Healthcare professionals' wellbeing can be adversely affected by the intense demands of, and the secondary traumatic stress associated with, their job. Self-compassion is associated with positive wellbeing outcomes across a variety of workforce populations and is potentially an important skill for healthcare workers, as it offers a way of meeting one's own distress with kindness and understanding. This systematic review aimed to synthesise and evaluate the utility of self-compassion interventions in reducing secondary traumatic stress in a healthcare worker population. Eligible articles were identified from research databases, including ProQuest, PsycINFO, ScienceDirect, Google Scholar, and EBSCO. The quality of non-randomised and randomised trials was assessed using the Newcastle–Ottawa Scale. The literature search yielded 234 titles, from which 6 studies met the inclusion criteria. Four studies reported promising effects of self-compassion training for secondary traumatic stress in a healthcare population, although these did not use controls. The methodological quality of these studies was medium. This highlights a research gap in this area. Three of these four studies recruited workers from Western countries and one recruited from a non-Western country. The Professional Quality of Life Scale was used to evaluate secondary traumatic stress in all studies. The findings show preliminary evidence that self-compassion training may improve secondary traumatic stress in healthcare professional populations; however, there is a need for greater methodological quality in this field and controlled trials. The findings also show that the majority of research was conducted in Western countries. Future research should focus on a broader range of geographical locations to include non-Western countries.


In this paper, we examine the effects of investments in Information Technology (IT) on the long term business values of organizations. The regression discontinuity design is used in this research to examine eight hundred and ten IT investment announcements collected from the period 1982-2007. Our results found that press releases can affect the market value of a firm by possibly providing investors with a better idea of a firm's current and future operations and strategy. On the other hand, these press releases also appear to attract more transient investors. The attraction of transient investors likely suggests the market believes the IT investing firm is serious about its potential for growth and expansion.


Intracranial anastomosis between the distal anterior cerebral arteries (ACA's) was performed on two patients. One patient had isolated occlusion of the proximal ACA on one side causing monoparesis in the leg, and the other patient suffered from occlusion of the internal carotid artery and a small anterior communicating artery. The weakness of the legs improved immediately after surgery and cerebral angiography revealed a good filling of the bilateral ACA's. Technical aspects and indications for the procedure are discussed.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to suggest a conceptual framework of collaborative networking among structurally and functionally varying types of Innovation Laboratories, which will enable them to leverage upon diverse competencies of each other and thereby facilitate their clients (business organizations) throughout the innovation process.

Design/methodology/approach
The conceptual framework proposed herein is oriented around design science research, whereby the important constructs underpinning the development of framework are identified from existing literature. The framework is based upon two constructs, service-based categorization of extant Innovation Laboratories, and concepts of horizontal and vertical modes of inter-InnoLab collaboration (collaboration among Innovation Laboratories). The framework is subsequently developed in iterations based on experts' views and discussions.

Findings
The conceptual framework presents eight different opportunities of interconnection among Innovation Laboratories including the four horizontal collaboration possibilities as network of mentors, network of process intermediaries, network of resource providers and network of network coordinators which are followed by four subsequent vertical collaboration possibilities among these horizontal collaboration networks. The proposed collaborative network of Innovation Laboratories enables undertaking of complete innovation process with four possible entry and four possible exit points for business organizations.

Originality/value
The conceptual framework proposed herein is first of its kind to suggest a worldwide collaborative networking among Innovation Laboratories. The applicability and usefulness of the framework is supported by the existing ad hoc type individual collaborative activities being exercised by different kinds of Innovation Laboratories as reported by Innovation Laboratory facilitators and observed in practical field.


Objectives: We assessed whether hypertension in pregnancy is associated with elevated C-reactive protein (CRP) levels in later life, possibly reflecting an increased risk of cardiovascular disease (CVD). Background: Elevated CRP levels have been associated with hypertension in pregnancy and with CVD. Methods: We studied 2463 women from the Genetic Epidemiology Network of Arteriopathy (GENOA) study. Participants were categorized as nulliparous women (n = 219), women with a history of normotensive pregnancies (n = 1839), or women with a history of a hypertensive pregnancy (n = 405). Using multiple linear regression models, we compared mean CRP levels among the groups after adjusting for age, race, education, smoking, hypertension, personal history of coronary heart disease (CHD) or stroke, diabetes, dyslipidemia, statins, hormone replacement therapy, and family history of CHD or stroke. As CRP levels may be influenced by BMI, the model was fit both with and without adjusting for BMI. Results: There was no significant difference in CRP levels between nulliparous women and those with a history of normotensive pregnancies, either with (P = 0.82) or without (P = 0.46) adjusting for BMI. In contrast, women with hypertensive pregnancies, compared with those with normotensive pregnancies, had higher CRP levels, both with (P = 0.009) and without (P < 0.001) adjusting for BMI. Conclusion: A history of hypertension in pregnancy is associated with elevated CRP levels later in life, independent of traditional CVD risk factors and BMI. An elevated CRP may reflect an inflammatory state in women with a history of hypertensive pregnancy disorders who are at increased risk for CVD.


SUMMARY
Background: Esophageal adenocarcinoma (EA) represents one of the fastest rising oncological diseases in western countries. Barrett's Esophagus (BE) is the premalignant precursor of EA. However, only a subset of BE patients develop EA, which complicates the clinical management in the absence of valid predictors.
Methods: Within an international consortium of groups involved in the genetics of BE/EA, we performed the first meta-analysis of all genome-wide association studies (GWAS) available (>10,000 BE/EA patients, >17,000 controls, all of European descent). The entire GWAS-data set was also analyzed using bioinformatics approaches in order to identify pathophysiologically relevant cellular pathways. Findings: We identified nine new disease loci for BE/EA (P<5×10-8) and thereby doubled the number of known risk loci. The strongest new risk locus implicates CFTR as BE/EA risk gene. Mutations in CFTR cause cystic fibrosis (CF), the most common recessive disorder in Europeans. Gastroesophageal reflux (GER) belongs to the phenotypic CF-spectrum and represents the main risk factor for BE/EA. Thus, the CFTR locus may trigger a common GER-mediated pathophysiology. The strongest disease pathways identified (P<10-6) belong to muscle cell differentiation and to mesenchyme development/differentiation, which fit with current pathophysiological BE/EA concepts. Furthermore, for the first time we identified an EA-specific association (P=1·6×10-8) near HTR3C/ABCC5 which is independent of BE development (P=0·45).
Interpretation: The identified disease loci and pathways reveal new insights into the etiology of BE and EA. Furthermore, the EA-specific association at HTR3C/ABCC5 may constitute a novel genetic marker for the prediction of transition from BE to EA.
Funding: US National Cancer Institute, US National Institutes of Health, National Health and Medical Research Council of Australia, Swedish Cancer Society, Medical Research Council of UK, Cambridge NIHR biomedical research centre, Cambridge Experimental Cancer
- 5 -
Medicine Centre, Else Kroner Fresenius Stiftung, Wellcome Trust, Cancer Research UK, AstraZeneca UK, University Hospitals of Leicester, University of Oxford.


AIMS
To determine whether multiple doses of ziprasidone alter the steady-state pharmacokinetics of the component steroids, ethinyloestradiol and levonorgestrel, of an oral contraceptive; to evaluate the tolerability of a co-administered combined oral contraceptive and ziprasidone; and to compare plasma concentrations of prolactin in subjects taking a combined oral contraceptive with placebo or ziprasidone.

METHODS
Nineteen women taking a combined oral contraceptive (ethinyloestradiol 30 microg day(-1) and levonorgestrel 150 microg day(-1)) were enrolled into a double-blind, placebo-controlled, two-way crossover study. They received ziprasidone 40 mg day- 1 in two divided daily doses or placebo for 8 days (days 8-15) in one of two 21 day treatment periods separated by a 7 day washout period. Venous blood samples were collected immediately before and up to 24 h after the morning dose of oral contraceptive and ziprasidone or placebo on day 15 of each 21 day treatment period. These were assayed for ethinyloestradiol and levonorgestrel and the resulting data used to derive pharmacokinetic data for these steroids. Additional samples were collected immediately before and 4 h after the morning dose of oral contraceptive and ziprasidone or placebo on day 15 of each 21 day treatment period for prolactin assay. All observed and volunteered adverse events were recorded throughout the study.

RESULTS
The mean AUC(0,24 h), Cmax and tmax for ethinyloestradiol and the mean AUC(0, 24 h) and Cmax for levonorgestrel during ziprasidone co-administration were not statistically significantly different from corresponding values occurring during placebo co-administration. The tmax for levonorgestrel was approximately 0.5 h longer. Concomitant therapy with a combined oral contraceptive and ziprasidone did not result in adverse events not previously seen with either preparation alone.

CONCLUSIONS
The findings of this study suggest that, based on pharmacokinetic and tolerability data, ziprasidone may be co-administered with ethinyloestradiol and levonorgestrel without loss of contraceptive efficacy or increased risk of adverse events.


This article presents the solution of two-dimensional axisymmetric ablation problems with unstructured grids. The energy equation is formulated and solved using the control volume finite element method. The exterior shape of the ablating body is determined from a surface energy balance with the interior mesh displaced in response to the surface ablation as if the body was a linear elastic solid. Boundary condition matrices are formulated for both heat of ablation and generalized thermochemical ablation boundary conditions. Computed recession rates are compared to an analytical solution to demonstrate the accuracy and convergence of this approach. Additionally, the practical application of this approach to the ablation of a re-entry vehicle nose tip is presented.


Drug reaction with eosinophilia and systemic symptoms/drug-induced hypersensitivity syndrome (DRESS/DIHS) is a severe adverse drug-induced reaction with reactivation of human herpesvirus 6 (HHV-6).1-3 We previously reported that serum thymus and activation-regulated chemokine (TARC) levels were markedly increased in patients with DIHS and suggested TARC as a useful diagnostic marker of DIHS in the early stage.4,5 In this study, we determined whether serum TARC levels correlate with the severity of clinical symptoms and laboratory data in patients with DRESS/DIHS.

