The study aimed to investigate the effectiveness of counselling and therapy offered by the voluntary sector for women with postnatal depression or distress. Twenty-seven women accepted for individual counselling or therapy were assessed at baseline, and 3 and 6 months after therapy. They were assessed using standardized measures of depression, parenting stress, marital relationship and maternal self-efficacy. Data were collected by home interviews by an independent researcher. The study sample was representative of those referred for therapy. Scores on measures of depression, parenting self-efficacy and parenting stress decreased significantly over time. Scores of marital satisfaction did not change. The scores of 16 out of 27 (60%) had fallen to below 14 on the Edinburgh Postnatal Depression Scale. There was no difference between those having individual or group therapy. It is not feasible, logistically or ethically, to carry out a randomized controlled trial of counselling which is negotiated between client and therapist. The results from this prospective study of support given by the voluntary sector suggest that it can be effective in alleviating symptoms of postnatal depression.


The hidden curriculum, or the socialization process of medical training, plays a crucial role in the development of physicians, as they navigate the clinical learning environment. The purpose of this qualitative study was to examine medical faculty and students' perceptions of psychological, moral, and spiritual challenges during medical training in caring for critically ill patients. Focus groups were conducted with 25 Harvard Medical School (HMS) students, and interviews were conducted with 8 HMS faculty members. Five major themes emerged as important in shaping students' medical training experiences. First, students and faculty discussed the overall significance of the hidden curriculum in terms of the hierarchy of medicine, behavioral modeling, and the value placed on research versus clinical work. Second, respondents articulated values modeled in medicine. Third, students and faculty reflected on changes in student development during their training, particularly in terms of changes in empathy and compassion. Fourth, respondents discussed challenges faced in medical school including professional clinical education and the psychosocial aspects of medical training. Finally, students and faculty articulated a number of coping mechanisms to mitigate these challenges including reflection, prayer, repression, support systems, creative outlets, exercise, and separation from one's work. The results from this study suggest the significance of the hidden curriculum on medical students throughout their training, as they learn to navigate challenging and emotional experiences. Furthermore, these results emphasize an increased focus toward the effect of the hidden curriculum on students' development in medical school, particularly noting the ways in which self-reflection may benefit students.


Abstract Post-traumatic stress disorder (PTSD) can occur in the wake of exposure to a traumatic event. Currently, PTSD symptoms are assessed mainly through self-report in the form of questionnaire or clinical interview. Self-report has inherent limitations, particularly in psychiatric populations who may have limited awareness of deficit, reduced attention span, or poor vocabulary and/or literacy skills. Diagnosis and evaluation of treatment efficacy would be aided by behavioral measures. A viable alternative may be virtual environments, in which the participant guides an on-screen "avatar" through a series of onscreen events meant to simulate real-world situations. Here, a sample of 82 veterans, self-assessed for PTSD symptoms was administered such a task, in which the avatar was confronted with situations that might evoke avoidant behavior, a core feature of PTSD. Results showed a strong correlation between PTSD symptom burden and task performance; in fact, the ability to predict PTSD symptom burden based on simple demographic variables (age, sex, combat exposure) was significantly improved by adding task score as a predictor variable. The results therefore suggest that virtual environments may provide a new way to assess PTSD symptoms, while avoiding at least some of the limitations associated with symptom self-report, and thus might be a useful complement to questionnaire or clinical interview, potentially facilitating both diagnosis and evaluation of treatment efficacy.


OBJECTIVE
CXCL3, a member of the chemokine family, plays a key role in angiogenesis, tumorigenesis, and cell invasion and migration. However, the role of CXCL3 in oral squamous cell carcinoma (OSCC) remains unclear. The purpose of this study is to explore the expression of CXCL3 in OSCC and to explore the role of CXCL3 in human OSCC HSC-4 cells and its molecular mechanism.

METHODS
The expression of CXCL3 in human OSCC tissues was assessed using immunohistochemistry and The Cancer Genome Atlas (TCGA) database. In vivo and in vitro experiments investigated the effects of CXCL3 on the proliferation, migration, and invasion of OSCC cells.

RESULTS
The expression of CXCL3 in tumors is higher than that in normal tissues and is closely related to stage and lymph node metastasis. In vitro experiments showed that the proliferation and migration ability of HSC-4 cells treated with exogenous recombinant human CXCL3 and HSC-4 cells overexpressing CXCL3 were enhanced. Experiments on xenografts in nude mice showed that overexpression of CXCL3 promotes tumor growth in vivo. GSEA showed that patients with high expression of CXCL3 have varying degrees of enrichment in cytokine cytokine receptor interaction, apoptosis, Jak-STAT signaling pathway, and MAPK signaling pathway. Subsequent mechanism studies showed that the use of ERK1/2 blocker PD98059 can attenuate the proliferation and migration effects induced by CXCL3.

CONCLUSION
CXCL3 is involved in the occurrence of OSCC and may become a potential therapeutic target.


Taitung, a county known for having the highest percentage of Aboriginal population and lowest SES (Socioeconomic status) of residents in Taiwan, is ranked the lowest in the Basic Competence Test. What effects do Aboriginal and Han ethnic groups and their respective family backgrounds have on their Basic Competence Test scores, their enrollment to upper secondary education, and educational tracking? According to our literature review, no study has yet addressed this question. The data of this study were obtained from the "Taitung Educational Panel Survey." By compiling the Basic Competence Test scores and enrollment information collected in 2006, the above question was examined. The main findings are as follows. Although the overall student enrollment of upper secondary education was approximately 100 percent regardless of student background, the enrollment rate of Han students in public senior high schools (which has been deemed the optimal educational tracking measure for future socioeconomic status attainment) was far higher than that of Aboriginal students. The enrollment rate of Aboriginal students in private vocational schools (deemed the least optimal educational tracking measure for future status attainment) was far higher than that of Han students. Despite the fact that Aboriginal students were granted an additional one-third on their original scores on the Basic Competence Test, Aboriginal student scores were still much lower than Han students; and so was the future status attainment following their educational tracking. It was found that their disadvantageous family background is the main factor explaining their lower academic performance.


The impact of COVID-19 is still being recognised due to increased research, demand for the communication of uncertainties and evidence based information to help decision makers to design appropriate mitigation policies overtime. Weather and sociodemographic indicators are important to comprehensively understand rapid spread of the disease at a given spatial scale. The spatial pattern in the occurrence of disease may hint at the mechanisms that produce the disease, hence spatial analysis is very useful in studying the causes of a disease. This study evaluates the influence of weather variables, sociodemographic characteristics and their corresponding records of COVID-19 in Iraq cities. The assessments of these relationships were based on R0 estimated from the time series data of COVID-19 infections, and by using geographically weighted regression (GWR) and linear regression modelling. Global estimates of these relationships from the linear regressions are generally poor. On the contrary, the results derived from the GWR show spatially varying patterns. The lag7 of weather variables performed better compared to other lags. Among weather variables, increasing wind speed leads to risen COVID-19 infection. Population density is one of the sociodemographic characteristics that contributes to higher COVID-19 infection. COVID-19 infections, on the other hand, decreased in cities with a good health index and access to piped water. The findings of this study are therefore of great value to policy makers to design appropriate measures to reduce COVID-19 infection in Iraq and elsewhere.


We retrospectively reviewed the case histories of 45 patients with invasive thymoma who underwent postoperative or definitive radiotherapy. Patients in stage II or stage III were classified according to the treatment volume as follows: a) those who received irradiation confined to the primary tumor site with a generous margin (involved field group, n = 17) and b)those who received prophylactic whole mediastinal irradiation with or without entire hemithoracic irradiation (prophylactic group, n = 21). Seven recurrences were observed among the involved field group, while all patients in the prophylactic group were relapse-free and alive after a median follow-up interval of 50 months. Major side effects were observed in two patients who received entire hemithoracic irradiation. One developed severe pneumonitis resulting in lung fibrosis that required hospitalization, while the other developed nephrotic syndrome of unknown cause. We conclude that whole mediastinal irradiation with or without entire hemithoracic irradiation can be used as a treatment of choice for postoperative invasive thymoma.


ABSTRACT This paper presents a reconstruction of environmental conditions and subsistence strategies in the Early Neolithic (6th Millenium BC) settlement area at Těšetice-Kyjovice (Czech Republic). Our detailed reconstruction of the environment contributes to the unravelling of the genesis and spread of steppes and the formation of secondary anthropogenic forest-free areas in the Holocene in eastern-Central Europe. Mollusc shells, charcoals and plant macroremains were used as on-site evidence of a settlement environment. A relatively warm and dry anthropogenic forest-free area is reconstructed for the immediate vicinity of the Early Neolithic settlement. Communities of mixed deciduous forests are recorded in the surroundings of the settlement. Plant macroremains reflect the characteristic Neolithic range of cultivated plants (e.g. Triticum monococcum, Triticum dicoccon, Lens culinaris and Pisum sativum). Papaver somniferum seeds were also found, possibly constituting the oldest evidence of its presence and cultivation in the territory of the Czech Republic.


The authors report the case of a 35-years-women with a thoracic disc herniation, who presented with seven years history of episodic acute ureteric colic. An early diagnosis of a spinal disc herniation was made difficult by the absence of neurological findings. Imaging studies showed no lesion in the genito-urinary tract. Magnetic resonance imaging demonstrated a postero-lateral disc herniation at T10-T11 level. The pain disappeared immediately after surgery decompression. A literature search showed that acute ureteric colic associated with a lower thoracic disc herniation has not been previously reported.


Because the subway system is New York's largest single user of electricity, the way it was planned and built were major factors in the city's evolution to electrical power. Ever since, the technology of transit electrification and the general electrification of homes and businesses have worked together. Since the subway opened in October 27, 1904, the system has added hundreds of track miles and stations and thousands of subway cars to serve the needs of a far larger city.


