CONTEXT
There are international guidelines on thyroid function testing and management of hypothyroidism during pregnancy. Few studies have evaluated how they are implemented into clinical practice.

OBJECTIVE
In this descriptive study, we assessed the implementation of international guidelines in this field into local guidelines and also into clinical practice.

DESIGN AND PARTICIPANTS
In a nationwide survey, all guidelines in Sweden were collected (n = 29), and the adherence of the local guidelines to The Endocrine Society Guidelines 2007 was evaluated. In a follow-up in 1 district, 5254 pregnant women with an estimated date of delivery between January 1, 2009, and December 31, 2011, were included for subsequent review of their medical reports.

RESULTS
All but 1 district had guidelines on the subject. All local guidelines included fewer than the 10 listed reasons for thyroid testing recommended by The Endocrine Society Guidelines. Furthermore, most guidelines recommended additional types of thyroid function tests to TSH sampling and lower trimester-specific TSH upper reference limits for women on levothyroxine treatment (P < .001). In the follow-up, the thyroid testing rate was 20%, with an overall frequency of women with trimester-specific elevated TSH of 18.5%. More than half of the women (50.9%) who were on levothyroxine treatment at conception had an elevated TSH level at thyroid testing according to The Endocrine Society Guidelines.

CONCLUSIONS
The local guidelines are variable and poorly compliant with international guidelines. Performance of thyroid testing is not optimal, and rates of elevated TSH at testing are extremely high in subgroups.


Background/Aims: Diabetic kidney disease (DKD) is a leading cause of end-stage renal disease. However, no effective treatments for this disease are available. Calcium dobesilate (CaD) is widely used to treat diabetic retinopathy. DKD and retinopathy often co-exist and have similar mechanisms of pathogenesis. The aim of the present study was to elucidate the safety and efficacy of CaD in the treatment of DKD. Methods: In the prospective randomised controlled study, 100 DKD from Type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients with a urinary albumin/ creatinine ratio (ACR) ≥30 mg/g and urinary protein level between 150 mg/24 h and 2 g/24 h with GFR> 90ml/min were enrolled. The patients were randomly divided into the treatment group (500 mg of CaD, administered orally, 3 times per day) and the control group. DKD patients were treated for 3 months. In the case control study, DM patients without proteinuria and healthy individuals were also enrolled. Clinical data and related biochemical parameters were collected. Endothelial function markers (VEGF, ET-1, eNOS, NO) and inflammatory markers (MCP-1, ICAM, PTX3) were detected by ELISA. Results: In the prospective randomised controlled study, the 24 h urinary albumin and 24 h urinary protein levels significantly decreased after three months of treatment with CaD in the patients with DKD, but the cystatin C-based glomerular filtration rate (GFR) remained unchanged. In addition, the levels of inflammatory markers (PTX3, MCP-1, hsCRP, ICAM) and endothelial dysfunction markers (VEGF, ET-1) were significantly reduced compared to pre-treatment levels, NO was signifcantly increased post treatment. In the case control study, we found that PTX3, MCP-1, ICAM, VEGF and ET-1 levels were positively correlated with urinary albumin in DKD patients, while the NO level was negatively correlated. Logistic regression analysis showed that PTX3, NO and HbAlc were influential factors in DKD. After patients with DKD were treated with CaD for three months, the 24 h urinary albumin and 24 h urinary protein levels significantly decreased, but the cystatin C-based glomerular filtration rate (GFR) remained unchanged. In addition, the levels of inflammatory markers (PTX3, MCP-1, hsCRP, ICAM) and endothelial dysfunction markers (VEGF, NO, ET-1) were significantly reduced compared to pre-treatment levels. Conclusion: CaD can be safely and effectively used to treatdiabetic nephropathy.


The development of an uprated engine are reviewed and determined. These power units are widely used for diesel locomotives in Ukraine. Thermodynamic improvement of diesel engines is to improve the air-supply systems, forming a mixture of combustion and exhaust. It is also improving the design and increasing longevity of pistons, rings, cylinder liners, connecting rods, crankshafts. Measures to improve the mechanisms for distributing gas and valve train are promising. Important environmental area is the development and implementation of measures to reduce the emissions of harmful substances into the environment. This includes providing excess air, application hybrid propulsion for shunting, frequency converters and corresponding exhaust fuel additives. The use of fuels that do not contain carbon, eliminates the emission of greenhouse gases. The development of diesel involves the use electric technology from a wide range of electronic and computer systems to control thermal barrier coatings. Improving the engine is also in the direction of creating a unified parametric and mixed series of similar sizes. It is also advisable to develop diesel gas engines and engines for heavy fuels. as an additive to diesel fuel are promising alcohols methanol and ethanol. The most suitable type of fuel for future power plants and the energy of the future is hydrogen. However, there are problems with its storage. at present, the best system for hydrogen storage are hydrides of magnesium, iron, titanium and potassium.


The use of robots in rehabilitation, particularly for physical therapy has the potential to bring about various benefits including reduction of physical workload of physiotherapists and improved repeatability. A three degree of freedom parallel robot is proposed in this paper to accommodate range of motion and muscle strengthening exercises for ankle rehabilitation. Singularity analysis of the design revealed that a redundantly actuated robot is required to avoid singularity in the workspace. Kinematic parameters of the robot were selected so that the available workspace could closely match the available ankle range of motion. An impedance control scheme has been utilized to allow control of both force and motion to ensure safety of the patient. The redundant actuation degree of freedom is exploited to regulate the vertical reaction force at the ankle.


A semi-automated three piston gauge apparatus has been used to measure gas species and mode effects in a low pressure pneumatic dead-weight piston gauge. Two gases, He and N2, were used in both gauge and absolute modes, as well as several "intermediate" modes, to characterize a single gauge. The results of the measurements are compared with a model for crevice effects that incorporates both molecular and viscous flow regimes. The model has previously been applied to spin decay rate measurements on the four gases He, N2, H2 and SF6, and has now been extended to account for differences in effective area arising from species changes. Mode effects remain that cannot be predicted by the model.


BACKGROUND
True malignant mixed tumor (carcinosarcoma), composed of carcinoma and sarcoma components, is rare in salivary gland neoplasms. Even rarer is a true malignant mixed tumor arising in the pleomorphic adenoma of the salivary gland.

CASE
A 64-year-old male was admitted with left pharyngeal pain. Head and neck magnetic resonance imaging revealed a left parapharyngeal mass; fine needle aspiration (FNA) cytology through the oral cavity was performed.

CONCLUSION
The aspirate presented a mixture of large, pleomorphic, vacuolated, single or multinucleated cells in a mucoid matrix and clusters of adenocarcinoma cells. Additionally, occasional benign glandular cells were noted. A cytologic diagnosis of malignant mixed tumor arising in the pleomorphic adenoma of the deep lobe of the parotid gland was made and confirmed by the surgically resected specimen.


Mycobacterial infection remains as a frequent complication associated to HIV infection. Although the widespread use of HAART has intensely decreased incidence of disseminated Mycobacterium avium (MAC) infection, it does not seem that it has affected tuberculosis occurrence so intensely. In spite of the intense search of new methods of rapid diagnosis, in the clinical practice the diagnosis of the mycobacterial illnesses continues based on culture, although the appearance of new media has allowed to shorten the time of growth. The combination of isoniazid (INH), rifampin (RIF) and pirazinamide (PZ) (with ethambutol [ETB] when primary resistance to INH is higher than 4%), remains as the elective treatment for tuberculosis in HIV infected patients. Due to the interaction between RIF and some antiretovirals drugs, such as proteasa inhibitors, a change in the usual regimens could be necessary. Combinations without RIF or antiretroviral therapy with drugs not interacting with RIF (nucleosides, ritonavir or nevirapin) have been suggested. The emergence of strains of Mycobacterium tuberculosis resistant to the antituberculosis drugs, the lack of adherence to treatment, and the frequency of adverse events hinders even more the control of the tuberculosis and they demand a narrow follow up of these patients. The treatment of the disseminated infection by MAC has improved in the last years with the generalization of the combinations including macrolides as claritromicin or azitromicin with ETB. The doubt persists about what combination is more effective, although like in other opportunists infections associated with a severe immunodeficiency, using antiretrovirals combinations that enhance the immune system could be a fundamental therapeutic approach.


The Campterophlebiidae is the largest family of fossil damsel-dragonflies, containing more than 60 species described from Lower Jurassic–Lower Cretaceous strata of Europe and Asia. This group is especially diverse in the Middle–Late Jurassic strata in Inner Mongolia, northeastern China, with some very large species (Zhang et al., 2006, 2008, 2013; Nel et al., 2007, 2008, 2009; Petrulevičius et al., 2011; Li et al., 2013; Zhang et al., 2013; Zheng et al., 2016, 2017). Thus it is surprising that we found a new representative of these damsel-dragonflies, belonging to a group of genera characterized by a very particular shape of the forewing cubito-anal area. This fossil has a unique shape of the forewing median vein, allowing its attribution to a new genus and species. It increases our knowledge about the palaeobiodiversity of this impressive group of Odonata.


