America's struggle against Nazism is one of the few aspects of World War II that has escaped controversy. Historians agree that it was a widely popular war, different from the subsequent conflicts in Korea and Vietnam because of the absence of partisan sniping, ebbing morale, or calls for a negotiated peace. In this provocative book, Steven Casey challenges conventional wisdom about America's participation in World War II. Drawing on the numerous opinion polls and surveys conducted by the U.S. government, he traces the development of elite and mass attitudes toward Germany, from the early days of the war up to its conclusion. Casey persuasively argues that the president and the public rarely saw eye to eye on the nature of the enemy, the threat it posed, or the best methods for countering it. He describes the extensive propaganda campaign that Roosevelt designed to build support for the war effort, and shows that Roosevelt had to take public opinion into account when formulating a host of policies, from the Allied bombing campaign to the Morgenthau plan to pastoralize the Third Reich. By examining the previously unrecognized relationship between public opinion and policy making during World War II, Casey's groundbreaking book sheds new light on a crucial era in American history.


The chorus of doubts concerning the continued viability of the Western liberal tradition itself, in both ideational and institutional aspects, has grown much louder over the past several years. Can this tradition be said to be in a time of twilight – that time that falls? It is this question that would be explored in this paper. While searching the confirmation of the position, indicated in the title of the paper, author turns to contemporary ideological sources of Western liberalism. Such concepts as capitalism, socialism, justice, democracy are considered in this context based on the works of two thinkers, John Rawls and Fred Dallmayr. By stressing ideal justice and ignoring concrete injustice, Rawls' ideas seem strange even apart from the present crisis. The subsequent evolution of his thoughts is estimated by the author as the transition from daylight to twilight. It has manifested in Rawls' refusal to apply his principles of justice to the international arena, his condescending attitude toward underdeveloped countries. The atmosphere of The Law of Peoples is still redolent of the assumption of American hegemony. The author wishes to extract from Dallmayr's book for present purposes is above all his commitment to a version of socialism. But what neither Dallmayr nor Rawls and other liberal thinkers will gainsay is that central to the twilight zone in which we are wandering is the heavy hand of global capitalism. The next problem is that the modern liberal democratic theory has always professed to make the assumption of equality, but it has never fully embraced it. The most important conceptual element in accounting for this failure is the notion of majority rule. The author mentions three difficulties with the idea of majority rule: the problem of time and the problem of the identity of the human units who compose the majority, and the problem of information. He analyzes the recent political evolutions of both the United Kingdom and the United States, and France as well, which have certainly given Western liberalism a badname in many quarters.


We explored synthetic lethality in the context of aurora inhibition with novel combination therapies for aggressive B-NHL. Aurora A and B are serine/threonine kinases and when amplified dysregulate the mitotic phase of the cell cycle. Pre-clinical and clinical evidence demonstrate that aurora inhibition has therapeutic benefit in aggressive B-NHL. Alisertib, an aurora inhibitor has single agent activity in B-NHL mouse xenograft tumors and clinical trials. Pre-clinical studies demonstrate Bruton9s tyrosine kinase (BTK) is persistently expressed despite alisertib therapy. TMAs for DLBCL (S0313, S0515, N = 60) and MCL (S0213, S0601, N = 45) were generated to evaluate aurora A, B and BTK expression by IHC. We developed B-NHL cell lines resistant to alisertib to evaluate mechanisms of acute and chronic resistance and knock down of aurora A and B to evaluate Myc, Bcl2 and BTK expression. Mouse B-NHL xenograft models were conducted to demonstrate synthetic lethality of aurora plus BTK inhibition. We demonstrate synergistic inhibition of cell proliferation associated with apoptosis, particularly in ABC and double hit DLBCL and mantle cell lymphoma (MCL) cells. Ibrutinib completely inhibited BTK and AKT activity at 3.0μM without affecting BTK or AKT protein level in B-NHL cells that co-over-express Myc and Bcl-2. Aurora A and B knockdown show compromised oncogene expression. IHC indicated in DLBCL and MCL aurora B to be differentially over-expressed versus aurora A and BTK. Alisertib plus ibrutinib was highly synergistic in inhibiting cell proliferation and inducing apoptosis in B-NHL cells. Moreover, this effect was amplified with the addition of rituximab. Acute and chronic resistance to alisertib was due to ERK1/2 activation. Significantly greater apoptosis was induced in the triplet combination (alisertib + ibrutinib + rituximab) compared to doublet combinations (ibrutinib + rituximab or alisertib + ibrutinib or alisertib + rituximab). Mouse xenograft models of MCL (Granta-519) and double hit DLBCL (U2932) showed ibrutinib alone had no anti-B-NHL activity. Ibrutinib + alisertib lead to tumor growth inhibition (TGI) of ∼50% in MCL and ∼30% in DLBCL (p = 0.005). Interestingly, ibrutinib + rituximab lead to a TGI of ∼60% (p = 0.005) in both B-NHL mouse models. In contrast, triplet therapy with alisertib plus ibrutinib plus rituximab demonstrated a statistically significant tumor TGI of ∼70-90% (p = 0.005) in both B-NHL mouse models with an associated enhanced overall survival (>70 days). Harvested tumors at the end of treatment(s) demonstrated target inhibition and increased apoptosis with triple therapy. Inhibition of BTK plus rituximab in the presence of aurora inhibition is synthetic lethal in B-NHL and warrant clinical trial evaluation. Citation Format: Daruka Mahadevan, Carla Morales, Laurence Cooke, Manjari Pandey, Catherine Spier, Wenqing Qi. Synthetic lethal approaches to aurora inhibition in aggressive B-cell non-Hodgkin lymphoma. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 2578. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-2578


Spinal cord injury (SCI) is a devastating and common neurological disorder that is difficult to treat. The pain can sustain for many years, making the sufferer extremely painful. Nerve stimulation was first reported half a century ago as a treatment for neuropathic pain. Since then, the method of electrical stimulation through leads placed in the epidural space on the dorsal side of the spinal cord has become a valuable therapeutic tool for SCI. But nerve stimulation equipment is expensive, and the stimulator design and treatment plan are complicated, which hinders its development. In recent years, wearable and implantable triboelectric nanogenerators (TENGs) developed rapidly, and their low cost and safety have brought a new turning point for the development of nerve stimulation. Nanofibrous membrane has been proved that it is a flexible material with the advantages of ultrathin diameter, good connectivity, easy scale-up, tunable wettability, fine flexibility, tunable porosity, controllable composition and so on. In this paper, we discuss the technology of using nanofiber membrane on clothing to create TENGs to provide continuous electrical energy for nerve stimulation to treat SCI in patients by analyzing previous research.