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We applied potassium water glass (PWG) for a modification of photoelectrodes and investigated the effects of this modification on the photovoltaic properties of dye-sensitized solar cells (DSSCs). The PWG-modified TiO2 electrodes were prepared by soaking the TiO2 films in an aqueous PWG solution, and the resulting electrodes were applied to the photoanodes of DSSCs. Compared with a reference device with pristine TiO2 electrode, the power conversion efficiency of a DSSC with a PWG-modified TiO2 electrode was improved by about 26% because of the enhanced short-circuit photocurrent (J(sc)) and open-circuit voltage (V(oc)). Open-circuit voltage decay, electrochemical impedance spectroscopy, and dark current measurements revealed that the incorporation of PWG on the TiO2 surface led to a longer electron lifetime because of the suppression of charge recombination between injected electrons and I3(-) ions, which, compared with a reference device without surface modification, resulted in an increase in both J(sc) and V(oc).


The development of innovative electronic devices is characterized by increasing demands with respect to functionality, further miniaturization, high reliability and simultaneously lower manufacturing costs. The study of Polymer Thick-film Technology (PTF) regarding improvements in print resolution and conductivity demonstrates its potential for an application in microelectronics. Polymeric thick-film technology is implemented in the production of electronic circuits since the 50psilas. It was primarily used in the production of cost saving hybrid circuits. However the used materials in the past did not match the now common specifications regarding thermal properties and migration behaviour. Now the requirements regarding resolution, material cleanness and reliability are unlikely higher. Therefore different materials and processes of this technology are described. Particularly the screen-printing of polymer pastes filled with silver particles is characterized. While the minimal line width of thick-film circuits was 120...200 mum 10 years ago, one now is capable to reduce line width to fewer than 100 mum. But line widths with a pitch fewer than 120 mum are necessary for a wafer level package because of always increasing requirements regarding the number of chip connections. Today we already find thick-film circuits with line resolutions smaller than 30 mum. With an additional process step not only the conductivity but also the reliability of such printed structures can be improved. Surface topography, shear strength and electrical parameters (square resistance, impedance and current carrying capacity) were determined using various methods. The conducted studies in fine-line screen-printing of polymer pastes could demonstrate that the normally used thin-film technology for wafer level redistribution can be replaced in low-cost applications.


A domain wall separating two oppositely magnetized regions in a ferromagnetic semiconductor exhibits, under appropriate conditions, strongly nonlinear I-V characteristics similar to those of a p-n diode. We study these characteristics as functions of wall width and temperature. As the width increases or the temperature decreases, direct tunneling between the majority spin bands reduces the effectiveness of the diode. This has important implications for the zero-field quenched resistance of magnetic semiconductors and for the design of a recently proposed spin transistor.


Strong non-covalent interactions such as biotin-avidin affinity play critical roles in protein/peptide purification. A new type of 'fluorous' (fluorinated alkyl) affinity approach has gained popularity due especially to its low level of non-specific binding to proteins/peptides. We have developed a novel water-soluble fluorous labeling reagent that is reactive (via an active sulfo-N-hydroxylsuccinimidyl ester group) to primary amine groups in proteins/peptides. After fluorous affinity purification, the bulky fluorous tag moiety and the long oligoethylene glycol (OEG) spacer of this labeling reagent can be trimmed via the cleavage of an acid labile linker. Upon collision-induced dissociation, the labeled peptide ion yields a characteristic fragment that can be retrieved from the residual portion of the fluorous affinity tag, and this fragment ion can serve as a marker to indicate that the relevant peptide has been successfully labeled. As a proof of principle, the newly synthesized fluorous labeling reagent was evaluated for peptide/protein labeling ability in phosphate-buffered saline (PBS). Results show that both the aqueous environment protein/peptide labeling and the affinity enrichment/separation process were highly efficient.


Microbiology laboratories use containment equipment such as safety cabinets and isolators or respiratory protective equipment to protect workers against aerosol infection hazards. There is a perception amongst microbiologists that using sharps within containment equipment would increase the operator's chance of accidental injury due to losses of dexterity within containment and so respiratory protection equipment is the favoured method of containment for these procedures. Using three methods of manual dexterity testing, the effect of latex gloves, a positive pressure respirator, and four forms of containment equipment, a class II safety cabinet, a class III safety cabinet, a half suit and a flexible film isolator were tested against the performance on these tests using bare hands in 20 subjects. With the exception of latex gloves, the personal protective equipment and containment equipment all had a statistically significant detrimental effect on manual dexterity compared to working with bare hands alone. The use of containment systems, especially barrier containment systems such as Class III cabinets and isolators, in the microbiology laboratory significantly reduces dexterity and may increase the chances of accidents occurring within. The use of positive pressure respirators with double gloves also affects dexterity but to a lesser extent. The use of sharps should be minimised within containment equipment. Risk assessment may be required to address the comparative risk of aerosol and needlestick infection with different agents in order to choose the most appropriate containment systems.


Purpose: This paper aims to present a cross-national study that investigates changes in purchase intentions of UK versus Chinese consumers following exposure to successive e-WOM comments in the form of positive and negative user reviews for experience versus search products. Design/methodology/approach: A 2(e-WOM valence and order: negative versus positive most recent)×2(product type: experience versus search)×3(purchase intentions at t 1, t 2, t 3) repeated-measures factorial design is used to test a set of hypotheses developed from the literature. Findings: Chinese consumers are susceptible to recent e-WOM comments regardless of their valence, while UK consumers anchor on negative information regardless of the order in which it is acquired. This holds particularly for experience products. Originality/value: This cross-national study contributes to the scarce literature on the impact of e-WOM on consumer purchase decisions by comparing UK and Chinese consumers. The authors suggest that culture moderates the development of product evaluations following exposure to e-WOM.


The alpha chemokine receptor CXCR4 is up-regulated in certain types of breast cancer. Truncation of the C-terminus of this receptor alters cell morphology and increases invasiveness and metastatic potential. Here, to better understand the effects of CXCR4 expression and truncation in breast cancer cells, we have used high resolution magic angle spinning (HR-MAS) NMR studies of rat breast carcinoma MtLn3E cells to characterize the metabolite complement of cells heterologously expressing human CXCR4 or its C-terminal truncation mutant, Δ34-CXCR4. Notable reductions in choline levels were detected when either cells expressing wild-type CXCR4 or Δ34-CXCR4 were compared with cells containing an empty expression vector. Cells expressing CXCR4-Δ34 had reduced lipid content when compared with either the wild-type CXCR4 expressing cells or those containing the empty expression vector. Taken together, our results show that distinct effects on the metabolite complement can be linked to either CXCR4 expression or CXCR4 regulation. The metabolite markers for these two effects identified in the present study can, in turn, be used to further investigate the role of CXCR4 in metastasis.


&NA; Hanging motionless in a full body harness may result in unwanted events, such as acute hypotension and syncope, which has been termed harness suspension stress (HSS). The etiology of HSS has not been explored, and it is unknown if the type of harness influences the HSS response. Objectives: Evaluate hemodynamics, subjective discomfort, and biological markers of muscle damage during 30-minutes suspension; and evaluate differences between harness attachment (frontal or dorsal). Methods: Heart rate, blood pressure, biological markers of muscle damage, and subjective discomfort were measured. Results: Trial time was shorter in the dorsal versus frontal point of attachment. Hemodynamic shift resulted in the dorsal trial which indicated possible perfusion abnormalities. Conclusions: Hemodynamic adjustments contributed to early termination observed in the dorsal trial. A frontal point of attachment may be more suitable for extended harness exposure.


The term "complete trisomy 9" is used to indicate trisomy of the entire chromosome 9 without evidence of mosaicisms. It is a relatively rare chromosomal abnormality because the vast majority of affected pregnancies result in 1st trimester spontaneous abortions. The purpose of this paper is to delineate the complete trisomy 9 syndrome, based on autopsy findings. We performed an exhaustive review of the literature of complete forms of this trisomy with autopsy examination and added 3 new cases from our center with new findings not previously described.


Context. A low-mass brown dwarf has recently been imaged around HR 2562 (HD 50571), a star hosting a debris disk resolved in the far infrared. Interestingly, the companion location is compatible with an orbit coplanar with the disk and interior to the debris belt. This feature makes the system a valuable laboratory to analyze the formation of substellar companions in a circumstellar disk and potential disk-companion dynamical interactions.
Aims. We aim to further characterize the orbital motion of HR 2562 B and its interactions with the host star debris disk.
Methods. We performed a monitoring of the system over ~10 months in 2016 and 2017 with the VLT/SPHERE exoplanet imager.
Results. We confirm that the companion is comoving with the star and detect for the first time an orbital motion at high significance, with a current orbital motion projected in the plane of the sky of 25 mas (~0.85 au) per year. No orbital curvature is seen in the measurements. An orbital fit of the SPHERE and literature astrometry of the companion without priors on the orbital plane clearly indicates that its orbit is (quasi-)coplanar with the disk. To further constrain the other orbital parameters, we used empirical laws for a companion chaotic zone validated by N-body simulations to test the orbital solutions that are compatible with the estimated disk cavity size. Non-zero eccentricities (>0.15) are allowed for orbital periods shorter than 100 yr, while only moderate eccentricities up to ~0.3 for orbital periods longer than 200 yr are compatible with the disk observations. A comparison of synthetic Herschel images to the real data does not allow us to constrain the upper eccentricity of the companion.


