The increased prevalence and incidence of fungal infections, of which Candida albicans represents one of the most life-threatening organisms, is prompting the scientific community to develop novel antifungal molecules. Many essential oils components are attracting attention for their interesting antifungal activities. Given the chemical and physical characteristics of these compounds, the use of appropriate nanodelivery systems is becoming increasingly widespread. In this study, chitosan nanoparticles were prepared using an ionic gelation procedure and loaded with the phenolic monoterpene carvacrol. After a bioassay guided optimization, the best nanoparticle formulation was structurally characterized by means of different spectroscopic (UV, FTIR and DLS) and microscopy techniques (SEM) and described for their functional features (encapsulation efficiency, loading capacity and release kinetics). The antifungal activity of this formulation was assayed with different Candida spp., both in planktonic and biofilm forms. From these studies, it emerged that the carvacrol loaded nanoparticles were particularly active against planktonic forms and that the antibiofilm activity was highly dependent on the species tested, with the C. tropicalis and C. krusei strains resulting as the most susceptible.


Objective:To study the correlation of X-ray and MRI features of breast malignant lesions with histopatho-logy.Methods:The X-ray and MRI features of breast malignant lesions in 38 cases were studied retrospectively and correlatively compared to the corresponding findings of histopathological results.Results:There were 21 cases with infiltrating ductal carcinoma,11 cases with ductal carcinoma in situ,3 cases with breast alveolar cancer,2 cases with adenoid cystic carcinoma and 1 case with medullary carcinoma in our collection.The major features of malignant breast lesions revealed abnormal vessels and structural abnormalities.The margins of the lesions were blurred and unclear.On X-ray mammographic images,the lesions showed heterogeneous in density with a considerable quantity of sand-like calcified granules,diffusely distributed or gathered in clusters.The MR signs of breast malignant lesions demonstrated hypo or isointense signal intensity on T1WI images and in most of the cases,mixed signal intensity on T2WI images.On postcontrast scans,the tumors showed remar-kably heterogeneous enhancement.Conclusion:X-ray mammography was the first choice of imaging examination modalities for breast malignant lesions because of its simple procedures and rather high diagnostic accuracy rate;since intricate structural changes of malignant breast lesions could be clearly shown by MRI,the diagnostic accuracy rate was improved.


Acetyl-CoA carboxylase (ACC) is an enzyme within the de novo lipogenesis (DNL) pathway and plays a role in regulating lipid metabolism. Pharmacologic ACC inhibition has been an area of interest for multiple potential indications including oncology, acne vulgaris, metabolic diseases such as type 2 diabetes mellitus, and non-alcoholic fatty liver disease/non-alcoholic steatohepatitis. A critical role for ACC in de novo synthesis of long-chain fatty acids during fetal development has been demonstrated in studies in mice lacking Acc1, where the absence of Acc1 results in early embryonic lethality. Following positive predictions of developmental toxicity in alternative in vitro assays (positive in murine embryonic stem cell [mESC] assay and rat whole embryo culture, but negative in zebrafish), developmental toxicity (growth retardation and dysmorphogenesis associated with disrupted midline fusion) was observed with the oral administration of the dual ACC1 and 2 inhibitor, PF-05175157, in Sprague Dawley rats and New Zealand White rabbits. The results of these studies are presented here to make comparisons across the assays, as well as mechanistic insights from the mESC assay demonstrating high ACC expression in the mESC and that ACC induced developmental toxicity can be rescued with palmitic acid providing supportive evidence for DNL pathway inhibition as the underlying mechanism. Ultimately, while the battery of alternative approaches and weight-of-evidence case were useful for hazard identification, the embryo-fetal development studies were necessary to inform the risk assessment on the adverse fetal response, as malformations and/or embryo fetal lethality were limited to doses that caused near complete inhibition of DNL.


Measurement of both longitudinal and transverse relaxation interference (cross-correlation) between 13C chemical shift anisotropy and 13C-1H dipolar interactions is described. The ratio of the transverse to longitudinal cross-correlation rates readily yields the ratio of spectral densities J(0)/J(omegaC), independent of any structural attributes such as internuclear distance or chemical shift tensor. The spectral density at zero frequency J(0) is also independent of chemical exchange effects. With limited internal motions, the ratio also enables an accurate evaluation of the correlation time for overall molecular tumbling. Applicability of this approach to investigating dynamics has been demonstrated by measurements made at three temperatures using a DNA decamer duplex with purines randomly enriched to 15% in 13C.


Why have so many of this century's prominent political and literary critics wanted to find a single metaphor to describe the character of Canada? Why do so many use land-based metaphors to ask about the divisions between centres and margins, colony and empire, wealth and power? W.H. New, in Land Sliding: Imagining Space, Presence, and Power in Canadian Writing, investigates this established paradigm by examining why so many writers have accepted the land as a comprehensive image of nationhood. Is there in fact, he questions, a landscape which is 'natural,' unmediated by social values and literary representation? Asking what 'land' as an abstract concept and a physical site has to do with writing, representation, and power, New looks at the 'sliding' relationship by which people associate their surroundings with their position in society. New's study of land in literature is a commentary on the way a culture produces values by transforming the 'natural' into literary idiom and, in turn, making literary convention seem natural. Land Sliding develops not as a history of uniformity or progress, but as a series of dialogues between past and present, between paradigms and disciplines. It draws on a wide range of texts including First Nations narratives, contemporary poetry and fiction, government documents, real estate ads, artwork, and photographs to illustrate the complex associations that link place, power, and language in Canada today. W.H. New invites readers to look again at Canada's changing cultural character by rereading both the landscape and the people who have interpreted it. Land Sliding will have an important place in many disciplines, among them literary studies, geography, fine arts, and Canadian studies.


"My father is black and my mother is white and my brother is a vegetable." When Emma Boudreaux's older brother, Bernie, winds up in a coma after a freak accident, it's as if she loses a part of herself. All their lives, he has served as her compass, her stronger, better half: Bernie was brilliant when Emma was smart, charismatic when she was awkward, and confident when she was shy. Only Bernie was able to navigate -if not always diplomatically -the terrain of their biracial identity. Now, as the chronic rash that's flared up throughout her life returns with a vengeance, Emma is sleepwalking through her first year at college, left alone to grow into herself.


103 studies of torn aneurysms in the cerebral vessels are described. Localizations, morphological peculiarities of aneurysms as well as the nature of intracranial hemorrhages caused by torn aneurysms are presented. The authors have a critical attitude to the "acquired" theory of aneurysm development.


Background: Many exopolysaccharides from the endophytes in medicinal plants possess various potential bioactivities. Materials and Methods: The endophytic fungus JY25 was isolated from the leave of the Chinese medicinal plant Gynostemma pentaphylla and identified as Chaetomium sp. by its phylogenetic and physiological analysis. One exopolysaccharide (EPS) fraction was isolated from the fermentation broth by ethanol precipitation and purified by gel filtration chromatography on Sepharose CL-6B. The molecular characteristics were examined by GC-MS, FT-IR, and multiangle laser light scattering (MALLS). Results: The monosaccharide composition analysis indicated that the purified EPS was mainly composed of glucose, mannose, arabinose, and galactose with the molecular ratio of 78.29: 8.99: 8.64: 4.08. FT-IR spectral analysis of the purified EPS revealed prominent characteristic groups, such as carbonyl bond, pyranose ring, and so on. The weight-average molar mass and the polydispersity ratio of the EPS were revealed to be 1.961×104 g/mol and 1.838, respectively. Furthermore, thermo gravimetric analysis (TGA) indicated that the degradation temperature of the purified EPS was 305°C. The purified EPS from the endophytic fungus Chaetomium sp. displayed antioxidant and antiproliferative activities. Conclusion: The results demonstrated that the EPS could be used as a healthful food and material source in pharmaceutical industries. Abbreviations used: ANOVA: Analysis of variance; DPPH: 2,2-diphenyl-1-picrylhydrazyl; EPS: Exopolysaccharide; FT-IR: Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy; GC-MS: Gas chromatography–mass spectrometry; Mw: Mass weight; MALLS: Multiangle laser light scattering; SEC: Size Exclusion Chomatography; SPSS: Statistical Package of the Social Science; TGA: Thermo gravimetric analysis; TFA: Trifluoroacetic acid.


A 75-year-old man with the simultaneous onset of Graves' disease and giant cell arteritis is described. Although there have been few previous reports of simultaneous onset, literature review and a retrospective study of the records of this hospital suggest that the association of Graves' disease and the polymyalgia rheumatica-giant cell arteritis syndrome is not simple coincidence. The patient's course was complicated by cerebral infarction secondary to either arterial thrombo-embolism or arteritis.


The article presents data on the primary disability due to cerebrovascular disease in elderly patients based on the results of the survey in the Bureau of Medical and Social Expertise of Saint-Petersburg from 2005 to 2014. The analysis showed a reduction in the indicators of primary disability due to cerebrovascular disease and the increase in the share of persons with disabilities of the first and third groups in its structure.


Summary Subject and purpose of work: The aim of the study is to assess the marketing potential of websites of rural tourism facilities' in Poland. Materials and methods: It was assumed that the marketing potential of a website provided the basis for placing it in global popularity rankings. The study involved 1000 paid domain websites. Each website was analysed using four tools which yielded values of selected indices, including Serpstat Visibility, Alexa Global Rank and SimilarWeb Global Rank. Results: Almost half of the websites of rural tourism facilities' obtained 0 or 1 point in the Open Page Rank index evaluation. For 764 websites from the analysed set, the Serpstat Visibility index value was not available, while in the remaining cases it was very low. The websites either reached distant positions in Alexa and SimilarWeb rankings or were not included in them at all. Conclusions: The adopted research model does not allow for absolute assessment of the actual marketing potential of websites. However, the study confirmed that it was not used.