This research report is a companion to the following paper: Atlas: Exploration
and Mapping with a Sparse Swarm of Networked IoT Robots. Razanne Abu-Aisheh, Francesco
Bronzino, Myriana Rifai, Brian Kilberg, Kris Pister, Thomas Watteyne. Workshop on Wireless
Sensors and Drones in Internet of Things (Wi-DroIT), part of DCOSS, 2020. It expands that
paper by providing more detailed explanations and more complete results.
Exploration and mapping is a fundamental capability of a swarm of robots: robots enter an
unknown area, explore it, and collectively build a map of it. This capability is important regard-
less of whether the robots are crawling, flying, or swimming. Existing exploration and mapping
algorithms tend to either be inefficient, or rely on having a dense swarm of robots. This paper
introduces Atlas, an exploration and mapping algorithm for sparse swarms of robots, which com-
pletes a full exploration even in the extreme case of a single robot. We develop an open-source
simulator and show that Atlas outperforms the state-of-the-art in terms of exploration speed and
completeness of the resulting map.


In this paper, the effect of feedback delays on the performance of multiple-input multiple-output antenna amplify-and-forward relay networks with the best transmit/receive antenna pair selection over Rayleigh fading is studied. The cumulative distribution function and the moment generating function of the end-to-end signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) are derived. Closed-form expressions for the outage probability, average symbol error rate (SER), and the SNR moments are also derived. To gain further insights, the asymptotic outage probability, average SER, diversity order, and coding gain are presented. Numerical results and Monte-Carlo simulations are provided to illustrate the detrimental effects of feedback delays on the system performance and to verify the accuracy of our analysis.


PAEDIATRIC AND ADOLESCENT ELEVATED CONJUNCTIVAL LESIONS IN THE PLICA Beykin et al report clinical, histopathological and molecular features of 'salmon patch'-like conjunctival lesions in 11 patients (aged 6–21 years). Nine patients underwent an excisional biopsy that histopathologically disclosed extranodal marginal zone B cell lymphoma in two cases and reactive lymphoid hyperplasia (RLH) in seven cases. Molecular diagnosis showed polyclonal B cells in six patients, monoclonal B cells in two patients, and a questionable status in one patient. The authors conclude that it is clinically difficult to differentiate between conjunctival RLH and EMZL in the paediatric and adolescent population. Molecular analysis of excised lesions does not always correlate with histopathology.


Heterorhabditis bacteriophora , associated with Photorhabdus luminescens , is commonly used against insect pests. Dauer juveniles (DJ) develop into self-fertilising hermaphrodites that lay eggs until juveniles hatch inside the uterus and feed on the body content of the mother ( endotokia matricida ). The life history traits of H. bacteriophora were studied at 2.5 × 10 9 , 5 × 10 9 , 10 × 10 9 and 20 × 10 9  cells ml −1 of P. luminescens at 25°C using a hanging drop technique. The number of offspring produced per hermaphrodite increased from 50 at 2.5 × 10 9  cells ml −1 to 269 at 20 × 10 9  cells ml −1 of P. luminescens . The bacterial density did not influence the beginning of endotokia matricida , hermaphrodite death, DJ release from the maternal carcass and the percentage of juveniles obtained through endotokia matricida . Mating of automictic females could not increase offspring production and survival. Endotokia matricida is an obligatory developmental step in H. bacteriophora .


Some Theoretical Aspects of Enzyme Mechanisms: Mechanical Force, Hydration, and Conformational Fluctuations in Enzymic Catalysis (R. Lumry). Complexation and Catalysis in Biology (R.J.P. Williams). Mechanistic Role of Biotin in Enzymatic Carboxylation Reactions (A.S. Mildvan, D.C. Fry, and E.H. Serpersu). Thiamin-Dependent Reactions (Mechanisms) (C.J. Gubler). Allostery and Non-Michaelis-Menten Behavior: Glycogen Phosphorylase and Glycogen Synthetase (N.B. Madsen). Proteases-Structures and Mechanisms: Calcium-Activated Neutral Protease (K. Imahori, K. Suzuki, and S. Kawashima). Dehydrogenases-Structure and Catalytic Mechanisms: Glutamate Dehydrogenase (Bovine Liver) (R.F. Colman). Dihydrofolate Reductase (J.F. Morrison). 2-Oxoacid Dehydrogenases (M. Hamada and H. Takenaka). Flavoprotein Catalysis: Old Yellow Enzyme (L.M. Schopfer and V. Massey). D-Amino Acid Oxidase (K. Yagi). Cytochrome c, Quinone, and Cytochrome P-450 Reductases (M.S. Johnson and S.A. Kuby). Activated Oxygen Reactions: Dioxygenases and Monooxygenases (S. Yamamoto and Y. Ishimura). ATP-ases, Nucleotide Binding Carriers, and Nucleotidyl Transferases: Ca2+, Mg2+-ATPase (Microsomal) (H. Takenaka, M. Sumida, and M. Hamada). Mechanistic and Energetic Aspects of Carrier Catalysis-Exemplified with Mitochondrial Translocators (M. Klingenberg). Terminal Deoxynucleotidyl Transferase (M.J. Modak and V.N. Pandey). Phosphotransferases-Structure and Mechanisms: Adenylate Kinase (M. Hamada, H. Takenaka, M. Sumida, and S.A. Kuby). Phosphofructokinase and Fructose 6-Phosphate, 2-Kinase: Fructose 2,6-Bisphosphatase (K. Uyeda). Emden-Meyerhof Reactions-Mechanism of Action: Triose- and Hexose-Phosphate Isomerases (K.U. Yuksel and R.W. Gracy). Mechanistic Studies of Muscle Aldolase (D.J. Hupe). Metalloenzymes: Mechanism and Structure of Superoxide Dismutases (J.A. Tainer, V.A. Roberts, C.L. Fisher, R.A. Hallewell, and E.D. Getzoff). Hydrolases-Mechanisms: Phospholipases (G. Arthur and P.C. Choy). Esterases (Including Choline Esterases) (H. Okuda). Lipases (H. Okuda). Index.


We discuss how a cosmological magnetic field could affect the expansion of the universe, through its interaction with the spacetime geometry. The most interesting kinematic implication of the magneto-curvature coupling is its tendency to accelerate positively curved regions and decelerate those with negative curvature. Depending on the equation of state of the matter, the effect varies from mimicking that of a positive cosmological constant to resembling a time-decaying quintessence. Moreover, the coupling between magnetism and geometry means that even weak fields can have a significant impact, provided that the curvature contribution is strong. We employ a simple cosmological model to illustrate these effects and examine the conditions necessary for them to have a appreciable impact. PACS number(s): 98.80.Hw, 04.40.Nr, 95.30.Qd, 98.62.En


Role of the non-haem, manganese catalase (Mn-catalase) in oxidative stress tolerance is unknown in cyanobacteria. The ORF alr0998 from the Anabaena PCC7120, which encodes a putative Mn-catalase, was constitutively overexpressed in Anabaena PCC7120 to generate a recombinant strain, AnKat(+). The Alr0998 protein could be immunodetected in AnKat(+) cells and zymographic analysis showed a distinct thermostable catalase activity in the cytosol of AnKat(+) cells but not in the wild-type Anabaena PCC7120. The observed catalase activity was insensitive to inhibition by azide indicating that Alr0998 protein is indeed a Mn-catalase. In response to oxidative stress, the AnKat(+) showed reduced levels of intracellular ROS which was also corroborated by decreased production of an oxidative stress-inducible 2-Cys-Prx protein. Treatment of wild-type Anabaena PCC7120 with H(2)O(2) caused (i) RNA degradation in vivo, (ii) severe reduction of photosynthetic pigments and CO(2) fixation, (iii) fragmentation and lysis of filaments and (iv) loss of viability. In contrast, the AnKat(+) strain was protected from all the aforesaid deleterious effect under oxidative stress. This is the first report on protection of an organism from oxidative stress by overexpression of a Mn-catalase.


This paper discusses the antecedences and consequences of supply chain transparency (SCT) in sustainable agrarian supply chain management using partial least squares regression in an empirical sample with 131 supply chains with lead firms in German-speaking countries (Germany, Austria and Switzerland). We investigated the effect of such structural antecedences as disintermediation, as well as the effect of governance tools similar to intensive communication, the integration of third parties in supply chain governance or the use of formal specifications on SCT. We found that all these antecedences are helpful in increasing SCT, while low developed countries of origin significantly reduced SCT. Then, the effects of SCT on the four main performance dimensions in sustainable supply chain management (SSCM), i.e. social, ecological, and operational performance and long-term relationship success, were verified. Higher SCT improves all four dimensions significantly, while the effect on operational performance is lowest. Supply chain transparency turns out to be a prerequisite or a basic indicator of good management in SSCM in agri-food supply chains.


Abstract A finite-element formulation of equations governing layered anisotropic composite plates subjected to thermal and mechanical loadings is presented. An exact closed-form solution is also presented for simply supported rectangular cross-ply laminated plates under sinusoidal loading to validate the finite element developed. The finite-element results are in good agreement with the closed-form results and with the results of others. Material properties typical of advanced fiber-reinforced composites are used to show the parametric effects of plate aspect ratio, side-to-thickness ratio, orientation of layers, and edge conditions on the deflections and stresses.


