ABSTRACT Introduction Internal urethrotomy is recommended for the treatment of urethral strictures shorter than 1.5 cm but has been associated with high recurrence rates. The aim of this study was to evaluate the efficacy of use of triamcinolone ointment for clean intermittent self catheterization in the prevention of urethral stricture recurrence after internal urethrotomy. Methods Total of 60 male patients undergoing internal urethrotomy were assigned into two groups and clean intermittent self catheterization was performed using either triamcinolone ointment or a water-based gel for lubrication of the catheter in this randomized clinical trial. Clean intermittent self catheterization regimen was continued for 6 months and patients were followed for 12 months. Urethrocystoscopic evaluation was done 6 and 12 months postoperatively. Results The recurrence rates were compared between the two groups. There were no significant differences in patient characteristics and etiology of the stricture between the two groups. There was a 6 (22.22%) recurrence rate in the patients of the triamcinolone group against 13 (46.42%) in those of the control group after the first internal urethrotomy (P=0.04). After second internal urethrotomy, the urethra was stabilized in 5 (83.3%) of the patients in the triamcinolone group and 8 (61.5%) those in the control group (P=0.05). We also found a significant correlation between recurrence and stricture length (P=0.02) but the time to recurrence was not statistically significant (P=0.16). Conclusions The use of triamcinolone ointment in patients on CISC regimen after internal urethrotomy significantly decreased the stricture recurrence rate.


The concurrent isomerizations of the nitromethane radical cation to aci-nitromethane and methylnitrite isomers, respectively, has been established based on metastable ion studies and collision activation mass spectrometry. The energy diagram for the ionized nitromethane/aci-nitromethane tautomeric system has been determined; the aci-nitromethane tautomer was found to be the more stable species by ca. 0.95 eV. Attempts to generate the neutral gaseous aci-nitromethane tautomer by low pressure pyrolysis are summarized.


The category Func(∆op,Ab) is called the category of simplicial abelian groups and denoted by sAb; it is an abelian category, where kernel, cokernels and images are calculated in the obvious way (that is, Ker(X → Y ) = (Ker(Xn → Yn))n∈N etc). By the Yoneda lemma, the functor hC : C → Func(C op,Ab) is fully faithful; by problems 1 and 2 of problem set 3, we have an equivalence Funcadd(C op,Ab) ' Func(∆op,Ab) = sAb. So we get a fully faithful functor C → sAb, and we identify C with the essential image of this functor.


The management of type 2 diabetes (T2D) after a gastric bypass or a sleeve gastrectomy requires some cautions depending on the timing after the surgical procedure and the patient evolution. Even before the intervention, gliflozins should be interrupted to avoid euglycemic diabetic ketoacidosis while sulphonylureas should be stopped and insulin doses should be reduced (with caution) to limit the risk of hypoglycemia. If a remission of T2D occurs, the maintenance of metformin or of a glucagon-like peptide-1 receptor agonist should be considered with the main objective to prolong the remission. Finally, if T2D remains or if a relapse occurs, the management of hyperglycemia should a priori follow the same rules as those used for patients with T2D who are not treated with bariatric/metabolic surgery.


An experiment was established in the summer of 1 986 to study the distribution of the coffee leaf miner and its parasitoids within the coffee tree canopy. Mean estimates of percentage parasitization were 13.20, 14.32, and 16.00 at tree heights of 0-1, 1-2, and 2-3 m, respectively. The experiment failed to show a significant difference between parasitization of the coffee leaf miner at different levels in the canopy. Mined leaf index estimates of 0.7, 0.7 and 0.3 were obtained at 0-1 , 1-2 and 2-3 m, respectively. This experiment shows that L. coffeella acts at all levels in the tree canopy, although more so at lower levels.


Purpose – The paper of this paper is to explore the usage patterns of e-journals in French business schools. Design/methodology/approach – The paper exploits COUNTER-compliant usage statistics from a nationwide usage study with data from journal collections of an international academic publisher. Findings – With regard to online collections, the usage appears to be relatively intensive, especially when compared to usage statistics from universities in the same fields. This result may reflect an emerging research activity in business schools and a projected and required international orientation. However, the study also reveals important differences between schools, a fact that should not be overestimated because of the small sample size, even if the sample is a representative of French business schools. Research limitations/implications – The paper uses empirical data from a national usage study to identify specific patterns in business schools. It does not integrate qualitative survey data or deep log fi...


Though the migration of cultivated endothelial cells is decreased by aprotinin, their proliferation is not influenced. The inhibition of migration caused by PAMBA is lower than that caused by aprotinin. PAMBA, however, inhibits the proliferation of endothelial cells. Simultaneous application of both agents is not more effective than PAMBA alone. The probability of the intracellular action of PAMBA is discussed.


Background Steroids have proven to be of some benefit in rhinoplasty edema and ecchymosis when administered at a high and repeated dose. Objective To evaluate the effects of single-dose, long-acting intramuscular steroids on postoperative edema and ecchymosis after closed rhinoplasty with osteotomies compared with placebo. Methods A randomized, double-blinded, placebo-controlled trial was performed. Fifty-four patients were randomly assigned to two groups: 28 received a single dose of long-acting dexamethasone (mean [± SD] dose 16±4 mg) immediately before anesthetic induction; the remaining 26 received an intramuscular injection of saline solution. The same surgeon performed all surgeries, with patients under general anesthesia. Acetaminophen was the only analgesic used to control postoperative pain. High-resolution digital photographs were taken on postoperative days 1, 3, 7 and 14. Scoring was performed separately for eyelid swelling and ecchymosis by an independent observer using a graded scale (0 to 5) for edema and a scoring system (0 to 13) for ecchymosis. Results No statistically significant differences in terms of age, sex or amount of bleeding during surgery were found between the two groups. No statistically significant difference was observed in the decrease of both ecchymosis and edema between placebo and high-dose, long-acting dexamethasone. A statistically significant difference in operation time was found, favouring the steroid group. No severe complications were observed due to steroid use. Discussion Osteotomies are basically a form of (controlled) trauma, with considerable disruption of the abundant blood vessels in this facial region and, therefore, are associated with with undesirable effects. A recent meta-analysis failed to show benefits of the use of steroids after postoperative day 3. Only a trend toward reduction in edema and ecchymosis with the use of long-acting steroids compared with placebo was demonstrated in the present study. Conclusion There was no benefit in administering single-dose, long-acting steroids in patients undergoing closed rhinoplasty with osteotomies.


Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a progressive fatal disease with no cure. Inhibition of integrin-linked kinase (ILK) reverses experimental pulmonary hypertension (PH) in male mice, but its effect on severe experimental PH in either male or female animals is unknown. We examined effects of ILK inhibitor Cpd22 on rats with SU5416/hypoxia-induced PH; treatment was performed at six to eight weeks after PH initiation. Five weeks after PH initiation, male and female rats developed similar levels of PH. Eight weeks after PH induction, vehicle-treated male rats had more severe PH than females. Cpd22-treated males, but not females, showed complete suppression of phospho-Akt in small pulmonary arteries (PAs), significantly lower PA medial thickness and percentage of fully occluded arteries, decreased systolic right ventricle (RV) pressure, PA pressure, RV hypertrophy, RV end-diastolic pressure, and improved RV contractility index compared to vehicle-treated group. Cpd22 suppressed proliferation of human male and female PAH pulmonary artery vascular smooth muscle cell (PAVSMC). 17β-estradiol had no effect as a single agent but significantly attenuated Cpd22-dependent inhibition of proliferation in female, but not male, PAH PAVSMC. Taken together, these data demonstrate that male rats develop more severe PH than females but respond better to Cpd22 treatment by reducing pulmonary vascular remodeling, PH, and RV hypertrophy and improving RV functional outcomes. 17β-estradiol diminishes anti-proliferative effect of Cpd22 in female, but not male, human PAH PAVSMC. These findings suggest potential attractiveness of ILK inhibition to reduce established PH in males and suggest that the combination with estrogen-lowering drugs could be considered to maximize anti-proliferative and anti-remodeling effects of ILK inhibitors in females.


Background Compared to people without diabetes, people with type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM) have an increased risk of developing atrial fibrillation (AF). Possible predictors of AF have not been adequately investigated in T2DM. We aimed to identify the factors associated with AF in such patients. Methods A total of 2,682 patients with T2DM, who was admitted to Department of Cardiovascular Medicine, the Third Affiliated Hospital, Sun Yat-sen University between 1 June, 2015 to 1 Nov, 2019, were enrolled in the study. 641 patients were excluded. There were 122 patients with AF and 1,919 patients without AF. 1:1 propensity scores match was performed according to age and gender. Patients were divided into the two groups: with AF (122patients) and without AF (122patients). Clinical, demographic, echocardiographic, laboratorial data and medicine were compared between the groups. Results There was significant statistical difference in neutrophil, monocyte, creatinine, total cholesterol (TC), triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein A1 (ApoA1), apolipoprotein B100 (ApoB100), monocyte to high-density lipoprotein ratio (MHR), fasting glucose (FG), left atrial diameter (LAD), ejection fraction(EF), antiplatelet therapy and the prevalence of heart failure between the two groups. On multivariate logistic regression analysis, the increase of MHR, FG and LAD, as well as the decrease of TC and antiplatelet therapy were independent predictors of AF. On receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curve analysis, using a cut-off level of 0.568, MHR predicted AF with a sensitivity of 65.6%, a specificity of 76.2%, and an AUC of 0.736(95% CI 0.673-0.800). Using a cut-off level of 0.507, the combination of TC, MHR, FG, LAD and antiplatele therapy predicted AF with a sensitivity of 73.0%, a specificity of 84.4%, and an AUC of 0.862(95% CI 0.816-0.907). Conclusions The increase of MHR, FG and LAD, as well as the decrease of TC and antiplatelet therapy were independent predictors of AF. MHR only, as well as the combination of TC, MHR, FG, LAD and antiplatelet therapy can better predict the risk of AF in patients with T2DM.


