traditional by using hands, knives or forks to cut the meat after the boiling process until cooked to be made abon. By using such manual equipment of course the process of making abon will take a long time, greater energy, and besides also slicing meat by pounding using a fork is considered less safe for workers. The purpose of this research is to get a tool / machine penyya beef is simpler for raw materials to make abon using electric motor 1 hp. Changes in the redesigned construction consist of: cylinder casing design, inlet and outlet ducts, container tubs and placemats. The result of the test has been tested by 1 kg of beef, thus showing the measured fiber texture measurement results consist of: 0.5 mm thickness, 30 mm length; 1 mm thick, 35 mm long and 1.5 mm thick, 35 mm long. Capacity of beef cultivation yields are: 3.3 ounces / minute or 1 kg / 3 minutes. So it can be concluded the closer the gaps in the cassing, then the result of the incision the better (smoother). Keywords: Meat meat machine, inlet hopper, cylinder case


We address the problem of finding sparse wavelet representations of high-dimensional vectors. We present a lower-bounding technique and use it to develop an algorithm for computing provably-approximate instance-specific representations minimizing general $ell_p$ distances under a wide variety of compactly-supported wavelet bases. More specifically, given a vector $f in mathbb{R}^n$, a compactly-supported wavelet basis, a sparsity constraint $B in mathbb{Z}$, and $pin[1,infty]$, our algorithm returns a $B$-term representation (a linear combination of $B$ vectors from the given basis) whose $ell_p$ distance from $f$ is a $O(log n)$ factor away from that of the optimal such representation of $f$. Our algorithm applies in the one-pass sublinear-space data streaming model of computation, and it generalize to weighted $p$-norms and multidimensional signals. Our technique also generalizes to a version of the problem where we are given a bit-budget rather than a term-budget. Furthermore, we use it to construct a emph{universal representation} that consists of at most $B(log n)^2$ terms and gives a $O(log n)$-approximation under all $p$-norms simultaneously.


Recent years has seen a surge of interest in what makes a good life for people. Although internal migrants' socioeconomic disadvantages in Chinese cities have drawn extensive attention from scholars and policymakers in China, insufficient scholarly effort has so far been devoted to understanding the determinants of migrants' subjective evaluation of wellbeing. This thesis aims to examine the mechanism by which migrants' socioeconomic disadvantages influence their subjective wellbeing in Chinese cities, with a particular focus on the roles of social comparison, neighbourhood deprivation, and neighbourhood social and built environment. The empirical study is carried out at both nationwide and city levels. At the national level, the data were derived from the 2014 wave of China Labour-force Dynamics Survey. At the city level, the data were drawn from a questionnaire survey and in-depth interviews conducted in Guangzhou in 2015. Five research findings can be derived from the results. First, migrants' socioeconomic disadvantages in the host city are negatively associated with their subjective wellbeing. Second, there is a mediation effect of social comparison on the relationship between migrants' actual socioeconomic status and subjective wellbeing. Thrid, neighbourhood built environments have significant impacts on migrants' subjective wellbeing. Neighbourhood amenities and proximity to public green spaces exert a positive influence on migrants' subjective wellbeing. Fourth, neighbourhood ties enhance migrants' subjective wellbeing in a direct manner, but no evidence shows that neighbourhood ties buffer the negative impacts of neighbourhood deprivation. Fifth, the relationship between migrants' socioeconomic disadvantages and subjective wellbeing in Guangzhou is significantly mediated by neighbourhood deprivation. Specifically, economically disadvantaged migrants are more likely than other migrants to live in impoverished neighbourhoods and thereby tend to have a lower level of subjective wellbeing than other migrants.


Some emerging applications of wireless sensor networks (WSNs) are time-critical, and in such scenarios data must be reliably delivered within a delay bound. A common approach to provide this strict delivery performance is to devise a medium access control (MAC) protocol, leading to the current plethora of MAC protocols in WSNs. In contrast to this traditional approach, we propose an alternative solution that exploits an existing MAC protocol called SNC-MAC along with a new network dimensioning method. The solution is an effective modular framework that defines the complete process of how to dimension and construct a wireless sensor network to meet strict data delivery requirements. This framework is evaluated using measurements in a real WSN deployment. The evaluation shows that measured message transfer delays are always below the delay bounds calculated by the dimensioning method while high message transfer reliability is achieved. The framework thus can enable delay bound and reliable data forwarding for time-critical applications in WSNs.


