Purpose: This study was performed to understand the relationship between ego-resilience and the clinical competence of nursing students. Methods: The subjects were 291 juniors and seniors who received clinical training from nursing universities in Gyeongsang, Jeolla, and Chungcheong. General characteristics, main study variables were analyzed using descriptive statistics such as frequency, percentage, mean, standard deviation; ego-resilience and clinical competence by general characteristics were analyzed using t-test, ANOVA; correlations between ego-resilience and clinical competence were analyzed using Pearson correlation coefficients. Results: The mean score for ego-resilience was 3.44; and the mean score for clinical competence was 3.71. The data showed a positive correlation between ego-resilience and clinical competence. Conclusion: According to the results, there is a correlation between clinical competence and the ego-resilience of nursing students. Therefore, to enhance clinical competence, a follow-up study on the development of a program for advanced ego-resilience is needed.


The heart-body in Neoamphitrite figulus (Dalyell) forms a mass of tissue within the supra-oesophageal vessel almost occluding the lumen. The tissue forms a much-infolded cylinder enclosed by a basal lamina consisting of a fibrous reticulum through which the assembled haemoglobin molecules are discharged into the plasma (Dales & Pell, 1970). A function of both the heart-body and the extravasal ('chloragogen') tissue in polychaetes without a heart-body was established by biochemical analysis (Kennedy & Dales, 1958; Dales, 1963, 1965) to be the synthesis of plasma haemoglobin (erythrocruorin) or chlorocruorin. This was confirmed by electron microscopy (TEM) by Breton-Gorius (1963) in Arenicola, Potswald (1969) in Spirorbis, Dales & Pell (1970) in Neoamphitrite, Lattice, Myxicola, Megalomma and Sabella, and by Friedmann & Weiss (1980) in Amphitrite. It would appear that the same tissues also sequester phagocytosed materials (Braunbeck & Dales, 1984). Re-examination of this tissue by trans-mission electron microscopy (TEM) has extended our knowledge of the ultra-structure. Here we discuss these results in relation to the function of these tissues in the production of the respiratory pigments found in the plasma. Some heart-bodies of Terebella lapidaria L., Lattice conchilega (Pallas) and Cirriformia tentaculata (Montagu) have also been examined by TEM for comparison with that of Neoamphitrite figulus.


India is poised to become the world's fastest growing major economy in 2015, reports our 2015 India Attractiveness survey. Economic fundamentals stand strong, and global interest is on a steady upswing. The election of a pro-reform Government and its various initiatives Make in India, Digital India and 100 Smart Cities have added to increased optimism. India has emerged as the number one FDI destination in the world during the first half of 2015. With FDI capital inflows of US$30.8b, India has outpaced all other economies, moving up to the premier position from being in the fifth spot during the corresponding period of the previous year. A leading 32% of the investors ranked India as the most attractive market this year, while 60% placed the country among the top three investment destinations. Manufacturing has regained its share in FDI capital flows in 2014, amounting to approximately 46%. Investors are most optimistic about the sector, with 62% of those interested to expand or enter India over the next year, saying that they plan manufacturing activities. Within six months of its announcement, 55% of our survey's respondents were aware of the Make in India program and 69% of those who are aware of the initiative are likely to invest in manufacturing in the next five years. Business leaders find India's macroeconomic and political stability, FDI policy and ease of doing business more attractive in 2015, compared with EY's 2014 India attractiveness survey. Investors see India speeding up pace toward becoming one of the world's top destinations for manufacturing, as well as a regional hub for operations. A number of recent government reforms are being well received by investors, who expect them to increase India's FDI attractiveness significantly. Bangladesh offers opportunities for investment under its liberalized Industrial Policy and export-oriented, private sector-led growth strategy. All but four sectors (i.e. arms and ammunition and other defence equipment and machinery, forest plantation and mechanized extraction within the bounds of reserved forests, production of nuclear energy, and security printing and mining) are open for private investment in Bangladesh. Therefore India has got opportunity to invest in Bangladesh.


Emmanuel O. Okon Email: email@example.com Abstract Purpose: In this paper, wage-black economy relationship was examined while taking into consideration the influences of inflation and taxation. Approach/Methodology/Design: In particular, Value at Risk (VAR) approach was implemented using annually data for Nigeria covering the period 19902018 to assess the dynamic relationship among the variables. In light of national minimum wage in Nigeria, impulse response function was used to highlight the plausible responses from black economy to a shock of one standard deviation in each indicated variable. Findings: The result shows that a shock to national minimum wage (LOGMWA) will have a negative effect on black economy (LOGBEC) in Nigeria. Shocks to inflation (LOGINFL) will have a positive impact on black economy (LOGBEC). Shocks to tax (LOGATAX) will have asymmetric impacts on black economy (LOGBEC). The results were robust even when unemployment (LOGUEMP) was included. An unemployment shock was shown to enhance black economy in Nigeria. Practical Implications: The study is significant for the concerned authorities in Nigeria so that policy measures are taken and directed towards the causes that drive the black economy in the country. Originality/value: The impulse response function was estimated. It was estimated to show the plots of the responses from black economy (LOGBEC) to a one standard deviation shock in each indicated variable (national minimum wage (LOGMWA), inflation (LOGINFL), and tax (ATAX)). The shocks to national minimum wage (LOGMWA) will have a negative effect on black economy (LOGBEC) in Nigeria.


Using Java-based tools in multimedia collaborative environments accessed over the Internet can increase an application's client base. Most operating systems support Java, and its "compile once-run everywhere" architecture is easy to maintain and update. The Java-based tools presented here let users share Internet resources, including resources originally designed for single use.


Cross-modal retrieval has attracted intensive attention in recent years. Measuring the semantic similarity between heterogeneous data objects is an essential yet challenging problem in cross-modal retrieval. In this paper, we propose an online learning method to learn the similarity function between heterogeneous modalities by preserving the relative similarity in the training data, which is modeled as a set of bi-directional hinge loss constraints on the cross-modal training triplets. The overall online similarity function learning problem is optimized by the margin based Passive-Aggressive algorithm. We further extend the approach to learn similarity function in reproducing kernel Hilbert spaces by kernelizing the approach and combining multiple kernels derived from different layers of the CNN features using the Hedging algorithm. Theoretical mistake bounds are given for our methods. Experiments conducted on real world datasets well demonstrate the effectiveness of our methods.


Abstract The unprecedented mobilization of scientists caused by the COVID-19 pandemic has generated an enormous number of scholarly articles that are impossible for a human being to keep track of and explore without appropriate tool support. In this context, we created the Covid-on-the-Web project, which aims to assist the accessing, querying, and sense-making of COVID-19-related literature by combining efforts from the semantic web, natural language processing, and visualization fields. In particular, in this paper we present an RDF data set (a linked version of the "COVID-19 Open Research Dataset" (CORD-19), enriched via entity linking and argument mining) and the "Linked Data Visualizer" (LDViz), which assists the querying and visual exploration of the referred data set. The LDViz tool assists in the exploration of different views of the data by combining a querying management interface, which enables the definition of meaningful subsets of data through SPARQL queries, and a visualization interface based on a set of six visualization techniques integrated in a chained visualization concept, which also supports the tracking of provenance information. We demonstrate the potential of our approach to assist biomedical researchers in solving domain-related tasks, as well as to perform exploratory analyses through use case scenarios.


Results of various surgical treatment for chronic lymphedema of the extremities were described. None of the procedures was ideal, unfortunately. Advance in this field is expected.


UNLABELLED
Backround. Intermittent claudication is a classic symptom of peripheral arterial disease. It is mainly treated conservatively but if this fails, a form of revascularization is indicated. The revascularization in chronic occlusion of femoropopliteal region is currently performed by two basic methods: the standard method of surgical bypass and the newer miniinvasive alternative represented by the endovascular method. The treatment of patients with solely claudication and long occlusion of femoropopliteal region remains controversial. The aim of this minireview was to determine whether surgical bypass is still the best method of choice in a time of endovascular techniques.

METHODS
A MEDLINE search for original and review articles using key terms, intermittent claudication and long femoropopliteal oclusion.

RESULTS AND CONCLUSION
No ideal treatment for long occlusions of the femoropopliteal segment has been established to date. It is clear that the role of endovascular techniques in the treatment of SFA occlusions is increasing. It remains that, lower risk patients with claudication should be examined to assess the quality of veins suitable for revascularization and bypass should be selected as the first method of choice.