Abstract: These research studies as analysis of factors influencing the decision to use the service by Thai Airways by use Nested Logit Model. By the objective was to study the composition and other factors that affect the decision of passenger for use to study the characteristic in services provided by the Thai Airline. This research has study to format of the options studied by the passenger's choice of decision making level variables as the result is a variable in the Nested Logit Model. We're determining relationship of each variable to consider when deciding of passenger. The data used in this study are primary data obtained from questionnaires collected from passengers using the airline's 400 number. The study indicated to factors's influence the decision to use Thai Airways factors include revenue objective factors journey. The factor in travel time is direct cost of passenger. Therefore Thai Airways Should to low costs and lower fares to suit the needs of passengers.


High Q optical resonators that are a key component for ultra-narrow linewidth lasers, frequency stabilization, precision spectroscopy and quantum applications. Integration of these resonators in a photonic waveguide wafer-scale platform is key to reducing their cost, size and power as well as sensitivity to environmental disturbances. However, to date, the intrinsic Q of integrated all-waveguide resonators has been relegated to below 150 Million for a non-etched waveguide resonator and 230 Million for a waveguide-coupled etched silica microresonator. Here, we report an all-waveguide Si3N4 resonator with an intrinsic Q of 422 Million and a 3.4 Billion absorption loss limited Q. The resonator linewidth measures at 453 kHz intrinsic linewidth, 906 kHz loaded linewidth with finesse of 3005. The corresponding linear loss of 0.060 dB/m is the lowest reported to date for an all-waveguide design with deposited upper cladding oxide. These are the highest intrinsic and absorption loss limited Q factors and lowest linewidth reported to date for a photonic integrated all-waveguide resonator. This level of performance is achieved through a careful reduction of scattering and absorption loss components and redeposition of a thin nitride layer. We quantify, simulate and measure the various loss contributions including scattering and absorption and describe a surface-state dangling bond absorption that we believe is passivated by the redeposited layer. In addition to the ultra-high Q and narrow linewidth, the resonator has a large optical mode area and volume, both critical for ultra-low laser linewidths and ultra-stable, ultra-low frequency noise reference cavities. These results demonstrate the performance of bulk optic and etched resonators can be realized in a photonic integrated solution, paving the way towards photonic integration compatible Billion Q cavities for precision scientific systems and applications such as nonlinear optics, atomic clocks, quantum photonics and high-capacity fiber communications systems on-chip.


This paper considers the design of precoding and decoding techniques for backhaul networks at Ka band. In this frequency band, large antenna arrays must be employed with appropriate beamforming and precoding techniques to combat the high path loss. Traditional multi-antenna systems use digital baseband beamforming and precoding that is not economical for large antenna arrays due to its cost and power consumption. Recently, hybrid analog-digital solutions were suggested for millimeter wave multiple-input-multiple-output systems. They rely on two steps. The first step consists of an analog only beamforming which aims at the exploitation of the high antenna gain offered by the large-scale antenna array. The second step mitigates the multiuser interference by means of digital precoding. In this paper, we focus on the second step of the hybrid precoding. We propose a solution for interference mitigation in multi-base station scenarios. Our solution is based on a block diagonalization technique and requires full channel state information at each base station of a backhaul network. The performance of the algorithm is compared to a partial block diagonalization which was originally proposed for the single base station downlink scenario.


Teachers from charter and traditional schools in Colorado were queried about their perceptions of their level of empowerment, school climate, and working conditions. Using a cluster sampling design, approximately 100 teachers from 16 charter schools and 100 teachers from seven traditional schools were surveyed by combining several well-established instruments to measure empowerment, school climate, and working conditions. Factor analyses yielded three composite variables each for the three constructs. One-way analyses of variance were used to explore these teachers' differences in perceptions. Results yielded consistent and practically significant differences in these charter and traditional school perceptions of empowerment, school climate, and working conditions. Not all of these differences, however, were consistent with expectations given the educational and legislative contexts driving Colorado's charter school movement. Implications and recommendations for future research are given.


An integrated analysis of the borehole images and open-hole logs in the Red Oak gas field has revealed the detailed sedimentary characteristics of the middle Atokan (Lower Pennsylvanian) Red Oak and Fanshawe turbidites and mass transport in the Arkoma Basin. The older Red Oak sandstone member is a multistory channel complex characterized by abundant sandy scour-and-fills with inclined bedding, mudstone-clast-rich channel fills, intrachannel mudstone drapes, and localized debrites. The younger Fanshawe turbidite system deposited a large thickness of thin-bedded sandstones and mudstones in and near a southward-trending canyon and distributary system right above the Red Oak sand depocenter. The consistent south-vergent syndepositional slump movements and associated rollover beds suggest deposition on a south-dipping paleoslope. Based on the interpretation of sedimentary textures and lithology from the multiwell borehole images and open-hole logs, 10 rock facies are classified to analyze the channel and nonchannel elements. Bedding and scour surfaces on the borehole images are classified to analyze the structural and depositional processes. Although the inclined sand bedding over scour surfaces appears similar to trough cross-bedding structures, the widely dispersed azimuth of the inclined bedding sets in the Red Oak channel sandstones suggests an irregular scour-and-fill process with unclear relation to paleocurrent directions. Linked debrites at different stages of flow transformation provide valuable insights of the depositional mechanism. Various types of syndepositional deformation structures at different scales are interpreted to help understand the structural and depositional environments. The multiwell characterization of the image facies and the vertical sequences allowed the well-to-well correlation and mapping of the Red Oak and Fanshawe turbidite systems across the field.


During the NAFTA negotiations, the impact that the execution of this Agreement would imply was comprehensively speculated and investigated. It was guaranteed, among other things, that Mexico would be the country with the greatest impact and a significant number of analysts pointed out that said impact would be positive (Lustig, 1992). While it was additionally mentioned that there would be some problems in sectors such as agriculture —where Mexico would be a losing country—, overall it was argued that there would be a greater growth for our country, that also the reforms initiated with the assumption of the Washington Consensus were going to be secured1 Since the early 1980s the country began to experience very important reforms regarding the previous growth model. Along with the accelerated openness that started in the mid-1980s with the entrance to the GATT, public companies began to be privatized (the government productive, financial and services capacity was reduced from 1090 entities, in the beginning of 1984, to 258 in 1994), the structure of public expenditure was modified, and the high public deficit became a surplus, fighting inflation and financial openness were prioritized and deregulation of the economy started., that the country would grow more, that most of the jobs would be created in Mexico and that there would even be a resource mobilization towards Mexico.


The essay taked the core area of Yancheng Natural Reserve as the case to extract information of coastal wetland from the ETM+ Remote Sensing Images of the year 2006 and 2011 by the methods of unsupervised classification and Decision Tree classification as well as using ecological knowledge and GIS rules to improve the classification precision. Through analyzing the landscape changes of the classification images of the two years, it fund out that 12.32% of Beach have turned to Spartina marshes and 22.47% of Suaeda swamp have turned to Reed swamp, with another 21.92% turned to Spartina marshes, as a result, the diversity index and the average fractal dimension have decreased.


The incessant demand for higher density circuits in electronics has required the continued miniaturization of all components. As a solution, surface mount technology (SMT) was developed resulting in densification of component mounting. Therefore, efforts have been made to produce electronic components in surface mount device (SMD) form. Since the inductor had to be wound with wire, it was difficult to reduce the size of the chip without any deterioration of magnetic properties. Thick-film printing process and low temperature sintering NiCuZn ferrites due to its co-firability with Ag (below 900°C) were developed for multilayer chip inductors in 1980. It is known that NiZn ferrite has high resistance, and that CuZn ferrite is a low-fire composition, therefore NiCuZn ferrite was studied to combine both properties. Over the past decades a considerable number of studies have been made on the interface between Ag-conductor and ferrite, Ag-diffusion with specially reference to the micro/nano structure and electromagnetic properties of NiCuZn ferrite. Therefore, it was known that the controlling stress by the internal Ag-conductor and CuO1-x/Ag on ferrites grain boundary is most important key point for high performance multilayer chip ferrites as well as the chemical composition of ferrite.


The increasing flash flood hazards in major cities like Kuala Lumpur have caused tremendous damages to the society and this requires more essential countermeasures to be implemented. With the advancement in 3D Computer Graphics and fluid simulation technologies, movie experts can now produce realistic visual effects for fluid objects such as water. This paper describes a study made to model and simulate the flash flood incident that struck Kuala Lumpur on 10 June 2007 using 3D Computer Graphics and fluid simulation techniques. The main goal was to study and examine the stability and effectiveness of this approach as a solution tool for environmental studies. Particle-based technique called Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH) method were used to model the flash flood behavior. This was done using MAYA plug-in software called GLU3D which was developed based on SPH architecture. Geographical Information System (GIS) data such as Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR) Digital Elevation Model (DEM) and remote sensing imagery were used to model the study area. Results show an adequate realism of water movement for the area studied. A prototype of a flood system was developed using MAYA Application Programming Interface (API) to examine the real-time effectiveness of flood movement. The study has verified the usability of 3D computer graphics and fluid simulation particle based technique for environmental study purposes. The main contribution the study was to show that this approach can produce a realistic visualization thus enable more precautions and countermeasures to prevent the disaster. Key-Words: Three Dimensional (3D), Computer Graphics, Fluid Simulation, Computational Fluid Dynamics (CFD) Smoothed Particle Hydrodynamics (SPH), Application Programming Interface (API), Geographical Information System (GIS), Light Detection and Ranging (LIDAR), Digital Elevation Model (DEM).


A receding horizon H∞ predictive control method is derived by solving a min-max problem in nonrecursive form. The min-max cost index is converted to a quadratic form which, for systems with input saturation, can be minimised using QP. Stability conditions and H∞ norm bounds on disturbance rejection are obtained. Without input saturation, stabilising terminal weights guaranteeing finite H∞ norm bounds always exist, but the guaranteed H∞ norm bound may be conservative; this is remedied through the use of closed-loop prediction. Feasible sets for state and disturbances are derived, for which stability can be guaranteed. The algorithm and weight selection procedures are given in terms of LMIs.