Preparation of various samples of ebonite vulcanizates and their physico-mechanical properties have been investigated using standard methods. This work explores the production of ebonite dust and its rubber vulcanizates, characterization and analysis of the prepared ebonite rubbers. Five different ebonite rubbers – labeled A, B, C, D, and E with sulphur content in parts per hundred grams of rubber (Phr) of 32, 34, 36, 38 and 40 parts respectively were prepared. Physico-mechanical properties were carried out on the prepard rubbers vis-a-viz: tensile strength, hardness and abrasion resistance. The tensile strength (MPa) for sample A, B, C , D and E were 5.6,  3.5,  4.7,  1.7  and  2.0  MPa  respectively  while  the  abrasion  (%  mass  loss)  were 8.49,4.24,2.59,1.08 and 1.05 % respectively and the hardness (IRHD) being 63, 64, 65,70 and 82 (IRHD). The results showed that the preparation of ebonite from natural rubber as a base polymer is achievable considering the results of characterization obtained. Keywords: compounding, natural rubber, ebonite dust, vulcanization, ebonite material.


Twin anemia-polycythemia sequence (TAPS) is an infrequent complication of monochorionic twin gestations. Diagnosis is established by prenatal Doppler assessment of middle cerebral artery peak systolic velocity (MCA-PSV). A staging system is proposed based on MCA-PSV. At this time, an optimal prenatal treatment method is not known. We report 3 pregnancies, one spontaneous and 2 product of assisted reproductive technology, managed in our centre with in utero partial exchange transfusion (iPET) combined with in utero blood transfusion (IT). Once the diagnosis is established, the polycythemic twin underwent partial exchange transfusion. After iPET is completed, the anemic fetus had IT during the same session. The volume to be replaced for iPET is calculated utilising previously established formulas for newborns, based on ultrasound estimated fetal weight. Following iPET, IT is performed for the anemic fetus, either intraperitoneal or intravascular route. At the end of iPET, target hematocrit was 50% for the polycythemic twin. Following IT, target hematocrit was 40% for the anemic twin. Median gestational age at diagnosis was 26.1 weeks [range:24.6 – 27.6 weeks]. At the time of diagnosis, 2 cases were at stage 2 and 1 case was at stage 4. Duration between diagnosis and delivery was median 2.5 weeks [range:1 – 11.5 weeks]. Delivery indications were worsening fetal status, premature preterm rupture of membranes, and preterm labour. iPET combined with IT is feasible for the treatment of TAPS and it appears to prolong pregnancy.


The prevalence of nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) and its associated metabolic risk factors, including obesity and metabolic syndrome, have increased over the last decade in both developed and developing countries (1). NAFLD is considered to be the hepatic manifestation of metabolic syndrome and insulin resistance which is one of multiple hits leading to NAFLD (2). Because skeletal muscle is an important endocrine organ that responds to the insulin, loss of skeletal muscle mass decreases glucose utilization and induces insulin resistance, which in turn may contribute to the development of NAFLD (3).


We report the first integrated surface-micro machined z-axis frame microgyroscope fabricated in the Analog Devices Modular-MEMS process using 6 /spl mu/m thick polysilicon as the structural material and 5 V 0.8 /spl mu/m CMOS process. This vibratory microgyroscope, which operates in vacuum, measures the z-axis rotation rate by sensing the induced Coriolis acceleration using capacitive sensing. The amplitude of drive motion was estimated to be 2 /spl mu/m. The frame gyroscope mechanically decouples the drive and sense motion for stable operation. Integration of circuits and mechanical structures on the same substrate allowed signal sensing with low parasitics. The surface micromachined integrated z-axis frame gyroscope fabricated at Analog Devices has a measured noise floor of 0.05 deg/s//spl radic/Hz and a scale factor of 0.33 mV/deg/sec at 70 mtorr ambient pressure.


Based on his observations at the XIX World Sociological Congress and on his many years of experience on the Executive Committee of the International Sociological Association, the author shares his subjective notes on current trends in modern sociology. Can the World Congress of Sociology accurately reflect the state of the science it purports to represent? Over the past few years, the politicization of the ISA agenda has tended to increase in tandem with an inexorable decrease in the scientifically-substantive content of the Congress. World sociology itself is in the process of the transformation into an nebulous form of public activity, into a kind of social movement for universal justice contending with a world of violence and inequity. Nevertheless, the active grassroots work of research committees within the ISA continues despite the ideological inclination of its higher echelons.


Polyvinyl chloride (PVC) gel is a promising, soft-smart material with electroactive properties, which can be used to make soft robotic actuators with impressive characteristics. However, until now, PVC gel actuators have always been made with rigid metal electrodes, preventing the fabrication of fully soft devices. Here, we present a novel conceptual design for PVC gel actuators. By moving the microstructure from the electrode to the gel itself, we enable PVC gels which exhibit linear contraction when sandwiched between planar electrodes made from any conductive material. We investigate four different microstructures, three of which exhibit higher displacements compared with a traditional (mesh-based) PVC gel actuator. The best performing gel achieved a displacement of 26% of the microstructure height. Finally, we demonstrate an entirely soft PVC gel actuator with thin conductive rubber electrodes. This article is a first step towards totally compliant artificial muscles made from soft electrodes and PVC gels.


Abstract : Observers who glimpsed 4-word arrays were probed for the locations of particular words. Some words, called 'familiar', appeared in many arrays; and others, called 'novel', appeared in only one. Studies conducted in the first year showed that familiar words are more localizable than novel words when they are not mixed together in the same array but that this difference is diminished, and often reversed, when a single novel word is arrayed with 3 familiar words. Thus, familiar arrays are more perceptible than novel arrays, but novel words popout from familiar fields. Nine new studies were conducted in the second year. Experiments 1-4 examined properties of the familiar fields. Nine new studies were conducted in the second year. Experiments 1-4 examined properties of the familiar fields from which novel words popout. Exp. 1 and 2 showed that single prior presentation of either the individual words comprising the familiar field or the field as a whole does not suffice to produce robust novel popout. Exp. 3 demonstrated that, whereas relatively few repetitions of an array are necessary to render it more preceptible than a novel array, relatively many repetitions are necessary to yield novel popout. In Exp. 4, all the familiar words in an array had been presented many times in a prior familiarization phase. However, these words has either always or never before appeared together. That is, familiar fields were either unitized or nonunitized. Novel words popped out only from utilized familiar fields. We attribute novel popout to the rapid, automatic orientation of attention to a local perturbation of an otherwise unitized perceptual field.