Our interest in this problem was aroused by the failure of general treatment in a pronounced case of argyria in a teacher who had been given mild silver protein by mouth for the treatment of gastric ulcer. After an exploratory laparotomy the medication was begun, 5 grains (0.33 Gm.) being given three times daily for about three months. The patient then noticed a change in the color of her skin, but because she obtained relief from the severe gastric pains, she continued the use of the drug for a year longer, taking only 5 grains once a day. Thirteen years after this she consulted one of us (A. W. S.). At that time her face was a dark slate color, the hands were light gray, and the discoloration of the rest of the skin was slight. Some discoloration of the sclerae and the buccal mucous membrane was also present. A


Through a labeling intervention at a national retailer, we test three hypotheses for consumer aversion to generic over-the-counter drugs: lack of information on the comparability of generic and brand drugs, inattention to their price differences, and uncertainty about generic quality that can be reduced with information on peer purchase rates. With a difference-in-differences strategy, we find that posted information on the purchases of other customers increases generic purchase shares significantly, while other treatments have mixed results. Consumers without prior generic purchases appear particularly responsive to this information. These findings have policy implications for promoting evidence-based, cost-effective choices. (JEL D12, D83, L65, L81, M37)


INTRODUCTION AND OBJECTIVES: The abnormalities of the external genitalia in females born with bladder exstrophy occur in a spectrum and their extent is related to the degree of the symphyseal diastasis. In some cases the vaginal introitus is narrow, in other cases the introitus is positioned anteriorly and is located on the lower abdomen. These anatomic abnormalities may interfere with sexual function, can be obtrusive, and cause poor self-image during adolescence METHODS: We reviewed the records of 17 patients (13-22 years old) who underwent vaginoplasty between 1996 and 2017. 3/17 underwent posterior episiotomy for vaginal stenosis and subsequently two of them were revised by inverted Y-V plasty, which was also performed in three different patients. In 9 patients (16-19year old) who had had urinary diversion with a catheterizable abdominal stoma and/or Mainz II pouch, the vagina, which was displaced anteriorly in the pubic area was dissected circumfirencialy. An inverted V shape perineal skin flap was raised posteriorly, and the deep perineal tissues were incised in the midline to accommodate the realigned vagina, which was then incised posteriorly and anastomosed to the perineal V skin flap. Two patients 12 and 17 years old who underwent unsuccessful bladder exstrophy closure during early childhood complicated by complete dehiscence managed to maintain a relatively healthy bladder plate over the years. Both underwent one stage total mobilization of the urethral plate attached to the vagina as a single unit without separating them from each other to preserve the urethral blood supply, which was subsequently tubularized as a part of complete primary bladder closure, bladder neck reconstruction and urethroplasty in addition to the vaginal realignement. All patients underwent simultaneous reconstruction of the mons pubis RESULTS: The 6 patients who underwent Y-V episiotomy for vaginal stenosis maintained vaginal patency up to 18 months follow up. 3/6 including the patient who had had posterior episiotomy are sexually active without complaints. In 1/11 patients who underwent vaginal mobilization the repair partially broke down and was successfully revised 6 months post operatively. Minor complications were noted in 2/11 pts including suture granulomas and a hypertrophic scar both of whom responded to local treatment. 5/11 are sexually active and reported no dyspareunia. The follow up varied between 9 months and 4 years (mean 2 years) CONCLUSIONS: As children born with bladder exstrophy transition to adolescence, the genital tract acquires significant importance. Y-V vaginoplasty is preferable to posterior cut back episiotomy for correction of severe entroital stenosis. Restoration of the anteriorly displaced vagina by total mobilization and caudal realignment closer to the anus, in addition to contouring of the mons pubis camouflages the anatomic deformities of the external genitalia of females born with bladder exstrophy. However, in some cases complex and extensive reconstruction of the pubic area is required. Source of Funding: none


Municipal solid waste (MSW) composition, natural transformation, dynamics and impacts on inland water bodies in Nigeria were examined, using dumpsites and landfills as the common markers. Nigeria is estimated to have over 178.5 million people and kg/capita/day of 0.26–1.02 MSW, projected to increase with the expan-sion of the economy which is in need of better articulated MSW management strategies. The enormous natural inland surface and groundwater resources are daily challenged directly and indirectly, through decline in physical, chemical and biological quality. Solid waste disposal along the waterways and leachates from natural activities on materials at dumpsites and landfills was strongly identified and recognized as the source of pollutant inputs. The immediate and projected public health consequences in changes in inland waters were provided for resident aquatic organisms, some of which serves as food for resident human populations that are largely dependent on these water bodies for their daily water requirements.


The economy certainly boomed in the late 1990s. But much of the expansion was based on computers and software that either wear out or become obsolete much more quickly than did traditional capital investment in the past. The rise in a nation's standard of living, however, depends on spending after allowance for such deterioration—which is usually an expense for business. This economist analyzes how well the United States really did.


The shooting method is largely employed to determine the steady-state working condition of both autonomous and nonautonomous circuits. In general, the conventional shooting method employs the Newton algorithm to estimate a better approximation of the steady-state working condition. The Newton algorithm requires the computation of the Jacobian matrix and this seriously limits the use of the conventional shooting method to solve medium/large scale circuits. In this paper, an approach to efficiently determine the shooting matrix is presented. It is shown that the approach is also adequate to deal with mixed analog/digital circuits.


Consumers purchase multiple types of goods but may be able to examine only a limited number of markets for the best price. We propose a simple model that captures these features, conveying new insights. A firm's price can deflect or draw attention to its market, and consequently, limited attention introduces a new dimension of cross-market competition. We characterize the equilibrium and show that having partially attentive consumers improves consumer welfare. With less attention, consumers are more likely to miss the best offers; but enhanced cross-market competition decreases average price paid, as leading firms try to stay under the consumers' radar.


The current study aims to determine the effectiveness of the proposed strategy in the light of the constructivist theory in achievement and positive thinking among fourth-grade students of science in physics, by testing the following two null hypotheses : The first null hypothesis: There is no statistically significant difference at the level (0.05) between the average scores of the experimental group students who studied according to a proposed strategy in light of the constructivist theory and the average scores of the control group students who studied in the usual way in achievement in physics: The second null hypothesis,,: none. A statistically significant difference at the level (0.05) between the average scores of the students of the experimental group who studied according to a proposed strategy in the light of the constructivist theory and the average limit of the average scores of the students of the control group that were studied in the traditional way in positive thinking in physics. The study was determined for middle school students affiliated to the Diwaniyah Education Directorate for the academic year (2020-2021). Where the study adopted fourth-grade scientific students as the research sample and for the first semester, which includes the first three semesters of the physics book The researchers chose Al-Zaytoun Preparatory School for Boys to implement the research experiment, where two out of eight divisions for the fourth scientific grade were randomly selected. The number of the target sample was (69) students, with an average of (35) students for the control group, which studied according to the traditional method, and (34) students as an experimental group, which studied with a proposed strategy in the light of the constructivist theory, and the two research groups (experimental and control) were equalized in Number of variables, these variables? It is (chronological age in months, intelligence, previous information, positive thinking), and in order to verify the goal of the research, the researchers prepared (23) a study plan according to a proposed strategy in the light of the constructivist theory The researchers also prepared an achievement test consisting of (40) items in its final form, and its validity and reliability were verified, and the psychometric properties of the test were calculated. The psychometric scale, the experiment was applied in the academic year (2020-


The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) NIRSpec instrument will allow rest-frame ultraviolet/optical spectroscopy of galaxies in the epoch of reionization (EoR). Some galaxies may exhibit significant leakage of hydrogen-ionizing photons into the intergalactic medium, resulting in faint nebular emission lines. We present a machine learning framework for identifying cases of very high hydrogen-ionizing photon escape from galaxies based on the data quality expected from potential NIRSpec observations of EoR galaxies in lensed fields. We train our algorithm on mock samples of JWST/NIRSpec data for galaxies at redshifts z = 6–10. To make the samples more realistic, we combine synthetic galaxy spectra based on cosmological galaxy simulations with observational noise relevant for z ≳ 6 objects of a brightness similar to EoR galaxy candidates uncovered in Frontier Fields observations of galaxy cluster Abell-2744 and MACS-J0416. We find that ionizing escape fractions (fesc) of galaxies brighter than mAB,1500 ≈ 27 mag may be retrieved with mean absolute error Δfesc ≈ 0.09(0.12) for 24 h (1.5 h) JWST/NIRSpec exposures at resolution R = 100. For 24 h exposure time, even fainter galaxies (mAB,1500 < 28.5 mag) can be processed with Δfesc ≈ 0.14. This framework simultaneously estimates the redshift of these galaxies with a relative error less than 0.03 for both 24 (mAB,1500 < 28.5 mag) and 1.5 h (mAB,1500 < 27 mag) exposure times. We also consider scenarios where just a minor fraction of galaxies attain high fesc and present the conditions required for detecting a subpopulation of high-fesc galaxies within the data set.


Many state-of-art neural models designed for monotonicity reasoning perform poorly on downward inference. To address this shortcoming, we developed an attentive tree-structured neural network. It consists of a tree-based long-short-term-memory network (Tree-LSTM) with soft attention. It is designed to model the syntactic parse tree information from the sentence pair of a reasoning task. A self-attentive aggregator is used for aligning the representations of the premise and the hypothesis. We present our model and evaluate it using the Monotonicity Entailment Dataset (MED). We show and attempt to explain that our model outperforms existing models on MED.


Bayesian approach to analyse health systems data is gaining popularity as the field receives periodically new data. Cost-effectiveness as a statistical decision-making process is the main theme of this Bayesian book. Special features of this book are discussion of utility functions, linearmodels, model uncertainty, variable selection, and cluster analysis of heterogeneous data, among others. Basic knowledge of calculus and mathematical statistics are necessary to read through this book. There are six well written chapters covering the topics evaluation of health economics, importance of uncertainty versus conventional tools in cost effectiveness, parametric models, subjective versus conjugate priors, predictive distributions, normal linearmodel, statistical decision theory, optimal treatments among others. The references are exhaustive and up-to-date. I enjoyed reading this book. I recommend this book to economists, operations researchers, decision makers, statistics and computing professionals.


