Background Despite abundant sunlight exposure, vitamin D deficiency remains a major challenge in Saudi Arabia. Meanwhile, the widespread use of vitamin D supplements has prompted concerns about toxicity, which although rare, can have severe health consequences. Objective The objective of this cross-sectional study was to analyze the prevalence and associated factors of iatrogenic vitamin D toxicity among the Saudi population of vitamin D users due to overcorrection. Methods An online questionnaire was used to collect data from 1,677 participants across all regions of Saudi Arabia. The questionnaire included responses on the prescription, duration of vitamin D intake, dosage, frequency, history of vitamin D toxicity, symptom onset, and duration. Results One thousand six hundred and seventy-seven responses were included across all regions of Saudi Arabia. A majority of participants were female (66.7%) and around half were aged 18-25 years. A history of vitamin D use was reported by 63.8% of participants, and 48% were still using vitamin D supplements. Most participants (79.3%) consulted a physician, and 84.8% had taken a vitamin D test before using the supplement. Commonly reported motives for taking vitamin D included vitamin D deficiency (72.1%), lack of sun exposure (26.1%), and hair loss (20.6%). Symptoms of overdose were reported by 6.6% of participants, with 3.3% having an overdose and 2.1% experiencing both overdose and symptoms. Conclusion This study showed that although a large portion of the Saudi population is taking vitamin D supplements, the prevalence of vitamin D toxicity is relatively low. However, this prevalence should not be ignored, and further research is needed to understand the factors contributing to vitamin D toxicity in order to minimize its occurrence.


Abstract Taking as its starting point Rackham's distinction between 'planned countryside' and 'ancient countryside', this paper argues that the distinctive character of the Cumbrian landscape can only be understood in the context of patterns of land tenure and their impact on the scale and pace of agrarian change during the Agricultural Revolution. Most of the 'planned countryside' in Cumbria was the result of parliamentary enclosure of former moorland, whereas areas of earlier enclosure largely have the characteristics of 'ancient countryside'. The survival of these older landscapes across the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries was linked to the survival of customary tenures, which prevented landlords from gaining direct control over their estates and contributed to a withdrawal of a gentry presence from much of rural Cumbria. Only where leases for years were found (on former demesnes and on some manors close to the Scottish Border) were landlords able to re-write the farming landscape during the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries.


OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of combination of edible oils on blood pressure, anthropometric parameters, lipid profile, lipid peroxidative markers, antioxidant status and electrolytes in drug (nifedipine) taking patients with hypertension.

METHODS
In this study, patients were separated into 4 groups. Normal (n=14), hypertensive patients (n=38), 38 patients under medication with nifedipine were divided into 2 groups nifedipine control (n=12) and nifedipine + oil combination (sesame + sunflower oil) groups (n=26). Sesame and sunflower oil combination was supplied to patients and instructed to use it as the only oil source for 45 days. Blood pressure and anthropometric parameters were measured at baseline and after 45 days. Lipid peroxidative markers, enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, lipid profile and electrolytes in blood were also measured. The study took place at Rajah Muthiah Medical College and Hospital, Annamalai University, Annamalainagar, India between January 2005 and December 2008.

RESULTS
Nifedipine and oil-mix consumed patients significantly decreased the blood pressure, lipid peroxidative markers, lipid profile excluding the high density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), sodium, chloride, and increased enzymatic, non-enzymatic antioxidants, HDL-C and potassium levels when compared to nifedipine alone treated hypertensive patients.

CONCLUSION
Nifedipine and oil-mix provided good protection over blood pressure and lipid peroxidation, and brought enzymatic and non-enzymatic antioxidants, lipid profile, and electrolytes towards normalcy in hypertensive patients.


Congenital cholesteatoma(CC) accounts for 2-5% of all cholesteatomas[1] most common site being middle ear. We report an extreme-ly rare case of congenital cholesteatoma iso-lated to the mastoid process, with no middle ear involvement. An 18 year old male pre-sented with ear ache and minimal discharge for 4 months. On examination, external audi-tory canal was found narrowed with granula-tions and bony defect present in the postero-inferior part of canal. Computed tomography showed soft tissue contents in the mastoid bone causing full thickness erosion of the same along with attenuation of ear canal. At surgery, a large cholesteatoma sac was found within the mastoid process completely eroding it and extending to posterior part of external auditory canal. The mastoid antrum and aditus were found normal. Tympanic membrane was intact. CC isolated to the mastoid was diag-nosed. Diagnosis of CC isolated to the mastoid should be based on clinical examination and radiological evaluation.


Weathering steel generates dense protective rust on the steel surface. Since this protective rust would reduce corrosion speed, weathering steel can be used without any painting. Furthermore, the Life Cycle Cost of unpainted steel bridges would be lower than ordinary painted steel bridges. Due to these advantages, many weathering steel bridges have been constructed in recent years. Unfortunately, the generation of anomalous rust has been reported in some bridges, cause of water leakage or deicer. It is necessary to repair these bridges, but the repair technique for corroded weathering steel has never been established yet. This study aims to clarify the effect of various repair painting for corroded weathering steel by performing an exposure test. The exposure test has been carried out from September 2015 to Okinawa and Yamaguchi. Test in Okinawa is supplied airborne salt, and the test in Yamaguchi is not supplied airborne salt. Specimens, which produced anomalous rust, were repaired by 19 methods and exposed. As a result, it is effective to repair by organic zinc-rich paint in the area with airborne salt. On the other hand, it is appropriate to remove rust and salt on the steel surface by blasting in the area which is not supplied airborne salt.


This study investigated the incidence of poverty and foodcrop productivity in selected spatial rural communities in Ogun State, Nigeria. Two hundred (200) respondent small scale farmers were drawn, using a purposive sampling technique, from the four divisions in the state. Information was obtained from these farmers with the aid of structured questionnaire and data were collected between February and November, 2005. These information contained data on the socio-economic characteristics of the farmers cultivating mainly maize, cassava, cocoyam, vegetables and plantain. Their access to agricultural land, labour supply, credit use and other facilities were also included.
Both Tobit Regression and Foster-Greer- Thorbecke analytical models were used for the analysis of data. Results indicated that only age, farmers' farm size, production cost and farming experience were statistically important determinants of the incidence of poverty and farmers' foodcrop production levels. The Incidence of poverty was highest for farmers between 30 and 39 years of age (0.74) and those between 40 and 49 years of age (0.79).It was then concluded that the farm settlement schemes, most of which are now moribund, should be rehabilitated and explored for the challenge of providing cultivable agricultural lands for the rural farmers. With increased farm size, farmers can produce more and thus enhance their farm income, alleviate their poverty status and the welfare of their family members. Keywords : Small-scale farmers; Rural areas; Foodcrops; Poverty incidence; FGT model JOAFSS Vol. 4 (1) 2006: pp. 1-8


Different security measures have emerged to encounter various Internet security threats, ensuring a certain level of protection against them. However, this does not come without a price. Indeed, there is a general agreement that high security measures involve high amount of resources, ultimately impacting the perceived Quality of Service (QoS). The objective of this paper is to define a framework, dubbed QoS2, that provides means to find a tradeoff between security requirements and their QoS counterparts. The QoS2 framework is based on the multiattribute decision-making theory. The performance of the QoS2 framework is evaluated through computer simulations. A use-case considering worm e-mail detection is used in the performance evaluation. Copyright © 2012 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


The microstructure of a material defines many of its mechanical properties. Tracking the microstructure of parts during their manufacturing is needed to ensure the designed performance can be obtained, especially for additively manufactured parts. Measuring the microstructure non-destructively on real parts is challenging for optical techniques such as laser ultrasound, as the optically rough surface impacts the ability to generate and detect acoustic waves. Spatially resolved acoustic spectroscopy can be used to measure the microstructure, and this paper presents the capability on a range of surface finishes. We discuss how to describe 'roughness' and how this influences the measurements. We demonstrate that measurements can be made on surfaces with Ra up to 28 μm for a selection of roughness comparators. Velocity images on a range of real surface finishes, including machined, etched, and additively manufactured finishes in an as-deposited state, are presented. We conclude that the Ra is a poor descriptor for the ability to perform measurements as the correlation length of the roughness has a large impact on the ability to detected the surface waves. Despite this issue, a wide range of real industrially relevant surface conditions can be measured.


Novel controlled non-perturbative techniques are a must in the study of strongly correlated systems, especially near quantum criticality. One of these techniques, bosonization, has been extensively used to understand one-dimensional, as well as higher dimensional electronic systems at finite density. In this paper, we generalize the theory of two-dimensional bosonization of Fermi liquids, in the presence of a homogeneous weak magnetic field perpendicular to the plane. Here, we extend the formalism of bosonization to treat free spinless fermions at finite density in a uniform magnetic field. We show that particle-hole fluctuations of a Fermi surface satisfy a {\em covariant Schwinger algebra}, allowing to express a fermionic theory with forward scattering interactions as a quadratic bosonic theory representing the quantum fluctuations of the Fermi surface. By means of a coherent-state path integral formalism we compute the fermion propagator as well as particle-hole bosonic correlations functions. We analyze the presence of de Haas-van Alphen oscillations and show how the quantum oscillations of the orbital magnetization, the Lifshitz-Kosevich theory, are obtained by means of the bosonized theory. We also study the effects of forward scattering interactions. In particular, we obtain oscillatory corrections to the Landau zero sound collective mode.


In this book, Catherine M. Keesling lends new insight into the origins of civic honorii c portraits that emerged at the end of the i fth century bc in ancient Greece. Surveying the subjects, motives, and display contexts of Archaic and Classical portrait sculpture, she demonstrates that the phenomenon of portrait representation in Greek culture is complex and without a single, unifying history. Bringing a multidisciplinary approach to the topic, Keesling grounds her study in contemporary texts such as Herodotus' Histories and situates portrait representation within the context of contemporary debates about the nature of arete (excellence), the value of historical commemoration, and the relationship between the human individual and the gods and heroes. She argues that often the goal of Classical portraiture was to link the individual to divine or heroic models. Of ering an overview of the role of portraits in Archaic and Classical Greece, her study includes local histories of the development of Greek portraiture in sanctuaries such as Olympia, Delphi, and the Athenian Acropolis.