Finding an effective way to represent human actions is yet an open problem because it usually requires taking evidences extracted from various temporal resolutions into account. A conventional way of representing an action employs temporally ordered fine-grained movements, e.g., key poses or subtle motions. Many existing approaches model actions by directly learning the transitional relationships between those fine-grained features. Yet, an action data may have many similar observations with occasional and irregular changes, which make commonly used fine-grained features less reliable. This paper presents a set of temporal pyramid features that enriches action representation with various levels of semantic granularities. For learning and inferring the proposed pyramid features, we adopt a discriminative model with latent variables to capture the hidden dynamics in each layer of the pyramid. Our method is evaluated on a Tai-Chi Chun dataset and a daily activities dataset. Both of them are collected by us. Experimental results demonstrate that our approach achieves more favorable performance than existing methods.


BACKGROUND
The primary aim of this study was to reveal whether the Gendarmerie Coast Guard Academy (GCGA) students caught and went through the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) according to their physical activity levels during the COVID-19 pandemic process.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The research group of the study consisted of 332 volunteer male students studying at the GCGA. International Physical Activity Questionnaire-Short Form (IPAQ-SF) and personal information form were used as data collection tools in the study. The data obtained from the questionnaires were analysed in the Jamovi 1.8.2 statistical software programme with a 95% confidence interval and a 5% margin of error. In the analysis of data, non-parametric correlation test was used for pairwise comparisons and Multinomial and Binomial Logistic Regression test was used for comparisons of subcategories.

RESULTS
According to students' body mass index scores, 73.49% of the students were of normal weight. The results of the analysis, showed that 29.82% of the GCGA students had COVID-19, and 70.18% of them did not have COVID-19. It was determined that 91.92% of those who had COVID-19 had mild illness and recovered at home. According to the metabolic equivalence classification of students, a negative and significant relationship between students' physical activity levels (inactive < minimally active < very active) and the risk of getting the positive results for COVID-19 (yes < no) and the severity of COVID-19 (in intensive care < in the hospital < mildly at home) was found.

CONCLUSIONS
It could be said that increasing the physical activity level of students can reduce the possibility of having COVID-19 and also increase the probability of mild illness not requiring hospitalisation in those with positive COVID-19 test result.


This paper describes our approach on evolving a robot controller to generate a set of goalkeeper behaviours in the Simulation League of the RoboCup competition. The goalkeeper agent is a software construct that performs in a simulated environment provided by the Soccer Server. The soccer server is a noisy environment provided as a testing ground for various artificial intelligence techniques used by different research teams around the world. Our experiments were set out to determine the conditions that need to be met for an evolved goalkeeper agent to perform adequately in a defensive situation. A framework was developed to test the agent's performance in the simulator. The results show that our approach was able to produce a robust robot controller.


Beginning with Sketchpad and continuing to Macintosh and beyond, designers and users of interactive graphics systems and applications have refined the nature of the working graphical, interface between a person and a computer. The panel will trace the changing uses of graphical symbols and icons; address the evolution of concurrency in windows, menus and task activation; examine mechanisms for gaining attention and prompting for reactions; and focus on reducing visual, physical and psychological stress via improved screen design and applied principles of graphical presentation.


The author reviews recent developments in population policy in the countries of South Asia. Separate consideration is given to policies designed to affect fertility, mortality, migration, spatial distribution, and urbanization.


The studies presented were undertaken to clarify the unsettled question whether the synthesis of histones with a N-acetylserine residue at the amino terminal end is initiated with methionine. Histones were synthesized in vitro in a rabbit reticulocyte lysate, primed with a mRNA preparation from ascites cells. Initiation of polypeptide synthesis was investigated by using N-formyl[35S]met-tRNAfMet from yeast to label the N-termini. N-Formylmethionine was incorporated into histones H1 and H4 whose N-terminal amino acid is alpha-N-acetylserine. By comparison of tryptic peptides derived from these two histones labeled either with methionine or formylmethionine and from Edman degradation it is shown that N-terminal acetylated histones are initiated with methionine, as is the case for other eukaryotic and bacterial proteins.


Six 3-hydroxymethyl-7-(N-substituted aminosulfonyl)-1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinolines (16-21) were synthesized and evaluated for their phenylethanolamine N-methyltransferase (PNMT) inhibitory potency and affinity for the alpha(2)-adrenoceptor. The addition of nonpolar substituents to the sulfonamide nitrogen of 9 (3-CH(2)OH-7-SO(2)NH(2)-THIQ) led to inhibitors (16-21) that have high PNMT inhibitory potency and high selectivity, and most of these (16-21) are predicted, on the basis of their calculated log P values, to be able to penetrate the blood-brain barrier. Compounds N-trifluoroethyl sulfonamide 20 (PNMT K(i) = 23 nM) and N-trifluoropropyl sulfonamide 21 (PNMT K(i) = 28 nM) are twice as potent at inhibiting PNMT compared to 9 and display excellent selectivity (alpha(2) K(i)/PNMT K(i) > or = 15,000).


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In protected areas, the "greenhouse" soil is prepared from mixtures and substrates which usually are related to the organic component (animal manure, plant leftovers, compost, peat) whose fertility is finalized also through mineral intake. In this context the interpretation of values agrochemical indices values of the soil cultivated with tomatoes in protected system has a certain specificity due to the practiced fertilization systems which determine the change of indicators' parameters above the optimum agrochemical requirements with tendencies towards risk limits.


A method is described permitting to select particular chromosome regions and to compare their morphology as seen under the light and electron microscope levels with data of electronmicroscopic autoradiography. This method can be employed in studies with specific labelled precursors.