A lacustrine sequence from Lake Sedmo Rilsko (altitude 2095 m) in the northwest of Rila Mountain, Bulgaria, was analysed on the basis of 84 pollen spectra and three 14C accelerator mass spectrometry dates. The lower part of the sequence (413–530 cm) corresponds to the Late-glacial. Three phases, two stadial and one interstadial, are characterized by the dominance of mountain–steppe herb vegetation composed of Artemisia, Chenopodiaceae and Poaceae, with single trees of Pinus and shrub land of Juniperus and Ephedra. The identification of pollen grains of Abies, Quercus robur-type, Corylus, Acer, Fagus and other mesophilous trees suggests that they survived the harsh Late-glacial conditions in refuges below an altitude of 1000 m, where moisture was sufficient for their growth. In the early Holocene period, Betula forests at high altitudes and, below them, closed deciduous forests with Quercus, Tilia, Ulmus and Corylus, occurred from 11800 until approx. 6700 cal. BP. The formation of the coniferous belt dominated by Pinus sylvestris, Pinus peuce and Abies alba lasted from between 6700 and 5000 cal. BP. The forest dynamics in the Subboreal and the Subatlantic ended with the invasion of Fagus sylvatica and Picea abies after approx. 4500 and 3300 cal. BP, respectively. Indications of anthropogenic activities, expansion of agriculture in the lowland foothills, and livestock grazing in the mountain meadows and pastures, are clearly evident from the pollen diagram from 2400 cal. BP onwards.


This article reflects on methodological decisions, strategies, and challenges from a recent interdisciplinary project on the relationship between "British values" and Islam. The project employed digital storytelling to access "everyday" conceptions and constructions of this contentious relationship. The research was undertaken by participant researchers recruited from Muslim communities in the UK's East Anglia region, working with academics from media studies and political science. In this article, we offer a detailed account of key moments relating especially to recruitment, retention, and the production of digital content. It offers two contributions. First, methodological guidance for researchers interested in combining participatory research with digital storytelling. And second, rationale for so doing given the methodology's scope for producing rich visual content with capacity (i) to deepen and disrupt established knowledge and (ii) to change the views, ideas, and aspirations of those involved in the content's creation.


Hybrid iron oxide-gold nanoparticles (HNPs) have shown potential in cancer therapy as agents for tumour ablation and thermal switches for targeted drug release. Heat generation occurs by exploitation of the surface plasmon resonance of the gold coating, which usually occurs at the maximum UV absorption wavelength. However, lasers at such wavelength are often expensive and highly specialised. Here, we report the heating and monitoring of heat dissipation of HNPs suspended in agar phantoms using a relatively inexpensive Ng: YAG pulsed 1064 nm laser source. The particles experience heating of up to 40°C with a total area of heat dissipation up to 132.73 mm2 from the 1 mm diameter irradiation point after 60 seconds. This work reports the potential and possible drawbacks of these particles for translation into cancer therapy based on our findings.


This study presents a novel process to realize glass 2D-microprobe array. The through silicon vias (TSVs) can also be integrated with the glass 2D-microprobe using the micromachining process. The vertical integration of chips containing glass 2D-microprobe array is realized using these silicon TSVs. The 3D-microprobe array and the signal processing IC can be easily implemented after vertical assembly of 2D-microprobe chips using bonding. In application, the 2D glass microprobe is fabricated with a low impedance of 439k¿ at 1kHz; and the neural recording experiment has also been successfully performed on a rat.


This study aimed to identify the new education system in China: its philosophy and systems: the learners, quality system (Suzhi) versus the examination-oriented system (Gaokao) and lifelong education. It also aims to identify the feature of this system as described in the studies related to the subject. Several studies and related books were reviewed. The results of these studies revealed that the Confucius philosophy, which the education system in China was built on its values and concepts and the transformation of its systems that comes to meet the global developments in the educational systems which make it occupies and advanced position in the global classifications of educational systems.