Objective: The aim of the study is to estimate the frequency of p.F508del and of the more common mutations in population of patients with cystic fibrosis (CF) followed at CF centers in Portugal, before the implementation of a pilot program of neonatal screening (NBS). Method: collection of data from the data bases of all the cystic fibrosis centers in Portugal. Patients in follow-up during 2012 were included, age was considered as for the 31st December. Results: 298 patients (pts) were identified: 140 (47%) males, 158 (53%) females, 5 with less than 1 year (y), 8 aged 1-2 y, 24 aged 3-5 y, 63 aged 6-10 y, 76 aged 11-17 y, 80 aged 18-29 y, 28 aged 30-39 y and 14 older than 40 y. p.F508del mutation is the commonest one: 143 pts (48%) homozygous and 92(30.8%) heterozygous. The 10 more common mutations found are F508del (63.4% of the alleles), R334W (5%), A561E (2.9%), G542X (2.7%), N1303K (2.2%), G85E (1.8%), R1066C and 3272/26A-G (1.3% each), Q1100P (0.8%) and P2055 (0.7%). Ten mutations have been found in more than 1 or 2 pts. Comments: To ensure a effective NBS program the panel of CF mutations analysis should be designed in order to include the more common mutations found in our population.


[1] An "online" aerosol dynamics and chemistry module is included in the Laboratoire de Meteorologie Dynamique general circulation model (LMDZ), so that the chemical species are advected at each dynamical time step and evolve through chemical and physical processes that have been parameterized consistently with the meteorology. These processes include anthropogenic and biogenic emissions, over 50 gas/aqueous phase chemical reactions, transport due to advection, vertical diffusion and convection, dry deposition and wet scavenging. We have introduced a size-resolved representation of aerosols which undergo various processes such as coagulation, nucleation and dry and wet scavenging. The model considers 16 prognostic tracers: water vapor, liquid water, dimethyl sulfide (DMS), hydrogen sulfide (H2S), dimethyl sulphoxide (DMSO), methanesulphonic acid (MSA), sulfur dioxide (SO2), nitrogen oxides (NOX), carbon monoxide (CO), nitric acid (HNO3), ozone (O3), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), sulfate mass and number for Aitken and accumulation modes. The scheme accounts for two-way interactions between tropospheric chemistry and aerosols. The oxidants and chemical species fields that represent the sulfate aerosol formation are evolved interactively with the model dynamics. A detailed description on the coupled climate-chemistry interactive module is presented with the evaluation of chemical species in winter and summer seasons. Aqueous phase reactions in cloud accounted for 71% of sulfate production rate, while only 45% of the sulfate burden in the troposphere is derived from in-cloud oxidation.


We compared performance on the Animal Preference Test; (APT; Van Krevelen, 1955) with parental assessment of children's behavioral problems as measured by the Achenbach Child Behavior Checklist (CBCL; Achenbach & Edelbrock, 1986). Forty Black and Hispanic 6- to 12-year-old boys were asked to name the three animals they would most like to be and the three animals they would least like to be if they could not be a human being. Reasons for animal choice were categorized into one of four theme categories: aggression, autonomy, nurturance, and pleasure-beauty. Each category had a high degree (91%) of interrater reliability. When reasons for animal choice were dichotomized into aggression/autonomy versus nurturance/pleasure-beauty, children who rejected animals because of their nurturant or aesthetic qualities displayed significantly greater aggressive (p less than .001) and depressed (p less than .05) behaviors on the CBCL. The choice of animals the subjects would most like to be was not meaningfully associated with CBCL performance. Further research with this easily administered and reliably scored projective test appears warranted.


The influence of sampling error on decision-analytic models was investigated to determine how these errors affect model reliability. Formulas were developed to relate statistical error in the probability decision threshold and gain in expected utility to the error in the data samples upon which such models are based. The formulas were validated in a simulation experiment and then applied to a hypothetical decision model and to the clinical problem of immediate surgery versus continued observation in suspected acute appendicitis. The results of this analysis show that modest statistical error affecting any variable in a decision model may be amplified into a substantially larger error in both the probability decision threshold and the gain in utility predicted by the model. In addition, when errors are present simultaneously in several variables, they may compound to unexpectedly large magnitudes, rendering the model unreliable over a wide range of disease probability. The interpretation of the results of a decision analysis should be viewed along a continuum that takes into account both the magnitude of the gain or loss in expected utility predicted by the model and a quantitative measure of the reliability of this prediction. Whenever possible, a determination of statistical error should be an integral part of any formal decision analysis.


Author(s): Cheng, Yin | Advisor(s): Sun, Yi | Abstract: Genome-wide approaches have been successfully applied to obtain a precise and comprehensive picture of the biological and pathological processes underlying neural development and neurological diseases. Currently two main approaches are used to generate large-scale data in a rapid and inexpensive manner, namely the microarrays and the next-generation sequencing (NGS) technologies. The work presented here focuses on elucidating the complex transcriptional network and epigenetic regulation during neural development and neurological disease using whole-genome approaches. In Chapter 2 of this dissertation, I showed a link between the regulation of DNA methylation and astrocyte differentiation in embryonic neural progenitor cells (NPCs). DNA methylation is one of the essential epigenetic mechanisms involved in regulating gene expression and it is highly dynamic during the development as well as across different cell types. The precise regulation of DNA methylation is crucial for normal development of central nerve system (CNS). Our lab has previously demonstrated that the de novo methyltransferases Dnmt3a is required for neurogenesis in postnatal neural stem cells. Here I showed that the expression of methylcytosine dioxygenase Tet2 is essential for astrocyte differentiation in the NPCs. By analyzing and comparing the gene expression profiles and genome-wide DNA methylation/hydroxymethylation pattern during the differentiation of NPCs, I found that Tet2 preferentially targets the proximal promoter of astrocytic genes. Tet2 mediated DNA demethylation at the promoter sites is essential for the suppression of the astrocytic genes. I also showed that the basic-Helix-Loop-Helix (bHLH) transcription factor Olig2 directly binds to the promoter of Tet2, and Olig2 represses the differentiation towards astrocyte lineage through transcriptional repression of Tet2. In Chapter 3 of this dissertation, I described the application of Beadarray technology and bioinformatics analysis in characterizing the temporal changes in global gene expression in a spinal cord injury (SCI) mouse model. Using data-driven network based transcription analysis (Weighted Gene Co-expression Network Analysis, WGCNA) coupled with knowledge-driven Gene Ontology (GO) analysis, we can accurately and comprehensively capture the molecular events occur at different stages after SCI. In this study, I showed an example of how global gene profiling can be translated to identify clusters of genes as indicators of functional recovery and genes of interest as potential therapeutic targets


The likes of clarity and efficiency are good communication concepts for designers and evaluators of business communication tools. They make little sense, however, when the design context of an interactive system is the support of a personal relationship. What matters then is that people feel they are 'there' for one another. This paper describes a new way of understanding Social Presence in technologically mediated communication by relating it to a well-established psychological relationship construct: Closeness. We propose a model whereby an individual's long-term feeling of Closeness to others is influenced by communication events that are invested with a sense of Social Presence, as a function of the background level of psychological Closeness. Thus each communicative act, and its associated feeling of Social Presence, has an impact on the feeling of Closeness. We report a three-week-long study during which 18 participants reported daily ratings of Closeness, and communication-event ratings of both Closeness and Social Presence. Our findings are consistent with the model we propose, suggesting that systems for intimate relationships require consideration of both Social Presence and Closeness. We further consider methodological and measurement issues in the realm of personal relationships, and the expanding remit of HCI design as an active contributor to the world of experience and feelings.


Collision detection and recovery for aerial robots remain a challenge because of the limited space for sensors and local stability of the flight controller. We introduce a novel collision-resilient quadrotor that features a compliant arm design to enable free flight while allowing for one passive degree of freedom to absorb shocks. We further propose a novel collision detection and characterization method based on Hall sensors, as well as a new recovery control method to generate and track a smooth trajectory after a collision occurs. Experimental results demonstrate that the robot can detect and recover from high-speed collisions with various obstacles such as walls and poles. Moreover, it can survive collisions that are hard to detect with existing methods based on IMU data and contact models, for example, when colliding with unstructured surfaces, or being hit by a moving obstacle while hovering.


The invention discloses chlorite and montmorillonite mixed layer clay colored coating powder with an air purification function. The chlorite and montmorillonite mixed layer clay colored coating powder is characterized in that ingredients of the colored coating powder comprise attapulgite clay powder with the air purification function, acidified chlorite and montmorillonite mixed layer clay particles, acidified zeolite particles, colored Portland cement, plaster powder, white carbon black, calcium chloride, aerosil, expanded perlite, silver-carried nano antibacterial powder, nano titanium dioxide, sodium pyrophosphate and a powder defoaming agent. A production method of the chlorite and montmorillonite mixed layer clay colored coating powder is characterized by inputting the ingredients into a stirrer in three times to be stirred and carrying out packaging after stirring the ingredients uniformly, thus obtaining the finished product. The chlorite and montmorillonite mixed layer clay colored coating powder has the beneficial effects that various concavo-convex, stereoscopic and colored art relief effects can be achieved by spraying the colored coating for indoor wall decoration; a sprayed coating is hard, has high porosity, large specific surface area and strong adhesiveness, can adsorb and decompose harmful substances, such as indoor formaldehyde, ammonia nitrogen and benzene, and also has the functions of automatic humidity regulation, mildew proofing, sterilization and air purification.