The article summarizes the relevant clinical pathological assessment of horses with acute colic. A minimal laboratory evaluation should include the patient's haematocrit (or packed cell volume), total protein, and lactate concentration in the blood. Haematocrit and total protein provide an indication of the severity of dehydration (haematocrit < 0.45 l/l is evidence of no to mild dehydration whereas > 0.5 l/l points to a severe dehydration). The degree of dehydration is often associated with the severity of the colic. Additionally, the blood lactate concentration rises with increasing intestinal compromise with a concentration of > 4 mmol/l indicating a guarded prognosis. However, it is crucial to assess laboratory values only in the context of the clinical findings. If an abdominocentesis is performed, the leukocyte count and the protein and lactate concentrations offer valuable information regarding the type of colic, the severity of the lesion, further therapy, and prognosis of the colic. Reddish discolouration of peritoneal fluid may be a sign of a strangulating obstruction. Transcutaneous abdominal ultrasonography may provide a crucial insight into the colic cause and severity in a relatively short time, even for inexperienced examiners. In regards to small intestinal lesions, dilated small intestinal loops can often be imaged ultrasonographically before they can be palpated transrectally. The occurrence of free peritoneal fluid and dilated small intestine as well as the evaluation of the intestinal wall and the extent of the gastric wall, allow a better management of the acute colic patient. In ponies and foals, radiography as a further diagnostic imaging modality of the abdomen is of great value. It can help to visualise sand impactions, meconium impactions, or gastrointestinal atresia in the neonate.


In the buyer's market today, business concerns have to make a lot of efforts to sell their product and establish their survival. It may be basically due to changes in attitude of consumers towards buying products and changing business world. Every human being is changing time to time according to the changing trends in every day's life. The biggest changes occurred in consumer products, new and innovative technology has used to satisfy the consumers. In this content the study is taken up with the various DTH services which have considerable share in the market. This paper reveals the customer perception towards DTH services in Coimbatore city and it also helps to analyze the competition exist in the market regarding DTH services. The study is focused on the four kinds of DTH services namely, Sun direct, TATA sky, Dish TV, Big TV. The task of the study is to know the preference of the users in Coimbatore city among these various services. Various tools used to analyse the data. The present study reveals that the majority of the respondents prefer to buy sun direct because of its best picture quality, reasonable price, various kinds of packages and more channels. So the DTH service providers must pay attention on Customer Service, picture quality, reasonable price rather than other factors to make their business more successful and satisfy the consumers


Bitcoin's popularity increased as its value increased and people became excited about the prospect of a trustless, decentralized currency that could be used on the Internet. Within the last two years, however, people and organizations began exploiting the potential of the block chain that powers the bitcoin network. These people realized that the block chain — a transparent public ledger that cannot be altered — can be used for more than digital currency. One such organization calls itself Ethereum and its developers plan to use block chains to allow decentralized autonomous applications to operate free of government censorship or corruption. While such a network would have a profound effect on society — allowing trustless voting, uncensored social networking and the like — its impact on copyrights could be devastating. This paper argues that the emerging, decentralized Internet (also known as Web 3.0) will be the straw that breaks the copyright owner's back. This paper argues that, with block chain technology and decentralized applications, those buying and selling unauthorized copies of copyrighted material cannot be subject to court injunctions; making enforcement of copyrights nearly impossible on a decentralized Internet. This paper then proposes that copyright holders get out in front of the problem by embracing a decentralized Internet. This can only be done by drastically reducing the price of copyright licenses. In other words, by offering cheap licenses at the dawn of Web 3.0, copyright holders can instill a sense that it's better to be safe than sorry when it comes to the ongoing struggle between technology and copyrights.


For the treatment of attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, both medical and behavioral therapeutic concepts have been shown to be effective. Somewhat problematical, however, is the fact that a large percentage of these children retain residual symptoms that need treating over a longer period of time. The value of a multimodal therapeutic approach (combination of medication and behavioral treatment including counseling of parents, teachers and the patient) remains controversial. Over the long-term, and account being taken of a number of indicators extending beyond the core symptoms, however, the multimodal treatment concept would appear superior to treatment solely with psychostimulants. For effective treatment accurate titration and the recording of the changes occurring under medication are important.


Introduced grasses are currently used as temporary vegetation cover on bauxite residue storage areas (RSA) to suppress dust and erosion. Native Australian grass species are ecologically preferable, but their tolerance to the alkaline, sodic, and saline soil conditions of bauxite residue is unknown. Twenty-seven native grass species were pre-screened for their requirement of gibberellic acid and smoke water to break seed dormancy, a common problem for establishment of these species. Thirteen species were then compared with two currently-used, introduced grass species for their ability to emerge in bauxite residue sand pre-treated with gypsum, washed, then amended with Na2 SO4 to produce salinity (ECe) ranging from 2 -12dS/m. Austrostipa scabra and Chloris truncata showed the greatest tolerance to salinity with no inhibition up to 10dS/m. Neurachne alopecuroidea displayed a moderate-high tolerance to salinity with a 20% decrease in emergence over the treatment range. Microlaena stipoides and Themeda triandra exhibited moderate inhibition and Bothriochloa bladhii, Brachyachne convergens and Enneapogon polyphyllus displayed low tolerance to salinity. No native species had emergence exceeding 50% and none exceeded the emergence of the introduced species, Lolium rigidum. This investigation highlights the need to test the germinability of seed and dormancy-breaking requirements prior to use. Austrostipa scabra, C. truncata and N. alopecuroidea show potential as early-stage rehabilitation species, while M. stipoides and Themeda triandra could be established when salinity has declined. Field performance, including productivity and competition of these grasses compared with introduced species, remains to be tested on bauxite RSA.


Foreight months during 1984 a capture-recapture study ofthe community of small mammals was carried outat Bajo Calima on the Pacific lowlands of Colombia, Two trapping grids were established, one in primary rainforest and one in secondary growth, Eleven vegetative structural characteristics were measured at each trap station and were analyzed using canonical variables, allowing the habitat utilization curve to be obtained for each species presen!. Along a habitat continuum from primary to perturbed forest, the four most-common species were arranged in the order: Oryzomys bombycinus, Hoplomys gymnurus, Proechimys semispinosus, Philanderopossum, The canonical distribution of Metachirus nudicaudatus included the combined distributions of Hoplomys and Proechimyswith a peak coincident with that of Proechimys. The results are discussed in the light of Neotropical rainforest conservation.


In this paper, we propose a graph matching algorithm which uses random walks to compute topological features for each node, in order to identify candidate pairs of corresponding nodes in the two graphs. The algorithm automatically adapts the number of topological features required to determine the exact match among the nodes. Even if the proposed technique is not guaranteed to provide an exact solution for all graphs, the experiments on a benchmark dataset show that it can outperform other state of the art algorithms with respect to the computational requirements. In fact, the proposed algorithm is polynomial in the number of graph nodes.