Multiple 3-D seismic surveys have been acquired at time-lapse intervals over a heavy oil reservoir in the Dud Field, Indonesia, to monitor the progress of an active steamflood. Time-lapse 3-D seismic images show dramatic and complex changes in the reservoir zone over a wide area, compared to baseline seismic data recorded prior to steam injection. Careful consideration of steamflood fluid-flow, rock physics measurements, finite-difference seismogram modeling, 3-D seismic imaging and velocity analysis leads to an integrated interpretation of this 4-D data set. Anticipated large decreases in seismic P-wave velocity near the injection well correlate with the presence of a hot steam-saturated zone. Unanticipated large velocity increases and reflectivity changes in an annulus around the steam zone are consistent with a transient high-pressure front, in which initial free gas in pore space is raised above the bubble point pressure and dissolves into liquid oil. Horizontal and vertical anisotropy in flow directions inferred from these seismic observations correlate with two temperature monitor wells, and in situ measurements of upper and lower reservoir permeability. Since the pressure front propagates out from the injector at least one order of magnitude faster than either the thermal or steam fronts, monitoring it may be useful formore » predicting flowpaths of heated oil and steam, months in advance.« less


Diolcogaster facetosa (Weed) attacks young green cloverworm larvae in the eastern United States. Development of D. facetosa from oviposition to adult emergence takes 2.5 weeks at constant 30°C to 4 weeks at constant 21°C. Females require ca. 1 day longer than males to complete pupal development at each of four temperatures tested. This solitary parasite passes through three larval stages and emerges from its host through the side of the third, fourth, or fifth abdominal segment; the host dies in the fifth or sixth stadium. Parasitized green cloverworm larvae leave the plant and wander on the substrate before parasite emergence. White cocoons are formed by D. facetosa at or slightly below soil level. Young green cloverworm larvae drop from foliage upon disturbance and hang on silken threads several centimeters below the leaf. Adult D. facetosa females can detect these threads and slide down them to oviposit in the suspended larvae. This behavior of the parasite, the fact that only early instars of the green cloverworm consistently drop on threads, and the inability of the first instar's thread to support the weight of the parasite during descent collectively indicate that under field conditions the most successfully parasitized green cloverworm hosts of D. facetosa are second and third instars. The biology of D. facetosa is compared with the biologies of the two other braconid species most frequently associated with the green cloverworm.


The first tax inversion in 1983 was followed by small waves of subsequent inversion activity, including two inversions completed by Transocean. Significant media and political attention focused on transactions made by U.S. multinational corporations that were primarily designed to reduce U.S. corporate income taxes. As a result, the U.S. government took several actions to limit inversion activity. The Tax Cuts and Jobs Act of 2017 (TCJA) significantly lowered U.S. corporate tax rates and one expected impact of TCJA is a reduction of inversion activity. Students use the Transocean inversions to understand the reasons why companies complete a tax inversion and how the U.S. tax code affects inversion activity. Students also learn about the structure of inversion transactions and how they have changed over time as the U.S. government attempted to limit them. Students also assess the tax and economic impacts of inversion transactions to evaluate tax policy.


A vast majority of current wireless cellular networks are deployed using the homogeneous deployment scenario. The homogeneous cellular system is essentially a network base stations and user terminals with standards power level profiles and similar technical characteristics. All base stations in the network are similar and carefully planned for compatibility. This deployment scenario is complex, rigid, and expensive. Hence the need for a more flexible, cost-effective and ubiquitous deployment model capable of broadband delivery. This need informed the advent of heterogeneous networks, which allow for the deployment of non-homogeneous base stations, with the attendant advantage of improved spectral efficiency per unit area. One of the most important features of next generation networks is the roaming possibility of end user equipments across different access networks. The Session Initiation Protocol (SIP) makes this experience achievable, it also describes other different mobility management solutions and compares the suitability of SIP for roaming across General Packet Radio Service (GPRS), Universal Mobile Telecommunication System (UMTS) and wireless Local Area Networks (WLAN). We present in this paper an overview of the various wireless networking implementations vis-a-vis interworking architectures. The paper also discusses the three generic interworking architectures for WLAN 802.11 and 3GPP networks among others.


The aim of this project is to evaluate the capacity of a molybdenum-rich mineral salt in the prevention of cumulative cooper poisoning (CCP) in sheep, through clinical and hepatic copper and molybdenum concentrations. Twenty five crossbreed Ile-de-France sheep were randomly distributed equally into five groups. Group 1 received a 80% forage and 20% concentrate diet, groups 2 and 3 received a 50% forage and 50% concentrate diet, and groups 4 and 5 received the same diet as groups 2 and 3 with a daily supplementation of 150 mg of copper sulfate. Groups 1, 3 and 5 received a mineral salt with 300 ppm of molybdenum. Three times during the experiment a liver biopsy was carried out to evaluate the degree of copper accumulation. Three sheep from group 4 and one sheep from group 5 showed a clinical picture of CCP. There was no difference in the frequency of mortality between groups 4 and 5 (P=0.56). The liver copper concentration was higher in sheep with CCP (2450 ppm) compared to sheep that did not present CCP (1518 ppm). The higher the ingestion of molybdenum in the diet the lower the liver copper concentration at the end of the experiment (r=-0.72).


A recently developed RIA for human pancreatic tumor GH-releasing hormone (hpGRH1-44NH2) was used to investigate its distribution in the human gastrointestinal tract and brain, and to determine the incidence of its production by tumors. GRH-immunoreactivity (GRH-IR) was present in several regions of the human brain, the highest concentration occurring in the hypothalamus, septum, and substantia inominata. In the gastrointestinal tract GRH-IR was present in the upper intestine, where it was confined to the epithelial mucosa. Approximately one third of all tumors examined (35 out of 97) contained significant amounts of GRH-IR. Gel chromatography of brain and intestinal extracts, and of several tumors, revealed the presence of two molecular forms of GRH-IR, one coeluting with the synthetic hpGRH1-44 amide standard (and also hpGRH1-40) and another eluting significantly later. The earlier eluting GRH-IR peak was found to be similar to the synthetic hpGRH1-44 NH2 and hpGRH1-40 on high pressure liquid chromatography analysis.


SUMMARY OBJECTIVE: Sleep disturbance in chronic neuropathic low back pain is a well-known condition. In this study, we aimed to investigate the effect of lumbar radiculopathy on sleep quality and lower extremity functionality in the presence of neuropathic low back pain. METHODS: A total of 79 patients diagnosed with disk herniation, needle electromyography, and neuropathic pain were included in the study. Visual Analog Scale, Pittsburg Sleep Quality Index, and Lower Extremity Functionality Scale were applied to the patients. RESULTS: Of the 79 patients who participated in the study, 34 (43%) were females and 45 (57%) were males. No significant difference was found between the group with and without radiculopathy in terms of sleep quality and lower extremity functionality (p=0.245 and p=0.092, respectively). In our study, a negative correlation was found between night pain and the presence of radiculopathy (p=0.006). The number of lumbar herniated disk levels was higher in the group without radiculopathy and was statistically significant (p=0.023). CONCLUSION: We found that the presence of radiculopathy did not affect sleep quality and lower extremity functionality in disk herniation patients with neuropathic pain. Although it was not statistically significant in our study, we think that the degree of herniation may affect sleep and lower extremity functionality rather than the number of disk herniation levels with the available data. The fact that neuropathic pain is not limited to disk herniation and radiculopathy, and that neuropathic pain is intertwined with clinical conditions such as anxiety, sleep disorders, and depression are among the conditions that make the studies difficult.


In Joyce's novel A Portrait of the Artist as a Young Man the representation of the Irish nation is closely interwoven with that of Irish women. Two groups can be distinguished among the women and girl characters: the women who are a symbol of authority and those who embody desire. Stephen's mother and Dante Riordan, a family relative and re ligious fanatic who closely surveyed and inf luenced his early childhood, symbolize those Irish who firmly supported the dogma that the Irish nation's identity was not to be sepa rated from the nation's necessity in being a Roman Catholic one, subdued to the domina tion of both Rome and London. Stephen, after having accepted this view as a child, refuses this standpoint as rigid and narrowminded; in one word, as a dangerous stereotype with disastrous consequences for the future of Ireland as he becomes an adolescent. As for the other group, the girl named (Stephen's) desire, the one central and recur rent image which appears in its description is that of the "batlike soul". The metaphor is deeply significant for the theme of this essay, as the girl characters are portrayed as unaware of themselves and only coming to consciousness, just as the Ireland of the epoch was seen and portrayed by young Stephen. The women, object of desire, are also seen as adulterous: but t o betray , Stephen soon gets to understand, is the only way to be faithful – to himself and to his vision of what Ireland is yet to become. Thus the representation of the Irish nation is not only in connection with that of Irish women, but also in relation with a process of creation of Stephen's own identity, as he slowly liberates himself from the public opinion and becomes a free minded and inde pendent adult, aware of the impact and importance his future artist vocation will have for him, as well as for his whole country.


Abstract To date eight gas/condensate fields have been discovered through exploration and appraisal drilling by Carigali Triton Operating Company Sdn. Bhd., operator of Block A-18, JDA on behalf of its shareholders Petronas Carigali (JDA) Sdn. Bhd., Triton Oil Company of Thailand (JDA) Ltd., and Triton Oil Company of Thailand Inc., contractors to the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Authority (MTJA). Sequences 0-II of these fields include stacked 'shaly sand' reservoirs containing low contrast pay. The suppressed resistivities of these reservoirs are caused by cm-dm clay distributions, which vary between facies, making the identification and quantification of reserves difficult. An integrated petrophysical approach is adopted to overcome these difficulties. Borehole image log interpreted facies are treated as classes of clay distribution, and the log responses of each facies are calibrated to core data, acquired separately for each facies. Saturation-height functions are used with wireline formation pressures to project initial conditions capillary pressure saturations into all cored intervals, providing foot by foot log independent gas volumes. For each facies, the log data and Waxman Smits equation are calibrated to these gas volumes through the saturation exponent (n*). The role of n* as a core-log matching parameter is analogous to apparent fluid density in a core-log porosity evaluation. In addition, gamma ray is used to optimise n* for each facies. Results are supported by the fluid mobility seen on limited magnetic resonance logs, and all other available data. The technique provides a simple, reliable and inexpensive means to evaluate the hydrocarbon potential of low contrast pay. The determination of formation water resistivity (Rw) is circumvented and data acquisition costs are minimal as the required data has often been acquired for other purposes. In this case study its application will result in a gas reserves up-grade for CTOC, its shareholders and the Malaysia-Thailand Joint Authority.