Abstract Background: Previous literature reviews comparing transoral laser surgery versus radiotherapy for glottic carcinoma treatment have analysed 'early stage' disease as one group. The current review aimed to assess local control outcomes, comparing these two treatment modalities, specifically for either tumour stage 1a or stage 1b lesions. Methods: The three authors conducted independent, structured literature searches. Simple weighted means were calculated. Results: Thirty-six publications were analysed. Three-year local control rates for tumour stage 1a tumours were 88.9 per cent for transoral laser surgery (n = 1308) and 89.3 per cent for radiotherapy (n = 2405). For tumour stage 1b tumours, the local control rates were 76.8 per cent for transoral laser surgery (n = 194) and 86.2 per cent for radiotherapy (n = 492). Conclusion: From this analysis of level four evidence, there was no demonstrable difference in local control rates for tumour stage 1a glottic squamous cell carcinoma treated by transoral laser surgery or radiotherapy. There was a trend towards improved local control of tumour stage 1b tumours treated with radiotherapy, but this finding was based on a limited number of published outcomes (n = 194).


This paper presents a procedure for evaluating the collision response of fixed offshore structures exposed to high energy collisions with Offshore Service Vessels (OSV) or other floating units. A combination of traditional non-linear frame analyses for screening purposes and more detailed non-linear FE analyses using an explicit code is proposed. In the detailed integrated FE analyses, both the fixed offshore structure and the impacting vessel are explicitly modeled as deformable bodies. The progressive changes in contact and the resistance of both deforming objects are fully accounted for, enabling for more accurate results compared to methods where the resistances of the two objects are assessed separately.Results from case studies are shown. The calculated resistances for the striking objects are compared to the load-indentation curves presented in DNV-RP-C204 [1] and NORSOK N-004 [2].Copyright © 2015 by ASME


Carbon pricing is considered by most economists as a central dimension to any climate policy. It is assumed to bring simple, transparent, and cost-effective means to change investment and consumption behaviors. The most straightforward method is carbon taxation, but its implementation is more complex. This study provides a comparative analysis of carbon taxation in three countries—Sweden, Canada, and France—aimed at drawing lessons for the future of carbon taxation. Comparing the experience of the three countries reveals that carbon taxes, once in place, do have the intended effect. In this sense, they work well. However, the analysis also reveals very different situations in terms of advances, difficulties, and results, which highlights the need to carefully consider the social and political conditions for the acceptance and effective implementation of such economic instruments. Against this background, the comparative analysis yields four main insights that deserve further research from economics and social scientists: the ability to combine pure economic instruments and other regulation or policies and measures; the management of lobbies and vested interests; the identification of a clear strategy for the recycling of the carbon revenues, whether earmarked or not; and finally, the importance of these three dimensions of carbon taxes in the new settings of zero net emission policies.


OBJECTIVE
To study the impact of complicated intra-abdominal infections on albumin synthesis rate.

METHODS
Eight patients with complicated intra-abdominal infections associated with intestinal fistula were admitted to the Research Institute of General Surgery at the Jinling Hospital between December 2009 and October 2010. Eight healthy volunteers matched for age, sex, and body mass index were enrolled as controls. All the subjects were given a primed, constant infusion of sterile L-[ring-(2)H(5)]-phenylalanine solution (priming dose: 4 μmol/kg, infusion rate: 6 μmol·kg(-1)·min(-1)) via peripheral venous lines in fast state. Arterial blood samples(3 ml) were drawn before and throughout the infusion at hourly intervals. The enrichment of L-[ring-(2)H(5)]-phenylalanine from the plasma free amino acid pool and from albumin were determined by gas chromatography/mass spectrometry analysis.

RESULTS
Both plasma total protein concentration(62.2±1.0) g/L and plasma albumin concentration (32.5±4.0) g/L in patients with complicated intra-abdominal infection were lower compared with controls[(74.2±1.7) g/L and (46.1±2.6) g/L, both P<0.05]. Body temperature, neutrophil count and plasma C-reactive protein concentration in patients with infection were significantly greater than the levels in control subjects(P<0.05). Albumin synthesis rate in patients with intra-abdominal infection was significantly lower than that in the control group [(5.3±1.6)%/d and (7.8±1.2)%/d respectively, P<0.05]. The measurement of plasma free amino acid concentration showed that plasma glutamic acid level was greater than that in control subjects, and that plasma phenylalanine and proline levels were lower than those in controls.

CONCLUSION
Complicated intra-abdominal infection inhibits albumin synthesis rate in patients with intestinal fistula, which may partially contribute to the decrease of plasma albumin concentration.


OBJECTIVE
To gain further insight into disease pathophysiologic process and potential adaptations through investigating whether cortical dysfunction or plasticity is a feature of spinal muscle atrophy (SMA).

DESIGN
Prospective, double-center study.

SETTING
Outpatient clinics and research institute.

PARTICIPANTS
Clinical assessments, combined with threshold-tracking transcranial magnetic stimulation techniques, were completed in 11 genetically characterized patients with SMA.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Clinical, functional, and neurophysiologic variables were compared between the 11 patients with SMA types 2 and 3, 24 healthy control participants, and 81 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) serving as disease controls.

RESULTS
Maximal motor-evoked potential amplitude as a percentage of the compound muscle action potential was significantly increased in patients with SMA compared with the healthy controls but was similar to that in ALS (SMA, mean [SE], 39.7% [4.0%]; ALS, 38.8% [2.8%]; controls, 20.3% [2.5%]; F = 10.1; P < .001). In contrast, short-interval intracortical inhibition (SMA, 14.4% [1.6%]; ALS, 4.3% [1.8%]; controls, 17.0% [2.3%]; F = 11.4; P < .001) and cortical silent-period duration (SMA, 204.4 [9.8] milliseconds; ALS, 182.7 [5.2] milliseconds; controls, 208.8 [3.7] milliseconds; F = 4.8; P = .01), similar between SMA patients and healthy controls, were significantly larger when compared with the findings in ALS. Of relevance, peripheral disease burden as measured by the compound muscle action potential amplitude (SMA, 6.3 [0.8] mV; ALS, 5.9 [0.4] mV; controls, 11.8 [0.5] mV; F = 35.5; P < .001) and Neurophysiological Index (SMA, 0.7 [0.2]; ALS, 0.7 [0.1]; controls, 3.1 [0.2]; F = 108.2; P < .001), were significantly reduced in both SMA and ALS patients when compared with healthy controls.

CONCLUSIONS
Taken together, findings from the present study suggest that despite spinal motoneuron degeneration there remains preservation of corticomotoneuronal function in SMA. The greater corticomotoneuronal projections to surviving spinal motoneurons likely represent an adaptive response to spinal motoneuron degeneration in SMA.


The cell kinetics of two solid human tumors, invasive squamous carcinomas of the cervix, were studied by parenteral administration of tritiated thymidine followed by serial biopsy of the tumors at intervals for 24 hours, and subsequent radio-autographic analysis for mean grain counts and percent labeled mitoses at these times.

In these two tumors, the majority of labeled cells were at the periphery of the tumor nodules (growth fraction of 41–53 percent). Tumor nodules appeared to grow by expansion from within, as newly formed cells migrated toward the centers of nodules. A significant proportion of interior cells (growth fraction of 17–20%) retained the capacity to divide, a function lost in the differentiation of normal epithelial cells, and thus were able to contribute to the total proliferative pool.

Cell cycle times were 15.5 and 14.3 hours, and DNA synthesis times were 11.8 and 9 hours. These times are not unlike those of normal mammalian cells, adding to the evidence that rapid tumor growth is not necessarily dependent upon rapid cell proliferation.

The observations that in these tumors: ( a ) the majority of dividing cells were at the periphery of nodules, ( b ) the growth fraction was reduced, i.e., maximum of 53 rather than 100 percent of basal cells were capable of dividing, and ( c ) periods of DNA synthesis were fairly long, points up the potential errors in estimating the cell cycle time from in vitro labeling studies.

The possibility that cells in the interior of tumor nodules may be arrested in mitosis is described, a factor which may prevent even faster growth than is already observed.


Preface . 1. Development of the eye and the ocular appendages . 2. An overview of the anatomy of the skull . 3. The orbital cavity . 4. The paranasal sinuses . 5. The ocular appendages . 6. The eyeball . 7. The anatomy of the eyeball as seen with the ophthalmoscope, slit lamp, and gonioscope . 8. Movements of the eyeball and the extrocular muscles . 9. The orbital blood vessels . 10. Cranial nerves part I: Those nerves directly associated with the eye and orbit . 11. Cranial nerves part II: Those nerves not directly associated with the eye and orbit . 12. The autonomic nervous system . 13. The visual pathway . Index


Sheet metal forming processes are used to create products that have a high stiffness combined with a small weight. To determine the settings of such a production process, fundamental knowledge of the mechanical behaviour of the metal and of the process itself is required. With the introduction of the finite element software a new opportunity for cost reduction was presented. The finite element method allows for optimisation of forming process with a computer, instead of with a costly trial and error process in the workshop. Amongst the various models that are used in this tool, a material model is used to describe the mechanical behaviour of the sheet. The accuracy of the prediction of the finite element software is determined by the accuracy of its components. In this thesis, the influence of the strain path on the mechanical behaviour is investigated. Experiments are used to improve the material models and to improve the overall predictions of the finite element method.


This paper proposes a multi-agent framework for intelligence decision support system that targets improved decision making, parallels human problem solving processes, and supports the major phases of decision making. Agents are organized by their roles according to different phases of problem solving. They interact with the user, the environment, and each other, to improve the decision making process. The specific purpose is to make DSS a more popular consultant to todaypsilas decision makers by identifying the shortcomings of the traditional approaches, studying their root causes, and developing concepts and methods to address them.The application results got the conclusion that intelligence decision support system for manufacturing management can improve management efficiency of distributed manufacturing enterprises.