This paper describes the age and geology of 13 centers of Miocene magmatism with related epithermal precious and base metal mineralization on the eastern side of the northern Altiplano of Bolivia, part of the central Andean polymetallic belt. Twenty-eight new K-Ar ages are reported, together with a compilation of 12 from the literature. The data show four magmatic episodes. The two middle Miocene episodes (17-15 Ma, 13.5-12 Ma) are characterized by clusters of small volcanic and hypabyssal porphyries, which host the most important epithermal mineralization. In contrast large volcanic centers formed during the two late Miocene episodes (10-8 Ma, 6-5 Ma). No significance is attached to the secondary-age groups. The middle and late Miocene magmatic-mineralization episodes correlate with those of the southern part of the tin belt of the Eastern Cordillera and formed during the main-arc broadening of the central Andes.


Objective. This study, like earlier studies that focused on younger abused children, ascertained whether physically abused adolescents exhibited increased internalizing and externalizing behaviors. Relevance to pediatric practice is discussed. Design. A cross-sectional design was used to compare the behavior of physically abused adolescents and comparison adolescents using self-reports, parent reports, and teacher reports. The level of agreement among raters was also examined. Participants. The subjects were 99 physically abused adolescents between the ages of 12 and 18 years, who were recruited from Child Protective Services. Comparison subjects were 99 community-recruited nonabused adolescents who were matched for age, gender, and income with the abused adolescents. Measures. The behavior of the adolescents was assessed using the Child Behavior Checklist, and the comparable Youth Self-Report and Teacher Report Form, which are widely used measures of behavioral and emotional problems. The Child Global Assessment Scale was also used as a measure of functional impairment and of the need for mental health services. Results. Parents and teachers rated the problems of abused adolescents as significantly greater than the problems of nonabused adolescents on all checklist subscales. Abused adolescents reported significantly greater problems only on externalizing behavior subscales. In addition, based on interviewer ratings, physically abused adolescents exhibited significantly greater functional impairment. Conclusions. Similar to previous research on abused children, physically abused adolescents exhibit externalizing and internalizing behavior problems and experience greater functional impairment. Parent, teacher, and adolescent reports of externalizing behaviors were similar, but physically abused adolescents reported fewer internalizing behaviors than did the other informants.


Various ways of initiating detonation in explosives (initiation by burning at various conditions, transmission of detonation over distance by the action of shock) are considered. The main cause of initiation of detonation seems to be a sudden rise in pressure, occurring when a suspension of an explosive in the gaseous products of burning is formed and exploded. Different ways of formation of such a suspension are discussed.


Translation studies emphasise the need for accurate literary translation, where the translation process, as much as possible, is seamless and invisible to the reader. This 'illusion of transparency'—an effect that conceals the translator's mediation of the translated text—potentially erases a sense of 'otherness' that readers may feel when reading a literary work in the source language. The invisibility of the translator also means that the role of the translator in the interpretation process has been, ironically, almost completely overlooked in literature subjects when texts originally written in languages other than English are read and discussed in English. As a result, the fact that literature students attempt to access another culture, society or belief system via a translation often becomes secondary to the literary theory or perspective used to analyse the literary artefact. This study discusses some of the strategies used in the classroom to raise student awareness of the theoretical and practical issues in reading a translated text to enhance students' critical understanding of texts originally written in a language other than English.


Effects Of 4-Methylcyclohexanemethanol On Stress Response Pathway Regulators, In Saccharomyces Cerevisiae Suk Lan Ser Hydrotropes are small molecules capable of inducing liquid-liquid phase separation by altering the solubility and conformation states of organic compounds that are increasingly becoming important in organizing chemical reactions and regulating complexes. They prevent protein aggregation causing these proteins to form condensates. Mediator, a highly conserved multi-subunit complex, plays an important role in transcription. Med15, a subunit found within the tail domain of the Mediator complex, works with stress-induced transcription factors and is regulated by many kinases, including CDKs and the AMP kinase, Snf1. Living cells respond by changing molecular and cellular pathways when they are exposed to stressful conditions. Damage to intracellular molecules depends on the duration of stress exposure and the severity of the stressor. By studying cellular stress response through the Mediator complex in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, the molecular effects of MCHM (4-methylcyclohexanemethanol), a synthetic hydrotrope, can be determined. The hydrotropic nature of MCHM and how it interacted with the polymorphic polyQ tracts of Med15 likely caused protein folding aggregation, which eventually led to protein condensates. The tolerance towards MCHM and other chemical stressors such as 4-nitroquinoline-1-oxide (4NQO), hydrogen peroxide (H2O2), and hygromycin (HYG) are dependent on the genetic variation of Med15's polyQ tract and the presence of Snf1. Genetic variations of Med15 influence the formation of LLPS by affecting how the fuzzy domains, which include the polyQ tracts of the subunit, interact with hydrotropes. These findings combined to characterize how different alleles of Med15 deal with stress-inducing conditions by studying its interactions with a hydrotrope like MCHM.


Communication and health monitoring technology and devices will enhance the potential for improved home health care services over the next decade. The technology exists to improve patients' access to specialized care, to monitor in-home risks for patients who have dementia or limitations in activities of daily living, and to minimize annoyances such as delays and long waiting times. Certain barriers must be addressed, however, such as third-party reimbursement restrictions, regulatory issues, and technologic limitations. Innovative clinicians will find ways to use these technologies to improve care while lowering costs and increasing value.


Abstract Over the past several decades, evidence for cumulative dis/advantage as a regular feature of cohort aging has continued to cumulate, while new questions concerning the underlying dynamics continue to emerge. This paper reviews the accumulated knowledge base, and focused on three recently emerging lines of inquiry that hold great promise for expanding more fully our understanding of CDA processes: 1) the intersection of class stratification and race in the operation of CDA processes, 2) factors accounting for cross-national variations, and 3) the intersection of robust intracohort processed that generate cda with intercohort processes and the impact of historical and social change. These three new directions are briefly discussed.


