Background and Objectives Excessive activation of certain lipid mediator (LM) pathways plays a role in the complex pathogenesis of multiple sclerosis (MS). However, the relationship between bioactive LMs and different aspects of CNS-related pathophysiologic processes remains largely unknown. Therefore, in this study, we assessed the association of bioactive LMs belonging to the ω-3/ω-6 lipid classes with clinical and biochemical (serum neurofilament light [sNfL] and serum glial fibrillary acidic protein [sGFAP]) parameters and MRI-based brain volumes in patients with MS (PwMS) and healthy controls (HCs). Methods A targeted high-performance liquid chromatography-tandem mass spectrometry approach was used on plasma samples of PwMS and HCs of the Project Y cohort, a cross-sectional population-based cohort that contains PwMS all born in 1966 in the Netherlands and age-matched HCs. LMs were compared between PwMS and HCs and were correlated with levels of sNfL, sGFAP, disability (Expanded Disability Status Scale [EDSS]), and brain volumes. Finally, significant correlates were included in a backward multivariate regression model to identify which LMs best related to disability. Results The study sample consisted of 170 patients with relapsing remitting MS (RRMS), 115 patients with progressive MS (PMS), and 125 HCs. LM profiles of patients with PMS significantly differed from those of patients with RRMS and HCs, particularly patients with PMS showed elevated levels of several arachidonic acid (AA) derivatives. In particular, 15-hydroxyeicosatetraenoic acid (HETE) (r = 0.24, p < 0.001) correlated (average r = 0.2, p < 0.05) with clinical and biochemical parameters such as EDSS and sNfL. In addition, higher 15-HETE levels were related to lower total brain (r = −0.24, p = 0.04) and deep gray matter volumes (r = −0.27, p = 0.02) in patients with PMS and higher lesion volume (r = 0.15, p = 0.03) in all PwMS. Discussion In PwMS of the same birth year, we show that ω-3 and ω-6 LMs are associated with disability, biochemical parameters (sNfL, GFAP), and MRI measures. Furthermore, our findings indicate that, particularly, in patients with PMS, elevated levels of specific products of the AA pathway, such as 15-HETE, associate with neurodegenerative processes. Our findings highlight the potential relevance of ω-6 LMs in the pathogenesis of MS.


Background Antiphospholipid syndrome (APS) is an autoimmune disease characterized mainly by recurrent pregnancy failures and/or thrombosis 1. Interleukin (IL)-35, a new member of IL-12 family, was demonstrated to play a role in the immunopathogenesis of several autoimmune diseases 2,3. The expression of IL-35 was observed to be abnormal in idiopathic recurrent pregnancy loss 4. Objectives To determine the expression of IL-35 and assess its association with clinical /laboratory features in patients with APS. Methods Serum IL-35 was detected by the enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). 126 patients with APS, 38 patients with primary pregnancy morbidity, and 69 healthy controls were enrolled in the study. Clinical and laboratory features of APS patients were recorded. The Mann-Whitney U test was used to evaluate differences of non-normal distribution data and the Student's t test was used for normal distribution data. The differences in the frequency of clinical /laboratory characteristics were assessed by the Chi-square (χ2) test. The relevances between IL-35 and clinical/laboratory features were further analyzed by the Spearman test (measurement data) or Chi-square (χ2) test (qualitative data). Results Serum IL-35 was significantly decreased in APS patients (median 14.73, IQR 0–28.09 pg/ml) and patients with primary pregnancy morbidity (16.00, 10.56–25.00 pg/ml), compared to healthy controls (28.87, 20.16–47.47 pg/ml; all p<0.001). Female APS patients with decreased IL-35 had higher risk of pregnancy morbidity than those with normal IL-35, with an odds ratio (OR) of 2.565 (95% confidence interval (CI) 1.138–5.785, p=0.022), especially events of fetus death ≥ the 10th week (OR=6.545, 95% CI 6.03–21.101; p<0.001). In contrast, the frequency of thrombosis was significantly lower in APS patients with decreased IL-35 and the OR value was 0.382 (0.185- 0.789; p=0.009).Figure 1 Conclusions Serum IL-35 was decreased in APS patients and was associated with pregnancy morbidity and thrombosis, raising the hypothesis of its complicated pathogenic roles in APS. References Miyakis S, Lockshin MD, Atsumi T, et al. International consensus statement on an update of the classification criteria for definite antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). J Thromb Haemost 2006;4:295–306. Niedbala W, Wei XQ, Cai B, et al. IL-35 is a novel cytokine with therapeutic effects against collagen-induced arthritis through the expansion of regulatory T cells and suppression of Th17 cells. Eur J Immunol 2007;37:3021–9. Collison LW, Workman CJ, Kuo TT, et al. The inhibitory cytokine IL-35 contributes to regulatory T-cell function. Nature 2007;450:566–9. Ozkan ZS, Deveci D, Simsek M, et al. What is the impact of SOCS3, IL-35 and IL17 in immune pathogenesis of recurrent pregnancy loss? J Matern Fetal Neonatal Med 2015;28:324–8. Acknowledgement This study was funded by the 973 program of China (No. 2012CB517702) and National Natural Science Foundation of China (No. 81471536). We thank all co-authors for their contribution to this work. We also thank all patients and healthy donors whom took part in this study. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Background: Police are expected to subscribe to professionalism; yet no study has ever been done that examined their quality of life, hair dysfunction, self-esteem and evaluate the extent of their hair disorders as well as examine the correlation of hair disorders. Objectives: The current study seeks to determine the extent of hair disorders among women in the Jamaica Constabulary Force (JCF); examine perceived stress, self esteem and quality of life of policewomen in the JCF, hair disorders, and evaluate the correlation between self-esteem, stress, wellbeing, socio-demographic characteristics, perceived value of hairstyle, policy on hairstyle, hair quality and hair dysfunction. Materials and Method: Stratified random sampling was employed of the eight Divisions (or Areas) in the Jamaica Constabulary Force and Other Sections therein. The computed sample size was 44 police women for each Area and 48 from the Other Divisions, and this was based on equal proportion across the Areas. The sampled officers represent 12.6 percentage points of the 3,180 policewomen in Jamaica. Results: Six in every 10 policewomen indicated that they have a hair dysfunction. On average, a policewoman with hair disorder has lower psychological wellbeing (6.91 ± 2.223; 95% CI: 6.60-7.21) compared to those who do not have hair disorders (7.49 ± 1.861; 95%CI: 7.17-7.80) t-test = -2.608, P = 0.010). Conclusion: Hair disorders must be assessed as a health issue and be included among the concerns of public health and policies are needed in this regards.


Background The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) is a widely used self-report questionnaire that measures general sleep quality in general populations. However, its psychometric properties have yet to be thoroughly examined in longevous persons. Objectives This study aimed to explore the reliability, validity and factor structure of the Chinese-language version of the PSQI in community-dwelling centenarians. Methods A total of 958 centenarians (mean age = 102.8 years; 81.8% females) recruited from 18 regions in Hainan, China, completed the PSQI scale. Cronbach's alpha coefficient was used to measure the internal consistency. Exploratory factor analysis (EFA) and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) were performed to explore the validity and factor structure of the PSQI in this sample. Correlations between the global PSQI score and physical function, depression symptoms, self-reported health status and subjective well-being were used to assess divergent validity. Results The Cronbach's α coefficient of the PSQI was 0.68, and it increased to 0.78 after two components (medication use and daytime dysfunction) were removed. The Spearman correlation coefficients of the PSQI score with each component were statistically significant (P<0.01). EFA yielded a two-factor structure model of the original PSQI-7 and a one-factor structure model of the simplified PSQI-5. The one-factor model with five components (χ2/df =1.59, CFI=0.99, RMSEA=0.03) fit the data well and had good configural invariance across demographic characteristics (0.530.05). Conclusions The original PSQI showed acceptable applicability in Chinese community-dwelling centenarians, and its psychometric characteristics moderately improved after sleeping medication and daytime dysfunction were removed. Further validation studies on PSQI are needed among centenarians from varied backgrounds.


ABSTRACT We developed a pedagogy addressing both academic literacies and critical analysis where students would, with limited facilitation, actively engage with texts and each other. In this article we reflect on what the students who engaged with the pedagogy taught us: that teachers need to be much more than facilitators—we need to 'meddle in the middle'. In developing the pedagogy we found the key obstacles were the liberal concepts of independence and objectivity—they led students to search for discrete objective ideas and to ignore the context shaping them. Drawing on the ideas of Theodor Adorno and of socio-cultural approaches to literacy, the pedagogy prompted students to sketch constellations on whiteboards of their understanding of the learning materials, drawing on lectures, readings, and their pre-existing knowledges. This article, reflecting qualitative research with students, reports their view that the pedagogy succeeded because of their interactive, engaged, relationship with their teachers. Considering those findings, we discuss how liberalism operates to repress students' pre-existing knowledges and how this can be countered by teachers' passion, care, and close engagement. What the students taught us was combatting liberalism requires more than well-scaffolded activities, but active, authentic, enthusiastic, relationships of trust that value both the contributions of students and teachers.


The Internet of Things (IoT) is rapidly becoming an important technology, affecting our everyday lives, and is predicted to do so even more extensively in the coming years. Still, the concept remains somewhat fuzzy. As IoT continues to grow in importance and scope, so does the need to understand how the concept is used and what it represents. This study analyzes over nine million tweets over an extended sample period, applying a mixed methods approach to investigate how IoT is understood on Twitter over time, and importantly, the human and non-human actors that were prolific in shaping the discourse. The findings reveal a changing focus within the IoT discourse over time — from a primary technological, engineering perspective to one which highlighted practical implementations and particularly ways of leveraging IoT solutions to cultivate service innovation and generate novel forms of value creation. The scholarly community is not keeping up with this change. Furthermore, the analysis shows that over time, bots become increasingly prominent in tweeting IoT-related content, at the expense of individual Twitter users. This finding puts into new light the question of who shapes emerging technological concepts and the accountability and agency of bots.