In this paper, the influence of interface between electrode and polymer or polymer and polymer on space charge dynamics has been studied. Planar samples of low density polyethylene (LDPE) were subjected to high dc electric stresses for extended periods of time and space charge measurements were taken using the pulsed electroacoustic (PEA) technique. Common electrode materials used in either laboratory or power cable industry were selected (i.e. aluminium (Al), gold (Au) and carbon loaded XLPE (Sc)). Experimental results demonstrated that charge injection processes take place in all cases once the applied electric stress has exceeded a threshold value. However, the amount of charge and polarity of the dominant injected charges showed a significant dependence on the electrode materials (under the same applied electric stress). Having establishing the influence of electrode materials on charge accumulation, our attention was then focused on the effect of polymer/polymer interface on charge dynamics. Unlike our previous approach where two different polymeric materials were used, this time the polymer/polymer interface was formed by using two layer of LDPE films cut from the same sheet. Sc and Al were used as electrodes to form different combinations. The results clearly indicated that the interface between two layers of LDPE acts as traps for electrons but not for positive charge carriers. The charge distribution in the bulk of the sample strongly depends on the electrode materials.


A new type of integrated gasification combined cycle (IGCC) with chemical-looping combustion and saturation for air is proposed and investigated. Chemical-looping combustion may be carried out in two successive reactions between two reactors, a reduction reactor (coal gas with metal oxides) and an oxidation reactor (the reduced metal with oxygen in air). The study on the new system has revealed that the thermal efficiency of this new-generation power plant will be increased by approximately 10–15 percentage points compared to the conventional IGCC with CO2 recovery. Furthermore, to develop the chemical-looping combustor, we have experimentally examined the kinetic behavior between solid looping materials and coal gas in a high-pressure fixed bed reactor. We have identified that the coal gas chemical-looping combustor has much better reactivity, compared to the natural gas one. This finding is completely different from the direct combustion in which combustion with natural gas is much easier than that with other fuels. Hence, this new type of coal gas combustion will make breakthrough in clean coal technology by simultaneously resolving energy and environment problems.


[1] Many volcanic edifices are subject to sector collapse. Analogue models are used to better understand specific modes of collapse. Four sets of experiments have been performed with a cone (volcano analogue) of dry sand (87% in volume) and flour (13%) simulating collapse through the following: set A, basal failure due to the horizontal sliding of a basal plate; set B, unbuttressing due to the horizontal movement of a lateral wall; set C, summit growth due to the addition of sand and flour on the top of the cone; set D, injection due to the intrusion of silicone (magma analogue). Sets A and B show common results, highlighting the influence of topography on the dip and strike of the collapse surfaces. In set C, the location and direction of collapse are controlled by the cone shape and occurrence of preexisting collapses. In set D, if the silicone is injected eccentrically, it induces collapse on the nearest slope; this process leads to repeated collapse on the side of a preexisting scarp, possibly triggering a feedback mechanism between magmatic activity and topography. In general, sets A and B induce deeper and wider collapse, whereas shallower and narrower collapse is observed in set C; set D shows intermediate geometries. Comparison with natural examples shows an overall similar distribution in the geometry of the sector collapses and their known triggering mechanisms. Similarities and discrepancies between each experimental set and corresponding cases in nature are discussed.


A real estate plan works when is a part of a wider project which regards the society needs in a certain place. To know where to invest and the risk/performance profile, it is necessary to know the profit and loss profile of the building in the future, in addition to building costs. A correct real estate valuation does not exist if upstream a deep knowledge of real estate, financial, statistical, investors' psychology (science or knowledge) cycles, as well as an experience of years do not exist, which allows to acquire sensibility even towards unpredictable events. The dynamic real estate management is the necessary tool to increase the recurring revenue, the capital gain, to improve cash, decrease risks. The real estate manager, consisting in a team with integrated skills, with "on field" experience, with business logical knowledge, with roots on territory, able to share the business risk, with knowledge of public administrations' procedures and complexity, is able to support the real estate investor in the development procedure. The evolution of the decision process must follow the trend that since 2009 has seen the overcoming of redevelopment projects compared to new building projects, with higher costs and complexity, but more sustainable from the environmental and space rationalization point of view. Redevelopment processes will be framed in complex territorial development projects, with guarantees of transparency of administrative processes and times, in order to attract international funds, that today are prevented to operate due to great uncertainty of the administrative process management in Italy.


The authors describe a floating bridge technique and a high-voltage apparatus for carrying out interrupted-field time-of-flight (IFTOF) transient photoconductivity measurements with applied voltages up to 1 kV. Switching transient voltages appearing as a result of the removal and reapplication of the applied bias voltage, which otherwise would obliterate the normal TOF photocurrent signal, have been reduced to an undetectable level by using a floating Schering bridge network with two nulling capacitors. The bias voltage is applied from a single triggerable floating high-voltage switch which utilizes n-channel TMOS transistors and can deliver up to 1 kV in a switching time of approximately 150 ns. By switching the gain of an amplifier during the interruption time, even very small recovered photocurrent signals can be measured with respect to the pre-interrupted signal. The technique has been successfully applied to measure both hole and electron trapping lifetimes in a-Se:0.5%As electroradiographic photoreceptors, and to determine the range of the charge carriers. The distinct advantage of the present apparatus, as well as its shortcomings, over the complementary bias and single nulling capacitor method, which was described previously, are also addressed.


Single Cell transcriptomic analysis has become a widespread technology of choice when it comes to understanding the differences at a transcriptomic level in heterogeneous samples. As a consequence, a plethora of analysis tools have been published to tackle the different analysis steps from count matrix generation to downstream analysis. Many of them provide ways to generate visualizations of the data. While some design choices are made, it is a common practice to provide the user with visualizations as raw as possible so that they can be customized to the user needs. However, in many cases these final customization steps are either time consuming or demand a very specific set of skills. This problem is addressed by SCpubr, which sacrifices some of this initial freedom of choice in aesthetics to provide the user a more streamlined way of generating high quality Single Cell transcriptomic visualizations.


In this work to evaluate the relationship between financial reporting indicators and shareholder value on the example of the Russian companies from seven sectors of the economy linear multiple regression model and classical least squares methods has been used. The results depict that it is expected that financial reporting indicators are one of the dominant determinants of evaluating the effectiveness of financial investment decisions. Also, it is shown that the financial drivers-financial leverage, return on assets, dividend payments, and the EVA driver – invested capital-are positively correlated with the company's shareholder value. The results represent that the size of a company has a positive impact on its shareholder value. It was found that the level of disclosure is negatively correlated with the company's shareholder value. Due to the fact that the article uses data from the financial statements of the 85 Russian companies for 2018 to measure the relationship between three groups of drivers and the company's shareholder value is an innovative work that can be used in scientific and practical activities by owners and investors of companies in order to improve the financial reporting of companies and make investment decisions.


We report measured and calculated frequencies of elastic waves propagating in columnar porous 4H-SiC, an analytically tractable system. The sample was prepared using photo-electrochemical etching followed by mechanical polishing. The frequencies were measured using Brillouin scattering spectroscopy in backscattering geometry. The effective elastic constants, ordinary and extraordinary indices of refraction, and mass density, all obtained using effective medium models, are used to calculate the frequencies. Although the quasistatic limit is not strongly satisfied, the agreement between the measured and calculated values is good.


We report a case of a girl with a perplexing clinical feature of simultaneous occurrence of periodontal and skin abscesses that resolved following periodontal therapy. Infections and inflammations have the capacity to metastasize and despite the localized nature of periodontal disease, infection of the sulcus/periodontal pocket can lead to inflammatory responses beyond the periodontium. C-Reactive Protein (CRP) is primarily a non-specific marker of inflammation with multiple pro-inflammatory properties and some studies have noted its concurrent reduction and CVD following periodontal therapy. A 12 year old Nigerian girl presented clinically with simultaneous occurrence of aggressive periodontitis, periodontal and skin abscesses with eventual teeth loss. Pre-operative quantitative analysis of plasma CRP was 1500mg/l, moderate growth of Staphylococcus aureus and Porphyromonas gingivalis were isolated from the skin and periodontal pus respectively and basic heamatological values were within normal range. Intensive non-surgical periodontal therapy was done at intervals of two months complemented with high dose of Amoxicillin and Metronidazole for seven days. The periodontal condition resolved, skin abscesses healed with scarring and the removable acrylic partial dentures delivered improved the patient's appearance and eventual overall quality of life. This case may suggest a possible link between periodontal and skin disease because of the resolution of these conditions and concurrent lowering of the serum level of CRP following periodontal therapy. Periodontal disease may be implicated as an etiology of the skin abscess because of the resolution of these disease conditions following periodontal therapy. Keywords: Case report, Periodontal abscesses, Skin abscesses, CRP, Non-surgical periodontal therapy, Resolution