The occurrence of transposable elements (TEs) is a ubiquitous characteristic of eukaryotic genomes, and these sequences are highly abundant in some species. Due to their large genomes, grasshoppers (Orthoptera) appear to be potentially good candidates in terms of having genomes that harbour considerable numbers of TEs. In the present study, we have investigated the occurrence of two Mariner-like elements (MLEs) within the genome of the grasshopper, Abracris flavolineata (De Geer, 1773), describing their distribution in both the A (i.e. standard or normal) complement and B chromosomes. PCR amplification followed by cloning and sequencing revealed two Mariner-like elements, which were named Afmar1 and Afmar2. Moreover, subsequent fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) assays indicated an abundance of these elements in the euchromatic regions of all the standard complement chromosomes and an absence of such sequences in heterochromatic regions. These sequences were also abundant in the euchromatic B chromosome: Afmar1 was distributed along the entire length of the chromosome, whereas Afmar2 was restricted to the proximal/interstitial regions of the chromosomal long arm. The general aspects of the distribution patterns of the two MLEs are discussed as well as their possible involvement in the origin and diversification of the B chromosome in A. flavolineata.


Here we describe a method for separating the sum of chaotic signals into the individual components, using the inherent underlying dynamics of the chaotic sources. Capabilities of the method are demonstrated on example of discrete-time systems, one-dimensional logistic maps. We demonstrate that the proposed approach based on backward iteration of the mapping equations describing the chaotic sources has good resistance in respect to additive external noise.


The demands for comfort vehicle are getting increased in these years. On the other hand, the demands for the weight reduction for low fuel consumption are also increasing. In order to achieve these demands, the most efficient way is to reduce the input to the vehicle body. For reducing the input from road surface to the vehicle body, the suspension plays very important roles. So far, many literatures written about reduction of the input by the suspension have been reported. However, there are less papers written about the influence of nonlinear restoring force of the suspension component such as the shock absorber and the suspension bush. Typically, time domain behavior like harshness has large displacement. Therefore, the influence of the nonlinear restoring forces is not negligible. In this paper, the influence of the nonlinear restoring force in time domain is presented. For simplicity, two dimensional model which consists of rigid links connected by the nonlinear springs and elastic beam is used. On the model, the restoring force characteristic of an actual suspension bush is taken into account to set the range of the design space for the nonlinear restoring force of springs. The instantaneous maximum beam energy is maximized and minimized in order to show the influence of the nonlinear restoring force of springs. The maximization and minimization are conducted using local optimization method by the use of the sensitivity with respect to the nonlinear restoring force coefficient. Besides, the mechanism of the change of the instantaneous maximum beam energy is discussed from the point of view of energy flow. Finally, the influence in different input characteristics is investigated by changing the speed passing over a protrusion.


This research creates a theoretical framework for understanding the effect of Internet voting on the electorate. Based on standard Downsian rational choice voting theory, we claim that Internet voting lowers the cost of voting for certain voting demographics based upon race, age, and income. We further contend that this electoral advantage may crystallize the growing turnout disparity between demographic groups. The theory is tested using Bayesian inferential methods with data from the Internet turnout in the 2000 Arizona Democratic Presidential Primary merged with demographic data obtained from the 2000 Census. Our findings lend support for the theory that the Internet provides an electoral bias towards white voters, younger voters, and to the more affluent.


The lecture is devoted to the peculiarities of changes in tissue and cell perfusion of the brain with a rare pathology – venous ischemic stroke. Venous stroke, being a "relatively unknown cerebrovascular disease", occurs up to 5 % of all cases of stroke. The terms "venous ischemia" and "venous stroke" have long been used in the literature and the definition of the venous nature of stroke should lead to a change in therapeutic tactics. Neuroimaging should ensure the verification of stroke and cerebral venous sinus thrombosis, which are the main cause of such a stroke. A certain "alertness" to the venous nature of the stroke with the expansion of the volume of radiologic methods of investigation and the performance of angiographic and perfusion CT and MR techniques, diffusion MRI allowed to increase the number of diagnosed and verified venous strokes from 0.4 % of the total number of stroke patients to 2.4 %. A distinctive feature of venous ischemic stroke from the arterial is moderate hyperemia in the central part in cases where necrosis does not develop and perifocal hyperperfusion in the development of necrosis. Moderate plethora, defined by perfusion parameters (up to 30 % CBF, CBV, MTT) of CT, MRI and SPECT techniques, and not oligemia is the primary damaging factor of the pathogenesis of venous stroke in contrast to the arterial and hyperemia patterns should be the reference points in emergency diagnosis venous stroke along with tomoangiographic symptoms of cerebral venous sinustrombosis.


Mammalian cell culture systems (CCS) are key factors in monoclonal antibody (MAb) production feasibility. Although different processes have been developed for improving cultivation performance, conceptual design is rarely used for selecting the most appropriate cell cultivation strategy. Currently the most common cultivation systems are stirred-tanks, used in fed-batch or single-stage continuous-perfusion operation systems. In present work a structured kinetic model is used to analyze the selectivity of different cell culture systems for MAb production. Ammonia, lactate and cell viability were analyzed as unwanted products. Resulting selectivity equations highlighted different mechanisms affecting MAb yield; all of them being associated to cell growth, cell death, cellular maintenance, glutamine catabolism and glutamine spontaneous decomposition. Results of applying this conceptual analysis to a hybridoma cell model reported in the literature demonstrated that cell death is the main cause of yield loss during a batch cultivation process. Additionally, results suggested that MAb production is favored by double-stage CCS having distributed feeding (a different type of feeding profiles and/or feeding with different compositions). These CCS could be operated in batch, fed-batch or double-stage continuous systems; the latter being the most promising one. Although theoretical results reported here could not be generalized, the applied method may help researchers improving the effectiveness of mammalian cell cultures. At the same time, these results reveal an interesting area of knowledge that should be tested experimentally by physical or computer simulation in mammalian cell culture systems.


In metal machining processes highly accurate distance sensors are indispensable. Due to the progressive development, radar technology could be used for this sensor application. In contrast to other highly accurate measurement systems, radar technology promises a low-cost solution with comparable performance. In this paper a FMCW radar sensor is used for an accurate position detection with micrometer accuracy. A signal processing concept is introduced that combines frequency and phase evaluation to achieve the desired accuracy over a longer distance of up to 3m. The high accuracy is demonstrated within a guided wave measurement setup.


With the Theory of Planned Behavior (TPB) and the online consumer trust model as the theoretical underpinnings, based on related studies on online reviews, this paper explores the definition and connotation of the online review quality in detail and investigates the influencing factors of the online review quality perceived by consumers. The Partial Least Squares Structural Equation Modeling (PLS-SEM) is applied in this research for evaluating the research model and hypotheses. The results obtained with 259 Internet users as the samples show that the online review quality perceived by consumers is mainly reliant on the accuracy, completeness, currency, format and credibility. Furthermore, this paper discusses the theoretical contribution and practical significance of this research and provides some suggestions for enterprises' processing of online reviews and identification of quality.


-The object of this study was to catch the state of dissolution or destruc· tion of tori using sodium hydroxide solution. Fresh green samples of two conifer species, SUGI (Cryptomeria japonica D. DON) and KUROMATSU (Pinus thunbergii PARL.) were used, and each sample of species was classified into 3 groups and treated respectively by the different methods, that is, two drying methods (drying at 105°C and air drying at room temperature) and FAA treatment known as a fixing one, and again treated respectively with sodium hydroxide solution of four different concentrations (1, 0.5, 0.25 and 0.125 %). And then, from all these samples treated, small block specimens were prepared according to the electron microscope technique, and sections of about 2 p. thickness were cut and observed under a phase contrast microscope. From the results of this experiment, it was indicated that there was a possibility of diessolving or removing tori without large modification of the morphological features of cell walls or pit borders, and it was known that even a dilute solution of sodium hydroxide such as 0.125 % was also well available to dissolve the pectic material of tori, that the difference of concentration would be almost negligible within the limits of this experiment, and that no remarkable difference existed between the two drying treatments but only some general tendencies were recognized in the case of concentration differences and drying methods. As to SUGI wood, the comparatively remarkable effect of FAA was recognized, but similar result of FAA on KUROMATSU wood was not obtained. Then, the causes of balloon-like expansion of half·bordered pit membranes, and of curving pit borders in the direction to tracheid lumina were also discussed and presumed.


Utility power distribution system analysis has traditionally been performed considering only the primary or medium-voltage system. Distributed energy resources are increasingly being located on the secondary, or low voltage, side of the distribution transformer, requiring the low-voltage system to be included in the analysis. However, most distribution system models do not include secondary circuits or they are modeled with limited detail. In the absence of the appropriate model data, secondary circuits models commonly rely on simplifications such as single-phase models, constant power factor, etc. This paper highlights the implications of some of these assumptions and provides guidance in terms of how more accurate secondary models are needed. This paper shows that split-phase secondary circuits can be modeled accurately with single-phase equivalents under perfectly balanced conditions. It also shows that assuming constant power factor or using smart meter measurements with practical 15 min, or larger, time granularity can lead to considerable errors in simulated secondary circuit losses or voltages.