To the Editor.— In the article discussing the 'British system' of heroin maintenance (223:539, 1973) Dr. Edward Lewis, Jr., presented an appealing statistical basis for the adoption on a limited basis for such a system in the United States. He described a country that apparently has stabilized its addict population, that has no significant crime problem associated with addicts, and that has fewer medical complications secondary to illicit drug use. What is disconcerting is that he contradicted this evidence in four of his five conclusions, returning to the 'wait and see' attitude that has paralyzed rehabilitative attempts. He supported his conclusions by noting differences between Britain and the United States, ignoring completely the more compelling and relevant similarities, such as parallel increase in rates of addiction in the 60s, common use of mainlining as a method of administration, preponderance of addicts in urban areas, and failure of other rehabilitative methods.


This research contains an analysis of the "Seandainya Aku Boleh Memilih" novel by Mira W, which tells of various aspects of life in a civilized environment. In the novel, there are various social problems, so it is fulfilled to research social deviations. Structural functionalism's theory of social deviance sees deviant behavior as a result of social structural pressures. The focus of this research is to describe the manifestations of social deviance behavior and the factors that cause these social deviations, which are constructed in the "Seandainya Aku Boleh Memilih" novel by Mira W. It includes the type of literature research with a qualitative descriptive approach based on the study of the sociology of literature. Data was collected through reading and note-taking techniques which produced data in the form of dialogue or monologue and narration from the data source of the novel entitled "Seandainya Aku Boleh Memilih" by Mira W. This research succeeded in deciphering the types of social deviance from the novel, namely sexual deviance, crime, and lifestyle deviance. While the factors that cause these social deviations are the inability to absorb cultural norms and deviant learning processes.


Objectives This in vitro study evaluated the effect of dentin biomodifiers on the immediate and long-term bond strengths of a simplified etch and rinse adhesive to dentin. Materials and Methods Flat coronal dentin surfaces were prepared in 120 extracted human molars. Teeth were randomly divided into 5 groups (n = 24) according to 5 different surface pre-treatments: No pre-treatment (control); 1M carbodiimide (EDC); 0.1% epigallocatechin-3-gallate (EGCG); 2% minocycline (MI); 10% sodium ascorbate (SA). After surface pre-treatment, adhesive (Adper Single Bond 2 [SB], 3M ESPE) was applied. Composite was applied into transparent plastic tubes (2.5 mm in diameter), which was placed over the bonded dentin surface. From each group, 10 samples were subjected to shear bond strength (SBS) evaluation at 24 hours (immediate) and remaining 10 samples were tested after 6 months (delayed). Additionally, 4 samples per group were subjected to scanning electron microscopic analysis for observation of resin-dentin interface. The data were statistically analysed with Shaperio‑Wilk W test, 2-way analysis of variance (ANOVA), and post hoc Tukey's test. Results At 24 hours, SBS of all surface pre-treatment groups were comparable with the control group, with significant differences found between EDC and SA groups only (p = 0.009). After 6 months storage, EDC, EGCG, and MI pre-treatments preserved the resin-dentin bond strength with no significant fall. Conclusions Dentin pre-treatment with all the dentin biomodifiers except SA resulted in significant preservation of resin-dentin bond over 6 months storage period, without negatively affecting the immediate bond strength of the etch and rinse adhesive tested.


Abstract Encompassing some of the major hotspots of biodiversity on Earth, large mountain systems have long held the attention of evolutionary biologists. The region of the Qinghai‐Tibet Plateau (QTP) is considered a biogeographic source for multiple colonization events into adjacent areas including the northern Palearctic. The faunal exchange between the QTP and adjacent regions could thus represent a one‐way street ("out of" the QTP). However, immigration into the QTP region has so far received only little attention, despite its potential to shape faunal and floral communities of the QTP. In this study, we investigated centers of origin and dispersal routes between the QTP, its forested margins and adjacent regions for five clades of alpine and montane birds of the passerine superfamily Passeroidea. We performed an ancestral area reconstruction using BioGeoBEARS and inferred a time‐calibrated backbone phylogeny for 279 taxa of Passeroidea. The oldest endemic species of the QTP was dated to the early Miocene (ca. 20 Ma). Several additional QTP endemics evolved in the mid to late Miocene (12–7 Ma). The inferred centers of origin and diversification for some of our target clades matched the "out of Tibet hypothesis' or the "out of Himalayas hypothesis" for others they matched the "into Tibet hypothesis." Three radiations included multiple independent Pleistocene colonization events to regions as distant as the Western Palearctic and the Nearctic. We conclude that faunal exchange between the QTP and adjacent regions was bidirectional through time, and the QTP region has thus harbored both centers of diversification and centers of immigration.


Nucleate boiling is an attractive method for achieving high heat flux at low superheat temperatures. It is frequently used for industrial applications such as heat exchangers and is being considered to cool advanced central processing units (CPU) which produce heat fluxes on the order of 1 MW/m2 and are becoming increasingly less efficient to cool via forced conduction of air. The issues with implementing nucleate boiling as a cooling mechanism lies in the difficulty of quantifying the complex and numerous mechanisms which control the process.A comprehensive nucleate boiling model has yet to be formulated and will be required in order to safely and reliably cool high performance electronics. Spatially periodic systems with localized asymmetric surface structures (ratchets) can induce directed transport of matter (liquid/particles) in the absence of net force. It was hypothesized that ratchets may enhance pool boiling heat transfer by aiding in the removal of vapor which forms on the heated surface. Therefore, experiments on pool boiling using asymmetric micro ratchets of various geometries, with FC-72 as the working fluid, were investigated. Additionally, various numerical pool boiling simulations were performed using FLUENT to better understand the underlying physical principles behind pool boiling.Copyright © 2013 by ASME


The outbreaks of IBD (infectious bursal disease) are frequently observed among correctly vaccinated broiler flocks in Algerian Nord-East region. The present study aimed to search for the immunosuppression state as possible consequence of IBD. Our investigation focused on 17 broilers flocks whom one suffering from IBD. Total of 400 bursa Fabricius were collected from broiler chickens during the rearing period or at slaughtering. The parameters of the bursa Fabricius are evaluated: body weight ratio, index bursal, morphometric characteristics and the histopathological observations. The results obtained show that the weight and diameter of bursa Fabricius are not proportional to the age and weight of chickens. The weight and size of the bursa Fabricius were found lower than the accepted standards. According to the evaluation system in effect, 58 % of examined chickens belong to the poor category and 29 % to the excellent category. Such results indicate bursa atrophy and confirm state of immunosuppression which was suspected because of poor performances recorded in some broiler flocks. In conclusion, the bursa characteristics (body weight ratio, morphometric and histopathological studies) are practical and not expensive tools for any field investigation to evaluate the immune status of broilers.


The renowned general epidemic process describes the stochastic evolution of a population of individuals which are either susceptible, infected, or dead. A second order phase transition belonging to the universality class of dynamic isotropic percolation lies between the endemic and pandemic behavior of the process. We generalize the general epidemic process by introducing a fourth kind of individuals, viz., individuals which are weakened by the process but not yet infected. This weakening gives rise to a mechanism that introduces a global instability in the spreading of the process and therefore opens the possibility of a discontinuous transition in addition to the usual continuous percolation transition. The tricritical point separating the lines of first and second order transitions constitutes an independent universality class, namely, the universality class of tricritical dynamic isotropic percolation. Using renormalized field theory we work out a detailed scaling description of this universality class. We calculate the scaling exponents in an epsilon expansion below the upper critical dimension d(c) =5 for various observables describing tricritical percolation clusters and their spreading properties. In a remarkable contrast to the usual percolation transition, the exponents beta and beta(') governing the two order parameters, viz., the mean density and the percolation probability, turn out to be different at the tricritical point. In addition to the scaling exponents we calculate for all our static and dynamic observables logarithmic corrections to the mean-field scaling behavior at d(c) =5.


Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is divided into nine genotypes, A to I. Currently, it remains unclear how the individual genotypes contribute to the estimated 250 million chronic HBV infections. We performed a literature search on HBV genotyping data throughout the world. Over 900 publications were assessed and data were extracted from 213 records covering 125 countries. Using previously published HBV prevalence, and population data, we approximated the number of infections with each HBV genotype per country and the genotype distribution among global chronic HBV infections. We estimated that 96% of chronic HBV infections worldwide are caused by five of the nine genotypes: genotype C is most common (26%), followed by genotype D (22%), E (18%), A (17%) and B (14%). Genotypes F to I together cause less than 2% of global chronic HBV infections. Our work provides an up-to-date analysis of global HBV genotyping data and an initial approach to estimate how genotypes contribute to the global burden of chronic HBV infection. Results highlight the need to provide HBV cell culture and animal models that cover at least genotypes A to E and represent the vast majority of global HBV infections to test novel treatment strategies.


A novel topology for frequency synthesis using digital-to-frequency conversion and a filtering technique is presented. The implementation uses a high-order digital sigma-delta modulator to encode a DC value, which is then mapped to a corresponding frequency using a digital-to-frequency conversion algorithm. The output bit-sequence with the sigma-delta encoded frequency is then applied to a high-order phase-locked loop (PLL) behaving as a filter operating on the incoming instantaneous frequency. The theory of the proposed scheme is described and validated with simulation and experiment. A prototype board-level implementation with a sixth-order PLL was constructed and frequencies ranging from 30.5 to 44.5 MHz were experimentally generated with a 25 kHz resolution from a single 100 MHz master clock.