Invasive pulmonary aspergillosis (IPA) is now the leading cause of infectious mortality in stem cell transplant recipients. Despite recent advances in molecular diagnostic techniques the diagnosis remains problematic. The mycological yield from bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is poor, especially if the patient has been exposed to antifungal drugs. Galactomannan (GM), a component of Aspergillus ' cell wall is detectable in serum and BAL fluid in IPA, though its role in the latter has not been validated. Exhaled breath condensate (EBC) collection provides a non-invasive means of sampling the airway lining fluid. This method has been used in respiratory disease to detect markers of inflammation and oxidative stress. EBC is collected by breathing into a tube surrounded by a cooled insulated metal sleeve (RTube®, Respiratory Research, USA) and results in 1–2 millilitres of fluid. The application of EBC detection of volatile and non-volatile organic compounds has not been explored in this setting. We report on pilot data of the detection of GM in EBC from a subset of patients at high risk of infection forming part of a prospective study into the early diagnosis of IPA in allogeneic transplant recipients and patients with acute leukaemia. Patients were recruited prior to commencing treatment for their underlying haematological condition; the study period finished at neutrophil recovery (> 0.5 x 10 9 /L) or discharge from hospital. EBC and serum were collected once and twice weekly respectively, throughout the study period. High resolution CT (HRCT) imaging of the chest was carried out after 72 hours of neutropenic fever unresponsive to broad-spectrum antibiotics. Where possible, BAL was carried out in the most affected lobe in patients with an abnormal HRCT chest. GM was measured in EBC, serum and, where applicable, BAL fluid using a commercially available kit (Platelia® Aspergillus , Bio-Rad, France). The likelihood of IPA was assigned using criteria published by European Organisation for Research and Treatment of Cancer/Mycoses Study Group (EORTC/MSG) by 2 investigators blinded to clinical details (Ascioglu et al, CID 2002). Of 39 patients, 6 had proven/probable IPA, 9 possible and 24 had no evidence of IPA. Four of the 6 patients with proven/probable disease had GM-positive BAL fluid; 3 of these 4 had persistently negative GM in serum. In 1 of the 6, the EBC GM was positive 3 weeks earlier than the development of HRCT evidence of IPA and a positive BAL GM. In another, the EBC GM was positive early in the infection, whilst BAL GM remained negative. EBC and serum GM followed the same trend in all 6 patients, although the values for both EBC and serum remained below the currently recognised positive cut-off of 0.5 in 2 patients. In patients with possible or no evidence of IPA, GM was negative in all but 2 of 111 EBC samples. These results suggest that GM can be detected in EBC and follows the same trend as in serum. It may even predate GM detection in BAL fluid or abnormal HRCT signs, thereby obviating the need for more invasive investigations. Elevated EBC GM levels early in the course of neutropenia may represent infection and could be applied to the employment of pre-emptive treatment strategies.


This report summarizes energy-efficiency testing activities applying the Mobile Energy Laboratory (MEL) testing capabilities during the first and second quarters of fiscal year (FY) 1991. The MELs, developed by the US Department of Energy (DOE) Federal Energy Management Program (FEMP), are administered by Pacific Northwest Laboratory (PNL) and the Naval Energy and Environmental Support Activity (NEESA) for energy testing and energy conservation program support functions at federal facilities. The using agencies principally fund MEL applications, while DOE/FEMP funds program administration and capability enhancement activities. This report fulfills the requirements established in Section 8 of the MEL Use Plan (PNL-6861) for semiannual reporting on energy-efficiency testing activities using the MEL capabilities. The MEL Use Committee, formally established in 1989, developed the MEL Use Plan and meets semiannually to establish priorities for energy-efficient testing applications using the MEL capabilities. The MEL Use Committee is composed of one representative each of the US Department of Energy, US Army, US Air Force, US Navy, and other federal agencies.


It is now accepted that nanotechnology is one of the key enabling technologies for sustainable and competitive growth in Europe. Nanoelectronics is certainly the branch with the most significant commercial impact and covers a huge range of interdisciplinary areas of research and development such as molecular electronics, bioelectronics, spintronics, nanoimprint, nanoscale optics, lithography, architecture and nanoprobes. It is also accepted that a significant investment will be required to ensure Europe's competitiveness in nanotechnology. At this stage it is impossible to predict the exact course that the nanoelectronics revolution will take and, therefore, its effect on our daily lives. We can, however, be resonably sure that nanotechnology will have a profound impact on the future development of many commercial sectors. The greatest impact is likely to be in the electronics sector, where the demand for technologies permitting faster processing of data at lower costs will remain undiminished. In order to avoid European industry and R & D being left behind the United States and Japan in this fast emerging nanoelectronics field, the PHANTOMS Network Scheme will promote European science and research through a pluri-national networking action, put together research capacities present in the various European regions and stimulate commercial nanoelectronic applications.


This article presents a comprehensive overview of several recent theoretical results at Northwestern University and demonstrates them by new numerical simulations of branching of hydraulic fractures. Tomodel the inelastic behavior and fracturing of shale as an inherently anisotropic material, the recently developed spherocylindrical microplane model is described. Regarding the spread and branching of hydraulic cracks during the fracking process, it is emphasized that two kinds of water flow must be simulated: (1) the Poiseuille flow through the hydraulic fractures and natural cracks and (2) the Darcy diffusion flow of leak-off water through the pores of intact shale. The body forces due to gradient of Darcy flow pressure must be taken into account. The crack opening width is computed by means of the crack band model, in which each finite element is imagined to contain at the outset a potential cohesive crack, one in each of three spatial orientations, with the fracking water flowing through if the crack gets opened. The use of this model to suppress problems of mesh sensitivity due to localization of distributed fracturing is explained. Computer simulations of the growth of branched hydraulic system are preformed in two dimensions (2D) only. The results illustrate the effects of anisotropy and natural cracks on the evolution of 2D fracture patterns during the fracking process. These effects are not large, but much stronger effects are expected in future three-dimensional simulations.


Regulation of exercise intensity is important for aerobic training and exercise testing. Automatic control of oxygen uptake has potential for exercise prescription and in tests to characterise cardiopulmonary status. Here, the feasibility of closed-loop control of oxygen uptake during stimulated leg-cycling exercise in paraplegia is investigated. A new control structure for this purpose is proposed, consisting of a dynamic feedback controller monitoring target and actual oxygen uptake and adjusting an exercise work rate command signal in real time. A further feedback controller automatically adjusts the stimulation intensity to achieve the commanded work rate. The approach was experimentally evaluated in a subject with paraplegia. Empirical parameter estimation results show considerable day-to-day variability in the oxygen uptake response dynamics. Feedback control tests then demonstrate that the proposed controller provided accurate tracking of the oxygen uptake command profile on separate test days, pointing to an underlying robustness of the feedback design approach against day-to-day variability in the subject's physiological response. The variance of the oxygen uptake response was considerably lower under closed-loop control than in open-loop conditions. The results of the study provide evidence for the feasibility of feedback control of oxygen uptake during stimulated cycle-ergometer exercise in paraplegic subjects.


This paper, based on 140 interviews carried out in two case studies in Montreal over the past decade, builds on previous research results demonstrating the existence of unlimited unpaid overtime among videogame developers and software designers. It uses the two case studies to illustrate an emerging workplace regulation model based on unacknowledged unlimited and unpaid overtime. It argues that this model stems from the combination of information technology firms' risk management strategy with project-based working as an organisation mode and is closely tied to the high international mobility of both capital and workforce. This paper focuses just on the (de)regulation of working time, but it opens up a path to account theoretically for the (de)regulation of work more generally in an expanding sector of the workforce: 'new professionals' in knowledge work.


Background The coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) outbreak originating in Wuhan, Hubei province, China, coincided with chunyun, the period of mass migration for the annual Spring Festival. To contain its spread, China adopted unprecedented nationwide interventions on January 23 2020. These policies included large-scale quarantine, strict controls on travel and extensive monitoring of suspected cases. However, it is unknown whether these policies have had an impact on the epidemic. We sought to show how these control measures impacted the containment of the epidemic. Methods We integrated population migration data before and after January 23 and most updated COVID-19 epidemiological data into the Susceptible-Exposed-Infectious-Removed (SEIR) model to derive the epidemic curve. We also used an artificial intelligence (AI) approach, trained on the 2003 SARS data, to predict the epidemic. Results We found that the epidemic of China should peak by late February, showing gradual decline by end of April. A five-day delay in implementation would have increased epidemic size in mainland China three-fold. Lifting the Hubei quarantine would lead to a second epidemic peak in Hubei province in mid-March and extend the epidemic to late April, a result corroborated by the machine learning prediction. Conclusions Our dynamic SEIR model was effective in predicting the COVID-19 epidemic peaks and sizes. The implementation of control measures on January 23 2020 was indispensable in reducing the eventual COVID-19 epidemic size.


Indian power sector having the target of 175GW of power from renewable energy, out of that 40 GW from Rooftop solar Photovoltaic system by 2022. The installed capacity of solar photovoltaic until 2017 is about 14.77 GW only. Even though in depth study has been carried out on the performance analysis, there is no bench marking has been arrived for the Indian Roof Top Solar PV system. Hence this paper has made an attempt by calculating the various parameters like performance ratio, plant capacity utilization ratio for the two 20KWp grid connected rooftop power plant in Telangana state. In addition to the above, it needs to do in depth analysis of power quality issues on roof top grid tied system.


Over the past 50 years we have transitioned from accepting falls as an inevitable consequence of ageing to something that can and should be prevented. Numerous studies have elucidated the contributors to falls and how to assess a person's risk of falling. There are many effective approaches to preventing falls in older people including those with cognitive and physical impairments. Exercise is the most tried and tested approach with good evidence that moderate to high intensity balance training is an effective fall prevention strategy. Other successful single modality interventions include enhanced podiatry, home safety interventions, expedited cataract extraction, cardiac pacing for people with carotid sinus hypersensitivity and vitamin D supplementation in people living in care homes. Multiple interventions (everyone receives the same intervention package) and multifactorial interventions (interventions tailored to identified risk factors) are effective particularly in high-risk populations. In more recent years we have seen the emergence of new technologies such as devices and software programs that can offer low-cost interventions which may be more sustainable than our traditional time- and resource-limited approach to prevention. There is still more to be done and a translational focus is needed to ensure that effective interventions are scaled up and delivered to more people while at the same time maximising adherence and maintaining the fidelity of the interventions.