By means of this study it was attempted to obtain a better insight into the possible influence of the diet on the development of human osteoporosis. This disease, which is a consequence of decalcification of the bones, occurs frequently in elderly people, particularly in postmenopausal women. On the basis of data from the literature a model was composed describing a mechanism according to which either a low-calcium diet, a high-phosphorus diet or a diet with a low calcium-to-phosphorus ratio (temporarily) decreases the plasma-ionized calcium concentration, so that the parathyroid glands are stimulated to secrete parathyroid hormone (PTH). This hormone acts on bone and kidney in order to restore the plasma-ionized calcium concentration, which may proceed at the expense of skeletal calcium, so that osteoporosis develops. The model explains why the dietary stimulation of PTH secretion occurs especially when the renal function has decreased and/or when a suboptimal vitamin D status is prevalent. In an observational cross-sectional study in elderly people and in three experimental studies with three month old male rats, the influence of dietary calcium and phosphorus on bone metabolism was investigated. The cross-sectional study was carried out among 89 healthy eldery people (53 women and 36 men), whose age ranged from 57 to 89 years (mean: 70 years). It was investigated whether relationships could be demonstrated which fitted in the proposed model. For this purpose the calcium and phosphorus intake was estimated by the cross-cheek method. The bone mineral content (BMC) and the bone width (BW) were measured on the distal third of the radius (cortical bone) by means of 125 I-photon absorptiometry. In addition, parameters of the bone metabolism in serum and urine were estimated. Because of the observational nature of the study, which lacked an experimental basis, it was stressed that the results had to be interpreted with caution. The mean daily calcium intake of the women was 1.04 g and that of the men 1.22 g. These amounts largely exceeded the current Dutch recommended allowance for adults of 0.8 g per day. Phosphorus intake was considered to be high: 25% of the men and women had an intake of more than 1.6 and 2.0 g per day respectively. In the men as well as in the women the serum concentrations of PTH and creatinine were at the upper limit of normality. The level of this latter parameter pointed to a slightly decreased renal function such as could be expected in people of this age group. In the women the amount of cortical bone, corrected for bone width (BMC/BW-ratio) showed a significant negative correlation with age, and the regression corresponded with an annual bone loss of about 0.8%. This loss of bone was associated with a decrease of body height of about 0.35 cm per year, which was considered to be, at least in part, the consequence of vertebral collapse. The BMC/BW-ratio correlated positively with calcium intake and negatively with phosphorus intake, if differences in age, body size and either calcium or phosphorus intake were taken into account. The excretion of phosphorus with the urine also showed a negative correlation with the BMC/BW-ratio, and dietary phosphorus correlated positively with the urinary excretion of phosphorus as well as with that of hydroxyproline. The possibility was discussed that these correlations are-in line with the concept that high-phosphorus diets contribute to bone loss in that they stimulate the secretion of PTH. In the men, loss of cortical bone with advancing age was not observed, and no relations were found between dietary calcium or phosphorus and the amount of this bone. However, a marked loss of height with age (0.45 cm per year) was established and a positive correlation between dietary calcium and body height was found. It was considered that this correlation might reflect a 'protective' action of dietary calcium against loss of trabecular bone from the vertebrae. The urinary excretion of phosphorus showed a negative correlation with the serum phosphorus concentration, and dietary phosphorus correlated positively with the urinary excretion of phosphorus as well as with that of hydroxyproline. The possibility was discussed that these correlations are in line with a concept according to which high-phosphorus diets stimulate the secretion of PTH and increase the bone turnover rate, but do not bring about loss of cortical bone. In the men as well as in the women, the serum concentration of 25-hydroxy-vitamin D (25-HCC) correlated positively with the BMC/BW-ratio despite the fact that serum values of this metabolite (the serum 25-HCC concentration is used as an indicator of the vitamin D status) were within normal limits. The possibility was discussed that this positive correlation might indicate that elderly people require larger amounts of vitamin D as a consequence of diminished renal synthesis of the active vitamin D metabolite. The experiments with rats, which lasted either four, sixteen or forty-two weeks, showed that high-phosphorus (1.2 or 1.3%) diets did not significantly influence calcium retention and/or bone mass, as opposed to diets with either a low (0.15%) or a normal (0.45%) phosphorus content. From histological and chemical analyses of bone samples, it was concluded that the quality of the bone was not obviously affected by the phosphorus content (0. 15 versus 1.20%) of the diet in experiments which lasted four or sixteen weeks. However, in the experiment which lasted forty-two weeks, bone density was found to have been reduced in rats fed 1.3% dietary phosphorus, as opposed to those that had been fed 0.45% dietary phosphorus. It was suggested that the effect of high-phosphorus diets on bone depends either on age or on the duration of feeding these diets. There were consistent and strong indications that the function of the parathyroids and the bone turnover rate were stimulated in rats fed high-phosphorus diets. In addition to the diminished bone density after forty-two weeks, these indications were: decreased renal tubular reabsorption of phosphate, hypophosphataemia, decreased urinary calcium excretion, increased urinary phosphorus excretion, nephrocalcinosis and increased urinary excretion of hydroxyproline. With the exception of nephrocalcinosis and decreased urinary calcium, these biochemical changes were reduced if the calcium content of the diet was elevated. This was associated with an inhibiting effect of dietary calcium on the intestinal phosphorus absorption. In the experiments which lasted tour or sixteen weeks, the cause and consequence of nephrocalcinosis were studied in more detail. It was found that nephrocalcinosis was attributable to the deposition of calcium apatite and that it resulted in a clear but moderate loss of renal function. This loss appeared to increase slowly during the course of the experiments. The extent of nephrocalcinosis and loss of renal function depended on the calcium content of the diet. When the diet contained 1.2% phosphorus, the extent of renal calcification and loss of renal function increased if the calcium content of the diet was raised from 0.3 to 1.2%, but these parameters decreased if the calcium content of the diet was further raised to 2.4%. There were no indications as to whether the loss of renal function had any influence on the composition or metabolism of the bone. In rats fed the low-phosphorus control diets, but not in those fed the high-phosphorus diets, osteoporosis developed when the dietary Ca/P-ratio was low (0.25 or 0.50). It was concluded that this stresses the importance of indicating absolute levels of calcium and phosphorus in the diet and that reporting only the ratio between these nutrients should be avoided. The results of the cross-sectional study of elderly people and those of the experiments with rats gave rise to the framing of a hypothesis. This hypothesis explains why hyperparathyroidism, induced by excess of dietary phosphorus, brings about a decrease in the plasma phosphorus concentration in the elderly man and in the rat, whereas no such effect is seen in the postmenopausal woman. Finally, recommendations were made regarding dietary measures which are considered to be useful in the prevention of osteoporosis in western societies. These measures are: (1) ensure a proper vitamin D status, (2) restrict the intake of phosphorus, (3) take ample calcium, and (4) restrict the intake of protein. In order to reduce the intake of phosphorus and protein, it was suggested that the consumption of meat and poultry should be decreased and the consumption of products which contain added phosphates should be limited. A further discussion was concerned with a regular consumption of dairy products which is necessary to ensure a sufficient intake of calcium.


Operando characterization techniques have played a crucial role in modern technological developments. In contrast to the experimental uncertainties introduced by ex situ techniques, the simultaneous measurement of desired sample characteristics and near‐realistic electrochemical testing provides a representative picture of the underlying physics. From Li‐ion batteries to metal‐based electrocatalysts, the insights offered by real‐time characterization data have enabled more efficient research programs. As an emerging class of catalyst, much of the mechanistic understanding of metal‐free electrocatalysts continues to be elusive in comparison to their metal‐based counterparts. However, there is a clear absence of operando characterization performed on metal‐free catalysts. Through the proper execution of operando techniques, it can be expected that metal‐free catalysts can achieve exceptional technological progress. Here, the motivation of using operando characterization techniques for metal‐free carbon‐based catalyst system is considered, followed by a discussion of the possibilities, difficulties and benefits of their applications.


In recent years, changing market conditions and limitations on resources have put enormous stress on the construction industry (1). Projects' scope gets complex and clients / owners are now asking construction professionals to deliver more qualified products for less budget. In order to achieve a more effective project delivery mechanism, getting constructive feedback from previously implemented projects is getting more and more important.


Over the past two decades, the management of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) has progressed remarkably, encompassing the development of new diagnostic tools and efficacious biological agents, such as monoclonal antibodies against inflammatory cytokines and surface markers on immune cells. In addition to the significant efficacy of these biological agents, biomarkers for RA are under consideration for their potential to classify heterogeneous patients into several groups based on clinical and immunological phenotypes for the prediction of clinical course and prognosis and the facilitation of appropriate and precise treatment with the appropriate therapeutic monoclonal antibodies. Biomarkers, particularly those for the prediction and monitoring of the responses to therapeutic monoclonal antibodies for RA, are in demand, with many approaches examined in recent years. In this article, we have summarized the background research on biomarkers and introduced recent topics in the field that enable the possible clinical applications of biomarkers, especially those related to pathogenic cytokines, to guide the treatment of RA.


Dopamine supersensitivity occurs in schizophrenia and other psychoses, and after hippocampal lesions, antipsychotics, ethanol, amphetamine, phencyclidine, gene knockouts of Dbh (dopamine beta-hydroxylase), Drd4 receptors, Gprk6 (G protein-coupled receptor kinase 6), Comt (catechol-O-methyltransferase), or Th-/-, DbhTh/+ (tyrosine hydroxylase), and in rats born by Cesarean-section. The functional state of D2, or the high-affinity state for dopamine (D2High), was measured in these supersensitive animal brain striata. Increased levels and higher proportions (40-900%) for D2High were found in all these tissues. If many types of brain impairment cause dopamine behavioral supersensitivity and a common increase in D2High states, it suggests that there are many pathways to psychosis, any one of which can be disrupted.


I argue that insulation via managerial coordination is a key element in any explanation about the formation of political regions among states. The key role it plays is as a tool for the maintenance of intra-regional pacific relations in the face of diffusion and contagion processes, resulting from continued security linkages with excluded extra-regional states. In order to explore these dynamics, I propose a new reconceptualization of the concept of managerial coordination based on the basic framework concept mapping tool. This leads to clarity about what managerial coordination does as a dimension of insulation. It also necessitates a revamp of the scale of interstate managerial coordination as a measuring instrument of the intensity of collective intentionality toward insulation among the members of a region. I then map the region concept of durable security complex (DSC) as the scope for the enactment of managerial coordination, based on a review of existing region concepts in the new regionalist literature. I then conduct an ideographic proof-of-concept exercise on three DSCs in the presence or absence of managerial coordination. These are the Scandinavian states, the South Asian regional security complex, and the South American Norther Tier local hierarchy. The exercise provides indicators for a number of theoretical propositions worthy of future evaluation.


Importance
Breast cancer is the most common invasive subsequent malignant disease in childhood cancer survivors, though limited data exist on changes in breast cancer rates as primary cancer treatments have evolved.

Objective
To quantify the association between temporal changes in cancer treatment over 3 decades and subsequent breast cancer risk.

Design, Setting, and Participants
Retrospective cohort study of 5-year cancer survivors diagnosed when younger than 21 years between 1970 and 1999, with follow-up through December 5, 2020.

Exposures
Radiation and chemotherapy dose changes over time.

Main Outcomes and Measures
Breast cancer cumulative incidence rates and age-specific standardized incidence ratios (SIRs) compared across treatment decades (1970-1999). Piecewise exponential models estimated invasive breast cancer and ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) risk and associations with treatment exposures, adjusted for age at childhood cancer diagnosis and attained age.