Economic crises cause significant shortages in disposable income and a sharp decline in the living conditions, affecting healthcare sector, hitting the profitability and sustainability of companies leading to raises in unemployment. At micro level, these sharp decreases in earnings associated with unemployment and furthermore with the lack of social protection will impact the quality of life and finally the health of individuals. In time of crisis, it becomes vital to support not only the critical sectors of the economy, the assets, technology, and infrastructure, but to protect jobs and workers. This health crisis has hit hard the jobs dynamics through unemployment and underemployment, the quality of work (through wages, or access to social protection), and through the effects on specific groups, with a higher degree of vulnerability to unfavorable labor market outcomes. In this context, providing forecasts as recent as possible for the unemployment rate, a core indicator of the Romanian labor market that could include the effects of the market shocks it becomes fundamental. Thus, the paper aims to offer valuable forecasts for the Romanian unemployment rate using univariate vs. multivariate time series models for the period 2021–2022, highlighting the main patterns of evolution. Based on the univariate time series models, the paper predict the future values of unemployment rate based on its own past using self-forecasting and implementing ARFIMA and SETAR models using monthly data for the period January 2000–April 2021. From the perspective of multivariate time series models, the paper uses VAR/VECM models, analyzing the temporal interdependencies between variables using quarterly data for the period 2000Q1–2020Q4. The empirical results pointed out that both SETAR and VECM provide very similar results in terms of accuracy replicating very well the pre-pandemic period, 2018Q2–2020Q1, reaching the value of 4.1% at the beginning of 2020, with a decreasing trend reaching the value of 3.9%, respectively, 3.6% at the end of 2022.


This paper draws upon my two previous papers, "Asian Perspectives on Human Rights" (1992) and "Human Rights and Governance in Asia" (1994). The first paper was presented at a conference on human rights of migrant workers organised by the Scalabrini Migration Centre in Manila. It was also tabled at a workshop on human rights and governance in Asia organised by The Asia Foundation in Manila in March 1993. The second paper was written at the request of The Asia Foundation as a record of my reflections on the discussions at the workshop. It was subsequently used as a background paper for an Asia Foundation-sponsored dialogue between Asia scholars and senior officials of the Clinton Administration, the U. S. Congress, and staff of American NGOs in Washington in June 1994. The present paper also reflects on the Washington discussions. I am grateful to the participants of all these meetings for their thoughtful and stimulating contributions. Published with the permission of The Asia Foundation.


A photocatalyzed reaction of pyridine N-oxides with alkenes gives ortho-alkylated pyridines with cleavage of the carbon-carbon double bond. Benzyl and secondary alkyl groups are incorporated at the ortho position of pyridines in one pot.


The Kingdom of Swaziland currently possesses one of the world's highest rates of HIV/AIDS infection. This research discusses some reasons for the rapid spread of the epidemic in Swaziland, and recent actions of Swazi officials to miti- gate the pain and suffering of the Swazi people over the next quarter century. It also suggests some policy initiatives for the future.


The objective of this study was to clarify the changes of soil organic carbon (SOC) content, the saturation capacity of soil carbon sequestration and its cooperation with carbon input (crop source and organic fertilizer source carbon) under long-term (1982-2012) different fertilization in red paddy soil. The results showed that fertilization could increase SOC content. The SOC content of all the fertilization treatments demonstrated a trend of stabilization after applying fertilizer for 30 years. The SOC content in the treatments applying organic manure with mineral fertilizers was between 21.02 and 21.24 g · kg(-1), and the increase rate ranged from 0.41 to 0.59 g · kg(-1) · a(-1). The SOC content in the treatments applying mineral fertilizers only was 15.48 g · kg(-1). The average soil carbon sequestration in the treatments that applied organic manure with mineral fertilizers ranged from 43.61 to 48.43 t C · hm(-2), and the average SOC storage over the years in these treatments was significantly greater than those applying mineral fertilizers only. There was an exponentially positive correlation between C sequestration efficiency and annual average organic C input. It must input exogenous organic carbon at least at 0. 12 t C · hm(-2) · a(-1) to maintain the balance of soil organic carbon under the experimental conditions.


Introduction Huntington's disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease caused by polyglutamine repeat expansion in the Huntington 'htt' gene. HD is characterised by motor and cognitive impairment. Motor abnormalities: chorea and athetosis, deterioration in cognitive function, behavioural changes and a mood component are common symptoms in the presentation of HD. Clinical observation has shown that Huntington's patients also experience extreme temperature variance during the course of the disease. Objective To perform a literature review into the possible causes of defective thermoregulation in HD and highlight recent scientific and clinical findings. Methods AMED, EMBASE, MEDLINE, PsycINFO, BNI,CINAHL databases were searched for relevant papers over the last 10 years. 14 were found but only 3 are directly related to thermoregulation in HD (murine studies, case reports) during this time frame and have been included in this review. Results Articles reviewed: D. Gassbeek, et al. Drug-induced hyperthermia in Huntington's disease. J Neurol2004;251:454-457 Weydt P. et al., Thermoregulatory and metabolic defects in Huntington's disease transgenic mice implicate PGC-1alpha in Huntington's disease neurodegeneration. Cell Metabolism2006;4:349-362 DOI:10.1016/j.cmet.2006.10.004 Renoir T,et al. Sexually dimorphic serotonergic dysfunction in a mouse model of Huntington's disease and depression. PLoS One2011;6(7):e22133 Discussion Using the parameters mentioned in the methods section we reviewed three papers concerning thermoregulation in HD over the last 10 years. It appears that information in this niche field is quite limited and experimentation is required to evolve our understanding of the pathogenesis of this fatal disease. The first article attempts to link the use of psychotropics in the treatment of psychotic symptoms of HD with hyperthermia. The second article explores the profound thermoregulatory defect in the BAT of HD transgenic mice. Multiple cohorts were tested for adaptative thermogenesis at week 10 and 20 of age with all the test subjects displaying significant reduction in body temperature during the cold challenge. The authors implicate transcriptional interference of PGC-1α in the murine HD BAT and postulate that mitochondrial dysfunction in HD may stem from ployQ-htt interference with PGC-1α in the nucleus linking transcriptional dysregulation with mitochondrial pathology in HD. They propose HD therefore to be a metabolic disease and that PGC-1α dysregulation affiliated with temperature fluctuations in HD. However, clinical observation yields an inconsistency in the symptoms experienced by patients as some experience hyperthermia and some hypothermia. So far the literature only shows drug induced hyperthermia in HD and murine models of hypothermia. We do not have a unifying concept nor an adequate amount of data and therefore it remains difficult to draw robust conclusions about the causes of temperature dysregulation in HD. This review highlights the need for further research in this area. Understanding thermoregulation in HD can potentially have great therapeutic value for some patients and would assist clinicians in developing a more robust management plan.


Background Elevated plasma levels of Lipoprotein(a) [Lp(a)] are recognized as a significant risk factor for atherosclerotic vascular disease. However, there are limited data regarding association between Lp(a) and recurrent heart failure (HF) in patients with chronic HF caused by coronary heart disease (CHD). Objective Elevated levels of Lp(a) might have a prognostic impact on recurrent HF in patients with chronic HF caused by CHD. Methods A total of 309 patients with chronic HF caused by CHD were consecutively enrolled in this study. The patients were divided into 2 groups according to whether Lp(a) levels were above or below the median level for the entire cohort (20.6 mg/dL): the high Lp(a) group (n = 155) and the low Lp(a) group (n = 154). A 2-sided p < 0.05 was statistically considered significant. Results During the median follow-up period of 186 days, 31 cases out of a total of 309 patients (10.03%) could not be reached during follow-up. A Kaplan-Meier analysis demonstrated that patients with higher Lp(a) levels had a higher incidence of recurrent HF than those with lower Lp(a) levels (log-rank < 0.0001). A multivariate Cox regression analysis revealed that Lp(a) levels were independently correlated with the incidence of recurrent HF after adjustment of potential confounders (hazard ratio: 2.720, 95 % confidence interval: 1.730-4.277, p < 0.0001). Conclusions In Chinese patients with chronic HF caused by CHD, elevated levels of Lp(a) are independently associated with recurrent HF.


Ninety-nine aqueous, ethanolic and n-hexane extracts of thirty three medicinal plants from twenty six families used in the unani system of medicines in Pakistan were tested against ten commonly prevalent gram negative and gram positive bacteria's particularly the enteric pathogens and yeast using agar diffusion disc method for their antimicrobial activity. Aqueous, ethanolic and n-hexane extracts of fifteen medicinal plants have no activity while other 18 plants have moderate to good antimicrobial activity. The aqueous and alcoholic extract of Adhatoda vasica Nees, Allium sativum Linn., Embelia ribes Burm. f. Mallotus phillippensis Muell., Picrorrhiza kurrooa Royle ex Benth., Ricinus communis Linn.,Elaeagnus hortensis M. Bieb., Swertia chirata Buch. Ham. and exhibited good activity against all or most of the microorganisms. The alcoholic extracts of Solanum nigrum Linn,Centella asiatica Linn, Solanum xanthocarpum Schrad and Wendl., Oxtostagia limbataBenth., Cassia angustifolia Vahl, Polygonum viviparum Linn. have moderate activity against some of the microbial strains. Antibacterial activity of some of the plant extracts can be compared with some antibiotics. This shows that Pakistan has a rich flora, having good potential of antimicrobial agents which can be used as a substitute of antibiotics and need for investigation of unexplored flora and screening for new antimicrobial agents.

 Key words: Antimicrobial properties, crude extracts, Pakistani medicinal plants.


Recently some small scale industries have started using DC electric arc furnace to recycle scrap materials, however modelling and simulation data are very limited in the literature. Therefore, it appears that a numerical simulation could provide many important components for predicting suitable operating conditions, better design and efficient control of the process. With this objective, a numerical simulation model is developed under certain simplifying assumptions. A SIMPLER algorithm is used to solve the model equations.Computed results show that the circulating patterns and the patterns of increasing the temperature of the melt are significantly affected by the change in bottom electrode diameter and these calculated results present very important information. For example, a furnace can be designed in such a way that the melt temperature can be increased uniformly throughout the bath which is very important for making homogeneous alloys. It is also found that the effect of natural convection on melt circulation is negligible, that is, circulation is totally controlled by the electromagnetic force field. In addition to the flow field data, data obtained from the electromagnetic field computations are also presented.