In this paper, the authors describe the history of neurosurgery at St. Michael's Hospital, University of Toronto. St. Michael's has long been regarded as one of the top teaching and research hospitals in Canada. A detailed literature review of published and unpublished works was performed to formulate a succinct but in-depth review of its development, successes, and challenges. This fascinating 125-year history serves as a reminder of the importance of their institution's origins, and the authors hope that it will be a useful guide for developing programs around the world.


Every analysis that becomes generative must be an original experience, in both senses of the word: an experience that reaches into the origins of the emotional life of the analysand and one that creates something entirely new. If the analysis goes well enough, these efforts lead the analysand to feel the oldness and newness to be an integrated whole. Analysands who have experienced an absence of intimate emotional connection early in life especially require that new psychological capacity be developed from their germinal potential as a means by which the psychoanalytic process is brought to life. In such cases, both analyst and analysand are required to find ways to expand their receptivity to sensory experience and to cultivate their imaginative capacities in a manner that make emotional growth possible. Through this process words become embodied and better able to articulate the analysand's self-experience and to create the experience of reciprocity with the analyst and with others in ways never before experienced.


The most popular social media promotion tool is Instagram. The main factor is that social networking tools enable users to exchange photographs and videos. Additionally, Instagram, which is open to all users and is free, is utilized as a promotional tool, particularly by business people who are trying to establish their own companies. The study aims to determine the effect of the relationship variables that affect purchase intention on Instagram, a social media platform whose popularity is growing at the present time. Primary data were collected through the use of questionnaires sent to a total of 120 respondents located in a variety of cities throughout Indonesia. The data were analyzed using the application of structural positive and equation model (SEM) partial least square (smartPLS 3.0), to determine all of the relationships that exist between the variables of price perception, electronic word of mouth (E-WOM), and brand awareness on purchase intention in the model. The structural model indicates that the model on the buying interest variable can be said to be strong because it has a value that is greater than 0.67. The model of the influence of the independent latent variables (price perception, electronic word of mouth, and brand awareness) on purchase intention has an R-Square value of 0.743, which can be interpreted to mean that the variability of price perception, E-WOM, and brand awareness is 74.3%.
Keywords: price perception, Electronic Word of Mouth (E-WOM), brand awareness, purchase intention


SummarySpring in Practice shows you how to tackle the challenges you face when you build Spring-based applications. The book empowers software developers to solve concrete business problems by mapping application-level issues to Spring-centric solutions. It diverges from other cookbooks because it presents the background you need to understand the domain in which a solution applies before it offers the specific steps to solve the problem. About this BookSpring in Practice covers 66 Spring development techniques and the practical issues you will encounter when using them. The book starts with three carefully crafted introductory chapters to get you up to speed on the fundamentals. And then, the core of the book takes you step-by-step through the important, practical techniques you will use no matter what type of application you're building. You'll hone your Spring skills with examples on user accounts, security, NoSQL data stores, and application integration. Along the way, you'll explore Spring-based approaches to domain-specific challenges like CRM, configuration management, and site reliability. What's InsideCovers Spring 3 Successful outcomes with integration testing Dozens of web app techniques using Spring MVC Practical examples and real-world context How to work effectively with dataEach technique highlights something new or interesting about Spring and focuses on that concept in detail. This book assumes you have a good foundation in Java and Java EE. Prior exposure to Spring Framework is helpful but not required. Purchase of the print book includes a free eBook in PDF, Kindle, and ePub formats from Manning Publications. About the AuthorsWillie Wheeler is a Principal Applications Engineer with 16 years of experience in Java/Java EE and Spring Framework. Joshua White is a Solutions Architect in the financial and health services industries. He has worked with Spring Framework since its inception in 2002. Table of Contents Introducing Spring: the dependency injection container Data persistence, ORM, and transactions Building web applications with Spring Web MVC Basic web forms Enhancing Spring MVC applications with Web Flow Authenticating users Authorizing user requests Communicating with users and customers Creating a rich-text comment engine Integration testing Building a configuration management database Building an article-delivery engine Enterprise integration Creating a Spring-based "site-up" framework


Operational and economic aspects of water distribution make water demand forecasting paramount for water distribution systems (WDSs) management. However, water demand introduces high levels of uncertainty in WDS hydraulic models. As a result, there is growing interest in developing accurate methodologies for water demand forecasting. Several mathematical models can serve this purpose. One crucial aspect is the use of suitable predictive variables. The most used predictive variables involve weather and social aspects. To improve the interrelation knowledge between water demand and various predictive variables, this study applies three algorithms, namely, classical Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and machine learning powerful algorithms such as Self-Organizing Maps (SOMs) and Random Forest (RF). We show that these last algorithms help corroborate the results found by PCA, while they are able to unveil hidden features for PCA, due to their ability to cope with nonlinearities. This paper presents a correlation study of three district metered areas (DMAs) from Franca, a Brazilian city, exploring weather and social variables to improve the knowledge of residential demand for water. For the three DMAs, temperature, relative humidity, and hour of the day appear to be the most important predictive variables to build an accurate regression model.


A 40 + 5 cm jejunoileal bypass was created as a means of treating a case of morbid obesity. Clinical, functional and morphological examinations were carried out prior to surgery and at various times for the following year. An initially rapid loss of weight was followed by an early halt around the 7th month and a subsequently steady state. While metabolic and cardiorespiratory benefits were obtained, considerable and progressive hyperchlorhydria and lithiasic cholecystitis were noted, along with minor, reversible complications.


We demonstrate Bragg grating inscription in commercial CYTOP POF at a wavelength of 600nm using a 248nm krypton fluoride excimer laser system with a repetition rate of 40 Hz and average pulse energy of 0.60 0.02mJ during 60 min. Experimental characterization of the Bragg grating is performed under different conditions, where the temperature and strain sensitivities were accurately measured to define potential sensing and optical communication applications. Furthermore, different humidity conditions were experimentally tested, and it was proved CYTOP POF as a good candidate for sensing applications under humidity change environment.


This study investigates intraday patterns in the eleven sectors of the United States (U.S.).  Key contributions are (i) risk and return patterns at specific trading periods on the New York Stock Exchange (NYSE), (ii) whether a specific day return model can predict the next 15-minute positive return, and (iii) the impact of the first vaccination rollout in the U.S. on intraday Exchange-Traded-Funds (ETF) returns.  Time-dependent regressions capture risk and return relationships, decision trees in machine learning compare return models, and impulse responses capture the effect of the 2019 coronavirus (COVID-19) vaccine rollout in U.S.  15-minute Standard & Poor's Depository Receipts (SPDR) Select Sector ETF data is used over 12th March 2020-23rd February 2021. Findings support sector ETF returns fluctuate the most in the first and last 15 minutes.  Average returns in the first 15 minutes are the highest, converging to near zero as the trading session continues.  Overnight returns contribute the most to volatility.  U-shaped patterns into both return and risk exist, especially on Mondays.  Mondays and Fridays have the most significant positive returns 15 minutes after the open.  Prediction scores using an all-return model were superior to any specific day return model.  The first vaccination rollout has a positive effect only in energy, technology, and financial sector ETFs, however with a short-lasting effect on ETFs returns.


Induction of Fas-mediated activation-induced cell death in antitumor T cells has been hypothesized to permit tumor escape from immune destruction. Several laboratories have proposed that expression of Fas ligand (L) by tumor is the basis for this form of T cell tolerance. In this study, we characterized murine tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TIL) for activation status, cell cycle status, level of apoptosis, cytokine secretion, and proliferative capacity. TILs express multiple activation markers (circa CD69, CD95L, CD122, and LFA-1) and contain IL-2 and IFN-γ mRNAs, but are neither cycling nor apoptotic in situ. In addition, TIL are dramatically suppressed in proliferative response and do not secrete IL-2 and IFN-γ. However, upon purification and activation in vitro, TIL secrete high levels of IL-2 and IFN-γ, enter S phase, and then die by Fas-mediated apoptosis. Activation by injection of anti-TCR Ab or IL-2 into tumor-bearing mice induced TIL entrance into S phase preceding apoptosis, showing that TIL have functional TCR-mediated signal transduction in situ. Our data demonstrate that TIL, not tumor, express both Fas and FasL, are arrested in G1, do not secrete cytokine in situ, and, upon activation in vitro and in vivo, rapidly die by activation-induced cell death.


Lignin sulfonates are converted into sulfonic acid esters by blocking free phenolic hydroxyl groups on the lignin sulfonates from reaction with a suitable protective group, subjecting the blocked lignin sulfonate in aqueous solution to ion exchange to produce the free sulfonic acid thereof, exchanging the aqueous solvent into a polar organic solvent, such as isopropanol, and reacting the sulfonic acid derivative in the polar organic solvent with a saturated or unsaturated aliphatic epoxide, preferably an alkylene oxide. The resulting sulfonic acid ester adduct may be isolated and purified from the reactants using solvent extraction. Lignin sulfonic acid ester adducts are produced that are soluble in a variety of organic solvents and insoluble in water.