Results
Among 11 550 female survivors (median age, 34.2 years; range 5.6-66.8 years), 489 developed 583 breast cancers: 427 invasive, 156 DCIS. Cumulative incidence was 8.1% (95% CI, 7.3%-9.0%) by age 45 years. An increased breast cancer risk (SIR, 6.6; 95% CI, 6.1-7.2) was observed for survivors compared with the age-sex-calendar-year-matched general population. Changes in therapy by decade included reduced rates of chest (34% in the 1970s, 22% in the 1980s, and 17% in the 1990s) and pelvic radiotherapy (26%, 17%, and 13% respectively) and increased rates of anthracycline chemotherapy exposures (30%, 51%, and 64%, respectively). Adjusting for age and age at diagnosis, the invasive breast cancer rate decreased 18% every 5 years of primary cancer diagnosis era (rate ratio [RR], 0.82; 95% CI, 0.74-0.90). When accounting for chest radiotherapy exposure, the decline attenuated to an 11% decrease every 5 years (RR, 0.89; 95% CI, 0.81-0.99). When additionally adjusted for anthracycline dose and pelvic radiotherapy, the decline every 5 years increased to 14% (RR, 0.86; 95% CI, 0.77-0.96). Although SIRs of DCIS generally increased over time, there were no statistically significant changes in incidence.

Conclusions and Relevance
Invasive breast cancer rates in childhood cancer survivors have declined with time, especially in those younger than 40 years. This appears largely associated with the reduced use of chest radiation therapy, but was tempered by concurrent changes in other therapies.


Evaluation of anaerobic contribution is important under swimming settings (training and modification through ages), therefore, it is expected to change during maturation. The accumulated oxygen deficit (AOD) method can be used to determine the contribution of nonoxidative energy during swimming; however, it requires several days of evaluation. An alternative method to estimate anaerobic contribution evaluation (ACALT), which can also be evaluated without snorkel (i.e., free-swimming, ACFS), has been proposed; however, these methods have never been compared. Thus, this study (i) analyzed the effect of maturation stage on ACFS during maximal 400 m swimming (Part I), and (ii) compared AOD with ACALT and ACFS, determined in a maximal 400 m effort (Part II). In Part I, 34 swimmers were divided into three groups, according to maturation stages (early-pubertal, middle-pubertal, and pubertal), and subjected to a maximal 400 m free-swimming to determine ACFS. In Part II, six swimmers were subjected to one 400 m maximal effort, and four submaximal constant efforts. The AOD was determined by the difference between the estimated demand and accumulated oxygen during the entire effort. The ACALT and ACFS (for Part I as well) was assumed as the sum of lactic and alactic anaerobic contributions. ACFS was higher in pubertal (3.8 ± 1.1 L) than early (2.1 ± 0.9 L) and middle pubertal group (2.4 ± 1.1 L). No difference was observed among absolute AOD (3.2 ± 1.3 L), ACALT (3.2 ± 1.5 L), and ACFS (4.0 ± 0.9 L) (F = 3.6; p = 0.06). Relative AOD (51.8 ± 12.2 mL·kg−1), ACALT (50.5 ± 14.3 mL·kg−1), and ACFS (65.2 ± 8.8 mL·kg−1) presented main effect (F = 4.49; p = 0.04), without posthoc difference. The bias of AOD vs. ACALT was 0.04 L, and AOD vs. ACFS was −0.74 L. The limits of agreement between AOD and ACALT were +0.9 L and −0.8 L, and between AOD and ACFS were +0.7 L and −2.7 L. It can be concluded that ACFS determination is a feasible tool to determine anaerobic contribution in young swimmers, and it changes during maturation stages. Also, ACFS might be useful to measure anaerobic contribution in swimmers, especially because it allows greater speeds.


OBJECTIVE
To study the oxidation damage of active oxygen (ROS) to human sperm acrosome and ultrastructure, and study the function mechanism about Cuscuta japonica treating male's infertility and asthenoospermia.

METHOD
By using the Percoll gradient centrifugation, the sperm with normal physiological function were selected for the normal sperm model, and the sperm suspension were divided into the normal group, the model group, the positive control group (Vitamin C group), and the lugh, the median and the low dose gvoups of C. japonica. The ROS made from hypoxanthine-xanzine xanzine(HX-XO) and different content (0.125, 0.25, 0.5 g x mL(-1)) of extract were incubated with sperm in the oxygen environment. The acrosomic integrity rate were calculated and the sperm acrosome and ultrastructure were observed.

RESULT
The content (0.125, 0.5 g x mL(-1)) of extract had no obvious difference as compared with Vitamin C (0.25 mg x mL(-1)) in protecting the acrosome and ultrastructure, but the content (0.25 mg x mL(-1)) of extract was significantly better than Vit C (P < 0.001).

CONCLUSION
The suitable content of extract from C. japonica can significantly protect the sperm membrane, the acosomic structure and the mitochondrion function from the damage caused by ROS.


Based on clinical and laboratory surveillance data, trends in the incidence rates of genital Chlamydia trachomatis infections in Sweden between 1991 and 1999 were analysed according to age group and sex. The influence of changes in laboratory methods on the reported infections was assessed. After a decrease in the incidence rate of infection of 36% between 1991 and 1994, followed by a period of stability, a 20% increase was observed between 1997 and 1999 (from 157 to 189/100,000). Between 1991 and 1999 the female:male ratio decreased from 1.7 to 1.4. Incidence rates started to increase in 1994 in the 15-19 y age group for both sexes. Crude Chlamydia positivity increased from 4.1% (352,050 people tested) in 1994 to 5.4% (305,946 people tested) in 1999. This increase in Chlamydia positivity was seen both in laboratories that had changed to more sensitive methods and in those that had not. Changes in laboratory methods can therefore only partially explain the increase in notified cases. Increased screening of men may have contributed to the increase, but rising incidence rates in all young age groups of both sexes suggest a true increase in prevalence.


The southern part of the Apulia region (the
Salento peninsula) has been the site of at least fifteen collapse
events due to sinkholes in the last twenty years. The
majority of these occurred in "soft" carbonate rocks (calcarenites).
Man–made and/or natural cavities are sometimes
assets of historical and archaeological significance.
This paper provides a methodology for the evaluation of
sinkhole hazard in "soft" carbonate rocks, combining seismic
and mine engineering methods.Acase study of a natural
cavity which is called Grotta delle Veneri is illustrated.
For this example the approach was: i) 2D and 3D seismic
methods to study the physical-mechanical characteristics
of the rock mass that constitutes the roof of the cave; and
ii) scaled span empirical analysis in order to evaluate the
instability of the crown pillar's caves.


By solving the Marchenko equations, the Green's function can be retrieved between a virtual receiver in the subsurface to points at the surface (no physical receiver is required at the virtual location). We extend the idea of these equations to retrieve the Green's function between any two points in the subsurface; i.e, between a virtual source and a virtual receiver (no physical source or physical receiver is required at either of these locations). This Green's function is called the virtual Green's function and includes all the primaries, internal and free-surface multiples. Similar to the Marchenko Green's function, we require the reflection response at the surface (single-sided illumination) and an estimate of the first arrival travel time from the virtual location to the surface.


It is well known that the architecture of the extreme learning machine (ELM) significantly affects its performance and how to determine a suitable set of hidden neurons is recognized as a key issue to some extent. The leave-one-out cross-validation (LOO-CV) is usually used to select a model with good generalization performance among potential candidates. The primary reason for using the LOO-CV is that it is unbiased and reliable as long as similar distribution exists in the training and testing data. However, the LOO-CV has rarely been implemented in practice because of its notorious slow execution speed. In this paper, an efficient LOO-CV formula and an efficient LOO-CV-based ELM (ELOO-ELM) algorithm are proposed. The proposed ELOO-ELM algorithm can achieve fast learning speed similar to the original ELM without compromising the reliability feature of the LOO-CV. Furthermore, minimal user intervention is required for the ELOO-ELM, thus it can be easily adopted by nonexperts and implemented in automation processes. Experimentation studies on benchmark datasets demonstrate that the proposed ELOO-ELM algorithm can achieve good generalization with limited user intervention while retaining the efficiency feature.


Introduction: The texts of classical literature are of great importance for the training of critical readers. For this reason, this article proposes a current reading of the winners' difficulties that are evident in Seneca's Troades: Pyrrhus, Agamemnon, Ulysses, Achilles, and Helena. Development: Starting from a content analysis of the literary work, a reflection on the consequences of feelings and passions is presented. It becomes evident that when the human being is confronted with himself and with his essence everything comes to the surface: the most admired virtue (moderation) and the most despicable defects (arrogance, brutality, tyranny, hypocrisy and cowardice). Conclusions: It is concluded that the winners' concern focuses on the doubt about the success of the return trip.


Traditional data management approaches need to be leveraged to support scientific discovery. A query language that supports biological science must be capable of expressing and implementing biological investigations. The biological query language (BQL) presented in this paper aims to enhance the scientists querying ability by: (1) providing an intermediate query language between scientific workflows and traditional query languages such as SQL, (2) expressing operators such as ranking and validating, not made directly available by traditional query languages and often difficult to express (by complex queries), and (3) constraining the evaluation of their operators by various semantics. This paper shows step by step how the overall problem of identifying genes related to a disease may be translated into a succession of BQL queries.


The prevalence of dental implant treatment raises the question: What factors may challenge osseointegration? The dental literature presents two main approaches, which are well-documented: loss of bone around the implant due to infection and a presumed association between implant load and bone loss. This article discusses the effect of load or overload on the bone loss around dental implants. The dental literature is reviewed to assess the scientific evidence related to the effect of occlusal load on osseointegration. Recommendations found in the literature for occlusal schemes for implant-supported prostheses are examined and discussed, and statements regarding implant occlusion are assessed for their validity today, after more than four decades of implants service in prosthetic dentistry.