This study explains the concept of Islamic Moderation in Morocco. It's an interesting theme for us to observe and study together. Considering that the Moroccan government is one of the successful countries in protecting its territory from the threat of Islamic radicalism groups. Furthermore, the jihadist group launched its attack in Casablanca in 2003. Based on this background, the government, in this matter is King Muhammad VI, considers there is an urgent need to reconstruct Moroccan Islamic moderation. With a view to ensuring the stability of religious, social, cultural and political security in the domestic and regional areas of West Africa. The data was collected through a combination of qualitative studies and field observations of moderation that has been carried out over the past twenty years. The data explains that diversity tolerance has been going on for a long time. Studying King Muhammad VI's decision at His Dhahir al-sharief, the moderation developed by Morocco encompasses several lines. First, by normalizing minority relations represented with the original Moroccan Jews. Second, by building the Institute of Takwin Al-Aimmah in order to bring about the priests of the mosque to have moderate Islamic visions and loving deeply their own homeland.


The aim of the paper consists to select criterias of the therapeutic effect of superoxide-dismutase (PEG-SOD) administrated as an ointment twice a day for 3 months. An original scoring method including qualitative and quantitative data was set up in order to appreciate the importance of the fibrosis and its variations when under local administration of PEG-SOD. Clinical and paraclinical controls were made as T0, T1 (6 weeks), T2 (3 months), T3 (6 months). After 6 months, results enabled us to show PEG-SOD in its galenic form was efficient on radiofibrosis with a 41% score reduction compared to pretreatment score T0, thus an improvement of nearly half of the potential theoretical recovery. The therapeutic efficiency was greater on the most recent fibrosis and there was a chronological order to the different recovery stages. After 6 weeks of administration pains were reduced or stopped; then after 3 months of treatment fibrous texture broke up and softened. An effective reduction of the surface as well as lightened of the pigmentation would not usually start until the 4th month after the start of treatment. PEG-SOD is thus an enzyme the therapeutic interest of which offers interesting prospects. The score which was set up enable a fair evaluation of the intensity and the variations of the treated fibrosis. A prospective study is currently on going in order to research the biological conditions in which the enzyme reacts.


Objectives We aimed to evaluate the relation between menstrual and reproductive factors, exogenous hormones, and risk of pancreatic cancer (PC). Methods Eleven case–control studies within the International Pancreatic Cancer Case–control Consortium took part in the present study, including in total 2838 case and 4748 control women. Pooled estimates of odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidence intervals (CIs) were calculated using a 2-step logistic regression model and adjusting for relevant covariates. Results An inverse OR was observed in women who reported having had hysterectomy (ORyesvs.no, 0.78; 95% CI, 0.67–0.91), remaining significant in postmenopausal women and never-smoking women, adjusted for potential PC confounders. A mutually adjusted model with the joint effect for hormone replacement therapy (HRT) and hysterectomy showed significant inverse associations with PC in women who reported having had hysterectomy with HRT use (OR, 0.64; 95% CI, 0.48–0.84). Conclusions Our large pooled analysis suggests that women who have had a hysterectomy may have reduced risk of PC. However, we cannot rule out that the reduced risk could be due to factors or indications for having had a hysterectomy. Further investigation of risk according to HRT use and reason for hysterectomy may be necessary.