Clinical trials involving participants with high risk of serious events or being exposed to a new intervention with potential serious risk are typically monitored during the course of the trial. Often, this monitoring activity is conducted by an independent group of experts, often referred to as a Data Monitoring Committee (DMC). The DMC responsibility includes monitoring for early evidence of a harmful effect or convincing evidence of a benefit. If the data are consistent and overwhelming, the DMC may recommend that a trial be terminated early. Trials may also be terminated early if the initial goal of demonstrating a benefit cannot in all likelihood be attained, or is futile. These are complicated issues and should be sorted out in the protocol and the DMC charter prior to the start of the trial before data begin to accumulate. Several statistical methods have been developed to assist a DMC in determining when a negative or harmful trend is substantial enough to render the trial continuation futile. These will be briefly summarized. However useful these methods might be, they alone are not adequate to make the decision and the DMC must take into account other issues to make a judgment.


The collapse of capital markets is having an impact of the funding arrangements for economic and social infrastructure projects in Australia. Bearing this in mind, this paper seeks to examine whether the current volatility and uncertainty in capital markets in Australia affects the feasibility of privately financed infrastructure and specifically the public-private partnership (PPP) method of procurement. This paper examines the role and dependency that capital markets play in funding PPPs, current market conditions, and how they will affect PPP viability. In addition, alternative funding and procurement mechanisms that can be used for short- and medium-term infrastructure deliveries are presented.


We report a rare case presenting radiculopathy caused by unilateral lumbosacral facet abnormality resembling facet interlocking. The patient was a 57-year-old man with no medical and traumatic history. He began to exhibit numbness below his left ankle followed by pain at the left buttock with no obvious causes. He visited our hospital approximately 1 year after the onset of his symptom. Preoperative images revealed a left lumbosacral facet abnormality resembling facet interlocking. His left S1 nerve root was compressed by the dislocated left L5 inferior articular process and bone fragment. His symptom was consistent with left S1 radiculopathy without an obvious stenosis of the left L5 intervertebral foramen; thus, we performed partial facetectomy of the left L5/S1, posterior decompression of the S1 nerve root tunnel, and removal of bone fragment. After the operation, his symptom completely disappeared with satisfactory result. There are several types of congenital facet anomalies in the lumbosacral facet joint; however, congenital unilateral lumbosacral facet abnormality resembling facet interlocking described in this paper has not been reported. His clinical symptom was completely recovered after simple decompression surgery. In this paper, we report the interesting and unique findings of facet abnormality resembling facet interlocking.


Background: As Physical Therapists tasked with treating chronic pain to combat the opioid epidemic it becomes necessary to treat both the physical and psychological aspects of pain in the outpatient clinic. Integrating a guided meditation application can be an effective way for Physical Therapists to integrate mindfulness training into their treatment plan. Purpose: The purpose of this case is to describe the integration of a meditation application in combination with a graded exercise program as part of the Physical Therapy treatment plan for chronic neck and shoulder pain. Case Description: A 66-year-old female presented to physical therapy for treatment of her long-standing neck and shoulder pain. The patient has a history of multiple motor vehicle accidents (MVA) along with an extensive list of comorbidities including cancer, anxiety disorder, and psychogenic non-epileptic seizures (PNES). Outcomes: The QuickDASH and Neck Disability Index(NDI) where used to evaluate shoulder and neck physical function and both showed significant improvement after 6 weeks of treatment. Subjective reports of fatigue, and stress were assessed at each treatment session. Discussion: While not a substitute for skilled clinical psychological intervention, a meditation application may be a way to integrate mindfulness practice, with Physical Therapy interventions, as a home program for patients with chronic pain. Calm App for Chronic Pain


We consider four nontrivial ensembles involving Gaussian Wigner and Wishart matrices. These are relevant to problems ranging from multiantenna communication to random supergravity. We derive the matrix probability density, as well as the eigenvalue densities for these ensembles. In all cases the joint eigenvalue density exhibits a biorthogonal structure. A determinantal representation, based on a generalization of Andréief's integration formula, is used to compactly express the r-point correlation function of eigenvalues. This representation circumvents the complications encountered in the usual approaches, and the answer is obtained immediately by examining the joint density of eigenvalues. We validate our analytical results using Monte Carlo simulations.


Lots of existing web applications include a component for rating internet resources (e.g., social media platforms include mechanisms for rating videos or posts). Based on the obtained rating, the most popular internet resources can generate large amounts of money from advertising. One issue here is that the existing rating systems resources are entirely controlled by a single entity (e.g., social media platforms).
In this paper we present a blockchain-based decentralized application for rating internet resources. The proposed solution provides a transparent rating mechanism, since no central authority is involved and the rating operations are handled by a specialised smart contract. We provide an implementation of our idea, where we combine existing authentication methods with blockchain specific features so that anonymity is preserved. We show that this approach is better than existing rating components present in various web applications.


Recently, 1 one of us described the successful implantation of spirochetes and the transmission of experimental syphilis to rabbits from the living paretic brain. At present this experimental syphilis has been transmitted to five generations of rabbits. The initial inoculation of brain was made into the testis of a large rabbit, June 11, 1915, and thirty-two days later, July 11, large numbers of spirochetes were demonstrable in both testes by aspiration. August 12, about two months after the initial inoculation, the right testis was castrated under aseptic precautions, one portion being used for implantation into other animals, and the remaining portion for cultural experiments. After thorough maceration with normal saline, the material was planted deep into tubes of rabbit kidney ascitic agar mediums. The cultures were covered with paraffin oil and cultivated under anaerobic conditions. Six tubes were inoculated from this material. Examination of the tubes about four weeks later


In 62 patients with ovarial cancer of III-IV stage under the influence of enterosorption using polysorb the contents of primary and intermediate products of peroxidal oxidation of lipids have reduced and the antioxidant system indexes did not change.


Recently, meshes of engineering objects have been easily acquired by 3D laser or high-energy industrial X-ray CT scanning systems and they are widely used in product developments. For the effective use of scanned meshes in inspection, re-design, and simulation of the objects, it is important to reconstruct CAD models from the meshes. Engineering objects often exhibit Euclidean symmetries for their functionalities. Therefore, it is essential to detect such symmetries when reconstructing CAD models with compact data representations which are similar to the ones already defined in CAD systems. However, existing methods for reconstructing CAD models have not focused on detecting such symmetries. In this paper, we propose a new method that detects partial or global Euclidean symmetries, including translation, rotation, and reflection, from scanned meshes of engineering objects based on the combination of the ICP and the region growing algorithms. Our method can robustly and efficiently extract pairs of symmetric regions and their transformations under which the pair can be closely matched to each other. We demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method from experiments on various scanned meshes.Copyright © 2008 by ASME


The properties related to superconductivity of metal-intercalated, graphene-based, layered systems exhibit a clear dependence on the number of adjacent graphene layers and the intercalant species. In particular, superconductivity of potassium-intercalated mono- and bilayer graphene has not been proven yet. This work provides a detailed investigation of the evolution of structural and electronic properties of epitaxial monolayer graphene on SiC(0001) upon K intercalation. It is shown that the well-known (2x2) superstructure of the K atoms with respect to the graphene lattice forms below the topmost layer. Moreover, the intercalants accumulate as well below the buffer layer and induce its effective decoupling from the underlying SiC substrate, enabling the sample to behave like K-intercalated, quasi-freestanding epitaxial bilayer graphene. Via local and area-averaging experimental methods, it is determined that the presence of K atoms causes not only a filling of the Dirac bands of graphene, but also an occupation of two parabolic interlayer bands. By means of tunneling spectroscopy measurements of an emerging temperature-dependent energy gap around the Fermi level, it is shown that K-intercalated quasi-freestanding epitaxial bilayer graphene is a superconductor below a critical temperature of 3.65(2) K, which is also verified by determination of the average electron-phonon coupling strength on the Dirac bands using angle-resolved photoelectron spectroscopy. Although a strongly elevated gap ratio of 6.19(7) compared to conventional superconductors is determined, strong-coupling mechanisms appear to be unlikely considering the related electron-phonon coupling strength. Hence, the unconventional behavior is most likely a consequence of low-dimensional effects. In particular, this study provides the first investigation of the temperature dependence of the energy gap related to superconductivity among metal-intercalated thin films of graphene-based, layered systems.


Among the extensive list of manifestations of post COVID syndrome, cough is often found. Most researchers interpret its character as post infection. In some patients, post infection cough becomes productive, and combined mucoactive therapy is required for effective treatment. Since the onset of the pandemic, clinical descriptions of spontaneous pneumothorax have accumulated in the literature. The risk of this complication is present even in patients who are not burdened with chronic lung diseases, as well as those who are breathing spontaneously. The study of the mechanisms of development of spontaneous pneumothorax in COVID-19 is necessary for the development of further therapeutic and preventive measures. Traction bronchiectasis occurs in 27 – 52.5% of cases of new coronavirus infection. Changes in the structure of the bronchi predispose to chronic cough and recurrent infections. Respiratory viral infection has been considered in the past as a trigger for bronchial asthma. There is controversy over the new coronavirus. Asthma has been suggested as a protective factor in COVID-19, due to the specific inflammation profile that protects patients. In some patients who have had COVID-19, the cough is due to hyperventilation syndrome. To explain it, a hypothesis of impaired respiratory control was proposed. The paper presents clinical examples illustrating a wide range of pathological conditions accompanied by cough. Possible relationships between cough and previous coronavirus infection are discussed.


In Western populations, mean systolic and diastolic blood pressures rise with advancing age up to the sixth decade of life, whereupon systolic blood pressure continues to increase and diastolic pressure starts to decline. The ensuing widening of pulse pressure is mainly ascribed to stiffening of the arterial vasculature. When hypertension is defined as systolic blood pressure of at least 140 mm Hg and/or diastolic pressure of at least 90 mm Hg, its prevalence amounts to 60%-70% of the population above 60 years of age. About 60% of these hypertensives have isolated systolic hypertension--that is, elevated systolic pressure and normal diastolic pressure. It should be realized, however, that approximately 25% of those labeled hypertensive on the basis of conventional blood pressure measurements have normal blood pressure on ambulatory blood pressure monitoring, or so-called white-coat, isolated clinic, or nonsustained hypertension. There is little doubt that elevated blood pressure leads to a number of cardiovascular complications. Whereas diastolic blood pressure has been emphasized for many years, the paradigm has shifted toward systolic blood pressure. In addition, pulse pressure has been shown to be an important predictor of cardiovascular events and death, above and beyond the predictive power of mean blood pressure.