The memory subsystem, including address translations and cache accesses, consumes a major portion of the overall energy on a processor. In this paper, we address the memory energy issues by using a streamlined architectural partitioning technique that effectively reduces energy consumption in the memory subsystem without compromising performance. It is achieved by decoupling the d-TLB lookups and the data cache accesses, based on the semantic regions defined by programming languages and software convention, into discrete reference substreams - stack, global static, and heap. Their unique access behaviors and locality characteristics are analyzed and exploited for power reduction. Our results show that an average of 35% energy can be reduced in the d-TLB and the data cache. Furthermore, an average of 46% energy can be saved by selectively multi-porting the semantic-aware d-TLBs and data caches against their monolithic counterparts.


: We consider a set of cybercafés faced with an optimal choice of bandwidth for internet service under stochastic stationary demand. The choice is made over uniformly time horizons with a goal of optimizing revenue for internet service provision. Considering customer demand and price for internet service at cybercafés, we formulate a finite state markov decision process model where states of a markov chain represent possible states of demand for internet service. A revenue matrix is generated; representing the long run measure of performance for the Markov decision process problem. The problem is to determine an optimal bandwidth adjustment policy at cybercafés so that the long run revenue generated is maximized for a given state of demand. Using dynamic programming, the optimal bandwidth adjustment policies are determined over a finite period planning horizon. Results from the case study demonstrate the existence of an optimal state-dependent option for bandwidth adjustment policy and revenue generated from internet service provision at the cybercafés.


: There were examined 52 patients with odontogenic phlegmons of maxillofacial area. Patients are distributed on 3 groups on severity level and to expected duration diseases. 18 patients of the basic group received in complex treatment 2. Application of a method of forecasting for selection of rational schemes of treatment in proved. Positive influence aetilmetilhydroxypiridin succinate on oxidation-reduction processes and endotoxicosis correction.


Digital multi-media data can easily be replicated and distributed. The rapid proliferation of internet raised concerns from content owners in terms of providing protection to their digital data. Image watermarking techniques are deployed to achieve these goals. In this paper, a more secured and novel color image watermarking scheme is proposed based on Singular value Decomposition (SVD). At first host image is partitioned into blocks of size p×p then found edges in each block by using various edge detection algorithms. A reference image is formed from the essential blocks whose values are less than or equal to the threshold. Embedding is done by modifying the U and V components of the reference image using U and V components of the watermark image. Segmentation of modified reference image is done and these segmented blocks are placed in their original positions to form a watermarked image. The watermarked reference image is formed from the positions of the selected blocks of watermarked image for extraction. The reverse process is executed to extract the singular values of the watermark from the watermarked reference image at hand. Analysis and experimental results are showing that the proposed algorithm is performed well and is examined against various attacks to verify robustness.


This paper presents the object oriented design and implementation of GEAMAS V2.0, a toolkit for virtual simulations of complex systems. GEAMAS V2.0 is structured in three modules: the kernel, the generation environment and the simulation environment. The kernel implements an object model for agents and provides generic classes. The generation environment allows the graphical design of applications. The simulation environment enables the observation of the simulation's evolution via graphical user interface tools. The implementation uses Java 1.1. We applied GEAMAS V2.0 to the sand-pile automaton problem. This reference application, which is easily modeled with GEAMAS V2.0, provides a first validation of our system architecture and simulation mechanism.


Background High-fidelity simulation uses computerised manikins that simulate scenarios with briefed facilitators who aid in delivering learning outcomes. Point of care simulation is the use of scenarios that are carried out within a clinical environment. Aim To assess if using point of care high fidelity simulation within a hospice setting focussed on potential emergencies is a valuable learning experience for those that attend. Methods A single afternoon educational session at Prospect Hospice. A high fidelity simulation mannequin was brought into a hospice side room where the scenarios took place. 4 doctors (x2 speciality doctors and x2 GP trainees), 1 trained nurse and 1 student nurse attended. Four simulated scenarios were carried out including: acute breathlessness, opioid toxicity, anaphylaxis and communication with a relative about an error. Doctors and nurses were worked in a simulation in 'real time' within an environment that they would normally work. Prior to the session attendees had a rigorous pre-brief and introduction to simulation and a structured debrief following scenarios were carried out by trained facilitators. Feedback was collected after the session. Results All attendees reported the simulation was a useful and novel experience that aided their learning and was relevant to their work in the hospice. 6 out of 7 attendees strongly agreed that the simulation was useful for developing their clinical skills e.g. airway adjuncts and managing emergencies as a team in the hospice. The session also highlighted other aspects of emergency care that would benefit from review, such as practical access to guidelines and emergency drug use. Conclusions High fidelity point of care simulation is a useful tool in palliative care MDT teaching in the hospice. It benefits those attending on a personal level and provides insight and safe 'real-time' practice for possible emergencies and can lead to positive changes to these systems.


Violaxanthin de-epoxidase (VDE) has a critical role in the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway, which is involved in protecting the photosynthesis apparatus from damage caused by excessive light. Here, a VDE gene in maize, ZmVDE1, was cloned and shown to have functional domains in common with the gramineous VDE protein. Candidate gene association analysis indicated that no polymorphic sites in ZmVDE1 were significant association with any of the examined carotenoid-related traits at P = 0.05 in an association panel containing 155 maize inbred lines. Nucleotide diversity analysis of VDE1 in maize and teosinte indicated that its exon had less genetic variation, consistent with the conserved function of VDE1 in plants. In addition, dramatically reduced nucleotide diversity, fewer haplotypes and a significantly negative parameter deviation for Tajima's D test of ZmVDE1 in maize and teosinte suggested that a potential selective force had acted across the ZmVDE1 locus. We further identified a 4.2 Mb selective sweep with low recombination surrounding the ZmVDE1 locus that resulted in severely reduced nucleotide diversity on chromosome 2. Collectively, natural selection and the conserved domains of ZmVDE1 might show an important role in the xanthophyll cycle of the carotenoid biosynthesis pathway.


Network security policy enforcement consists in configuring heterogeneous security mechanisms (IPsec gateways, ACLs on routers, stateful firewalls, proxies, etc) that are available in a given network environment. The complexity of this task resides in the number, the nature, and the interdependence of the mechanisms to consider. Although several researchers have proposed different analysis tools, achieving this task requires experienced and proficient security administrators who can handle all these parameters today. We propose in the article a mathematical data flow oriented modelling approach in order to detect inconsistencies between security mechanisms. Our model is independent from specific security mechanisms to admit of their diversity, and also future security mechanisms not yet available. In addition, it allows fine-grained inconsistency analysis.


The objective of this study was to evaluate the influence of different body sizes on the cardiorespiratory responses of 10-13-year-old boys during the stages of a maximum-effort incremental test. Twenty boys underwent a continuous maximal incremental test on a cycle ergometer at an initial power output of 30 W and subsequent increases of 30 W at intervals of 3 min. Respiratory variables were assessed with a metabolic gas analyzer on a breath-by-breath basis. Heart rate was monitored continuously during the test. The groups were divided a posteriori according to maximal work output in the incremental test (90 or 120 W) and according to body weight (> 45 or < 45 kg). The following variables were continuously measured: respiratory frequency, tidal volume, ventilation, absolute and relative oxygen uptake, carbon dioxide production, heart rate, and ventilatory equivalent for oxygen. The anthropometric variables, especially height and body weight, were closely associated with the cardiorespiratory responses. These variables are limiting and determinant factors of performance and need to be included in the prescription and practice of physical exercise for this pediatric population.


Recently, there were some successful examples that the laser welding was introduced into production line. However, the spread of laser welding is not sufficient in many industries. There are several reasons why it is difficult to penetrate the laser welding into production lines. Because it is different from reflection, absorption and permeation of laser beam according to material and surface condition. Moreover, there are significant problems in processing such as absorption and scattering of beam by the induced plasma or plume. Therefore, understanding of mechanism on formation of weld defect in laser welding of the laminated core for motor is very important. In this paper, it was analyzed in terms of materials which was source of defect in laser welding and conventional arc welding. As a results of analysis, insulation coating film of the laminated core was judged to main factor of weld defect. it could be well aware as tracing carbon volume, and it was deduced that weld defect by insulation coating film was caused by difference of mechanism between the two heat sources.


In 1970, during my chief residency year, the late J. Hartwell Harrison asked me to review the three-volume third edition of Campbell and Harrison's Urology and write a final chapter entitled "Controversy and Perspective in Urology." 1 I certainly did not predict all of the important changes that have occurred in our specialty in the past two decades—endoscopic and extracorporeal lithotripsy, continent urinary diversion, the whole new specialty of impotence evaluation and management, to mention just a few. However, the exercise was certainly worthwhile, not the least in helping to prepare for the American Board of Urology examination! Adult and Pediatric Urology is a new undertaking with a different editorial complement than the last (fifth) edition of Campbell's Urology published in 1986. In keeping with the tradition established by Meredith Campbell, I have asked my current residents to critique Adult and Pediatric Urology "from the modern perspective of a urologic


We examined the ability of cortisol to modulate the stimulatory effects of recombinant human insulin-like growth factor-I (IGF-I) on collagen synthesis, procollagen messenger RNA (mRNA) levels and DNA synthesis in 21-day fetal rat calvariae maintained in serum-free organ culture for 24-96 h. Collagen synthesis was quantitated by measuring the incorporation of [3H]proline into collagenase-digestible protein (CDP) and alpha-1(I) procollagen mRNA transcripts were assessed by Northern blot analysis. Cell replication was quantitated by measuring the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into bone. As described previously, 100 nM cortisol had a biphasic effect on CDP labeling, increasing CDP after 24 h and decreasing CDP after 48, 72, and 96 h of culture. IGF-I alone increased CDP labeling by 1.6-fold after 24 h and by 2-fold after 48 or 72 h of culture, and cortisol potentiated this anabolic effect. In the presence of 100 nM cortisol, IGF-I increased CDP labeling by 2.6-fold after 24 h, by 5-fold after 48 h, and by 8-fold after 72 h of culture. A higher concentration of cortisol (1000 nM) also potentiated the IGF-I response on CDP labeling after 96 h of culture. In the presence of 100 nM cortisol, concentrations of IGF-I lower than 10 nM consistently increased CDP labeling and the percent collagen synthesized whereas these concentrations were not always effective without cortisol. PTH, which like cortisol decreased basal CDP labeling, did not enhance the stimulatory effects of IGF-I. Cortisol also enhance the stimulatory effects of IGF-I on alpha-1(I) procollagen mRNA levels indicating that the potentiation of CDP labeling occurs via a pretranslational mechanism. IGF-I had little effect on the incorporation of [3H]thymidine into bone except in the presence of cortisol. Nevertheless, the ability of cortisol to potentiate the stimulatory effect of IGF-I on CDP labeling was independent of cell replication since the enhancement persisted in the presence of aphidicolin, a DNA synthesis inhibitor. Our findings show that physiological concentrations of cortisol can modulate the responsiveness of cells within cultured fetal rat calvariae to the anabolic effects of exogenous IGF-I.


