Cyclometalated Ir(iii) complexes [Ir(dfppy)2(qbiH)](PF6) (1), [Ir(dfppy)2(qbim)](PF6)·H2O (2), [Ir(dfppy)2(qbio)](PF6) (3) and [Ir(dfppy)2(qbi)] (4) have been designed and prepared, in which the N^N ligands qbiH, qbim and qbio incorporate different substituent groups R on their imidazole units (H atom, CH3 group and n-C8H17 group, respectively) in order to explore the influence of the substituent groups R and the protonation/deprotonation state of imidazole units in these Ir(iii) complexes on their structures and luminescence behaviors. Crystal structures indicate that an {Ir(dfppy)2}+ unit is coordinated by neutral ligands qbiH in 1, qbim in 2 and qbio in 3, while a qbi- anion in 4. These Ir(iii) complexes show clearly different molecular stacking modes. In compound 1, neighboring [Ir(dfppy)2(qbiH)]+ cations are linked into a supramolecular chain through ππ stacking interactions between adjacent dfppy-/qbiH ligands. In 2 and 4, two neighboring iridium complex units connect each other through ππ stacking interactions between dfppy- ligands in the former, while between qbi- ligands in the latter, forming supramolecular dimers. Compared to 1, 2 and 4, compound 3 only exhibits intermolecular van der Waals interactions. At room temperature, these Ir(iii) complexes in CH2Cl2 reveal phosphorescence with a mixing of 3MLCT and 3LC characters, emissions at 558 and 585 nm for 1, 572 (or 573) and 600 nm for 2 and 3, and 546 nm for 4. Compared to 1-3, compound 4 displays relatively weak luminescence intensity. Interestingly, upon addition of NEt3/TFA, both 1 and 4 in CH2Cl2 can switch their luminescence between strong emission at 558 nm and weak emission at 546 nm, due to their acid-/base-induced structural interconversion between the protonation state and the deprotonation state of the qbiH ligand. The emissions of 1-4 in the solid state reveal different degrees of the red shift compared to their corresponding emissions in CH2Cl2, the broad emission bands at 542, 572 and 611 nm for 1, 553, 581 and 612 nm for 2, 544, 578 and 630 nm for 3, and 595 and 633 nm for 4. Based on the crystal structures of 1-4, this work discusses the luminescence modulation of these Ir(iii) complexes by varying their substituent groups or the protonation/deprotonation state of the imidazole units.


A 58-year-old man patient with a history of hyperparathyroidism with recurrent renal stones was evaluated by ultrasonography of the neck and Tc-99m methoxy isobutyl isonitrile (MIBI) scintigraphy. Both imaging modalities correctly visualized a parathyroid adenoma. Increased Tc-99m MIBI uptake was noted in the sternum, clavicle, and shoulders. These findings are the result of hyperactive bone turnover rate occurring secondary to the hyperparathyroidism


There is little reported on the work environment of thoroughbred breeding operations. As a first step toward minimizing risk in this hazardous industry, this study documents farm and workforce characteristics, employment conditions, and organisational and job factors on thoroughbred farms in one southeastern state in the U.S. Data were collected via a phone-administered survey with a convenience sample of management representatives (owner, manager, or human resource personnel) from 32 thoroughbred breeding farms. Farms chiefly employed a full-time, non-native, low-wage labour force that worked long hours year-round, but that was offered numerous benefits. Seasonal workers, also commonly employed, received low wages, few benefits, and experienced low retention. Future research is necessary to determine how the interplay between work organisation factors influences farmworkers' risk of injury and illness as well as their subsequent health outcomes.


Do military disputes between two states suppress trade between their firms? Both liberals and realists suggest that conflict occurrence reduces bilateral trade. However, using a rational expectation argument, Morrow (1999) proposes that conflict occurrence and trade should be uncorrelated statistically. Empirical evidence to date both supports expectations and appears contradictory and inconclusive. We offer a theory that reconciles, encompasses, and extends the competing arguments, explaining the empirical inconsistency. By incorporating rational expectations and uncertainty into the profit calculus of trading firms, the theory identifies the conditions under which various properties of a conflict (onset, duration, and severity) should and should not reduce bilateral trade ex ante and ex post . We test the ex post effects in two datasets that cover either a wider range of countries or a longer time period than previous quantitative studies. Both an unexpected MID onset and the unexpectedness of a MID onset reduce bilateral trade substantially ex post . Preliminary tests suggest that MID duration and severity also affect bilateral trade ex post . We conclude by discussing the implications of our research.


Objective. To determine structural origin of joint pain in hypermobility syndrome (HS) by sonographic scanning. Material and. 48 women aged 16 to 25 years were examined. 21 HS patients of group 1 had knee pain (12 bilateral and 9 unilateral, 33 painful joints), group II consisted of 17 women with HS without knee pain. 10 healthy women were included in control group. Degree of hypermobility was assessed according to Beighton score. Sonographic examination was performed with 5-7,5 MHz linear and convex probes. Thickness of synovial tissue and femur condyles cartilage, presence of synovial fluid, state of menisci, collateral ligaments, m. semimembranosus tendon was estimated. Results. Sonographic changes (mainly collateral ligaments edema and tendinitis of m. semimembranosus tendon) were found in 30 of 33 painful joints of group 1, 16 of 34 joints of group II and only 1 of 20 joints of control group. Frequency of tissue changes adjacent to knee joint differed significantly between groups 1 and II (p=0,001), I and III (p=0,000), 2 and 3 (p=0,01). Conclusion. In most cases knee joint pain in HS is accompanied by sonographic signs of soft tissue damage mainly collateral ligaments edema and tendinitis of m. semimembranosus tendon. These changes in HS may be asymptomatic.


Previous studies have reported a therapeutic window (i.e., a curvilinear relationship between clinical response and drug level) for haloperidol concentrations in serum or plasma. The authors treated 30 acutely decompensated schizophrenic inpatients with a fixed dose of haloperidol (.4 mg/kg/day). After 6 weeks there was no statistically significant correlation between clinical improvement and serum haloperidol concentration. Fifteen subjects with serum concentrations of 5-15 ng/ml did not differ in clinical improvement compared with 15 subjects who had concentrations above 15 ng/ml. These data are consistent with a therapeutic plateau, rather than a window, and suggest that in most cases there is no clinical advantage to the use of haloperidol doses greater than approximately 30 mg/day in schizophrenic patients.


This paper provides an analysis of a continuous, coded ranging scheme. By the use of a Boolean function, several "component" sequences are encoded into a transmitted signal. The receiver correlates the delayed return signal with different Boolean combinations of delayed replicas of the components to determine separately the time delay of each component sequence. From these delays, the total delay is computed. By proper choice of encoding logic, number and type of components, and the decoding logics and procedure, the range can be found in a relatively short time. Optimal parameters of this ranging device are derived.


The genesis of the philosophy of dialogue is associated with the work of Jewish philosophers as Franz Rosenzweig and Martin Buber and also with Ferdinand Ebner from the catholic side. This paper focuses on the protestant tradition of dialogue thinking in philosophy, theology and at least in pedagogy. The Karl Barth's monograph Der R o merbrief (1919, the second edition 1922), which was the programme manifest of dialectical theology, had been published before I and Thou (1923) and the some other standard books. The author reconstructed two types of dialogue thinking patterns – the vertical and the horizontal dialogic. The first type led to the development of so called protestant church pedagogy. From the perspective of educational theory it was the kind of anti-pedagogical movement. Another type of dialogic based on the category of the ethical transcendence and described the "I and Thou" relationship in horizontal dimension. It concentrated on the phenomenology of "Thou-presence". The experience of this presence is not to be seen in the direct way. The "Thou-experience" appears as double meaning and involves continues afford of interpretation. The horizontal dialogic supplies the basis of the modern pedagogy of dialogue. This pedagogy builds the aspects of the general theory of religious and also of humanistic education. It can be used as a philosophical legitimisation of multicultural and ecumenical learning.


Lenticular lens arrays are widely used in the printed display industry and in specialized applications of electronic displays. In general, lenticular arrays can create from interlaced printed images such visual effects as 3-D, animation, flips, morph, zoom, or various combinations. The use of these typically cylindrical lens arrays for this purpose began in the late 1920's. The lenses comprise a front surface having a spherical crosssection and a flat rear surface upon where the material to be displayed is proximately located. The principal limitation to the resultant image quality for current technology lenticular lenses is spherical aberration. This limitation causes the lenticular lens arrays to be generally thick (0.5 mm) and not easily wrapped around such items as cans or bottles. The objectives of this research effort were to develop a realistic analytical model, to significantly improve the image quality, to develop the tooling necessary to fabricate lenticular lens array extrusion cylinders, and to develop enhanced fabrication technology for the extrusion cylinder. It was determined that the most viable cross-sectional shape for the lenticular lenses is elliptical. This shape dramatically improves the image quality. The relationship between the lens radius, conic constant, material refractive index, and thickness will be discussed. A significant challenge was to fabricate a diamond-cutting tool having the proper elliptical shape. Both true elliptical and pseudo-elliptical diamond tools were designed and fabricated. The plastic sheets extruded can be quite thin (< 0.25 mm) and, consequently, can be wrapped around cans and the like. Fabrication of the lenticular engraved extrusion cylinder required remarkable development considering the large physical size and weight of the cylinder, and the tight mechanical tolerances associated with the lenticular lens molds cut into the cylinder's surface. The development of the cutting tool and the lenticular engraved extrusion cylinder will be presented in addition to an illustrative comparison of current lenticular technology and the new technology. Three U.S. patents have been issued as a consequence of this research effort.