Smartphone notifications are a major source of interaction with mobile devices. In this paper we address a gap in literature by establishing a foundation that explains the role of modalities with which a notification is delivered on a mobile device. Though previous studies have attempted to address this question, we find that they suffer from significant internal validity problems. As such we conducted an ecologically valid and carefully designed experiment in a controlled environment that simulates a smart home environment. Our work extends into smart environments, by examining a new modality, implemented by pairing the smartphone to a connected lighting system and replicating mobile notifications to smart light bulbs in the user's field of vision. We derive a set of guidelines for choosing notification modalities and set future research directions.


This paper is, in fact, a proposal of a polynomial approach to the
nonlinear systems control by using the concept of linearization by state
feedback. In this context, a discretization method is presented. We developed a
discrete control scheme based on an approximate feedback linearization method
and the reversing trajectory method. The proposed control strategy sits on the
methods of widening the stability domains of operating points. Such domains are
expanded through the use of the non Lyapunov stability synthesis methods.
Additionally, the developed technique is employed for the control of the class
of systems with an order higher than two; more precisely, the example of a
synchronous generator featured in a strongly nonlinear model.


Sono yo no tsuma (That Night's Wife), Ozu Yasujirô's 1930 film, embodied the contradictory discourses of technological modernity in Japan in 1930. The content of the film makes critical comments on the politics and economy of modernizing Japan as a cause of social distress. At the same time, stylistically, the film celebrates, or at least fully appreciates, the arrival of technological modernity by 1930, which enables the spectacles of lights in the form of a new visual medium for a mass- consumer society. Moreover, the motif of hands, which is enhanced by hard lighting throughout the film, positions Sono yo no tsuma at an intersection of technologies of criminal investigation and the modern anxiety and subjectivity of the period. Focusing on the use of lighting, in particular, I argue that the materiality of Sono yo no tsuma deviates from the simple dichotomy of East/West or the geopolitical hierarchy and structural hegemony of center/periphery and places itself in the sensory network of global film culture of the historical point of 1930.


The primary structure of a 5S gene spacer has been determined by sequencing three cloned 5S rDNA fragments of the loach genome. The region of the spacer adjacent to the 3'-termini of the gene structural part was shown to comprise an AT-rich sequence (24 bp long) including an oligo (T)6-9 block corresponding to the terminator of RNA polymerase III. The results supported our previous data about the 5S rRNA precursor synthesis during the transcription of cloned 5S rDNAs injected into oocyte nuclei. The comparative sequence analysis revealed a homology between the spacer region from -54 to -26 bp and the 5'-termini (1-18 bp) and the 3'-termini (108-117 bp) stretches of the gene coding region. In addition, both the coding part and nontranscribed spacer of 5S DNA include highly diversed repeats which are homologous to the 3'-termini sequence (111-+8 bp) of the gene. Apparently the nontranscribed spacer of loach 5S genes derived in evolution from numerous replicated 5S genes as a result of subsequent base elimination and substitution in the most of the 5S rRNA coding sequences.


The use of macrolide antibiotics in food animals has the potential to select for macrolide-resistant strains of resident bacterial flora. This may include the animal pathogens that are the intended targets of macrolide antibiotic intervention and Campylobacter, common inhabitants of the intestinal tract of food animals that are zoonotic pathogens in man. Such Campylobacter strains are not only resistant to the macrolide antibiotics used in food animals, e.g. tylosin, tilmicosin and tulathromycin, but to the macrolide antibiotics used in human medicine, e.g. erythromycin, azithromycin and clarithromycin, as well. Retail meat is a possible source of Campylobacter and persons consuming the meat derived from macrolide-treated food animals could acquire infections due to macrolide-resistant strains of this organism. Erythromycin is sometimes used to treat human cases of campylobacteriosis and those infected with animal-derived macrolide-resistant Campylobacter may not respond to treatment. The actual risk to human health from the use of macrolide antibiotics in food animals has been difficult to determine because of a lack of information about the macrolide-resistant Campylobacter found on the farm and in the clinic. Recently, however, a plethora of new information has become available on this topic. This review discusses what is currently known about the selection of macrolide-resistant Campylobacter in food animals, the prevalence of macrolide-resistant Campylobacter on retail meat, the prevalence of animal-derived macrolide-resistant Campylobacter in the clinic and the human health consequences associated with macrolide-resistant Campylobacter infection. This work will emphasize the comprehensive body of data generated in Denmark and the US as part of government-sponsored research studies over the last 10 years. These scientific findings may allow informed decisions to be made in the future about how macrolide antibiotics should be used in food animals while still safeguarding human health.


In this letter we study the eccentricity evolution of a massive black hole (MBH) binary (MBHB) embedded in a rotating stellar cusp. Following the observation that stars on counter-rotating (with respect to the MBHB) orbits extract angular momentum from the binary more efficiently then their co-rotating counterparts, the eccentricity evolution of the MBHB must depend on the degree of co-rotation (counter-rotation) of the surrounding stellar distribution. Using an hybrid scheme that couples numerical three-body scatterings to an analytical formalism for the cusp-binary interaction, we verify this hypothesis by evolving the MBHB in spherically symmetric cusps with different fractions F of co-rotating stars. Consistently with previous works, binaries in isotropic cusps (F=0.5) tend to increase their eccentricity, and when F approaches zero (counter-rotating cusps) the eccentricity rapidly increases to almost unity. Conversely, binaries in cusps with a significant degree of co-rotation (F>0.7) tend to become less and less eccentric, circularising quite quickly for F approaching unity. Direct N-body integrations performed to test the theory, corroborate the results of the hybrid scheme, at least at a qualitative level. We discuss quantitative differences, ascribing their origin to the oversimplified nature of the hybrid approach.


Received 17 January 2020 Accepted 15 April 2020 Available online 15 September 2020 Mechanical properties optimization of weldment such as tensile strength, microhardness and impact toughness are of prime importance in welding technology. The main aim of this research is to investigate the microstructural evolutions and also optimization of tensile strength in dissimilar laser welding between Inconel 625 superalloy and AISI 430 ferritic stainless steel. It was found from the microhardness measurements that the hardness is increased form AISI 430 base metal toward Inconel 625 superalloy. This can be attributed to the inherent higher hardness of Inconel 625 and formation of very fine structure and also fine precipitations in the weld metal which are distributed uniformly. Formation of very fine structure and precipitations is due to the rapid cooling rate of the weld metal during laser welding process. Design of experiment based on the response surface method was used in order to optimize the tensile strength of the weld joints. Three process parameters i. e. pulse duration, lamping current and also travel speed were chosen as the main parameters which are considerably affecting the tensile strength of the weld joint. It was found that the lamping current has a higher impact on the tensile strength of the weld joints.


Aim: Recto-vaginal fistulae are distressing. They are most commonly caused by obstetric injury, a failed pelvic anastomosis, or Crohn's disease. Biological infill materials have been used in their management. We assessed the efficacy of biological infill materials when recto-vaginal fistulae. Methods: We applied the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses (PRISMA) guidelines. Results: Twenty-five articles yielded a pooled total of 105 patients; 27% had Crohn's disease. Fifty-six percent of patients had treatment with glue, 31% with plug, 6% with permacol paste and 7% with stem-cells. For Crohn's, 50% were treated with glue, 39% with a fistula plug and 11% with stem cells. The overall healing rate for all infill materials was 41%, with the highest reported rate amongst the stem cell group (71%) and the lowest (32%) for glue. For Crohn's, the overall healing rate was 36%, glue was the lowest (14%), followed by the anal fistula plug (55%). Stem cells had a healing rate of 67%. Conclusions: Overall, the use of infill materials to treat Crohn's and non-Crohn's related recto-vaginal fistulae is associated with healing in approximately 41% of cases. Crohn's related recto-vaginal fistulae represent a more challenging group of patients to treat.


The exchange bias effect at the magnetic interfaces and multi-magnetic phases strongly depends on the antisite disorder (ASD) driven spin configuration in the double perovskite systems. The percentage of ASD in double perovskites is extensively accepted as a key for designing diverse new nanospintronics with tailored functionalities. In this regards, we have investigated such ASD driven phenomena in Ca2+ doped bulk and polycrystalline La2−x Ca x CoMnO6 (0 ⩽ x ⩽ 1) series of samples. The structural and Raman studies provide evidence of an increase in the disorder due to the increment of Ca concentration in the parent compound (x = 0). The enhancement of disorder in the doped system induces various magnetic orderings, magnetic frustration and cluster glass-like behavior, which have been confirmed from AC and DC magnetic studies and neutron diffraction studies. As a result, significantly large exchange bias effects, namely zero-field cooled (spontaneous) and field-cooled (conventional) exchange bias, are found. These results reveal the tuning of ASD by doping, which plays an active role in the spin configuration at the magnetic interfaces.


A 1-D, transient mathematical model (MIX1D) has been developed to simulate the final composition distributions produced within continuous-cast slabs and blooms during an arbitrary grade transition. This work applies the model to investigate the effect of process variables on the extent of intermixing during a typical ladle change operation, where mixing occurs in both the tundish and the liquid core of the strand, prior to final solidification into slabs or blooms. The model was developed, calibrated, and verified with composition measurements on tundish outflow and at the surface and centerlines of slabs and blooms cast during grade transitions. Several different strategies were investigated to minimize intermixing. Results show that the amount of intermixed steel generally decreases with lower tundish weight at ladle open, increased holding time before refilling, increased plug flow through the tundish, decreased mold thickness, decreased mold width, casting the most stringent grade first, and using lower average casting speed during the grade change. However, the optimal philosophy depends greatly on the size of the tundish and the extent of the mix (which includes combinations ranging from lenient to stringent for either the old or new grades cast). Using the results of this work, grade changes can be customized for a given casting operation to minimize the amount of downgraded steel.