Mechanisms of resistance to HIV-1 infection in the human oral cavity are incompletely understood. While salivary components have been implicated in protection, there is growing evidence that human beta-defensins (hBDs), originating in oral epithelial cells, may be playing an important role in the prevention of HIV infection. New antiviral, chemotactic, and immunosurveillance properties are being attributed to hBDs, which are small cationic antimicrobial innate response molecules expressed in mucosal epithelium. Inducible hBDs are always expressed in normal oral epithelium, a property not shared by other mucosal barriers. Data reviewed in this paper demonstrate that: (1) HIV-1 X4 and R5 phenotypes induce hBD-2 and -3 mRNA in normal human oral epithelial cells; (2) hBD-2 and -3 inhibit HIV-1 infection by both viral strains, with greater activity against X4 viruses; and (3) this inhibition is due to a direct interaction with virions and through modulation of the CXCR4 co-receptor. These properties may be exploited as strategies for mucosal protection against HIV-1 transmission.


An ionspray microchip is introduced. The chip is based on the earlier presented nebulizer microchip that consists of glass and silicon plates bonded together. A liquid inlet channel, nebulizer gas inlet, and nozzle are etched on the silicon plate and a platinum heater is integrated on the glass plate. The nebulizer microchip has been previously used in atmospheric pressure chemical ionization, atmospheric pressure photoionization, sonic spray ionization, and thermospray ionization modes. In this work we show that the microchip can be operated also in ionspray mode by introducing high voltage to the silicon plate of the microchip. The effects of operation parameters (voltage, nebulizer gas pressure, sample solution flow rate, solvent composition, and analyte concentration) on the performance of the ion spray microchip were studied. Under optimized conditions the microchip provides efficient ionization of small and large compounds and good quantitative performance. The feasibility of the ion spray microchip in liquid chromatography/mass spectrometry (LC/MS) was demonstrated by the analysis of tryptic peptides of bovine serum albumin.


We show that the paradigmatic Ruderman-Kittel-Kasuya-Yosida (RKKY) description of two local magnetic moments coupled to propagating electrons breaks down in helical Luttinger liquids when the electron interaction is stronger than some critical value. In this novel regime, the Kondo effect overwhelms the RKKY interaction over all macroscopic interimpurity distances. This phenomenon is a direct consequence of the helicity (realized, for instance, at edges of a time-reversal invariant topological insulator) and does not take place in usual (nonhelical) Luttinger liquids.


The design of ZnCdSe-ZnMnSe-based quantum wells is considered, in order to obtain a large shift of the peak absorption wavelength in the far infrared range, due to a giant Zeeman splitting with magnetic field, while maintaining a reasonably large value of peak absorption. A triple quantum-well structure with a suitable choice of parameters has been found to satisfy such requirements. A maximal tuning range between 14.6 and 34.7 meV is obtained, when the magnetic field varies from zero to 5 T, so the wavelength of the absorbed radiation decreases from 85.2 to 35.7 /spl mu/m with absorption up to 1.25% at low temperatures. These structures might form the basis for magnetic field tunable photodetectors and quantum cascade lasers in the terahertz range.


The main principles and practices of cognitive-behavioural therapies are briefly outlined and discussed in terms of their relevance to counselling individuals with physical disabilities. The cognitive-behavioural therapies of Beck, Ellis, and Nezu to counselling persons with physical disabilities are specifically presented. A case study involving the application of cognitive-behavioural therapies to counselling a person with severe facial and hand burn injuries is also presented. The view is advanced that although cognitive-behavioural therapies have considerable potential in counselling of persons with physical disabilities, lack of conceptual clarity of some central constructs in cognitive-behavioral therapy is a limitation to practice in rehabilitation settings. The paucity of controlled research studies in this area of study is noted, and suggestions are offered for further research.


Activation of the sympathetic nervous system is fundamental to the coordinated response to stress or danger. The midbrain periaqueductal gray (PAG) contains the neural substrate required to recruit the sympathetic nervous system and organize the physiological and behavioral responses required to respond to imposed challenges. Endocannabinoids have been shown to influence associated behavioral responses. The defense response was used in this study as a working model to examine endocannabinoid modulation of the sympathetic response to acute stress in the anesthetized rat. Microinjection of the cannabinoid 1 (CB1) receptor agonist anandamide into the defense pathway of the dorsal PAG could elicit an increase in renal sympathetic nerve activity and blood pressure, twitching of the whiskers, and movement of the limbs. The response was attenuated by prior microinjection of the CB1 receptor antagonist AM-281 at the same site. Electrical stimulation of the hypothalamic defense area could evoke similar sympathoexcitatory and pressor responses, which were significantly attenuated by microinjection of AM-281 into the dorsal PAG. These data indicate that endocannabinoids can modulate the sympathetic and cardiovascular components of the acute stress response via CB1 receptors at the level of the PAG.


This paper introduces a new type of finite state machine (FSM) - The FSM based on inexact inference expert system. The paper analyzes the uncertainty of issues of the classic FSM which is major difficulties of the classic FSM, and gives an algorithm of inexact inference in detail according to the uncertainty issues analysis. This new type of FSM based on the algorithm can handle most of uncertainty issues very well. Due to the combination of inexact inference and expert system, this new type of FSM also possesses the powerful reasoning capability and the fast state transition speed, especially for a huge logical reasoning calculation besides handling the uncertainty issues. So the FSM based on inexact inference expert system has more advantages than the classic FSM: The FSM can handle the uncertainty, the calculation speed is very fast, the state transition is intelligent, the system architecture is simple, and the system is easy to be expanded. The real world model and virtual state transition world model can be separated, so the cycle of software development will be decreased greatly. The paper gives the design strategy for FSM based on inexact inference expert system as well.


Transient hypothyroxinemia occurs frequently in very preterm infants and is caused by a combination of factors as immaturity of the hypothalamo-pituitary-thyroid system, loss of the maternal thyroxine (T4) contribution, immaturity of thyroid hormone metabolism, and neonatal illness. Thyroid hormone is important in maturation of the brain, but also of heart and lungs. Low neonatal T4 concentrations in plasma are related to worse clinical and neurodevelopmental outcome. Despite these relationships, only few randomized clinical trials have been performed to find out whether T4 supplementation can improve clinical and/or neurodevelomental outcome of preterm infants. The currently available evidence does not support use of supplemental T4 in all preterm infants. There are, however, indications that T4 might improve neurodevelopmental outcome in infants born before 27 to 29 weeks of gestation. Therefore, it is necessary that new trials are set up to further study the benefits of thyroid hormones given in the neonatal period of very preterm infants.


We have used the Very Large Array aperture synthesis telescope to conduct a radio continuum survey of polar ring galaxies, at 20 cm and 6 cm. Forty objects were observed at 20 cm with ≃5″ resolution. Twenty (50%) of the program sources were detected at 20 cm, down to our 5 σ limit of 0.5 mJy beam-1. This detection rate is similar to those in surveys with comparable sensitivity for early-type galaxies without polar rings. Sixteen of the objects we detected at 20 cm were also observed at 6 cm. We show radio continuum maps for the five objects in our sample that have noticeably extended emission. Our spatial resolution was sufficient to distinguish emission originating in the host galaxy from that in the polar ring. The radio morphology of the extended sources, as well as the ratio of radio to far-infrared flux and the radio spectral indices of our detected sources, indicate that star formation, not nuclear activity, is the dominant source of the radio continuum emission in polar ring galaxies. However, the implied star formation rates are modest, and only one of our sample galaxies will consume its supply of cool gas within 500 Myr.


Two miniaturized designs of coplanar waveguide (CPW)-fed slot antennas are proposed using reactive terminations and truncated bilateral ground plane. The slot radiators are shortened by employing meandered thin strips or interdigital capacitors (IDCs) as the reactive terminations, while the reduction in total antenna area is accomplished by the truncated bilateral ground plane. Design considerations to truncate the bilateral ground plane while maintaining satisfactory transmission characteristics of the feeding CPW are discussed. The slot radiators of the 5.8-GHz prototype designs both measure , and the ground planes occupy a small area of . The measured gains of the designs using inductive and capacitive terminations are 1 and 0.7 dBi, respectively. Also, it is shown that the design using IDCs can be further miniaturized. A 2.4-GHz prototype antenna is thus realized with a ground plane size, or total antenna area, of merely .


Hemophilia is an inherited bleeding disorder, which in its severe form is characterized by recurrent hemarthrosis and internal bleeding. In the absence of effective treatment the prognosis is poor, but the development of blood products in the last few decades has transformed the outlook, and patients can now live essentially normal lives. Treatment options vary around the world, with cryoprecipitate still the mainstay of therapy in many developing countries. Many patients were infected with hepatitis and/or HIV through the use of coagulation factor concentrates before the introduction of physical methods of viral inactivation in the mid-1980s. In more affluent countries, the debate in recent years has focused on the relative merits of plasma versus recombinant products. Coagulation factor concentrates are expensive, and cost-benefit and quality-of-life studies will assume an increasing importance in guiding the selection of products. Looking to the future, genetic engineering offers the potential to create coagulation factors with enhanced properties, such as reduced immunogenicity and prolonged half-life. Transgenic animals are a potential source of therapeutic materials. Several trials of gene therapy for hemophilia are already underway.