Egalitarians must address two questions: i. What should there be an equality of, which concerns the currency of the 'equalisandum'; and ii. How should this thing be allocated to achieve the so-called equal distribution? A plausible initial composite answer to these two questions is that resources should be allocated in accordance with choice, because this way the resulting distribution of the said equalisandum will 'track responsibility' — responsibility will be tracked in the sense that only we will be responsible for the resources that are available to us, since our allocation of resources will be a consequence of our own choices. But the effects of actual choices should not be preserved until the prior effects of luck in constitution and circumstance are first eliminated. For instance, people can choose badly because their choice-making capacity was compromised due to a lack of intelligence (i.e. due to constitutional bad luck), or because only bad options were open to them (i.e. due to circumstantial bad luck), and under such conditions we are not responsible for our choices. So perhaps a better composite answer to our two questions (from the perspective of tracking responsibility) might be that resources should be allocated so as to reflect people's choices, but only once those choices have been corrected for the distorting effects of constitutional and circumstantial luck, and on this account choice preservation and luck elimination are two complementary aims of the egalitarian ideal. Nevertheless, it is one thing to say that luck's effects should be eliminated, but quite another to figure out just how much resource redistribution would be required to achieve this outcome, and so it was precisely for this purpose that in 1981 Ronald Dworkin developed the ingenuous hypothetical insurance market argumentative device (HIMAD), which he then used in conjunction with the talent slavery (TS) argument, to arrive at an estimate of the amount of redistribution that would be required to reduce the extent of luck's effects. However recently Daniel Markovits has cast doubt over Dworkin's estimates of the amount of redistribution that would be required, by pointing out flaws with his understanding of how the hypothetical insurance market would function. Nevertheless, Markovits patched it up and he used this patched-up version of Dworkin's HIMAD together with his own version of the TS argument to reach his own conservative estimate of how much redistribution there ought to be in an egalitarian society. Notably though, on Markovits' account once the HIMAD is patched-up and properly understood, the TS argument will also allegedly show that the two aims of egalitarianism are not necessarily complementary, but rather that they can actually compete with one another. According to his own 'equal-agent' egalitarian theory, the aim of choice preservation is more important than the aim of luck elimination, and so he alleges that when the latter aim comes into conflict with the former aim then the latter will need to be sacrificed to ensure that people are not subordinated to one another as agents. I believe that Markovits' critique of Dworkin is spot on, but I also think that his own positive thesis — and hence his conclusion about how much redistribution there ought to be in an egalitarian society — is flawed. Hence, this paper will begin in Section I by explaining how Dworkin uses the HIMAD and his TS argument to estimate the amount of redistribution that there ought to be in an egalitarian society — this section will be largely expository in content. Markovits' critique of Dworkin will then be outlined in Section II, as will be his own positive thesis. My critique of Markovits, and my own positive thesis, will then make a fleeting appearance in Section III. Finally, I will conclude by rejecting both Dworkin's and Markovits' estimates of the amount of redistribution that there ought to be in an egalitarian society, and by reaffirming the responsibility-tracking egalitarian claim that choice preservation and luck elimination are complementary and not competing egalitarian aims.


Recent developments in social robotics, intelligent prosthetics, brain-computer interfaces, and implants pose new questions as to the effects of technology on identity, society, and the future of humankind. The authors' standpoint is that such effects cannot be studied separately from their social/cultural context, and thus, this chapter begins by reviewing the existing approaches to the social construction of reality, placing special emphasis on language and its limitations to describe the future. Then, it focuses on the body as the place where the human-machine integration occurs, and describes four levels at which the notion of cyborg has been analyzed in anthropological studies: symbolic, physical, as a permeable layer between nature and culture, and as an intermediate step towards a higher-order existence. The chapter ends up with a word of caution in relation to technological determinism stemming from STS (Science and Technology Studies), as well as the need to establish Relevant Social Groups (RSG) with well-founded criteria that join scientific and sociological academics under a multidisciplinary approach.


This paper presents the results of an effort to label calcium carbonates formed by marine organisms with stable isotopes to obtain information about the biomineralization processes. The growing skeleton of the scleractinian coral Porites porites was labeled three times with enhanced abundances of 86Sr. The distribution of 86Sr in the skeleton was imaged with the NanoSIMS ion microprobe with a spatial resolution of ∼200 nm and combined with images of the skeletal ultra‐structure. Importantly, the distribution of the 86Sr label in the P. porites skeleton was found to be strongly heterogeneous. This constrains the physical dimensions of the hypothetical Extracellular Calcifying Fluid (ECF) reservoir at the surface of the growing skeleton, which is implicit in most geochemical models for coral biomineralization. These new experimental capabilities allow for a much more detailed view of the growth dynamics for a wide range of marine organisms that biomineralize carbonate structures.


Data from a number of population-based primary prevention trials clearly indicate that reducing total serum cholesterol levels leads to a reduced risk of coronary artery disease and death. Similarly, for patients with coronary artery disease, reducing total serum cholesterol levels proved to be an effective secondary prevention strategy, leading to a reduced risk of coronary events and death. Targeting high risk patients is a particularly important component of primary prevention. The overall benefit of treatment is significantly reduced when cholesterol-lowering strategies are initiated later in life. To assist in both primary and secondary prevention strategies, an outline of guidelines developed by a Health Canada working group for the management of hyperlipidemia have recently been published.


As the quality of education provisions continues to come under scrutiny, so too have the conditions for teachers' work. The purpose of this study was to ascertain what were the dissatisfactions for beginning physical education teachers in Australian schools. Qualitative data were collected using interviews, journals, photographs, and field notes. Data yielded five main categories underpinning teacher dissatisfaction: (a) lack of status, (b) repetitive nature of physical education work, (c) limited decision making, (d) personal and professional surveillance, and (e) unprofessional staffroom culture. The construct of proletarianization was employed to explain the patterns that shape teachers' occupational socialization and underpin teachers' decisions to leave the profession.


The concept of recycling and reusing starts from the design stage and sustainably continues through the stages of construction, operation and maintenance, to create an architectural process in which the architect directs his efforts and creations to create architectural applications based on the reuse of construction and demolition waste. The design process also plays an important role in determining the quantities of building material and the required energies for the construction and operation processes. In addition, most designs depend on modern raw materials which means the depletion of raw materials and energy for manufacturing and transport in spite the fact that the use of recycled or reused materials may fulfill the same purpose with the same efficiency. Accordingly, this paper focuses on how to propose some innovative designs and architectural applications, for recycling construction and demolition waste to be a reference or guide for professionals in the field of construction. Furthermore, this study serves as an inspiration for architects to design buildings and applications based on the idea of recycling. Five architectural applications based on the reuse of construction and demolition waste have been suggested in this paper: The first application: recycled wall from rubble and drainage pipes; The second application: pipes as openings; The third application: pipes as a precast slab; The fourth application: pipes as a green roof; The fifth application: pipes as a space structure. All of these proposals can be subjected to testing in future studies.