Abstract Rationale: Hemangioblastoma (HB) is a benign tumor that is typically located in the subtentorial region of the brain. HB that originates from dura mater is extremely rare. Patient concerns: Herein, we reported a single case of a patient who presented with dizziness and headache lasting for 1 year that progressively aggravated within 1 month. Diagnosis: After admission, the patient underwent head magnetic resonance (MR); a nodular long T1-T2 signal was found on the right side of parietal falx cerebri; the lesion appeared with high intensity on FLAIR and DWI, and with isointensity on ADC map. In addition, significant homogeneous enhancements were observed on the enhanced scan. According to clinical and imaging features, the lesion was diagnosed as meningioma. However, after performing tumor resection by craniotomy, the diagnosis of HB is clear. Additional pathological examination data were found: Ki-67(+1%), NSE(-), CD31(+), CD34(+), CD56(+), S-100(-), α-inhibin(+), Vimentin(-), EGFR-), GFAP(-), CK-pan(-), EMA(-), PR(-). Interventions: The mass with abundant blood supply was removed. Outcomes: Ten days after operation, the patient was discharged from hospital and no signs of recurrence were observed three months later. Lessons: To sum up, obvious high signal intensity in T2WI sequence and homogeneous enhancement are main characteristics that differentiate dural hemangioblastoma from meningioma lesion.


Most edge AI focuses on prediction tasks on resource-limited edge devices, while the training is done at server machines, so retraining a model on the edge devices to reflect environmental changes is a complicated task. To follow such a concept drift, a neural-network based on-device learning approach is recently proposed, so that edge devices train incoming data at runtime to update their model. In this case, since a training is done at distributed edge devices, the issue is that only a limited amount of training data can be used for each edge device. To address this issue, one approach is a cooperative learning or federated learning, where edge devices exchange their trained results and update their model by using those collected from the other devices. In this paper, as an on-device learning algorithm, we focus on OS-ELM (Online Sequential Extreme Learning Machine) and combine it with autoencoder for anomaly detection. We extend it for an on-device federated learning so that edge devices can exchange their trained results and update their model by using those collected from the other edge devices. Evaluation results using a driving dataset of cars and a human activity dataset demonstrate that the proposed on-device federated learning can produce a merged model by combining trained results from multiple edge devices as accurately as a conventional backpropagation based neural network. Latency for the merging is reasonable, and it can merge the models faster than continuously executing the sequential learning.


Natural products have been and continue to be the source and inspiration for a substantial fraction of human therapeutics. Although the pharmaceutical industry has largely turned its back on natural product discovery efforts, such efforts continue to flourish in academia with promising results. Natural products have traditionally been identified from a top-down perspective, but more recently genomicsand bioinformatics-guided bottom-up approaches have provided powerful alternative strategies. Here we review recent advances in natural product discovery from both angles, including diverse sampling and innovative culturing and screening approaches, as well as genomics-driven discovery and genetic manipulation techniques for both native and heterologous expression.


Considering heat-balance equation for the sample of solid β-rhombohedral boron overheated through the Joule effect, its normalized current-voltage characteristic has been obtained. On this basis, a universal correlation is established between the ambient-temperature resistance and the voltage of thermal switching: when resistance decreases by a factor of ~ 2 the current switches on. According to the criterion, the switching effect observed in boron near the room temperature reveals mainly thermal nature.


This master thesis is written at the division of Industrial Electrical Engineering and Automation (IEA) Lund University, Faculty of Engineering, in
cooperation with AB Regin in Landskrona.
AB Regin wishes to determine whether their existing controller platforms
can be used to implement a control system for boilers. The control system
should be flexible in terms of boiler size, boiler fuel and boiler type.
The main aspects associated with the combustion process are reviewed, and
different types of fuel commonly used in boilers are investigated and compared.
The most common boiler designs are described, and definitions used
in boiler context are explained.
To establish what techniques have been developed to improve boiler efficiency
an empirical study is performed. The different techniques are discussed
in detail, involving both control systems and design changes. Finally
the measurement instruments involved in these improvement techniques are
described.
Case studies are performed to find out which techniques are used in practice
to improve efficiency of boiler systems. To get a good idea of common techniques,the cases include establishments that use different fuels, and range
from small scale to large scale.
An effort is made to implement a boiler controller on the EXOcompact platform
from AB Regin. A control algorithm is outlined and implemented for a
fictional system. The system is then simulated using a demo kit from Regin.
Some tests are performed to verify that the function of the control system is
acceptable, and the results are discussed.
Finally the overall thesis is discussed, and issues that should be addressed
in future development are listed and explained.