We fabricated and measured GaN-based resonant cavity light-emitting diodes with a 30 nm thick Indium tin oxide (ITO) thin film as a transparent contact layer. Four different ITO structures on p-type GaN samples were deposited by sputter and e-gun, and the corresponding device performance was compared. Each of these four samples has been annealed by its optimal parameters. The ITO thin film deposited by sputter demonstrated better electrical characteristics, surface morphology, specific contact resistance, and the overall device light output compared to those of the e-gun samples. Between the two sputtered ITO types, the hybrid type shows higher roll-over current density of 14 kA/cm2, and the output power is increased from 15 to 39 μ W. From statistical data of the 2-D light intensity under the same current, we saw the lateral current spreading of the pure crystalline ITO by sputter is worst. The hybrid type, which combines the crystalline and amorphous ITO, has the best overall performance when we consider all the electrical, optical, and metrology measurements. From these results, we believe the 30 nm thick hybrid ITO thin film has the best potential to be applied in light emitting devices such as light-emitting diodes, laser diodes, etc.


Landfills are the final repository for most of the discarded material from human society and its "built environments." Microorganisms subsequently degrade this discarded material in the landfill, releasing gases (largely CH4 and CO2) and a complex mixture of soluble chemical compounds in leachate. Characterization of "landfill microbiomes" and their comparison across several landfills should allow the identification of environmental or operational properties that influence the composition of these microbiomes and potentially their biodegradation capabilities. To this end, the composition of landfill microbiomes was characterized as part of an ongoing USGS national survey studying the chemical composition of leachates from 19 non-hazardous landfills across 16 states in the continental U.S. The landfills varied in parameters such as size, waste composition, management strategy, geography, and climate zone. The diversity and composition of bacterial and archaeal populations in leachate samples were characterized by 16S rRNA gene sequence analysis, and compared against a variety of physical and chemical parameters in an attempt to identify their impact on selection. Members of the Epsilonproteobacteria, Gammaproteobacteria, Clostridia, and candidate division OP3 were the most abundant. The distribution of the observed phylogenetic diversity could best be explained by a combination of variables and was correlated most strongly with the concentrations of chloride and barium, rate of evapotranspiration, age of waste, and the number of detected household chemicals. This study illustrates how leachate microbiomes are distinct from those of other natural or built environments, and sheds light on the major selective forces responsible for this microbial diversity.


This paper explores the trajectory of a novel evaluation device for customer satisfaction with service encounters and the performance of financial advisors. Drawing on literature on quantification and commensuration, boundary objects and bipartite collaboration, we explore the set-up and collaboration between employer and trade union in the design phase and the actual use and translation of the valuation system. The data stems from a multi-year, multi-site study of banking in two Nordic countries. The analysis illustrates how, when some operational managers started using the device to suit their own purposes, the process morphed from an initial agreement into a dispute. The paper shows how quantitative systems of evaluation easily diverge from their initially proposed purposes when in use, producing reactivity and resistance among organizational members. Some financial advisors were positive about the evaluation device and the opportunity it afforded to improve performance, whereas others regarded it as another surveillance attempt for enhancing management control. We also contribute to the literature by elaborating on the relationship between reactivity and resistance on individual and collective levels.


The medicinal plants play a crucial role in world health and that is why they have been regarded as one of the primarily used agents since ages for the treatment and prevention of a number of diseases. Eucalyptus globulus, a plant from family myrtaceae, commonly known as blue gum, grows well in Nilgiris, Annamalai, Palni and Simla hills. Eucalyptus globulus is a rich source of phytochemical constituents which contain flavonoids, alkaloids, tannins and propanoids, which are present in the leaf, stem and root of the plant. Numerous studies have shown that Eucalyptus globulus exhibit various properties like anti-inflammatory, anticancer, antibacterial, antiseptic and astringent. The present review articles critically discusses about various phytochemicals associated with the plant alongwith numerous pharmacological properties exhibited by the plant.


Hong Kong appears to be a dream venue for the Internet as a mass medium: There are a well-developed telecommunications infrastructure, a population with both financial resources and bilingual (Chinese and English) abilities, and a legal environment in which there is virtually no government regulation of content. However, recent experience with the slow adoption of other new media in Hong Kong, including cable TV and interactive TV, has sounded a cautionary note about the potential use and impact of the Internet in this technologically sophisticated city. Based on a telephone survey of 1,000 adult residents, this paper examines the adoption, use, and social impact of the Internet in Hong Kong using a chain process model that was initially developed by Dutton, Rogers, and Jun (1987) for research on home computing. The results show that Internet adoption is affected by a full range of factors, including one's personal characteristics, socioeconomic status, socio-cultural settings, and perceived compatibility of the Internet. On the other hand, Internet use is primarily affected by socioeconomic status and perceived compatibility. The study also found that both adoption and use of the Internet have observable impact on leisure activities and concerns for privacy and other Internet-related negative consequences. However, these effects are not overarching but rather confined to specific attitudes and behavior.


A micro steam car construction project was introduced for the first time in Fall 2000 as part of an introduction to agricultural engineering course for freshmen. Its purpose was to provide students with a hands-on engineering design experience constructing and testing a micro steam car. Most of the materials for building the car were supplied as a kit and comprised raw materials in the form of sheet metal, soda can, rubber tubes, wire, string and tin lids. Students built a car approximately 30 cm long powered by an ethanol heated tin can boiler, a pin sized nozzle and a turbine, which drives the front wheel. The project culminates with a competition in which the objective is to achieve maximum distance traveled on 20 mL of ethanol fuel. Apart from learning some metal working and soldering skills, the nature of the project allowed students to wrestle with a number of basic engineering and science concepts such as energy conservation, heat transfer and efficiency. While engineers in their first year of study may not yet have covered these topics in any detail in their classes, the need to try and identify factors contributing to the performance of the car provided a long-lasting learning experience. They are also able to practice problem-solving skills and learn to work in teams. Feedback from students on the project was positive with most students concluding that it had been a worthwhile activity in terms of learning problem-solving skills, working in a team and getting to know other students.


Objective: To investigate serum 5-HT level in premature ejaculation (PE) patients and evaluate its clinical value in diagnosis and treatment of PE. Methods: 71 patients were recruited in this study. Their serums were collected before and after sertraline treatment, while serums from 64 normal males were also collected as a control. Serum 5-HT level was detected by ELISA. SPSS 17.0 software was used to analyze the level of serum 5-HT and the ROC curve was drawn. Results: The average serum 5-HT level of PE patients was 61.9 ng/ml in our study, which was significantly lower than that of the control group (120.6 ng/ml), with statistical significance (p < 0.01). After sertraline treatment, the average serum 5-HT level in PE patients was 98.9 ng/ml, which was significantly higher than that before sertraline treatment. Sensitivity and specificity for serum 5-HT as a predictive diagnostic tool for PE were 92.2 and 93.0%, respectively, and the cutoff value of serum 5-HT was 86.4 ng/ml. Conclusions: Our study showed that serum 5-HT level may be used as a functional diagnostic tool for PE and an indicator in PE treatment.


The preliminary proposal was released almost two months prior to the SRIA submittal deadline to give stakeholders sufficient time to comment and propose alternatives, and allow for ample time to incorporate comments and alternatives into the analysis. The final Low Carbon Fuel Standard (LCFS) regulation and Commercialization of Alternative Diesel Fuels (ADF) regulation, to be proposed to the Air Resources Board for consideration of adoption in 2015, will be informed by continued interactions with stakeholders, external researchers, and other regulatory agencies. Due to the strongly complementary nature of these policies, the macroeconomic effects of the two programs are modeled together for the purposes of this SRIA (referred to as the combined LCFS/ADF proposal). The SRIA for both regulations, as required to be submitted to the Department of Finance, is presented below.


Pain caused by tumor infiltration of the sacral area remains a major clinical challenge. Patients with poor pain control despite comprehensive medical management may be treated with neuraxial techniques such as continuous epidural or spinal anesthetic. We report a case in which a patient with metastatic breast cancer experienced inadequate pain relief after multiple intravenous pain management regimens as well as intrathecal (IT) drug delivery. The concentration of local anesthetics delivered via the IT catheter was limited due to the patient's baseline motor weakness which would be exacerbated with higher concentrations of local anesthetics. Thus, a decision was made to insert an epidural catheter via a retrograde technique to provide the patient with a "band of anesthesia" which would provide profound sensory blockade without concomitant motor weakness. Pain refractory to other modalities of pain control was successfully treated with the epidural technique.


Background and Objectives:Carotid intima media thickness (IMT) is associated with an increased risk of cardiovascular events whereas the Framingham risk score (FRS) is globally used to evaluate cardiovascular risk. We sought to evaluate the relationship between carotid IMT and FRS in Korean patients with coronary arteriosclerosis. Subjects and Methods:The study population consisted of angiographically proven 267 consecutive patients with coronary arteriosclerosis (mean age 59 years, 141 males). Carotid IMT was measured by high-resolution ultrasound and semiautomatic methods. The FRS was derived from the algorithm published in the National Cholesterol Education Program Adult Treatment Panel III guidelines (NCEP-ATP III) using age, gender, smoking, systolic blood pressure level, use of antihypertensive treatment and total and high-density lipoprotein cholesterol levels. Results:Carotid IMT correlated with the FRS in men (r=0.307, p<0.001) and in women (r= 0.429, p<0.001). The severity of CAD, which was graded on the number of stenosed major coronary arteries more than 50%, showed a significant positive correlation with the FRS (r=0.266, p<0.001) and carotid IMT (r= 0.166, p=0.007). The mean value of the FRS in patients with carotid plaque was higher than in patients without carotid plaque (15.0±3.9 and 12.0±4.4, p<0.001). The FRS was independently associated with carotid IMT in men and women (β=6.433, p=0.001 and β=11.271, p<0.001, respectively). Conclusion:The FRS for primary prevention was significantly associated with carotid IMT even in patients with CAD and also a correlation with the severity of CAD. The FRS may be helpful to predict the prognosis in patients with coronary arteriosclerosis such as carotid IMT and a prospective cohort study may be required to certify the usefulness of the FRS. (Korean Circulation J 2007;37:425-431)


A new nonlinear compensation technique to capacitor pressure sensor (CPS) based on least square support vector regression (LSSVR) is proposed. In this technique, LSSVR is used as an inverse model of the CPS; therefore, the proposed technique can automatically compensate the effect of the associated non-linearity to estimate the applied pressure. Furthermore, the flexibility of the proposed technique effectively compensates any variation of the CPS's output occurring due to change in environmental temperature. The results of actual CPS compensation experiment indicate that this LSSVR approach is a useful alternative to the existing ones. This technique would be useful for other types of sensors such as thermocouples, flow sensors, magnetometer etc., possessing similar nonlinear response characteristics. The presented method has a potential future in the field of instrumentation and measurement.