This monograph takes as its central theme arguments about the state of nature that were rehearsed in literary, political and philosophic writing between the English Revolution and the Jacobite Rebellion. Texts and authors are placed in their social, historical and political context. Such writers include Milton, Harrington, Hobbes, Locke, Dryden, Behn, Manley, and Pope.


American public administration as a whole is based on the United States Constitution and historical founding eras. As for public administration, it is based on constitutional, democratic, political, and administrative values. "The American founders gave us a constitutional system that embraces contending principles of good republican governance�? (Morgan, 2013, p. 85). Public administration deals with, the constitution, federalism, anti-federalist, and founding eras. Often the question of opportunistic federalism arises when the anti-federalist approach is considered when addressing the implementation of more decentralized government. Decentralized government also includes contracting out public goods and services.


MXenes are a family of 2D transition metal carbides and nitrides with remarkable properties and great potential for energy storage and catalysis applications. However, their oxidation behavior is not yet fully understood, and there are still open questions regarding the spatial distribution and precise quantification of surface terminations, intercalated ions, and possible uncontrolled impurities incorporated during synthesis and processing. Here, atom probe tomography analysis of as-synthesized Ti3 C2 Tx MXenes reveals the presence of alkali (Li, Na) and halogen (Cl, F) elements as well as unetched Al. Following oxidation of the colloidal solution of MXenes, it is observed that the alkalies enriched in TiO2 nanowires. Although these elements are tolerated through the incorporation by wet chemical synthesis, they are often overlooked when the activity of these materials is considered, particularly during catalytic testing. This work demonstrates how the capability of atom probe tomography to image these elements in 3D at the near-atomic scale can help to better understand the activity and degradation of MXenes, in order to guide their synthesis for superior functional properties. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


Abstract We show that a compact group G has finite conjugacy classes, i.e., is an FC-group if and only if its center Z(G) is open if and only if its commutator subgroup G′ is finite. Let d(G) denote the Haar measure of the set of all pairs (x,y) in G×G for which [x,y]=1; this, formally, is the probability that two randomly picked elements commute. We prove that d(G) is always rational and that it is positive if and only if G is an extension of an FC-group by a finite group. This entails that G is abelian by finite. The proofs involve measure theory, transformation groups, Lie theory of arbitrary compact groups, and representation theory of compact groups. Examples and references to the history of the discussion are given at the end of the paper.


Elena Poniatowska's extraordinary literary output and her delightful personality justly merit her position as Mexico's most dearly loved and highly respected author. I consider myself truly fortunate to have had the luxury of intensively studying her writings during the process of my doctoral dissertation. In this essay, I recall my introduction to Poniatowska's work, her impact on my postgraduate studies, and how I, as a historian, employ her testimonial literature in my classes and the teaching of undergraduate students in the United Kingdom.


The results of surgical treatment of 265 patients with mitral-tricuspid valvular diseases are analysed. The operations were carried out in the period from Jan. 1, 1977 to Jan. 1, 1990 with various plastic procedures on the tricuspid valve. Hospital mortality was 13.2%. The late-term results were studied in follow-up periods of 6 months to 12 years in 207 (90%) patients. The results were good in 187 (75.9%), satisfactory and poor in 28 (13.5%) patients; 22 (10.6%) patients died. With the hospital losses taken into account, 5-year survival came to 73% and 10-year survival to 54%. Stability of good postoperative results was 79% by the 5th year and 49% by the 10th year. Among the surviving patients 85% are related to functional classes I and II and lead an active life. Plastic operations on the tricuspid valve can be undertaken in 92% of patients with mitral-tricuspid valvular diseases; they produce good late-term results in most cases, ensure stable normalization of hemodynamics, and should be performed more often in clinical practice.


Background: The risk of tuberculosis (TB) has decreased in biologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (bDMARDs) treated rheumatoid arthritis (RA) patients, but remains unaltered 4-fold increased in bio-naïve RA patients compared to the general population in Sweden (1). In absolute numbers, most TB cases in contemporary RA patients occur in the group of bio-naïve patients. Knowledge about risk factors for TB and TB characteristics in bio-naïve RA patients is still limited. Objectives: To investigate risk factors for TB and TB characteristics in bio-naïve RA patients. Methods: Population-based case-control study. A national bio-naïve RA cohort was identified from the National Patient Register and the Swedish Rheumatology Quality Register. RA cases with TB were identified by linkage to the Swedish Tuberculosis Register (with mandatory TB registration) 2001-2014 (n=42). For each case, four matched RA controls without TB were identified. Clinical data were obtained from medical records. Univariate and multivariable logistic regression analyses were used to estimate risk for TB expressed as adjusted (adj) odds ratio (OR) with 95% confidence intervals (CI). Results: After review of the medical records and validation of diagnoses, 31 cases with RA and TB and 122 controls remained in the study. The TB cases had a median of 3 (1-6) reported TB risk factors, and almost 90% were born before 1950. Only one case was screened for TB (with negative result of tuberculin skin test). Active TB occurred at a mean of 15 years after RA diagnosis, and all except three cases were considered as reactivation of latent TB. Exposure to leflunomide (5 cases, 4 controls) (adj OR 6.02; 95% CI 1.47-24.65) and azathioprine (5 cases, 6 controls) (adj OR 3.85; 95% CI 1.06-13.79) were associated with increased risk for TB. Methotrexate, used in 67.7% of cases and 73.9% of controls, was not associated with increased risk of TB (adj OR 0.83; 95% CI 0.34-1.98). Exposure to corticosteroids was more common among cases than controls (74.2% vs 53.8%, p= 0.04), and was associated with an adj OR for TB of 2.44 (95% CI 1.00-5.92). No significant differences were identified between prednisolone-treated cases and controls in terms of maximum dose ever of prednisolone, treatment duration before TB, or cumulative dose of prednisolone during the last year before diagnosis of TB. Obstructive pulmonary disease was the only comorbidity linked to an increased TB risk (adj OR 3.94; 95% CI 1.45-10.69). Pulmonary TB dominated (84%) followed by TB lymphadenitis (19%). Treatment success was 94%, comparable to TB patients in general. Conclusion: Several RA-associated risk factors may contribute to increased TB risk in bio-naïve RA patients (treatment with leflunomide, azathioprine, or prednisolone and concomitant obstructive lung disease). We could not confirm previous findings of an association with the use of moderate to high doses of prednisolone (≥15 mg). TB risk seems difficult to predict with precision in the individual bio-naïve patient based on RA-associated risk factors. To further decrease the TB risk in RA patients TB screening should also be considered in the group of bio-naïve patients. References: [1] Arkema EV et al. Are patients with rheumatoid arthritis still at an increased risk of tuberculosis and what is the role of biological treatments? Ann Rheum Dis 2015;74:1212-17. Disclosure of Interests: Johanna Sundbaum: None declared, Elizabeth Arkema: None declared, Judith Bruchfeld: None declared, Jerker Jonsson: None declared, Johan Askling Grant/research support from: JA acts or has acted as PI for agreements between Karolinska Institutet and the following entities, mainly in the context of the ARTIS national safety monitoring programme of immunomodulators in rheumatology: Abbvie, BMS, Eli Lilly, Merck, MSD, Pfizer, Roche, Samsung Bioepis, Sanofi, and UCB Pharma, Eva Baecklund: None declared