INTRODUCTION
Metabolic investigation in patients with urinary lithiasis is very important for preventing recurrence of disease. The objective of this work was to diagnose and to determine the prevalence of metabolic disorders, to assess the quality of the water consumed and volume of diuresis as potential risk factors for this pathology.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
We studied 182 patients older than 12 years. We included patients with history and/or imaging tests confirming at least 2 stones, with creatinine clearance > or = 60 mL/min and negative urine culture. The protocol consisted in the collection of 2, 24-hour urine samples, for dosing Ca, P, uric acid, Na, K, Mg, Ox and Ci, glycemia and serum levels of Ca, P, Uric acid, Na, K, Cl, Mg, U and Cr, urinary pH and urinary acidification test.

RESULTS
158 patients fulfilled the inclusion criteria. Among these, 151 (95.5%) presented metabolic changes, with 94 (62.2%) presenting isolated metabolic change and 57 (37.8%) had mixed changes. The main disorders detected were hypercalciuria (74%), hypocitraturia (37.3%), hyperoxaluria (24.1%), hypomagnesuria (21%), hyperuricosuria (20.2%), primary hyperparathyroidism (1.8%), secondary hyperparathyroidism (0.6%) and renal tubular acidosis (0.6).

CONCLUSION
Metabolic change was diagnosed in 95.5% of patients. These results warrant the metabolic study and follow-up in patients with recurrent lithiasis in order to decrease the recurrence rate through specific treatments, modification in alimentary and behavioral habits.


In 15 rabbits, osteotomy and osteotomy including cartilage damage were performed. With autoradiography (3H-thymidine) it was shown that only one knee in the osteotomy group had labeled chondrocytes in the tibial cartilage. In the knees with articular damage, labeled chondrocytes were found in the femur as well, which could be the result of a factor liberated from the damaged cartilage, a factor stimulating mitotic activity.


Abstract: The SPS Agreement is the result of a negotiated compromise between the minimization of negative trade effects and the protection of human, animal, and plant life or health. These seemingly contradictory purposes along with the textual indeterminacy of the agreement led to several interpretative challenges during the dispute settlement process, resulting in the development of the rich jurisprudence under the SPS agreement. It is in this connection, this study seeks to examine the major rulings under the SPS agreement for evaluation of the scope of regulatory discretion vested with the national authorities to establish the appropriate level of protection vis-á-vis the basic rights and obligations of the member states. The study summarizes the key achievements of the SPS case-laws in the progressive development of the SPS regime.


One of the challenges of road construction is encountering soils with lack of required strength and durability. Nowadays, various stabilization techniques are applicable for improving the engineering properties of soils. In the present study, dune sand, as subgrade of pavements, was treated using various contents of fibrillating network (FN) fiber and cement. Dune sand has low bearing capacity that makes it unsuitable for construction activities such as pavement applications. The common solution is improving the strength properties of dune sand so that it can be used for civil engineering projects. Stability of subgrade is very important since the layer provides the stability for the whole pavement structure and the upper layers, namely subbase, base, and asphalt layers. In this regard, compression strength and California bearing ratio (CBR) tests were carried out. Freezing-thawing cycle is one of the most important factors affecting the mechanical properties of soils. Several researchers reported that freezing-thawing cycle could change the physical and mechanical behaviours of soils. The influence of freezing and thawing (up to 18 cycles) on the properties of samples was also studied. Based on the results, the inclusion of FN-fiber to the sand led to increasing the ductility and compressive strength. Also, the addition of cement reduced the ductility, and increased the compressive strength. By increasing the freezing-thawing cycles, the soil strength significantly decreased. Results showed that the stabilized sand soil as subgrade layer led to reducing the compressive strain under the applied wheel load, and therefore reduced the possibility of rutting failure of subgrade.


Current logo retrieval research focuses on closed set scenarios. We argue that the logo domain is too large for this strategy and requires an open set approach. To foster research in this direction, a large-scale logo dataset, called Logos in the Wild, is collected and released to the public. A typical open set logo retrieval application is, for example, assessing the effectiveness of advertisement in sports event broadcasts. Given a query sample in shape of a logo image, the task is to find all further occurrences of this logo in a set of images or videos. Currently, common logo retrieval approaches are unsuitable for this task because of their closed world assumption. Thus, an open set logo retrieval method is proposed in this work which allows searching for previously unseen logos by a single query sample. A two stage concept with separate logo detection and comparison is proposed where both modules are based on task specific CNNs. If trained with the Logos in the Wild data, significant performance improvements are observed, especially compared with state-of-the-art closed set approaches.


A sample of job seekers (N = 161) were assessed on measures of well-being and the latent benefits of employment. The unemployed reported less access to the latent benefits than the underemployed. In a finer grained analysis, there was a monotonic increase from least to most access to the latent benefits from those with no paid work in the past three months, some paid work in the past three months, some current paid work, to those with considerable current paid work. Despite this, no differences in well-being were found.


The principle of sufficient reason asserts that anything that happens does so for a reason: no definite state of affairs can come into being unless there is a sufficient reason why that particular thing should happen. This principle is usually attributed to Leibniz, although the first recorded Western philosopher to use it was Anaximander of Miletus. The demand that nature be rational, in the sense that it be compatible with the principle of sufficient reason, conflicts with a basic feature of contemporary orthodox physical theory, namely the notion that nature's response to the probing action of an observer is determined by pure chance, and hence on the basis of absolutely no reason at all. This appeal to pure chance can be deemed to have no rational fundamental place in reason‐based Western science. It is argued here, on the basis of the other basic principles of quantum physics, that in a world that conforms to the principle of sufficient reason, the usual quantum statistical rules will naturally emerge at the pragmatic level, in cases where the reason behind nature's choice of response is unknown, but that the usual statistics can become biased in an empirically manifest way when the reason for the choice is empirically identifiable. It is shown here that if the statistical laws of quantum mechanics were to be biased in this way then the basically forward‐in‐time unfolding of empirical reality described by orthodox quantum mechanics would generate the appearances of backward‐time‐effects of the kind that have been reported in the scientific literature.The principle of sufficient reason asserts that anything that happens does so for a reason: no definite state of affairs can come into being unless there is a sufficient reason why that particular thing should happen. This principle is usually attributed to Leibniz, although the first recorded Western philosopher to use it was Anaximander of Miletus. The demand that nature be rational, in the sense that it be compatible with the principle of sufficient reason, conflicts with a basic feature of contemporary orthodox physical theory, namely the notion that nature's response to the probing action of an observer is determined by pure chance, and hence on the basis of absolutely no reason at all. This appeal to pure chance can be deemed to have no rational fundamental place in reason‐based Western science. It is argued here, on the basis of the other basic principles of quantum physics, that in a world that conforms to the principle of sufficient reason, the usual quantum statistical rules will naturally emerg...


Particle swarm optimization (PSO), a relatively new population-based intelligence algorithm, exhibits good performance on optimization problems. However, during the optimization process, the particles become more and more similar, and gather into the neighborhood of the best particle in the swarm, which makes the swarm prematurely converged most likely around the local solution. A new optimization algorithm called multifrequency vibrational PSO is significantly improved and tested for two different test cases: optimization of six different benchmark test functions and direct shape optimization of an airfoil in transonic flow. The algorithm emphasizes a new mutation application strategy and diversity variety, such as global random diversity and local controlled diversity. The results offer insight into how the mutation operator affects the nature of the diversity and objective function value. The local controlled diversity is based on an artificial neural network. As far as both the demonstration cases' problems are considered, remarkable reductions in the computational times have been accomplished.


Members of Kelompok Usaha Bersama (KUB) "SRIKANDI" which is engaged in the health and food business so far its sales have not experienced an increase because its marketing is only carried out in the surrounding area or sold to close relatives and their own families, it requires a more productive marketing by using technological advances namely on-line marketing that utilizes the networkinternet to promote their products. The purpose of this Community Service program is to carry out online marketing training for Kelompok Usaha Bersama (KUB) "SRIKANDI". The results of on-line marketing training are members of Kelompok Usaha Bersama (KUB) "SRIKANDI" that can produce marketing and promotion on line for their production results widely so as to increase sales which will also have an impact on increase income of Kelompok Usaha Bersama (KUB) "SRIKANDI"


Combined methods of evaluating Total Dissolved Solids (TDS) from electrical resistivity sounding, water analysis and single point resistance logs were used in this study. Twelve (12) resistivity soundings, (8) eight water samples were collected and (1) one well was logged near sounding locations. The results showed that TDS in groundwater (depth > 30m) from resistivity sounding, water analysis and single - point resistance log varied from 21.2 to 183.4 ppm, 11.6 to 108.4 ppm and 8.6 to 81 ppm respectively. The result indicates that the three methods give nearly similar TDS values. Comparison of TDS levels evaluated by resistivity sounding and water analysis showed that there was a significant positive relationship (R 2 = 0.91). Thus from this study in the absence of water analysis, estimates of TDS values in groundwater can be made from resistivity sounding data.


The need for more information about complications of abortion is discussed. It is noted that many hospital departments do not analyze abortion data or provide quality control of the operations that they perform. There is a need for standardized definitions of some late postoperative complications and more information concerning them. Information on the effect of abortion and contraception on the health of the mother and children she may have would also be valuable.


We consider the optimal quantization of compressive sensing measurements along with estimation from quantized samples using generalized approximate message passing (GAMP). GAMP is an iterative reconstruction scheme inspired by the belief propagation algorithm on bipartite graphs which generalizes approximate message passing (AMP) for arbitrary measurement channels. Its asymptotic error performance can be accurately predicted and tracked through the state evolution formalism. We utilize these results to design mean-square optimal scalar quantizers for GAMP signal reconstruction and empirically demonstrate the superior error performance of the resulting quantizers.