Imaging and sensing based on fusing the compelling features of optical and ultrasonic waves is the fastest growing area of research in biomedical optics. The annual SPIE conference on this topic, co-chaired by both of us, has been doubling in size approximately every three years since 2003 (Fig. 1). As of 2009, this conference has become the largest at SPIE Photonics West. Hybrid modalities such as photoacoustic or optoacoustic tomography can provide deep tissue penetration, high ultrasonic resolution, and speckle-free optical contrast. Applications include in vivo functional and molecular imaging of cancer, neurophysiology, and vascular disease in both animals and humans. Major challenges include development of quantitative imaging, improvement of contrast and resolution, and commercialization of the technology. We look forward to seeing significant preclinical and clinical impact from this emerging technology.


In contract manufacturing, the circuit netlist is owned by the ASIC customer. The manufacturer is required to work strictly within the design structure established by the customer. To manufacture high-quality components in this environment, it is critical to meet the customer's mandated quality and performance criteria, while minimizing hardware overhead and introducing little or no design change. In this paper, the authors present a test framework for contract-manufactured ASICs using low-cost testers. Key aspects of the framework are low hardware overhead, significant savings in test data volume and test cost, and tight integration of the at-speed and ATE-driven test components to the design and manufacturing process.


Environmental strategies also known as environmental management practices that adopted by hotel management which help them to monitor their activities in order to preserve the environment. However, these strategies which include energy management, water conservation and waste management have their own impact toward customer green purchase intention. Understanding customer perception toward green product is crucial to attract customer in purchasing environmental-friendly hotel. This paper using self-administered questionnaire adapted from previous researchers with total of 400 respondents. From the findings, it showed that most of the respondents agreed that  'designing parking areas under the hotel's building to reduce site footprint', 'fixing toilet leaks immediately' and 'encouraging recycling campaign by using refillable amenities' as the three main agreeable items in the environmental strategies. Most of the respondents also agreed that they were willing to stay in a hotel that practices environmental strategies. Importance implications for hoteliers and academicians been discussed through the investigation of this study.


We have designed, implemented, and tested a flexible receiving and processing multichannel system for signals in the 1,090-MHz band with significant air traffic management applications in surveillance and communication. Thanks to a wide bandwidth and a large dynamic range, with four linear channels plus a logarithmic channel, this TDR allows us to record the signals of interest with minimal distortion, from sources whose distance from the antenna sys-tem ranges from a few tens of meters up to hundreds of kilometers. From the recorded signals, it is possible: 1) to characterize the traffic in the 1,090-MHz band, and 2) to test the effectiveness of different source separation algorithms, either based on space diversity or based on frequency diversity. The system permits a higher degree of automation and higher quantity of data acquisition than some previous experimental systems.


In recent years there has been a strong trend of emigration of Greek medical doctors. The reason for this phenomenon is certainly multifactorial, but it has been greatly exacerbated due to the latest financial crisis. The United Kingdom is one of the most popular destinations amongst emigrating Greek psychiatric doctors, as reflected by official data and by the sheer volume of requests for information received by the United Kingdom Division of the Hellenic Psychiatric Association. There are many systemic and practical differences between the Greek and the United Kingdom health systems, which complicate training and further career decisions. These complex differences make it hard for psychiatric doctors to decide which steps to take, and often result in them making the "wrong" decision. These "wrong" decisions are very often the result of poor information or misinformation. For instance many doctors are confused about the equivalence of training and service grades between Greece and the United Kingdom, what a good portfolio means, or the significance of the MRCPsych exam. This information exists, sometimes in comprehensive ways on the internet, but for doctors who are not familiar with the system, finding this information can be a time-consuming and laborious task. Therefore, providing a starting point with realistic and useful information about psychiatric training and generally career progression in the United Kingdom to Greek psychiatric doctors has become very important. The United Kingdom Division of the Hellenic Psychiatric Association has decided to pick up the role of providing exactly that information. The first part of this two-piece paper provides a starting point for Greek doctors considering the move to the United Kingdom for training and/or work in psychiatry. Firstly, it gives a general overview of psychiatric training in the United Kingdom, and explains that the pragmatic equivalence between training stages between Greece and the United Kingdom often differs from the formal equivalence. It also explains the salient differences between the Greek and the United Kingdom's health systems and highlights some common pitfalls. Furthermore, it explains some career options psychiatric trainees and specialists can follow in the UK, including clinical and academic training and service posts. The second part of this paper explores in more detail the structure and inner workings of psychiatric training, again emphasising the important differences between the Greek and the United Kingdom's training systems, and highlighting those differences that may be useful to a transitioning doctor. This diptych is meant to be informative, not advisory, and thus is not meant to either encourage or discourage the migration of interested parties.


Old tricks, new dog: CRISPR/Cas9 is a powerful tool for gene editing that requires an endonuclease (Cas9) and RNA strands. It has been shown that chemical modification of the RNA structures, an approach that has been used to improve the efficiency of RNA interference, can also be applied to enhance the activity of CRISPR/Cas9 and reduce its off-target effects.


The formation of disinfection by-products (DBPs) is challenging from both public health and drinking water treatment perspectives. Over 700 DBPs have been identified, however, a large proportion of halogenated DBPs are unknown, and the compounds responsible for the observed associations between consumption of disinfected drinking water and adverse health outcomes have yet to be identified. The measurement of total organic halogen (TOX) provides the only measure of the overall formation of halogenated DBPs, and is an attractive alternative to the measurement of individual DBPs. This paper presents a critical review of the analysis of TOX and the utility of TOX as a water quality parameter in drinking water treatment. In TOX analysis, the evolution of instrument technology has improved the sensitivity and selectivity of the measurement, and the use of good quality activated carbon was found to be crucial to achieving good recoveries (>90%). The concentrations of TOX in drinking water are not static, with the transformation or degradation of TOX over time forming smaller DBPs. Advanced oxidation processes (AOPs) could reduce or promote the formation of TOX as a result of transformations of precursor materials. Evaluation of the available existing data showed strong correlations between molar concentrations of TOX, and THMs and HAAs. Positive correlations between the concentrations of TOX and the in vitro toxicity of disinfected waters have also been reported. Therefore, one measurement of TOX can potentially provide information on the levels of regulated DBPs and toxicity in a sample, which means that a comprehensive assessment of water quality can potentially be achieved with a single measurement of TOX.


This paper identifies and studies two major issues in the blind source separation problem: separability and separation principles. We show that separability is an intrinsic property of the measured signals and can be described by the concept of m-row decomposability introduced in this paper; we also show that separation principles can be developed by using the structure characterization theory of random variables. In particular, we show that these principles can be derived concisely and intuitively by applying the Darmois-Skitovich theorem, which is well known in statistical inference theory and psychology. Some new insights are gained for designing blind source separation filters.


Children with HIV infection have highly specialized physical and psychosocial needs. Appropriately applied, standard and creative nursing interventions can greatly improve the quality of life.


BACKGROUND
The femoral hernia, the least common of all groin hernias, is seen most frequently in females. The main techniques for repair are femoral, inguinal and extraperitoneal Cheatle-Henry techniques. With laparoscopic surgery, total extraperitoneal technique is done with a patch to cover the femoral ring. We undertook this study to present the experience with the Cheatle-Henry operation for treatment of femoral hernia.

METHODS
The study took place at the ABC Hospital, a third-level care institution in Mexico City. The study design was retrospective, observational, and descriptive. Medical records of patients with femoral hernias treated by the authors during a 27-year period utilizing the Cheatle-Henry operation were analyzed.

RESULTS
Thirty-nine patients with femoral hernia treated with the Cheatle-Henry operation were found. There were 34 females (87.2%) and five males (12.8%) with an average age of 48 years, (range: 18-84 years). Hernia was more common on the right side with 31 cases (79.48%). Elective surgery was done in 26 cases (66.65%) and emergency operations were done in 13 patients (33.53%). There was no morbidity/mortality.

CONCLUSIONS
Cheatle-Henry operation is a safe and secure technique to operate on femoral hernia, which is the least common of all groin hernias.


April to October, 1997 comparative studies on the nitrogen budgets of closed shrimp polyculture systems showed that, in all the studied polyculture systems, nitrogen from feeds and fertilizers were the main input items, which comprised 70.7%-83.9% of the total input nitrogen, 3.2%-7.4% of which was provided by nitrogen fixation. It was in monoculture enclosures (Y 4, Y 11 and Y 12) that the percentage reached the maximum value. The output nitrogen in harvested products comprised 10.8%-24.6% of total input nitrogen, and the highest percentage, 24.6%, was found in shrimp fish tagelus polyculture systems. In shrimp monoculture and shrimp fish polyculture systems, they were 19.1% and 21.9%, respectively. The nitrogen utilization efficiency was different and varied from 12.2% to 20.1%. The highest, 20.1%, was found in shrimp fish tagelus polyculture systems, and the average of 20.0% was found in shrimp tagelus polyculture systems. The lowest, 12.2%, was found in shrimp monoculture systems. All the nitrogen utilization efficiencies in shrimp fish systems or shrimp scallop systems seemed to be higher than that of the monoculture system, but they showed little statistical difference. The main outputs of nitrogen were found in sediment mud, and comprised 48.2%-60.8% of the total input, the lowest percentage was found in shrimp fish tagelus polyculture systems, and the highest percentage in shrimp scallop systems. During the experiment, nitrogen lost through denitrification and ammonia volatilization comprised 1.9%-6.2%, averaged 2.8%, of the total input, and the loss through seepage comprised 5.9%-8.9% of the total. The estimated nitrogen attached to the enclosure wall comprised 3.7%-13.3% of the total, and was highest in shrimp monoculture systems. Compared with the classic shrimp farming industry, the closed shrimp polyculture systems may improve the nitrogen utilization efficiency, and hence reduce the environmental impacts on coastal waters. The nitrogen discharging rates for all the studied polyculture systems ranged from 3.0% to 6.0% of total input nitrogen.