Future wireless communication systems will most likely be operated at carrier frequencies above 300 GHz, where the indoor radio channel behaves entirely differently compared to legacy radio communication frequencies. Being highly relevant for system performance evaluations and channel modeling, the spatial as well as the temporal dispersions are studied for a representative office wireless LAN scenario in this paper. Ray tracing serves as the means for the accurate simulation of the THz radio wave propagation. Simple stochastic models are derived to approximate and reproduce the distance‐dependent behavior of the angular spread as well as of the RMS delay spread. Based on the results, the maximum symbol rates achievable without any intersymbol interference are quantified and can be shown to reach up to several 100 GSymbols/s provided that highly directive antennas are used.


This paper presents part of an on-going project to design a wearable supportive device to enhance facial expressiveness, in particular for the facial paralyzed patients. Earlier we introduced the SMA actuator based Robot Mask that can be used to enhance the expressiveness of the face. The basic concept of that design was pulling of the skin through wires attached to the face and we explained the human anatomy based criteria of selecting these pulling points and directions. The major reason to use SMA instead of traditional actuators such as motors was their silent acting nature. However, their dynamic properties been governed by thermal energy and their mechanical properties been affected by the hysteresis due to their metallurgy, SMA based actuators tend not to perform too well under cooling. This paper introduces a novel controlling scenario that use the actuation of only a limited number of SMA wires out of the total connected in series on either sides of a slider to control the direction and amount of movement of the slider. The advantage of this method is by keeping some SMA wires at low temperatures it was possible to achieve a high speed of actuation even when the direction of motion was changed. This paper also investigates on the amount of actuation rates that are required to generate natural looking smiles and later attempts to recreate them using the proposed actuation unit.


In this paper we give a simple proof of the maximality of dual coactions on full cross-sectional C*-algebras of Fell bundles over locally compact groups. As applications we extend certain exotic crossed-product functors in the sense of Baum, Guentner and Willett to the category of Fell bundles and the category of partial actions and we obtain results about the K-theory of (exotic) cross-sectional algebras of Fell-bundles over K-amenable groups. As a bonus, we give a characterisation of maximal coactions of discrete groups in terms of maximal tensor products.


The article explores the phenomenon of strong nexus between the development strategies of small cities, claiming for the status of supporting regional cities, and universities located there. The university community and urban public are inclined to the positioning of such cities as "university cities". The authors dwell on the role of campuses in the implementation of the "third mission" by universities. Particular consideration is given to the specific component of the third mission and, accordingly, the campus infrastructure for the development of local communities, urban and regional environments. A model of the regional environment monitoring system is described, which is based on the system of sociological surveys including five subsystems (questionnaire of employers, questionnaire of schoolchildren aimed at vocational guidance, questionnaire of parents, questionnaire of communities, and internal monitoring). The article also focuses on the forms of using campus facilities for the implementation of various events and social projects involving the local community and aimed at the development of the urban and regional environment in the following areas: consolidation, education and community assistance, social mobilization and public branding.


DAMAYANTI, R., N.L.P. I. DHARMAYANTI, R. INDRIANI, A. WIYONO and DARMINTO. 2004. Detection of avian influenza virus H5N1 subtype in organs of chicken affected by higly pathogenic avian infuenza in East and West Java by using immunohistochemical technique. JITV 9(3): 197-203. The study was conducted to detect antigen H5N1 of highly pathogenic Avian Influenza (HPAI) virus in various farms in East and West Java. The immunohistochemical technique was applied due to Hematoxilin-eosin (H&E) staining was impossible to visualize the antigen in tissue. Immunohistochemical staining was applied for some visceral organs collected from the areas where the outbreaks occurred in September-October 2003. The specimens were processed as histopathological paraffin blocks using standard method. The blocks that were suspected to have antigen H5N1 were cut and rabbit antisera to H5N1 produced from the local isolate was applied as the primary antibody. Biotinylated secondary antibody and avidin biotin peroxidase from a commercial kit were administered. The antigen present in the tissues were visualized by adding a substrate called Amino Ethyl Carbazole (AEC) resulting in reddish brown colour. This immunostaining proved to be accurate and reliably quick method to detect H5N1 antigen present in the avian tissues. In conclusion, the outbreak of bird flu was caused by H5N1 strain and the antigen could be found in wattles, combs, brain, trachea, lungs, heart, proventriculus, liver, spleen, kidney and ovary.


Until validated correlates of protection are identified, animal models remain the only way to test the efficacy of the new vaccines and drugs urgently needed to fight the global epidemic caused by infection with Mycobacterium tuberculosis. Non-human primates (NHP) offer the most relevant models of human tuberculosis (TB) and are central to the development process for new interventions. Efficacy evaluations are dependent on the capability of the test model to discriminate improved outcomes between treated groups after experimental exposure to M. tuberculosis and therefore the ability to measure TB-induced disease burden is central to the process. We have developed a score system that allows us to quantify the disease burden induced in macaques by infection with M. tuberculosis, based on the extent and features of disease visible on computed tomography (CT) images. The CT determined disease burden was then verified against that obtained using an established pathology-based approach. Trials of the system as a tool to measure disease burden have shown the approach capable of revealing differences between treatment groups in order to: (a) characterise outcome of infection and enable model refinement; (b) demonstrate the efficacy of drug treatment regimens by showing differences in outcome between test groups. Initial trials suggest that the imaging-based score system provides a valuable additional tool for the measurement of TB-induced disease burden that offers the opportunity to apply both refinement and reduction within studies.


A new engineering ethics video, Incident at Morales, was assessed with two different instruments: the standard defining issues test and a short ad hoc survey. According to the pre-tests and post-tests with the defining issues test, viewers of the video increased the sophistication of their moral reasoning skills. According to the survey, viewers changed their opinions about the most important responsibilities of engineers and about meeting environmental regulations when working overseas. From these results, it appears that the video is effective in teaching engineering ethics


: In addition to their extensive commercial application in electronic devices such as cell phones and laptops, lithium-ion batteries (LIBs) are most suitable to fulfill the energy storage requirements of electric vehicles because of their recognized safety, portability, and high energy density. Cathodes are the most important part of LIBs, and various cathode materials have been widely investigated over the past decades. Polaron formation has been attracting increasing attention in the research of cathode materials, as it limits electron conduction. In particular, polarons are responsible for low electronic conductivity in cathode materials like olivine phosphate. Polaron is a typical crystal defect caused by the integrated motion of lattice distortion and its trapping electrons. Research on the mechanism of polaron formation will provide theoretical guidance for the design of high-electronic-conductivity cathode materials and improvement of the electrochemical performance of LIBs. Theoretical calculation is a direct and important method to study polaron formation in a specific crystal material, because the presence of polarons and their formation mechanisms can be effectively verified through this method. In this article, we first introduce the basic physical concept of polarons and their dynamical model according to the Marcus and Emin-Holstein-Austin-Mott theories. A comparison of the general properties of large and small polarons, summarized in this chapter, reveals that small polaron formation more likely occurs in cathode materials. Moreover, the theoretical characterization, electrical impact, control and challenges of polarons are reviewed. Although a universal necessary and suitable condition for the theoretical characterization of polarons has not yet been found, we still propose three criteria that are proven to be feasible and practical for the theoretical identification of polarons when applied in combination. Experimental characterizations are also introduced briefly for reference, because the comparison with the experiment is suggested to be necessary and mandatory. The electrical impact caused by polarons results in low electronic conductivity, which has been broadly reported in layered, olivine, and spinel cathode materials. Doping can weaken the influence of polarons and, thus, significantly enhance the electronic conductivity, thereby becoming the most prevalent strategy for tuning polarons. Although theoretical calculations have been widely and effectively conducted in the study of polarons, some challenges may still be faced because of the intrinsic shortcomings of the traditional density functional theory, which need to be addressed. Finally, further research on polarons from the perspective of basic theory and practical applications is prospected.


The anomalous isotope-hydrogeochemistry phenomena in the groundwater of Estonian Cambrian-Vendian (Ediacaran) and Ordovician-Cambrian aquifer systems were formed in the Late-Middle Pleistocene. In the periglacial environment, in northern and northwestern Estonia, these aquifer systems with fracture porose crystalline basement are connected to hydraulically joint unit characterized by high radioactivity groundwater. A significant alteration of groundwater occurred by series of isotope and chemistry facies fractionation. In this study, uranium isotopes activity ratio (234U/238U), 4He content, isotope-hydrogeochemistry and adjusted 14C ages are coupled for a new prospect of the estimation of northern Baltic Basin groundwater evolution. Analyzing radiocarbon and 4He groundwater residence time results and uranium isotope activity ratio distribution suggests a prolonged periglacial environment in which groundwater evolved. Stable isotope ratios of δ18O and δ2H correlation and hydrochemical composition changes support the cryogenic origin of groundwater. Pleistocene glaciations cyclically affect groundwater in multiple ways: permafrost isotope-geochemistry partitioning; periodically changing reversed flow directions of recharge and discharge areas; oscillations of the sea, river system, and periglacial lakes level, surface and sub-permafrost water mixing via taliks and fractured basement rocks. These processes lead to forming the sequence of isotope-hydrogeochemistry types and specific zoning; in general, two separate groundwater fractions – brackish in the lower part and freshened above. An extensive groundwater exploitation on the northern coast sites influenced a sharp dysfunction in the groundwater body, destabilizing the natural equilibrium state formed in the Holocene and Pleistocene.


We present an analysis of data on light flavour hadron production as function of event multiplicity at LHC energies measured by the ALICE collaboration. The strangeness-canonical approach within the framework of the THERMUS statistical hadronisation model is used for a simultaneous description of pp, p-Pb, and Pb-Pb collisions. The rapidity window dependence of the strangeness correlation volume is addressed and a value of $\Delta y = 1.33 \pm 0.28$ is found. With the exception of the $\phi$-meson, an excellent description of the experimental data is found.