Dzitsiuk, V., & Kovtun, S. (2019). Cytological characteristics of blood of cows with different levels of milk productivity, Bulgarian Journal of Agricultural Science, 25(Supl 1), 37–40 The article studies the content variability of erythrocytes, leukocytes, hemoglobin, ESR-index as well as numerous versions of micro-nucleus test and NOR (Nucleus Organizing Regions) Index. The studies were held for the inter-phase lymphocytes nuclei of the blood of heifers of the Ukrainian Red-and-Black breed that have various level of milk productivity. The studies displayed that the higher the productivity of heifers is the higher the erythrocyte and leukocyte values are. The direct and positive correlation between the milk production of cows and level of erythrocytes and hemoglobin is established. However, there was no connection found between the milk productivity level and the content of leukocytes in the blood. It is stated that the lowest level of erythrocytes that contain micro-nuclei is registered for the cows with yield level 3000-4000 kg. For the groups of cows that has the yield level 6000 kg and above an abrupt increase of erythrocytes with micro-nuclei was detected, comparing to the groups with the lower milk productivity. The frequencies of the lymphocytes with micro-nuclei are slightly higher for the groups that have the productivity level of 3000-4000 kg of milk, comparing to the groups of productivity of 4000-6000 kg and is lower for the groups of heifers with productivity of 6000 kg and above. By the coloration of the samples with silver nitrate it is stated that the least NOR number in inter-phase lymphocytes nuclei is found for the heifers with milking level of 3000-4000 kg, while the highest number is noticed for the cows with the productivity level of 5000-6000 kg. The average NOR Index among all researched groups of animals is 2.36.


The pilot study on the implementation of education at Junior High Schools (SMP) revealed that gender bias is still present in various aspects. In the learning, it was found that some materials were not gender responsive, learning interaction sometimes caused one of the parties to be discriminated, and the teacher's and students' sentences contained stereotypes. One of the subjects which has the potential for and contributes to gender bias is Social Sciences (IPS). As a subject which correlates with the practices of social life, Social Sciences reflects the gender bias as an existing reality. Other subjects which are potential for gender bias are Natural Sciences, Arts and Cultural Arts and Crafts, and Language. In Natural Sciences and crafts, the bias is often found the existence of interaction. In the Natural Science practicum class, which is correlated with animals, there is often a higher ratio of male to female students. On the other hand, on the practice of crafting class, female student levels are typically higher. In language subjects, it was found that the use of discourse and sentences did not show gender equality and justice, often depicting males in strategic roles and the females in domestic roles. A learning model needs to be developed with regards to the values of gender equality and justice, from the earliest years of schooling. This study sought to identify nthe basic competencies and learning aspects which are gender biased. The results are followed up by developing the gender-responsive Edu Gender Unity learning model. The development involved the subject teachers as the researcher's partner in designing, developing, and trying out the gender responsive learning model design. The development of this learning model is intended for Indonesian Language, Cultural Arts and crafts, Natural Sciences, and Social Sciences subjects. The development consists of (1) the formulation of gender responsive indicators, (2) teaching materials to achieve the gender-responsive competence, and (3) learning strategies which correspond to achieve gender-responsive competence.
Keywords: Gender Responsive, Learning, Junior High Schools


(1) Background: Quality of care (QC) is not only about satisfying patients, but also about satisfying the various health system stakeholders (HSS). This makes it a complex and difficult objective to achieve. This study aims at proposing a methodological framework for identifying HSS, prioritizing them in QC, and analyzing their interrelationships. (2) Methods: The proposed framework is the mixed-method 5W2D approach, which uses a combination of three basic methods: the 5W questioning technique (What, Who, Why, Where, and When), the Delphi method, and the Decision making trial and evaluation laboratory (DEMATEL) technique. It consists of three interdependent phases. First of all, a preliminary list of HSS is established based on a systematic literature review, which is then projected and adapted to the national context using the 5W questioning technique. Secondly, the identified HSS are classified in order according to their influence and impact on QC by employing Delphi method. Thirdly, the interrelationships between HSS are determined and analyzed by applying DEMATEL technique. An application of 5W2D is conducted in the Moroccan context as its health system involves a wide range of stakeholders. (3) Results: Results defined 17 groups of HSS, whose prioritization led to three groups that are at the core of the health system: patients and their families, health personnel, and government. Roles and expectations of these groups regarding QC are divergent and contradictory, which require making trade-offs. The findings of this study intend to guide the development of inclusive strategies and policies that involve key stakeholders for QC assessment and improvement.


showed a schwannoma with no evidence of malignancy, and similar benign areas are present in the current biopsy. This supports our assumption that this malignant tumour has arisen by transformation from the previous lesion. An issue with this case is the history of previous radiation. It has been reported that irradiation may induce neurofibrosarcoma. These cases report malignancy arising within previously normal nerves and do not describe the induction of malignancy within a previously benign tumour. Regardless of this possible aetiology, we believe that this case represents malignant transformation within a previously benign vestibular schwannoma, and therefore presents a rare case.


A modified and improved model of a mechanical manipulator for observation of pinned and mounted insects is described. This device allows movement of the observed object around three perpendicular axes in the field of vision at all magnifications of stereomicroscopes. The main improvement of this new model is positioning of the guiding knobs for rotating around two of the axes next to each other, allowing faster and easier manipulation of the studied object. The device enables easily reaching a precession deviation in the intersection point of axes up to 0.5 mm in the process of assembling.


Kluyveromyces marxianus is the fastest-growing eukaryote and a promising host for producing bioethanol and heterologous proteins. To perform a laboratory evolution of thermal tolerance in K. marxianus, diploid, triploid and tetraploid strains were constructed, respectively. Considering the genetic diversity caused by genetic recombination in meiosis, we established an iterative cycle of "diploid/polyploid - meiosis - selection of spores at high temperature" to screen thermotolerant strains. Results showed that the evolution of thermal tolerance in diploid strain was more efficient than that in triploid and tetraploid strains. The thermal tolerance of the progenies of diploid and triploid strains after a two-round screen was significantly improved than that after a one-round screen, while the thermal tolerance of the progenies after the one-round screen was better than that of the initial strain. After a two-round screen, the maximum tolerable temperature of Dip2-8, a progeny of diploid strain, was 3°C higher than that of the original strain. Whole-genome sequencing revealed nonsense mutations of PSR1 and PDE2 in the thermotolerant progenies. Deletion of either PSR1 or PDE2 in the original strain improved thermotolerance and two deletions displayed additive effects, suggesting PSR1 and PDE2 negatively regulated the thermotolerance of K. marxianus in parallel pathways. Therefore, the iterative cycle of "meiosis - spore screening" developed in this study provides an efficient way to perform the laboratory evolution of heat resistance in yeast.


The purpose of this research is to examine the effects of institutional ownership, capital structure, and firm size on firm value in trading company in jakarta stock exchange for 2009 until 2012. Purposive sampling method is used to get our sampling form thirty firm population, we acquired twenty companies. For the analyse our data, we used multiple regresion analyse. Testing while t-test, f-test and coefficient determinasi (R2) are used to examine our hypotesis. The result that capital structure variable negative and significantly on firm value. moreover firm size effect positively and significantly on firm value. whereas, institutional ownership has no effect on firm value. Keywords: Enterprise Value, Institutional Ownership, Capital Structure and Firm Size.


Smart sensing has had a significant impact on defining our future in recent years. The field of IOT is a recent technical innovation that has caused a change in lifestyle (Internet of things). IoT refers to the internetworking of physical equipment and other items that are equipped with electronics, software, sensors, and network connectivity to allow data to be collected from them. Transportation is a booming industry in India, with the number of vehicles on the road increasing by the day. Monitoring vehicle metrics such as gasoline, temperature, and battery level without having to touch the car is perfect. In this digital age, a digital locking mechanism is desperately needed. When your vehicle is not with you, vehicle tracking is also essential. Here, car tracking is designed using GPS to conveniently locate the user's vehicle. The IoT cloud-based real-time automotive monitoring system is capable of monitoring our vehicle's metrics such as fuel level, battery level, engine temperature, and speed, as well as tracking the driver's alcohol percentage via an Android application. We receive an alert when one of these metrics crosses a certain threshold. Its Smart RFID digital key secures your vehicle even more than keys do. We may save our vehicle documents, driver's licences, insurance copies, and other documents in this project's Android application. Whenever an accident occurs, send a message to trusted people with the location.


Three-dimensional color Doppler is a new technique that provides three dimensional images of intracardiac flow jets. Despite the different measurement methods available, noninvasive quantification of valve regulation is still controversial in some cases. It is also sometimes difficult to appreciate the spatial extension of the jet. Visualisation of regurgitant flows in three dimensions shows its complex shape, origin, direction and spatial distribution, and correlates accurately with regurgitant volume and regurgitant fraction by different methods (angiography, two-dimensional Doppler). Unnoticed its in the two-dimensional image have been detected with the three-dimensional image and additional qualitative information to the two dimensional image has been provided by this new technique in a high percentage of patients.


Dielectric relaxation of aqueous solutions of micelles, proteins, and many complex systems shows an anomalous dispersion at frequencies intermediate between those corresponding to the rotational motion of bulk water and that of the organized assembly or macromolecule. The precise origin of this anomalous dispersion is not well-understood. In this work we employ large scale atomistic molecular dynamics simulations to investigate the dielectric relaxation (DR) of water molecules in an aqueous micellar solution of cesium pentadecafluorooctanoate. The simulations clearly show the presence of a slow component in the moment-moment time correlation function [PhiMW(t)] of water molecules, with a time constant of about 40 ps, in contrast to only 9 ps for bulk water. Interestingly, the orientational time correlation function [Cmu(t)] of individual water molecules at the surface exhibits a component with a time constant of about 19 ps. We show that these two time constants can be related by the well-known micro-macrorelations of statistical mechanics. In addition, the reorientation of surface water molecules exhibits a very slow component that decays with a time constant of about 500 ps. An analysis of hydrogen bond lifetime and of the rotational relaxation in the coordinate frame fixed on the micellar body seems to suggest that the 500 ps component owes its origin to the existence of an extended hydrogen bond network of water molecules at the surface. However, this ultraslow component is not found in the total moment-moment time correlation function of water molecules in the solution. The slow DR of hydration water is found to be well correlated with the slow solvation dynamics of cesium ions at the water-micelle interface.