To investigate the neurotoxicity of intrathecal injections of dexmedetomidine, Sprague-Dawley rats were intrathecally injected with dexmedetomidine at doses of 0.75, 1.50 and 3.00 μg/kg into the spinal dorsal horn. We found that c-Fos expression in the rat spinal dorsal horn peaked at 7 hours following the 3.00 μg/kg dexmedetomidine injection, while the levels of c-Fos expression following 0.75 and 1.50 μg/kg dexmedetomidine were similar to those in the spinal dorsal horn of normal rats. At 48 hours following administration, the level of c-Fos expression was similar to normal levels. In addition, the intrathecal injections of dexmedetomidine increased paw withdrawal mechanical thresholds and prolonged thermal tail flick latencies. These results indicate that dexmedetomidine has pronounced antinociceptive effects. However, dexmedetomidine appears to have neurotoxic effects in the spinal cord because it increased c-Fos expression in the spinal dorsal horn within 7 hours following administration.


One and most important of the intrinsic challenges facing the optical fibers communication systems and main restriction to limited the system capacity is the fiber nonlinearity impairments. Classical Nonlinear Impairments Compensation (NLC) techniques are widely used and exist on the basis of the approximate Nonlinear Schrodinger Equation (NLSE) solution, their use and requires excessive signal resources, and highlevel knowledge accuracy. In addition, their parameterizations can be numerically unstable. Algorithms of Artificial Intelligence (AI) are utilized to determine and resolve the deficiencies by learning from the receiving information itself. To the best of our knowledge, this novel approach is implemented. Therefore, this article proposes a system nonlinearity and single-step compensation algorithm according to a Deep Neural Network (DNN) as a new alternative framework for future optical communications. So, we proposed to use the DNN to compensation the nonlinearity impairments in optical communication systems. The suggested DNN is accessible to higher-order QAM modulations with achieving greater gain in nonlinear impairments compensation compare to classical NLC techniques based on Digital Back Propagation (DBP). Its performance is evaluated experimentally on coherent 65536-bit sequence length with 25 Gbaud single polarization 4-16-64 QAM with 50 and 120 Gb/s back-to-back measurements through using pre-distort symbols at the transmitter for showing Q factor development after 5000 km standard single-mode fiber transmission link. The DNN's weights are to train data with the intrachannel cross-phase modulation (XPM) and self-phase modulation (SPM) that used as input features.


It is becoming increasingly recognized that the host microenvironment is essential for regulating tumor cell behavior. The cellular stromal compartment can modulate angiogenesis either directly through enhanced secretion of pro-angiogenic factors or reduced secretion of antiangiogenic factors, or indirectly by modulating the surrounding extracellular matrix. Control of angiogenesis represents a critical step in cancer progression and is a potential therapeutic target. This article focuses on the role of the tumor microenvironment in the control of angiogenesis and how dissection of the molecular interactions may enhance prognostic and predictive power and facilitate therapeutic targeting.


In this paper, we extend the work by Sato devoted to the development of economic growth models within the framework of the Lie group theory. We propose a new growth model based on the assumption of logistic growth in factors and derive the corresponding production functions, as well as a compatible notion of wage share. In the process, it is shown that the new functions compare reasonably well against relevant economic data. The corresponding problem of maximisation of profit under conditions of perfect competition is solved with the aid of one of these functions. In addition, it is explained in reasonably rigorous mathematical terms why Bowley's law no longer holds true in the post-1960 data.


Prostacyclin and its stable catabolite 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha were tested on the human colonic mucosal adenylate cyclase which represents the key enzyme in the secretory process in this organ. Prostacyclin was able to activate dose-dependently the human cyclase system. Saturating concentrations of prostacyclin and 6-keto-prostaglandin F1 alpha (each 0.28 mM) increased the enzyme activity 2.5-fold and only 1.4-fold, respectively. The presence of prostacyclin receptor sites in human colonic mucosa suggests a physiological role of this novel prostaglandin in human colonic function.


In this paper, we describe an Adaptive In-building Propagation Simulator (AIPS) to predict wireless service coverage within buildings for WCDMA networks. The adaptive propagation model was proposed and applied on AIPS. The model provides analysis of the visualized coverage and the received signal strength of the MS (Mobile Station) inside the building by designing the specific location of the transmitter, material of the wall and antenna etc as a construction within building. The performance of this AIPS is investigated by comparing the simulation results with the actual measurements on a location-by-location basis in a building which WCDMA repeaters are operating commercially in KTF, the number 1 WCDMA service provider in Korea. The result shows that the AIPS predicts service coverage on the real access network with a standard deviation of about 5dB over 53 locations in several buildings. The AIPS with the proposed propagation model is widely using to plan the service coverage within a building in KTF WCDMA networks.


This research explores the changing nature of the IS discipline by focusing on academic job ads over the last 18 years to, in turn, show how we are preparing our students for jobs in the IS field. Three time periods are examined to see what topics were in need for IS departments. As expected, the skills requested have changed over time, but even with a current focus on "analytics", skills such as Data Warehousing and Systems Analysis and Design are still in demand.


We study the problem of designing revenue-maximizing auctions for allocating multiple goods to flexible consumers. In our model, each consumer is interested in a subset of goods known as its flexibility set and wants to consume one good from this set. A consumer's flexibility set and its utility from consuming a good from its flexibility set are its private information. We focus on the case of nested flexibility sets—each consumer's flexibility set can be one of the $k$ nested sets. We provide several examples where such nested flexibility sets may arise. We characterize the allocation rule for an incentive compatible, individually rational, and revenue-maximizing auction in terms of solutions to integer programs. The corresponding payment rule is described by an integral equation. We then leverage the nestedness of flexibility sets to simplify the optimal auction and provide a complete characterization of allocations and payments in terms of simple thresholds.


This paper describes a method by which the activity of an immobilized enzyme can be modulated electrochemically at an electrode. The particular example studied, involving the enzyme firefly luciferase being immobilized in a gelatin film of thickness <1 μm, provides a useful model system since changes in the catalytic activity can be measured instantaneously through the natural bioluminescent emission. Using this biointerfacial arrangement, we have been able to demonstrate the reversible switching off and on of the enzyme's activity. Through a series of mechanistic studies, we have been able to determine that the bioluminescence response is modulated (on long time scales) as a consequence of the electrochemical depletion of protons at the electrode interface resulting in a local increase in pH.


Phosphatase and tensin homolog (PTEN) is the protein encoded by the PTEN gene (10q23.3). PTEN mutations are related to a variety of rare diseases referred to collectively as PTEN hamartoma tumor syndromes (PHTS), which include Cowden Syndrome, Bannayan-Riley-Ruvalcaba syndrome, Proteus Syndrome, and Proteus-like syndrome. These diseases are associated with an increased risk of malignancy and for this reason an accurate and early diagnosis is essential in order to institute cancer surveillance. PTEN is a regulator of growth and homeostasis in immune system cells, although there are limited data describing immune dysregulation caused by PTEN mutations. We describe a case of PHTS syndrome caused by a de novo mutation in PTEN detected using a targeted next generation sequencing (NGS) gene panel which was instigated for workup of cutaneous vasculitis. We highlight the diagnostic utility of this approach and that mutations in PTEN may be associated with immune-dysregulatory features such as vasculitis in young children.


We present recent flowing-afterglow measurements of branching fractions for electronically and vibrationally excited products arising from the dissociative recombination of N2H+, HCO+, HOC+, and HNC+ ions with thermal electrons. State-specific yields were derived by fitting the observed, spatially resolved emission band intensities to models that simulate all ion-chemical processes, recombination, diffusion, and gas mixing.


Ictal and interictal single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and ictal electroencephalography (EEG) were studied in a 3‐month‐old girl with benign familial infantile convulsions (BFIC) to reveal the epileptic focus. There was bilateral diffuse propagation from a left frontal lobe focus on the ictal EEG. Perfusion in the left frontal region was increased on ictal SPECT and decreased on interictal SPECT. Epileptic foci of BFIC showed the same characteristics as foci of symptomatic partial epilepsy.


SUMMARY The objectives of this review article are, firstly, to provide an overview of the literature on the main characteristics of what is referred to as the international forest regime and secondly, based on this, to review explanations for fragmentation as its core characteristic. A third aim of the article is to propose fields for future policy-oriented research on global forest governance, the international forest regime and its fragmentation. The article discusses different strands of literature and academic views on the existence and main characteristics of an international forest regime. It regards the recent notion of an international forest regime complex to be a fruitful topic for future research proposals and finds that fragmentation is its analytical core characteristic. In addition, the article reviews partial explanations for the great relevance of fragmentation in the case of the forest regime complex. It discriminates between domestic factors and causes as opposed to those resulting from the international system. Based on the review, the article suggests, lastly, fields for future research on global forest governance, the international forest regime complex and its fragmentation.


With increasing fracture risks due to fragility, osteoporosis is a global health problem threatening postmenopausal women. In these patients, osteoclasts play leading roles in bone loss and fracture. How to inhibit osteoclast activity is the key issue for osteoporosis treatment. In recent years, miRNA-based gene therapy through gene regulation has been considered a potential therapeutic method. However, in light of the side effects, the use of therapeutic miRNAs in osteoporosis treatment is still limited by the lack of tissue/cell-specific delivery systems. Here, we developed polyurethane (PU) nanomicelles modified by the acidic peptide Asp8. Our data showed that without overt toxicity or eliciting an immune response, this delivery system encapsulated and selectively deliver miRNAs to OSCAR+ osteoclasts at bone-resorption surface in vivo. With the Asp8-PU delivery system, anti-miR214 was delivered to osteoclasts, and bone microarchitecture and bone mass were improved in ovariectomized osteoporosis mice. Therefore, Asp8-PU could be a useful bone-resorption surface-targeting delivery system for treatment of osteoclast-induced bone diseases and aging-related osteoporosis.