This paper analyses the pay-per-bid auctions which have appeared recently on the Internet and scored an immediate business success. In these auctions bidders pay a small, but irrevocable fee each time they want to increase the price. In this paper we test the model suggested by Platt, Price and Tappen (2010), which forecasts the distribution of closing prices depending on the item's value, bid fee and price increment. The data from the Czech leading auction site Bonus.cz were chosen for the test. Observed closing prices distribution of about 69 % of commonly auctioned items fi ts the model. However, we fi nd some theoretical and practical fl aws in the model. Contrary to the model predictions, we observed that auctions with smaller price increments generated signifi cantly higher revenue than auctions with higher price increments. We suggest that bidders who favour skewness in payoff distribution cause auctions with lower price increment run longer and therefore explain this discrepancy.


In this paper we will deal with those theoretical aspects that shed light on the essential relationship between technology and art. This study gains importance especially today, when we witness a widespread and unstoppable acceleration of the technological progress, especially in the domain of high technologies, where the art as part of the cultural system becomes affected by the omnipresent technological euphoria. However, as we shall see in this paper, strong conceptual connections between art and technology as social activities, have existed long before the technology boom in the second half of the 20th century. Therefore, the aim of this paper is to point to the essential fact that the technology and art have always shared and still share the same fate of civilizational and human development in a specific form of partnership.


Patients with CPS often display recent memory deficits. Typically, general intelligence, perceptual skills, language, remote memory, and primary memory are all normal. However, the ability to learn new combinations of cognitively complex material is deficient. This deficit may be specific for verbal material (e.g., as a difficulty with learning to recall a response word given an unrelated cue word), for nonverbal material (e.g., as a difficulty in drawing a complex figure from memory), or for both verbal and nonverbal material. Because these characteristics are typical of memory deficits after MTL damage, it is reasonable to suspect that these deficits in patients with epilepsy also reflect MTL damage. In many cases, MTL damage is apparent from neuroimaging studies, whereas seizure semiology suggests MTL onset. In these patients, the same pathology might be the cause of both the ictus and memory deficits. In other cases, memory impairment appears to be secondary to seizures. This suggestion is supported by cases where prolonged complex partial status resulted in a permanent global amnesia. Cases with shorter-lasting memory deficits were also presented. Neuropsychological testing revealed specific recent-memory deficits that cleared 2 weeks after a flurry of CPS and 24 hr after a single seizure. Depth recordings have demonstrated that MTL electrographic seizures can occur without subjective manifestations. When these are evoked by local electrical stimulation, a profound inability to learn new material may be observed during the afterdischarge. Similarly, artificially induced MTL spike-and-wave complexes interfere with the memory for simultaneously presented complex visual scenes. Recent evidence suggests that all of the above phenomena may reflect the engagement by epileptiform processes of the association-cortex (AC)-MTL circuits used in normal human memory. In recent memory tasks, cognitive evoked-potential components N4 and P3 are generated in the MTL and to a lesser degree in related AC regions. The N4/P3 are strongly modulated by familiarity in recent memory. This modulation is eliminated by anterior temporal lobectomy. The typical slow wave following spontaneous MTL interictal spikes has the same MTL voltage topography, and thus probably similar synaptic generators, as the cognitive P3 potential. Furthermore, MTL spike-and-wave complexes can be evoked in recent memory tasks at a fixed latency equal to that of the N4.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


YSZ thin films (YSZTFs) with controlled structure and morphology are desirable for low temperature solid oxide fuel cells (SOFCs). We report for the first time the bias voltage (40 V and 120 V) dependent structural and morphological evolution of YSZ thin films grown via radio frequency magnetron sputtering (RFMS) technique. The optimum sample was annealed at 600 °C to achieve an improved ionic conductivity. As-prepared YSZTFs were characterized using various analytical tools. Glancing angle x-ray diffraction (GAXRD) pattern of YSZTFs revealed the existence of non-columnar structure (cubic phases) with preferred growth along [200] lattice orientation. YSZTFs grown at 120 V displayed good homogeneity and uniformity (100 nm thick and crystallite size in the range of 10–12 nm) accompanied by large microstrain along [111] lattice orientation. The bias voltage dependent alterations in the morphology of YSZTFs (grain compactness, size, shape, distribution and surface roughness) were clearly manifested in the FESEM and AFM images. Raman and FTIR spectra of YSZTFs disclosed the formation of tetragonal and cubic phases. An in-depth data analyses suggested the successful incorporation of Yttria into the zirconia lattice. Annealed film exhibited improved polycrystallinity and evolved morphology. These achieved YSZTFs could be effective electrolyte for low temperature SOFC operation.


Cyclic deformation at elevated temperature has been modeled for a polycrystalline nickel-based superalloy using the crystal-plasticity constitutive formulations. Finite element analyses were carried out for a Representative Volume Element (RVE), consisting of randomly oriented grains and subjected to periodic boundary constraints. Model parameters were determined by fitting the strain-controlled cyclic test data at 650°C for three different loading rates. Simulated results are in good agreement with the experimental data for both stress-strain loops and cyclic hardening behavior. The model was utilized to predict the stress relaxation behavior during the hold periods at the maximum and minimum strain levels, and the prediction compares well with the experimental results. Localized stress and strain concentrations were observed due to the heterogeneous nature of grain microstructure and the mismatch of the mechanical properties of individual grains.


Research on workers' proactive behaviors has increased in recent years, emphasizing the need for a more active workforce. In this context, research has been carried out on idiosyncratic deals (i-deals), that is, individualized work arrangements that employees negotiate with their employers about aspects that are mutually beneficial. Because this research topic focuses on individuals' actions, most of the studies analyzing its antecedents examine individual characteristics. However, group and organizational characteristics have been suggested to play a role. The aim of the present paper is to analyze the interplay between individual and group 1 Although the present research has greatly evolved from its inception, this research originated as part of the Master thesis presented by Arianna Knering in the context of the Master on Work, Organizational and Personnel Psychology (WOP-P). Thus, to some extent is one of the fruits of the WOP-P Master, in which prof. Adelino Duarte Gomes was involved as a founder. We would also like to thank prof. Carla Semedo from the Universidade da Coimbra/Evora for her comments and feedback during the development of the research. The Spanish Government with project PSI2015-64862-R (MINECO/ FEDER) supported this work. 2 Email: firstname.lastname@example.com ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0001-6432-6454 3 Research Institute of Personnel Psychology, Organizational Development and Quality of Working Life IDOCAL, University of Valencia Spain. Email: email@example.com ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-0379-4657. 4 Research Institute of Personnel Psychology, Organizational Development and Quality of Working Life IDOCAL, University of Valencia Spain. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0003-2815-8478 5 Felisa Latorre. Department of Medicine and Surgery, Psychology, Preventive Medicine and Public Health and Medical Microbiology and Immunology. Universidad Rey Juan Carlos. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com ORCID: https://orcid.org/00000002-1692-2347 6 Centro Universitário de Brasília, UniCeub. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com. Dr. Amalia Pérez-Nebra was supported by Brasilian Ministerio da Educaçao CAPES number 88881.172259/2018-01. ORCID: http://orcid. org/0000-0001-8386-1233 188 Arianna Knering, Núria Tordera, Esther Villajos Felisa Latorre & Amalia Pérez-Nebra level factors in the development of i-deals. More specifically, we consider the role of psychological capital and justice climate in the development of i-deals. A total of 520 employees working in 83 work-units in Spain participated in a panel study. A cross-level approach was adopted to analyze the relationships among psychological capital (psycap), justice climate and i-deals. The results revealed group differences in the enactment of i-deals. Individual and group level factors showed a significant positive relationship with i-deals. After controlling for individual characteristics, Justice Climate still added predictive power.


This paper presents development and verification of the progressive failure analysis upon the composite laminates. Strength and stiffness of the fiber-reinforced composite are analyzed by property degradation approach with emphasis on the material nonlinearity and continuum damage mechanics (CDM). Longitudinal and transverse tensile modes derived from Hashin's failure criterion are used to predict the thresholds for damage initiation and growth. The modified Newton-Raphson iterative procedure is implemented for determining nonlinear elastic and viscoelastic constitutive relations. Laminar properties of the composite are obtained by experiments. Prediction on the un-notched tensile (UNT) specimen is performed under the laminate level. Stress-strain curves and strength results are compared with the experimental measurement. It is concluded that the present nonlinear CDM approach is capable of predicting the strength and stiffness more accurately than the corresponding linear CDM one does.


The N-vinylcaprolactam, NVCL, is a monomer with amphiphilic character. Poly(N-vinylcaprolactam), PNVCL, is a non-ionic, water soluble polymer from the poly N-vinylamide group, which has potential use in biological applications. Vermiculite and montmorillonite are naturally occurring clay minerals widely used as nanofillers for polymers. In this study, vermiculite and montmorillonite were modified by NVCL and PNVCL for subsequent use as nanofiller into the poly(N-vinylcaploactam). Amount of monomer or polymer added to the clay mineral was based on cation exchange capacity (CEC) of the each clay. The process of modification was held in ethanol. From the Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR) spectra can be assumed that clay minerals are successfully modified by NVCL and PNVCL. X-ray powder diffraction (XRD) patterns show successful intercalation of clay, because the basal diffraction of each clay mineral showed the shift from 1.256 nm to 1.502 nm in case of montmorillonite with NVCL and from 1.225 nm to 1.492 nm in vermiculite sample intercalated by the same compound. The samples were characterized by FTIR, XRD and scanning electron microscopy (SEM).


A discontinuous Galerkin method based on a Taylor basis is presented for the solution of the magnetohydrodynamics equations on arbitrary grids. Unlike the traditional discontinuous Galerkin methods, where either standard Lagrange finite element or hierarchical node-based basis functions are used to represent numerical polynomial solutions in each element, this DG method represents the numerical polynomial solutions using a Taylor series expansion at the centroid of the cell. Consequently, this formulation is able to provide a unified framework, where both cell-centered and vertex-centered finite volume schemes can be viewed as special cases of this discontinuous Galerkin method by choosing reconstruction schemes to compute the derivatives, offer the insight why the DG methods are a better approach than the finite volume methods based on either TVD/MUSCL reconstruction or essentially non-oscillatory (ENO)/weighted essentially non-oscillatory (WENO) reconstruction, and has a number of distinct, desirable, and attractive features, which can be effectively used to address some of shortcomings of the DG methods. The extension of the HLLD scheme to multi-dimensional problems is developed to compute fluxes across cell interfaces. The developed method is used to compute a variety of test cases. The numerical experiments demonstrate the high accuracy of this discontinuous Galerkin method.