The article describes the development and differentiation of the intermuscular and submucosal nerve plexuses of the large intestine of the fetuses of cows from 50 days of age to birth. On days 50-70, the muscular membrane of the intestinal wall is built from bundles of smooth muscle cells, clearly divided into inner (annular) and outer (longitudinal) layers. Ganglia are laid between them, forming the intermuscular nerve plexus. The submucous nerve plexus differentiates later. The development of the nervous apparatus of the rectal wall is ahead of the development of similar structures of the colon and cecum. Enhanced growth and differentiation of nerve cells in fetuses is noted from 95-120 days. The first synapse-like contacts were observed in the intestinal ganglia at the age of 4.5 months of embryonic development. Enhanced differentiation and growth of nerve cells of the submucous nerve plexus is observed in fetuses of a cow at 6-7 months. By the end of the embryonic period and in early postnatal ontogenesis, connective tissue gradually overgrows the developing ganglion of the colon wall. Before the birth of the fetus, the nervous tissue of the colon wall forms a complex intramural nervous system, represented by four plexuses - intermuscular, submucosal, actually mucous and sub-serous. There are a large number of mature synaptic contacts. The study examines the stages of morphological changes in the development of intestinal ganglia from the aggregation of neural cells to the formation of a complex intramural nervous system in the walls of the colon.


Severe intestinal bleeding in elderly patients is associated by an increased risk of mortality. Factors contributory to the poor prognosis are cardiac, respiratory, hepatic and renal diseases. In upper gastrointestinal bleeding initial diagnosis is built up by means of endoscopy in more than 90 per cent. Immediate emergency endoscopy improves the outcome only in patients with active bleeding. In severe lower gastrointestinal bleeding angiography is the primary diagnostic procedure to be performed. Angiodysplasias as a frequent source of lower intestinal bleeding are localized easily by angiography. Conservative therapy of gastro-intestinal bleeding includes endoscopic, angiographic and medical procedures.


Bystander B cells may be initially stimulated through CD40, which enhances susceptibility to Fas-mediated apoptosis, before encountering Ag, which produces Fas resistance. A key issue in this process is to what extent CD40 cross-talk might affect subsequent BCR signaling. It has previously been shown that CD40 engagement bypasses or mitigates the need for Bruton's tyrosine kinase in subsequent BCR signaling for NF-κB activation. However, the full extent of the effects of CD40 on BCR signaling has not been delineated. In the present study we evaluated the possibility that CD40-mediated cross-talk also affects another principal outcome of BCR signaling: MAPK activation. We found that prior stimulation of primary murine B cells with CD40L markedly enhanced the level of ERK and JNK (but not p38 MAPK) phosphorylation produced by subsequently added anti-Ig Ab, and much, but not all, of this enhancement was independent of PI3K and phospholipase C. CD40L treatment similarly enhanced BCR-induced MAPK kinase (MEK) phosphorylation, and MEK was required for enhancement of ERK. Although BCR-induced c-Raf phosphorylation was also enhanced by prior CD40L treatment, c-Raf was not required for MEK/ERK phosphorylation. These results identify a novel system of receptor cross-talk between CD40 and BCR and indicate that the effects of CD40 engagement on subsequent BCR stimulation spread beyond NF-κB to involve the MAPK pathway.


Background The incidence of asthma in Chinese children has rapidly increased as a result of inadequate management. This is mainly due to the failure of many primary-level pediatricians to distinguish asthma from common respiratory diseases, such as bronchitis and pneumonia. Such misdiagnoses often lead to the abuse of antibiotics and systemic glucocorticoids. Additionally, if asthma is not diagnosed early, chronic airway inflammation results in lesions that not only hamper children's athletic abilities, but serve as the primary cause for adult chronic airway diseases, such as chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD). Methods A number of machine learning–based models including CatBoost, Logistic Regression, Naïve Bayes, and Support Vector Machines (SVM) have been developed to identify asthma via utilizing retrospective electronic medical records (EMRs) of patients. These models were evaluated independently using EMRs from both the Pulmonology Department and other departments of the Children's Hospital, Zhejiang University School of Medicine, China. Results Two independent test sets were applied for performance evaluation. TestSet-1 consisted of 325 positive asthma cases and 428 negative cases from the Pulmonology Department. TestSet-2 was composed of 2,123 cases from non-pulmonology departments, and included 337 positive and 1,786 negative cases. Experimental results showed that the CatBoost model outperformed other models on both test sets with an accuracy of 84.7% and an area under the curve (AUC) of 90.9% on TestSet-1, and an accuracy of 96.7% and an AUC of 98.1% on TestSet-2. Conclusions The artificial intelligence (AI) model could rapidly and accurately identify asthma in general medical wards of children, and may aid primary pediatricians in the correct diagnoses of asthma. It possesses great clinical value and practical significance in improving the control rate of asthma in children, optimizing medical resources, and limiting the abuse of antibiotics and systemic glucocorticoids.


In order to use overland and stream flows of watersheds, flood control is a basic water resources management step especially in arid and semi-arid areas. Selecting suitable areas for flood spreading is one of the most important parameter in the success of the concerned projects. The aim of this study was to evaluate the accuracy of index of overlay maps, Boolean and fuzzy methods to identify the flood spreading areas, using GIS techniques. For this purpose, five geographical information layers including slope, land use, surface infiltration, quaternary units and aquifer depth were interpolated based on the three presented approaches. The results (as the output maps) were evaluated and compared with the field control sites. The results showed that the method of Multi class maps, because of its maximum overlaying surface with the control sites, comparing to the other models was the best method for the selection of flood spreading sites in the Poshtkoh Basin, Iran.


In computational biomechanics, two separate types of models have been used predominantly to enhance the understanding of the mechanisms of action of the lumbosacral spine (LSS): Finite element (FE) and musculoskeletal multibody (MB) models. To combine advantages of both models, hybrid FE-MB models are an increasingly used alternative. The aim of this paper is to develop, calibrate, and validate a novel passive hybrid FE-MB open-access simulation model of a ligamentous LSS using ArtiSynth. Based on anatomical data from the Male Visible Human Project, the LSS model is constructed from the L1-S1 rigid vertebrae interconnected with hyperelastic fiber-reinforced FE intervertebral discs, ligaments, and facet joints. A mesh convergence study, sensitivity analyses, and systematic calibration were conducted with the hybrid functional spinal unit (FSU) L4/5. The predicted mechanical responses of the FSU L4/5, the lumbar spine (L1-L5), and the LSS were validated against literature data from in vivo and in vitro measurements and in silico models. Spinal mechanical responses considered when loaded with pure moments and combined loading modes were total and intervertebral range of motions, instantaneous axes and centers of rotation, facet joint contact forces, intradiscal pressures, disc bulges, and stiffnesses. Undesirable correlations with the FE mesh were minimized, the number of crisscrossed collagen fiber rings was reduced to five, and the individual influences of specific anatomical structures were adjusted to in vitro range of motions. Including intervertebral motion couplings for axial rotation and nonlinear stiffening under increasing axial compression, the predicted kinematic and structural mechanics responses were consistent with the comparative data. The results demonstrate that the hybrid simulation model is robust and efficient in reproducing valid mechanical responses to provide a starting point for upcoming optimizations and extensions, such as with active skeletal muscles.


This paper presents a complete set of results describing the effects of monetary policy in 10 countries of the Euro area for the pre-EMU period. For each country, we impose one of three identification schemes depending on its monetary integration with Germany, the nominal anchor of the ERM. The first identification scheme applies to Germany, the second to countries of the core EMS (Austria, Belgium and the Netherlands) and the third to all the other countries. An unexpected rise in the short-term interest rate leads to a decrease in GDP, (with investment and exports falling more than consumption) and a gradual decrease in prices for all countries. We also show that, given the width of the error bands around the estimate, we cannot reject that the effects of monetary policy on GDP and on prices are broadly similar in the individual countries of the Euro area.


The relationship between the cooling curve and formation of primary silicon from the melt has been investigated for Al-20%Si alloy in the uninoculated state and when prior-treated with a phosphorus-bearing inoculant. The results suggest that coarse branched silicon forms from an uninoculated melt at sub-liquidus temperatures well above the primary silicon arrest temperature and that increasingly effective inoculation both reduces intensity of the arrest and shifts it to higher temperature eventually eliminating it completely in favour of a sharp reduction in slope of the cooling curve at or just below the liquidus temperature. It is proposed that this could be used as a simple diagnostic test for efficiency of refinement of primary silicon by inoculant additions under specified conditions.


The ongoing MPEG-7 standardization activity aims at creating a standard for describing multimedia content in order to facilitate the interpretation of the associated information content. Attempting to address a broad range of applications, MPEG-7 has defined a flexible framework consisting of Descriptors, Description Schemes, and Description Definition Language. Descriptors and Description Schemes describe features, structure and semantics of multimedia objects. They are written in the Description Definition Language (DDL). In the most recent revision, DDL applies XML (Extensible Markup Language) Schema with MPEG-7 extensions. DDL has constructs that support inclusion, inheritance, reference, enumeration, choice, sequence, and abstract type of Description Schemes and Descriptors. In order to enable multimedia systems to use MPEG-7, a number of important problems in storing, retrieving and searching MPEG-7 documents need to be solved. This paper reports on initial finding on issues and solutions of storing and accessing MPEG-7 documents. In particular, we discuss the benefits of using a virtual document management framework based on XML Access Server (XAS) in order to bridge the MPEG-7 multimedia applications and database systems. The need arises partly because MPEG-7 descriptions need customized storage schema, indexing and search engines. We also discuss issues arising in managing dependence and cross-description scheme search.