ObjectiveThe aim of this study was to determine the impact of obestatin therapy on the course of cerulein-induced pancreatitis. MethodsAcute pancreatitis was induced by cerulein given intraperitoneally 5 times with 1 hour intervals at the dose of 50 &mgr;g/kg per dose. Obestatin was administered twice a day at the dose of 8 nmol/kg per dose, starting the first dose 24 hours after the last injection of cerulein. Severity of acute pancreatitis (AP) was examined at 0 hour or 1, 2, 3, 5, 7, and 10 days after the last injection of cerulein. ResultsAdministration of cerulein led to development of acute edematous pancreatitis in all rats, and maximal severity of this disease was observed 24 hours after induction of pancreatitis. Treatment with obestatin reduced morphological signs of pancreatic damage (pancreatic edema, leukocyte infiltration, vacuolization of acinar cells) and led to earlier regeneration of the pancreas. Biochemical indexes of severity of pancreatitis such as serum activity of pancreatic digestive enzymes were significantly reduced in animals treated with obestatin. These effects were accompanied by increase in pancreatic DNA synthesis and decrease in serum level of proinflammatory interleukin 1&bgr;. In addition, administration of obestatin improved pancreatic blood flow in rats with AP. ConclusionsTreatment with exogenous obestatin reduces severity of AP and accelerates pancreatic recovery.


Preterm premature rupture of membranes (PROM) is the leading identifiable predisposing factor for preterm birth. Although maternal exposure to air pollution can potentially have an impact on preterm PROM, there is no available evidence on such an impact. In this study, based on 5,555 singleton births occurring in Barcelona, Spain (2002-2005), we investigated the associations of maternal exposure to nitrogen dioxide, nitrogen oxides, and particulate matter with aerodynamic diameters of ≤2.5 µm (PM2.5), 2.5 µm-10 µm, and ≤10 µm and PM2.5 light absorption with preterm PROM and gestational age at the rupture of membranes (ROM). We utilized temporally adjusted land-use regression models to predict pollutant levels at each subject's home address during each week of her pregnancy. We conducted matched (according to the length of exposure) case-control analyses to estimate the preterm PROM risk associated with 1 interquartile-range increase in exposure levels during the entire pregnancy and during the last 3 months prior to ROM. We found an increase in preterm PROM risk of up to 50% (95% confidence interval: 4, 116) and a 1.3-day (95% confidence interval: -1.9, -0.6) reduction in gestational age at ROM associated with PM2.5 absorbance, nitrogen dioxide exposure, and nitrogen oxide exposure during the entire pregnancy and the last 3 months prior to ROM.


Sediments of the Texas inner shelf are fine grained; coarse clasts (> 0.5 mm) are uncommon (< 1%) over much of the area. Higher concentrations of coarse material, however, occur in discrete areas which apparently represent positions of former deltas. Coarsest constituents are predominantly whole shells and shell fragments with subordinate amounts of lithic clasts. The calcareous skeletal debris represents a mixture of extant shelf fauna and relict brackish-water mollusks including Ragina sp. and Crassostrea virginica. Rounded sandstone and mudstone clasts up to 7 cm long and caliche nodules are common in some areas. Maps showing (1) coarse-fraction percent, (2) distribution of brackish-water mollusks, and (3) rock fragments show similar trends outlining ancestral Ri Grande, Brazos-Colorado, and Trinity deltas. A patchy, arcuate trend between Pass Cavallo and Aransas Pass is enigmatic. Criteria used to determine relative ages of shell debris for each of the four trends are degree of abrasion, fragmentation, etching, boring, and discoloration. Possible explanations for concentration of coarse material include high productivity, low rates of terrigenous clastic sedimentation, selective deposition by modern shelf processes, and reworking of locally shelly relict deposits exposed on the seafloor during the Holocene transgression. However, no single explanation adequately accounts for areal variations in coarse material. Reworking of delta-plain and estuarine deposits during and following sea-level rise is common to all areas which at present are also sites of insignificant coarse-sediment influx. Sabine-Bolivar trends are interpreted as transgressive lags derived from erosion of a late Pleistocene Trinity delta previously dissected by the Sabine River during Wisconsin glaciation. In contrast, Brazos-Colorado and Rio Grande tre ds are interpreted as possibly compound strandline features associated with subsidence, erosion, and retreat of Holocene deltas. Upwelling of nutrient-rich shelf waters and freshwater inflow also may have increased productivity of shelf benthos near the Rio Grande delta. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1608------------