We report herein a case of Morgagni hernia of omentum into the pleural space, simulating a pleural effusion on a routine chest radiograph. A 62-year-old man was referred to our clinic for close examination of a pleural effusion-like shadow at the right costophrenic region. He had no history of trauma and no symptoms. Chest computed tomographic scan showed a pleural effusion-like shadow with a fat density. Thoracoscopy revealed a movable omentum-like mass and no significant fluid in the right pleural space. Magnetic resonance imaging and celiac angiography confirmed the herniation of omentum into the right pleural space. This case suggests that a Morgagni hernia must be excluded in a patient with a fat density effusion-like shadow in the pleural space.


The idea of delayed feedback application was experimentally realized at the gyroklystron. The use of selective de- layed feedback for one mode allowed increasing this mode selectivity. The studied scheme could be considered as a perspec- tive source with fast frequency switching.


Background and Aims: Fecal lactoferrin (FLA) is a neutrophil-derived surrogate marker of intestinal inflammation that is elevated in patients with inflammatory bowel disease. However, the correlation between FLA levels and serological markers of disease activity has not been previously reported, to our knowledge. In the present study we evaluated the ability of FLA levels to reflect disease activity in pediatric patients with inflammatory bowel disease. We further assessed the relationship between FLA levels and customary laboratory and clinical measures of inflammation. Patients and Methods: Fecal specimens were collected from 148 consecutive pediatric patients (79 with Crohn disease, 62 with ulcerative colitis, and 7 with irritable bowel syndrome) and 22 healthy control individuals. Lactoferrin was measured by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (IBD-SCAN, TECHLAB, Inc). Disease activity was assessed at the time of sample provision by laboratory measures (including erythrocyte sedimentation rate [ESR] and albumin) and previously validated disease activity indices (Pediatric Crohn Disease Activity Index, Kozarek, Harvey Bradshaw Activity Index). Results: Lactoferrin levels were significantly higher in patients with ulcerative colitis (1880 ± 565 μg/mL) (mean ± SE) or Crohn disease (1701 ± 382 μg/mL) than in healthy control individuals under 21 years of age (1.17 ± 0.47 μg/mL, P < 0.001). Lactoferrin levels correlated significantly with ESR, hematocrit, albumin, and platelet count (P < 0.001). Receiver operating characteristic curve analysis revealed that FLA levels were comparable to ESR in detecting patients with clinically active disease (P < 0.001). Patients who experienced a clinical flare within 2 months of specimen collection displayed higher lactoferrin levels (845 ± 452 μg/mL) than did those who remained in clinical remission (190 ± 90 μg/mL, P = 0.003). Conclusions: Data presented here demonstrate that FLA is a sensitive and specific biochemical marker of inflammation for use in the diagnosis and interval assessment of pediatric patients with IBD, and its level correlates well with both clinical disease activity indices and ESR. Elevated levels of FLA may also identify patients at greater risk for the development of subsequent clinical flares.


TO THE EDITOR: I read with interest the article by Lankisch et al. (1), which details a study of the role of Hct as a prognostic factor in newly diagnosed acute pancreatitis and in which the authors conclude that early CT has little justification for patients who fail to improve. We congratulate the authors for adopting a simple test like Hct, especially with the recent publication of an article (2) saying that early CT in the diagnosis of mild pancreatitis (Ranson criteria 2) plays little part in the management of acute mild pancreatitis. They also extend the conclusion that late CT at day 7 does not need to be done if a patient's condition is not worsening. The authors explain why their data using the genderspecific upper limit of normal for Hct levels lacked correlation between Hct and organ failure according to the Atlanta Classification and other severity variables or similar studies utilizing Hct. Such a statistical conclusion derived from this article may lead to a potentially confounding factor (i.e., the exact site of the necrotizing pancreatitis was not analyzed). In other words, outcome was adjusted for extent (percentage of gland involved) or based on the amount of pancreatic necrosis and parapancreatic inflammation (3) and not adjusted to the exact anatomical location of pancreatitis (e.g., head of pancreas, body and tail). The concept of site versus extent of necrosis is underestimated. In a study of 161 patients with necrotizing pancreatitis (4), Kemppainen et al. found only modest correlations between extent of necrosis and outcome at a mean of 2.9 days after the onset of disease. However, patients with necrosis of the left (distal) pancreas did significantly better than those with necrosis of the right (proximal) pancreas. Moreover, the clinical outcomes were similar for patients with right-sided parenchyma necrosis and those with necrosis of the entire gland. This could explain why respiratory failure, renal failure, dialysis, pseudocyst, and mortality failed to correlate with the variable of interest. Necrosis of the pancreatic head and body may increase the risk of complications because proximal destruction of the pancreatic duct is more likely to lead to uncontrolled enzyme extravasation than a more distal necrosis (4). The use of CT scans 6–10 days after the onset of disease might be better because it would allow for needle aspiration to differentiate between infected and sterile necroses in patients with clinical abnormalities. Nonetheless, in real clinical situations advances in prediction of severity have not been matched by improvements in therapy. Dynamic contrast-material CT is the noninvasive standard technique of choice for patients with biochemically predicted severe pancreatitis. Given that CT can readily localize necrosis anatomically, could the authors clarify from this large cohort with readily available CT scan films this ongoing dilemma by correcting for Hct-dependent outcome according to the site of necrosis earlier and later in the course of disease?


Although it is now widely-accepted that unemployment is associated with sharply lower levels of individual well-being, relatively little is known about how this effect depends on unemployment duration. Data from three large-scale European panels is used to shed light on this issue; these data allow us to distinguish habituation to unemployment from sample selection. The panel results show little evidence of habituation to unemployment in Europe in the 1990's.


The website of a long-term care home is the face of the organization, providing not only a snapshot view of the home's programs and services but also an insight into the organization's vision, mission, policies, and culture. The website provides information—either purposefully or inadvertently— about the manner in which the organization responds to diversity among its residents. Guided by an intersectional analysis, this study uses content analysis to examine websites of long-term care homes run by companies, municipalities, and not-for-profit organizations in two provinces in Canada to understand how these websites demonstrate inclusion towards ethnoculturally diverse and LGBTQ older adults. Findings of the study indicate that these long-term care home websites showed very little inclusion of LGBTQ and ethnoculturally diverse older adults in the information provided on their website.


Mood disorders affect more than 300 million people worldwide and can cause devastating consequences. Elderly people and patients with neurological conditions are particularly susceptible to depression. Gait and body movements can be affected by mood disorders, and thus they can be used as a surrogate sign, as well as an objective index for pervasive monitoring of emotion and mood disorders in daily life. Here we review evidence that demonstrates the relationship between gait, emotions and mood disorders, highlighting the potential of a multimodal approach that couples gait data with physiological signals and home-based monitoring for early detection and management of mood disorders. This could enhance self-awareness, enable the development of objective biomarkers that identify high risk subjects and promote subject-specific treatment.


This integrative review aimed to analyze the available evidence in the literature regarding nursing care in the perioperative period for patients who underwent bariatric surgery. The search for primary studies was carried out in the US National Library of Medicine National Institutes of Health, Cumulative Index to Nursing and Allied Health Literature and Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature databases. The sample was comprised of 11 primary studies, published between January 2002 and July 2013, and grouped in two categories. The main nursing care activities identified were: bed mobility, ambulation at 12 hours, thromboembolic prophylaxis using compression devices, antibiotic prophylaxis, care for surgical drains, catheters and wound dressings, and guidance for patients regarding pre and postoperative preparation. The difficulties experienced by nurses and the team in the care provided were also discussed.


Neuropsychiatric illnesses including mood disorders are accompanied by cognitive impairment, which impairs work capacity and quality of life. However, there is a lack of treatment options that would lead to solid and lasting improvement of cognition. This is partially due to the absence of valid and reliable neurocircuitry-based biomarkers for pro-cognitive effects. This systematic review therefore examined the most consistent neural underpinnings of cognitive impairment and cognitive improvement in unipolar and bipolar disorders. We identified 100 studies of the neuronal underpinnings of working memory and executive skills, learning and memory, attention, and implicit learning and 9 studies of the neuronal basis for cognitive improvements. Impairments across several cognitive domains were consistently accompanied by abnormal activity in dorsal prefrontal (PFC) cognitive control regions—with the direction of this activity depending on patients' performance levels—and failure to suppress default mode network (DMN) activity. Candidate cognition treatments seemed to enhance task-related dorsal PFC and temporo-parietal activity when performance increases were observed, and to reduce their activity when performance levels were unchanged. These treatments also attenuated DMN hyper-activity. In contrast, nonspecific cognitive improvement following symptom reduction was typically accompanied by decreased limbic reactivity and reversal of pre-treatment fronto-parietal hyper-activity. Together, the findings highlight some common neural correlates of cognitive impairments and cognitive improvements. Based on this evidence, studies are warranted to examine the reliability and predictive validity of target engagement in the identified neurocircuitries as a biomarker model of pro-cognitive effects.


How can many people (who may disagree) come together to answer a question or make a decision?"Collective response systems"are a type of generative collective intelligence (CI) facilitation process meant to address this challenge. They enable a form of"generative voting", where both the votes, and the choices of what to vote on, are provided by the group. Such systems overcome the traditional limitations of polling, town halls, standard voting, referendums, etc. The generative CI outputs of collective response systems can also be chained together into iterative"collective dialogues", analogously to some kinds of generative AI. Technical advances across domains including recommender systems, language models, and human-computer interaction have led to the development of innovative and scalable collective response systems. For example, Polis has been used around the world to support policy-making at different levels of government, and Remesh has been used by the UN to understand the challenges and needs of ordinary people across war-torn countries. This paper aims to develop a shared language by defining the structure, processes, properties, and principles of such systems. Collective response systems allow non-confrontational exploration of divisive issues, help identify common ground, and elicit insights from those closest to the issues. As a result, they can help overcome gridlock around conflict and governance challenges, increase trust, and develop mandates. Continued progress toward their development and adoption could help revitalize democracies, reimagine corporate governance, transform conflict, and govern powerful AI systems -- both as a complement to deeper deliberative democratic processes and as an option where deeper processes are not applicable or possible.