Atherosclerotic vessel injury induces recruitment of both platelets and neutrophils where multiple proteases induce platelet activation and aggregation. Platelets contain two protease activated receptors, PAR1 and PAR4, the cleavage of which results in exposure of a new amino terminus to serve as a tethered ligand. Released neutrophil cathepsin G (CatG) has been shown to be a physiologic modulator of platelet thrombus formation in mice. CatG activates PAR4 and not PAR1, presumably because CatG cleaves PAR1 by removing its tethered ligand. However, neither the CatG biochemical cleavage of PAR4 nor the resulting tethered ligands have been reported. The goals of the current study are to (1) identify the CatG-PAR4 cleavage sites and resulting tethered ligands and (2) determine how CatG-stimulated PAR4 signaling is altered by the PAR4 Ala120Thr variant. We synthesized two portions of the PAR4 extracellular N-terminus: amino acids Asp38-Ser58 (PAR4-B) and Asp57-Arg78 (PAR4-C) and exposed each peptide to purified CatG. Mass spectrometry identified two major cleavage sites for PAR4-B: the previously documented CatG and thrombin site Arg47-Gly48 and a novel Cys54-Ala55. Analysis of PAR4-C digestion yielded an additional three novel CatG cleavage sites, two major: Arg68-Ala69 and Leu71-Leu72, and one minor: Leu70-Leu71. Neither concentration or time of exposure appeared to alter the CatG cleavage sites. To assess functionality, we generated peptides based on the novel cleavage sites produced by CatG cleavage. Human washed platelets were treated with each peptide, and platelet activation was assessed by PAC-1 binding. As expected, the known tethered ligand sequence GYPGQV showed a statistically significant increase in PAC-1 binding (p=.02) compared to resting platelets. Three of the remaining four novel peptides generated no significant change in PAC-1 binding compared to baseline. However, peptide 3, representing novel tethered ligand ALLLGW, induced a substantial increase (462%) in PAC-1 binding compared to resting platelets. To assess the effect of the PAR4Ala120Thr variant on CatG-stimulated platelet reactivity, human washed platelets were collected from donors homozygous for Ala120 or Thr120 and stimulated with CatG. Platelets expressing the Thr120 variant displayed a significant increase in PAC-1 compared to Ala120 platelets (54%; p=.004). Addition of a CatG inhibitor caused a significant decrease in platelet activation triggered by CatG for both groups (Thr: -81%, p=.000001; Ala: -78%, p=.00017), and abrogated the significant increase in platelet activation displayed by Thr120 platelets (p=.99). To further examine the relationship between the PAR4 Ala120Thr variant and CatG, platelets from each variant were subjected to increasing amounts of CatG. Platelet activation was measured by PAC-1 binding and P-selectin expression. Both PAC-1 binding and P-selectin expression were significantly increased in platelets from Thr120 donors compared to Ala120 platelets (PAC-1, p=.026; P-selectin, p=.025). Overall, our study identified a previously unidentified CatG cleavage site in PAR4, which produced a novel tethered ligand capable of activating platelets. Because cleavage resulting in the ALLLGW ligand is downstream of the thrombin cleavage site, CatG may modulate in vivo thrombin-induced signaling in platelets or other cell types. Our findings also indicate the hyperactive response of 120Thr platelets is not dependent on a specific PAR4 protease. These new insights into PAR4 biology may provide targets for future antithrombotic therapies.

 No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Since December 2019, corona virus disease 2019 (COVID-19) , an emerging infection disease occurred in Wuhan, has spread in the mainland China The epidemic factors on the basis of knowledge of SARS-CoV-2 were discussed in this paper This puts a lot of pressure on clinical resources and care SARS-CoV-2 is a novel corona virus, the onset of COVID-19 is slow, and the pathogenesis of SARS-CoV-2 remains unclear and may lead to multiple organ damage These put a lot of pressure on clinical resources and care Source of infection including the patients, asymptomatic carrier and patients in the incubation period are contagious It is difficult to control source of infection Routes of SARS-CoV-2 transmission are diversified and the main routes of transmission for COVID-19 are droplet transmission and close contact transmission All population have susceptibility to SARS-CoV-2 Social factors such population movements and aggregation accelerated the spread of SARS-CoV-2 The Chinese government's adopted measures are positive and effective, and are accepted by the expert group from the World Health Organization However, it will be a long-term hard work in the future to seriously summarize and think deeply to achieve public health security in China


OBJECTIVE
To examine the diagnostic contributions of cardiac magnetic resonance imaging (CMRI) with delayed-enhancement (DE) in patients with Churg-Strauss syndrome (CSS).

METHODS
We consecutively recruited 14 men and 6 women (mean age: 50+/-14 years) with CSS (mean disease duration: 4.5+/-3.6 years) and investigated them independently of the presence/absence of cardiac manifestations. Cardiac manifestations included heart failure in 6 patients, angina pectoris in 1, isolated ECG abnormality in 1, and isolated echocardiography and ECG abnormalities in 1. T1-weighted sequences were recorded after gadolinium injection to study myocardial DE.

RESULTS
CMRI abnormalities were found in 13/20 patients, including all 9 patients with myocardial manifestations, and 4 of the 11 asymptomatic patients. DE was centromyocardial in 6 patients, subepicardial in 4, and subendocardial in 3. Most enhanced lesions were in the anteroseptal or lateral walls. Patients with myocardial symptoms and DE had higher transmyocardial wall DE scores (mean: 9.4 vs. 3.7, respectively; p=0.01) and lower left ventricular ejection fractions (mean: 42% vs. 59%; p=0.001) than asymptomatic patients with DE.

CONCLUSION
CMRI with DE enabled the detection of myocardial involvement in CSS patients with or without clinical symptoms. The clinical relevance of CMRI abnormalities in patients without clinical, echocardiographic and ECG signs of cardiac involvement remains unknown and needs to be evaluated in future studies. It seems premature to intensify treatment or to prescribe systematically steroids and cytotoxic agents based on the presence of isolated CMRI anomalies.


We consider the multivariate location problem with cluster-correlated data. A family of multivariate weighted sign tests is introduced for which observations from different clusters can receive different weights. Under weak assumptions, the test statistic is asymptotically distributed as a chi-squared random variable as the number of clusters goes to infinity. The asymptotic distribution of the test statistic is also given for a local alternative model under multivariate normality. Optimal weights maximizing Pitman asymptotic efficiency are provided. These weights depend on the cluster sizes and on the intracluster correlation. Several approaches for estimating these weights are presented. Using Pitman asymptotic efficiency, we show that appropriate weighting can increase substantially the efficiency compared to a test that gives the same weight to each cluster. A multivariate weighted t-test is also introduced. The finite-sample performance of the weighted sign test is explored through a simulation study which shows that the proposed approach is very competitive. A real data example illustrates the practical application of the methodology. Copyright 2007, Oxford University Press.


Despite the increased importance of cyclically-adjusted measures of labour market slack for policymaking, estimates of the NAIRU have become increasingly fragile. Particularly for euro area countries, NAIRU estimates represent a crucial input to compute cyclically-adjusted budget balances adopted to formulate medium-term fiscal objectives under the EU fiscal surveillance framework. However, the apparent reduced sensitivity of inflation to labour market dynamics and unemployment gaps seriously undermines the use of Phillips curve equations in estimating the NAIRU. Estimates of the NAIRU are particularly problematic when changes in unemployment are both very large and rapid as in the aftermath of the global crisis. This paper proposes a refinement to the standard OECD approach of using a Kalman filter to estimate the NAIRU in the context of the Phillips curve. The proposed refinement strengthens the relationship between inflation and labour market developments by considering the risk of hysteresis effects associated with changes in long-term unemployment. Testing the revised methodology on a broad selection of OECD countries gives mixed results. For a group of countries in the euro area periphery (Greece, Ireland, Italy, Portugal and Spain) there is an increase in the magnitude and statistical significance of the unemployment gap, with the NAIRU revised upward by on average 1¾ percentage points. However, the revised methodology provides less improvement to the standard OECD methodology for a second set of countries considered, namely the G7 excluding Italy. The United States is an interesting intermediate case as the statistical evidence for the proposed methodology is marginal, but the policy implications of the revised point estimate of the NAIRU are major. JEL classification: C32, E24, E31, E32, J64. Keywords: Long-term unemployment, flattening Phillips curve, NAIRU, euro area periphery, Kalman filter.


The increasing involvement of women in the paid-labor market has led to multifactorial exposure towards the development of noncommunicable diseases (NCDs). This review aims to identify the prevalence of NCDs and the associated risk factors among working women. A systematic review was performed using PubMed and Scopus databases. Twelve articles published between 2015 and 2019 satisfied the inclusion and exclusion criteria and were selected for qualitative synthesis. Among working women, the prevalence of NCDs was as follows: coronary heart disease, 0.3%–5.9%; metabolic syndrome, 52.0%; diabetes mellitus, 8.9%–16.0%; hypertension, 16.6%–66.4%; non-skin cancer, 3.7%. The prevalence of NCD risk factors was as follows: overweight/obesity, 33.8%–77.0%; low physical activity, 51.0%; unhealthy diet, 44.9%–69.9%; dyslipidemia, 27.8%–44.0%. The factors associated with NCDs were long working hours, double work burden, and stress. NCD is an important burden of working women that will lead to reduced work quality and affect family well-being. Disease prevention approaches, such as the intervention of common workplace risk factors and specific work schedule design, are among the strategies for improving the situation.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to explore the transformation of logistics processes to meet requirements of Industrie 4.0.

Design/methodology/approach
The authors follow the principles of action design research to conduct a single-case study investigating four logistics processes at a leading German car manufacturer. For the development of artifacts, the authors used Method Engineering.

Findings
The case study reveals a set of Industrie 4.0 process design principles, providing guidelines for the design and management of Industrie 4.0 compliant processes. In the second step, the authors use these process design principles for the development of a first version of a method for Industrie 4.0 process transformation.