We live in a very interesting age where science fiction is becoming science fact. It has been only 20 years since the World Wide Web connected all of us, only 10 years since smart devices entered our pockets, and today we are experiencing the rise of the Artificial Intelligence. As if this was not exciting enough, we are creating Cyber Worlds that we can access by using Augmented(AR), Mixed(MR), Virtual(VR) Reality tools. The age we live in requires not only the creation of more sophisticated tools, but also understanding the responsibility that comes with these creations. Cyber Rabbit is an emerging decentralised Extended Reality studio that explores the role of technology in our collective evolution. The organisation's first product "Adventures in Cyberland" is a book that simplifies the communication language of these technological developments and informs the reader through storytelling with XR technologies. The book is a platform both for children and adults to learn about our growing civilisation and raises awareness about society's most recent topics.


Burkholderia pseudomallei and Burkholderia mallei are closely related gram-negative bacteria that can cause serious diseases in humans and animals. This review summarizes the current and rapidly expanding knowledge on the specific virulence factors employed by these pathogens and their roles in the pathogenesis of melioidosis and glanders. In particular, the contributions of recently identified virulence factors are described in the context of the intracellular lifestyle of these pathogens. Throughout this review, unique and shared virulence features of B. pseudomallei and B. mallei are discussed.


Background The prevalence of diabetes is increasing in all industrialized countries and its prevention has become a public health priority. However, the predictors of diabetes risk are insufficiently understood. We evaluated, whether 31 novel biomarkers could help to predict the risk of incident diabetes. Methods and Findings The biomarkers were evaluated primarily in the FINRISK97 cohort (n = 7,827; 417 cases of clinically incident diabetes during the follow-up). The findings were replicated in the Health 2000 cohort (n = 4,977; 179 cases of clinically incident diabetes during the follow-up). We used Cox proportional hazards models to calculate the relative risk of diabetes, after adjusting for the classic risk factors, separately for each biomarker. Next, we assessed the discriminatory ability of single biomarkers using receiver operating characteristic curves and C-statistics, integrated discrimination improvement (IDI) and net reclassification improvement (NRI). Finally, we derived a biomarker score in the FINRISK97 cohort and validated it in the Health 2000 cohort. A score consisting of adiponectin, apolipoprotein B, C-reactive protein and ferritin almost doubled the relative risk of diabetes in the validation cohort (HR per one standard deviation increase 1.88, p = 2.8 e-5). It also improved discrimination of the model (IDI = 0.0149, p<0.0001) and reclassification of diabetes risk (NRI = 11.8%, p = 0.006). Gender-specific analyses suggested that the best score differed between men and women. Among men, the best results were obtained with the score of four biomarkers: adiponectin, apolipoprotein B, ferritin and interleukin-1 receptor antagonist, which gave an NRI of 25.4% (p<0.0001). Among women, the best score included adiponectin, apolipoprotein B, C-reactive protein and insulin. It gave an NRI of 13.6% (p = 0.041). Conclusions We identified novel biomarkers that were associated with the risk of clinically incident diabetes over and above the classic risk factors. This gives new insights into the pathogenesis of diabetes and may help with targeting prevention and treatment.


Abstract The introduced meadow knapweed (Centaurea × moncktonii C.E. Britton), a hybrid of black (Centaurea nigra L.) and brown (Centaurea jacea L.) knapweeds, is increasingly common in pastures, meadows, and waste areas across many U.S. states, including New York. We evaluated the effects of temperature, light, seed stratification, scarification, and population on percent germination in four experiments over 2 yr. Percent germination ranged from 3% to 100% across treatment combinations. Higher temperatures (30:20, 25:15, and sometimes 20:10 C day:night regimes compared with 15:5 C) promoted germination, especially when combined with the stimulatory effect of light (14:10 h L:D compared with continuous darkness). Under the three lowest temperature treatments, light increased percent germination by 15% to 86%. Cold-wet seed stratification also increased germination rates, especially at lower germination temperatures, but was not a prerequisite for germination. Scarification did not increase percent germination. Differences between C. × moncktonii populations were generally less significant than differences between temperature, light, and stratification treatments. Taken together, these results indicate that C. × moncktonii is capable of germinating under a broad range of environments, which may have facilitated this species' range expansion in recent decades. However, C. × moncktonii also shows evidence of germination polymorphism: some seeds will germinate under suboptimal conditions, while others may remain dormant until the abiotic environment improves. Subtle differences in dormancy mechanisms and their relative frequencies may affect phenological traits like the timing of seedling emergence and ultimately shape the sizes and ranges of C. × moncktonii populations.


Direct leukocyte migration inhibition (LMI) assays were performed to investigate whether cell-mediated immune reactions could be detected in response to tumor-associated antigens of human melanoma. The antigens were 3 M KCl-soluble extracts of different fresh melanomas, other cancers, and benign nevus tissue. A total of 48 of the 79 (61%) blood samples from melanoma patients (64 patients) reacted with extracts of melanoma tissue. Since the subjects were usually tested with two or three extracts, 57/134 (42%) tests with melanoma patients' leukocytes were inhibited by KCl extracts of melanoma tissue, whereas only 3/50 (6%) tests with leukocytes of normal donors and 4/27 (15%) with patients having other cancers gave positive results. No positive reactions were obtained when 13 melanoma patients were tested with a 3 M KCl extract of benign nevus tissue. Likewise, only 2/26 (8%) positive tests were obtained from melanoma patients tested with extracts of other cancers. Individuals in all stages of disease had similar incidences of positive reactions to the soluble melanoma extracts, except for patients with stage-1 disease who exhibited a somewhat higher incidence of reactivity. The highest incidence of reactivity was observed in patients before surgical resection of the tumor, and somewhat decreased reactivity was seen 0-14 days post surgery. The results indicate that the direct LMI assay may be used to measure cell immune reactivity against melanoma-associated antigens. Since many of the positive results were obtained with allogeneic extracts, the results also indicate that different melanomas possess common antigens.


A total of 190 patients, referred by general practitioners for a double-contrast barium enema, were subsequently examined with colonoscopy. With colonoscopy and histology as the reference standard, sensitivity, specificity, positive and negative predictive values, and accuracy for the radiological detection of cancer and polyps were calculated. No cancer was overlooked by the radiological examination, but there were four false positives. The overall sensitivity for polyps was 70%, increasing to 81% for polyps > or = 10 mm. The predictive value was 93-97% for the exclusion of polyps. The caecum was reached in 187 patients by double-contrast barium enema (98%) and in 164 patients (86%) by colonoscopy. Lesions in four of 12 patients who had radiological changes were undetected at the first colonoscopy, but a repeat examination showed polyps > or = 10 mm in size. Although colonoscopy is a more sensitive technique for the detection of small mucosal lesions, the general practitioners may, in the vast majority of patients, rely on a negative result for polyps and cancer obtained by the double-contrast barium enema. The latter is linked with a number of false-positive cases, while colonoscopy is associated with technical difficulties; both techniques may lead to repeated examinations, regardless of which was the first choice.


OBJECTIVE
To elucidate the patterns and risk factors for loss to follow-up during active surveillance for Stage I seminoma.

METHODS
A total of 425 cases with Stage I seminoma underwent radical orchiectomy from 1985 to 2006 at 25 Japanese institutions, including 22 community hospitals and 3 university hospitals. The post-orchiectomy management selected was active surveillance for 186 patients, adjuvant radiotherapy for 182 patients and chemotherapy for 57 patients. The Kaplan-Meier method was used to estimate the recurrence-free survival and loss to follow-up rate. The risk factors for loss to follow-up were examined using Cox's proportional hazards model with multiple variables.

RESULTS
The 2-, 5- and 10-year loss to follow-up rates in the active surveillance group were 14.2, 37.8 and 71.3%, respectively, which were not significantly different in comparison with those in the active surveillance and adjuvant radiotherapy or chemotherapy groups. With regard to the active surveillance group, the multivariate analysis demonstrated that patients younger than 36 years at diagnosis, patients diagnosed since 2000 and patients treated at hospitals that enrolled more than 10 cases had a significant risk for loss to follow-up. No significant correlation between the loss to follow-up rate and pathological risk factors such as tumor size (≤4 versus >4 cm) and rete testis invasion (presence versus absence) was shown.

CONCLUSIONS
The loss to follow-up rates beyond 5 years were unsatisfactorily high during active surveillance. Further approaches to improve the quality of active surveillance are needed, especially for high-risk patients such as those of younger age.


These are the proceedings of the session XLVIII of the NATO Advanced Study Institute, held from May 30 until June 24,1988, during the summer-school at Les Houches (France). The main subject of this meeting was dedicated to the behaviour of liquids close to surfaces, including complex liquids, such as liquid crystals, polymers, and liquids containing surfactants. Condensed-matter physicists, who developed recently new theoretical concepts and experimental methods, were brought together with representatives of classical physical chemistry and with scientists of analytical chemistry. The aim of this school


The handloom sector is yet to produce an ample size of entrepreneurship despite its potential in the globalization era. However, even after continuous intervention by the Government and other entities, the sector has miserably failed in creating an entrepreneurial climate for the community. The study identifies numerous factors responsible for these conditions and suggests suitable interventions and strategies to alter the situation that exists. Therefore, two prominent handloom clusters have been taken in India and the primary study was conducted in both the clusters using a qualitative approach. The findings of the study reveal a that number of skilled and semi-skilled weavers express to join as an entrepreneur if their issues and development factors like better credit system, a research center for trend forecasting at the local level, technological upgradation, regular quality training, feeling of ownership of stakeholders, and incubation center, etc., could be taken care of by the Government and other private-entity companies and NGOs. Besides, most of the master weavers claim that lack of getting entrepreneurial status is debarred from the government benefits although they are already into handloom enterprises. Although the Government has many schemes for their upliftment, not a single weaver from the communities, has registered himself as a business entity under the companies' act or even operate as a sole proprietor. So, there is an opportunity for entrepreneurship in the cluster if impeding issues are considered and implemented.