Major trends in the development of the gas industry point to a large-scale expansion of the liquefied natural gas (LNG) market, which continues to be a fast-growing segment compared to other energy sources. The national policy of the Russian Federation is aimed at developing the infrastructure of LNG complexes. This article analyses the world experience in the use of LNG complexes in gas consumption peak damping installations, which meet the conditions of LNG use as a backup fuel by PJSC Mosenergo branches (low-tonnage production combined with a large volume of LNG storage). It is shown that, in terms of the conditions of production and use of LNG at power plants, the most suitable are installations with 90–100% liquefaction of the incoming gas flow with an external refrigerating circuit using a mixed refrigerant or nitrogen, which provide the composition of regasified LNG almost identical to the composition of the source gas. The authors have formulated requirements for the development of energy-efficient LNG complexes at PJSC Mosenergo branches, including ensuring cycle energy consumption by expanding the network gas in the expander with utilization of refrigerating capacity in the liquefaction cycle, as well as cooling the compressed coolant of the refrigerating circuit by gas flows supplied further for combustion. The technological features of implementation of the LNG complex for production, storage and regasification of LNG as a reserve fuel for TPPs are reviewed. The study has shown that the most suitable power plant for the introduction of an LPG complex is TPP-22, for which a new fuel oil facility is being designed. Despite the current practice of using fuel oil and diesel fuel as backup fuels, LNG can have a competitive advantage through the use of secondary energy resources of TPPs.


Background: Escherichia coli is a common causative of blood stream infection having potentials to produce significant morbidity and mortality. This organism also has the ability to develop resistance against antimicrobial agents. Knowing its epidemiology, risk factors and antimicrobial resistance patterns can help preventing and managing bacteremia caused by this organism. Materials and methods: This was across sectional observational study carried out from February 2017 to February 2018 on 64 blood culture positive Escherichia coli infected patients admitted in Medicine inpatient of a medical college hospital. Age, sex, mode of acquisition of infection, history of prior empiric antibiotic treatment, duration of hospital stay, development of complication were observed and noted. Antibiotic susceptibility test for all isolates was performed by Kirby-Bauer disc diffusion method. Predesigned semi-structured data collection from was used and collected data were analyzed manually and expressed in descriptive statistical terms. Results: Of the 64 enrolled patients, 47(73.43%) were female. Average age of affection was 53.48±20.65 years and increased incidence rates (51.56%) was observed at age >60 years. Infection was communityacquired in 35.84% cases and urinary tract infection was the most frequent (46.3) risk factor. More than eighty seven percent of samples showed resistance to at least one antimicrobial agent and resistance to multiple drugs was associated with complications. Conclusion: Escherichia coli bacteremia has high incidence rates for antimicrobial resistance and mortality. Continuous surveillance and antibiotic susceptibility pattern monitoring is essential to develop regional antibiotic therapy protocols.


— Generation of a terahertz radiation in α-Sn / Ge quantum wells by ultrashort laser pulses is studied. Existence of the α-Sn at room temperature is shown by Raman spectroscopy. Cardinal differences were found in the parameters of THz pulses generated in samples with quantum wells widths of 4 nm, 6 nm sign and in nanostructures with quantum wells widths of 8.5 nm, 10 nm. The observed changes in the polarization dependences of the electric field of the THz radiation generated in α-Sn/Ge nanostructures with changes in the width of quantum well going from 6 nm to 8.5 nm are associated with the transition from a normal band structure to an inverted one in these nanostructures.


Approximate analytical solutions of the differential equation describing the temperature distribution along a thin rod kept at constant end temperatures have been obtained. For a number of practical cases, the solution gives results within experimental accuracy. For cases where analytical solution is not sufficiently accurate, numerical solutions have been obtained. Almost all cases of practical interest have been considered and for each case temperature distribution curves have been plotted.


This paper entitled " The Avoidance of Double Taxation as Unilateral From Capital Gains Tax related to the Rules of Bilateral Treaty on the Avoidance of Double Taxation and Prevention of Tax Evasion between Indonesia and other Countries" is written due to the increasing flows of International exchange and investment into and out of a country, including of capital goods which likely leads to capital gains.
Every country's tax law unilaterally includes several rules of the exemption of double taxation, inclusive those of the capital gains. However, the law varies in its definition of population, domicile and income resources that it may harm tax payers and a country. For the problem to be resolved, Indonesia has entered into a bilateral treaty on the taxation with several countries.
The problems of this research are a, how the unilateral exemption of double taxation applies to the capital gains tax in Indonesia? And b, how the capital gains tax applies to the treaty on the double taxation exemption between Indonesia and other countries?
The research uses a descriptive analysis method and normative juridical approach. Data gathering technique employs a library research intended to collect data for supporting the research.
Results of research reveal that the words of the law and treaty on the exemption of double taxation between Indonesia and other countries, except with Singapore, clarify the capital gains but they do not account for the variety of profit or loss statement due to the changed exchange rates.
n
Key word : Taxation, Unilateral, capital gain


In recent years, a number of eccentric debris belts have been observed in extrasolar systems. The most common explanation for their shape is the presence of a nearby eccentric planetary companion. The gravitational perturbation from such a companion would induce periodic eccentricity variations on the planetesimals in the belt, with a range of precession frequencies. The overall expected shape is an eccentric belt with a finite minimum width. However, several observed eccentric debris discs have been found to exhibit a narrower width than the theoretical expectation. In this paper, we study two mechanisms that can produce this small width: (i) the protoplanetary disc can interact with the planet and/or the planetesimals, slowly driving the eccentricity of the former and damping the eccentricities of the latter; (ii) the companion planet could have gained its eccentricity stochastically, through planet-planet scatterings. We show that under appropriate conditions, both of these scenarios offer a plausible way to reduce the minimum width of an eccentric belt exterior to a perturbing planet. However, the effects of protoplanetary discs are diminished at large separations (a > 10 au) due to the scarcity of gas and the limited disc lifetime. These findings suggest that one can use the shape and width of debris discs to shed light on the evolution of extrasolar systems, constraining the protoplanetary disc properties and the prevalence of planet-planet scatterings. Further observations of debris-harbouring systems could confirm whether thin debris belts are a common occurrence, or the results of rare initial conditions or evolutionary processes.


A further case of Down's syndrome with additional XYY aneuploidy is reported. The child has been followed for 5 years. It has not been possible to recognise any phenotypical feature which distinguishes the patient from others with Down's syndrome.


User-contributed tags have shown promise as a means of indexing multimedia collections by harnessing the combined efforts and enthusiasm of online communities. But tags are only one way of describing multimedia items. In this study, I compare the characteristics of public tags with other forms of descriptive metadata'titles and narrative captions'that users have assigned to a collection of very similar images gathered from the photo-sharing service Flickr. The study shows that tags converge on different descriptions than the other forms of metadata do, and that narrative metadata may be more effective than tags for capturing certain aspects of images that may influence their subsequent retrieval and use. The study also examines how photographers use peoples' names to personalize the different types of metadata and how they tell stories across short sequences of images. The study results are then brought to bear on design recommendations for user tagging tools and automated tagging algorithms and on using photo sharing sites as de facto art and architecture resources.


Abstract Open banking (OB) creates an opportunity for financial institutions to offer more personalised services by better differentiating between a specific customer (reference subject) and similar customers (comparison group). We propose the time-varying comparative mean value as a statistical method that learns about the dynamics governing how the response of a reference subject differs from that of a comparison group, defined via covariate truncation. The proposed model can be regarded as a time-varying truncated covariate regression model of which a smooth version is devised by resorting to local polynomial regression. The simulation study suggests that our estimators accurately recover the true time-varying comparative mean value in a variety of scenarios. We showcase our methods using OB-type data from a financial service provider in the UK, with the dataset containing detailed information on customers' accounts across 70 UK financial institutions. By contrasting a specific customer against similar customers, our method offers interesting diagnostics that can be used by financial institutions to recommend personalised services.


This study describes the concept of health management refers to management activities by state and local government agencies to protect the health of a community, and how taking administrative measures for the protection against diseases. The authors examine what is the general Hungarian legislation on it, and the role of the European Union in the health administrations, financing, especially the administration of medicines and pharmacies. In this study the authors want to highlight the problems of the legislation, generally. KEYWORD: public administration, health care, public financing, JEL CLASIFICATION: K23


OBJECTIVE
Some psychotherapists are more effective than others, which means that patients' treatment outcomes partly depend on therapist effects (TEs). This study investigated whether the use of progress feedback influences TE.

METHOD
Data from N = 4,549 participants and 131 therapists across six clinical trials of progress feedback were analyzed. All trials used the Outcome-Questionnaire-45 (OQ-45) outcome measure and assigned psychotherapy patients to a usual psychological care condition or feedback condition. We examined whether feedback utilization moderated TE using multilevel modeling and random-effects meta-analysis.

RESULTS
TE explained a small proportion (intracluster correlation coefficient [ICC] = .011) of variability in posttreatment OQ-45 scores in the pooled multistudy sample, after controlling for intake severity. Feedback utilization was associated with a statistically significant reduction of the magnitude of the TE (ICC = .009) by approximately 18.2%. Secondary analyses of OQ-45 subscales indicated that TEs were statistically significant in relation to symptom distress, but not interpersonal relations or social role. Feedback was associated with better treatment outcomes and narrower variability between therapists.

CONCLUSIONS
Feedback-informed treatment reduces the gap between more and less effective therapists, leading to more equitable and effective psychological care. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2022 APA, all rights reserved).