Modern FM radio receiver on portable devices requires low power consumption, small size and good audio performance. This paper reports a highly integrated FM radio single-chip receiver optimized for low power consumption and minimum external components. The operating frequency is 76 MHz ~ 108 MHz which covers EURO/US/Japan FM bands. The chip integrates all essential RF front-end circuits including LNA and mixer with automatic gain control (AGC), and mixed-signal functional blocks such as channel filter, limiting amplifier, integrated FM demodulator, stereo decoder, and integrated frequency locked loop (FLL). The total current consumption is only 10 mA off 2.8 V while maintaining sensitivity as low as 1.1 μV. The audio signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) is 58 dB. Total harmonic distortion (THD) is less than 0.4 % and the stereo audio separation (SEP) is more than 30 dB. This chip is fabricated in 0.35 μm BiCMOS process and packaged in 28-pin 4×4 mm2 LGA.


Economic, social and cultural rights remain the bedrock of good governance, which is a prerequisite for sustainable democracy. The obligations of any democratic government are founded on this principle. The desideratum for the recognition of any government as civilized and responsive is its respect for the socio-economic rights of the people. This research was aimed at situating the contemporary implementation of ESC rights. It was also aimed at identifying the impeding dichotomy of the generations of rights. The work also sought to highlight the imperatives of ESC rights in the development of nascent democracies. The methodology employed in this research work is basically doctrinal. The analysis of relevant statutory and judicial authorities was adopted in this work. Materials from journals and the internet were also considerably utilized. It was found that ESC rights suffered tremendous inhibitions in their implementations. It was further found that most nascent jurisdictions hide under presumed poor economy to undermine their obligations under the Fundamental Objectives and Directive Principles, thereby denying their citizens of their fundamental rights. It is therefore recommended that government should formulate policies in practical compliance with their obligations under the fundamental objectives and directive policies. The budgetary allocations of government should be directed towards realizing the economic, social and cultural rights of the people as the assured pathway to the development of our democracy. Key words : Economic, Social, Cultural, Development and Democracy


We examine the effects of a concentration dependent diffusivity on a reaction-diffusion process which has applications in chemical kinetics. The diffusivity is taken as a continuous monotone, a decreasing function of concentration that has compact support, of the form that arises in polymerization processes. We consider piecewise-classical solutions to an initial-boundary value problem. The existence of a family of permanent form travelling wave solutions is established, and the development of the solution of the initial-boundary value problem to the travelling wave of minimum propagation speed is considered. It is shown that an interface will always form in finite time, with its initial propagation speed being unbounded. The interface represents the surface of the expanding polymer matrix.


Pinguicula vulgaris was observed growing in the Champagne state of France near the city of Rheims during 1994-2000. The plants are the remnants of what was, up to the beginning of the 20th century, a largely distributed set of populations that grew all over the Champagne and Paris basins. During the time of the study, the three populations were living in alkaline bogs and were gradually reducing in size. The plants differed from most other P. vulgaris by their ability to generate large numbers of gemmae in the winter, the round shape of their seed capsules and the small size of their leaf rosettes. A rough description of their habitat is presented in this article to explain their survival and observed dwindling numbers.