Viscosity determines the resistance of haemolymph flow through the insect body. For flying insects, viscosity is a major physiological parameter limiting flight performance by controlling the flow rate of fuel to the flight muscles, circulating nutrients and rapidly removing metabolic waste products. The more viscous the haemolymph, the greater the metabolic energy needed to pump it through confined spaces. By employing magnetic rotational spectroscopy with nickel nanorods, we showed that viscosity of haemolymph in resting hawkmoths (Sphingidae) depends on wing size non-monotonically. Viscosity increases for small hawkmoths with high wingbeat frequencies, reaches a maximum for middle-sized hawkmoths with moderate wingbeat frequencies, and decreases in large hawkmoths with slower wingbeat frequencies but greater lift. Accordingly, hawkmoths with small and large wings have viscosities approaching that of water, whereas hawkmoths with mid-sized wings have more than twofold greater viscosity. The metabolic demands of flight correlate with significant changes in circulatory strategies via modulation of haemolymph viscosity. Thus, the evolution of hovering flight would require fine-tuned viscosity adjustments to balance the need for the haemolymph to carry more fuel to the flight muscles while decreasing the viscous dissipation associated with its circulation.


In this paper, a structure of super-lattice structure last barrier (SLSLB) is proposed, which can be applied into the AlGaN-based ultraviolet light-emitting diodes (LEDs) for improving the injection of both electrons and holes. Several other SLSLBs are also designed and compared in this work, and according to the simulated results, we find that the LED with SLSLB of diminishing thickness (SLSLB-D) possesses the highest internal quantum efficiency and the smallest efficiency droop. The SLSLB-D can effectively reduce the electron concentration at the interface between the last barrier (LB) and electron block layer (EBL), which relieves the leakage of electrons. Moreover, the best hole injection capability for the LED with SLSLB-D also contributes to the improved optical performance.


The general situation of pharmacology teaching in China was introduced and the educational reform in China in recent decade is summarized. The aim of the article is to provide those who are interested in teaching of pharmacology to be acquainted with the teaching of pharmacology, including the teaching of both principles and practice, in China.


The new findings and results of laparoscopic surgery lead us to apply this technique in thoracic surgery. Thoracoscopy is an old diagnostic procedure, but advanced imaging techniques, improved optics and new classes of instrument have paved the way for many diagnostic and therapeutic approaches, before not feasible. Now it is possible to treat spontaneous pneumothorax, removal of mediastinal and peripheral tumors, with minimally invasive surgery. It is our belief that thoracoscopic surgery will be a valuable tool in the near future for a variety of chest disorders.


A method is presented for evaluating of error probability for optical-fiber communication systems in the present of intersymbol interference and additive noise. It is based on deriving a best approximation, in a minimax sense, for the cumulative distribution function of the additive noise. The method takes into account the avalanche photodetector's non-Gaussian shot noise statistics. The additive noise is also not constrained to be Gaussian. Examples are presented for comparison to previously published techniques. >


The complete sequence of a cDNA clone (pmu3) encoding a secreted IgM heavy chain from a rabbit of VHa2 allotype has been determined. Comparison of the nucleic acid and amino acid sequences with a comparable mouse mu-chain shows unusually high homologies of the sequences of the fourth domains and secretory portions of the molecules (80 to 90% vs 56 to 73% for the other domains). This high degree of homology is also seen with the sequences of the fourth domain and secreted terminus of human mu-chain. The DNA sequence of a second cDNA clone encoding the membrane form of rabbit IgM is approximately 90% homologous with the mouse and human coding sequences for the membrane terminus, and there is 98 and 97% amino acid sequence homology. We found an unusually long (156 base pair) 5' untranslated region in clone pmu3 and discovered that 105 bases at the 5' end were complementary to the terminal portion of the CH4 domain of our mu sequence. Southern blotting analyses and the finding of a 13 base pair segment in rabbit genomic V region DNA that is homologous to the complementary strand of a segment of the CH4 of rabbit mu strongly suggests that this extended sequence resulted from a reverse transcriptase "hooking error". We have also obtained and sequenced another cDNA clone from a VHa1 cDNA library. Comparison of the V region of clone pmu3 from VHa2 with the 117 available positions of a1 DNA sequence shows 25 differences, nine of which are in allotype-associated codons. There is also a two-codon deletion in the VHa1 compared to VHa2 in the third framework region that may contribute to allotypic differences. Development of VHa allotype-specific probes, now in progress, is complicated by the fact that most of the allotype-associated amino acids of a1, a2, and a3 can be derived from each other by single base changes.


Abstract To ensure rapid enamelling of powder coatings and cataphoretic paints SLF has developed a new technology based on a combination of long wave infrared radiation (dark radiation) and convection. Experience gained with this DARC (dark radiation convection) technology has shown that not only is it well suited for enamelling powder coatings on thick walled workpieces, but also for quick enamelling on workpieces with different wall thicknesses. With this technology the warm-up time can be reduced considerably and paints on thick-walled workpieces in particular can be hardened economically and energy-efficiently.


In this paper, an Extreme Learning Machine (ELM) based technique for Multi-label classification problems is proposed and discussed. In multi-label classification, each of the input data samples belongs to one or more than one class labels. The traditional binary and multi-class classification problems are the subset of the multi-label problem with the number of labels corresponding to each sample limited to one. The proposed ELM based multi-label classification technique is evaluated with six different benchmark multi-label datasets from different domains such as multimedia, text and biology. A detailed comparison of the results is made by comparing the proposed method with the results from nine state of the arts techniques for five different evaluation metrics. The nine methods are chosen from different categories of multi-label methods. The comparative results shows that the proposed Extreme Learning Machine based multi-label classification technique is a better alternative than the existing state of the art methods for multi-label problems.


In May 1987, an intercomparison exercise for the determination of nonmethane hydrocarbon gases in the marine atmosphere was conducted. A preliminary account of the results was presented at the 1987 AGU Fall Meeting (see the abstract "Non-Methane Hydrocarbons in the Remote Marine Atmsophere: Results of an Intercomparison Exercise," in Eos, November 3, 1987, p. 1220).

It has subsequently become evident that miscalculations occurred (in the conversion of units) that resulted in incorrect mixing ratios for some data sets as presented. A corrected report is in progress and will be published as soon as possible.


This study examined the association between cerebral white matter lesions (WMLs) and cognitive function in a male, non-demented Chinese veteran cohort. A total of 662 participants underwent CT scan and cognitive function assessments; 51 were excluded from the analysis because they exhibited non-lacunar infarcts or suspected dementia. Subjects were allocated to one of four groups according to WML status and between-group comparisons were made for seven cognitive function tests. Logistic regression was used to assess odds ratios for impaired performance associated with WML status. In all cognitive tests, subjects with severe WMLs differed significantly from those without WMLs or with mild WMLs, and in three tests subjects with severe WMLs differed significantly from those with moderate WMLs. For each cognitive test severe WMLs were strongly associated with increased risk of impaired performance. Severe WMLs were associated with greater diminished cognitive function and there may be a WML threshold after which, in elderly Chinese subjects, an impact on cognitive function occurs.


Cheilocostus speciosus plants are important ornamental plant that has been cultivated as a cut flower. This species is propagated by cuttings, but no studies on the factors that influence this process. Therefore, the main of this work was to study the effect of the indolebutyric acid (IBA) on the rooting of cuttings of Cheilocostus speciosus . The experiments were carried out University State de Mato Grosso, Campus of Caceres/MT. The experimental design was completely randomized and the treatments six IBA concentrations (0, 200, 400, 600, 800 e 1000 mg L -1 ), four replicates of 10 cuttings per replicate. The variables were observed: percentage of rooting, dead cuttings percentage, number of roots, length of roots, number of piles with bud, percentage of root callus. The indolebutyric acid concentration of 720 mg L -1 increased the rooting percentage, and the 685 mg L -1 one increased root number. Additional keywords: asexual propagation; cuttings; Cheilocostus speciosus ; IBA.


Hypericin is a naturally occurring compound synthesized by certain species of the genus Hypericum , with various pharmacological effects. It is used as a natural photosensitizing agent with great potential in photodynamic therapy. This review discusses the latest results about the biosynthetic pathways and chemical synthetic routes to obtain hypericin. Although many analysis methods can be used for the determination of hypericin purity, HPLC has become the method of choice due to its fast and sensitive analyses. The extraction and purification of hypericin are also described. Hypericin can be used as a photosensitizer due to a large and active π-electron conjugated system in its structure. Medical applications of hypericin are not easy due to several unsolved practical problems, which include hypericin phototoxicity, poor solubility in water, and extreme sensitivity to light, heat, and pH.