Research limitations/implications
In the light of limited scientific knowledge about Industrie 4.0 process transformation, the paper uses a single-case study design. This is adequate considering the research goal at hand and the richness of empirical insight the authors had access to. However, a single-case design is limited regarding generalizability and demand for future qualitative and quantitative research.

Practical implications
The Industrie 4.0 process design principles support practitioners in the design and management of Industrie 4.0 compliant processes. In addition, the method developed by the authors supports enterprises in the transformation of their current processes toward Industrie 4.0.

Originality/value
The paper describes the first attempt – as far as the authors are aware – to derive guidelines for the design and management of Industrie 4.0 processes from the analysis of a real-world industrial setting. Likewise, the method for Industrie 4.0 process transformation presented in this paper is presumed to be the first such method developed in full accordance with the principles of Method Engineering.


There have been few studies on the cosmetic efficacy of Coprinus comatus, Cordyceps militaris, and Pleurotus geesteranus. This article aims to compare the cosmetic effects of the mycelium, fermentation broth, and mycelium and fermentation broth mixture of liquid-fermented C. comatus, C. militaris, and P. geesteranus. Our results verified that these three edible mushrooms all showed excellent antioxidant, moisturizing, and whitening effects. Comparatively, we found that the cosmetic effects of C. comatus were superior to C. militaris and P. geesteranus. Therefore, we speculate that among the three edible mushrooms, C. comatus will be the most suitable to be used as a basis for cosmeceutical formulations to tackle skin aging and hyperpigmentation. This research aims to provide a basis for the study of the cosmetic effects of edible mushrooms.


We demonstrate a compact tunable chirp managed laser (CML) comprising a radio-frequency switch, a directly modulated distributed feedback laser array, a microelectromechanical systems mirror, and an optical filter and obtain error-free transmission performance over 30 nm at 10.7 Gb/s up to 200 km without electrical dispersion compensation (EDC) or optical dispersion compensation. Transmission distance is stretched to 300 km over the same wavelength range by adding a standard EDC to the receiver.


The transport sector offers limited options to reduce greenhouse gas emissions as compared with other sectors, such as power generation and industrial sectors. To understand the potential reduction of energy consumption and associated emissions through fuel substitution or transportation service demand reduction, this study estimates own- and cross-price elasticities of various fuels used for transportation. The analysis shows, like many previous studies, that an increase in fuel prices would not have a large effect on transport sector carbon dioxide emissions, due to limited substitution possibilities among fuels for transportation. The study also finds that price-induced changes that lead to an increase in the rate of adoption of fuel-efficient vehicles would be more effective than a policy to cause fuel substitution.


Introduction SIGN recommends rapid virological testing for RSV. There was a perception that in the absence of laboratory confirmation, infants were being increasingly investigated and treated to cover for bacterial pneumonia. Method A cost analysis comparing two periods when NPA was routinely done and when it was not done was undertaken. A retrospective audit comparing patients diagnosed with bronchiolitis in December 2001 when NPA testing was routinely done and December 2010 when it could only be requested by senior clinicians. This decision was meant to cut costs as it was felt that a positive NPA did not change management. Results In 2001, 15 patients (75%) were diagnosed with bronchiolitis using NPA techniques compared to two patients (5.9%) in the 2010 cohort. In 2010, 10 patients (29.4%) received chest radiographs compared to 6 patients (30.0%) in 2001. A total of 3 patients (15.0%) received the 9 blood investigations in the 2001 cohort group compared to 10 patients (29.41%) who received the 43 investigations in the 2010 cohort. The combined cost of all investigations during inpatient stay per patient was £24.95 in the 2001 cohort group compared to £10.10 in the 2010 cohort group. NPA tests are considerably more expensive, specifically 1.5 times the cost of chest radiographs and more than 8 times the cost of any blood investigation. The mean length of inpatient stay was similar in both cohorts: 2.9 days in 2001 and 2.7 days in 2010 Conclusion NPA testing may not be a cost-effective matter-of-course investigation. Notably, bronchiolitis requires a predominately clinical diagnosis. The cost of NPA testing, appreciably higher than for any investigation, accounted for almost 75% of the investigation spend in 2001, yet only 14.5% in 2010. However, as the other investigations are not interchangeable with NPAs, there must be a presumption that other legitimate rationales dictated their requirement.


[Cop] Among the data to be explained by Gopnik's hypothesis that young children lack a representational model of the mind (RMM) are children's false reports about their immediately past beliefs, desires, and intentions. The hypothesis applies neatly to the false-belief reports, but its application to comparable reports about past desires and intentions is not made clear. Three-year-olds, writes Gopnik, "think of be l ie f . . . as a matter of a direct relation between the mind and objects in the world, not a relation mediated by representations or propositions. They think we simply believe x, tout court, just as, even in the adult view, we may simply see or want x, tout court, rather than seeing, wanting, or believing that x" (sect. 3.2, para. 2). This is a puzzling claim. When x is a person, believing x without believing that x is routine: I believe Ann when she tells me that she lives in Utah, but I don't believe that Ann (although I do believe that Ann lives in Utah). When, alternatively, x is a statement or proposition, to believe * is to believe that something is the case. Let x be the statement "Ann lives in Utah": believing x while not believing that Ann lives in Utah is unimaginable. To grasp Gopnik's claim, then, one must look further. She contends that a view of belief typical of 3-year-olds "does not . . . allow them to understand cases of misrepresentation such as false beliefs or misleading appearances," and "makes it difficult to understand that beliefs may come from many different sources, that they may come in degrees, and that there are intermediate steps between the mind and the world" (sect. 3.2, para. 3). So perhaps her earlier claim can be put as follows: Three-year-olds view belief as directly and correctly mirroring "objects in the world." Their having such a view (rather than a representational model of belief) might help explain why they erroneously report that they believed all along that there were pencils in the candy box and that others would believe this too: If beliefs were always correct, no one would believe that the box contained candy. Three-year-olds sometimes report falsely on their past intentions and desires, as well. Children who had started drawing a red ball but then complied with an experimenter's request to draw an apple reported that they had intended all along to draw the apple. Similarly, hungry children who ate crackers "until they were no longer hungry" subsequently said that they weren't hungry when they started eating. These children, now lacking a desire to eat crackers, in effect claimed that they had no such desire earlier either. Both cases provide analogues of children's false reports that they believed all along that there were pencils in the candy box. The belief reports are allegedly explained by the 3-year-olds' viewing belief as correctly mirroring reality. If the children who said that they intended all along to draw an apple held the comparable view that reality correctly mirrors intention or, less figuratively, that all intentions are executed a parallel explanation of their intention reports could be offered. On the assumption that all intentions are executed, the young artists never intended to draw a ball: If they had so intended, they would have drawn a ball.


Morphological component analysis of signals and images has far-reaching applications in science and technology, but some consider it problematic and even intractable. Reproducible research is essential to give MCA a firm scientific foundation. Researchers developed MCALab to demonstrate key MCA concepts and make them available to interested researchers.


This work develops a methodology for creating a data-driven digital twin from a library of physics-based models representing various asset states. The digital twin is updated using interpretable machine learning. Specifically, we use optimal trees---a recently developed scalable machine learning method---to train an interpretable data-driven classifier. Training data for the classifier are generated offline using simulated scenarios solved by the library of physics-based models. These data can be further augmented using experimental or other historical data. In operation, the classifier uses observational data from the asset to infer which physics-based models in the model library are the best candidates for the updated digital twin. The approach is demonstrated through the development of a structural digital twin for a 12ft wingspan unmanned aerial vehicle. This digital twin is built from a library of reduced-order models of the vehicle in a range of structural states. The data-driven digital twin dynamically updates in response to structural damage or degradation and enables the aircraft to replan a safe mission accordingly. Within this context, we study the performance of the optimal tree classifiers and demonstrate how their interpretability enables explainable structural assessments from sparse sensor measurements, and also informs optimal sensor placement.


1H-Pyridine-2-thione (C2H4NSH) reacts with [Cu(MeCN)4]PF6 in acetone to give an orange compound [Cu6(C5H4NS)6], which crystallized in the monoclinic space group P21/n, a= 12.257(2), b= 16.029(2), c= 9.581 (1)A, β= 108.859(9)°, and Z= 2. The single-crystal X-ray structure of the complex shows a distorted octahedral core of six copper atoms, with metal–metal distances ranging from 2.795(1) to 3.160(1)A. Each copper has a trigonal geometry constituted by the two thiolate sulphur and one pyridine nitrogen atoms, as distinct from the common copper–thione sulphur co-ordination in other copper(I)–C5H4NSH complexes. The copper atom deviates highly from the S2N co-ordination plane. The reaction solution was examined by 1H n.m.r. spectroscopy, which reveals the formation of several low-molecular-weight species in the early stages of the reaction.


In this letter, we demonstrate the fabrication and bonding of a 1 cm/spl times/1 cm monolithic two dimensional (2D) vertical-cavity surface-emitting laser (VCSEL) array. We coupled the array to a matched microlens array to individually collimate light from each laser. We found the beam divergence of the collimated array to be 1.6/spl deg/ (1/e2) for the entire array. Using a 1-cm diameter F2 lens, we were able to focus the collimated beams to a spot of 400 /spl mu/m in diameter and to couple more than 75% of the array power into a 1-mm core fiber. Our results show that it is possible to uniformly bond large area VCSEL arrays to heat sinks, and to collimate light from each element into parallel beams using a single 2-D microlens array. Our results also show that the brightness of the focused beam can be further increased with a lens to near 10/sup 5/-W/cm/sup 2/ Steradian, a level that is useful for many high-power applications.