SUMMARY: Neuroferritinopathy is an autosomal dominant extrapyramidal movement disorder, caused by FTL gene mutations. Iron decreases the MR T2* decay time, therefore increasing the R2* (R2* = 1 /T2*), which correlates with brain tissue iron content. 3T structural and quantitative MR imaging assessment of R2* in 10 patients with neuroferritinopathy demonstrated a unique pattern of basal ganglia cavitation involving the substantia nigra in older patients and increasing thalamic R2* signal intensity detectable during 6 months. Increasing R2* signal intensity in the thalamus correlated with progression on a clinical rating scale measuring dystonia severity. Thalamic R2* signal intensity is a clinically useful method of objectively tracking disease progression in this form of neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation.


AeroMACS is a system currently under development to be used for airport surface communications. It is based on the IEEE802.16–2009 standard, and is developed in cooperation with the WiMAX forum. The frequency band allocated to AeroMACS is 5091–5150 MHz. When specifying the AeroMACS system, knowledge of typical propagation conditions at airports is of importance. Typical path loss models are necessary to estimate the range of a transmitter within different zones of the airport, and typical fading characteristics are used to estimate the performance of e.g. the selected coding and modulation schemes.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to highlight the theoretical and methodological value of studying coopetition (the interplay between cooperation and competition) in a wine industry context.

Design/methodology/approach
Key publications surrounding wine industries across multiple countries were reviewed to understand how the wine industry is a highly appropriate empirical context to investigate coopetition.

Findings
The findings revealed that the wine industry is a highly suitable empirical context for researchers to explore coopetition. Specifically, being a highly cooperative and competitive market, the wine industry provides a unique outlook into how coopetition is managed.

Originality/value
This paper helps scholars to appreciate the theoretical and methodological benefits of using a wine industry context to evaluate coopetition. Hence, scholars should use the wine industry to obtain rich empirical data surrounding coopetition. The paper ends with a set of recommendations for future research.


The purpose of this paper is to propose a five-stage process for establishing both validity and reliability in new systematic observation instruments. The process is contextualized within the working behaviors of elite level rugby union coaches within the practice setting. The sequential stages began with observer training and progressed through the identification of coaching behaviors through induction (to establish content validity), to establishing face validity through a domain-referenced test. The objectivity and reliability of the developed behavioral classifications are determined through an interobserver agreement test while, finally, the researcher's ability to reliably reproduce data with the developed instrument is determined using a test/retest intraobserver reliability check. The developed instrument (the Rugby Union Coaches Observation Instrument: RUCOI) is deemed able to record the situationally unique behaviors arising from the nature of the sport and of the elite standard, both of which w...


Lisa McElwee-White, the Colonel Allen R. and Margaret G. Crow Professor of Chemistry at the University of Florida, is the recipient of the 2019 Herty Medal, awarded by the American Chemical Society Georgia Section to an outstanding chemist in the southeastern US. Among her accomplishments, McElwee-White introduced mechanism-based design of organometallic precursors for fabrication of thin films and nanostructures. She is also being honored for her outreach contributions and service to ACS. The medal will be presented at the 85th Herty Award Celebration in September.


Antimony oxides, in combination with halogens, have been used as flame retardants in textiles since the 1960s. Uniforms made from fabric containing antimony are common among the estimated 1.1 million firefighters in the United States. In October 2008, CDC received a report from the fire chief of a fire department in Florida (fire department A) regarding an outbreak of antimony toxicity among 30 firefighters who had elevated antimony levels detected in hair samples. This report summarizes the ensuing health hazard evaluation conducted by CDC to determine the source of antimony exposure. In February 2009, CDC administered questionnaires to and collected urine samples from two groups of firefighters: 20 firefighters from fire department A who did not wear pants made from antimony-containing fabric, and 42 firefighters from fire department B (also located in Florida) who did. All 20 firefighters from fire department A and 41 (98%) from fire department B had urine antimony concentrations below or within the laboratory reference range. CDC concluded that wearing pants made from antimony-containing fabric was not associated with elevated levels of urinary antimony. Only validated methods (e.g., urine testing) should be used for the determination of antimony toxicity. Accurate and timely risk communication during suspected workplace exposures should underscore the importance of using validated tests, thereby refuting an unproven hypothesis, allaying unsubstantiated concerns, and enhancing public trust.


It is commonplace to encounter nonstationary or heterogeneous data. Such a distribution shift feature presents both challenges and opportunities for causal discovery, of which the underlying generating process changes over time or across domains. In this paper, we develop a principled framework for causal discovery from such data, called Constraint-based causal Discovery from NOnstationary/heterogeneous Data (CD-NOD), which addresses two important questions. First, we propose an enhanced constraint-based procedure to detect variables whose local mechanisms change and recover the skeleton of the causal structure over observed variables. Second, we present a way to determine causal orientations by making use of independent changes in the data distribution implied by the underlying causal model, benefiting from information carried by changing distributions. After learning the causal structure, next, we investigate how to efficiently estimate the `driving force' of the nonstationarity of a causal mechanism. That is, we aim to extract from data a low-dimensional and interpretable representation of changes. The proposed methods are totally nonparametric, with no restrictions on data distributions and causal mechanisms, and do not rely on window segmentation. Furthermore, we find that nonstationarity benefits causal structure identification with particular types of confounders. Finally, we show the tight connection between nonstationarity/heterogeneity and soft intervention in causal discovery. Experimental results on various synthetic and real-world data sets (task-fMRI and stock data) are presented to demonstrate the efficacy of the proposed methods.


Electromagnetically navigated endoscopy, which is increasingly applied in endoscopic interventions, utilizes an electromagnetic sensor attached at the endoscope tip to measure the endoscope movements and to navigate the endoscope in the region of interest in the body. Due to patient motion and magnetic field distortion, sensor electromagnetic tracking (EMT) measurement inaccuracy and dynamic jitter errors remain challenging for electromagnetic navigation. This paper proposes a new tracking framework of an animated particle filter that integrates adaptive particle swarm optimization into a generic particle filter to significantly boost electromagnetic trackers. We validate our method on a dynamic phantom and compare it to state-of-the-art EMT methods. Our experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness and robustness of our method, which provides position and orientation accuracy of 2.48 mm, 4.69° that significantly outperformed previous methods at least with tracking error of 4.19 mm, 7.75°. The tracking smoothness was improved from 4.09 mm, 3.37° to 1.84 mm, 2.52°. Our method successfully tackled the particle impoverishment better than standard particle filters.


A new approach for monitoring water quality is proposed based on quantitative remote sensing in Huangpu River, Shanghai. The data processing for multi-spectral remote sensing imagery is first presented. The inversion models for two typical water quality parameters - Dissolved oxygen (DO) and Secchi disk (SD) are then developed. Based on the derived models and multi-temporal remote sensing imagery, the spatial- temporal analysis for the water quality variation is therefore conducted. The results show that the proposed models can detect effectively the temporal and spatial distribution of water quality.


Summary.  Background: Quantitative bleeding assessment tools (BATs) have been used to describe the severity of the bleeding phenotype in patients with von Willebrand disease. Objectives: To evaluate the clinical usefulness of a BAT for the diagnosis of mild bleeding disorders (MBDs) in previously undiagnosed patients. Methods: We prospectively assessed 215 patients who were consecutively referred for evaluation of bleeding symptoms (n = 71), abnormal laboratory clotting test results (n = 105) or family investigation (n = 39) at two second‐level centers. The bleeding history was assessed by a young investigator who administered the BAT instrument, and also by a senior physician who independently evaluated the patient and made the final diagnoses. Sensitivity, specificity, negative predictive value (NPV) and positive predictive value (PPV) were computed for a predefined bleeding score (BS) cut‐off (BS of > 3). Receiver operating characteristic curves were used to establish a diagnostic prediction rule. Results: Assuming the prevalence of MBD in the general population to be ∼ 1%, a normal BS (≤ 3) had a very high NPV (99.2%). The PPVs in patients referred for hemostatic or family evaluation at second‐level clinics were estimated to be 71.0% and 77.5% (assuming MDB prevalences of 20% and 50%, respectively, in these settings). Measurement of BS in addition to activated partial thromboplastin time significantly increased the diagnostic efficiency of the BAT instrument (NPV of 99.6%). Conclusions: BAT use improves the evaluation of patients with suspected MBD, and we propose its use in a clinical prediction guide based on BAT and activated partial thromboplastin time for the exclusion of patients with suspected MBD in a low‐prevalence setting.


AIM
This article delineates rationales for administering a spiritual assessment as a universal component of care.

BACKGROUND
The notion that nurses should identify and address patients' spiritual needs remains controversial, particularly in the UK where criticisms derived from secularization theory have appeared in the literature.

EVALUATION
To respond to these criticisms and to develop rationales supportive of spiritual assessment, I draw upon scholarship from a variety of disciplines including social work, sociology, and medicine.

KEY ISSUES
Five rationales are posited to support the concept of universal spiritual assessments: professional ethics, patient autonomy, knowledge of patients' worldviews, the identification of spiritual assets, and accrediting and governmental requirements. Criticisms based on secularization theory are discussed and analysed.

CONCLUSION
A two-stage spiritual assessment - consisting of a brief preliminary assessment followed, if necessary, by a comprehensive assessment - provides a mechanism to efficiently identify patients' spiritual needs.

IMPLICATIONS FOR NURSING MANAGEMENT
As key members of the healthcare team, nurse managers are ideally situated to ensure that all patients receive a spiritual assessment as a routine component of care. In so doing, they help ensure the provision of ethical and effective care to the diverse spiritual groups that will continue to populate the UK for the foreseeable future.