Molnupiravir is a ribonucleoside analog and exhibits its antiviral mechanism by inhibiting replication. Preclinical studies have been reported that support the role of Molnupiravir towards the prophylaxis, cure, and prevention of SARS-CoV-2 infection. In addition to it, clinical studies have confirmed its activity against the most common variants of SARS-CoV-2.

The manuscript aims to demonstrate the rationale behind the clinical use of Molnupiravir in the treatment of COVID-19 infection at the early stage of the onset of symptoms specific to five days.

A thorough literature search has been carried out using various suitable keywords to extract details on the antiviral mechanism, preclinical, and clinical use of Molnupiravir, its safety, tolerability, dosage, duration of treatment, etc.

The reported studies demonstrate the antiviral action of Molnupiravir by viral error catastrophe mechanism which results in the inhibition of the viral multiplication activity when it enters inside the host cells. The manuscript delivers complete detail regarding pharmacokinetic and pharmacological actions, usage, and various preclinical and clinical studies reported for this newly evaluated drug for the treatment of COVID-19 infection.

The study concludes Molnupiravir has the potential in the treatment of COVID-19 infection. When used along with vaccines, it would be a low-cost, valuable, and incredible asset as an oral anti-COVID drug for saving human life.


Cardiac resynchronization therapy (CRT) is an important advance for the treatment of end-stage heart failure (HF). About 15-50% of HF is complicated by atrial fibrillation (AF), associated with worsened outcomes. The presence of AF may interfere with optimal delivery of CRT due to competition with biventricular (BiV) capture by conducted beats. Pacing algorithms in newer devices may not ensure consistent CRT delivery during periods of rapid ventricular rates. Atrioventricular junction ablation with permanent pacing eliminates interference by conducted beats and provides complete BiV capture and is associated with improved outcomes. Catheter ablation of AF is another promising alternative to maintain sinus rhythm in patients with AF and HF. However, the optimal indications for CRT delivery for patients in this complex cohort remain to be assessed in randomized clinical trials.


Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) is known to suffer from long acquisition time in the orders of several minutes or even hours. Therefore, a feasible way to accelerate DTI data acquisition is highly desirable. In this article, the feasibility and efficacy of distributed compressed sensing to fast DTI is investigated by exploiting the joint sparsity prior in diffusion‐weighted images.


Materials that behave like machines, e.g. functional materials that are able to change shape in response to external stimuli (Bhattacharya and James, 2005), often do so by exploiting phase transitions. Shape memory materials and the tail sheath of Bacteriophage T4 are two well-known examples. For the resulting machine to be effective, the material needs to have desirable and tunable properties. Developing such materials has proven to be an endeavour which requires considerable expertise in materials science, engineering and mathematics (Zhang et al., 2009).
Here, we reverse this approach by instead designing a machine that acts as a material. Our methodology is independent of characteristic length, allowing us to design behaviour from the architected material through to the macroscopic scale. Specifically, we present thermally-actuated structures whose effective continuum behaviour is that of one-dimensional thermoelastic materials. We show that these structures may possess a range of behaviours, such as shape memory, zero or negative thermal expansivity. Moreover, the amplitude of the behaviour, e.g. length change at critical temperature or magnitude of thermal expansivity, can exceed what is attainable through conventional materials. Seemingly incompatible features, such as low barriers to transformation and stiffness across high elongations, can be combined; the designer can independently control the critical heating and cooling temperatures and eliminate hysteresis, if desired; changes in length can be either continuous or discontinuous; and shape memory can be combined with negative thermal expansivity.


Although still largely experimental, devices that decipher brain signals are advancing quickly and allowing some fully paralyzed people to interact with the world. Most of these so-called brain-computer interfaces (BCIs) read the electrical impulses created by neural activity through the scalp, but some scientists are advancing a type of BCI that is implanted inside the brain and taps into the more detailed neural signals relayed by individual neurons. Whether the implanted devices will actually lead to more versatile and workable BCIs than the external type is a matter of fierce debate.


Abstract Comparative housing scholars have, for many years now, imported typologies from non-housing spheres to explain housing phenomena. Notably, approaches attempting to account for divergent housing tenure patterns and trends have frequently been organized around typologies based on the assumption that a causal relationship exists between homeownership rates and the type of welfare regime or, more recently, the variety of residential capitalism a country exhibits. While these housing-welfare regime approaches have provided important research tools, we argue that the typologies they generate represent cross-sectional snapshots which offer little enduring cogency. Based on long-run data, we show that the postulated associations between homeownership, welfare and mortgage debt are historically contingent. This paper makes the case for employing historicized typologies, proposing a country-based typology linking historical housing finance system trajectories to urban form and tenure, with regional dimensions. We argue the need for typologies which can accommodate longitudinal, path-dependent dimensions, both within and between countries.


Poor usability of IT security present a serious security vulnerability which can be exploited to compromise systems that are otherwise secure. This is of particular concern when considering that the majority of people connecting to the Internet are not experts in IT security. Personal firewalls represent the most important security mechanisms for protecting users against Internet security threats. However, the knowledge and skills required to effectively manage and operate some aspects of a firewall may surpasses the capability of the average user. A set of security usability principles can be used to determined whether a security system has good usability. This paper evaluates the usability of personal firewalls systems by conducting a cognitive walkthrough to identify elements of the design which may violate these usability principles. The paper concludes with recommendations and suggestions for future work in the analysis and design of personal firewalls.


We describe a method for minimally invasive intracellular chemical analysis, employing a nanometer scale optical device that can be entirely inserted into a single living cell. These devices consist of monodisperse spherical 20-200 nm PEBBLE (Probe Encapsulated by Biologically Localized Embedding) sensors and have been developed for several analytes, including calcium, potassium, glucose and oxygen. We have developed a method for minimally invasive intracellular chemical analysis, employing a nanometer scale optical device that can be entirely inserted into a single living cell. These devices consist of monodisperse spherical 20-200 nm PEBBLE (Probe Encapsulated by Biologically Localized Embedding) sensors, which are composed of a polymer or sol-gel matrix incorporated with fluorescent indicator dyes, and have been developed for several analytes, including calcium, potassium, glucose and oxygen. The fluorescent PEBBLE sensors have been made ratiometric, show good reversibility and are biocompatible. PEBBLE sensors have been delivered in several ways, including gene gun bombardment and packaging in liposomes, and are used with traditional optical microscopy and spectroscopy, as well as with time resolved fluorescence and confocal microscopy. PEBBLE nanosensors have been applied to a variety of experimental biological models of disease,


Flexion of the index finger is a fairly complex process requiring the coordination of different joints. This study is the first attempt to investigate how the angular velocity profile of the three right index joints (DIP, PIP, and MCP) varies with respect to time during the course of flexion. Ten right-handed subjects (healthy college students between 21 and 23 years old) were recruited to participate in the experiment. Each of these human subjects was instructed to perform a flexion task with his/her right hand. Five miniaturized (5-mm diameter) reflective markers were applied to each human subject: three placed at the DIP, PIP, and MCP joints of the index finger on the side close to thumb, and the rest at the predetermined landmarks on dorsum of thumb. A high-speed camera was used to record the motion of the index finger during a paced flexion, and the instantaneous angular velocity of each joint was determined by relating the marker displacement to the frame frequency (~5 ms between two consecutive frames). Opposite to the general belief that the speed is constant throughout a flexion cycle, to our best knowledge, this study, for the first time, has revealed that the speed of multi-joint movement actually varies with time. It has been identified that during one full flexion cycle, the angular velocity of the three joints of interest undergoes five distinguishable phases, referred as phases P1 (slow), P2 (fast), P3 (slow), P4 (fast), and P5 (slow), respectively. It has also been observed that duration of each of phases P1, P2, P4, or P5 accounts for approximately 10–15% of the whole flexion cycle, while P3 lasts for nearly half a cycle. Furthermore, although the flexions of DIP, PIP, and MCP joints cycle through the same five phases, the starts of their respective phases tend to vary. In P2 and P5, flexion of MCP takes place considerably later than those of PIP and DIP, whereas DIP flexes earlier than PIP in P2. The angular velocity of each joint reaches its peaks in P2 and P4; the peak velocity of DIP occurs earlier than that of PIP or MCP in P2, whereas peak of MCP is reached later than that of PIP. Moreover, the three joints of index finger flex with different angular velocities in each of the five phases: PIP moves significantly faster than MCP in P2, whereas DIP moves faster than MCP in P4. The results from our study indicate that the multi-joint motion of index finger is an uneven course, i.e. different joints flex with different angular velocities during the flexion. The temporal features of the velocity due to a single joint or multi-joint motion provide useful information to further clarify the dexterity of finger movement.


This paper describes a dynamic thermal model for a representative dual axis rotational Chemical-Mechanical Polishing (CMP) tool. The model is one-dimensional but configured in the two-dimensional space and consists of three sub-models (pad, wafer and slurry fluid), with the first and the second that are time-dependent heat conduction-convection models with linear stationary (wafer) and nonlinear moving (pad) boundary conditions, and the last one that is a heat transport-convection model (slurry fluid). The modeling approach is validated by comparing the simulation results with available experimental data.