Background Fatigue is a reliable and sensitive measure to change in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) whose contribution to disease activity seems to be directly or indirectly related with other symptoms of RA. The hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA)-axis IL-6 has been proposed as common triggering mechanism that could be target of tocilizumab (TCZ) action. Objectives To evaluate the correlation of fatigue change with evolution of related factors as serum Hb levels, swollen joint count (SJC), morning stiffness, pain, sleepiness and depression and the following personal aspects: marital status, children living at home, employment status, important events in life, physical activity, hours of sleep at night and care for dependents Methods A 24-week prospective, observational and multicenter study in patients with moderate to severe RA, non-responders or intolerants to DMARDs or TNF-inhibitors who initiated treatment with TCZ. Data were collected at the time of TCZ-beginning (baseline visit) and at 2 routine follow-up visits closest to the weeks 12 and 24 timepoints from baseline. Multiple regression analysis was made to determine the variance of fatigue outcomes relative to associated factors. Results Of 122 patients included, 120 were evaluable (87% female) with a mean age of 52.2±12.6 years and a mean disease duration of 9.1±7.8 years. Mean baseline clinical measures included: Hb (g/dL), 12.4±1.4; CRP (mg/L), 12.5±16.9; DAS28 score, 5.6±1.0; TJC, 8.6±6.3; SJC, 5.9±4.2; patient's global assessment (visual analogue scale, VAS), 6.9±2.1; physician's global assessment (VAS), 6.1±2.0; pain VAS (cm), 6.7±2.3; morning stiffness duration (hours), 1.3±2.4; FACIT_F fatigue outcome, 23.7±11.1; Beck depression score, 18.5±13.0; Epworth sleepiness score, 6.1±4.5. Mean DAS28 decreased 2.7±1.4 points after 24 weeks and a good EULAR response was achieved by 61% of patients. Significant mean improvements at both weeks 12 and 24 from baseline were seen in fatigue outcomes and related factors (table). Multiple regression analysis shown that the independent variables sleepiness and depression were significantly associated with change in fatigue both in week 12 and 24 [week 12, (sleepiness: B=0.7; p<0.001; depression: B=0.45; p<0.001) and week 24, (sleepiness: B=0.9; p<0.001; depression: B=0.45; p<0.001)], and explained 35% of the variance (R2) in fatigue observed during the study Table 1. Mean ± SD change in fatigue outcomes and related factors from baseline Week 12 p-value* Week 24 p-value* FACIT_F fatigue −4.7±9.3 <0.001 −5.2±10.9 <0.001 Serum Hb levels (g/dL) 0.6±1.1 <0.001 0.6±1.1 <0.001 CRP (mg/L) −10.7±17.3 <0.001 −11.2±19.0 <0.001 SJC −3.7±5.1 <0.001 −4.1±4.4 <0.001 Morning stiffness (hours) −0.9±2.6 <0.001 −1.0±2.5 <0.001 Pain VAS (cm) −2.6±2.6 <0.001 −2.7±3.0 <0.001 Epworth sleepiness score −0.6±4.4 0.162 −1.0±3.6 <0.001 Beck depression score −3.6±9.4 <0.001 −3.9±11.7 <0.005 * Based on paired samples t-test. Conclusions Tocilizumab reduces the concentration of acute-phase reactants and improves Hb levels, which can lead to a decrease in fatigue experienced by patients with RA. Indirectly, this would result in subjective improvements in patient-reported outcomes. Change scores for sleepiness and depression are the only significant variables for fatigue reductions. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.1509


Exacerbations of COPD are thought to be caused by interactions between host factors, bacteria, viruses, and changes in air quality to produce increased inflammation in the lower airway. The evidence for this and the potential mechanisms by which they result in the characteristic symptoms of exacerbations is reviewed. A better understanding of the causes and processes is needed for the appropriate use of existing treatments and the development of new ones. Future studies need to define populations clearly, stratify for known confounding factors, and should aim to identify clinical correlates so that clinical practice can be modified appropriately.


Houttuynin, a β-keto aldehyde compound, is the major active ingredient in herba houttuyniae injection. The injection was once used as an anti-inflammatory drug associated with occasional serious hypersensitivity reactions in the clinic, which were proposed to be related to the formation of protein adducts. N(α) -Boc-lysine, FEEM and IVTNTT were used as model amino acids or peptides containing one nucleophilic residue to investigate adduct types by liquid chromatography coupled with ion trap mass spectrometry (LC/MS(n) ) and high-resolution quadrupole time-of-flight mass spectrometry (Q-TOF MS). These adducts were respectively characterized as Schiff bases formed by 1:1 reaction of houttuynin with lysine or N-terminal residue and pyridinium adducts by 2:1 reaction. LC/MS(n) analysis of trypsin digests of HSA/Hb incubations with houttuynin revealed that houttuynin-modified HSA adducts were formed mainly at N-terminal amino acid and lysine residues, specifically at Lys-212, Lys-414 and Lys-525 for Schiff base adducts, and at Lys-414 and Lys-432 for pyridinium adducts, and houttuynin adducted more readily with N-terminal valine of the α- and β-chains in Hb and lysine amine (Lys-62) of the β-chain for Schiff base adducts. The results showed the direct modification of houttuynin to HSA/Hb in vitro, which was speculated to be responsible for the adverse reactions induced by houttuyniae injection.


The Akatsuki spacecraft of Japan was launched on May 21, 2010. The spacecraft planned to enter a Venus-encircling near-equatorial orbit in December 7, 2010; however, the Venus orbit insertion maneuver has failed, and at present the spacecraft is orbiting the Sun. There is a possibility of conducting an orbit insertion maneuver again several years later. The main goal of the mission is to understand the Venusian atmospheric dynamics and cloud physics, with the explorations of the ground surface and the interplanetary dust also being the themes. The angular motion of the spacecraft is roughly synchronized with the zonal flow near the cloud base for roughly 20 hours centered at the apoapsis. Seen from this portion of the orbit, cloud features below the spacecraft continue to be observed over 20 hours, and thus the precise determination of atmospheric motions is possible. The onboard science instruments sense multiple height levels of the atmosphere to model the three-dimensional structure and dynamics. The lower clouds, the lower atmosphere and the surface are imaged by utilizing near-infrared windows. The cloud top structure is mapped by using scattered ultraviolet radiation and thermal infrared radiation. Lightning discharge is searched for by high speed sampling of lightning flashes. Night airglow is observed at visible wavelengths. Radio occultation complements the imaging observations principally by determining the vertical temperature structure.


Data clustering is an important task in many disciplines. A large number of studies have attempted to improve clustering by using the side information that is often encoded as pairwise constraints. However, these studies focus on designing special clustering algorithms that can effectively exploit the pairwise constraints. We present a boosting framework for data clustering,termed as BoostCluster, that is able to iteratively improve the accuracy of any given clustering algorithm by exploiting the pairwise constraints. The key challenge in designing a boosting framework for data clustering is how to influence an arbitrary clustering algorithm with the side information since clustering algorithms by definition are unsupervised. The proposed framework addresses this problem by dynamically generating new data representations at each iteration that are, on the one hand, adapted to the clustering results at previous iterations by the given algorithm, and on the other hand consistent with the given side information. Our empirical study shows that the proposed boosting framework is effective in improving the performance of a number of popular clustering algorithms (K-means, partitional SingleLink, spectral clustering), and its performance is comparable to the state-of-the-art algorithms for data clustering with side information.


Introduction: Hypercoagulable state is seen in preeclampsia which acts as a risk factor for thromboembolism & DIC. Altered coagulation indices (serum Fibrinogen & FDP) have been reported in patients with preeclampsia and have been suggested as a sensitive marker for detection of bleeding complications. This study was carried out to compare the coagulation indices in preeclamptic women.
Materials & Methods: This cross sectional study was conducted in the Department of Physiology, Dhaka Medical College (DMC), Dhaka from January to December 2014. Total 100 women aged 18 – 40 years were selected from the department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology of DMCH, Dhaka for this study. Among them 50 were preeclamptic and age matched 50 healthy nonpregnant women were considered as control group. Fibrinogen & Fibrin Degradation Product (FDP) were analyzed on automated coagulation analyzer.
Result: In this study, serum Fibrinogen & FDP were significantly higher in preeclamptic than those of healthy women. Moreover, 100% & 64% preeclamptic patient had raised serum Fibrinogen & FDP respectively.
Conclusion: From this study it can be concluded that serum Fibrinogen & FDP are directly related with preeclampsia.
Medicine Today 2019 Vol.31(1): 36-38


Summary: Breast implant surgery remains one of the most common surgical procedures performed in the United States. Implant exchange can be complicated by unavailability of medical records or implant identification cards. Using chest imaging of 154 breast implants, an algorithm for estimating breast implant volume was generated. Based on four simple measurements and patient body mass index, a free, online calculator was created with a mean error of volume estimate of less than 1 cm3 and a SD of 44 cm3. In instances where a surgeon does not have implant records available but has chest imaging, this online tool can be used to obtain a relatively accurate estimate of implant volume.


The design and performance of a compact low-loss X-band true-time-delay (TTD) MEMS phase shifter fabricated on 8-mil GaAs substrate is described. A semi-lumped approach using microstrip transmission lines and metal-insulator-metal (MIM) capacitors is employed for the delay lines in order to both reduce circuit size as well as avoid the high insertion loss found in typical miniaturized designs. The 2-bit phase shifter achieved an average insertion loss of -0.70 dB at 9.45 GHz, and an associated phase accuracy of /spl plusmn/1.3/spl deg/. It occupies an area of only 5 mm/sup 2/, which is 44% the area of the smallest known X-band MEMS phase shifter . The phase shifter operates over 6-14 GHz with a return loss of better than -14 dB.


The resilience of regeneration in vertebrate tissues is not well understood. Yet understanding how well tissues can regenerate after repeated insults, and identifying any limitations, is an important step towards elucidating the underlying mechanisms of tissue plasticity. This is particularly challenging in tissues such as the nervous system, which contain a large number of terminally differentiated cells (i.e. neurons) and that often exhibits limited regenerative potential in the first place. However, unlike mammals that exhibit very little spinal cord regeneration, many non-mammalian vertebrate species, including lampreys, fishes, amphibians and reptiles, regenerate their spinal cords and functionally recover even after a complete spinal cord transection. It is well established that lampreys undergo full functional recovery of swimming behaviors after a single spinal cord transection, which is accompanied by tissue repair at the lesion as well as axon and synapse regeneration. Here, using the lamprey model, we begin to explore resilience of spinal cord regeneration after a second spinal re-transection. We report that by all functional and anatomical measures tested, the lampreys regenerated after spinal re-transection just as robustly as after single transections. Recovery of swimming behaviors, axon regeneration, synapse and cytoskeletal distributions, and neuronal survival were nearly identical after a single spinal transection or a repeated transection. Thus, regenerative potential in the lamprey spinal cord is largely unaffected by spinal re-transection, indicating a greater persistent regenerative potential than exists in some other highly-regenerative models. These findings establish a new path for uncovering pro-regenerative targets that could be deployed in non-regenerative conditions.