High altitude snowfields provide repositories of well-preserved organic remains of considerable antiquity, as spectacular discoveries such as the Similaun Iceman illustrate. In Scandinavia, melting snow patches have been systematically surveyed by volunteer groups for almost a century, and a growing collection of archaeological artefacts has been recovered. Only recently, however, has AMS dating confirmed that some of the finds go back as far as the Neolithic. Here fragments of five Neolithic arrowshafts and a Neolithic longbow discovered in 2010–11 in the Oppdal area of Norway are described. They throw light on Neolithic bow and arrow technology and tangentially on the hunting techniques which may have attracted hunters to these snow patches in search of game. The progressive and accelerated melting of the snow patches in recent years draws attention to processes of climate change and the urgency of discovering and recovering these fragile perishable artefacts.


Abstract: Ismailov, A. 2021. Diversity and peculiarities of lichens in subnival habitats of Shalbuzdag Mountain (East Caucasus, Dagestan, Russia). – Herzogia 34: 387–399. One hundred and four species of lichenized fungi and three species of lichenicolous fungi have been revealed in habitats above 3000 m a.s.l of Shalbuzdag Mountain. Some species are reported from these altitudes for the first time. Gyalolechia klementii is new for Russia and the Greater Caucasus. Heteroplacidium fusculum and Calvitimela aglaea are reported for the Greater Caucasus for the first time. Tetramelas papillatus, Toninia taurica and Rhizocarpon atroflavescens are new records for the East Caucasus. All of these species and Placidium rufescens are new for Dagestan. Habitats at an altitudinal range of 3000 –3200 m are characterized by the highest species richness. Lichens of the family Teloschistaceae are the core of the lichen flora with the highest number of recorded species (26) and genera (11). The lichen communities at mount Shalbuzdag are dominated by species preferring arid habitats, but there are also arctic-alpine species. For the first time, detailed data are provided on the lichen diversity in arid calcareous habitats above 3000 m in the Caucasus and Russia.


Novel ternary nanocomposites based on a thermoset (TS) system composed of triglycidyl p-aminophenol (TGAP) epoxy resin and 4,4'-diaminodiphenylsulfone (DDS) curing agent incorporating 5 wt% of a semicrystalline thermoplastic (TP), an ethylene/1-octene copolymer, and 0.5 or 1.0 wt% multi-walled carbon nanotubes (MWCNTs) have been prepared via physical blending and curing. The influence of the TP and the MWCNTs on the curing process, morphology, thermal and mechanical properties of the hybrid nanocomposites has been analyzed. Different morphologies evolved depending on the CNT content: the material with 0.5 wt% MWCNTs showed a matrix-dispersed droplet-like morphology with well-dispersed nanofiller that selectively located at the TS/TP interphase, while that with 1.0 wt% MWCNTs exhibited coarse dendritic TP areas containing agglomerated MWCNTs. Although the cure reaction was accelerated in its early stage by the nanofillers, curing occurred at a lower rate since these obstructed chain crosslinking. The nanocomposite with lower nanotube content displayed two crystallization peaks at lower temperature than that of pure TP, while a single peak appearing at similar temperature to that of TP was observed for the blend with higher nanotube loading. The highest thermal stability was found for TS/TP (5.0 wt%)/MWCNTs (0.5 wt%), due to a synergistic barrier effect of both TP and the nanofiller. Moreover, this nanocomposite displayed the best mechanical properties, with an optimal combination of stiffness, strength and toughness. However, poorer performance was found for TS/TP (5.0 wt%)/MWCNTs (1.0 wt%) due to the less effective reinforcement of the agglomerated nanotubes and the coalescence of the TP particles into large areas. Therefore, finely tuned morphologies and properties can be obtained by adjusting the nanotube content in the TS/TP blends, leading to high-performance hybrid nanocomposites suitable for structural and high-temperature applications.


The microelectronics industry continues to grow rapidly in size and importance. As thinner and denser IC packages become, packaging process becomes more challenging and troublesome. The ball grid array (BGA) technology uses substrate and solder balls to replace the traditional leadframe, which offers many advantages over fine pitch technology. These include better assembly yield, superior electrical performance, and higher I/O density. However, the high density of bonding wires form a separating layer which will hold back the molding compound flowing through these regions.
 The paper presents the simulation of melt-front advancement and wire sweep for BGA 436. The results has been verified by the experimental studies. It is found that the high-density of wires has played a very important role in performing the CAE analysis. It shows that the melt-front advancement can be precisely predicted by CAE simulation software with proper consideration of wire density. With the accurate simulation of melt-front advancement, the CAE results can be further used to perform further engineering analysis. The wire sweep of the package demonstrates the use of CAE analysis, which also shows very good agreement with the experimental study.


This study introduces consumer socialization agency (CSA; i.e. the act of influencing another about consumption) as the reason why consumers learn through peer communication on social media tourism sites. Based on an online panel of 193 US consumers, the study investigated how a personal connection to a tourism site (i.e. customer engagement [CE]) and a connection with peers on social media (i.e. peer group identification) drives CSA about tourism, which, subsequently, influences learning about tourism-related consumption decisions (i.e. peer communication). Our model establishes that identification with peers on social media and CE with tourism sites are antecedents to consumer socialization. Consumers need to feel engaged with tourism social media sites to participate in socialization and feel connected to their peers on social media in general. Consumer socialization, or the willingness to teach/influence tourism-related skills to friends, influences the willingness to learn new tourism consumer skills, including tourism-related decision-making. We propose that for a tourism site to be successful, it must enable social exchange of knowledge and ideas (through enabling consumer socialization), not just individual user experience.


Objective: Electric toilet seats with water spray (bidets) are
gaining in popularity all over the world. However, the extent of
reduction in microbial contamination of hands with the use of bidets
after defecation is not known. Methods: The microbe
contamination of hands with and without the use of bidets after
defecation with the participation of 32 nursing students was studied.
Double gloves were worn on the dominant hand and four layers of toilet
paper were used to wipe the buttocks after defecation and the microbe
contamination of the second glove (outer glove) of the double gloves was
examined. The volunteers were free to select flow volume, wash time of
the bidet and even the type of bidet for use was left up the individual.
Results: Without the use of a bidet, the average value ±
standard deviation of the number of microbe attached to the gloves was
39,449.3 ± 77,768.3 colony forming units (cfu) / glove; however, it was
4,146.9 ± 11,427.7 cfu / glove when a bidet was used.The number of
microbe adhering to gloves was significantly reduced when a bidet was
used (p <0.0001, Wilcoxon singed-rank test).
Conclusion: It was discovered that reduction of microbe
contamination of hands was possible with the use of bidets after
defecation.


The adenylate cyclase activating polypeptide 1 (pituitary) receptor (ADCYAP1R1) gene is associated with the hypothalamic-pituitary-adrenal (HPA) axis, which controls stress responses. The single-nucleotide polymorphism of ADCYAP1R1, rs2267735, has been investigated in many studies to test its association with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD), but the results have not been consistent. It is worth systematically exploring the role of rs2267735 in PTSD development. In this study, we analyzed rs2267735 in 1,132 trauma-exposed Chinese individuals (772 females and 360 males). We utilized the PTSD checklist for DSM-5 (PCL-5) to measure the PTSD symptoms. Then, we analyzed the main, G × E (rs2267735 × trauma exposure), and G × G (with other HPA axis gene polymorphisms) effects of rs2267735 on PTSD severity (total symptoms). There were no significant main or G × E effects (P > 0.05). The G × G ADCYAP1R1-FKBP5 interaction (rs2267735 × rs1360780) was associated with PTSD severity (beta = −1.31 and P = 0.049) based on all subjects, and the G × G ADCYAP1R1-CRHR1 interaction (rs2267735 × rs242924) was correlated with PTSD severity in men (beta = −4.72 and P = 0.023). Our study indicated that the ADCYAP1R1 polymorphism rs2267735 may affect PTSD development through diverse gene-gene interactions.


An underfire system for a controlled starved-air inciner ator and incinerating process which minimizes high localized temperatures in the main combustion chamber to lessen clinker formation and vaporization of inorgan ics for minimizing the particulate emission rate and which maximizes conversion of the fixed carbon por tion of the waste materials into volatile matter for maxi mizing the thermal efficiency of the incinerator. The underfire system supplies air at less-than-stoichiometric requirements which creates an exothermic reaction between some of the fixed carbon in the waste material and the oxygen in the air to produce volatile carbon dioxide. In addition, steam is supplied to the burning waste materials, preferably alternately with the air sup ply, for creating an endothermic "water-gas reaction' between additional fixed carbon in the waste material and the steam to produce volatile carbon monoxide and hydrogen gas and for absorbing undesired heat from the exothermic reaction.


Some evidences have supported the link between benign prostatic hyperplasia (BPH)/lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) and inflammation. In this study, we aimed to evaluate the association between prostatic inflammation (PI) and non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH) evaluated by a non‐invasive scores in a cohort of patients affected by BPH/LUTS. Between January 2012 and January 2016, we conducted a prospective study in a single academic outpatient clinic on 132 consecutive patients who underwent surgery for lower urinary tract symptoms (LUTS) due to bladder outlet obstruction (BOO). A non‐invasive non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis score (NASH score) was calculated, and PI was evaluated through the Irani score. Patients with a NASH score > 1.05 had an average larger prostate volume (55 vs. 45 cc, p < 0.05), a greater waist circumference (103 vs. 93.5 cm, p < 0.01), and high values of blood glucose, triglycerides, insulin, and BMI compared to patients without NASH; 36% of patients with an Irani score ≥ 4 had NASH compared to 16.1% of patients who had a NASH score < 1.05 (p < 0.05). We found that non‐alcoholic steatohepatitis (NASH ≥ 1.05) was an independent risk factor for Irani score ≥4 (OR: 3.24; p < 0.05) and of prostate volume ≥ 40 cc (OR: 13.99; p < 0.01). LUTS/BPH and NASH can be closely related, underlying common triggers of induction. In particular, inflammation seems to be associated with both conditions and with prostate gland overgrowth. Early identification of this class of patients could play a key role in preventing complications related to disease progression.