We report on NbTiN hot electron bolometer (HEB) mixer design and fabrication for the 1.4, 1.9 and 2.5 THz frequency bands. The mixers under discussion are our contribution to the multi-band single-pixel receivers of the German Receiver for Astronomy at Terahertz Frequencies (GREAT), which is a first light instrument for the airborne Stratospheric Observatory for Infrared Astronomy (SOFIA), and the focal plane array receiver on the balloon-borne Stratospheric Terahertz Observatory (STO). We measure device noise vs. intermediate frequency (IF) and analyse the receiver system output power stability and IF band ripple with newly developed SiGe low-noise amplifiers from the S. Weinreb group (Caltech). The mixers use waveguide technology with the device coupled to the fundamental waveguide mode via an integrated probe antenna. The device is electrically connected through beam leads, which reliably suspend the 2 μm thin Si3N4 membrane with micrometer mounting precision. Electron beam lithography defines the 400 nm long and 4 nm thick NbTiN microbridges and a novel deep reactive-ion etch is used for shaping of the substrates.


An analytical approach to the theory of diffraction transformation of pulses with superbroad spectra and arbitrary time dependence, in particular half-cycle (unipolar), single-cycle, and multicycle pulses, was developed. Closed-form solutions were found for on-axis propagation of half-cycle pulses with initially Gaussian spatial profiles that have either cosh21-like or Gaussian time dependence, for single-cycle pulses based on higher modes of these functions, and for multicycle pulses. The far-field propagation demonstrates common patterns of time-derivative behavior regardless of the initial spatiotemporal profile. It is also shown that the time width of an off-axis pulse increases with the angle of observation. Owing to time–space reciprocity, the pulse transformation that is due to diffraction can be reversed, e.g., by reflection of a pulse from a spherical concave mirror. © 1998 Optical Society of America [S0740-3224(98)03603-0] OCIS codes: 320.2250, 050.1960, 260.1960, 320.5540, 170.6920, 320.5550.


Nanotechnology based on the use of submicronic particles of inorganic and/or organic origin has the potential to revolutionalize the clinical management of cancer; the possibility of real time monitoring of disease progression and effects of therapy is now real. Especially, iron oxide super paramagnetic nanoparticles have shown clinical utility in cancer imaging and drug delivery and some formulations are now FDA-approved for use in the clinic. The prospects of magnetic nanoparticles in cancer imaging and treatment are reviewed.


UNLABELLED
This article presents findings of the thermal comfort study in hospitals. A field survey was conducted to investigate the temperature range for thermal comfort in hospitals in the tropics. Thermal acceptability assessment was conducted to examine whether the hospitals in the tropics met the ASHRAE Standard-55 80% acceptability criteria. A total of 114 occupants in four hospitals were involved in the study. The results of the field study revealed that only 44% of the examined locations met the comfort criteria specified in ASHRAE Standard 55. The survey also examined the predicted percentage of dissatisfied in the hospitals. The results showed that 49% of the occupants were satisfied with the thermal environments in the hospitals. The field survey analysis revealed that the neutral temperature for Malaysian hospitals was 26.4 degrees C. The comfort temperature range that satisfied 90% of the occupants in the space was in the range of 25.3-28.2 degrees C. The results from the field study suggested that a higher comfort temperature was required for Malaysians in hospital environments compared with the temperature criteria specified in ASHRAE Standard (2003). In addition, the significant deviation between actual mean vote and predicted mean vote (PMV) strongly implied that PMV could not be applied without errors in hospitals in the tropics.

PRACTICAL IMPLICATIONS
The new findings on thermal comfort temperature range in hospitals in the tropics could be used as an important guide for building services engineers and researchers who are intending to minimize energy usage in heating, ventilating and air conditioning systems in hospitals operating in the tropics with acceptable thermal comfort level and to improve the performance and well-being of its workers.


Ricasoli is a village
located in a morphological high in the Upper Arno river Valley (Tuscany), an
area historically subject to widespread slope instability phenomena. This morphological high and the
surrounding slopes result to be affected by numerous landslides, which cause
the retreat of the escarpments surrounding the village, involving infrastructures
and buildings. To better understand the behaviour of these phenomena a complete
characterization, in terms of kinematics, mechanical properties and triggering
conditions, of the landslides has been carried out. With this aim several
boreholes, equipped both with inclinometer and piezometers, have been drilled
and a number of samples have been collected and analysed. In addition to the traditional
analysis, the radar
satellite interferometry has been used to evaluate the evolution of the landslides
and its correlation with rainfalls; furthermore a finite difference numerical
modelling has been carried out to investigate the kinematics of the landslides
and the deformation pattern.


First published in 1996, Robert Ferguson's controversial "Henrik Ibsen: A New Biography" is perhaps the most irreverent and critical of all the Ibsen biographies. Ferguson provides insight into Ibsen's personal life, his creative work, and the world in which he lived. He paints the portrait of a complex, emotionally tormented artist - not one who is necessarily likable, but one whom we can understand and appreciate. Using previously unavailable material, including a letter in which Ibsen admits paternity of his illegitimate son, Ferguson chips through the hard enamel of Ibsen's public reputation. He details many of Ibsen's private traumas, such as how his inability to pay for the child's support very nearly landed him in jail, and shows the real impact of these experiences on Ibsen's growth, both as a man and as a playwright. This book clearly demonstrates that Ibsen was one of the great therapeutic artists. "Henrik Ibsen: A New Biography" is a deeply researched, wide-ranging account of the man often called the founder of modern drama. At the time of its publication it polarised the critics and stirred up a great deal of debate. It is an essential reading for anyone interested in Ibsen and in the development of the modern theatre.


Studies on attitudes toward disability have continued to be an important research component in the field of rehabilitation counseling. Chubon (1992) stated that negative societal attitudes toward people with disabilities could be viewed as "invisible barriers" to successful rehabilitation. Chan et al. (1988, 2002) and Leung (1990, 1993) indicated that it is important to study attitudes toward people with disabilities because societal attitudes have been assumed to be a significant factor in defining the life experiences, opportunities, and help-seeking behaviors of people with disabilities. The constrictive effects of negative societal attitudes in preventing individuals with disabilities from mainstreaming into society are well documented in the rehabilitation literature (Arokiasamy, Rubin, & Roessler, 2001; Brodwin & Orange, 2002; Cook, 1998; DeLoach, 1994; Moore & Feist-Price, 1999; Orange, 2002; Yuker, 1994, 1995). Assistive technology (AT) has helped people with disabilities in becoming full, participating members of society, including the critical area of employment. AT provides more viable options and choices, helps improve quality of life, independent functioning, and empowerment for people with disabilities. As such, changes brought about by technology improve the visibility and integration of people with disabilities and affect attitudes in positive ways. Through greater productivity and improved self-sufficiency, AT replaces or extends capacities to cope with social, educational, vocational, and daily living demands (Reed, 2002; Rubin & Roessler, 2001). Research studies on attitudes toward disability are numerous. Yet, little has been published in the area of dating and marriage. For full integration in society, more open attitudes need to exist in all areas, including those of an interpersonal nature. Often, researchers have found that societal attitudes have become more positive in the vocational and educational arenas, but not within the personal and social domains. Little research has been conducted to measure societal attitudes toward dating and marriage of persons with disabilities. By assessing these attitudes, researchers can determine how negative attitudes are toward dating and marriage, and assess ways to modify these attitudes. The majority of research on attitudes toward disability has a focus on: (a) psychometric assessment of attitudes toward persons with disabilities; (b) personal and demographic correlates of attitudes toward persons with disabilities; and (c) strategies for changing attitudes toward people with disabilities (Grand, Bernier, & Strohmer, 1982; Moore & Feist-Price, 1999). Most studies were conducted in western countries, and the generalizability of these results to other countries is relatively unknown (Chan et al., 1988, 2002). As many of the Pacific Rim countries with a high concentration of Chinese residents (e.g., Hong Kong, Taiwan, and Singapore) have become more affluent through industrialization during the past three decades, the governments of these countries have begun to set policy objectives to improve and expand rehabilitation services. To foster more positive societal attitudes toward the provision of rehabilitation services in Chinese communities, it is imperative for researchers to explore ways to uncover factors influencing attitude formation (both latent and manifest), which could then be used to form the basis for modifying negative attitudes toward people with disabilities in Asian countries. Asian Americans, including Americans of a Chinese descent, represent a large minority group in the United States, and many are recent immigrants or first generation Americans. According to Census figures, in 1990, almost one in four Americans had African, Asian, Hispanic, or Native American ancestry, in contrast to only one in five in 1980 (Leung, 1993; Yang, Leung, Wang, & Shim, 1996). …


The photovoltaic properties of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) with a carbon electrode fabricated using different annealing processes are investigated. Perovskite formation (50 oC, 60 min) using a hot-plate and an oven is carried out on cells with a glass/fluorine doped TiO2/TiO2/ZrO2/carbon structure, and the photovoltaic properties of the PSCs are analyzed using a solar simulator. The microstructures of the PSCs are characterized using an optical microscope, a field emission scanning electron microscope, and an electron probe micro-analyzer (EPMA). Photovoltaic analysis shows that the energy conversion efficiency of the samples fabricated using the hot-plate and the oven processes are 2.08% and 6.90%, respectively. Based on the microstructure of the samples and the results of the EPMA, perovskite is formed locally on the carbon electrode surface as the γ-butyrolactone (GBL) solvent evaporates and moves to the top of the carbon electrode due to heat from the bottom of the sample during the hot plate process. When the oven process is used, perovskite forms evenly inside the carbon electrode, as the GBL solvent evaporates extremely slowly because heat is supplied from all directions. The importance of the even formation of perovskite inside the carbon electrode is emphasized, and the feasibility of oven annealing is confirmed for PSCs with carbon electrodes.


1. The process-based phytoplankton community model, PROTECH, was used to model the response of algal biomass to a range of mixed layer depths and extinction coefficients for three contrasting lakes: Blelham Tarn (eutrophic), Bassenthwaite Lake (mesotrophic) and Ullswater (oligotrophic).

2. As expected, in most cases biomass and diversity decreased with decreasing light availability caused by increasing the mixed depth and background extinction coefficient. The communities were generally dominated by phytoplankton tolerant of low light. Further, more novel, factors were identified, however.