Clinical trials have shown that carotid surgery prevents stroke, but also has a significant risk of morbidity. Percutaneous transluminal angioplasty and stenting (endovascular treatment) can also be used to treat carotid stenosis and have the advantage of avoiding general anaesthesia, cranial nerve injury and the discomforts of surgery. However, there are several potential complications of endovascular treatment, including intimal dissection and plaque rupture, and the long-term consequences of restenosis. More embolic signals are detected during and immediately after carotid angioplasty than during carotid surgery, although a randomised comparison showed no difference in neuropsychological outcomes. The large published case series of carotid endovascular treatment suggest a similar major morbidity rate to surgery, but a small single centre randomised trial reported very poor results in stented patients. Trial data from the much larger Carotid and Vertebral Artery Transluminal Angioplasty Study (CAVATAS) has been more encouraging. Results are available from 504 patients with carotid stenosis randomised to surgery or endovascular treatment. Endovascular treatment was carried out by percutaneous transluminal angioplasty using balloon catheters with the adjunct use of stents in 22%. Audited safety analysis by intention to treat showed no difference in the outcome measure of disabling stroke or death within 30 days of treatment, but the rate of treatment related death or stroke lasting more than seven days was relatively high in both groups (endovascular treatment 10%, surgery 9.9%). Minor complications, particularly cranial nerve palsy and haematoma were significantly less frequent in the endovascular group, but restenosis was significantly more common. Both treatments appeared equally effective at preventing stroke recurrence with no difference in the rates of stroke during follow-up for up to 3 years. Techniques of carotid angioplasty and stenting improved over the course of CAVATAS, and new designs of stents, filters and protection devices are being developed. Further large, multicentre randomised trials are therefore being started which will evaluate primary stenting of carotid artery stenosis in patients with cerebrovascular disease. Until the results are available, it will remain uncertain whether angioplasty and stenting are safe and effective therapeutic alternatives to surgery.


This chapter presents two practical methods of thermoelastic stress calculation suitable for application in online monitoring systems of steam turbines. Both methods are based on the Green function and Duhamel integral and consider the effect of variable heat transfer coefficient and material physical properties on thermal stresses. This effect is taken into account either by using an equivalent steam temperature determined with a constant heat transfer coefficient or by applying an equivalent Green ' s function determined with variable heat transfer coefficient and physical properties. The effectiveness of both methods was shown by comparing their predictions with the results of exact three-dimensional (3D) calculations of a steam turbine valve.


Customer experience has been found to be a competitive edge for many hospitality industries. The growth and survival of many hotel industries depend on its ability to manage and create memorable experience. Research on customer experience tends to focus more on managerial outcomes than on the theories underlying the antecedents and consequences of experiences. Whilst realizing the gap between traditional quality management practices and what customers desire from their experiences, firms are challenged to define experience, identify its determinants, make it operational and manage its implementation effectively. This study aimed at assessing customer experience and its relative effects on customer emotions and purchase behavior in the Kenyan hotel industry. The study adopted Berry and Carbone's conceptualization of customer experience and Shen and Zhao (2005) indicators to measure purchase behavior. A mixed exploratory research design was adopted to conduct the research where self-administered questionnaires were used to collect quantitative data. The study assessed luxury hotels within Nairobi (20), Kisumu (1) and Mombasa (10) since they had a clear and consistent organizational structure and can give more insight into experiences because of their experienced and demanding clientele. The study population was 5,800 guests staying in the hotels. A total of 361 guests were selected as the sample size using multi stage sampling procedure. Data was analyzed using descriptive statistics which involved use of means, percentages and tests for normality and inferential statistics which included the use of correlation, principal axis factor analysis and regression. The research findings indicate that the respondents agree with all the 35 dimensions as describing their perceptions about customer experience in the hotel given that all the means of the 35 customer dimensions was > 4. The results proved that customer experience is composed of three set of clues (humanic, functional and mechanic) which impact on customers perception of overall customer experience. Regression results also showed that of the three customer experience factors, only humanic clue factor had significant influence on purchase behavior (β = .17, t = 1.94, p = .05), with the rest of the two factors having no significant influence. The implication of this finding was that any efforts towards enhancing customer experiences in a hotel should focus primarily on aspects of a hotel operation that are equally important to the customer. While acknowledging the importance of all aspects of the hotel operation, managers should recognize the significance of each aspect in influencing purchase behavior. Keywords: Customer, Customer experience, Purchase behavior, customer emotions, luxury hotels. DOI : 10.7176/EJBM/11-21-07 Publication date :July 31 st 2019


Benthic macroinvertebrate assemblages are structured according to physical and chemical parameters that define microhabitats, including food supply, shelter to escape predators, and other biological parameters that influence reproductive success. The aim of this study is to investigate spatial and temporal distribution of macroinvertebrate assemblages at the Macaé river basin, in Rio de Janeiro state, Southeastern Brazil. According to the "Habitat Assessment Field Data Sheet--High Gradient Streams" (Barbour et al., 1999), the five sampling sites are considered as a reference condition. Despite the differences in hydrological parameters (mean width, depth and discharge) among sites, the physicochemical parameters and functional feeding groups' general structure were similar, except for the less impacted area, which showed more shredders. According to the Detrended Correspondence Analysis based on substrates, there is a clear distinction between pool and riffle assemblages. In fact, the riffle litter substrate had higher taxa in terms of richness and abundance, but the pool litter substrate had the greatest number of exclusive taxa. A Cluster Analysis based on sampling sites data showed that temporal variation was the main factor in structuring macroinvertebrate assemblages in the studied habitats.


The use of a crop to remove nutrients from brewery effluent and the influence of pH on these removal rates was evaluated. Cabbage (Brassica oleracea) was grown in recirculating hydroponic systems fed with post-anaerobically digested brewery effluent (BE) either subject to pH adjustment (6.5–7.0) or unaltered pH (8.0–8.5). These were compared with cabbages grown in water only and in a inorganic fertiliser nutrient solution (NS). Hydroponic systems fed with pH adjusted BE removed significantly more nitrogen and phosphorus than systems fed with pH unadjusted BE (p < 0.05). The final weight of cabbages from the pH adjusted BE systems were 6.7 times greater than cabbages from the pH unadjusted BE systems, whereas pH adjustment had no influence on cabbage weight in the water-only and NS treatments. Anaerobically digested BE that is not pH adjusted is not a suitable water and nutrient source for the hydroponic production of cabbages. However, pH adjustment of BE renders it more suitable for hydroponic crop production with hydroponic systems decreasing dissolved inorganic nitrogen, ammonium, phosphate and chemical oxygen demand concentrations by 72.8, 31.8, 98.5 and 51.0%, respectively. Hydroponic systems can be used to treat post-anaerobically digested BE to a similar standard obtained by conventional activated sludge treatment system.


In the last decade, large electrostatic potentials of the order of tens of kV have been measured on spacecraft in the Earth's magnetosphere. Observations in space have led to the inference of large potentials on natural objects in the Solar System. The result for spacecraft can be material damage and operational interference caused by electrostatic discharges. Natural objects such as dust grains can be disrupted, and their motion influenced by electromagnetic forces.


Variables which are of influence in establishing clear predictions of neuropsychological alterations from neuroradiological data (and vice versa) are documented and discussed. It is concluded that personality factors and the kind and locus of brain lesions are the most crucial determinants. The locus of the brain damage may have cumulative effects either when it is situated in a strategic place (usually within the white matter, affecting interneuronal communication) or when various types of lesions appear superimposed (combination of focal and diffuse lesions). Consequently, the consideration of the patient's personality background and of as many neuropsychological facts as possible may considerably increase the validity of outcome predictions. When static or dynamic neuroimaging fails to show abnormalities in spite of obvious psychological alterations, an intensive neuropsychological documentation may even replace neuroradiology.


Epidemiologic observations and experimental studies have demonstrated a protective effect of dietary fish oil on the clinical manifestations of ischemia-reperfusion injury. To investigate the underlying mechanisms, we used the dorsal skinfold chamber model for intravital fluorescence microscopy of the microcirculation in striated muscle of awake hamsters. In control hamsters (n = 7), reperfusion after a 4-hr pressure-induced ischemia to the muscle tissue elicited the adhesion of fluorescently stained leukocytes to the endothelium of postcapillary venules, capillary obstruction, and the break-down of endothelial integrity. These microvascular manifestations of ischemia-reperfusion injury were significantly attenuated in animals (n = 7) when fed with a fish oil-enriched diet for 4 weeks prior to the experiments. In leukocyte total lipids, the fish oil diet resulted in a substantial displacement of arachidonic acid, the precursor of the potent adhesion-promoting leukotriene (LT) B4, by fish oil-derived eicosapentaenoic acid, the precursor of biologically less potent LTB5, emphasizing the mediator role of LTB4 in ischemia-reperfusion injury. These results suggest that the preservation of microvascular perfusion by dietary fish oil contributes to its protective effects on the clinical manifestations of ischemia-reperfusion injury.


Bi-partite networks are commonly modelled using latent class or latent feature models. Whereas the existing latent class models admit marginalization of parameters specifying the strength of interaction between groups, existing latent feature models do not admit analytical marginalization of the parameters accounting for the interaction strength within the feature representation. We propose a new binary latent feature model that admits analytical marginalization of interaction strengths such that model inference reduces to assigning nodes to latent features. We propose a constraint inspired by the notion of community structure such that the edge density within groups is higher than between groups. Our model further assumes that entities can have different propensities of generating links in one of the modes. The proposed framework is contrasted on both synthetic and real bi-partite networks to the infinite relational model and the infinite Bernoulli mixture model. We find that the model provides a new latent feature representation of structure while in link-prediction performing close to existing models. Our current extension of the notion of communities and collapsed inference to binary latent feature representations in bipartite networks provides a new framework for accounting for structure in bi-partite networks using binary latent feature representations providing interpretable representations that well characterize structure as quantified by link prediction.