During a 12-year period (1975-1987) 448 patients with secondary nonspecific pleural empyema have been treated--84.8 per cent males and 15.2 per cent females. In 78.1 per cent of the patients the empyema was complication of pneumonia and acute suppurative-destructive diseases of the lungs, in 9.6 per cent--of blunt chest trauma and in 6.3 per cent occurred after abdominal operations. Subtotal and total empyema had 46.7 per cent of the patients with acute empyema and 35.6 per cent of those with chronic empyema. It is pointed out that largely for subjective reasons the diagnosis and early adequate treatment of empyema was delayed which led to subsequent chronification. In 257 patients with acute empyema covered aspiration drainage was applied (89.9 per cent of the patients): 81.4 per cent were cured, 13.8 per cent experienced improvement and 4.8 per cent died. The most common surgical intervention in the 191 patients with chronic empyema was pleurectomy with decortication of the lung (57.6 per cent of the cases); 97.3 per cent of the operated patients were cured, 1.8 per cent improved and 0.9 per cent died.


Place-based funders2 can play an important role in connecting economic growth to economic opportunity. Looking for Progress in America's Smaller Legacy Cities describes a study tour undertaken by representatives from four Federal Reserve Banks and more than two dozen place-based funders, under the auspices of the Funders? Network-Federal Reserve Philanthropy Initiative. What began as an inquiry into four small legacy cities ? Chattanooga, TN; Cedar Rapids, IA; Rochester, NY; and Grand Rapids, MI ? that appeared to have experienced some measure of revitalization in the post Great Recession environment evolved into an understanding that revitalization in these places is moving along two distinct paths: an ?arc of growth? and an ?arc of opportunity.? In the context of these small legacy cities, growth and opportunity is unfolding separately along these two long-term ?arcs,? leading to the conclusion that broad community prosperity lies in: 1) recognizing that growth alone does not naturally lead to opportunity; and 2) advancing deliberate policies, investments, and programs that connect growth to opportunity. Tour participants observed that without the action of organizations like placed-based funders, that connection rarely occurs.


Research on biodiesel quality through the analysis of trace elements concentrations using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP OES) resulting from commercial biodiesel and of various formulations of blending between biodiesel from palm oil with diesel oil has been done. The study begins with the manufacture of biodiesel through a process of esterification and transesterification reaction with methanol, biodiesel quality analysis, and manufacturing of biodiesel at various blending namely B5, B10, B15, B20, and B25. Trace elements analysis was performed using Inductively Coupled Plasma Optical Emission Spectrometry (ICP OES). The research found concentration of trace elements in commercial biodiesel A and commercial biodiesel B dominated by K of 10.68 mg/L and 9,424 mg/L, followed by Mg, Na, Ca, and Fe. Most trace elements in biodiesel B5 is K amounted to 5.846 mg/L, followed by Na, Mg, Ca, and U. Trace elements are most in biodiesel B10 K of 7.113 mg/L, followed by U, Na, Mg, Fe and Ca. Most trace elements in biodiesel B15 is Na amounted to 35.89 mg/L, followed by Fe and Mg. Most trace elements in biodiesel B20 is K amounted to 7.154 mg/L, followed by Na, Ca, Mg, and Fe. Most trace elements in biodiesel B25 is K amounted to 6.154 mg/L, followed by Na, Ca, Mg, and Fe.


Three papers on lifestyle interventions for the metabolic syndrome were published in the December 2014 issue of the Scandinavian Journal of Primary Health Care (SJPHC). One paper by Hrafnkelsson et al. presented a cluster randomized controlled trial (RCT) of an exercise and nutrition intervention in Icelandic schoolchildren [1]. Another paper by Liira et al. reported from an RCT exercise intervention in Finnish men [2]. A third paper reported a mixed-methods study where Miettola & Viljanen identified groups of middle-aged Finnish men and women who, based on their Sense of Coherence (SOC) profile and metabolic syndrome statuses, were or were not suitable for possible lifestyle interventions [3]. While both RCTs by Hrafnkelsson et al. and Liira and et al. [1,2] failed to show significant improvements in main outcome measures such as blood pressure and metabolic blood markers, the third exploratory study by Miettola & Viljanen [3] gave a potential answer to why they failed. Obviously not every person who would benefit from a lifestyle change will eventually change habits and therefore lifestyle interventions probably will need very cleverly tailored designs to succeed. Miettola & Viljanen suggested individualized interventions built on assessments of personal potentials based on needs, attitudes, and motivation, which they call "a salutogenic approach to intervention" [3].

Exercise prescriptions have become popular in primary care [4–6] and were in an SJPHC editorial by Sigurdsson in 2013 (last author in Hrafnkelsson 2014) suggested to "be among the first and most commonly utilized prescriptions given by GPs and other primary care providers" [7]. Unfortunately, there is no clear-cut evidence to back this suggestion according to systematic reviews [8,9]. My first thought was, wrongly it later appeared, that Sigurdsson wrote his editorial influenced by positive initial results from the Icelandic school trial where significantly lower intervention group blood pressure results disappeared in regression cluster analyses. Instead Sigurdsson states, rightly in my opinion, that the many observational and cohort studies showing positive effects of physical activity promotion should not be ignored as in the BMJ systematic reviews [8,9] (personal communication). My own anecdotal clinical experience with exercise prescriptions is limited to patients with mainly psychological disturbances for whom they seem to have been useful. However, the hard evidence for the benefit of exercise prescriptions in this group is not striking either [10].

The reasons for this lack of effect from standardized lifestyle interventions are doubtless manifold [11]. Miettola & Viljanen [3] have come up with a few suggestive answers on how to improve metabolic syndrome status by lifestyle interventions based on their sequential mixed-methods study. They thus combined data from a population-based health survey with 480 participants of whom 43 purposively selected participants were interviewed individually. Both genders, all age groups, and three different metabolic syndrome statuses – confirmed, liable, and not liable to metabolic syndrome – were represented. Antonovsky's salutogenic theory of SOC [12] was used as an analytical framework for assessing messages and meanings of respondents' stories to create six different lifestyle profile typologies. Through this procedure the authors present a well-ordered person-centred salutogenically tailored model of metabolic syndrome prevention that remains to be tested in future empirical research.

Liira in 2010 [13] suggested holistic approaches in order to succeed with lifestyle interventions: "We need to design interventions where efficacy is maximized by using synergistic strategies: knowledge management, social marketing, and partnerships with other professionals in communities". She also emphasized that "Physical activity should be fun, moderate, and cumulative. With the aid of the school system, public sports facilities, and physical education professionals in communities, low-threshold opportunities for physical activity can be offered to all." Her suggestions ring even more true today after so many studies have shown that standardized lifestyle interventions are not a magic bullet to fight illness caused by a sedentary way of life.

In summary, three papers in the December 2014 issue of our journal investigated the same topic: lifestyle interventions against the metabolic syndrome showing a recently stagnating yet considerable growth in the number of MEDLINE publications, while publications with negative results have started to emerge (Figure 1). Two RCT-designed interventions failed to show significant effects, whereas a third mixed-methods paper suggested a tailored person-centred intervention [1–3].

Figure 1.

Number of MEDLINE publications with "lifestyle intervention metabolic syndrome" in the article text 1992–2013.


Soy is a highly nutritious yet widely underutilized food. Because of the con-troversy surrounding soy, individuals with chronic disease states that may benefit from soy or soy isoflavone consumption may avoid this food. The relationship of soy to estrogen, breast cancer, osteoarthritis, and other chronic disease states is discussed. Osteoarthritis is a specific focus, as the immobility brought about by this disease state may lead to other chronic diseases that are also positively affected by soy consumption, and because there is no clear etiology or cure for this debilitating disease. Conclusions and future directions for soy research as it relates to healthy aging are also discussed.


In recently published articles by Dreyer and Schotter (1980), Fischer and Schotter (1978), and Schotter (1979) a surprising phenomenon was found within the analysis of voting power. This phenomenon was titled the "Paradox of Redistribution". The Paradox exists when, "given a vote distribution w = (wi , . . . , wn) and a voting rule d, we can construct a new vote distribution w ' = (wi> • • • > wn) which gives at least one voter a smaller proportion of the vote yet gives him more power, when power is measured by either the Banzhaf or the Shapley-Shubik power index" (Fischer and Schotter, 1978, p. 52). In this note I shall explain why this phenomenon be neither surprising nor paradoxical. I shall hereby refer to Fischer and Schotter's (1978) paper "The inevitability of the paradox of redistribution in allocation of voting weights", for this is the most formal presentation of the Paradox. Moreover, I shall focus the discussion on the Banzhaf power index — Fischer and Schotter's analysis shows that the propositions deduced therefrom also hold in essence for the Shapley-Shubik power index. The inevitability of the Paradox, according to Fischer and Schotter (F & S), depends on the number of voters (n) and the decision rule (d) that is applied to the vote distribution (w).


The purposes of the law (maqāṣid al-sharīʿa) were traditionally tied to the definition of maṣlaḥa expounded by al-Ghazālī and employed in legal analogy (qiyās) and precepts (qawāʿid). This article addresses recent developments in the interpretation of the maqāṣid al-sharīʿa in the works of legal scholars promoting alternative interpretations, such as Ibn ʿĀshūr, Yūsuf al-Qaraḍāwī, Aḥmad al-Khamlīshī, Yaḥyā Muḥammad, and Jamāl al-Dīn ʿAṭiyya. Several trends can be observed: rejecting the Ghazalian definition of essential necessities by enlarging their scope beyond five and including justice, freedom, and equality; refining the categories of the purposes and creating more nuanced hierarchies of maṣlaḥas; and expanding the application of the purposes of the law beyond the sphere of the law proper, thereby giving considerations of maṣlaḥa a proactive role in shaping society through public policies. It is suggested that new interpretations of the objectives of the sharīʿa also alter the traditional four sources of law theory (uṣūl al-fiqh).