Summary Introduction: Breast cancer is the most common malignant cancer among women. Both drug resistance and metastasis are major problems in the treatment of breast cancer. Therefore, adjuvant therapy may improve patients' survival and affect their quality of life. It is suggested that epigallocatechin gallate (EGCG) which is well known for its chemopreventive activity and acts on numerous molecular targets may inhibit the growth and metastasis of some cancers. Hence, discovering the metastatic molecular mechanisms for breast cancer may be useful for therapy. Objective: The aim of the study was to determine the effect of EGGC on the mRNA expression level of genes such as ZEB1, ABCB1, MDM2, TWIST1 and PTEN in MCF-7 breast cancer cells. Methods: MCF7/DOX were cultured in the presence of 0.2 μM DOX and EGCG (20-50 μM). The mRNA expression level was determined by real-time quantitative PCR using RealTime ready Custom Panel 96 kit. Results: Our results showed an important increase (about 2-fold for 20 μM EGCG + 0.2 μM DOX and 2.5-fold for 50 μM EGCG + 0.2 μM DOX, p<0.05) in ZEB1 expression levels. In case of ABCB1 gene lack of influence on the mRNA level was observed (p>0.05). We also observed significant decrease of ZEB1 expression in MCF7 cells with 20 μM and 50 μM EGCG (p<0.05). In addition, EGCG (20 μM) caused an increase of MDM2 and PTEN mRNA levels in almost 100% (p<0.05) and 40% (p>0.05), respectively. Lack of the influence of EGCG was noted for the TWIST1 gene expression. In case of MCF7/DOX we showed an increase of mRNA level of PTEN gene about 50% (p<0.05). Conclusions: These results suggest that EGCG may be potentially used in adjuvant therapy in the breast cancer treatment.


I n t r o d u c t i o n . PNF patterns are one of the physiotherapeutic methods used in upper limb rehabilitation. Intensification of the effect can be achieved by application of additional resistance. Muscles of the therapist are usually the resistance generator, but in this case there is no possibility to make objective estimation of the applied force value. M a t e r i a l a n d m e t h o d . In the present study using of accordingly fixed rubbers with different modulus of elasticity is proposed to monitor the resistant overcame by patient's muscles. Values of these forces were determined, both at the beginning and the end of the motion patterns, using six different rubbers. R e s u l t s . Study shows that a possibility of choices of the initial protraction and a color of rubber allows a smooth and controlled increase of additional forces of resistance along with progress of the treatment. C o n c l u s i o n s . Knowledge of the value of these forces allows an objective assessment of the patient's motor system abilities.


This paper evaluates the effectiveness of selected volatility models in forecasting Value-at-Risk (VaR) for 1-day and 10-day horizons. The latter is the actual reporting horizon required by the Basel Committee on Banking Supervision, but not considered in existing studies. The autoregressive stochastic volatility (Taylor, 1982) is found to be less effective than simpler ARCH type models such as the RiskMetrics and GARCH models. 10-day VaR forecasting is shown to be a difficult task by construction. Various schemes to construct this forecast are proposed and evaluated. In particular, a scheme that uses return time series of 10-day intervals transforms the 10-day VaR forecasting into 1-step-ahead forecasting and shows considerable improvement in accuracy although the result might be due to inclusion of the 1987 crash in training the models.


We first proved that the modified potential of atomic hydrogen in the converging laser field of circular polarization is an exact uniform field in the range of r ⩽ R0(∝ I½ω-2), but Coulomb potential in the range of r > R0. Then the energy levels shallow and split, the wavefunction undergoes distortion.


A thesis submitted to the Faculty of Arts in partial fulfilment of the requirements for the Degree of Doctor of Philosophy in the Centre for Recreation and Tourism at the University of Zululand, 2007.


Purpose NAD(P)H:Quinone Oxidoreductase 1 (NQO1) C609T missense variant (NQO1*2) and 29 basepair (bp)-insertion/deletion (I29/D) polymorphism of the NRH:Quinone Oxidoreductase 2 (NQO2) gene promoter have been proposed as predictive and prognostic factors for cancer development and progression. The purpose of this study is to investigate the relationship between NQO1/NQO2 genotype and clinico-pathological features of papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC). Materials and Methods Genomic DNA was isolated from 243 patients; and clinical data were retrospectively analyzed. NQO1*2 and tri-allelic polymorphism of NQO2 were investigated by polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis. Results PTMC with NQO1*2 frequently exhibited extra-thyroidal extension as compared to PTMC with wild-type NQO1 (p=0.039). There was a significant relationship between I29/I29 homozygosity of NQO2 and lymph node metastasis (p=0.042). Multivariate analysis showed that the I29/I29 genotype was associated with an increased risk of lymph node metastasis (OR, 2.24; 95% CI, 1.10-4.56; p=0.026). Conclusion NQO1*2 and I29 allele of the NQO2 are associated with aggressive clinical phenotypes of PTMC, and the I29 allele represents a putative prognostic marker for PTMC.


Arsenic (As) pollutants are serious threat to water ecological security and human health, especially in karst areas because of their unique hydrogeological characteristics. Physical-chemical analyses of karst water and its sediments at the Lihu subterranean stream, southwest China, were conducted by ICP-MS and XRF to elucidate the reaction mechanisms of arsenic in karst subterranean streams. The results show that inorganic arsenic comprise most of the total arsenic, while organic arsenic including monomethylated arsenic (MMA) and dimethyl arsenic (DMA) are not detected or infinitesimal. The reducing environment in the subterranean stream makes As(III) dominant and accounts for 53% of the inorganic species. Adsorptive behaviour of arsenic occurred and the removal rates of As, As(III) and As(V) in the Lihu subterranean stream are 51%, 36% and 59% respectively after a 25.6 km underground distance. To find out the main influencing factors on arsenic adsorptive process in this underground river, principal component analysis in SPSS and Minitab were applied. Seven main factors, i.e. sediment Fe (Fesed), sediment Al (Alsed), sediment Ca (Cased), particulate organic matter (POM), sediment Mn (Mnsed), water Ca2+ (Ca2+) and water HCO3– (HCO3–) are extracted from thirteen indicators. The rank of those factors for total arsenic and As(III) is Ca_sed > Fe_sed > Ca2+ > POM > Mn_sed > Alsed > HCO3 –, while it is Fesed > Cased > Ca2+ > Mnsed > POM > Alsed > HCO3 – for As(V). Of these seven factors, Fesed, Alsed, Cased, POM, Mnsed and Ca2+ are promoting factors for arsenic adsorption while HCO3– is an inhibiting factor. Calcium and bicarbonate turn out to be the main influencing factors for water arsenic adsorption in the study area, largely because the high calcium and alkaline values in karst water. This finding is an obvious distinction compared with the research findings at a non-karst area.


Uptake transporters in the basolateral membrane of hepatocytes are important for the hepatobiliary elimination of drugs. Further, since drug-metabolizing enzymes are located intracellularly, uptake into hepatocytes is a prerequisite for their subsequent metabolism. Therefore, alteration of uptake transporter function (e.g., by concomitantly administered drugs or due to functional consequences of genetic variations, leading to reduced transport function) may result in a change in drug pharmacokinetics. In this review, we focus on the hepatocellularly expressed members of the OATP and OCT family, their impact on transport-mediated drug-drug interactions, and on the functional consequences of variations in genes encoding these transporters.


The effects of vacuum annealing at different temperatures on the optical, electrical and photocatalytic properties of polycrystalline and amorphous thin films of the ternary semiconductor alloys , and were investigated in stacks of binary semiconductors obtained by chemical bath deposition. The electrical properties were measured at room temperature using a four-contact probe in the Van der Pauw configuration. The energy band gap of the films varied from 2.30 to 2.85 eV. The photocatalytic activity of the semiconductor thin films was evaluated by the degradation of an aqueous methylene blue solution. The thin film of annealed under vacuum at 300°C exhibited the highest photocatalytic activity.


Infiniband system area networks (SANs) which use link-level flow control experience congestion spreading, where one bottleneck link causes traffic to block throughout the network. In this paper, we propose an end-to-end congestion control scheme that avoids congestion spreading, delivers high throughput, and prevents flow starvation. It couples a simple switch-based ECN packet marking mechanism appropriate for typical SAN switches with small input buffers, together with a source response mechanism that uses rate control combined with a window limit. The classic fairness convergence requirement for source response functions assumes network feedback is synchronous. We relax the classic requirement by exploiting the asynchronous behavior of packet marking. Our experimental results demonstrate that compared to conventional approaches, our proposed marking mechanism improves fairness. Moreover, rate increase functions possible under the relaxed requirement reclaim available bandwidth aggressively and improve throughput in both static and dynamic traffic scenarios.


In modern vehicles, controls are distributed over multiple Electronic Control Units (ECUs) that are connected through in-vehicle communication networks. Fault diagnostics for such a distributed control system is very challenging, which has resulted in many no-trouble-found (NTF) cases during warranty repairs. To address this problem, we propose a novel network-theoretic approach that detects, identifies, and localizes faults using both the structure of the communication network (topological information) and message flow information. The proposed method not only enables the characterization of normal operation and a-priori known faults across communication networks, which is already beyond the current practice of individual ECU centric diagnostics, but also the diagnostics of unknown or cascading failures emerging from unexpected operational environments.


Xylanases have a great potential, mainly known for industrial applications. They can hydrolyze the xylose (Hemicellulose of plant cell wall) and can be used for bio-bleaching the kraft pulp. As it reduces the requirement of harsh chemicals in the process, it can be used further to a number of bio-products with a great aggregate value. Microbial-origin xylanases can also be used in improving the nutritional quality of animal feed (e.g. food additives to poultry, piggery or fishery) and indirectly affect the humans. Additionally they can be used directly in human food in bakery, clarification of juices and in xenobiotics like tobacco processing. The great value of xylanase as a bio-bleaching agent has now a new dimension of fiber digesting agent having relevance to food, drugs and cosmetics act. This review presents some important applications of Xylanases extended up to biomedical sciences.


abstract The locations of all instrumentally recorded earthquakes of magnitude greater than 4 1 2 , which occurred in the St. Lawrence Valley near La Malbaie, Quebec, in the period 1927 to 1978, have been reexamined, along with some smaller associated events. Although the cataloged epicenters scattered on both shores of the St. Lawrence River, the relocated epicenters fall into two distinct epicentral areas, which coincide with the ends of the 70-km-long northeast trending zone of recent microearthquake activity. This zone lies mainly beneath the St. Lawrence River between Ile aux Lievres to the northeast and Ile aux Coudres to the southwest. The major St. Lawrence earthquake of 1925 originally located (±40 km) close to the town of La Malbaie, near the middle of the current microearthquake zone, is relocated 30 ± 15 km northeast near Ile aux Lievres. If the pattern of the past half-century continues, significant earthquakes may be expected only near the two ends of the zone. Structures known at present from geological or geophysical data do not explain completely the preferential stress concentrations near Ile aux Lievres and Ile aux Coudres. However, the Charlevoix impact crater and Logan9s contact together may influence the concentration of regional stress producing the larger earthquakes just beyond the crater rim near Ile aux Lievres.