"The bourgeois ...Not so long ago, this notion seemed indispensable to social analysis; these days, one might go years without hearing it mentioned. Capitalism is more powerful than ever, but its human embodiment seems to have vanished. 'I am a member of the bourgeois class, feel myself to be such, and have been brought up on its opinions and ideals,' wrote Max Weber, in 1895. Who could repeat these words today? Bourgeois 'opinions and ideals' - what are they?" Thus begins Franco Moretti's study of the bourgeois in modern European literature - a major new analysis of the once-dominant culture and its literary decline and fall. Moretti's gallery of individual portraits is entwined with the analysis of specific keywords - "useful" and "earnest," "efficiency," "influence," "comfort," "roba" - and of the formal mutations of the medium of prose. From the "working master" of the opening chapter, through the seriousness of nineteenth-century novels, the conservative hegemony of Victorian Britain, the "national malformations" of the Southern and Eastern periphery, and the radical self-critique of Ibsen's twelve-play cycle, the book charts the vicissitudes of bourgeois culture, exploring the causes for its historical weakness, and for its current irrelevance.


The purpose of this paper is to seek the dwelling conditions for comfortable life like urban apartment with agriculture in farming area. In order to do above things, we divide types of people who is planning to 'return farm' and need to heavily research and analyze current status of use for farm house's each spaces include outside spaces. so this paper aimed that at first, divide types of farmhouse following agriculture condition for people who is living in rural and survey the present condition and problems by analyzing of present status of space use and draw the improvement plans for those. after then, finally make a architectural basic data for Rural houses plan. For the future, the main purpose of this paper is that make architectural provision possible by researching types and size of storage following sort and size of farm.


The tropics play a major role in global climate dynamics, and are vulnerable to future climate change. We present a record of East African climate since 55 ka, preserved in Lake Malawi sediments, that indicates rapid shifts between discrete climate modes related to abrupt warming (D‐O) events observed in Greenland. Although the timing of the Malawi events cannot be determined exactly, our age model implies that they occur prior to their Greenland counterparts, consistent with southward excursions of the Intertropical Convergence Zone during Greenland stadials. The magnitude of each of the events recorded in Malawi sediments corresponds to the scale of the subsequent Greenland warming. This suggests that a tropical component of climate sets a template for abrupt high northern latitude climate fluctuations associated with the bipolar seesaw.


Digital heritage obtained by real and tangible heritage, is formed by computer material, such as images through passive systems or active systems, or other graphic material, such as blueprints. These computer materials possess and must preserve the same cultural, historical, aesthetic, scientific or ethnologic value as the buildings they come from. Traditional means of architectural heritage diffusion consisted of brochures, books, articles in scientific journals or conference papers. In recent years, those diffusion means have changed. The increasing evolution of new technologies, novel computer tool, or Internet has made new means of dissemination arise. These new methods allow an observer to contemplate monuments from anywhere around the world, with no time or space restrictions. These novel methodologies make it possible, at times, to be introduced virtually in buildings as if being physically inside them. With these new means, geographical and physical limits disappear. The aim of this article is to show the results obtained after disseminating some digital materials obtained from the study of architectural heritage on social networks, in order to value them and allow universal access to them.


This paper proposes a novel hierarchical control strategy for improvement of load sharing and power quality in ac microgrids. This control framework is composed of a droop-based controller at the primary level, and a combination of distributed power sharing and voltage conditioning schemes at the secondary level. The controllers in the primary level use GPS timing technology to synchronize the local reference angles. The voltage reference of each distributed generation is adjusted according to a voltage–current (V–I) droop characteristic to enable proper current and power sharing with a fast dynamic response. The droop coefficient, which acts as a virtual resistance, is adaptively changed as a function of the peak current. This strategy not only simplifies the control design but also improves the current sharing accuracy at high loading conditions. The distributed power sharing scheme uses consensus protocol to ensure proportional sharing of average power. The voltage conditioning scheme produces compensation signals at fundamental and dominant harmonics to improve the voltage quality at a sensitive load bus. Experimental results are presented to validate the efficacy of the proposed method.


Traditionally, the actin and microtubule cytoskeletons have been studied as separate entities, restricted to specific cellular regions or processes, and regulated by different suites of binding proteins unique for each polymer. Many studies now demonstrate that the dynamics of both cytoskeletal polymers are intertwined and that this crosstalk is required for most cellular behaviors. A number of proteins involved in actin-microtubule interactions have already been identified (i.e., Tau, MACF, GAS, formins, and more) and are well characterized with regard to either actin or microtubules alone. However, relatively few studies showed assays of actin-microtubule coordination with dynamic versions of both polymers. This may occlude emergent linking mechanisms between actin and microtubules. Here, a total internal reflection fluorescence (TIRF) microscopy-based in vitro reconstitution technique permits the visualization of both actin and microtubule dynamics from the one biochemical reaction. This technique preserves the polymerization dynamics of either actin filament or microtubules individually or in the presence of the other polymer. Commercially available Tau protein is used to demonstrate how actin-microtubule behaviors change in the presence of a classic cytoskeletal crosslinking protein. This method can provide reliable functional and mechanistic insights into how individual regulatory proteins coordinate actin-microtubule dynamics at a resolution of single filaments or higher-order complexes.


Even in mathematical logic the proposition as an arbitrary technical device can be eliminated and replaced by the constative. The items of experience of the external world—objects, properties, relationships, and the like— are processed in consciousness on the basis of a situational demand that defines the situational context which in turn elicits a particular constatival attitude. The output of this mental processing is the appropriate pragmatic constatival response that generally is publicly communicated.


In this paper, we report on the progress of the auto-triggered quartz-enhanced photoacoustic spectroscopy (QEPAS) technique which operates without external frequency generators and ensures permanent locking to the current resonance frequency of the tuning fork. This is obtained by incorporating the tuning fork in an oscillator circuit that autonomously oscillates at the present resonance frequency that shifts with changing environmental conditions, e.g., density and viscosity of the surrounding gas, temperature, and pressure. Both, the oscillation amplitude as well as the frequency can be read from the oscillator circuit. The photoacoustic signal appears as an offset of the electrically induced signal amplitude. Since the sum amplitude depends on the phase relation between the electrical and photoacoustic driving forces, the phase is permanently modulated, enabling the extraction of the photoacoustic component by use of a second lock-in amplifier stage which is being referenced with the phase modulation frequency. The functionality of this method is demonstrated for methane detection in a carbon dioxide atmosphere in a concentration range from 0 to 100% and ammonia in synthetic air employing a pulsed mid infrared QCL around 1280 cm−1. The gas mixtures are motivated by the demands in biogas-analysis.


In this paper, we consider two interpolations of Birkhoff-type with integer-order derivative. The Birkhoff interpolation is related with collocation method for the corresponding initial or boundary value problems of differential equations. The solvability of the interpolation problems is proved. For Gauss-type interpolating points, error of interpolation approximation is deduced. Also, we give efficient algorithms to implement the concerned interpolations.


The present study was designed to address two issues: first, to identify the different development stages that eight expert Spanish basketball coaches go through; and second, to determine the possible factors that have contributed to the formative or training, process of the expert coach. Qualitative data were gathered in semi-structured interviews. The coaches worked with the men's first Spanish Basketball League ("ACB" league) or the Spanish national selection. Our findings reveal four stages in the coach development process. These stages were the consequence mainly of a gradual progression in thinking and reflective practice that enabled the coach to optimize the necessary skills for high performance. In addition, all the coaches interviewed reflected an intense dedication and commitment over many years to their work, as well as an ongoing quest for improvement.


In this work, a new Empirical Mode Decomposition (EMD) is introduced. It does not use extrema envelopes nor sifting procedure but the decomposition is only based on a direct calculation of its components from inflexion points. Our technique hasmany advantages: firstly, in contrast to the classical EMD, we give an analytical formula for the decomposition. Finally, a simulation study shows its efficiency.


Platinum-group element (PGE) abundances were analysed in basaltic andesites and andesites from sills of the Ferrar Large Igneous Province in northern Victoria Land. The strongly fractionated primitive mantle-normalised PGE- patterns show enrichment of the Pt-PGE over the Ir-PGE. The single element abundances exhibit good correlations with the degree of differentiation of the distinctly evolved samples and are interpreted to result mainly from low-pressure in- situ differentiation after magma emplacement in the upper crust. Compared to tholeiitic rocks from other magmatic provinces, only the Ferrar rocks exhibit coupled enrichment of Pd, Pt and Cu even in most evolved samples. The decrease of Pt and Pd in some of the more evolved samples does not necessarily signify sulphide fractionation, but may indicate the formation of other PGE-compounds. The inferred sulphur-undersaturated conditions during differentiation are in agreement with the high degrees of partial melting as well as the refractory nature of the proposed subcontinental lithospheric mantle source beneath this magmatic province. Citation: Hanemann, R. and L. Viereck-Goette (2007), Platinum-Group Elements in Sills of the Jurassic Ferrar Large Igneous Province from northern Victoria Land, Antarctica, in Antarctica: A Keystone in a Changing World - Online Proceedings of the 10th ISAES, edited by A. K. Cooper and C. R. Raymond et al., USGS Open-File Report 2007-1047, Short Research Paper 032, 5 p.; doi:10.3133/of2007-1047.srp032