Author(s): Zibrov, Alexander A | Advisor(s): Young, Andrea F | Abstract: When interactions between electrons dominate over their kinetic energies, this can lead to emergent collective states with new quantum degrees of freedom described in terms of quasiparticles. These collective states can fall into two distinct categories: either the interactions lead to a breaking of an underlying symmetry, or electrons can form topologically ordered states characterized by a degenerate ground state in the zero temperature limit. The condition for strong interactions is met in two-dimensional electron systems (2DES) immersed in high magnetic fields, where electron kinetic energies quench into a ladder of dispersionless Landau levels broadened by disorder. Landau levels are an example of a topological band, characterized by a Chern number C ∈ Z. Correlated electron states then appear at partial filling of a Landau level — these are called fractional quantum Hall states.In this thesis, I present a series of magneto-capacitance measurements of the thermo- dynamic density of states of low-disorder dual-gated graphene/boron nitride heterostructures – two-dimensional materials that can be isolated and later reassembled into stacks of designer properties. In such devices, we observe the elusive even-denominator fractional quantum Hall states at half filling of mono- and bilayer graphene. For monolayer graphene, we propose a scenario where the observed states are multicomponent states that incorporate correlations between electrons on different carbon sublattices. In the bilayer graphene case, the observed even-denominator states are single-component andpotentially host non-Abelian excitations, i.e. quasiparticles with fractional statistics, that are neither fermions or bosons.Moreover, if we introduce a twist between the graphene and boron nitride layers, aperiodic moire potential will appear. As a result of the interplay between a magnetic field and the moire potential, new Hofstadter bands with Chern numbers C ≠ 1 can arise, in which we observe fractional Chern insulators — a generalization of fractional quantum Hall states to bands with a higher Chern index.


Nonlinear interaction of the Langmuir wave and the dust-acoustic wave in plasmas with the variable-charge grains has been investigated. In the approximation of small amplitude, we find the solution of envelope soliton for the nonlinear Langmuir wave. The results show that the amplitude of envelope soliton increases with the increasing of dust grain density.


Diffusion coefficient decides the solute diffusion length and is a critical parameter in the selection of microstruc-ture scales and in governing microstructure transitions. Al-25wt%Sm alloy is selected to reveal the impact of low diffusion coefficient on the eutectic instability, and the results are compared with those of Al–Cu alloys. Laser remelting experiments are performed and the transition growth velocity from eutectic to α-Al dendrite is examined. Compared with Al–Cu alloys, the eutectic instability takes place at a velocity more than one order of magnitude smaller. The theoretical calculation by the Trivedi–Magnin–Kurz (TMK) model also predicts that the eutectic will become instable at smaller growth velocity for Al–Sm alloy than Al–Cu alloy, which is ascribed to the low diffusion coefficient.


Oncolytic adenovirus (Ad) vectors present a new modality to treat cancer. These vectors attack tumors via replicating in and killing cancer cells. Upon completion of the vector replication cycle, the infected tumor cell lyses and releases progeny virions that are capable of infecting neighboring tumor cells. Repeated cycles of vector replication and cell lysis can destroy the tumor. Numerous Ad vectors have been generated and tested, some of them reaching human clinical trials. In 2005, the first oncolytic Ad was approved for the treatment of head-and-neck cancer by the Chinese FDA. Oncolytic Ads have been proven to be safe, with no serious adverse effects reported even when high doses of the vector were injected intravenously. The vectors demonstrated modest anti-tumor effect when applied as a single agent; their efficacy improved when they were combined with another modality. The efficacy of oncolytic Ads can be improved using various approaches, including vector design, delivery techniques, and ancillary treatment, which will be discussed in this review.


We proposed a new technique for the fast acquisition heavy ion CT (HICT) system based on the measurement of residual range distribution using an intensifying screen and charge coupled device camera. The previously used fast acquisition HICT system had poor electron density resolution. In the new technique, the range shifter thickness is varied over the required dynamic range in the spill of the heavy ion beam at each projection angle and the residual range distribution is determined by a series of acquisition data. We examined the image quality using the contrast noise ratio and the noise power spectrum, and estimated the electron density resolution, using a low-contrast phantom for measurement of electron density resolution. The image quality of the new technique was superior to that of the previous fast acquisition HICT system. Furthermore, the relative electron density resolution was 0.011, which represented an improvement of about 12-fold. Therefore we showed that the new technique was potentially useful in clinical use of HICT, including treatment and quality assurance of heavy ion therapy.


Elastic lattice strain in polycrystalline assemblies evolves as a function of applied load due to elastic and plastic deformation mechanisms. The detailed nature of this deformation is complex and depends on the local arrangement of grains, their morphology and orientation, etc. To obtain mesoscopic (intermediate) scale description of polycrystal deformation, one approach that can be adopted is to measure the average lattice strain response of grain groups sharing common orientation by diffraction as the sample is subjected to increasing uniaxial load [1]. This reveals the anisotropy of the response of individual reflections (orientation grain groups), and enables the determination of the inhomogeneous fields of elastic and eventually plastic strain, if the measurements are combined with suitable interpretation and modeling approaches. Regions of localized macroscopic plasticity may be identified, and the prediction of fatigue crack initiation may also be addressed using energy dissipation at the micro-scale [2]. In the present study in situ loading and synchrotron X-ray diffraction experiments on Ti-6Al-4V alloy were performed. Multiple diffraction peaks were obtained from the experiments and both single peak fitting and Pawley pattern refinement were used for interpretation. The calculation of stress-strain response of hkl lattice planes based on the a and c lattice parameters obtained from Pawley pattern refinement was in good agreement with the results obtained by single peak fitting. The orientation dependence of polycrystal lattice stiffness and strain is discussed and a modified profile function for pattern refinement is proposed to provide an improved description of anisotropic behavior. Diffraction peak broadening was considered and the correlation between peak width and plastic strain was found (Fig 1). The intergranular strain responses for differently oriented crystallites obtained from the diffraction experiments were compared to the crystal plasticity finite element model predictions and used for validation of the model.


A candidate question set is built up according to the user′s query. Semantic similarities of sentences are computed between the users query and the candidate questions. The answer in correspondance with the most similar with query is thus returned to the user. This system can also automatically update and maintain FAQ. Experiments show that the new computing method gets a better performance than the


The socio-political crisis in Afghanistan shows a surprising consequence, especially after the return of the Taliban in seizing the country after being overthrown by the United States (US) in 2001. The international community has pursued peace negotiations for the last ten years. Indonesia, however, has played a significant role in reconciling the factions in Afghanistan by involving religious organizations, in this case, Nahdlatul Ulama (NU). Religious narratives cannot be excluded in conflict resolution because the Taliban use religious justification in their actions. This study aims to uncover the religious narratives used by NU to calm down the opposing factions, including the Taliban. The qualitative research method used is interviews with the key informants and supported by various sources. This study finds that Nahdlatul Ulama has contributed to peace with a religious approach, namely peace hermeneutics and empathy detachment. In its implementation, NU uses religious narratives of Islam Nusantara. In addition, NU has also succeeded in creating capacity, institution building, and agreement among the conflicting factions.


The effects of local construction of isolation layer on the overall architecture are described in this thesis. Nowadays, the earthquake is a great problem in the world, for it can not be predicted. The only thing we can do is to enhance the ability to resist the earthquake. So, the first thing of all is to improve the seismic performance of buildings. Based onBP neural network, a preliminary design system for isolation is established with the seismic fortification type, seismic fortification intensity, site classification, seismic grouping, the depth-width ratio, the length-width ratio, ground floor stiffness, mass and area as the main influencing factors, and the largest layer shear force ratio of the structure after isolation and the largest displacement as output results.After the network training with 25 training samples, the network test is done by 15 test samples. By the comparison of the test results with the actual design results, it is acknowledged that the average accuracy rate of neural network reaches 96%, which shows the analysis on the damping effect that the system of preliminary isolation design based on BP neural network has on isolated structure has high efficiency and accuracy.


My uncle Otto, a somewhat opinionated man, used to admonish me that an educated physician (1) played the cello, (2) carried matches even though he did not smoke, and (3) could read and converse in English and German. Because I was an impressionable child when I heard this maxim, I tried to follow his advice, although I have not done too well on the cello. Matches have obviously always possessed a certain utility, but it has only been in recent years that bilingual ability became increasingly valuable when major German and Scandinavian publishers began the practice of permitting authors to write in either English or German. An excellent example of this bilingual approach to publishing is the volume presently under discussion. It is a "Handbuch" which literally translated means handbook but, more properly, identifies the publication as an encyclopedia. In fact, that is exactly what it is: the treatment of


In this study, we irradiated Astragalus polysaccharides (APS) using 25 kGy 60 Co γ ray to obtain γ-irradiated Astragalus polysaccharides (IAPS) and then investigated the effects of IAPS on growth performance and immune function of cyclophosphamide (CPM)-treated broilers. The physicochemical properties of APS and IAPS (molecular weight, water solubility, viscosity, morphological and structural properties) were evaluated. Then, 384 one-day-old Arbor Acres broiler chicks with similar initial weight were randomly assigned into 6 groups: the non-treated group (control), and CPM-treated groups were fed either a basal diet or the diets containing 900 mg/kg APS, or 900, 600, 300 mg/kg IAPS, respectively. On days 16, 18, and 20, all broilers except for the control group were intramuscularly injected with 0.5 ml CPM (40 mg/kg·BW). Broilers in the control group were intramuscularly injected with 0.5 ml sterilized saline (0.75%, wt/vol). This trial lasted for 21 days. The physicochemical treatment showed that γ irradiation could decrease the molecular weight and viscosity, and increase the water solubility of APS (p < 0.05), whereas the structural properties of APS was not affected. In the animal trial, 900 mg/kg APS or 900, 600 mg/kg IAPS relieved the decreased growth performance, thymus index, T lymphocytes proliferation, serum IgG concentration, NOS activity and the increased blood heterophil:lymphocyte ratio in CPM-treated broilers (p < 0.05). CPM-induced decreases in B lymphocytes proliferation and serum IgM concentration were only increased by IAPS at 900 mg/kg (p < 0.05). Overall, both APS and IAPS alleviated CPM-induced immunosuppression. Especially, IAPS possessed better immunomodulatory effect than APS, indicating that γ irradiation could be used as an effective method to enhance the immunomodulatory activity of APS.