Some ideas are presented for bridging between primary and secondary phases, including suggested activities and a look at some of the issues involved.


Among areas of broad scientific concentration, geophysics is unique in dealing with a high proportion of problems that have societal relevance. Clearly, oceanographcrs, hydrologists. seismologists, and members of every other section in the Union make substantial research contributions to areas that arc popularly called 'relevant'. Without this research it seems unlikely that we will have the means to cope with tomorrow's problems, yet today the support of basic research in many of these areas is deliberately being cut back by both government and industry. We have learned to accept such swings of governmental policy and are continually seeking ways to exert influence in order to effect a more stable future, but this problem is basically external.


Epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) tyrosine kinase inhibitors (TKIs) are widely used for the treatment of patients with advanced non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) who have EGFR mutations. Recent studies have indicated that some patients with positive mutations were refractory to EGFR TKIs if they harbored a B‐cell chronic lymphocytic leukemia/lymphoma (Bcl‐2)‐like 11 (Bim) deletion polymorphism. The objective of the current work was to retrospectively study the Bim deletion polymorphism in Chinese patients with NSCLC and its correlation with the efficacy of EGFR TKIs.


Fetal Alcohol Spectrum Disorders (FASDs) describe a range of deficits, affecting physical, mental, cognitive, and behavioral function, arising from prenatal alcohol exposure. FASD causes widespread white matter abnormalities, with significant alterations of tracts in the cerebral cortex, cerebellum, and hippocampus. These brain regions present with white-matter volume reductions, particularly at the midline. Neural pathways herein are guided primarily by three guidance cue families: Semaphorin/Neuropilin, Netrin/DCC, and Slit/Robo. These guidance cue/receptor pairs attract and repulse axons and ensure that they reach the proper target to make functional connections. In several cases, these signals cooperate with each other and/or additional molecular partners. Effects of alcohol on guidance cue mechanisms and their associated effectors include inhibition of growth cone response to repellant cues as well as changes in gene expression. Relevant to the corpus callosum, specifically, developmental alcohol exposure alters GABAergic and glutamatergic cell populations and glial cells that serve as guidepost cells for callosal axons. In many cases, deficits seen in FASD mirror aberrancies in guidance cue/receptor signaling. We present evidence for the need for further study on how prenatal alcohol exposure affects the formation of neural connections which may underlie disrupted functional connectivity in FASD.


Objectives To produce consensus-based definitions of the US elementary lesions and to test their inter and intra-reader reliability by a web-based exercise. Methods The process included 2 steps: In the 1st first step, a written Delphi questionnaire was constructed on the basis of both data collected from the literature and the discussion results of OMERACT US members. This collated information resulted in 4 statements defining US lesions: double contour (DC), tophus, aggregate and erosion. The Delphi questionnaire was sent by email to 35 rheumatologist experts in US from 15 countries asking to rate their level of agreement or disagreement according to a 1-5 Likert scale (1=strongly disagree-5=strongly agree). The answers were summarized with mean scores. The 2nd step included the intra-reader reliability web-exercise. US images of both normal and gouty lesions, agreed upon in the Delphi process, were collected. A facilitator then constructed an electronic database of 110 images based on the 4 lesions. It was sent to the participants asking to read each image and determine the presence/absence of each score. A randomly selected group of 20 images was displayed twice to evaluate the intra-reader reliability. Results 34 participants responded to the questionnaires. A consensus was reached after the third Delphi round. The definitions approved were: "DC": abnormal hyperechoic band over the superficial margin of the articular hyaline cartilage, independent of the angle of insonation and which may be either irregular or regular, continous or intermittent and can be distinguished from the cartilage interface sign; "tophus": A circumscribed, inhomogeneous, hyperechoic and/or hypoechoic aggregation (which may or may not generate posterior acoustic shadow) which may be surrounded by a small anechoic rim; "aggregates": heterogeneous hyperechoic foci that maintain their high degree of reflectivity even when the gain setting is minimized or the insonation angle is changed and which occasionally may generate posterior acoustic shadow; "erosions": an intra- and/or extra-articular discontinuity of the bone surface (visible in 2 perpendicular planes). The cumulative agreement for the final 4 definitions was: 91% for DC, 81% for tophus, 90% for aggregates, and 87% for erosion. Twenty participants completed the web exercise. The inter-reader kappa values for DC, tophus, aggregates, erosion were 0.98, 0.71, 0.54 and 0.85 respectively whereas the intra-reader was 0.84. Conclusions This is the preliminary US consensus based definition of gout lesions and the first step to ensure a higher degree of homogeneity and comparability of results between studies and in daily practice. Disclosure of Interest : None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.5580


Populations of Platorchestia platensis (Kroyer, 1845) and Orchestia grillus Bosc, 1802 (Amphipoda, Talitroidea) show variations in body size throughout their range in the Gulf of Mexico and along the Atlantic coast of North America. For each species we describe an intraspecific correlation between median body size and degrees of latitude north, such that in populations progressively further north from the equator, the median body size becomes larger. This growth and development pattern is consistent with the metabolic theory of ecology and appears to be general among Talitridae, with a few exceptions.


The word "persuasion" carries both good and bad connotations. Teaching as a form of persuasion needs strategies to persuade and negotiate with students. The negotiations are aimed at making students actively involved in the teaching and learning process. This article analyzes several persuasion strategies used in the classrooms to negotiate with students. For this purpose, the author observed the ESP (English for Specific Purposes) class for university students at International Program Universitas Islam Indonesia (UII). It was observed that during interpersonal communication between a teacher and students, the language used contained interpersonal function as the communication that aims to educate students has a lasting effect and also affects how well the students comprehend information or acquire the message. The persuasion that the teacher applies should consider several negotiation strategies. The study showed how certain acts of speech can influence students' minds and drive their actions.
Keywords: negotiation, persuasion, classroom interaction


The fluorescence of the reduced form of the endogenous pyridine nucleotide nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide was used to map regions of ischemia in cat brain. A remarkably microheterogeneous pattern of increased fluorescence resulted from a critical level of incomplete cerebral ischemia. The fluorescence pattern suggests that ischemia occurs initially in microwatershed zones between penetrating cerebral arteries.


Due to their electro-mechanical behaviour, electrical motors are able to generate high power densities. For a 20 kg motor based on a modified air gap winding, a mechanical load of 80kW is theoretically possible. However, the achievable power density is generally limited by the thermal loads induced by Joule heating due to the Ohmic resistances in the motor's wiring. This paper discusses the potentials of cooling channel modifications, such as the overall geometry as well as surface variations, to enhance the convective heat transfer from the solid material in the coolant with focus on motors using an air gap winding. The convective heat transfer acts as a relevant thermal resistance, which becomes critical at elevated loads, because it is lies between the wiring, acting as a heat source, and the liquid coolant, acting as heat sink. The thermal resistance of the interface material between the wiring and the stator is in the same order of magnitude as the convective heat transfer. These non-metallic materials such as foils, coatings and glues for electrical insulation and mechanical bonding are highly limited in their temperature resistance. To evaluate the behaviour of modified cooling channels and investigate novel interface materials under motor-like conditions, experimental and numerical methods are employed to determine thermo-physical properties, heat and mass transfer and finally the temperature distributions. The experimental results are discussed in comparison with numerical and analytical models and validated thereby. Because of the limited possibilities for experimental investigations within a real electrical motor, a flat test bed, based on the boundary conditions of an existing 16" wheel hub motor was developed. The Ohmic heating was realised, applying a thin sheet foil of Inconel, so that specific heat loads up to 100 kW/mK could be realised. Here, the surface temperature could be measured contact-free at a high optical resolution, using infrared thermography. The most advantageous test bed feature is the optical accessibility of cooling channels which allows the visualisation of fluid flow regimes. As results, the influence of large-scale coolant duct geometry modifications on the motor temperatures and hydraulic characteristics as well as of small-scale modifications will be presented in comparison to non-modified geometries. Also, the outcomes and capabilities of novel thermal interface materials consisting of laminated foils will be discussed and an outlook on a modified motor design to increase the thermal limits will be given.


On 27 August 2008, the National Galleries in Edinburgh and London launched a campaign to raise £50 million in order to purchase jointly a painting by Titian that had been hanging in the Edinburgh gallery since 1945. The painting, Diana and Actaeon (1556–1559) was one of the 'Sutherland pictures': a collection of 29 paintings on loan from the Dukes of Sutherland that had formed the core of the gallery's old master displays for 63 years. The complex nexus of aesthetic, cultural, financial and political issues raised by this very public sale of private property provides a starting point for this paper which aims both to identify the entangled relationships forged between artworks, individuals and institutions through which both market and cultural value are produced. The aim of this paper is to analyse the 2008 sale of Diana and Actaeon in terms of an interaction, rather than an antipathy, between cultural and economic practices. Following Callon's lead, the paper explores how the commoditization of the work of art involves its disentanglement from the numerous relationships and interdependencies in which it is enmeshed so that its market exchange becomes possible (Callon 1998). However, the underlying frame that makes the exchange possible can never be hermetically sealed: the 'outside world' of relationships and interdependencies is always present giving rise to 'overflows'. Callon's concept of 'overflow' from the commoditization of the artwork also seeps into what Bruno Latour has described as the 'catchment' (or trajectory) of a painting's journey through time and space. The trajectory of Diana and Acteaon provides a vivid illustration of a complex catchment acquired over 350 years and, specifically, how its commoditization first in 1798 and again in 2008 can be viewed through the lens of Callon's perspective of disentanglement and re-entanglement.