Objectives To present the three-year epidemiology of gynecological cancers managed by a Haitian cancer program. Methods This was a retrospective descriptive observational study. Patients aged 15 years old or more admitted to the cancer clinic of Innovating Health International in Port-au-Prince, Haiti from Jan-2016 to Dec-2018 were included. Data collection included variables such as year of diagnosis, age, cancer type and staging. Primary outcome was overall survival (OS). Secondary outcomes were overall mortality and loss of follow-up rates. Data were analyzed using SPSS 21, with p<0.05 being considered statistically significant. Results Three hundred and forty (340) cases of gynecological cancers were diagnosed during the study period, respectively 46 in 2016, 94 in 2017 and 200 in 2018 (p<0.001). The mean age was 54.3 years [range 19–90], ranging from 58.8 years in 2016 to 54.2 years in 2018 (p=0.013). Cervical cancer was the most common type (n=238,70%), followed by endometrial cancer (n=45, 13.2%), ovarian cancer (n=43, 12.6%), vulvar cancer (n=3, 0.9%), vaginal cancer (n=2, 0.6%) and gestational trophoblastic cancer (n=2, 0.6%). Seven (2.1%) cases were cancers of unknown primary identified as gynecological cancers. Of the staged patients (n=285), 66% were at stages III or IV of their cancer. The overall mortality rate was 34.7%, with a median overall survival of 3.9 months. Twenty-six (7.6%) of the patients lost follow-up. Conclusions Gynecological cancers were mostly diagnosed at an advanced stage, which mainly explains the low OS. Vaccination and large-scale screening are mandatory to decrease the burden of cervical cancer in Haiti.


Theoretical models and results of experimental campaigns relating to non-classic regimes occurring in atmospheric optical turbulence are overviewed. Non-classic turbulence may manifest itself through such phenomena as a varying power law of the refractive-index power spectrum, anisotropy, the presence of constant-temperature gradients and coherent structures. A brief historical introduction to the theories of optical turbulence, both classic and non-classic, is first presented. The effects of non-classic atmospheric turbulence on propagating light beams are then discussed, followed by the summary of results on measuring the non-classic turbulence, on its computer and in-lab simulations and its controlled synthesis. The general theory based on the extended Huygens–Fresnel method, capable of quantifying various effects of non-classic turbulence on propagating optical fields, including the increased light diffraction, beam profile deformations, etc., is then outlined. The review concludes by a summary of optical engineering applications that can be influenced by atmospheric non-classic turbulence, e.g., remote sensing, imaging and wireless optical communication systems. The review makes an accent on the results developed by the authors for the recent AFOSR MURI project on deep turbulence.


In an Islamic perspective, morals have an important role in living life. The morals possessed by a child are a form of habit seen from their immediate environment, namely the family. Moral education for children requires good methods, in order to facilitate educators in educating and forming good children's morals. Imam Al-Ghazali and Abdullah Nashih 'Ulwan are some of the Islamic figures who contributed ideas regarding methods of moral education. This study writes about how the method of moral education in children in the perspective of Imam Al-Ghazali and the perspective of Abdullah Nashih 'Ulwan and how is the method of moral education in children compared in the perspective of both? By using a comparative descriptive method, this literature research concludes that there are similarities in the thoughts of Imam Al-Ghazali and Abdullah Nashih 'Ulwan regarding methods of moral education, namely methods of exemplary, habituation, advice, punishment and rewards. Apart from having points of similarity, the two figures also have different points of view regarding the method of moral education in its application and in its concept.


We discuss a possible scenario for radiation mechanism of pulsed GeV γ -rays from magnetars. The magnetars have shown frequent X-ray bursts, which would be triggered by crust fractures and could release the energy of order of Etot ∼ 1041–42 erg. If the location of the crust cracking of the magnetic field is close to the magnetic pole, part of the released energy may excite the Alfvén wave that can propagate into outer magnetosphere. The oscillation of the magnetic field induces the available potential drop δ p ∼ 1015 V, which can accelerate the electrons and/or positrons to the Lorentz factor ∼ 107 in the outer magnetosphere. The curvature radiation process at outer magnetosphere can produce GeV γ -rays. If the radiation process is occurred above r ∼ 5 × 107 cm from the stellar surface, the emitted GeV γ -rays can escape from the pair-creation process with the X-rays and/or the magnetic field. The expected luminosity of the GeV emissions is order of Lγ ≤ 1035 erg s−1, and the radiation process will last for a temporal scale of years. The expected pulse profiles have a broad shape with sometimes sharp peaks. We apply the model to anomalous X-ray pulsar 1E 2259+586.