This study was conducted in July 2012 that took place in the Village District ofBantan Pambang Gulf Bengkalis Riau Province. The method used in this study is asurvey method. The purpose of this study was to determine the feasibility of gillnetfishermen in the village this Pambang bay from the aspects of management of fishingoperations and also from the financial aspect. From the research, that the net operatingmanagement gutters Pambang Bay Village consists of planning, organizing, actuatingand controlling. With the value of Benefit Cost Ratio (BCR) with a value of 1.4. Thissuggests that these efforts be continued. Financial Rate of Return (FRR) is obtainedfrom net fisheries chamfer is 34%. Should be invested into the business. Payback Periodof Cafital (PPC) is 2.9 years, meaning that within a period of 2.9 years net fisheriesgutters able to restore its investment. Keywords: Management of Operations, Feasibility of Economic, Fishing, Gillnet.


LAG1 is a longevity gene, the first such gene to be identified and cloned from the yeast Saccharomyces cerevisiae. A close homolog of this gene, which we call LAC1, has been found in the yeast genome. We have cloned the human homolog of LAG1 with the ultimate goal of examining its possible function in human aging. In the process, we have also cloned a homolog from the nematode worm Caenorhabditis elegans. Both of these homologs, LAG1Hs and LAG1Ce-1, functionally complemented the lethality of a lag1delta lac1delta double deletion, despite low overall sequence similarity to the yeast proteins. The proteins shared a short sequence, the Lag1 motif, and a similar transmembrane domain profile. Another, more distant human homolog, TRAM, which lacks this motif, did not complement. LAG1Hs also restored the life span of the double deletion, demonstrating that it functions in establishing the longevity phenotype in yeast. LAG1Hs mapped to 19p12, and it was expressed in only three tissues: brain, skeletal muscle, and testis. This gene possesses a trinucleotide (CTG) repeat within exon 1. This and its expression profile raise the possibility that it may be involved in neurodegenerative disease. This possibility suggests at least one way in which LAG1Hs might be involved in human aging.


This paper develops a general equilibrium model to quantitatively explain high labor share, low productivity and small farm size in agriculture in low income countries. The model features individual heterogeneity in skill that is augmentable over time and endogenous occupation choice. Calibrated to the U.S, the model can reproduce bulk of the observed variations in agriculture employment, agriculture output per worker and mean farm size across countries in the sample. In addition, the model generates endogenous farm size distributions that closely resemble the empirical counterpart for a large set of countries. Counterfactual exercises show TFP to be the main source of productivity differences.


After Three Gorges Reservoir building up, the natural river course and the near hillside inside the backwater region are inundated to form a fairly wide man-made lake which affects the hydrological characteristics and floodwater transmission to different degrees. When the reservoir impound to high water level, the conflux time is obviously shortened, the flood-peak discharge increase, and the peak type became sharper. The change of runoff yield and concentration makes the forecast scheme unable to be applied well. Based on the practice of Three Gorges Reservoir operation, the rainfall-runoff characteristics of the backwater region under the condition of high water level are analysed and summarized, then a set of unit hydrographs suitable for rainfall-runoff calculation are recalibrated, which has great reference value for hydrological forecasting of Three Gorges region.


Supplementation of food to wild animals is extensively applied as a conservation tool to increase local production of young. However, in long-lived migratory animals, the carry-over effects of food supplementation early in life on the subsequent recruitment of individuals into natal populations and their lifetime reproductive success are largely unknown. We examine how experimental food supplementation early in life affects: (i) recruitment as breeders of kittiwakes Rissa tridactyla born in a colony on Middleton Island (Alaska) between 1996 and 2006 (n = 1629) that bred in the same colony through 2013 (n = 235); and (ii) breeding success of individuals that have completed their life cycle at the colony (n = 56). Birds were raised in nests that were either supplemented with food (Fed) or unsupplemented (Unfed). Fledging success was higher in Fed compared with Unfed nests. After accounting for hatching rank, growth and oceanic conditions at fledging, Fed fledglings had a lower probability of recruiting as breeders in the Middleton colony than Unfed birds. The per-nest contribution of breeders was still significantly higher for Fed nests because of their higher productivity. Lifetime reproductive success of a subset of kittiwakes that thus far had completed their life cycle was not affected by the food supplementation during development. Our results cast light on the carry-over effects of early food conditions on the vital rates of long-lived animals and support food supplementation as an effective conservation strategy for long-lived seabirds.


The tiny TCP/IP protocol stack named μIP is realized in the DSP system in this project, thus carrying out the function of network interface. According to their internal structure and work principle, the detailed connection between TMS320LF2407A and RTL8019AS is designed and analyzed. Finally the program flow chart is presented.


Objective: To examine the experience of suffering and its relation with physical, psychological, social and spiritual problems in advanced cancer patients. Methods: Ninety-eight patients attending the palliative care unit of an oncologic institution participated in the study. The level of suffering and the intensity and threat perceived from symptoms and a series of physical, psychological, social


The discussion of anarchists' relationship to nationalism and internationalism is often marred by the omission of a key tenet of their ideological disposition: the rejection of political and territorial nations, and of the institutional guarantors of their hegemony in social life. In the spirit of the First International, the Argentine FORA ( Federacion obrera regional argentina – Argentine Regional Workers' Federation) adopted the term "regional" in 1904 precisely to designate its range of spatial and organizational activism as trans- (rather than inter- ) national. In the early years of anarchist longshoremen's labor organization into resistance societies, delegates from Uruguayan and Brazilian ports were regularly present at meetings and involved in strikes; not as representatives of national movements but as fully equal participants in a drive to extend the geographic tentacles of the FORA, which routinely sent agitators across borders to Paraguay, Chile and even Peru. This was theorized in a "Solidarity Pact" according to which localities were to be freely associated with local federations, provinces with provincial federations, nations with regional, national federations, and, the entire world with an international federation – the International Labor Association ( Asociacion Internacional de Trabajadores – AIT, revived in 1922). Social solidarity was thus represented as inherently supra-national (i.e., oblivious to parliaments, bureaucracies and borders), while activism to transform capitalist society into a more cooperative and egalitarian model of economic and political organization was grounded in local situations and circumstances. In the case of the Argentine FORA, local activism (not all of it nominally "anarchist") was connected with far-flung networks of working-class militancy throughout the Rio de la Plata region, as powerful labor organizations among longshoremen and mariners in Buenos Aires sustained the


The accumulation of interstitial matrix represents the final common pathway of most forms of kidney disease. Much of this matrix is synthesized by interstitial myofibroblasts, recruited from resident fibroblasts and circulating precursors. In addition, a significant proportion is derived from epithelial-mesenchymal transition (EMT) of tubuloepithelial cells. The importance of EMT has been demonstrated in experimental models, where blockade of EMT attenuates renal fibrosis. Although a number of factors may initiate EMT in the kidney, the most potent is transforming growth factor-β1 (TGF-β1). Moreover, many other prosclerotic factors have effects on EMT indirectly, via induction of TGF-β1. Signaling events in this pathway include activation of Smad/integrin-linked kinase (ILK) and connective tissue growth factor (CTGF). Basement membrane integrity is also a key regulator of EMT. In particular, overexpression of matrix metalloproteinase-2 has a key role in the initiation of EMT, membrane dissolution, and the interstitial transit of transformed mesenchymal cells. Endogenous inhibitors of EMT also play an important counterregulatory role both to prevent EMT and stimulate uncommitted cells to regain their tubular phenotype (mesenchymal-epithelial transition). Such inhibitors represent a potential therapeutic approach, offering a mechanism to slow or even redress established renal fibrosis.


Smoke-free policies prevent exposure to secondhand smoke and encourage tobacco cessation. Local smoke-free policies that are more comprehensive than statewide policies are not allowed in states with preemption, including Oklahoma, which has the sixth highest smoking prevalence in the United States. In states with preemption, voluntary smoke-free measures are encouraged, but little research exists on venue owners' and managers' views of such measures, particularly in nightlife businesses such as bars and nightclubs. This article draws from semistructured interviews with 23 Oklahoma bar owners and managers, examining perceived risks and benefits of adopting voluntary smoke-free measures in their venues. No respondents expressed awareness of preemption. Many reported that smoke-free bars and nightclubs were an inevitable societal trend, particularly as younger customers increasingly expected smoke-free venues. Business benefits such as decreased operating and cleaning costs, improved atmosphere, and employee efficiency were more convincing than improved employee health. Concerns that voluntary measures created an uneven playing field among venues competing for customers formed a substantial barrier to voluntary measures. Other barriers included concerns about lost revenue and fear of disloyalty to customers, particularly older smokers. Addressing business benefits and a level playing field may increase support for voluntary smoke-free nightlife measures.


Intracranial chondrosarcoma is a rare malignant cartilage-forming tumor, with only a small number of cases in the posterior cranial fossa reported previously. The present study reports the case of a 40-year-old male patient who was admitted to Tianjin Huanhu Hospital with a progressive headache and dizziness that had lasted for 2 years. Physical and neurological examinations were normal. Radiography of the skull identified an opaque lesion in the left frontal region of the brain. Cranial computed tomography and magnetic resonance imaging revealed a lesion with calcification and homogenous contrast enhancement in the left frontal region. Subsequently, the patient underwent bicoronal craniotomy and gross total resection of the tumor. Pathological examination confirmed the diagnosis of classical intracranial chondrosarcoma. The patient was discharged 10 days after surgery, with no neurological deficit. One month after initial discharge, the patient underwent γ-knife treatment. A follow-up examination 9 months after surgery revealed that the patient was still alive and had returned to work, with no obvious symptoms or evidence of recurrence.