A case of thrombocytopenia in a Collie dogIdiopathic thrombocytopenia, the most common cause of the hemorrhagic syndrome in the dog, was diagnosed in an adult male Collie. The bleeding tendency was manifested by anemia, ecchymotic hemorrhages, melena and bilateral epistaxis. Hook-worms increased the anemia. The clinical diagnosis was confirmed by a reduced platelet count. Prednisone was the specific treatment.


The Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) are normally deployed in the disaster affected areas where there is a big damage to infrastructural resources or in the military operations in the remote areas, where the infrastructural resources are virtually nonexistent. The performance of these networks is known to be dependent upon various parameters such as transmission range, mobility, bandwidth and residual power of the nodes, and the network size. Literature provides the study of the impact of these parameters on the MANET performance. This paper provides the impact of a new parameter, the shape of the area where the ad hoc network is to be deployed, on the performance of ad hoc networks through simulation in MATLAB.


Sweden's Highland District County Hospital, similar to a community hospital in the US, undertook a major restructuring to integrate care delivery for medical conditions served by the Department of Medicine. Each subspecialty within the Department would form a single, co-located unit with its own budget that encompassed both inpatient and outpatient care. This case examines the experience of the Highland Gastroenterology Unit, comparing the delivery model for inflammatory bowel disease in 2001 and 2009, before and after the reorganization. The case can be used to examine health care provider strategy, integrated care delivery, and quality measurement. The case also profiles Sweden's single-payer health care system, allowing for a discussion of national health systems and health policy.


Posterior reversible encephalopathy syndrome (PRESS) is a disorder of reversible subcortical vasogenic brain edema predominantly involving the parieto-occipital regions of the brain bilaterally. The pathophysiology of PRESS is not yet well known. PRESS occurs more in patients with acute neurological symptoms (seizures, encephalopathy, headache, and visual disturbances) or patients with renal failure and fluctuation of blood pressure. PRESS can also happen with the use of cytotoxic drugs, autoimmune disorders, sepsis, and pre-eclampsia or eclampsia. PRESS after scorpion sting is uncommon and rarely reported in literature. PRESS is generally reversible, both radiologically and clinically. Treatment of PRESS is symptomatic and involve determining and treating the underlying cause. We report on a case of 2.5-year old female developed PRESS with normal blood pressure after being stung by a scorpion. Her outcome was favorable despite the tumultuous hospital course. To the best of our knowledge, this is the third child reported with PRESS in the literature following a scorpion sting.


The present paper aims at a closer inspection of historical layers of the lexicon of East Caucasian by looking at a small set of lexical forms that are related to the world of concepts for domestic animals. The paper concentrates on these terms also in order to discuss the question to which extent the reconstructability of corresponding forms for Proto-East Caucasian may shed light on some of the economical patterns of the speakers of this language. It will be shown that much of the terminology for domestic animals has to be related to earlier or later loan layers or to innovative processes within the subgroups. The fact that very few of the terms occurring in one of the domains at issue ('cow', 'horse', 'donkey', 'pig', 'sheep', 'goat') can be reconstructed for Proto-East Caucasian is related to the assumption that lexical terms that are strongly related to the praxeological dimension of socioeconomic concepts tend to be rather instable and adaptable over times to changes with respect to these praxeological patterns. The paper also strongly advocates for a closer consideration and isolation of loan layers present in the individual East Caucasian languages prior to any enterprise aiming at the reconstruction of Proto-East Caucasian lexical units.


We report on the heterobimetallic complexes {Cu+–Co3+–Cu+} (3), {Cu+–Fe3+–Cu+} (4), {Cu2+–Co3+–Cu2+} (5), and {Cu2+–Fe3+–Cu2+} (6) and show their catalytic applications in the oxidation of hindered phenols and the oxidative coupling of terminal alkynes. The former reaction produces C–C-coupled and dealkylated products, whereas the latter leads to the homo- and heterocoupling of terminal alkynes. The facile redox interconversion between Cu+ and Cu2+ for the secondary metal ions in these heterobimetallic complexes appears to be essential for the observed catalysis, and an important design aspect is better substrate accessibility and the use of molecular oxygen as the sole oxidant.


The study aimed to assess the strength of the relationships between small dense low-density lipoproteins (sdLDL) and other parameters describing metabolic disorders and determine which of the lipid profile parameters can be used as markers of increased sdLDL concentration. The proposed model of sdLDL (examined by heparin–magnesium precipitation method) as a function of lipid parameters and atherogenic plasma indexes non-high-dense lipoproteins (non-HDL) and total cholesterol to high-dense lipoprotein ratio (TC/HDL), Atherogenic plasma index (API) is based on data from 485 participants divided into two age groups, <35≥ years. In multiple linear regression, sdLDL concentration was associated with the concentration of non-HDL-C (p = 0.043) and API value (p < 0.001) in participants <35 years, and with non-HDL-C (p < 0.001) and triglycerides (p = 0.020) concentration ≥35 years. The presence of abnormal values of API in participants <35 years and non-HDL-C in participants ≥35 years is a significant factor increasing the chances of the highest sdLDL (≥1.03 mmol/L) corresponding to Q4 in people without metabolic disorders. Different lipid parameters and atherogenicity indexes are associated with a high concentration of sdLDL depending on the age group. Abnormal API <35 years and non-HDL ≥35 years are associated with the highest sdLDL values and may be an indication for further specialist diagnosis of cardiovascular disease risk factors.


Cases of contact dermatitis due to metallic platinum have been considered so rare as to be nonexistent. * In April, 1945, Hunter, Milton, and Perry 2 studied 91 male employees exposed to a spray of the complex salts of platinum; of these, 52 exhibited running nose, sneezing, shortness of breath, tightness in the chest, and so on, and 13 had dermatitis. They stated that there was no trouble from the metallic platinum or from the palladium. Marshall 3 reported cases of asthma and dermatitis due to chloroplatinic acid. More recently, Roberts 1 conducted a five-year study of the effects of soluble platinum salts on the employees of a platinum laboratory and refinery, in which he showed that when the salts were splashed on the skin a contact dermatitis could be produced and that when the salts were inhaled asthma often ensued. He studied some 21 employees and was able to


A randomized complete block design with five replications was used to assess biomass yield, in vitro dry matter digestibility (IVDMD) and nutritional value of spineless cactus (Opuntia ficus-indica) produced under drip irrigation and fertilization. Cladodes were harvested from an established plantation at 30, 37, 45, 60, 75 and 90 d of growth. Weight per cladode increased linearly and length increased quadratically with maturity. Biomass yield (t/ha), gross energy (GE), dry matter (DM), crude protein (CP), neutral detergent fibre and acid detergent fibre increased quadratically with maturity. Thus, the curve became asymptotic at 60 d of growth (28.9 ± 2.1 cm). As growth progressed, concentration of CP and nitrates decreased, and that of fibre increased. In vitro solubility, potential digestibility and digestibility rate of DM decreased linearly with increased maturity of the cladodes. However, there was a quadratic effect of maturity on total digestibility of DM. Thus, the curve became asymptote at 75 d. The optimal yield of nutrients, nutritional value and IVDMD of cladodes were recorded between 60 and 75 d of age when they were 29 to 31 cm in length.


Due to higher-order Kaup-Newell (KN) system has more complex and diverse solutions than classical second-order flow KN system, the research on it has attracted more and more attention. In this paper, we consider a higher-order KN equation with third order dispersion and quintic nonlinearity. Based on the theory of the inverse scattering, the matrix Riemann-Hilbert problem is established. Through the dressing method, the solution matrix with simple zeros without reflection is constructed. In particular, a new form of solution is given, which is more direct and simpler than previous methods. In addition, through the determinant solution matrix, the vivid diagrams and dynamic analysis of single soliton solution and two soliton solution are given in detail. Finally, by using the technique of limit, we construct the general solution matrix in the case of multiple zeros, and the examples of solutions for the cases of double zeros, triple zeros, single-double zeros and double-double zeros are especially shown.


It is my great honor to be selected as a recipient of the James R. Holton Junior Scientist Award by AGU. I appreciate AGU and the award committee for the award. I first saw Professor Holton's name on his famous textbook when I was an undergraduate student. I remember his book made me think that atmospheric science was fun. I personally regard the prestigious award given to me as an encouraging message from the society, and I also feel that I have to pay back to the society in any way I can.


Abstract Peanut allergy is one of the most severe food allergies due to its persistency and life-threatening character. Serum IgE from patients with documented peanut hypersensitivity reactions and synthetic peptides were used to screen the linear IgE-binding epitopes on the major peanut allergen, Ara h 1. Five major epitopes that bound peanut-specific serum IgE from more than 60% of patients tested were identified. Mutational analysis of the immunodominant epitope showed that single amino acid changes had dramatic effects on IgE-binding characteristics. Mapping and characterisation of the IgE-binding epitopes on Ara h1 could be used in future immunotherapeutic approaches for peanut allergy disease.


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Ecological relationships between bacteria mediate the services that gut microbiomes provide to their hosts. Knowing the overall direction and strength of these relationships within hosts, and their generalizability across hosts, is essential to learn how microbial ecology scales up to affect microbiome assembly, dynamics, and host health. Here we gain insight into these patterns by inferring thousands of correlations in bacterial abundance between pairs of gut microbiome taxa from extensive time series data (5,534 microbiome profiles from 56 wild baboon hosts over a 13-year period). We model these time series using a statistically robust, multinomial logistic-normal modeling framework and test the degree to which bacterial abundance correlations are consistent across hosts (i.e., "universal") or individualized to each host. We also compare these patterns to two publicly available human data sets. We find that baboon gut microbial relationships are largely universal: correlation patterns within each baboon host reflect a mixture of idiosyncratic and shared patterns, but the shared pattern dominates by almost 2-fold. Surprisingly, the strongest and most consistently correlated bacterial pairs across hosts were overwhelmingly positively correlated and typically belonged to the same family—a 3-fold enrichment compared to pairs drawn from the data set as a whole. The bias towards universal, positive bacterial correlations was also apparent in monthly samples from human infants, and bacterial families that had universal relationships in baboons also tended to be universal in human infants. Together, our results advance our understanding of the relationships that shape gut microbial ecosystems, with implications for microbiome personalization, community assembly and stability, and the feasibility of microbiome interventions to improve host health.