Background: The increasing prevalence of non-communicable diseases (NCDs) has some major implications on many countries to achieve universal health coverage. This study aimed to investigate the implementation of Global School-based Student Health Survey(GSHS), which is used to assess the risk factors of NCDs among children and adolescents, by the Eastern Mediterranean Region(EMR) countries. Methods: This study was a meta-analysis and systematic literature review of 2001-2018 published studies, which were found by searching PubMed, Google Scholar, WHO, and CDC databases. In this study, the target group was students aged between 13 and 17 years old. GSHS implementation as well as risk factors of NCDs were compared across different countries. The random-effect model for meta-analysis was considered at 95% con�dence interval. Result: In the EMR, 19 countries have implemented GSHS at least once following the survey manual (37 surveys). Overally, 201,795 young adolescents between 13 and 17 years old were included in our analysis. The overall estimation of prevalence rate of NCD risk factors among the students(13 and 15 years old), the overall estimation of the overweight prevalence rate was 24.5% (20.6-28.8), obesity prevalence rate was 7.3% (5.4-9.5), insu�cient physical activity prevalence rate was 82.4% (80.7-84.1), tobacco usage prevalence rate was 14.3% (10.53-18.67), and smoking prevalence was rate 9.6% (8.1-11.3). In those aged from 13 to 17 years old, these rates were estimated as 19.8 (13.2-27.3), 9.7 (6.2-14.0), 86.1 (84.1-87.9), 17.8 (11.8-24.7), and 11.5 (9.4-13.8), respectively. Conclusion: GSHS has been widely implemented across EMR countries. Using nationally representative data, the results show that more efforts are needed to target the NCDs risk factors among adolescents in the region.


Progressive loss of neuronal structure and function occur in several neurodegenerative diseases. Cellular responses to brain injury depend on properties of the cells (e.g., hormonal nutritional status) and insult (e.g., duration, intensity, and quality), whereas, tissue responses depend on interactions between their constituent cells, including chemical and electrical transmission as well as paracrine and autocrine signaling. In vertebrate cells, autocrine and paracrine communication occur in part via release of chemical signals through connexin hemichannels (Saez et al. 2010), the precursors of gap junction channels that are formed by two hemichannels provided by one of each apposed cells (Fig. 1). Each hemichannel is composed of six protein subunits termed connexins, which are highly conserved proteins encoded by 21 genes in human and 20 in mouse with orthologs in other vertebrate species (Cruciani and Mikalsen 2005). Connexins are abundantly expressed in cells of the central nervous system (CNS) (Orellana et al. 2009) (Fig. 2), and they are named after their predicted molecular mass expressed in kDa, so that connexin43 (Cx43) has a molecular mass of ~43 kDa. For a long time the main function attributed to connexin hemichannels was the formation of gap junction channels. Nevertheless, in the last decade, the presence of functional connexin hemichannels in nonjunctional membranes has been demonstrated by several experimental approaches (Saez et al. 2010). These channels allow cellular release of relevant quantities of autocrine/paracrine signaling molecules (e.g., ATP, glutamate, NAD+ and PGE2) to the extracellular milieu (Bruzzone et al. 2001; Cherian et al. 2005; Stout et al. 2002), as well as uptake of small molecules (e.g., glucose) (Retamal et al. 2007a). Recently, another gene family encoding a set of three membrane proteins, named pannexins (Panxs 1-3), has been identified (Bruzzone et al. 2003). Up to now, only Panx3 has been shown to form gap junctions in osteoblasts (Ishikawa et al. 2011) and further studies will be required to identify pannexin gap junctions in other cell types. Connexins and pannexins present similar membrane topology, with four α-helical transmembrane domains connected by two


Living (rose-Bengal-stained) foraminifera were investigated from the continental margin off the Pacific Coast of Costa Rica and Nicaragua. Assemblages from seven stations, including mounds and mud volcanoes, were compared in terms of foraminiferal density, distribution patterns, diversity and species composition and related to environmental factors (satellite chlorophyll a imagery, organic carbon content in the sediment, available oxygen data, particle grain sizes). Sediments from mud volcanoes and mounds did not show direct influence of seepage. Highest foraminiferal densities were found on the slope off Nicaragua. The lowest foraminiferal densities were found in the north off Costa Rica where the smooth Cocos Plate segment subducts beneath the Caribbean Plate. Intermediate values were counted in the southern investigated area, where the down-going plate has a rough topography. Observed foraminiferal densities did not always correspond to chlorophyll a imagery or measured organic carbon content in the sediment, suggesting a possible influence of time-limited food supply, lateral transport of sinking organic material and local variability in the investigated area. In total, 187 species were recognized, distributed across the seven stations, which all showed high diversity. Foraminiferal associations contained many Buliminida, pointing to low-oxygen concentrations at the sediment-water interface. Some taxa indicated a possible bathymetric or regional limitation. The assemblage composition varied among the stations to such a degree that no commonalities were identified, based on results from multivariate analysis. This was also the case for samples originating from mounds and mud volcanoes, which did not show any outstandingly different assemblages, meaning that no characteristic foraminiferal assemblage could be used to identify these areas. This mosaic-like distribution pointed to a large degree of habitat heterogeneity in the relatively small area; the habitat heterogeneity could explain the overall high diversity of benthic foraminifera in the region.


The most complete remains of a Japanese immigrant village in all of Taiwan is found in Fengtian, Hualian. In recent years, investment in community reconstruction as well as administrative and financial support from the government has made the community extremely well- known and led to an influx of tourists. Along with political and econontic benefits, community organizations have gained the power to narrate local heritage. But the accounts of local place names and spatiality in local education and guided tours differ from the historical record and from oral history accounts. Based on loog-term fieldwork in Fengtian, Ibis paper uses the concepts of memory formation and inauthenticity to explore the relatioosbip between heritage and memory. Using the examples of the village's police station and its tutelary deity, it discusses the sustainability and reappearance of heritage memory. This discussion may assist in developing the concept of native heritage in Taiwan and contribute to a better understanding of how community development organizations and communities themselves use local knowledge and social realities to coostruct local history.


The world's first radio company was registered in Britain in 1897. Many people then expected that conventional line telegraphs, with their costly paraphernalia of wires, posts and submarine cables, would soon be obsolete. But in practice, for more than twenty years, radio made little impact on existing telegraphs. It was used instead predominantly as a means of ship-to-ship and ship-to-shore signalling. By 1915 there were 4846 radio sets operating in ships and 706 coastal stations for maritime communications; in contrast only about 900 land-based stations were used for point-to point working, and there was only one regular transoceanic commercial radio telegraph. Financially and technologically, the radio industry which developed in the early decades of the twentieth century depended on marine communications.


A realistic single-wall carbon nanotube (SWCN)-metal contact configuration is obtained using a tight-binding molecular dynamics method incorporating full consideration of s, p, and d basis sets for carbon and metal atoms. The full structural relaxation of the combined SWCN and metal system is found to be essential for realistic characterization of conductivity. More importantly, convergence with respect to the number of the metal lead (ML) atoms in contact with the SWCN is found to be even more critical. Our results indicate that, in order to maximize device efficiency, one needs to use ML-SWCN systems with a minimal ML-SWCN contact-width to SWCN-length ratio.


We give an analytical analysis to the acoustic propagation in an acoustic diode (AD) model formed by coupling a superlattice (SL) with a nonlinear medium. Analytical solutions of the acoustic transmission are obtained by studying the propagations in the SL and the nonlinear medium separately with the conventional transfer-matrix method and a perturbation technique. Compared with the previous numerical method, the proposed approach contributes a better physical insight into the intrinsic mechanism of acoustic rectification and helps us to predict the performance of an AD within the effective rectifying bands in a simple way. This is potentially significant for the practical design and fabrication of AD devices.


Scientific competitions are important in robotics because they foster knowledge exchange and allow teams to test their research in unstandardized scenarios and compare result. In the field of service robotics its role becomes crucial. Competitions like RoboCup@Home bring robots to people, a fundamental step to integrate them into society. In this paper we summarize and discuss the differences between the achievements claimed by teams in their team description papers, and the results observed during the competition1 from a qualitative perspective. We conclude with a set of important challenges to be conquered first in order to take robots to people's homes. We believe that competitions are also an excellent opportunity to collect data of direct and unbiased interactions for further research.


In the ultra high-speed sampled ADC system with time-interleaved structure of the software radar, the input signal is sampled non-uniformly because of the sampling-time offset and gain difference of ADC, which product the distortion of the signals, digital spectrum. In this paper, the digital spectrum of the signal sampled non-uniformly is synthetically researched by this ADC with sampling-time offset and gain difference, and derived its digital spectrum representation. A detailed spectrum analysis of the non-uniformly sampled sinusoid is presented to obtain the signal-to-noise ratio. The results of computer simulation that verify the correction of the theory are given. The result provides the useful reference to select the indexes of the software radar system using the ADC with Parallel Structure.