This GIS layer contains the shiptrack navigation lines collected aboard the RV ASTERIAS during a 1990 geophysical cruise to Fishers Island Sound and eastern Long Island Sound. A boomer seismic system was used to collect the subbottom data.


The brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) and its high affinity receptor tropomyosin-receptor-kinase B (TrkB) play a critical role in neuronal differentiation and survival, synapse plasticity, and memory. Indeed, both have been implicated in the pathophysiology of numerous diseases. Although the remarkable therapeutic potential of BDNF has generated much research over the past decade, the poor pharmacokinetics and adverse side effect profile have limited its clinical usefulness of BDNF. Small compounds that mimic BDNF's neurotrophic signaling and overcome the pharmacokinetic and side effect barriers may have greater therapeutic potential. The purpose of this review is to provide a survey of the various strategies taken towards the development of small molecule mimetics for BDNF and the selective TrkB agonist. A particular focus was placed on TrkB agonist 7, 8-dihydroxyflavone, which modulates multiple functions and has demonstrated remarkable therapeutic efficacy in a variety of central nervous system disease models. Two other small molecules included in this review are adenosine A2A receptor agonists that indirectly activate TrkB, and TrkB binding domains of BDNF, loop II-LM22A compounds that directly activate TrkB. These alternative molecules have shown promise in preclinical studies and may be included in prospective clinical investigations.


Abstract Geroderma osteodysplasticum (GO; MIM 231070) is characterized by a typical progeroid facial appearance, wrinkled, lax skin, joint laxity, skeletal abnormalities with variable degree of osteopenia, frequent fractures, scoliosis, bowed long bones, vertebral collapse, and hyperextensible fingers. The disorder results from mutations in the GORAB—golgin, RAB6 interacting. This gene encodes a member of the golgin family, a group of coiled-coil proteins on golgin that maps to chromosome 1q24. The encoded protein has a function in the secretory pathway, was identified by terminal kinase-like protein, and thus, it may function in mitosis. Mutations in this gene have been associated with GO. Herein, we describe the clinical presentation of one young male patient from related Saudi parents. Mutations, a homozygous frameshift mutation (c.306dup p.(pro 103 Thrfs*20)). Interestingly, phenotypic variability was observed in this patient with GO features that were more atypical than the cases reported in the literature as he looks tall stature where most of the cases reported were short and arachnodactyly fingers which mimic other syndromes.


Abstract From the perspective of orthodox quantum theory, no meaning can be assigned to the notion of the "slit" through which the atom passed in the experiments under discussion in this paper. From a Bohmian perspective this notion does have meaning. Moreover, when we compare the answer provided by BM with the answer provided, not by orthodox quantum theory, but by a naive, largely incoherent operationalism, we obtain different answers. So what?


OBJECTIVE
To examine the effectiveness of external qigong on the in vivo growth of transplantable murine lymphoma cells in mice.

BACKGROUND
Qigong is a traditional Chinese health practice that is believed by many to have special preventive and healing power. Underlying the system is the belief in the existence of a subtle energy (qi), which circulates throughout the body, and when strengthened or balanced, can improve health and ward off or slow the progress of disease. To date, much of the literature showing the effects of qi are presented in the non-Western literature, and as such are viewed with considerable skepticism. In an attempt to demonstrate qi in a controlled setting, the effect of external qigong emission from a qigong healer on the in vivo growth of transplantable murine lymphoma cells in mice was explored in two pilot studies.

METHODS
In study 1, 30 SJL/J mice were injected intravenously with lymphoma cells that localize and exhibit aggressive growth in the lymphoid tissues of untreated syngeneic recipients. These tumor-injected mice were divided into 3 groups: (1). qigong treatment (administered by a qigong healer); (2). sham treatment; and (3). no-treatment control. The sham group received the same number of treatments from a person without training in qigong, who imitated the motions of the qigong healer. The control group received no treatment at all. In study 1, the mice were sacrificed on the 9th or 11th days after tumor-cell injection, and in study 2, the mice were sacrificed on the 10th and 13th days. Tumor growth in lymph nodes (LN) was estimated by LN weight expressed as a percentage of total body weight.

RESULTS
In study 1, LNs from mice in the qigong-treated group were significantly smaller than LN from mice in either the control group or in the sham treatment group (p < 0.05), suggesting that there was less tumor growth in the qigong-treated mice. In study 2, using the same design as study 1, the same pattern of difference found in study 1 emerged: LN ratio from mice in the qigong-treated group was smaller than that in either the control group or in the sham group. However, these results did not reach statistical significance, partially as a result of larger variances in all groups in this study.

CONCLUSIONS
These preliminary results, while still inconclusive, suggest that qigong treatment from one particular qigong practitioner might influence the growth of lymphoma cells negatively. Further studies with different practitioners, more repeated trials, and/or different tumor models are needed to further investigate the effects of external qigong on tumor growth in mice.


BACKGROUND
Chicago Classification v4.0 recommends that if achalasia is demonstrated with single water swallows (SWS); provocative testing is not required. We determine whether provocative testing in patients with suspected achalasia can change manometric findings and reproduce symptoms.

METHODS
Between 2016 and 2022, 127 consecutive manometry studies of patients with achalasia were retrospectively analyzed. All patients underwent SWS, a solid meal (SM) and/or a rapid drink challenge (RDC). Demographic data, fluoroscopy, gastroscopy, and pre-and post-treatment Eckardt scores were collated.

KEY RESULTS
Of 127 achalasia patients (50.6 ± 16.6 years and 54.6% male), all completed a SM and 116 (91.3%) completed RDC; overall 83 were naïve (65.4%) to previous therapy. 15.4% patients with normal integrated relaxation pressure (IRP) on SWS demonstrated obstruction with RDC. SM gave a different achalasia phenotype in 44.9% of patients (p ⟨ 0.001). Twelve patients with normal IRP during SWS had persistent/recurrent obstruction during provocative testing; 83.3% had previous achalasia therapy. None of 13 patients with Type III (TIII) achalasia with SWS exhibited a change in manometric findings with provocative testing. Impedance bolus heights were lower in patients with TIII achalasia and those with normal IRP with SWS. During the SM, symptoms were reproduced in 56.7% of patients. Forty-six of 103 patients (44.7%) underwent therapy based upon the final achalasia subtype which was defined by the provocative test result of the high-resolution manometry (HRM) study. All treatments were effective, regardless of the achalasia subtype.

CONCLUSIONS AND INFERENCES
Manometric findings remain unchanged when TIII achalasia is diagnosed with SWS. In patients with normal IRP, Type I, or Type II achalasia during SWS, provocative testing can alter achalasia phenotype or uncover achalasia where diagnosis is unclear. Further, it can reproduce symptoms. Such findings can personalize and guide effective therapeutic decisions.


The productivity of many important crops is significantly threatened by water shortage, and the elevated atmospheric CO2 can significantly interact with physiological processes and crop responses to drought. We examined the effects of three different CO2 concentrations (historical ~300 ppm, ambient ~400 ppm and elevated ~700 ppm) on physiological traits of oilseed rape (Brassica napus L.) seedlings subjected to well-watered and reduced water availability. Our data show (1) that, as expected, increasing CO2 level positively modulates leaf photosynthetic traits, leaf water-use efficiency and growth under non-stressed conditions, although a pronounced acclimation of photosynthesis to elevated CO2 occurred; (2) that the predicted elevated CO2 concentration does not reduce total evapotranspiration under drought when compared with present (400 ppm) and historical (300 ppm) concentrations because of a larger leaf area that does not buffer transpiration; and (3) that accordingly, the physiological traits analysed decreased similarly under stress for all CO2 concentrations. Our data support the hypothesis that increasing CO2 concentrations may not significantly counteract the negative effect of increasing drought intensity on Brassica napus performance.


This is an interesting narrative history of the hospital. It offers a flowing presentation of the development of places of healing from the temples of the Greeks filled with superstition and ritual to the modern research and healing complexes of today. Throughout the work the concepts of charity and love are credited with the impetus for development of houses of healing. The language is clear, the style is flowing, and the material is well presented. The author begins by describing the temples of Sumer and Babylon. The new techniques and practices of each civilization are described. The Egyptians contributed the basic form of the practice of medicine. The Greeks consolidated the ideas from earlier periods and organized them into pleasant and sensible approaches to illness. The Romans developed the well-organized military hospital. The Arabians were thought to be the perfecters of the hospital as well as the first to have


Six new isoquinoline alkaloids, including aporphine alkaloids (2, 3, 9, and 10), a benzylisoquinoline alkaloid (13), and a protoberberine alkaloid (17), were isolated from the roots of Fissistigma polyanthum, along with a new furanone (20) and 13 known isoquinoline alkaloids (1, 4-8, 11, 12, 14-16, 18, and 19). The structures of the new compounds were elucidated by the analysis of spectroscopic data. Compounds 1 and 2 are rare oxalyl-fused dehydroaporphine alkaloids. Compound 12 presented the most potent dual-target activities on AChE inhibition and Aβ aggregation inhibition, while compounds 13 and 19 simultaneously exhibited discernible AChE and BChE inhibitions with antioxidant activities. The activity results indicate that F. polyanthum alkaloids have a potential of inhibition and prevention of Alzheimer's disease mainly through both ChEs and β-amyloid pathways in addition to antioxidant activity.