New information continues to emerge in many areas in the lipid field. This issue of clinical endocrinology and metabolism provides an upto-date account of some of these recent developments, with the main focus being on lipoprotein metabolism. The book starts with a chapter on the topical issue of low-density lipoprotein (LDL) heterogeneity which highlights the importance of LDL particle size in atherogenesis and that the 'quality' of LDL is as important as 'quantity'. A predominance of small dense LDL particles, a moderately raised fasting plasma triglyceride and a reduced level of high-density lipoprotein (HDL) are the lipoprotein characteristics of the 'atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype'. This is followed by a chapter on postprandial lipaemia which highlights the role of postprandial lipid intolerance as a determinant of LDL heterogeneity and the 'atherogenic lipoprotein phenotype'. Tests for monitoring postprandial lipaemia, such as the oral and intravenous fat tolerance tests, are described but little information is given on their role or usefulness in clinical practice. Richard Bruckdorfer gives an excellent overview of oxidized lipoproteins and their effects on macrophage function, blood flow, coagulation and platelet reactivity. Eisenberg and Sehayek provide an interesting chapter on remnant particles and their metabolism. The chapter on the role of stable isotopes in the investigation of plasma lipoprotein metabolism is interesting but highly technical and will be of interest relevance to those engaged in lipid research. Despite the vast amount of research into possible mechanisms by which Lp(a) might be involved in atherogenesis or thrombosis, its role remains elusive. Paul Durrington reviews the current evidence on the relationship between Lp(a) and CHD and puts forward the interesting hypothesis that Lp(a) rises as an epiphenomenon of the development of CHD. No book on dyslipidaemia would be complete without a chapter on genetics. The chapter on the genetic determinants of plasma cholesterol adequately summarizes what has become an increasingly important and complex area. Books 365


ABSTR.ACT The aim of this study was to identify ihe pearl oyster species recruiting to spat collectors (50% shade mesh in polyethylene mesh bags) and to examine temporal and depth differences in recruitment at Pioneer Bay Orpheus Island, Great Barrier Reef, Australia. Over 24,900 bivalve spat were counted during the 12 months of study (March 1995 to March 1996). In excess of 21,600 pearl oyster spat were collected from three genera of the family Pteriidae: Pinctada. Pleria. and Electroma. The majority of this total (20,378) was the non-commercial species Eleclroma papilliomicea (Lamarck 1819). However, collection of eight species of Pinchula (2,628 spat) and five species of Pleria (approximately 1,200 spat) included species presently used in commercial pearl culture operations throughout the Indo Pacific, ntitably Pinciada niargarilifera. Piiichula fiicata. Pinctada alhina. Pinctada maxima, and Pteria penguin. All species collected showed seasonal variation in recruitment intensity. Some species showed brief and temporally isolated types of spawning and associated recruitment pulse of temperate species, whereas the majority displayed peaks in recruitment intensity. A total of 23 1 P. niargarilifera spat were collected during the study, with the recruitment peak ( mean density 7. 1 ± 1 . 1 spat per collector unit) recorded between May and June 1995. No significant difference in recruitment densities between 2 m and 6 m were recorded for P. margaritifera. Pt. penguin settled at the highest densities at 6 m in March/April 1995 (mean recruitment per collector ± SE 46.2 ± 6.7). A total of 1,000 Pt. penguin spat were collected during the study, and a significant proportion of these settled on the outer mesh bag of the spat collector.


In this technical note we study the servomechanism problem for positive open-loop stable LTI systems under constant tracking signals and constant disturbances. In particular, we show that in general the MIMO servomechanism problem for positive systems is not solvable, but is solvable for various classes of MIMO systems, and for the class of SISO systems in which the disturbances are small compared to the tracking signal. In particular, we give existence results as to what subclass of reference and disturbance signals can be considered, for the case when either the mathematical model of the plant is known or unknown, and we provide the controller structure that solves the problem for the case of measurable or unmeasurable disturbance signals.


Discovering better theories Theories of human decision-making have proliferated in recent years. However, these theories are often difficult to distinguish from each other and offer limited improvement in accounting for patterns in decision-making over earlier theories. Peterson et al. leverage machine learning to evaluate classical decision theories, increase their predictive power, and generate new theories of decision-making (see the Perspective by Bhatia and He). This method has implications for theory generation in other domains. Science, abe2629, this issue p. 1209; see also abi7668, p. 1150 A machine learning approach suggests that people make decisions in a way that violates the assumptions of classic decision-making theories. Predicting and understanding how people make decisions has been a long-standing goal in many fields, with quantitative models of human decision-making informing research in both the social sciences and engineering. We show how progress toward this goal can be accelerated by using large datasets to power machine-learning algorithms that are constrained to produce interpretable psychological theories. Conducting the largest experiment on risky choice to date and analyzing the results using gradient-based optimization of differentiable decision theories implemented through artificial neural networks, we were able to recapitulate historical discoveries, establish that there is room to improve on existing theories, and discover a new, more accurate model of human decision-making in a form that preserves the insights from centuries of research.


In October 2015, there it was 90 years from the decease of a doctor who, together with Carlos J. Finlay, was recognized as one of the biggest figures of Cuban medicine. Juan Guiteras Gener was a tenacious fighter for the Camagueyan scientist to become from "the forgotten Pasteur of the American continent" into the remembered "Humankind benefactor". Son of a family of Cuban nationality and culture founders, and one of the most universal offspring of Matanzas, he was an example of scientist, of integrity, tolerance, humbleness and austerity, of love to true and justice. The aim of this article was highlighting his personality in that significant date.


In most European countries, regular censuses of population together with vital registration
allow the historical geography of population changes to be studied with some
confidence for the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. For earlier periods, we must
rely in the main upon parish registers. Henry showed that these records of vital events
could be used to build up pictures of families allowing many demographic measures
to be calculated. Most English registers do not include as much information as the
French registers used by Henry. They rarely give the ages of bride and groom at
marriage and thus both bride and groom must be linked to their baptism records for
the age at marriage to be calculated. On the other hand, whereas French registers begin
in the early seventeenth century, many English registers were kept almost continuously
from the mid sixteenth century. Wrigley and Laslett set up the Cambridge Group for
the History of Population and Social Structure in large part to replicate in England
the pioneering work in French historical demography completed by Henry. Based on
a study of the parish of Colyton in Devon, Wrigley showed that English registers could
be used for family reconstitution studies. As Levine remembers, Wrigley's "Colyton
study revealed that a new kind of history—a people's history—could result from
counting vital events". Through radio programmes Laslett appealed to local historians
to make counts of the monthly totals of vital events in Anglican baptism, burial and
marriage registers so that the Group could make a selection of a few dozen reliably
registered parishes for reconstruction. By 1974, 530 tabulations had been received. Of
these, 404 covered the core period chosen (1661–1812), were tolerably continuous over
this period and were accurately tabulated.


The specific androgen receptors for testosterone (T) and 5alpha-dihydrotestosterone (DHT) in the cytosol fraction of the anterior pituitary of rats have been further characterized using electrophoresis and isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gels. After labeling of the cytosol fraction in vivo and in vitro, we were able to demonstrate androgen-protein complexes moving with an electrophoretic mobility (Rf) of 0.5 in 3.25% acrylamide gels containing 0.5% agarose and 10% glycerol. This method was used for quantitative measurements of pituitary androgen receptors, allowing multiple samples to be run simultaneously with little or no non-specific binding. There was no measurable dissociation of the androgen-receptor complexes during electrophoresis. When radioactive testosterone (1 nM) was added to pituitary cytosol fractions in vitro, there was an increase in the binding up to 4 hours of incubation at 0 C and little or no increase between 4 and 24 hours. All the binding studies therefore were done by incubation overnight at 0 C. When cytosol fractions were incubated with increasing concentrations of radioactive testosterone, a typical saturation curve was found. Scatchard plot analysis showed a binding capacity of 12.0 femtomoles/mg protein and the equilibrium constant of dissociation was estimated to be 3.4 +/- 0.7 (SD) X 10(-10)M. Like other androgen-receptor complexes, the testosterone-receptor complex in the anterior pituitary gland had an extremely slow rate of dissociation at 0 C (t1/2 greater than 4 days). The steroid specificity of the cytoplasmic androgen receptors was tested in vitro by the competing efficiency of different unlabeled steroids for [3H] testosterone binding. T and DHT caused the same inhibition of [3H]T to the receptors. However, since metabolism, of DHT to 5alpha-androstane-3alpha,17beta-diol occurred even at 0 C, the affinity of DHT for the receptor is probably somewhat underestimated. Cyproterone acetate had approximately half the affinity for the receptor compared with T, whereas lower affinities were found for progesterone and 17beta-estradiol. Cortisol did not appear to have any affinity for the receptors. Isoelectric focusing in polyacrylamide gels showed a peak of bound radioactivity with an isoelectric point of 5.8. Thus, the characteristics of the cytoplasmic androgen receptors of the anterior pituitary gland are very similar to those of the androgen receptors described in the ventral prostate, epididymis, and testis.


We consider online scheduling weighted packets with time constraints over a fading channel. Packets arrive at the transmitter in an online manner. Each packet has a value and a deadline by which it should be sent. The fade state of the channel determines the throughput obtained per unit of time and the channel's quality may change over time. In this paper, we design online algorithms to maximize weighted throughput, defined as the total value of the packets sent by their respective deadlines. Competitive ratio is employed to measure an online algorithm's performance. For this problem and one of its variants, we present two online algorithms with competitive ratios 2:618 and 2 respectively.


Abstract Background: In recent years' income inequality has been an economic issue. The primary instrument for redistributing income is personal income tax. However, based on economic theory income inequality concerns indicators such as wages, transfer payments, taxes, social security contributions, and geographical mobility. Objectives: The objective of this paper is to examine the impact of certain labor market indicators on personal income taxation in Federation of Bosnia and Herzegovina (FB&H). Methods/Approach: Since personal income taxation consists of a very broad definition and for the purpose of this research only, income from dependent (employment) activity is observed. The econometric analysis is conducted using error correction modeling, as well as forecast errors variance decomposition. Results: The error correction model is estimated, and the cointegrating equation indicates that monthly wage and number of employees statistically significantly positively affect personal income taxes in FB&H in the long-run. After two years, the selected labor market indicators explain a considerable part of forecasting error variance of personal income tax revenues. Conclusions: The implementation of reforms in the labor market and tax policies of the FB&H is suggested. In order to achieve necessary reforms, efficient governance and general stable political environment are required.