Mink cell focus-inducing virus MCF-247 was inoculated into various strains of mice to determine whether any of these strains mount a humoral immune response to the virus. Finding that there were both responders and nonresponders, a genetic study was conducted in order to determine what controls the immune response. C57BL/6J mice (high antibody responders) and DBA/2J mice (nonresponders) were crossed and the genetics of their F^, F2 and Backcross to DBA/2J mice were followed. Indirect immunofluorescent assays determined that the F^ generation uniformly ' produced a high antibody titer when inoculated with the virus. The F2 and Backcross generations were found to have high responders (titer >. 80), low responders (titer < 80), and nonresponders (titer <_ 10) to the inoculated virus. All mice were inoculated as babies and were tested 1-6 months after injection. Various genotypic models were proposed for the genetic control of the immune response. It appears that at least one and possibly two genes are involved in control of the immune response. Possible association of the mouse H-2 major histo compatibility complex, shown to regulate various immune iii responses (12), with the immune response to inoculated MCF-247 virus was investigated. Hemagglutination tests indicated that there does not appear to be any association between the two. Rather, the immune response appears to be like that to type III pneumococcal polysaccharide, in which nonH-2 genes control the immune response (13). Possible links between the immune response gene(s) and the coat color gene b. were investigated for the purpose of aiding in the mapping of the immune response gene(s). It was determined that the two are not linked. The immune response was also determined to be a nonsexlinked trait. Further research of the immune response


Based on numerical simulations, the heating load reduction effect of an attached sunspace in winter was determined, and the effective heat utilization method and sunspace design were explored. In this paper, we studied the heating load reduction effect using heat from the sunspace and temperature fluctuation of each room at the time of heat use from the sunspace (sending air from the sunspace to the heating, ventilation, and air conditioning (HVAC) machine room and taking the air to the adjacent rooms). In the case of the all-day HVAC system, it was confirmed that a larger capacity of sunspace and not sending air from the sunspace to the adjacent room demonstrated a better heating-load reduction effect. Compared with Model Iw (a house with a window on the exterior of the sunspace opened to external air), Model I (a house with an attached sunspace on the second floor) could save approximately 41% of the total energy. Model II (a house with the attached sunspace both on the first and second floors) could save approximately 84% of the total energy. Sending heat from the sunspace to the adjacent room led to temperature increases in the adjacent rooms. However, if the construction plan is to have the sunspace only on the second floor, the house should be carefully designed, for example, by placing a living room on the second floor.


Psychopedagogy is an interdisciplinary science with great growth in Latin American countries, but there are few studies that address its historical evolution, according to its peculiarities. The objective of this article was to carry out a comparative study of the historical development of the Psychopedagogy between Chile and Cuba, two Latin American nations that share a peculiar past and presentto determinate coincidences and differences. The historical background, institutionalization and national contributions wereselected as indicators, which allowed showing the similarities and differences according to the historical, economic, cultural and political development peculiar to each country, with a previous evolution of Psychology and Pedagogy. , as basal sciences, from the influences of foreign conceptions deeply rooted in the educational field, but with a creative, contextualized and successful work of professionals in Psychopedagogy, adapting them to the historical needs of each country and achieving the solution of educational problems and at the same time enrich this science. Psychopedagogy has a certain maturity as an interdisciplinary science in full development in the current conditions of Cuba and Chile.


Concern about water scarcity and adverse climate events over agricultural regions has motivated a number of efforts to develop operational integrated hydroeconomic models to guide adaptation and optimal use of water. Once calibrated, these models are used for water management and analysis assuming they remain valid under future conditions. In this paper, we present and demonstrate a methodology that permits the recursive calibration of economic models of agricultural production from noisy but frequently available data. We use a standard economic calibration approach, namely positive mathematical programming, integrated in a data assimilation algorithm based on the ensemble Kalman filter equations to identify the economic model parameters. A moving average kernel ensures that new and past information on agricultural activity are blended during the calibration process, avoiding loss of information and overcalibration for the conditions of a single year. A regularization constraint akin to the standard Tikhonov regularization is included in the filter to ensure its stability even in the presence of parameters with low sensitivity to observations. The results show that the implementation of the PMP methodology within a data assimilation framework based on the enKF equations is an effective method to calibrate models of agricultural production even with noisy information. The recursive nature of the method incorporates new information as an added value to the known previous observations of agricultural activity without the need to store historical information. The robustness of the method opens the door to the use of new remote sensing algorithms for operational water management.


APOA5 -1131T > C and S19W single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNP) have been consistently associated with plasma lipid concentration and metabolic syndrome (MetS), alone and in modulation by dietary factors. Puerto Ricans have a high prevalence of metabolic conditions and high minor allele frequency for these SNP, suggesting a possible role in disease for this population. We aimed to determine the association of APOA5 -1131T > C and S19W with plasma lipids and markers of MetS, alone and in interaction with total fat intake, as a percent of total energy intake, in Puerto Ricans. Anthropometric and demographic data, FFQ, and blood samples were collected at baseline from participants in the Boston Puerto Rican Health Study (n = 802, 45-75 y). APOA5 S19W was associated with plasma HDL cholesterol (HDL-C) (P = 0.044); minor allele carriers had lower HDL-C [1.12 +/- 0.03 (mean +/- SE)] than those with the common variant (1.18 +/- 0.01 mmol/L), even after adjustment for plasma triglycerides (TG) (P = 0.012). Neither polymorphism was associated with TG or other lipids. Interaction of the -1131T > C SNP with total fat energy intake was observed for plasma TG (P = 0.032) and total cholesterol (P = 0.034). APOA5 S19W interacted with total fat intake in association with systolic (P = 0.002) and diastolic (P = 0.007) blood pressure. Neither SNP was associated with MetS in the overall analysis or after stratifying by total energy intake as fat. In conclusion, Puerto Ricans present a distinctive lipid profile in association with APOA5 polymorphisms. Dietary fat intake seems to modulate these associations. The results contribute to the understanding of health disparities in this population.


Introduction The aneurysms of the anterior inferior cerebellar artery (AICA) are rare lesions of the posterior circulation and to treat them is challenging. We aim to present anatomical and morphological characteristics of AICA aneurysms in a series of 15 patients. Method The DSA and CT angiography images of AICA aneurysms in 15 consecutive patients were analyzed retrospectively. Different anatomical characteristics were quantified, including morphology, location, width, neck width, length, bottleneck factor, and aspect ratio. Results Eighty percent of the patients were females. The age was 52.4 ± 9.6 (mean ± SD) years. 11 patients were smokers. Ten patients had a saccular aneurysm and five patients had a fusiform aneurysm. Aneurysm in 10 patients were located in the proximal segment, in three patients in the meatal segment, and in two patients in the distal segment. Ten out of 15 patients presented with a ruptured aneurysm. The size of AICA aneurysms was 14.8 ± 18.9 mm (mean ± SD). The aspect ratio was 0.92 ± 0.47 (mean ± SD) and bottleneck factor was 1.66 ± 1.65 (mean ± SD). Conclusion AICA aneurysms are rare lesions of posterior circulation predominantly found in females, present predominantly with subarachnoid hemorrhage, and are mostly large in size.


The present research intends to analyze the plea bargaining based on its political-criminal foundation, in order to achieve the tension it maintains in relation to certain fundamental guarantees of the defendant, especially the one who signs the agreement. On this occasion, there will be substantially a contraposition between the legal procedure of collaboration and the principles of the adversary, ample defense, presumption of innocence, and non-self-incrimination. The application of the plea bargain proves extremely controversial not only in the common sense, often conveyed by the media, but mainly in the technical perspective, especially in relation to the scientific debate, which reflects the complexity of the proposed theme. For an effective approach to the theme, the work uses the deductive, historical-evolutionary and dialectical methods, being the bibliographical research the technique fundamentally used.


Objective A timely initiation of treatment is crucial to better control tuberculosis (TB). The aim of this study is to describe treatment delay among migrant patients with TB and to identify factors associated with treatment delay, so as to provide evidence for strategy development and improvement of TB control among migrants in China. Design A cross-sectional study was conducted in Shandong province of China. A total of 314 confirmed smear positive migrant patients with pulmonary TB were included. Univariate logistic regression was used to analyse the association of variables with treatment delay among migrant patients with TB. A multilogistic regression model was developed to further assess the effect of variables on treatment delay. Results Of 314 migrant patients with TB, 65.6% experienced treatment delay (>1 day). Household income level, diagnosis symptom severity, understanding of whether TB is curable or not and knowledge about the free TB treatment policy are factors significantly associated with treatment delay. Conclusions Economic status and knowledge about TB are key barriers to accessing TB treatment. An integrated policy of carrying out TB-related health education and publicising the free TB treatment policy among migrants is needed. Health insurance schemes for migrants should be modified to make them transferrable and pro-poor.


This learning guide, commissioned by the Collaborative Adaptation Research Initiative in Africa and Asia (CARIAA), is designed to provide research teams with a bottom-up and experience based tool to better understand the effectiveness – and inefficiencies – of different approaches to Research-into-Use (RiU), the uptake of research which contributes to a change in policy or practice. The learning approach can also help to facilitate adaptive and reflexive approaches to RiU. Although this guide was developed for CARIAA, it has been designed so that any research programme interested in improving its RiU practices can use it. It also includes a pocket guide for easy use in the field.


: Recently, the demand for printed wood grain has been growing. The elements of wood grain of natural wood and printed wood grain are different. These differences result in the differences in characteristics of their corresponding spatial frequencies, and would influence the identification of natural and printed wood grain. In our study, we analyzed the spatial frequency of wood samples. Results showed that a more noticeable the difference in the samples was seen in the high spatial frequency region. We also visually evaluated the discriminability between natural and printed wood grain for various viewing distances. The results demonstrated that it was difficult to distinguish between natural and printed wood grain at long distances, whereas, it was easy at short distances. This suggests that the differences in the high spatial frequency and the presence or absence of half tone has an effect on the distinguishability in natural and printed wood grain samples.