Solar Physics
Coronal mass ejections (CMEs) are large-scale clouds of plasma that erupt from the solar atmosphere and travel into interplanetary space. They represent the most energetic events in the solar system and can be harmful to satellites in space, Earth-based power grids, and even to humans if they are in space or on airplanes, particularly on polar routes. CMEs are common, occurring four to five times a day during periods of maximum solar activity, but they weren't detected until the early 1970s when satellites were launched to study the Sun. After four decades of research, however, there is still no complete understanding of the physical mechanisms behind CMEs. Roussev et al. describe state-of-the art computer simulations that couple a detailed magnetic flux emergence simulation extending from the interior of the Sun to its atmosphere with a global model of the solar atmosphere and the solar wind. The results reproduce x-ray observations of CMEs and show how the injection of magnetic flux leads to a catastrophic evolution of the solar atmosphere. To better understand collisions of CMEs as they travel in interplanetary space, Shen et al. analyzed observations of two CMEs that erupted from the Sun on 2 November 2008. The two structures collided as though they were solidlike objects and likely experienced a superelastic collision (i.e., a collision in which the linear kinetic energy of the colliding system increases).

Nat. Phys. 10.1038/nphys2427; 10.1038/nphys2440 (2012).


Background and Objective: Tuberculosis is still a major health problem, involving about 1/3 of the worlds population. Diagnosis is difficult when we only use Ziehl-Neelson staining. Many cases may be missed. A more rapid and sensitive diagnostic method is necessary. PCR may be helpful. The aim of this study is to compare PCR, Zieh-Neelsen staining and histopathologic findings in diagnosis of tuberculosis on formalin-fixed paraffin-embedded tissues. Methods: Paraffin blocks of the submitted specimens of the patients clinically suspicious for tuberculosis or containing granuloma were selected. Ziehl-Neelsen Staining & TB-PCR (IS6110 element) were carried out. The results of the tests were compared by using the McNemar test. Statistical significance was accepted when the P value was less than 0.05. Results: Forty five specimens were included in the study, 35 had granulomas (19 with caseous necrosis). Acid-fast bacilli were identified in 17 specimens (37.8%). TB-PCR was positive in 16specimens (84%) with caseating granulomas, 11 specimens (68.8%) with non-caseating granulomas & 6 specimens (60%) without granulomas. (P value = 0.59). Conclusions: TB-PCR on paraffin-embedded tissue is a potentially useful approach for early, rapid and sensitive diagnosis of tuberculosis. It is especially useful when granuloma is seen in tissue section, while acid-fast stain is negative. If there was no facilities for PCR, histopathological diagnosis with clinical correlation is more reliable in comparison to AFB results.


SUMMARY Neisseria meningitidis is an important cause of childhood meningitis and septicaemia. Between 1999 and 2005, 133 invasive meningococcal disease (IMD) cases occurred in Jerusalem, 112 (84·2%) of them in children aged 0–14 years. The annual incidence rate in Jerusalem was higher than the national average (2·45±0·6 vs. 1·13±0·16/100 000 population, P=0·002). Most of the children (82·1%) were from low socio-economic Arab and Jewish ultra-orthodox communities; mortality was higher among Arab than Jewish children (1·3 vs. 0·22/100 000 person-years, P=0·004). A cluster of 10 children with severe meningococcal sepsis (three fatalities) emerged in the winter of 2003–2004. Compared to the other 102 cases in 1999–2005 both meningococcaemia (100% vs. 51%, P=0·003) and mortality (30% vs. 6·9%, P=0·014) rates were higher. Serogroup B comprised 77·6% of the bacterial isolates. Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis showed considerable variability among cluster isolates, but significant resemblance in Arab cases throughout 1999–2005. The increased susceptibility of specific sub-populations to IMD necessitates further evaluation.


The increase of optical resolution and size of astronomical telescopes needs to: (1) Improve surface quality of optical components. (2) Use more and more complex aspherical shape for lenses and mirrors. Due to these 2 constraints, the optical manufacturers had to improve theirs equipments such as the Computer Controlled Polishing and to appreciate the feasibility of very complex aspherical shape. Concerning this second point, we propose a new criterion based on surface definition, on quality specification for the polishing and on limitations of equipments. Manufacturing examples show that this criterion is well representative, and particularly for direct off-axis polishing.


An easy hydrothermal synthesis strategy was applied to synthesize green-yellow emitting nitrogen-doped carbon dots (N-CDs) using 1,2-diaminobenzene as the carbon source, and dicyandiamide as the dopant. The nitrogen-doped CDs resulted in improvement in the electronic characteristics and surface chemical activities. N-CDs exhibited bright fluorescence emission and could response to Ag+ selectively and sensitively. Other ions produced nearly no interference. A N-CDs based fluorescent probe was then applied to sensitively determine Ag+ with a detection limit of 5 × 10-8  mol/L. The method was applied to the determination of Ag+ dissolved in water. Finally, negligibly cytotoxic, excellently biocompatibile, and highly fluorescent carbon dots were applied for HepG2 cell imaging and the quenched fluorescence by adding Ag+ , which indicated its potential applications.


The (113) face of Si is highly stable due to rehybridization of dangling bonds. The authors show that adsorbed atomic hydrogen upsets this stability. Structural models are provided for the resultant mixed 2*2 and 2*3 surface.


BACKGROUND CONTEXT: Traditional methods for the evaluation of in vivo spine kinematics introduce significant measurement variability. Digital videofluoroscopic techniques coupled with computer-assisted measurements have been shown to reduce such error, as well as provide detailed information about spinal motion otherwise unobtainable by standard roentgenograms. Studies have evaluated the precision of computer-assisted fluoroscopic measurements; however, a formal clinical evaluation and comparison with manual methods is unavailable. Further, it is essential to establish reliability of novel measurements systems compared with standard techniques. PURPOSE: To determine the repeatability and reproducibility of sagittal lumbar intervertebral measurements using a new system for the evaluation of lumbar spine motion. STUDY DESIGN: Reliability evaluation of digitized manual versus computer-assisted measurements of the lumbar spine using motion sequences from a videofluoroscopic technique. PATIENT SAMPLE: A total of 205 intervertebral levels from 61 patients were retrospectively evaluated in this study. OUTCOME MEASURES: Coefficient of repeatability (CR), limits of agreement (LOA), intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC; type 3,1), and standard error of measurement. METHODS: Intervertebral rotations and translations (IVR and IVT) were each measured twice by three physicians using the KineGraph vertebral motion analysis (VMA) system and twice by three different physicians using a digitized manual technique. Each observer evaluated all images independently. Intra- and interobserver statistics were compiled based on the methods of Bland-Altman (CR, LOA) and Shrout-Fleiss (ICC, standard error of measurement). RESULTS: The VMA measurements demonstrated substantially more precision compared with the manual technique. Intraobserver measurements were the most reliable, with a CR of 1.53 (manual, 8.28) for IVR, and 2.20 (manual, 11.75) for IVT. The least reliable measurements were interobserver IVR and IVT, with a CR of 2.15 (manual, 9.88) and 3.90 (manual, 12.43), respectively. The ICCs and standard error results followed the same pattern. CONCLUSIONS: The VMA system markedly reduced variability of lumbar intervertebral measurements compared with a digitized manual analysis. Further, computer-assisted fluoroscopic imaging techniques demonstrate precision within the range of computer-assisted X-ray analysis techniques. 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


An exact, linear-time critical path tracing algorithm is presented. The performance of critical path tracing is determined primarily by the efficiency of stem analysis. The proposed strategy can determine stem criticality in one pass based on six rules. Experiments on ISCAS85 and ISCAS89 benchmark circuits show that the computation time is nearly linear in the number of nets.


From about the mid-1980' s to the mid-1990' s there was a flurry of research activity in the area of database triggers and constraints, seeing the development of numerous research proposals and prototypes. Soon thereafter, most mainstream database products ramped up their support for constraints and triggers, with expressive constraint specifications appearing in the SQL-92 standard, and both constraints and triggers in the SQL-99 standard.


A 62-year-old man was referred to our hospital because of dyspnea. Electrocardiogram showed chronic atrial fibrillation and echocardiogram revealed severe tricuspid regurgitation. His history included a motorbike accident at age 17, and a heart murmur was pointed out in the following year. He developed paroxysmal atrial fibrillation when he was 45 years old. Heart failure was not controlled by medication and tricuspid valve repair was indicated. At surgery, the anterior leaflet of tricuspid valve was widely prolapsed due to chordal rupture. We performed chordal reconstruction with 4 expanded polytetrafluoroethylene ( CV-5 ® ) sutures, and ring annuloplasty. Furthermore, a small fenestration at the tricuspid annulus was noticed and was closed with a direct suture. The biatrial modified Maze procedure was performed subsequently. The patient is doing well without TR recurrence, and restored sinus rhythm is maintained. We report successful repair of traumatic tricuspid regurgitation. Jpn. J. Cardiovasc. Surg. 47 : 128 - 132 ( 2018 )


We show that in a quantum mechanical many-body system of Boltzmann particles having space inversion symmetry the spectrum of the autocorrelation function of a local observable can always be given, similarly to the classical case [Phys. Rev. E 85, 022102 (2012)], in terms of a series of Lorentzian functions multiplied by the proper quantum detailed balance factor. This is done by transforming the continued fraction representation, which is derived via recurrent relations and without the use of the generalized Langevin equation hierarchy, into a series expansion. In this way characteristic frequencies can be defined, also in quantum mechanics, which refer to the particular autocorrelation. These are the frequencies of the eigenmodes of the relaxation function connected to the observable. We also show that in practical cases of interest in experimental spectroscopy, and particularly in inelastic neutron and x-ray scattering, the use of a finite number of Lorentzian shapes for an approximate description of the data is related to a reduction of the number of the relevant dynamical variables taken into account, equivalent to the lowering of the dimensionality of the orthogonalized space onto which the dynamic of the system is projected. Examples of application are given for the spectrum of the velocity autocorrelation function of liquid parahydrogen, calculated with a quantum simulation algorithm (path-integral centroid molecular dynamics), and for the molecular center-of mass dynamic structure factor in liquid carbon dioxide as computed by means of classical molecular dynamics simulation.