This report describes the evaluations of 2 patients with congenital diaphragmatic hernias using ultrasound (US). Identifying the size of the diaphragmatic defect is important when determining the type of surgical repair required. In case 1, the US evaluation of a Bochdalek hernia showed the rim of the anterolateral diaphragm; therefore, thoracoscopic primary repair was performed. In case 2, (Morgagni‐Larrey hernia), US revealed the left side of a retrosternal diaphragmatic hernia sac; therefore, thoracoscopic repair from the left thorax was performed. Ultrasound was useful for detecting the location and defect size of the diaphragmatic hernia and determining optimal surgical management.


Building a dialogue system that can communicate naturally with humans is a challenging yet interesting problem of agent-based computing. The rapid growth in this area is usually hindered by the long-standing problem of data scarcity as these systems are expected to learn syntax, grammar, decision making, and reasoning from insufficient amounts of task-specific dataset. The recently introduced pre-trained language models have the potential to address the issue of data scarcity and bring considerable advantages by generating contextualized word embeddings. These models are considered counterpart of ImageNet in NLP and have demonstrated to capture different facets of language such as hierarchical relations, long-term dependency, and sentiment. In this short survey paper, we discuss the recent progress made in the field of pre-trained language models. We also deliberate that how the strengths of these language models can be leveraged in designing more engaging and more eloquent conversational agents. This paper, therefore, intends to establish whether these pre-trained models can overcome the challenges pertinent to dialogue systems, and how their architecture could be exploited in order to overcome these challenges. Open challenges in the field of dialogue systems have also been deliberated.


The use of psychological tests to help identify the noncredible overreporting of psychiatric disorders is a long-standing practice that has received considerable attention from researchers. The purpose of this study was to experimentally determine whether feigning specific psychiatric disorders moderated the influence of coaching on the detection of noncredible overreporting using the Minnesota Multiphasic Personality Inventory–2 (MMPI-2) and the Personality Assessment Inventory (PAI). Using a 2 × 3 experimental analogue design, 265 undergraduates were asked to feign schizophrenia, posttraumatic stress disorder, or generalized anxiety disorder and were either coached about validity scales and disorders or not. The results of this study indicated that the specific psychiatric disorder being feigned did moderate the impact coaching had on the detection of overreported psychopathology using several scales on the MMPI-2 and PAI. Future research examining noncredible overreporting should take into account the impact caused by the interaction of psychiatric disorder with coaching on the detection of symptom overreporting and also identify other important moderating/mediating variables in order to develop more effective means of identifying response bias.


Two zonal sections at 11°S in the South Atlantic, separated in time by 11 years, provide temperature differences in the deep ocean. The aim of this case study is to check whether intrinsic temperature changes are sufficiently large to identify long‐term water mass property variations which could be related to climate change. Potential temperature differences on isobaric surfaces in the deep ocean here reach several tenths of °C. They can be caused by vertical (cross‐isopycnal) or horizontal (isopycnal) advection and mixing, or by intrinsic water mass changes. The effect of vertical transport is removed by using neutral (density) surfaces. The effect of horizontal transport is determined by using a mixing parameterization for temperature and silica on neutral surfaces. The residual intrinsic temperature changes are, with a few local exceptions, within the range of the ±0.05°C uncertainty, and the temperature changes can thus be explained by advection and mixing alone.


Today, the words 'indie' and 'independence' are commonly taken only to be connotative of a musical style, yet during an earlier punk/post-punk period they were used to denote a specific economic separateness from the major labels. This article examines the development of the indie sector in this earlier period, challenging a tendency to reify certain proponents of punk's DIY principle (Buzzcocks' Spiral Scratch EP, Desperate Bicycles) by noting some significant antecedents and continuations of the indie 'Do It Yourself' impetus. Contrasting the Rough Trade label against anarcho-punks Crass, the article also highlights the 'cutie' or 'C86' period in which indie is sometimes said to have become more about music and less about politics. The significance of MySpace and other recent technological developments are also considered. In conclusion, the article interrogates the political efficacy of the 'anyone can do it' principle associated with punk/indie's DIY ethic.


A new approach to understanding human online behavior in regard to psychological functioning is proposed through the developed user's activity model incorporating the influences of social behavior, network, and content. Microscopic levels of user characteristics induced by personality traits were interpolated as interaction rules, whilst an unsupervised clustering algorithm was applied to penetrate the individual complexity. Temporal behavior of disparate users was mimicked, and streaming network data was generated and computationally analyzed. A comprehensive understanding of how individuality, friendship, and varying temperaments dramatically reshaped the networks was gained from insight synthesis of network properties characterized by small-world, scale-free, and centrality measures. Evidence illustrates that users with high extraversion possess high numbers of friends and spread massive information, while high conscientious and high intellect users are seriously discreet in accepting friends and often produce influential content. These results not only provide a wealth of challenges for product recommendation, network structure optimization, and design, but also are useful for the prediction of future network structural evolution.


The authors present a chronology of El Nino (EN) events based on documentary records from northern Peru. The chronology, which covers the period 1550-1900, is constructed mainly from primary sources from the city of Trujillo (Peru), the Archivo General de Indias in Seville (Spain), and the Archivo General de la Nacion in Lima (Peru), supplemented by a reassessment of documentary evidence included in previously published literature. The archive in Trujillo has never been systematically evaluated for information related to the occurrence of El Nino-Southern Oscillation (ENSO). Abundant rainfall and river discharge correlate well with EN events in the area around Trujillo, which is very dry during most other years. Thus, rain and flooding descriptors, together with reports of failure of the local fishery, are the main indicators of EN occurrence that the authors have searched for in the documents. A total of 59 EN years are identified in this work. This chronology is compared with the two main previous documentary EN chronologies and with ENSO indicators derived from proxy data other than documentary sources. Overall, the seventeenth century appears to be the least active EN period, while the 1620s, 1720s, 1810s, and 1870s are the most active decades. The results herein reveal long-term fluctuations in warm ENSO activity that compare reasonably well with low-frequency variability deduced from other proxy data.


Fourier transform spectral interferometry is applied to measure both amplitude and phase of the electric field in different types of semiconductor nanostructures, thus determining the real and imaginary parts of the dielectric function. The importance of measuring the phase is shown and discussed in three studies. First, the phase measurement is used to access directly the refractive index across excitonic resonances in bulk GaAs and AlGaAs-GaAs quantum wells, with unprecedented resolution. Second, we measure the density dependence of the full dielectric function across a Fano resonance in bulk GaAs and show that this allows us to obtain some information on the collisional broadening of the usually hidden linewidth of the coupled exciton/continuum. Third, the phase is studied in a complex heterostructure, a semiconductor microcavity. We investigate and discuss the effect of the cavity detuning and of the excitation density.


Upper air atmospheric wind and temperature information is crucial for numerical weather prediction and nowcasting. The current observation systems which are exploited to collect this information are radiosonde, aircraft, wind profilers, Doppler radar and satellites. A novel method to measure wind and temperature is related to tracking and ranging by an enhanced surveillance (EHS) Air Traffic Control (ATC) radar. This EHS radar interrogates in a selective mode (Mode-S) all aircraft in sight on which the aircraft replies with a message containing for example magnetic heading, airspeed and Mach number. From this information wind and temperature can be inferred. Since meteorological information is not directly measured in this way, preprocessing is necessary to obtain atmospheric information with adequate quality. Temperature is deduced from the Mach number and airspeed. The wind vector is deduced from the difference between the ground track vector and the orientation and speed of the aircraft relative to the air. The ground track is observed accurately but the aircraft orientation contains systematic errors and preprocessing steps are essential (de Haan, 2011). In this report the correction method is revisited taking into account the time dependency of the heading correction and, additionally, airspeed adjustment. The method developed in de Haan (2011) was limited by the fact that a heading correction value could only be estimated for aircraft regularly landing at Amsterdam Airport Schiphol. Using external sources of wind information, a heading and airspeed correction can be estimated for all aircraft when enough comparison can be generated. A dynamic heading correction database is created using the operational numerical weather prediction model from the European Center for Middle range Weather Forecast (ECMWF) and is cross validated with heading corrections derived using AMDAR wind information. This increased the number of observations by a factor of four in the Amsterdam Flight Information Region (FIR). The north-south and east-west component of wind speed observation is improved by 2 to 5% in standard deviation when both heading and airspeed corrections are applied. Next to the heading correction a flight phase dependent (ascending, descending, or constant level) temperature adjustment is developed by comparing the derived temperature against ECMWF. As it turns out, this adjustment has for some aircraft a time dependent character and thus also for this reason a dynamic temperature database has been developed. The resulting temperature bias is closer to zero, and standard deviation between model temperature and observation is reduced by 50% for all aircraft all together. For Mode-S EHS observations from AMDAR aircraft, the derived temperature observations show no improvement in standard deviation. Above 800 hPa, Mode-S EHS derived and AMDAR wind observations are comparable. Below 800 hPa, AMDAR wind observations exhibit an increase in standard deviation from 2 m/s at 800hPa to 2.5 m/s at 1000hPa when compared to ECMWF. Airspeed and heading corrected Mode-S EHS derived wind observations show to have a constant standard deviation (2 m/s) compared to ECMWF.