3. In Blelham Tarn in the second half of the year, biomass and diversity did not generally decline with deeper mixing and the community was dominated by nitrogen-fixing phytoplankton because that nutrient was limiting to growth.

4. In Bassenthwaite Lake, changing mixed depth influenced the retention time so that, as the mixed depth declined, the flushing rate in the mixed layer increased to the point that only fast-growing phytoplankton could dominate.

5. In the oligotrophic Ullswater, changing the mixed depth had a greater effect through nutrient supply rather than light availability. This effect was observed when the mixed layer was relatively shallow (<5.5 m) and the driver for this was that the inflowing nutrients were added to a smaller volume of water, thus increasing nutrient concentrations and algal growth.

6. Therefore, whilst changes in mixed depth generally affect the phytoplankton via commonly recognized factors (light availability, sedimentation rate), it also affected phytoplankton growth and community composition through other important factors such as retention time and nutrient supply.


A technique is described in which the circulation of the adrenal glands of the dog is completely isolated on the arterial side as well as on the venous side. With this technique the adrenal glands can be perfused in situ and, if desired, in vivo without any interruption of their blood supply and without any direct trauma. The adrenal glands may be perfused with the dog9s own blood pumped by the dog9s own heart (autoperfusion), or with the blood of another dog pumped by a mechanical pump. It was found that unless both recipient and donor dogs are hypophysectomized, the adrenal glands of the recipient dog are maximally stimulated and are not responsive to large doses of ACTH. If hypophysectomized animals are used, the perfused adrenals secrete small amounts of hydrocortisone and are responsive to very small doses of ACTH. This technique would seem to be an ideal means of studying the direct effect of any agent on the adrenal glands without the interference of other endocrine glands or other organs.


The finite-element study of the effect of temperature variation on plain-jointed concrete pavements is presented. Temperature variation causes curling and thermal-expansion stresses. Curling stresses result from temperature gradients through a slab depth. Thermal-expansion stresses are induced due to uniform changes in temperature that cause the slab to expand. The developed three-dimensional (3D) model consists of four slabs separated by longitudinal and transverse joints. The interaction between the ground and the concrete slab along with interaction at the joints were modeled using interface elements. These elements gave the model the capability to solve for partial contact between curled slabs and the ground to investigate the effect of compressive stresses that may develop at the joints during curling, and to study the influence of friction between slabs and the ground. The data obtained using the finite-element model has shown reasonable agreement with the results obtained from three computer models: KENSLABS, ILLI-SLAB, JSLAB, and the analytical solution proposed by Bradbury. The best correlation was obtained with JSLAB. The model was used to perform parametric studies on curling and thermal-expansion stresses to study the effect of superposition of both stresses and to address the effect of uniform temperature changes on joint opening. Another simpler model using nine layers across the depth of a pavement slab was used to introduce the effects of nonlinear temperature distribution. The results of parametric studies are presented and compared with other solutions. The arithmetic addition of positive curling stresses and thermal-expansion stresses were less than those stresses obtained by superposition. In some cases, the calculated joint openings were higher than the allowable joint opening. Nonlinear temperature distribution caused higher tensile stresses than the linear distribution of temperature. The difference in tensile stresses between the two distributions was approximately 3–13% of the modulus of rupture of concrete.


The survival of Atlantic salmon Salmo salar in the Baltic Sea was examined in relation to smolt traits (length and origin) and annual environmental factors [sea surface temperature (SST) and seasonal North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) index], and prey fish abundance (herring Clupea harengus and sprat Sprattus sprattus) in the main basin and the southern Gulf of Bothnia. The study was based on recapture data for Carlin-tagged hatchery-reared and wild smolts from the Simojoki, a river flowing into the northern Gulf of Bothnia. The survival of the wild and reared groups was analysed using an ANOVA model and a stepwise regression model, with the arcsintransformed proportion of recaptured fish as the response variable. The results demonstrated a combined influence of smolt traits and environmental factors on survival. For the reared Atlantic salmon released in 1986–1998 (28 groups), the increasing annual mean SST in July in the southern Gulf of Bothnia and increasing mean smolt size improved survival. If the SST in July was excluded from the model, the NAO index in May to July also had a positive effect on survival (P < 0� 10). The log10-transformed abundance of 0þ year herring in the southern Gulf of Bothniaentered the model ( P < 0� 15) if the SST and NAO index were excluded. For the wild Atlantic salmon released in 1972–1993 (21 groups), only the increasing SST in July showed a significant association with improved survival (P ¼ 0� 004). Prey fish abundance in the main basin of the Baltic Sea had no influence on the survival of reared or wild smolt groups. The interaction between smolt size and the SST in July was not significant. The origin was a better, but not a significant, predictor of marine survival compared to the smolt size or the SST in July. The mean recapture rate of the wild groups was twice that of the reared groups in the whole data. The results suggest that cold summers in the Gulf of Bothnia reduce the survival of young Atlantic salmon in both wild and reared groups. The larger smolt size of the reared groups compared with the wild groups to some extent compensated for their lower ability to live in the wild.


We developed and evaluated a novel system for guiding radiofrequency catheter ablation therapy of ventricular tachycardia. This guidance system employs an inverse solution guidance algorithm (ISGA) using a single equivalent moving dipole (SEMD) localization method. The method and system were evaluated in both a saline tank phantom model and in vivo animal (swine) experiments.


Cryptococcal meningitis is uncommon in pregnant HIV-infected women. The clinical care of an HIV-1 positive pregnant woman with cryptococcal meningitis whose pathology has been previously reported is reviewed to highlight the treatment of the disease and some of the challenges associated with antifungal therapy during pregnancy, including the teratogenicity of antifungal agents, their variable pharmacokinetics in pregnancy, the lack of well-defined treatment duration for such infections, and host factors including compliance. This patient's disease relapsed due to nonadherence after an initial course of intravenous amphotericin. Subsequently, she was successfully treated, with a favorable fetal outcome, with another 2 weeks of amphotericin B, followed by consolidation and maintenance with fluconazole and antiretroviral treatment. This case highlights and reviews the complexities of the management of cryptococcal meningitis in HIV-infected pregnant women.


BACKGROUND
Temporomandibular disorders are very common nowadays. One of the methods to treat these problems is occlusal splint therapy. Modern materials should be introduced to this treatment.

OBJECTIVES
The aim of this paper was to evaluate the properties of light-activated urethane dimethacrylate and the quality of the bonds it creates with thermoforming foils.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Thermoforming foils were covered with light-cured resin. A bond was formed between the materials using an adhesive. A coating lacquer was used on the resin as a final preparatory step. Three laboratory tests were run: dye penetrant inspection, a Vickers microhardness test and a linear polymerization shrinkage test. The materials were layered and then cured with a polymerizing lamp emitting light of a wavelength of 400 Nm, according to the manufacturer's instructions. All the occlusal splints were fitted to upper dental arch. The devices had been made in an articulator on specially prepared gypsum models. The results were analyzed statistically using a one-sided binomial test, Spearman's rank-order correlation coefficient and the Friedman ANOVA (p=0.05).

RESULTS
In the dye penetrant inspection, only one sample out of sixty showed the effects of color penetration to the adhesive connection. The dye only penetrated the layer of lacquer coating the resin. The average value of the Vickers microhardness test with a load of F=50 g applied to the material surface for 30 s was HV0.05=7.43 N/mm2. The average linear shrinkage of the resin observed after polymerization was 1.175%.

CONCLUSIONS
Light-cured resin and an adhesive connection between the resin and thermoforming foil do not show susceptibility even to strong dye. The maximum polymerization shrinkage occurs immediately after curing. The light-cured resin that was tested seems to be a good alternative method for occlusal splints manufacturing.


Objective We aimed to explore the efficiency of community health centers (CHCs) in China from 2013 to 2015, providing policy suggestions for optimizing the allocation of health resources. Methods Data on the efficiency of CHCs in 30 provinces/autonomous regions/municipalities in mainland China (except Tibet) from 2013 to 2015 were collected from China's Health and Family Planning Statistical Yearbook 2014, China's Health and Family Planning Statistical Yearbook 2015, and China's Health and Family Planning Statistical Yearbook 2016. Data envelopment analysis and Malmquist index analysis were performed to investigate the efficiency of sampled CHCs during this period at the national level and the regional level. The applied input indicators include the numbers of CHCs, community health workers, and beds, and the output indicators consist of the numbers of visits and inpatients, the occupancy rate of beds, and the average length of stay. Results In 2015, the average annual overall technical efficiency, pure technical efficiency, and scale efficiency of CHCs in 30 regions at the national level were 0.715, 0.705, and 0.972, respectively. Eight regions (Guangdong, Guizhou, Hainan, Ningxia, Qinghai, Shanghai, Zhejiang, and Chongqing, accounting for 26.7% of the total) had efficient CHCs with overall technical efficiency of 1.000, and the other 22 regions had surpluses of 131 CHCs, 5573 community health workers, and 2086 beds on average. In 2015, the average annual technical change index, pure technical efficiency change index, total factor productivity, technical efficiency change index, and scale efficiency change index of CHCs at the national level were 1.034, 1.002, 1.024, 0.990, and 0.988, respectively. Compared with 2013, the former three increased by 3.4%, 0.2%, and 2.4%, respectively, while the latter two decreased by 1.0% and 1.2%, respectively. Conclusion On the whole, efficiency improvements of CHCs were achieved at the national level from 2013 to 2015, but with obvious interregional differences. In regions with inefficient CHCs identified by data envelopment analysis, there was a problem of coexistence of shortage and wastage of community health resources. In view of this, targeted measures should be taken to optimize the allocation of community health resources, and the management of CHCs should be strengthened to improve the efficiency of these institutions.