Purpose: To verify the capability of 18F-fluorodeoxy-glucose positron emission tomography/computed tomography (FDG-PET/CT) to identify patients at higher risk of developing doxorubicin (DXR)-induced cardiotoxicity, using a score-based image approach. Methods: 36 patients underwent FDG-PET/CT. These patients had shown full remission after DXR-based chemotherapy for Hodgkin's disease (DXR dose: 40–50 mg/m2 per cycle), and were retrospectively enrolled. Inclusion criteria implied the presence of both pre- and post-chemotherapy clinical evaluation encompassing electrocardiogram (ECG) and echocardiography. Myocardial metabolism at pre-therapy PET was evaluated according to both standardized uptake value (SUV)- and score-based approaches. The capability of the score-based image assessment to predict the occurrence of cardiac toxicity with respect to SUV measurement was then evaluated. Results: In contrast to the SUV-based approach, the five-point scale method does not linearly stratify the risk of the subsequent development of cardiotoxicity. However, converting the five-points scale to a dichotomic evaluation (low vs. high myocardial metabolism), FDG-PET/CT showed high diagnostic accuracy in the prediction of cardiac toxicity (specificity = 100% and sensitivity = 83.3%). In patients showing high myocardial uptake at baseline, in which the score-based method is not able to definitively exclude the occurrence of cardiac toxicity, myocardial SUV mean quantification is able to further stratify the risk between low and intermediate risk classes. Conclusions: the score-based approach to FDG-PET/CT images is a feasible method for predicting DXR-induced cardiotoxicity. This method might improve the inter-reader and inter-scanner variability, thus allowing the evaluation of FDG-PET/CT images in a multicentral setting.


Combined traumatic injuries of the anterior eye segment are attributed to the severe consequences of the injured organ of vision. Iris defects result in spherical and chromatic aberrations, diplopia, flares, severe photophobia, cosmetic defects, and significantly reduced visual acuity after the injury. The literature describes various methods to restore visual functions impaired as a result of aniridia. Use of an artificial iris together with an intraocular lens pathology results in optimal reconstruction and recovery of normal anterior segment anatomy and topography. In this paper, we provide a report on a patient followed up for 15 years after combined reconstruction eye surgery for an off-the-job penetrating eye injury sustained in 2003. A complex intervention was required due to the involvement of the cornea, iris, and lens. In 2004, the patient underwent a lens-iris diaphragm implantation combined with penetrating keratoplasty. The diaphragm implantation was followed by an improvement in visual acuity and elimination of photophobia and flares. There were no intra- or postoperative complications. Two years later, LASIK refractive surgery was performed on the corneal transplant to eliminate induced ametropia. The patient retained good eye function, with a stable position of the lens-iris diaphragm, for many years after the diaphragm implantation, keratoplasty, and refractive surgery. In 2018, he had an intravitreal implant impregnated with dexamethasone, as changes in the retina had developed. The long-term follow-up in this case demonstrates that the implantation of a lens-iris diaphragm resulted in an elimination of undesirable optical events associated with aniridia and produced an optimal functional result, while also improving the patient's quality of life with a good aesthetic effect.


Restoration of plant communities can be hindered by the legacy of previously established invaders, despite their physical removal from the community. Current evidence, mainly built on short‐term greenhouse experiments, suggests that Sericea lespedeza (Lespedeza cuneata) invasion not only suppresses native plant species, but also alters soil conditions in host communities. As a result, L. cuneata may create a soil legacy that impedes plant community restoration. We examined the response of a Kansas grassland following L. cuneata removal to determine if historical L. cuneata abundance affected (1) plant community composition and (2) the establishment of additional native species. To address these questions, L. cuneata seeds were sown into 300 plots at a wide range of densities under different combinations of simulated disturbance and soil fertilization. After a three‐year establishment period, L. cuneata was removed from the community, and 13 native forb species were sown into all plots. Over 4 years, we found little evidence for a soil legacy effect that influenced community response post‐removal. Although there was a detectable relationship between community composition and L. cuneata, the variation explained by this relationship was very low. Similarly, the establishment of sown native species was unrelated to the historical abundance of L. cuneata. These results indicate that, regardless of initial density, L. cuneata does not impede plant community recovery in this system if effectively controlled within the first 3 years of invasion, and legacy effects inferred from greenhouse experiments may not translate to impacts on the plant community in the field.


Brazilian drivers have dominated the history of Formula One racing and therefore hold a prominent place in the international pantheon of the sport. Brazil is by no means a wealthy country, nor is it as socially advanced as a great deal of others, and therefore such a significant role in international motor sport may at first appear unlikely. This article unpacks the relationship between Brazil and the sport of motor racing, something that is strongly connected to the role played by the automobile since its arrival in Brazil. The main purpose of this article, however, is to discuss the history of Brazilian motor racing from the first structured auto races (Sao Paulo, 1908, and Rio de Janeiro, 1909) until the dawn of the Rio de Janeiro Grand Prix, staged at the famous Gavea Circuit, which represents the critical point at which Brazilian motor racing entered the highest echelons of world motor sport.


Template matching techniques are widely used in many computer vision tasks. Generally, a likelihood value is calculated from similarity measures, however the relation between these measures and the data likelihood is often incorrectly stated. It is clear that accurate likelihood estimation will improve the efficiency of the matching algorithms. This paper introduces a novel method for estimating the likelihood PDFS accurately based on the PDF Projection Theorem, which provides the correct relation between the feature likelihood and the data likelihood, permitting the use of different types of features for different types of objects and still estimating consistent likelihoods. The proposed method removes the normalization and bias problems that are usually associated with the likelihood calculations. We demonstrate that it significantly improves template matching in pose estimation problems. Qualitative and quantitative results are compared against traditional likelihood estimation schemes.


1. The nature of inhibition in the muscles of the limbs of Carcinus maenas has been studied. In all the muscles there is a definite threshold for inhibition which is normally higher than the threshold for excitation. Under the influence of inhibition the rate of contraction of the muscle is depressed. This depression is greatest at low frequencies of excitation. It is scarcely appreciable at higher frequencies. This absolutely precludes the possibility that inhibition is connected with the Wedensky phenomenon. 2. It is shown that inhibition is essentially due to a depression of neuromuscular facilitation, so that compared with normal excitation a higher frequency of stimulation is required to cause a response by summation. 3. Certain evidence suggests that inhibition is of a humoral nature. The effects of inhibition last longer than the duration of excitation of the inhibitory nerve, and there is slight evidence that an inhibitory substance may be transmitted by artificial perfusion so as to cause depression of facilitation in a second muscle. 4. The relation of excitation and inhibition in the reciprocal action of the extensor and flexor muscles of the dactylopodite of the limb is examined. In both muscles excitation occurs at a lower intensity than inhibition. The reciprocal responses obtainable in the amputated limb are due to the respective thresholds of the excitor and inhibitor nerves of each muscle. A weak stimulus excites the extensor, but has no action on the flexor. A strong stimulus inhibits the extensor and excites the flexor, these thresholds being close together. A still stronger stimulus inhibits the flexor. This interpretation differs from that originally given by Biedermann, and the reasons for this are discussed. 5. The functional significance of inhibition is discussed. It is pointed out that as a means of bringing contraction to an end inhibition is less efficient than mere absence of excitation. But it is also pointed out that in the resting limb there is probably a background of low-frequency excitation continually present. By itself this suffices only to maintain the muscle in tone. Under these conditions, however, the muscle can be made to contract by a brief series of rapid stimuli (Pantin, 1936). Such a contraction once produced is thereafter maintained and can only be brought to an end by inhibition. This mechanism is contrasted with neuromuscular action in the skeletal muscle of the vertebrates.


Jet mixers with side entering jets and their different configurations are used for mixing purposes, e.g., homogenization of physical properties and composition, prevention of stratification or deposition of suspended particles, for improved rates of heat, mass transfer and chemical reaction to achieve faster mixing time. Most of the researchers have focused on experimental estimation of mixing time and proposing suitable correlations for the prediction of mixing time and recent ones being on flow visualization. Though there are few researcher works on flow visualization, many of them have not validated their results with the real time values. Hence it is proposed to study the flow pattern inside the jet mixer under different configuration. A 3D jet mixer (cylindrical tank with jet of different configuration and aspect ratio of 1) was modeled using commercially available software Fluent. This model was simulated for different sets of nozzle configurations and the simulated mixing characteristics were obtained for both Newtonian and Non-Newtonian (9% carboxyl methyl cellulose (CMC) solution) fluids. A detailed comparative analysis has also been made with the already estimated experimental mixing times for Newtonian fluids. The simulated mixing characteristics of 9% CMC solution (Non-Newtonian fluid) have been compared with water (Newtonian fluid) mixing characteristics under the same operating conditions.


The purpose of this paper is to examine the role of experiential learning in Higher Education, specifically entrepreneurship education. The paper proposes that experiential learning is best facilitated as a result of the learner's participation in practical events, which supports the creation of experiences and their subsequent reflection on these experiences. Current approaches to teaching entrepreneurship within Higher Education are analyzed, as is the role experiential learning has to play. Findings suggest that by providing suitable experiential learning opportunities, educators can develop entrepreneurial capabilities in the learners and promote an entrepreneurial ecosystem. However, it is also important from the onset, that students gain an understanding about entrepreneurship itself and the skills that are required to become more entrepreneurial. A case study of an existing real-world entrepreneurial teaching environment is provided. The educators in IADT have already spent more than 10 years focusing on embedding experience into their entrepreneurial ecosystem. Therefore, as a result of research into the role of experiential learning in entrepreneurship education, this paper allows reflection on these experiences and provides an opportunity for their (re)-evaluation and future enrichment in the area of experiential learning.