There has been a growing incidence of poverty in sub-Saharan Africa over the last two decades. Poverty is a multidimensional social phenomenon that can be analytically divided into two main perspectives: human poverty which is the lack of human capabilities and income poverty, which is the lack of income necessary to satisfy basic need e.g. poor life expectancy, poor maternal health, illiteracy, poor nutritional levels, poor access to safe drinking water and perceptions of well-being. The paper examines several initiatives focused on poverty eradication that Nigeria have adopted through national actions to fight both human and income poverty. In analysizing the issues raised, we anchored the paper on an eclectic approach of radical, Marxist model of political economy and the social exclusion theories. The study established among others, that a lot of effort has been made in poverty reduction through poverty alleviation programs in Nigeria. However, it is of knowledge that in spite of the previous efforts of various governments to alleviate poverty in Nigeria and the efforts of the current government to effect same, nothing much had changed in the living conditions and standards of the people. Poverty is still growing at an alarming rate. The challenges of poverty alleviation strategies in the Nigerian situation were articulated in the context of sustainable socio-economic development and the paper concludes that poverty alleviation in contemporary Nigeria require both socio-economic policies geared towards sustainable development. However, to enhance the human capital of the poor in particular, priorities for educational reforms should be in the areas of basic education, vocational training, water and sanitation, health care delivery, agriculture and housing for all. It is the position of this paper that until African leaders in general and Nigeria in particular begin to think "We" and not "I", the fight against poverty that could engender sustainable socio-economic development will for long remain a mirage.


Pathogen genomic data are increasingly used to characterize global and local transmission patterns of important human pathogens and to inform public health interventions. Yet there is no current consensus on how to measure genomic variation. We investigated the effects of variant identification approaches on transmission inferences for M. tuberculosis by comparing variants identified by five different groups in the same sequence data from a clonal outbreak. We then measured the performance of commonly used variant calling approaches in recovering variation in a simulated tuberculosis outbreak and tested the effect of applying increasingly stringent filters on transmission inferences and phylogenies. We found that variant calling approaches used by different groups do not recover consistent sets of variants, often leading to conflicting transmission inferences. Further, performance in recovering true outbreak variation varied widely across approaches. Finally, stringent filters rapidly eroded the accuracy of transmission inferences and quality of phylogenies reconstructed from outbreak variation. We conclude that measurements of genetic distance and phylogenetic structure are dependent on variant calling approach. Variant calling algorithms trained upon true sequence data outperform other approaches and enable inclusion of repetitive regions typically excluded from genomic epidemiology studies, maximizing the information gleaned from outbreak genomes.


They Are Stated problems, appearing when use the anisochronous engines in system of the autocontrol. Happen to the different ways a calculation critical slide.


DNA-dependent RNA polymerase B has been extensively purified from the larval fat body of the tobacco hornworm (Manduca sexta) by employing chromatography on ion-exchange columns of DEAE-Sephadex, DEAE-cellulose and phosphocellulose and centrifugation on glycerol gradients. The isolated enzyme after electrophoresis on acrylamide gels shows one main band and one minor band, both having enzyme activity sensitive to alpha-amanitin. The catalytic and physicochemical properties of the enzyme are similar to those of other eucaryotic B-type RNA polymerases. The enzyme has an apparent molecular weight of 530000, is inhibited 50% by alpha-amanitin at 0.04 microgram/ml and shows maximum activity on denatured DNA at 5 mM Mn2+ and 100 mM ammonium sulfate. An antibody was obtained that cross-reacts with the pure enzyme and forms a precipitin line. This antibody does not cross react with either Escherichia coli RNA polymerase or with wheat germ RNA polymerase but does react with one of the B polymerases isolated from wing tissue of the silkmoth, Antheraea pernyi.


The hypervolume indicator is a set measure used in evolutionary multiobjective optimization to evaluate the performance of search algorithms and to guide the search. Multiobjective evolutionary algorithms using the hypervolume indicator transform multiobjective problems into single objective ones by searching for a finite set of solutions maximizing the corresponding hypervolume indicator. In this paper, we theoretically investigate how those optimal μ--distributions-finite sets of μ solutions maximizing the hypervolume indicator-are spread over the Pareto front of biobjective problems. This problem is of high importance for practical applications as these sets characterize the preferences that the hypervolume indicator encodes, i.e., which types of Pareto set approximations are favored.
 In particular, we tackle the question whether the hypervolume indicator is biased towards certain regions. For linear fronts we prove that the distribution is uniform with constant distance between two consecutive points. For general fronts where it is presumably impossible to characterize exactly the distribution, we derive a limit result when the number of points grows to infinity proving that the empirical density of points converges to a density proportional to the square root of the negative of the derivative of the front. Our analyses show that it is not the shape of the Pareto front but only its slope that determines how the points that maximize the hypervolume indicator are distributed. Experimental results illustrate that the limit density is a good approximation of the empirical density for small μ. Furthermore, we analyze the issue of where to place the reference point of the indicator such that the extremes of the front can be found if the hypervolume indicator is optimized. We derive an explicit lower bound (possibly infinite) ensuring the presence of the extremes in the optimal distribution. This result contradicts the common belief that the reference point has to be chosen close to the nadir point: for certain types of fronts, we show that no finite reference point allows to have the extremes in the optimal μ-distribution.


This research examines several characteristics of consumer products that influence warning communication. Seventy-two generically-named products were rated according to perceived hazardousness, familiarity, and several other measures: 1) willingness to read warnings, 2) need for warnings, 3) location of warnings, and 4) appearance of products with warnings. The results indicate that reported willingness to read warnings is strongly and positively related to the perceived hazardousness of the product. Though product familiarity is significantly related to willingness to read warnings, it provides little predictive value beyond hazardousness. Additional analyses showed, the more hazardous the product: 1) the greater the need for warnings, 2) the closer to the product one expects to find a warning, and 3) the less warnings detract from the appearance of such products. Implications of these results are discussed with regard to applications for warning design.


A 24-year-old man presented for evaluation of pruritic vesicles on both feet. Ten days earlier, dyshidrotic eczema had been diagnosed by another physician who prescribed triamcinolone ointment. The patient reported that the foot eruption worsened after the topical medication was applied.


The application of traction motors is based fundamentally on speed-time curve calculations. This method has been used for many years and is familiar to electrical engineers engaged primarily in transportation activities. Many other engineers infrequently encounter problems of traction-motor application but are not conversant with the effect which variations in service conditions produce on vehicle performance. This paper points out certain recent changes in transportation requirements tending toward greater standardization of equipment, and summarizes the effects of varying operating conditions. The broad basis of economical application is indicated.


Communication between resource users has repeatedly been shown to be of significant importance in environmental management. The proposed causal mechanisms are numerous, ranging from the ability of users to share information to their ability to negotiate solutions to common problems and dilemmas. However, what is less known is under what conditions these potential causal mechanisms are important and if, in cases when different means other than communication were available, whether they would be more effective in accomplishing these objectives. An example of such an alternative could be that instead of (or in addition to) users being reliant on within-group communication to acquire useful information an intermediary—such as a public agency—could provide that for them. Furthermore, the different causal mechanisms making communication beneficial might not be independent, neither in respect to each other, nor in respect to other externally imposed means to facilitate better environmental management, and not in regards to different contextual factors. This study makes use of laboratory experiments in an innovative way to explore these questions and specifically test the relative importance of communication in managing complex social-ecological system characterized by common-pool resource dilemmas, ecological interdependencies, and asymmetric resource access–all characteristics being present simultaneously. We find that when resources users are confronted with such a complex challenge, the ability to communicate significantly increases individual and group performance. What is more surprising is the negative effect on overall outcomes that providing external information has on outcomes, when the users also have the ability to communicate. By analysing the content of the conversations we are able to suggest several possible explanations on how the combination of external information provisioning and user communications act to increase individual cognitive load and drives intra-group competition, leading to a significant reduction of individual and group outcomes.


The intrinsic properties of nanoparticles are both fundamentally interesting and offer tremendous potential for a variety of applications. However, leveraging their utility is difficult because these properties are often intimately connected to nanoparticle stability in solution. We report that cellulose filter paper is a versatile substrate to capture, stabilize, and manipulate nanoparticles. Once immobilized, we present ensemble averaged extinction spectra and propose that this plasmonic paper is a solid state equivalent to a nanoparticle solution. We also demonstrate that capillary flow within the paper creates concentration gradients of reagents for combinatorial chemical reactions on the immobilized nanoparticles. Importantly, the added stability afforded to the nanoparticles by the paper allows for exposure to chemical environments that would otherwise disrupt a nanoparticle colloid. These new capabilities could enable new architectures in nanoparticle-based sensors and biodiagnostics where many of the previous design limitations are entirely avoided.


Gender Differences in Psychopathology Examined Under an Expanded Transactional Theory of Stress Framework. (December 2007) Jillian April Lee, B.A., Wheaton College Chair of Advisory Committee: Dr. Marisol Perez Prevalence rates of many types of psychopathology are lower for men than they are for women, but the causes of these discrepancies are not known. This paper focuses on two such psychopathology groups – eating disorders and depressive disorders – and examines gender differences within a transactional theory of stress that takes into account levels of cognitive processing (an expanded transactional theory of stress). Both studies found that men are more physiologically reactive to disorder-relevant, stressful stimuli and stressful events. The study on depression also found that different cognitive processes may be depressogenic for men and women: deployment of attentional resources toward negative stimuli was associated with depression in men, while deployment of attentional resources away from positive stimuli was associated with depression in women. These findings have significant implications for choosing appropriate treatment options for men and women.