In the island nation of Aotearoa New Zealand, the history of migration and increased globalisation is exerting pressure on existing social and cultural frameworks and creating challenges and opportunities for how public open space can be created and used. This pressure is influencing the Indigenous groups, such as Māori, through a combination of cultural beliefs and values, with a diverse set of contemporary cultural practices and through interactions with a non-Māori world. The challenges are from the progressively widespread nature of migrants who have multiple national backgrounds and consider themselves as both members of their country of origin and New Zealand society.
To accommodate this increasing cultural diversity, a psychological sense of community provides a valuable tool for understanding community and community change, while participatory planning can provide opportunities to integrate public perspectives into these processes. Then focusing on public open spaces present a chance to help create socially sustainable places and promote the values of cultural diversity. This research aims to understand which community participation process in public open space planning will most effectively encourage a sense of community amongst the major ethnic groups in New Zealand, including New Zealand European, Māori, Chinese and Pasifika.
The first phase of the research, through an online survey, examines whether participating in the community participation processes in public open space planning can encourage sense of community amongst the targeted ethnic groups in this research. It does this by adopting the Sense of Community Index based on the theory presented by McMillan and Chavis. Results suggest that participatory planning allows the integration of public perspectives into the planning process, fostering the communities' sense of place while creating places that promote cultural diversity in Aotearoa New Zealand.
The second phase of research with focus groups aims to explore and understand the differences and similarities concerning the effective community participation methods for targeting ethnic groups in this research. Results introduce the different series of effective participation methods concerning the specific ethnic group in the context of Aotearoa New Zealand.
Eventually, this research contributes to the gap in the existing literature that provides the opportunity and guidelines to more effectively engage with the potential participants for community participation projects in correspondence to the multicultural context of New Zealand.


The emergence of a more sustainable economy in Europe was accompanied by a range of bio-based products and technologies. As a prominent example, green genetic engineering opens up multiple options to increase agricultural production, but its public acceptance seems to vary by application area. Risk perception explains consumer acceptance of green genetic engineering, which is a necessary pre-condition for wider technology adoption. This study investigates risk perceptions for four major sources of risk: Health-related, environmental, socioeconomic, and ethical. Data was collected in a laboratory experiment in Germany, with a total of 439 participants. A between-subject design was employed. The four experimental treatment groups comprised two policy scenarios, namely one only permitting research and development and the other allowing for full commercialization of genetically modified products, and two product end-uses, bio-energy and food. The study shows significant end-use differences in both the type of policy scenario and the risk dimension in question. In particular, health risks were generally perceived to be lower for bio-energy than food whenever full commercialization was pursued. Furthermore, full commercialization of genetically modified food prompted higher concerns about personal health, whereas use of crops for bio-energy production was broadly related to higher levels of socioeconomic risk. Finally, although the majority of consumers identified health risks as being most relevant, the consequences for the environment evoked the greatest degree of risk perception. In general, our findings lend support for the notion that the policy regime is the most important determinant for risk perception, followed by the type of risk dimension and level of trust in industry. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


BACKGROUND
Most nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs) inhibit both cyclooxygenase-1 (COX-1), whose inhibition is associated with gastrointestinal ulceration, and COX-2, whose inhibition is associated with therapeutic benefits. Although agents that do not produce COX-1 activity may have fewer adverse effects, targeted disruption of the COX-2 allele in mice has resulted in severe renal problems, suggesting that COX-2 inhibition may also produce adverse effects.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the effect of rofecoxib, a member of the coxib class of drugs and a specific inhibitor of the COX-2 enzyme, on renal function in elderly patients.

DESIGN
A randomized, three-period, single-dose crossover study and a randomized, parallel-group, multiple-dose study.

SETTING
Clinical research units.

PATIENTS
75 patients 60 to 80 years of age.

INTERVENTION
In the first study, single doses of rofecoxib, 250 mg (about 5-fold to 20-fold the recommended dose); indomethacin, 75 mg; and placebo were administered to 15 patients. In the second study, multiple doses of rofecoxib, 12.5 or 25 mg/d; indomethacin, 50 mg three times daily; or placebo were administered to 60 patients. Patients in both studies received a low-sodium diet

MEASUREMENTS
Glomerular filtration rate, creatinine clearance, and urinary and serum sodium and potassium values.

RESULTS
Compared with placebo, single doses of rofecoxib and indomethacin decreased the glomerular filtration rate by 0.23 m/s (P < 0.001) and 0.18 mL/s (P = 0.003), respectively. In contrast, respective decreases of 0.14, 0.13, and 0.10 mL/s were observed after multiple doses of rofecoxib, 12.5 mg/d (P = 0.019); rofecoxib, 25 mg (P = 0.029), and indomethacin (P = 0.086) were administered. Changes in creatinine clearance and serum and urinary sodium and potassium were less pronounced.

CONCLUSIONS
The effects of COX-2 inhibition on renal function are similar to those observed with nonselective NSAIDs. Thus, COX-2 seems to play an important role in human renal function.


Sewage discharge is considered to be the primary source of viral contamination in aquatic environments. This study was conducted to evaluate the impact of El-Rahawy wastewater on the water quality of the Rosetta branch of the River Nile (Rosetta River Nile) through detection of astrovirus (AstV) and norovirus (NoV) in the water and sediments of both sites. For this purpose, we collected 72 wastewater and 12 sediment samples from El-Rahawy drain, and 12 river water and 12 sediment samples from Rosetta River Nile before and after mixing with El-Rahawy wastewater between April 2017 and March 2018. AstVs and NoVs were identified in wastewater (40.2% versus 25%), El-Rahawy sediment (41.6% versus 20.8%), river water after mixing with wastewater (25% versus 16.6%), river water before mixing with wastewater (8.3% versus 0%), river sediment after mixing with wastewater (16.6% versus 8.3%), and no viruses were found in river sediments before mixing with wastewater. AstV genogroup B and NoV genogroup GI were the most frequently detected genotypes in the analyzed samples, with a peak incidence in the winter months. Increasing detection rates of both viruses in El-Rahawy drain samples and river water taken from the Rosetta branch after receiving El-Rahawy wastewater reflect the impact of this drain on the water quality of this stretch of the River Nile.


The epitaxial growth of a metal on another metal has been studied by inverse photoemission spectroscopy (IPS). Platinum deposited on Au(001) is found to grow in a layer-by-layer mode. Between 0.3 and 2-3 monolayers of deposited Pt, IPS shows an emission centred around 2.5 eV above the Fermi energy. This emission is located mainly along the ΓX direction of the bulk Brillouin zone, in the bulk band gap of both gold and platinum in this direction. It disappears between 2 and 3 monolayers of deposited platinum. We conclude that it is due to an empty interface state in the Pt/Au(001) system.


PURPOSE: This study was conducted to determine correlations between grip and lower limb muscle strength and pulmonary function and respiratory muscle in children with cerebral palsy. METHODS: Subjects were 17 children with cerebral palsy. Inclusion criteria for participation were having GMFCS from Ⅰ to Ⅲ grade and ability to independently blow into a spirometer. Pulmonary function and respiratory muscle were measured with a spirometer. All subjects performed maximal expiratory flow maneuvers using a spirometer in order to determine their forced expiratory volume in 1 second (FEV1), forced vital capacity (FVC), peak expiratory flow (PEF) and FEV1/FVC, and maximum inspiratory pressure (MIP) and maximum expiratory pressure (MEP). Muscle strength was measured in terms of grip strength and lower limb muscle strength in terms of knee extension strength with a dynamometer and manual digital muscle tester respectively. Data were analyzed using Person product correlation. RESULTS: Grip strength significantly positively correlated with FVC (r=0.95, p<0.01), FEV1 (r=0.95, p<0.01), PEF (r=0.84, p<0.01), MIP (r=0.65, p<0.01) MEP (r=0.71, p<0.01) and lower limb strength with FVC (r=0.72, p<0.01), FEV1 (r=0.69, p<0.01), PEF (r=0.54, p<0.05), and MEP (r=0.69, p<0.01). CONCLUSION: Grip and lower limb muscle strengths of children with cerebral palsy were positively correlated pulmonary function and respiratory muscle.


The proof of 1.2, which uses the classification of compact, simple Lie groups, depends heavily on a method of Clark [6] for finding nonzero Steenrod reduced powers. In his paper [3], Borel calls attention to Serre's work on the problem of comparing G and X(G). He, in fact, states that the above inequality is not necessary in the case of G exceptional because of a result of Toda stating that w1o(G2) = Z3. This error was later corrected by Bott and Samelson [5]. In ?3, we give a simple proof of the BottSamelson result that irio(G2) =0 using some calculations of Kervaire [10] and a result stated by Harris [7], the proof of which is contained in a forthcoming paper of this author [11]. The author is indebted to Professor Allan Clark for calling to his attention the methods used here, and to Professor Bruno Harris for his advice during the preparation of the paper. This result is con-


Background: Tuberculosis is one of the most deadly diseases.Yearly 9 million people develop TB and 1.5 million die from TB.INH and rifampicin are the cornerstone of treatment regimens for TB,loss of any of them will affect treatment outcomes and TB control program Objective: Find the prevalence of Rifampicin and INH monoresistance among pulmonary cases Methods: A longitudinal study targeted all new smear positive and retreated pulmonary TB cases for the first time from 50 randomly selected clusters (from 19 health directorates), during the period from November 2013 to October 2014. In each cluster a 26 smear-positive cases were expected to be enrolled .Sputum smear negative TB and extra-pulmonary TB cases were excluded. Drug susceptibility testing-DST was requested for all samples. SPSS V20 was used for analysis. Results: This study enrolled 1160 patients. DST was done for 1029 patients, 59.9 % susceptible to all anti-TB drug, 17.7 monoresistance to any anti-TB drug, 2.3% INH monoresistance , 2.7% rifampicin monoresistance ,3.3% MDR and the rest were polyresistance . In INH/Rifampicin monoresistance-IR/RR group male/female ratio was 0.8, while in the susceptible group it was 1.27, 3.2% of susceptible group were asthmatic and no asthmatic was found in IR/RR group, regarding distribution of the two groups according to age, residence area, education level, smoking history and house hold contact to TB case there was no significant difference 15.5% of IR/RR group were previously treated with anti TB drug in comparison to 10.6% in susceptible group Conclusion: prevalence of Rifampicin and INH monoresistance among new and previously treated smear positive pulmonary TB cases is 5 % in Iraq.