The autonomic nervous system (ANS) plays an important role in modulating bronchial smooth muscle contractility, which is altered in cystic fibrosis (CF). A convenient approach to probe ANS regulation is the quantitative analysis of heart rate variability (HRV). The purpose of this study was to evaluate ANS regulation in children with CF and to investigate the influence of colonization by Pseudonomas aeruginosa via assessment of HRV in colonized CF (CCF) children and noncolonized CF (NCCF) children. Sixteen children with CF (7 CCF and 9 NCCF) and seven healthy age‐matched control children were enrolled in the study. Heart rate was recorded for 10 min at rest in the supine and standing positions and HRV analysis was carried out using autoregressive spectral analysis. The CCF group was characterized by lower forced expiratory volume than NCCF, indicating an impairment of respiratory function. The HRV parameters further confirmed the possible sympathetic overactivity in CCF. Children with CF exhibited hyperactivity of the sympathetic nervous system. In particular, the CCF group presented a greater impairment of ANS modulation. Both CCF and NCCF children showed lower supine vagal activation in the HRV indices related to sympathetic activation and reduction of indices indicating vagal activity with the postural change from supine to standing when compared to the NCCF group.


William K. Norton provides a summary of some work undertaken by his law firm relating to the development of policies to improve the likelihood of enforcing 'simple' electronic signatures in approximately 50 jurisdictions, taking into account the technical requirements in each jurisdiction Index words: electronic signatures, simple electronic signatures, international context, consent, handwritten signatures, clickwrap; Hong Kong; the Netherlands; Japan; Germany; France


Background Improving postoperative pain and other potential benefits of IV lidocaine remains a significant debate in elderly patients. This meta-analysis aims to estimate the effect perioperative continuous IV lidocaine in elderly patients undergoing surgery. Method Pubmed/Medline, Web of Science, Embase and CENTRAL through OVID SP were independently searched until November 1, 2019 by two authors. This systematic review and meta-analysis included all randomized controlled trials that compared the effect of continuous IV lidocaine and any placebo or no treatment in aged patients after surgery. Primary outcomes were length of hospital stay and postoperative pain score and second outcomes were postoperative nausea and vomiting, opioid consumption, gastrointestinal recovery and postoperative neuropsychological function status scale. Result Eighteen studies(1175 patients) were included. Meta-analysis suggested that IV lidocaine reduce the postoperative pain scores(visual analogue scale, 0-10cm) at 2h(SMD:-1.30, 95% CI -1.90 to -0.70), 4h(SMD:-1.20, 95% CI -1.91 to -0.49), 6h(SMD:-0.87, 95%CI -1.72 to 0.02), 8h(SMD:-0.84, 95%CI -1.40 to -0.27), 12h(SMD:-0.73, 95%CI -1.14 to -0.32), 24h(SMD:-0.39, 95%CI -0.66 to -0.11), shorten length of hospital stay(MD: -0.30, 95%CI -0.50 to -0.09), decrease the requirement of opioid drugs(SMD: -0.31, 95%CI -0.31 to -0.01) and the incidence of postoperative nausea(OR: 0.52, 95%CI 0.31 to 0.87) in elderly patients undergoing surgery. Conclusion The evidence suggested that IV lidocaine significantly reduce postoperative pain intensity and opioid consumption and shorten the length of hospital stay in aged patients. In addition, it was shown that IV lidocaine decrease the requirement of postoperative opioid and incidence of postoperative nausea compared to control group. IV lidocaine maybe a useful assistant during general anesthesia owing to its beneficial effect in several outcomes in geratic patients undergoing surgery.


The phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI 3-kinase) pathway has been implicated in the activation of the proinflammatory transcription factor nuclear factor kappaB (NFkappaB). To investigate the role of this pathway in NFkappaB activation, we employed mutated in multiple advanced cancers/phosphatase and tensin homologue (MMAC/PTEN), a natural antagonist of PI 3-kinase activity. Our results show that cytokine-induced DNA binding and transcriptional activities of NFkappaB were both inhibited in a glioma cell line that was stably transfected with MMAC/PTEN. The ability of interleukin-1 (IL-1) to induce inhibitor (IkappaB) degradation or nuclear translocation of NFkappaB was, however, unaffected by MMAC/PTEN expression, suggesting that PI 3-kinase utilizes another equally important mechanism to control NFkappaB activation. It is conceivable that NFkappaB is directly phosphorylated through such a mechanism because treatment with protein phosphatase 2A significantly reduced its DNA binding activity. Moreover, IL-1-induced phosphorylation of p50 NFkappaB was potently inhibited in MMAC/PTEN-expressing cells. Whereas the mediators of NFkappaB phosphorylation remain to be identified, IL-1 was found to induce physical interactions between the PI 3-kinase target Akt kinase and the IkappaB.IkappaB kinase complex. Physical interactions between these proteins were antagonized by MMAC/PTEN consistent with their potential involvement in NFkappaB activation. Taken together, our observations suggest that PI 3-kinase regulates NFkappaB activation through a novel phosphorylation-dependent mechanism.


With the supreme political authority's endorsement, an e-participation movement, namely "online enquiry politics" is developing vigorously in China. Among the variety of local e-participation experimental practices in China, the study deals with the Guangdong e-participation system as a microcosm of this regime in China to explore what actually happens in e-participation practices and its dynamics. This system has developed an advanced online e-participation platform and a suite of official supporting mechanisms, e.g. the cyber-spokesman and the assignment conference. These mechanisms organically integrate the system's functions of voice, replies and handling. Citizens on this system do take full advantage of the flexibility and anonymity of the Internet to enjoy a free low-risk space. Besides the immediate functions above, e-participation fosters policy debate, plays a supervisory role for government agencies, and creates a variety of ad hoc virtual communities focusing on specific policy-making issues. As the state has to increasingly adopt a series of soft and proactive adaptive strategies to make the Internet serve its purpose, e-participation has a special survival status in China. * Research Fellow at ITA from October 2010 to February 2011, funded by a Science and Technology Scholarship of the Eurasia-Pacific Uninet. 2 ___________________________________________________________________________ Xiao Ming* manu:script (ITA-12-01) __________________________________________________________________________________________________________ Table of


Economics has pursued the deduction of rational conclusions based on a standard of maximising behaviour such as profit maximisation. This approach inevitably makes preference rankings over alternatives satisfying some rational consistency. But there is a case which does not lead to rational social preference relations in reality. A typical case of irrational preference relations is represented by the voting paradox, n-way deadlock in general. Since there are actually so many social conflicts caused by the voting paradox, it is important to study how to reach a social conclusion in such cases. In this paper, we will examine how to reach an agreement all individuals can accept in the case of a voting paradox. Different from the traditional approach, we do not force a deduction of rational preference relations but try to find a way to reach a social agreement. Although this approach requires all participants to give up their preferences to some extent, it may be possible to decrease social conflicts peacefully because the dignity of the individuals concerned is respected.


Microdialysis (MD) has become one of the major tools to sample endogenous and exogenous substances in extracellular spaces. It is more suitable for pharmacokinetic-pharmacodynamic (PK-PD) studies than other techniques. This review aims to give an overview of MD for PK-PD (MD/PK-PD) studies, including PK-PD studies, three aspects (principles, recovery, advantages) of MD/PK-PD, and application examples of MD/PK-PD organized by types of drugs and information collected. It can be concluded that MD offers an unique opportunity, to study simultaneously pharmacokinetic (PK) behavior of a drug and its effect on the extracellular levels of endogenous compounds, which may facilitate proof-of-concept demonstrations for target modulation, enhance the rational selection of an optimal drug dose and schedule. In addition, MD/PK-PD can also minimize uncertainties associated with predicting drug safety and efficacy, reduce the high levels of drug attrition during development, accelerate drug approval, and decrease the overall costs of drug development.


During the troubled years between the Dreyfus Affair and the sudden demise of the Third Republic, the French Catholic Church was confronted by a wave of conversions of a number of Jewish intellectuals among them brilliant personalities such as Raissa Maritain, the wife of the Thomist philosopher Jacques Maritain, the poet Max Jacob, and the Orientalist Jean de Menasce who joined a monastic order. However these men and women did not permanently abandon the religion of their fathers. On the contrary, the Jewish faith, once despised, became a sign of distinction within the Catholic Church. The converts proudly claimed their being "Jewish - Christians". The late Cardinal Jean-Marie Lustiger, who retained his Hebrew name of Aaron, is one such example. This double identity questions the nature of what "being Jewish" meant in France at the turn of the 20th century. It reveals the extent of the seductive power of Catholicism in the eyes of a community which had fashioned itself after the model of the religion of the majority as well as the persistence of a Jewish religious and ethnic identity which marks a Christian spiritual vocation with its influence.


Twenty nine promising candidate bread wheat lines of National Uniform Wheat Yield Trial, 2004-05 were evaluated against stripe and leaf rust at multilocations in different agro-ecological zones of the country presenting hot spots for leaf and yellow rust along with artificial inoculation with prevalent pathotypes. These candidate lines were undergoing mandatory testing to develop varieties for irrigated and rainfed areas of Pakistan. Out of these 29 candidate lines, 9 were common to NUWYT 2003-04 and 2004-05. Three candidate lines namely, V-00125, 99B2278, 99B4012 from seeding date were found resistant to both leaf and yellow rusts and showed desirable Relative Resistance Index (RRI) during 2003-04 and 2004-05. In addition, two of these lines, 7-03 and RWM-9313 from seeding date were also found resistant to yellow and leaf rust, respectively. Out of remaining 20 candidate lines, 8 (4 from seeding date, 4 from rainfed) showed desirable RRI for both rusts in 2004-05. These lines will remain in NUWYT 2005-06 for further evaluation.


Screening for digestive glycosidases in different parts of the gut and associated organs of Lutzomyia longipalpis is reported. Searches for the enzymes were made in blood-fed and non-blood-fed females and the enzymes were characterized as soluble or membrane-bound molecules. A total of four different activities were detected, corresponding to the following specificities: an alpha-glucosidase, an N-acetyl-beta-d-glucosaminidase, an N-acetyl-beta-d-galactosaminidase, and an alpha-l-fucosidase. Their possible role and importance for Leishmania development are discussed and the alpha-glucosidase enzyme was partially characterized. The pH inside the gut of non-blood-fed phlebotomines was measured with pH indicator dyes. The pH ranges obtained for crop, midgut, and hindgut were, respectively, higher than pH 6, pH 6, and lower than pH 6. A hypothesis concerning these data and Leishmania development is proposed.