Minnesota Statute Sections 609A, 243.166, and 609.02 define conditions under which individuals with criminal records can expunge their records. Ascertaining, then applying the law to a sample of 581,478 criminal histories of people with convictions records, and then extrapolating to the estimated population of 1.1M individuals in the state with criminal records , 2 we estimate the share and number of people who are eligible for relief but have not received it and therefore fall into the "second chance gap," the difference between eligibility for and receipt of records relief. Importantly, we assumed that all who met the threshold criteria for receiving 3 expungement were eligible, and did not take into account the balancing test under 603A.03 Subdivision 5.e did not model legal financial obligations or other out of record criteria). We also estimate the aggregate earnings loss associated with people eligible for relief from convictions that have not yet received it. 4


Abstract The article presents a developed embedded system for control of electrohydraulic power steering based on multivariable uncertain plant model and advanced control techniques. The plant model is obtained by identification procedure via "black box" system identification and takes into account the deviations of the parameters that characterize the way that the control signal acts on the state of the model. Three types of controller are designed: Linear-Quadratic Gaussian (LQG) controller, H∞ controller and μ-controller. The main result is a performed comparative analysis of time and frequency domain properties of control systems. The results show the better performance of systems based on µ-controllers. Also the robust stability and robust performance are investigated. All three systems achieved robust stability which guarantees their workability, but only the system with µ-controller has robust performance against prescribed uncertainties. The control algorithms are implemented in specialized 32-bit microcontroller. A number of real world experiments have been executed, which confirm the quality of the electrohydraulic power steering control system.


In this paper, we investigate visual-based camera re-localization with neural networks for robotics and autonomous vehicles applications. Our solution is a CNN-based algorithm which predicts camera pose (3D translation and 3D rotation) directly from a single image. It also provides an uncertainty estimate of the pose. Pose and uncertainty are learned together with a single loss function and are fused at test time with an EKF. Furthermore, we propose a new fully convolutional architecture, named CoordiNet, designed to embed some of the scene geometry.Our framework outperforms comparable methods on the largest available benchmark, the Oxford RobotCar dataset, with an average error of 8 meters where previous best was 19 meters. We have also investigated the performance of our method on large scenes for real time (18 fps) vehicle localization. In this setup, structure-based methods require a large database, and we show that our proposal is a reliable alternative, achieving 29cm median error in a 1.9km loop in a busy urban area.


As many as 10% of OB-type stars have global magnetic fields, which is surprising given that their internal structure is radiative near the surface. A direct probe of internal structure is pulsations, and some OB-type stars exhibit pressure modes (β Cep pulsators) or gravity modes (slowly pulsating B-type stars; SPBs); a few rare cases of hybrid β Cep/SPBs occupy a narrow instability strip in the H-R diagram. The most precise fundamental properties of stars are obtained from eclipsing binaries (EBs), and those in clusters with known ages and metallicities provide the most stringent constraints on theory. Here we report the discovery that HD 149834 in the ∼5 Myr cluster NGC 6193 is an EB comprising a hybrid β Cep/SPB pulsator and a highly irradiated low-mass companion. We determine the masses, radii, and temperatures of both stars; the ∼9.7 M ⊙ primary resides in the instability strip where hybrid pulsations are theoretically predicted. The presence of both SPB and β Cep pulsations indicates that the system has a near-solar metallicity, and is in the second half of the main-sequence lifetime. The radius of the ∼1.2 M ⊙ companion is consistent with theoretical pre-main-sequence isochrones at 5 Myr, but its temperature is much higher than expected, perhaps due to irradiation by the primary. The radius of the primary is larger than expected, unless its metallicity is super-solar. Finally, the light curve shows residual modulation consistent with the rotation of the primary, and Chandra observations reveal a flare, both of which suggest the presence of starspots and thus magnetism on the primary.


The authors describe a virtual reality prototyping (VRP) and virtual product design approach that uses a modeling strategy to design, test, and evaluate concepts and products in advance-before creating any physical design models. Their design decisions reflect solutions and practices derived from systems engineering and software engineering research. Close competition has forced companies to focus on tailoring technological products to meet customer preferences in user interface design, usability, and appearance. Often, implementing new features has assumed less importance than creating an optimal product variation for different customer segments in international markets. Modern computer-based systems result from a multidomain development process, and organizing this work requires developers to communicate, cooperate, and coordinate effectively with nonengineering teams. Early linking of product development to other company operations supports this activity. Geographically dispersed development teams must communicate and coordinate effectively. Extending the use of interactive, functional, and photorealistic 3D product models into other company domains can facilitate effective business practices that cover the entire value chain, from simulated product idea to Web-based customer support of the final product. This wider adoption of the VRP technology and process offers ample scope for further research.


A wideband dual-polarized antenna with high isolation and low cross polarization is presented. A pair of orthogonal planar printed dipoles, with a reflector ground plane, are used to obtain the two linear polarizations. Slots cut at the dipole's corners and shorted connections between the orthogonal dipoles are used to improve the isolation and cross polarization. Measured results show that the antenna achieves a VSWR <; 1.5 from 575-722 MHz (22.7% bandwidth). The isolation between the two polarizations is better than 35 dB, and the cross-pol level is 30 dB below the co-pol level over the entire band. The overall height of the antenna is 80 mm, which is about 0.15λ at 575 MHz.


Screening potential investments involves dividing a set of companies into those that are suitable to consider for investment and those that are less desirable (Kinder 2005). In this paper, I document that nonprofessional investors (represented by MBA students) are susceptible to scale compatibility effects when implementing an investment screen using non-financial measures. Such effects occur when investors rely more on a scale compatible non-financial measure whose values directly map into investors' judgments than on an equally relevant but scale incompatible measure whose values do not map into their judgments. Results from an experiment indicate that investors reduce their susceptibility to scale compatibility effects when they simultaneously screen several companies for potential investment. Because screening investments involves screening several companies, simultaneous screening represents an efficient mechanism to de-bias scale compatibility effects.


In converters or multilevel inverters it is very important to ensure that the output of the multilevel inverters waveforms in term of the voltage or current of the waveforms is smooth and without distortion. The artificial neural network (ANN) technique to obtaining proper switching angles sequences for a uniform step asymmetrical modified multilevel inverter by eliminating specified higher-order harmonics while maintaining the required fundamental voltage and current waveform. However, through this paper a modified CHB-MLI are proposed using artificial intelligence optimization technique based on modulation selective harmonic elimination (SHE-PWM). A most powerful modulation technique that used to minimize a harmonic contants during the outout waveform of multilevel inverter is a SHE-PWM method. The proposed a five-level modified cascaded H-bridge multilevel inverter (M-CHBMI) with ANN controller to improve the output voltage and current performance and achieve a lower total harmonic distortion (THD). The main aims of this paper cover design, modeling, prediction for real-time generation of optimal switching angles in a single-phase topology of modified five level CHB-MLI. due to the heavy cost of computation to solving transcendental nonlinear equations with specified number, a real-time application of selective harmonic elimination-pulse width modulation (SHE-PWM) technique is limited. SHE equations known as a transcendental nonlinear equation that contain trigonometric functions. The prototype of a 5-level inverter in digital signal processing (DSP) TMS320F2812 reveals that the proposed method is highly efficient for harmonic reduction in modified multilevel inverter.


Introduction: The International Association of Diabetes in Pregnancy Study Group (IADPSG) criteria for gestational diabetes mellitus (GDM) has been adopted by most associations across the world including the American Diabetes Association and World Health Organization (WHO). We conducted a study comparing the IADPSG and previous WHO criteria and their effects on neonatal birth weight. Methods: The study was carried out in Obstetrics and Gynaecology Department of a tertiary care institute in South India in collaboration with Endocrinology Department. Thousand two hundred and thirty-one antenatal cases with at least one risk factor for GDM and gestational age of more than 24 weeks were included in the study. Both criteria were compared on the basis of 75 g oral glucose tolerance test results. Results: The prevalence of GDM using IADPSG and previous WHO criteria were 12.6% and 12.4%, respectively. The prevalence of GDM was 9.9% when both criteria had to be satisfied. Both GDM criteria groups did not differ in neonatal birth weight and macrosomia rate. However, there was a significant increase in lower segment cesarean section in IADPSG criteria group. Elevated fasting plasma glucose alone picked up only one GDM in the previous WHO criteria group. Conclusions: A single 2 h plasma glucose is both easy to perform and economical. A revised WHO criterion using a 2 h threshold of ≥140 mg % can be adopted as a one-step screening and diagnostic procedure for GDM in our country.


This report describes a mathematical model for fatigue strength of cellulosic materials under sinusoidal loading. The model is based on the Reiner-Weissenberg thermodynamic theory of strength in conjunction with a nonlinear Eyring's three-element model. This theory states that failure depends on a maximum value of the intrinsic free energy that can be stored elastically in a volume element of the material. The three-element mechanical model, which consists of a linear spring in series with a parallel array of another linear spring and an Eyring dashpot, provides a good description of rheological material properties. The strength model system was able to predict rupture occurrence of polymers and wood structural members under constant and ramp loading with satisfactory results. For sinusoidal loading, the present study shows that the strength model system can predict time at fracture as a function of applied mean stress, amplitude of cyclic stress, and stress frequency. Numerical examples with model parameters evaluated for small Douglas-fir beams are presented.