Background Corticosteroid (CS) injections are commonly used to treat musculoskeletal pain and inflammation. The comparative efficacy of various CS preparations used for such injections has not been systematically studied. Objectives To compare the relative efficacy of various CS and different doses used for injections in treating joint and soft tissue pain and inflammation. Methods MEDLINE, Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Cochrane Database of Systematic Reviews, and Database of Abstracts of Reviews of Effectiveness were searched to find randomized controlled trials comparing two CS or two doses of a CS used for the treatment of arthritis and periarticular or regional pain syndromes (e.g. tendonitis, bursitis, epicondylitis, carpal tunnel syndrome, and trigger finger). A qualitative methodological assessment was done based on randomization, sample size, blinding and outcome measures. Results Out of the 207 articles identified by the initial search, 19 met the inclusion criteria for final review. Six trials comparing methylprednisolone (MP) with triamcinolone (TC) had conflicting results for superior efficacy for various indications as follows: five trials showed superiority of triamcenolone hexacetonide (TH) over MP in knee arthritis, two trials showed a possible faster onset of action with MP and two trials showed equal overall efficacy. Four trials compared TH with triamcinolone acetonide (TA) and reported greater efficacy, faster onset or longer duration of action for TH (59% vs. 44% pain reduction; two year response rate 77% vs. 38%; relapse rate 1.4 vs. 4.2; and time to relapse 10 months vs. 8 months). TH had a faster onset of action although similar overall efficacy compared to prednisolone-t-butyl acetate; but a superior efficacy compared to MP (60% vs. 30% response at one year); betamethasone (BM) (duration of response 2.5 months vs 1.3 months); and hydrocortisone (HC); as well as an overall longest duration of response (176 vs 125 vs 79 days for TH, MP and BM, respectively) for knee injections in patients with osteoarthritis (OA), rheumatoid arthritis (RA) or juvenile idiopathic arthritis (JIA). We found one trial each showing equal efficacy of hydrocortisone acetate and hydrocortisone tertiary-butyl-acetate for knee OA; and similar efficacy but faster onset of action for TH and dexamethasone (DM) for trigger finger. Another trial showed greater efficacy and longer benefit (19 vs 13 days) of MP compared to HC for knee arthritis. Three trials on TA found 40 mg dose to be equally efficacious as 20 mg but better than 10 mg, with a faster and longer lasting effect for non-inflammatory painful shoulder. There was no additional benefit of a second injection. Conclusions Although results are conflicting for overall efficacy, trends favor TH over other CS (TA, MP, BM, DM, and HC) for knee involvement in RA, OA or JIA. TH has longer duration and faster onset of action for subacromial bursitis and adhesive capsulitis compared to other CS preparations. Disclosure of Interest N. Garg: None Declared, A. Deodhar Grant/research support from: This work was supported by an unrestricted educational grant of 4500 $ from American Regent to the Oregon Health & Science University Fellowship Fund.


The objective of the research was to determine the effectiveness of obturation of the root canals and crown part of the teeth, and to identify the most important factors influencing its results, based on the X-ray examination.
Materials and methods: The study was conducted at the Dental Center (University Clinic, Ivano-Frankivsk National Medical University). Evaluation of 140 orthopantomograms, computed tomograms and digital intraoral images of patient, aged 18-68 years with endodontically treated teeth, was made with the aim to determine the obturation state of root canals and the state of periodontal tissues. The radiological picture of 579 teeth and 1120 roots in particular was evaluated.
Results: the state of apical constriction, the state of obturation of root canals, sealing conditions of coronal part of the tooth, the state of periodontal tissues were analyzed, compared and discussed.
Conclusions: According to the results obtained in this study, the relationships between the presence of periapical changes and state of apical constructions, obturation level of filling material in roots canals, coronal leakage, and periodontal tissue changes were found.
Keywords: periapical changes, endodontic treatment, coronal leakage, x-ray examination


It is difficult
to get the news from poems
yet men die miserably every day
for lack
of what is found there.
"Asphodel, That Greeny Flower" by William Carlos Williams, a physician and poet
Beware the threat of the spores,
Bad news parcels bide their time.
They lurk to enter the unsuspecting
And unleash dormant evil that multiplies.
The twin rings of code within are culprits
Spawning the Unholy Trinity of toxins.
Inject to bleed, swell, and destroy,
While the "protective" antigen does anything but.
Skin lesions black as the namesake coal,
Pale in comparison to the inhaled disease.
Finely milled, known simply as Ames strain
Artificial and abhorrent agents of terror.
"Alpha" bacteria,
Germs of the germ theory.
Origin of the famous postulates,
Crafty bugs made cruel by man.
Brought home the nesting-doll syndrome,
Envelopes, spores, bacilli, plasmids.
With it the fear and the frenzy
To cure what we create.


The paper presents a common theoretical framework for explaining multimodal communication in person-person interaction and Human-Computer Interaction (HCI). Within such a context, specific attention will be devoted to referring acts, i.e. communication acts that indicate a target in the physical space through the joint use of referring nominal phrases and referring gestures. HCI multimodal communication is mediated by systems that support the fusion of data coming from different input devices (microphone, touch-screen, pen, keyboard, mouse). Because of this property, these systems can introduce a major improvement in the usability of future computers. In particular, they have the potential for favoring more flexible, easy to learn, and productive interaction. Both user and computers will take advantage from this new form of interaction. As regards the human factor, multimodal systems allow users to exploit their natural communication abilities. As a consequence, they reduce the psychological distance between users and computers with respect to both the execution of input and to the evaluation of output. As regards computers, multimodal systems broaden the information bandwidth of the message, so that more cues for meaning extraction becomes available. Typically gesture have the property of simplifying linguistic expression especially with respect to target identification. Despite these clear advantages, the design of multimodal systems can be complex and counterintuitive. Before future technology will be able to function successfully with real users and in actual field settings, interface techniques are needed to steer user behavior towards systems capabilities. Accomplishing this goal requires a deep understanding of how people actually take advantage of multimodal communication when interacting with computers. Neither traditional unimodal HCI nor face-to-face communication models appear adequate to achieve this goal. Therefore, empirical studies, especially in the form of early simulations, are needed to understand the new communication form. Such a knowledge is essential to the design of future systems and to the development of interfaces that make the best use of different modalities. The theoretical part is followed by the presentation of same empirical data collected through the Wizard of Oz simulation technique. The experiment is aimed at specifically investigating the role of perception on referring acts and the process of cross-modal integration of gesture and speech. As regards perception, we attempt to extend the ecological theory of affordances (Gibson 1979) to explain difference in gesture production. As regards cross-modal integration we compares the natural integration pattern produced in a face-to-face communication context with that produced in HCI context. Results allow to clarify: (a) how users distribute their communication intentions across language and gesture; (b) how they spontaneously integrate gesture and speech when referring to objects displayed on a graphical interface; (c) the influence of perception on the two communication modalities. Finally, implications of our findings for multimodal interface design are discussed together with a model for implementing a multimodal system capable of understanding spontaneous input.


This paper presents a general approach to the problem of modelling membrane micropumps. The proposed approach is aimed at predicting the performance of a specific micropump versus the working frequency, according to its geometrical and mechanical characteristics. This can be very useful during the design process of microfluidic devices including several membrane micropumps connected in a complex layout. The developed model has been applied to the specific class of micropumps based on piezoelectric unimorph actuator and ball check valves. Model predictions agree with the experimental results obtained on prototypes made in the authors laboratory.


We consider the problem of estimating the distribution underlying an observed sample of data. Instead of maximum likelihood, which maximizes the probability of the observed values, we propose a different estimate, the high-profile distribution, which maximizes the probability of the observed profile---the number of symbols appearing any given number of times. We determine the high-profile distribution of several data samples, establish some of its general properties, and show that when the number of distinct symbols observed is small compared to the data size, the high-profile and maximum-likelihood distributions are roughly the same, but when the number of symbols is large, the distributions differ, and high-profile better explains the data.


Micro-expressions can reflect peoples true feelings and motives, which attracts an increasing number of researchers into the studies of automatic facial micro-expression recognition (MER). The detection window of micro-expressions is too short in duration to be perceived by human eye, while their subtle face muscle movements also make MER a challenging task for pattern recognition. To this end, we propose a novel Identity-aware and Capsule-Enhanced Generative Adversarial Network (ICE-GAN), which is adversarially completed with the micro-expression synthesis (MES) task, where synthetic faces with controllable micro-expressions can be produced by the generator with distinguishable identity information to improve the MER performance. Meanwhile, the capsule-enhanced discriminator is optimized to simultaneously detect the authenticity and micro-expression class labels. Our ICE-GAN was evaluated on the 2nd Micro-Expression Grand Challenge (MEGC2019) and outperformed the winner by a significant margin (7%). To the best of our knowledge, we are the first work generating identity-preserving faces with different micro-expressions based on micro-expression datasets only.


Chemical investigation of the dichloromethane extract of Alocasia portei afforded phytyl fatty acid esters (1), polyprenols (2), lutein (3), a mixture of stigmasterol (4) and β-sitosterol (5), chlorophyll a (6), chlorophyllide a (7), a mixture of linolenic acid (8) and saturated fatty acids (9), and hydrocarbons (10). The structures of 1-10 were identified by comparison of their NMR data with those reported in the literature.


It is known that the Perron Frobenius operators of piecewise expanding C-transformations have an asymptotic periodicity of densities. On the other hand, external noise or measurement errors are unavoidable in practical systems, and therefore, every realistic mathematical model should be regarded as random iterations of transformations. The aim of this paper is to discuss the effects of randomization on the asymptotic periodicity of densities.


An 8.1% efficient 1‐cm2 Schottky‐barrier solar cell has been fabricated in our laboratory using a layered Schottky barrier on 2‐Ω cm p‐type silicon. Reproducible results have been obtained on the layered structure which involves 44‐A Cr adjacent to the silicon to obtain good photovoltaic voltage and a 58‐A Cu overlayer to decrease cell resistance. The layered structure provides good control of barrier height, resistance, and optical transmission. Application of this approach should produce a 15% efficient Schottky solar cell and be readily applied to thin‐film silicon solar cells when high‐quality thin silicon films have been developed.