Abstract Etheostoma akatulo, the Bluemask Darter, is described from upper Caney Fork River System of the middle Cumberland River drainage, Tennessee. It is presently known from four tributaries of Great Falls Reservoir on the eastern Highland Rim and is listed as federally endangered. The new species differs from other species of the subgenus Doration by having fully scaled cheeks, complete lateral line, breeding males with bright blue pigment completely covering the lower face, and breeding males with soft dorsal and anal fins lacking orange and blue pigment. Specimens are compared with nominate E. stigmaeum from four drainages and E. jessiae. Etheostoma akatulo typically occurs over sand and gravel substrates downstream of riffles, in moderate runs, or along margins of pools. It inhabits a 37-km reach of Collins River but is found in reaches of 4.3 km or less in Rocky River, Cane Creek, and Caney Fork River. Threats to the species include gravel dredging, pesticides, siltation, and acid mine drainage.


The number of independent and interdependent freight actors (firms), the complex supply chain structures among them, and the sensitivity of shipment data are but a few reasons why modeling freight traffic is lagging its public and private transit counterparts. In this paper we used an agent-based approach to reconstruct commercial activity chains, and simulated them—along with private vehicles— for a large-scale scenario in Gauteng, South Africa. The simulated activities are compared to the actual observed activities of 5196 vehicles that were inferred from GPS logs covering approximately six months. The results show that the activity chains reconstructed are both spatially and temporally accurate, especially in areas of high activity density. With freight vehicles being a major contributor to traffic congestion and emissions, our contribution is significant in bridging the gap between the person and commercial transport modeling state-of-the-art.


Exiting street-level prostitution is a complex, convoluted process. Few studies have described this process within any formal conceptual framework. This article reviews two general models and two prostitution-specific models and their applicability to the exiting process. Barriers encountered as women attempt to leave the streets are identified. Based on the four models, the barriers, the prostitution literature, and the authors' experience with prostituted women, a new integrated six-stage model that is comprehensive in scope and sensitive to women's attempts to exit prostitution is offered as a foundation for continued research on the process of women leaving the streets.


Notch signaling is fundamental to the regulation of cellular differentiation, cell growth and cell death in mammals as well as in invertebrates like Drosophila. Upon activation, the Notch receptor is cleaved and the intracellular part ICN assembles an activator complex around Suppressor of Hairless [Su(H)] that activates Notch target genes. Hairless (H) is the major antagonist of the Notch signaling pathway in Drosophila. In the absence of Notch signal, H binds to Su(H) and recruits two general co-repressors, Groucho (Gro) and C-terminal Binding Protein (CtBP); this repression complex downregulates Notch target genes. Previously we have shown that Gro and CtBP are recruited simultaneously to H and that they act in concert during wing and embryonic development. However, Gro and CtBP are utilized context-dependently by other transcription factors. Hence differential co-repressor recruitment by the Su(H)-H repressor complex is likewise conceivable. Here, we investigated the requirement for the co-repressors Gro and CtBP in H mediated Notch repression during several phases of eye development. Whereas both co-repressors appear likewise important during the specification of photoreceptor cells, we find differential requirement for the regulation of proliferation and cell death, respectively. During the early proliferative phase, H preferentially recruits Gro to inhibit Notch mediated growth of the eye disc. Elimination of superfluous interommatidial pigment cells, which depends on a late Notch signal, is antagonized by H and predominantly CtBP. In summary, differential recruitment of the co-repressors Gro and CtBP by H in a context-dependent manner ensures fine tuning of Notch signaling activity during eye development.


This article highlights 20 years of family nursing development and evolution in Thailand in the areas of education, practice, and research. The progress of family nursing in Thailand has been impressive and steady despite the challenges of nursing policy, conceptualization controversies, and knowledge transfer. One of the most unique and hopeful developments has been the establishment of health centers that have a designated family nurse responsible for approximately 300 households. Future dreams for family nursing in Thailand are also offered.


The new factor Xa inhibitors and direct thrombin inhibitors have offered alternatives to traditional anticoagulants, with benefits of no routine monitoring, less drug interactions, and oral administration. Current approved uses of these agents include prophylaxis of stroke in non-valvular atrial fibrillation and prevention of venous thromboembolism (VTE) following hip and knee arthroplasty. However, concern over bleeding risk in the context of having no specific antidotes available is a topic of focus for many physicians in an acute care setting. This manuscript examines the recent literature in the management of acute bleeding and the various methods of reversing anticoagulation in this setting. Literature published over the last 18 months (2011/07/01-present) was gathered from PubMed, Ovid, and Medline under a combined search strategy covering bleeding, reversal, and new oral anticoagulants, both factor Xa and direct thrombin inhibitors. The use of prothrombin complex concentrate, fresh frozen plasma, activated recombinant factor VII, activated prothrombin complex concentrate, as well as adjuncts of charcoal, hemodialysis, and antifibrinolytics are discussed. Recommendations are based on the determination of the severity of the bleed and physiological markers of anticoagulation, and involve the use of prothrombin complex concentrate, activated recombinant factor VII, and adjunctive therapy as appropriate.


New approaches to MOVPE material deposition have been developed in order to increase the process yield and expand the band gap engineering possibilities for the realization of high efficiency multijunction (MJ) solar cells. Paradigm changes in the MOVPE growth chamber design have been introduced in order to maintain high thermal homogeneity at the wafer surface also in the case of the growth of strained structures and to allow getting a fast temperature control at the interfaces between arsenide and phosphide materials. Furthermore, the growth chamber design has been modified in order to remove the growth incompatibility among III-V and group IV elements of the period table. A significant step ahead has been accomplished in reducing the cross doping effects coming from the utilization of the different semiconductor materials, thus opening the path towards the realization of "all MOVPE grown" III-V/IV based MJ solar cells (like for example the InGaP/InGaAs/SiGeSn/Ge quadruple junction solar cells). As a proof of the concept, SiGe layers with high structural quality have been grown in the same MOVPE reactor used to growth InGaP/InGaAs/Ge MJ solar cell structures and a first demonstration of a properly working InGaP/InGaAs/SiGe/Ge TJ solar cell is presented.


A theoretical framework for computing the evaporation from unsaturated soils is presented and validated based on laboratory experiments that were conducted in an uncontrolled environment where forcing variables vary in time according to diurnal meteorological cycles. This theory introduces a dimensionless number that controls the ratio between the actual and potential evaporation from unsaturated soils. The dimensionless number depends on the transfer velocity, which characterizes evaporation into the atmosphere, the diffusion coefficient of water vapor in the soil, and the water table depth. We show that depending on the value of the dimensionless number, evaporation can be limited by either the air‐side or the soil‐side of the land surface. For large transfer velocity values, evaporation is controlled by water vapor diffusion in the soil, while for shallow water tables, evaporation is controlled by water vapor transport from the land surface into the atmosphere. Despite the good agreement between the shape of the observed and predicted evaporation rates, a fitted dimensionless parameter is required to match the predicted evaporation rates. Possible explanations for this disagreement are given in the discussion.


The aim of this study is to investigate the status of Japanese pharmacists' awareness and attitude toward blood pressure (BP) measurement at home (HBP) and in the pharmacy. Of the 708 community pharmacists and the 117 hospital pharmacists, more than 90% of pharmacists answered that HBP was equally important to or more important than clinic BP, 71.9% (community) and 48.7% (hospital) recommended HBP measurement to the hypertensive patients, and about 15% correctly recognized the reference values of HBP hypertension. Among community pharmacists, 54.0% answered that BP-measuring devices were available in their pharmacy. More aggressive promotion of HBP measurement among pharmacists is warranted.


In vitro cytotoxicity of freshly prepared temporary crown and bridge materials was studied using mouse fibroblasts prelabelled with 3H-thymidine grown in shake flask cultures. Cytotoxicity was measured as (1) lack of cell multiplication, (2) stainability with Trypan blue and (3) release of 3H-labelled material to the culture medium. All the materials tested (zinc oxide-eugenol cement (ZOE), Scutan and Sevriton) were cytotoxic in this system, ZOE most strongly. This finding favours the view that the in vitro cytotoxicity of dental materials should not be used alone as a screening test for their biological compatibility under clinical conditions since clinical experience and previous in vivo findings have established that ZOE is biologically well tolerated by the dental tissues.


Life course theorists argue that key transitions such as marriage and employment heavily influence criminal desistance in adulthood among those who committed delinquent acts during their adolescence. Although much research supports this notion, race has generally been left out of the discourse. Very few researchers have examined whether and how race plays a role within life course theory. This is surprising insofar as race is an important correlate of crime, marriage, employment, and other life course transitions that are associated with criminal desistance. Data from Waves 1, 2 and 4 of Add Health are used to examine differences in the effect of marriage and employment on desistance among 3,479 Black, Hispanic, and White men. Results show mixed support for the life course perspective in that classic life theory applies to Whites, but less so to Blacks and Hispanics.


Sixty patients with local purulent complications of destructive pancreatitis were treated. Interventional procedures under visual control were performed in 38 patients: in 26 (68.4%) -- under control of computed tomography and in 12 (31.6%) -- ultrasound-assisted procedures. Traditional surgeries were performed in 22 patients. Complete recovery was seen in 23 (60,6%) of 38 patients of the first group, all these patients have solitary, one-chamber and non-sequestered purulent cavities which are formed in 82.6% cases due to microfocal pancreonecrosis. Transcutaneous drainage was ineffective in 14 (36.8%) patients that required conversion to laparotomy. It is demonstrated that treatment policy in purulent-necrotic complication of pancreonecrosis must be individual. Adequate method of local treatment must be determined by size and localization of purulent and necrotic lesions, presence of sequesters and septa.