Actin polymerization provides a powerful propulsion force for numerous types of cell motility. Although tremendous progress has been made in identifying the biochemical components necessary for actin-based motility, the precise biophysical mechanisms of force generation remain unclear. To probe the polymerization forces quantitatively, we introduce an experimental system in which lipid vesicles coated with the Listeria monocytogenes virulence factor ActA are propelled by actin polymerization. The polymerization forces cause significant deformations of the vesicle. We have used these deformations to obtain a spatially resolved measure of the forces exerted on the membrane using a model based on the competition between osmotic pressure and membrane stretching. Our results indicate that actin exerts retractile or propulsive forces depending on the local membrane curvature and that the membrane is strongly bound to the actin gel. These results are consistent with the observed dynamics. After a slow elongation of the vesicle from a spherical shape, the strong bonds between the actin gel and the membrane rupture if the retractile forces exceed a critical value, leading to a rapid release of the vesicle's trailing edge.


Purpose To confirm the psychometric properties of the Athens Insomnia Scale (AIS) among Japanese chronic pain patients. Patients and methods In total, 144 outpatients were asked to complete questionnaires comprising the AIS and other study measures. According to the original article, the AIS has 2 versions: the AIS-8 (full version) and the AIS-5 (brief version). To validate the AIS-8 and AIS-5 among chronic pain patients, we confirmed: 1) factor structure by confirmatory factor analysis; 2) internal consistency by Cronbach's a; 3) test–retest reliability using with interclass correlation coefficients; 4) known-group validity; 5) concurrent validity; and 6) cut-off values by receiver operating characteristic analysis. In addition, semi-structured interviews were conducted to assess the participants' sleep disturbance. If the participants had any sleep complaints, including difficulty in initiating sleep, difficulty in maintaining sleep, and early morning awakening, they were defined as insomnia symptoms. Results A 2-factor model of the AIS-8 and 1-factor model of the AIS-5 demonstrated good fit. The AIS had adequate internal consistency and test–retest reliability. Patients with insomnia had a higher AIS score than those without insomnia. The sleep disturbance measured by the AIS was positively associated with pain intensity, disability, depression, anxiety, and pain catastrophizing, and negatively associated with pain-related self-efficacy. The cut-off values for detecting insomnia were estimated at 8 points in the AIS-8 and 4 points in the AIS-5. Conclusion The AIS-8 and AIS-5 had adequate reliability and validity in chronic pain patients.


3D geometric contents are becoming increasingly popular. In this paper, we study the problem of analyzing deforming 3D meshes using deep neural networks. Deforming 3D meshes are flexible to represent 3D animation sequences as well as collections of objects of the same category, allowing diverse shapes with large-scale non-linear deformations. We propose a novel framework which we call mesh variational autoencoders (mesh VAE), to explore the probabilistic latent space of 3D surfaces. The framework is easy to train, and requires very few training examples. We also propose an extended model which allows flexibly adjusting the significance of different latent variables by altering the prior distribution. Extensive experiments demonstrate that our general framework is able to learn a reasonable representation for a collection of deformable shapes, and produce competitive results for a variety of applications, including shape generation, shape interpolation, shape space embedding and shape exploration, outperforming state-of-the-art methods.


CXCR4 belongs to a family of G protein-coupled cell surface receptors and has been proved to a prognostic marker in a various tumors, including esophageal squamous cell cancer. In this study, we analyzed CXCR4 expression in tumor tissue and metastatic tumor tissues of lymph node by immunohistochemistry. CXCR4 was found to be an independent factor of patients' survival and heterogeneously expressed in tumor tissues. Compared with the primary tumor tissues, the scores of CXCR4 expression were significantly higher in corresponding metastatic tumor tissues of lymph nodes (P < 0.01). It was suggested CXCR4-positive cells were prone to migrate to lymph nodes. In the further experiments in vitro, we confirmed heterogeneous expression of CXCR4 in esophageal squamous cell cancer cell lines (KYSE70, Ec109, and CaES17) by flow cytometry analysis. Meanwhile, two subpopulations were isolated from Ec109 based on CXCR4 membrane expression by fluorescence-activated cell sorting. CXCR4-positive cells showed stronger migration ability in Boyden chamber assay than CXCR4 negative ones (P < 0.01). However, no significant difference of cell proliferation was found between the two subpopulations in colony formation assay (P > 0.05). We concluded that CXCR4 might be a key molecule in esophageal squamous cell cancer metastasis.


Drawing on a dataset of job openings posted at an online job board, the authors find that employers are less likely to offer performance-based pay when a job entails multitasking, quality control, or team work than when a job does not entail these tasks. This finding is consistent with the notion that when employers have difficulty measuring a worker's overall performance at jobs with these dimensions, they offer weaker performance incentives to ensure that workers allocate their efforts to every task they were hired to perform. The observed pattern persists when different forms of performance incentives are considered, such as bonuses and commissions, but is weaker for non-sales jobs or jobs that entail multitasking.


This paper addresses integration issues in supply chain, and tries to investigate how different aspects of integration are linked with some product features. Integration in this study is interpreted as "internal", "upstream" (supply), and "downstream" (demand). Two features of product innovative and quality are considered. To examine the relationships between supply chain integrations – as mentioned above, and product features, this research follows the survey method in automotive industry.The results imply that supply chain upstream integration has a higher impact on product quality, comparing to internal and supply chain downstream integrations. It is also found that the influence of supply chain downstream integration on product innovation is greater than other variables. In brief, this study mainly tackles the importance of specific level of supply chain integrations and its effects on two product features. Keywords—Supply chain upstream integration, supply chain downstream integration, internal integration, product features


In the seismic design, the design spectrum considering the responses of the acceleration, velocity, displacement and energy for the natural vibration period of structure is used. The acceleration response spectrum is the most frequently applied for the seismic design of structure in worldwide. In the case of using peak ground acceleration, the response characteristics of structure are reflected by using the acceleration response value because there is large uncertainties of the ground acceleration itself and it is difficult to consider the response characteristics of structure. The acceleration response spectrum is based on the linear elastic analysis on the single-degree of freedom system, however, practical structures are composed of the multi-degree of freedom system and allow for the plastic deformation, so that it makes a large difference between the both. In this study, the spectra such as the acceleration response and the energy equivalent velocity response are analyzed according to the structural behavior, the distribution of the force, stiffness and mass on each story of structure and the hysteresis characteristics. And the stability of the spectra is verified, so the propriety for the design spectrum is evaluated. Thus, the effective information is sorted for improving the accuracy of the seismic design.


Background: The ability to maintain a high intensity of exercise over several repetitions depends on recovery from previous exercises. This study aimed to identify the effects of different recovery times on internal and external load during small-sided soccer games. Hypothesis: An increase in recovery time will increase the external training load and decrease the internal exercise load, which will result in a greater physical impact of the exercise. Study Design: Cross-sectional study. Level of Evidence: Level 2. Methods: Twenty male semiprofessional soccer players participated in the present study. They performed the same exercise (5-a-side game format) continuously (1 × 18 minutes) and repeatedly/fractionated (3 × 6 minutes) with different recovery times (30 seconds, 1 minute, 1.5 minutes, and 2 minutes). Their internal load (ie, average heart rate (HR) and maximum HR) and external load (ie, total distance, maximum speed, and ratio meters) were measured using an HR band and an inertial device equipped with a global positioning system, respectively. Results: The manipulation of recovery times induced differences in the internal and external load. For the same total duration, the external and internal load indicators exhibited higher values during the fractionated method, particularly with short recovery periods. Conclusion: The application of small-sided soccer games with different recovery times induced varying responses in training load. To maintain high physical performance and high training load, the fractional method with short recovery periods (ie, 30 seconds) should be used. In contrast, to carefully manage players' efforts and decrease response to training load, continuous or fractional methods with longer recovery periods (ie, 1-2 minutes) should be used. Clinical Relevance: The proper prescription of recovery time between exercises facilitates enhanced training efficiency and optimized performance.


Abstract Background: Pancreatic cancer is a fatal disease most often diagnosed at an advanced stage. Most patients already suffer from irresectable tumor or distant metastases being most commonly found in the liver or the lung. However, cerebral metastases occur extremely rare. Methods: We performed a retrospective analysis of our database to identify all patients diagnosed with pancreatic cancer and cerebral metastases who underwent surgical treatment in our department from January 2004 to November 2016. Results: Only 0.2% (4 of 2492) were diagnosed with cerebral metastases. Two patients had surgical resection of the cerebral metastases. One patient underwent palliative radiation therapy and the fourth patient received only palliative therapy. Mean interval between initial diagnosis and development of brain metastases was 8.5 months (range 1–20). Mean survival period after diagnosis of brain metastases was 4.75 months (range 1–10). Conclusions: Cerebral metastases of pancreatic cancer occur extremely rare. They are associated with an advanced tumor stage, commonly liver and lung metastases. All patients presenting with neurological symptoms, multifocal metastases, and significantly elevated CA 19-9 levels are suspicious of sustaining cerebral metastases and should undergo brain imaging.


Recent advances in Seismic Codes increased the necessity in Engineering Geophysics to use surface wave analysis as a tool. The shear wave velocity profile had to be resolved to calculate the site amplification in case of an earthquake event, necessary also for seismic hazard studies. In our approach we present the results from Surface Wave data acquired in different site in Crete Island (Greece) at strong motion sites. Passive and Active data at linear and circular geometries have been analyzed and the corresponding processing and inversion results are compared. Although one would comment that there are discrepancies on Dispersion Curve results the resulted ground profiles up to a shallow depth show considerable agreement. However, this is site dependent and in order to increase the accuracy and reliability of results one should be careful with the assignment of different modes in surface wave analysis and also combine the results provided.