Conical diffraction is obtained when a radiation beam impinges onto a periodically ruled surface structure parallel or almost parallel to the ruling. In this condition the incident intensity is diffracted through an arc, away from the plane of incidence. The diffracted intensity thus lies on a cone, which leads to the name `conical diffraction'. In this configuration almost no part of the ruled structure will produce any shadowing effect for the incident or the diffracted beam. Then, compared with a grating in the classical orientation, relatively higher diffraction efficiencies will be observed for fewer diffraction orders. When the incident beam is perfectly parallel to the grooves of a rectangular grating profile, the symmetry of the setup causes diffraction of the intensity symmetrically around the plane of incidence. This situation was previously tested experimentally in the VUV spectral range for the amplitude beam splitting of a radiation beam with a photon energy of 25 eV. In this case the ideally expected beam splitting efficiency of about 80% for the diffraction into the two first orders was confirmed for the optimum combination of groove depth and angle of grazing incidence. The feasibility of the amplitude beam splitting for hard X-rays with 12 keV photon energy by use of the same concept was theoretically confirmed. However, no related experimental data are presented yet, not even for lower energy soft X-rays. The present study reports the first experimental data for the conical diffraction from a rectangular grating profile in the tender X-ray range for photon energies of 4 keV and 6 keV. The expected symmetries are observed. The maximum absolute efficiency for beam splitting was measured to be only about 30%. As the reflectivity of the grating coating at the corresponding angle of grazing incidence was found to be only of the order of 50%, the relative beam splitting efficiency was thus 60%. This is to be compared also here with an ideally expected relative efficiency of 80%. It is predicted that a beam splitting efficiency exceeding 50% should be possible by use of more appropriate materials.


Over the last decade bilateral relations between Japan and Taiwan have been strained over the issue of tuna fishery management. In 2005, when Taiwan was still under the Democratic Progressive Party (DPP) administration, Japan proposed punitive measures against Taiwan's tuna industries in an international fisheries management body for the Atlantic Ocean. The DPP government took a pragmatic approach, solving the tuna crisis without harming Japan–Taiwan relations, as evidenced by the fact that during the tuna disputes visa-free privilege was granted to Taiwan nationals and the Japanese government openly stated that Taiwan has been a main security objective for Japan and the US. In this paper the Japan-led tuna sanction in 2005 is used as a case study to gauge overall bilateral relations thus far in the twenty-first century.


The current implementation and operation of traffic control schemes by Internet service providers (ISPs) prevent subscribers from getting the benefits of full sharing of resources available in shared access networks, where the capability of allocating available bandwidth by a scheduler (e.g., weighted fair queueing (WFQ)) in an access switch is limited to traffic already shaped by token bucket filters (TBFs) per subscribers' service contracts; with this practice of ISP traffic control in shared access, we cannot expect any fundamental sharing of resources in the long term except for that in the short term controlled by the size of a token bucket. To address it, we recently proposed traffic control schemes based on core-stateless fair queueing (CSFQ) and token bucket meters (TBMs), which can allocate excess bandwidth among active subscribers proportional to their token generation rates. Using a common first-in, first-out (FIFO) queue for all packets, however, degrades the short-term performance of conformant traffic due to the presence of non-conformant packets already in the queue. Also, the rate estimation based on exponential averaging makes it difficult to react to rapid changes in traffic conditions. In this paper we study on how to guarantee the quality of service of conformant traffic in all time scales in excess bandwidth allocation for shared access. Specifically, we propose a new traffic control scheme based on deficit round-robin (DRR) and TBMs, whose advantages over the CSFQ-based one are demonstrated through simulation results.


Photocurable, liquid perfluoropolyethers (PFPEs) are ideal materials for high resolution (<100 nm) pattern transfer and imprint lithographic processes. PFPEs possess attributes of both elastomers and rigid materials, exhibit a remarkably low surface energy, mold extremely small features with high fidelity (minimal shrinkage), resist swelling by most organics, endure repetitive molding procedures, and out-perform routinely-used polydimethylsiloxane when replicating sub-micron sized features. We report nanoscale replicas of substrates, and the use of these replicas as molds, having features as small as 70 nm with no apparent loss of resolution.


Raman spectroscopy and diffuse reflectance infrared spectroscopy(DRIFT) techniques have been used to study kaolinite and its intercalation compound with formamide. In the hydroxyl stretching vibration region of Raman spectrum, the formamide intercalation resulted in the decrease of the intensities of kaolinite inner surface hydroxyl bands at 3 699, 3 682, 3 665 and 3 642 cm -1, and the appearance of additional bands at 3 610, 3 628 cm -1. The two additional bands are attributed to the inner surface hydroxyls which formed hydrogen bond with the formamide CO group. In the low frequency region of Raman spectrum, the ν 1(A 1g) mode of kaolinite Al(O,OH) 6 octahedra consists of two bands at 180 and 193 cm -1, which shift to a high frequency and become a single band centred at 201 cm -1 after intercalation. It shows that the intercalation process decreases structural difference among the inner surface hydroxyls and makes them have a same orentation. The fact that the Raman active bands at 3 628 and 3 610 cm -1 were not observed in the DRIFT spectrum shows that the CO group is linearly linked with the inner surface hydroxyls and that the vibration group is highly symmetric. In the NH stretching region of DRIFT spectrum, there were two bands at 3 336 and 3 466 cm -1 corresponding to the two types of the hydrogen bonds between formamide NH group and kaolinite. In the carboxyl stretching region, an additional band at 1 667 cm -1 is assigned to CO group that bonded to the inner surface hydroxyl of kaolinite. The formamide intercalation induces that the inner hydroxyl Al-OH vibration band 930 cm -1 shift to high frequency 933 cm -1, which is due to that the formamide NH group was keyed into the ditrigonal hole of kaolinite. The formamide intercalation not only resulted in the breaking of the hydrogen bonds between the Al(O,OH) 6 octahedral hydroxyl groups and the SiO 4 tetrahedral oxygens, but also the formation of new different type hydrogen bonds between formamide molecule and kaolinite inner surface hydroxyl and the SiO 4 tetrahedral oxygen.


Those fields of soil science which are related to the study of the genesis, morphology, classification and mapping of soils may be collectively termed "soil survey" The objectives of soil surveys are both fundamental and applied The fundamental objective is basically to expand our knowledge of the environment This may have no immediate practical benefit The major applied objective is the improvement of agriculture We make the assumption that experience with a particular kind of soil in one place can be applied to that particular kind of soil wherever it exists if consideration is taken of any climatic difference The natural soil classification provides the ground-work for any practical classification devised to meet some practical objective The soil survey through the system of classification adopted seeks essentially to isolate the disordered aspects of land into ordered spatial frameworks If we map the soils of a region we do so in order to be able to make more precise statements about the mapped subdivisions than we can make about the region as a whole, the objective being to resolve the region into


We consider Erd\H{o}s-R\'{e}nyi graphs $G(n,p_n)$ with large constant expected degree $\lambda$ and $p_n=\lambda/n$. Bordenave and Lelarge (2010) showed that the infinite-volume limit, in the Benjamini-Schramm topology, is a Galton-Watson tree with offspring distribution Pois($\lambda$) and the mean spectrum at the root of this tree has unbounded support and corresponds to the limiting spectral distribution of $G(n,p_n)$ as $n\to\infty$. We show that if one weights the edges by $1/\sqrt{\lambda}$ and sends $\lambda\to\infty$, then the support mostly vanishes and in fact, the limiting spectral distributions converge weakly to a semicircle distribution. We also find that for large $\lambda$, there is an orthonormal eigenvector basis of $G(n,p_n)$ such that most of the vectors delocalize with respect to the infinity norm, as $n\to\infty$. Our delocalization result provides a variant on a result of Tran, Vu and Wang (2013).


The aim of this study was to obtain a better understanding of the Periotest method when used to detect subclinical mobility of osseointegrated implants. Four hundred two screw-shaped implants were tested with the Periotest device at the time of abutment connection. Several factors, including jaw location, implant and abutment length, and gender, were related to Periotest values (PTVs). Implants located in the anterior region of the mandible showed the lowest mean PTV (-3.2). The influence of abutment and implant length upon PTVs could be detected in the maxilla. In the mandible, only abutment length had influence on PTVs. Women showed higher mean Periotest scores in the maxilla compared with men. This difference was not found in the mandible. The Periotest method, its clinical limitations, and the meaning of a given PTV are also discussed.


Carotenes and provitamin A in basella and aromatic herbs marketed in Vicosa, Minas Gerais State, during the four seasons of the year. This study aimed to investigate the level of α-carotene, β-carotene and to calculate the value of vitamin A in vegetables sold at local markets and informal markets of Vicosa, Minas Gerais State, as well as to evaluate the seasonal and commercial effects on the content of these pigments. The vegetables (basella, green onion, cilantro, sweet basil and parsley) were analyzed through high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), being β-carotene the only pigment present in all the analyzed samples. No significant statistical differences ( α = 0.05) were found in the contents of β-carotene of the vegetables either among the different stores, or among the different seasons. The vegetables analyzed are great provitamin A sources and, if eaten on a regular basis, they can fit the daily requirements of vitamin A for adults and children. Besides, these foods are very accessible due to their low cost and availability in the market.


The Pocahontas Formation (Carboniferous) in southwestern Virginia and West Virginia ranges in thickness from 600 to 750 ft (183 to 229 m). A major mineable coal seam known as the Pocahontas No. 3 (P3) is a laterally continuous, low-sulfur coal extending throughout Russell, Tazewell, and Buchanan Counties. It lies within 1,500 to 2,000 ft (457 to 610 m) below the surface and ranges in seam height from 0 to 72 in. (0 to 1.8 m). Identification of potential roof hazards in the preliminary drilling stages of mine development is possible by reconstructing the depositional setting of the P3. Rock types overlying the P3 coal primarily consist of coarsening-upward shales and sandy shales, and thin-bedded graywacke sandstones deposited in the central and northwest parts of the study area. In addition, thin coals overlying clay partings and massive, fining-upward, cross-bedded graywacke sandstones are present in the east and southeast. Thus, the depositional setting is interpreted as an upper delta front system of distributary channels, splays, and adjoining interdistributary bays which prograded from the southeast over the transitional environment of the P3 seam. Knowledge of this setting, integrated with previous in-mine research, revealed potentially hazardous areas with respect to continuous and longwall mining practices. Also, preliminary evaluation techniques developed in this study make it possible to initiate a more effective secondary drilling program resulting in the definition of stable areas for the driving of mine entries. End_of_Article - Last_Page 560------------