Carney triad is a rare multitumoral syndrome of unknown etiology that was first described in 1977. The neoplasms affect the stomach, lungs, paraganglionic system, adrenal cortex, and esophagus. Approximately 150 cases have been identified. The disorder occurs in young women primarily and is not familial. Multifocal tumors develop in the organs affected. No patient has had tumors in all 5 organs. One patient had tumor in 4 organs; most patients have them in 2. Thus, the syndrome is usually only partially expressed. The gastric tumors are malignant and metastasize to the liver, peritoneum, and lymph nodes. The lung, adrenal, and esophageal tumors are benign. The paraganglionic tumors are usually benign. Long-term follow-up shows that the syndrome is a chronic, persistent, and generally indolent condition whose outcome is largely dependent on the behavior of the metastases of the gastric sarcoma. Among the 79 affected patients described in 1999 (average follow-up 8 years, 64 were alive, 19 were apparently free of tumors, 45 had residual or metastatic disease, and 15 were dead (10 died of causes related to the syndrome).


ROC curve is a graphic presentation of the relationship between both sensitivity and specificity. By the help of curves we can decide the optimal model through determining the best threshold for a diagnostic test. They also provide comparision the success of different tests in correct clinical diagnosis. ROC analysis is an analysis method that will contribute to the process of clinical decision-making when the diagnosis process will take a long time, the cost will be high, special method-equipment and qualified human resources will be needed by determining appropriate cut-off values for indicators that will be determined in short-time, low-cost, and easily obtainable.


In the article with the help of two-sector model of the economic system, the interaction of national and regional economy is investigated. This interaction is observed from the position of development of material structure and institutions. As the key structural parameter of an economy, the proportion between sector of excess resources and sector of scarce resources is taken. The situation when sector of excess resources prevails over sector of scarce resources forms structural conditions for the creation of the market institutions. If a sector of excess resources is smaller than a sector of scarce resources, the conditions for the emergence of institutions of government regulation are formed. Two cases are analyzed: the first one concerns the situation of a simple national economy consisting of 2 provisory regions. The second is the case of the national economy consisting of many regions. The authors show that material structure of a total combination of regions defines institutions of the market or state regulation for the national economy as a whole. The institutions formed at the level of the national economy, can support or resist the development of structure of the region. The conditions are observed under which united institutions of the national economy contradict a development of structure of the individual region.


Public authorities are a popular form of quasi-governmental institutions and have been extensively chronicled in regards to effective public service delivery. Authorities are exceptionally popular within the public transportation industry but have slowly lost their fiscal power due to the strengthening of parent governments. This dissertation examines the authority structure in public transportation to understand the linkage between this loss of fiscal power and executive management of public authorities by studying the governing board-executive manager relationship. In particular, this dissertation examines the structure and relationship by studying factors impacting relationships and connections between deceased fiscal power and the members recruited to serve on authority boards. This exploratory study examines five public transportation authorities in the cities of Memphis, Nashville, Chattanooga and Jackson, Tennessee in addition to the city of Lexington, Kentucky. Utilizing qualitative interviews this research collected primary source, subjective data on perspectives and opinions of authority executives and board members related to fiscal power, policy preferences, representation and executive support. Findings suggest a distinct connection between fiscal power and the types of board members appointed to serve on public authority boards. In the case of public transportation, higher fiscal power saw higher-level board members with less inclination for executive micromanagement. Lower fiscal authority had the effect of attracting lowlevel members with service-related agendas falling under executive authority with more opportunity for micromanagement and conflict. Unique was the lack of conflict despite increasing occasion for encroachment on executive authority; this was due to executive vi management of board agendas to create positive relationships with strong support. The study also revealed boards place tremendous value on representation and therefore translate experiences, expertise and personal agendas to board activities and decisions. Finally this study argued that James Svara's duality-dichotomy model of local government (1985; 1989b; 1990) provides understanding of public authorities due to parallels with the council-manager system. The research indicates that first, the study is applicable to public authorities and second, board-executive relationships offer a new contextual dimension along board member orientations toward policy activities, advisory functions and community representation.


The high frequency impedance measured at the terminals of inverters connected in a microgrid by means of the injection of a small magnitude, high frequency voltage, has been shown to be a reliable metric to detect islanding. While the implementation of this method is simple when only an inverter injects the high frequency signal, this case is of limited applicability. On the other hand, several concerns arise when multiple inverters work in parallel, primarily due to risk interference among inverters. Islanding detection using high frequency signal injection in microgrids with multiple parallel-connected inverters is studied in this paper. A strategy for the coordinated operation of the inverters, without the need of communications or pre-established roles is proposed. Simulation and experimental results will be provided to demonstrate the viability of the concept.


A new automatic layout system for sea-of-gates architectures is described. The system is hierarchical and deals simultaneously with both placement and global routing. The placement method uses a constructive force-directed algorithm based on an analogy with an electrostatic physical model. In contrast to conventional methods, this is able to take into account the effects of placement on future routing. The integration of placement and global routing gives good results since it considers all the physical aspects of sea-of-gates (geometrical and topological) simultaneously, e.g. connectivity and area optimisation. A prototype of the system has been developed. An example is presented which demonstrates the results achieved in a real design environment and which compare well with existing layout tools.


INTRODUCTION
The evaluation of stress to the spinal column in the provision of care has mostly concentrated on the handling of loads. However, awkward body postures alone, without load transfer, can also be stressful for the spinal column. Therefore in this study all the body postures and movements of nurses were quantitatively measured within a working shift.

METHODS
The body postures were recorded with the CUELA measurement system (computer-assisted recording and long-term analysis of musculoskeletal loads), coupled to the individual, and this detected all movements of the trunk and the legs. These measurements were supported by video recordings, so that exact allocation of the measured data to the tasks performed was possible. In all, 24 shift measurements were carried out in 8 wards. Extent, frequency and duration of trunk postures were measured in three planes and assessed on the basis of several standards (DIN EN 1005-1, DIN EN 1005-4, ISO 11226).

RESULTS
A mean of 1131 (+/-377) trunk inclinations of >20 degrees were performed in each shift. This corresponds to a frequency of 3.5 min(-1). A total of 237 of these inclinations lasted for >4 s. A total of 72 (+/-35) min was spent bending forward with an inclination of >20 degrees . However, the mean time spent in transferring patients (counting only the lifting process) and heavy materials was only 2 min per shift. Postures with trunk inclination of >60 degrees were adopted for a mean of 175 (+/-133) times. The main tasks responsible for this were 'bed making' (21%), 'basic care' (16%) and 'clearing up/cleaning' (16%).

CONCLUSIONS
It could be shown that many stressful trunk postures are assumed in nursing work during a shift. Future preventive measures should therefore consider not only load handling but also tasks with awkward postures.


The contamination by metals present in surface water causes problems to human health. The ultimate aim of this work is to determine the role of fine suspended sediment to the transport of metals in rivers. During the work, the ability of fine suspended sediment to carry a range of metals in the river water in different seasons was measured in different samples.
Suspended sediment carries a substantial proportion of the metals in river water. The distribution of suspended particles is an important factor in controlling the availability of metals in the river water. Dissolved form, and adsorbed to the surface coating of suspended particulate matter are two ways to transport metals in rivers. Firstly, the work was carried out in the laboratory, using suspended sediment components, to assess metal uptake by different components, while later studies utilized natural suspended sediment to study metal transport in real situations. The water samples were taken for this research from tributaries of the River Kelvin; Craigton Burn, Allander Water, Craigmaddie, Glazert Water, Bothlin Burn, Luggie Burn, and Cameron Burn. The research tries to evaluate the concentrations of Ca, Fe, K, Mg, Mn, and Zn in suspended particles in these tributaries. The technique used two filters 1.2 µm and 0.2 µm to collect the suspended sediment from water samples. Some representative samples of kaolinite, bentonite, humic acid and iron oxides were used in the laboratory based studies to improve understanding the distribution of the heavy metals Cu, Pb and Zn between metals sorbed on the solid phase and metal `in the solution phase. The adsorption of the heavy metals Cu, Pb and Zn shows different response between these materials. In addition, the experiments were carried out to measure the distribution of copper, lead, and zinc between an aqueous phase and solid phase of mixed materials (composite) sediment.
The results demonstrate that the fluvial system is one of the major modes of dispersing and transporting metals from soil and parent rocks. The overall results indicated that the large and fine particle sizes carry significant metals concentrations in the river system. The investigation of the suspended sediment phases offers additional information and understanding of the movement and behavior of metals within river water. The concentration of the particles > 1.2 µm is higher than that in the fine particles 1.2 and 0.2 µm diameter.


Opioids are pivotal therapeutics in management of escalated chronic pain (moderate-severe). The increased prescription and usage duration of opioids in last two decades shed the light on opioid-induced endocrinopathy. Opioid-induced hypogonadism (OHG) results upon long-term opioid therapy. Clinically, patients with OHG are presented mainly by sexual dysfunction and infertility. Opioid clinical use in pain therapy is indispensable. However, the resultant sexual endocrinopathy cannot be overlooked and hence replacement hormonal therapy and patient continual follow-up are important measures to ensure therapeutic compliance and secure patient's satisfaction of a good life quality.


In many real-world hybrid (mixed discrete continuous) planning problems such as Reservoir Control, Heating, Ventilation and Air Conditioning (HVAC), and Navigation, it is difficult to obtain a model of the complex nonlinear dynamics that govern state evolution. However, the ubiquity of modern sensors allow us to collect large quantities of data from each of these complex systems and build accurate, nonlinear deep network models of their state transitions. But there remains one major problem for the task of control – how can we plan with deep network learned transition models without resorting to Monte Carlo Tree Search and other black-box transition model techniques that ignore model structure and do not easily extend to mixed discrete and continuous domains? In this paper, we make the critical observation that the popular Rectified Linear Unit (ReLU) transfer function for deep networks not only allows accurate nonlinear deep net model learning, but also permits a direct compilation of the deep network transition model to a MixedInteger Linear Program (MILP) encoding in a planner we call Hybrid Deep MILP Planning (HDMILP-PLAN). We identify deep net specific optimizations and a simple sparsification method for HD-MILP-PLAN that improve performance over a naı̈ve encoding, and show that we are able to plan optimally with respect to the learned deep network.