The objective of this study was to investigate the use of four different mathematical functions (Wood, Inverse Polynomial, Quadratic and Cubic models) for describing the lactation curve of unimproved Awassi ewes. Data were collected from 136 ewes from the same flock raised on the State Farm of Gozlu in the Konya Province of Turkey. The differences in estimated total milk yields between the models were not statistically significant. All models were adequate in describing total milk yield, though total milk yield estimated using the Cubic model was very close to total milk yield calculated by the Fleischmann method. Age effects on model parameters were not significant. The Inverse Polynomial model overestimated the peak yield significantly. Estimated peak yields of the Wood and Cubic model were similar while that obtained from the Quadratic model was significantly lower than that of the other models. Day of peak yield estimated by the models varied between 10.2 and 56.4 days. The differences between days of peak yield estimated using the different models were significant. R2 values of the models ranged from 0.724 to 0.977. The Cubic model gave the best R2 value. The lowest mean square prediction error was found using the Cubic model. Correlation coefficients between total milk yield calculated by the Fleischmann method and estimated total milk yield from the other models ranged from 0.933 to 0.998. The highest correlation coefficient was found for the Cubic model. As a result, the Cubic model showed the best fit to the data collected from unimproved Awassi ewes and allowed a suitable description of the shape of the lactation curve. South African Journal of Animal Science Vol. 35(4) 2005: 238-243


It is now well accepted that cellular responses to materials in a biological medium reflect greatly the adsorbed biomolecular layer, rather than the material itself. Here, we study by molecular dynamics simulations the competitive protein adsorption on a surface (Vroman effect), i.e. the non-monotonic behavior of the amount of protein adsorbed on a surface in contact with plasma as functions of contact time and plasma concentration. We find a complex behavior, with regimes during which small and large proteins are not necessarily competing between them, but are both competing with others in solution ("cooperative" adsorption). We show how the Vroman effect can be understood, controlled and inverted.


BACKGROUND
The aim of the current study was to analyze the relationship between alexithymia, anxiety, physical problems, trauma, and psychological distress in women undergoing in vitro fertilization.

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
The study was based on 78 women (mean age = 34.4 ys) who were referred to a fertility treatment with in vitro fertilization. The questionnaires (socio-demographic questionnaire, Toronto Alexithymia Scale, and Clinical Outcomes in Routine Evaluation - Outcome Measure) were administered by the investigators.

RESULTS
Our results suggest that alexithymia was significantly correlated to anxiety (r=0.506, p=0.00), depression (r=0.591, p=0.00), physical problems (r=0.477, p=0.00), trauma (r=0.512, p=0.00), and psychological distress (r=0.598, p=0.00). Furthermore, high alexithymia group showed significantly higher levels of anxiety (F=4.65, p=0.00), depression (F=2.30, p=0.00), trauma (F=1.80, p=0.00) and general psychological distress (F=2.85, p=0.04) than the low alexithymia group.

CONCLUSIONS
Results of the present study point out that alexithymia could be considered a potential risk factor for high levels of anxiety, depression and general psychological distress. It may also be used as an indicator of a need for further psychological support aimed at women undergoing in vitro fertilization.


Background and aims Metabolic decompensation may occur in patients with disorders of intermediary metabolism during intercurrent illness. Early intervention strategies are crucial in order to halt decline. This poses a particular challenge in emergency departments (EDs), particularly at peak times. Impending deterioration may not be clinically apparent, and so may not result in prioritisation for initial assessment or subsequent triage categorisation. It is therefore crucial to ensure appropriate care pathways are in place, yet there are no existing national guidelines regarding timeliness of ED assessment for these patients. We therefore aimed to assess current practice to inform service development. Methods Retrospective electronic database and medical chart review over a 3 month period. Nine standards were set through consensus between the ED and inherited metabolic disease (IMD) teams, relating to timeliness, notifications and assessment criteria (grade of clinician and assessment performed). Results Of 38 IMD presentations, 30 were deemed at risk of decompensation due to their condition. 33 (92%) had an electronic diagnosis alert, 28 (83%) had a specific electronic ED management plan. 21 (54%) were triaged within 15 min of arrival, and following triage 8 (21%) and 19 (50%) were seen within 10 and 30 min respectively. There was no apparent correlation with triage category. 8 were discharged prior to senior review 6 of which were at risk of decompensation. 13 of the 30 patients at risk of decompensation received IV/NG fluids 5 of which were within an hour. Conclusions Patients at risk of decompensation due to an inborn error of intermediary metabolism are difficult to identify, and subsequently may not fulfil criteria for urgent assessment. Use of electronic alerts, in conjunction with training, departmental policies, and tailored management plans are likely to improve care, and have been implemented. Clarity of communication is key, specifically in identifying those most likely to deteriorate unexpectedly. However, this study was not designed to identify whether or how quickly any patient deteriorated. Further multicentre work is therefore crucial to delineate optimal assessment and intervention timelines, and will result in the development of national standards that will improve both short and long term outcomes for this vulnerable group.


When an adaptive software component is employed to select the best-performing implementation for a communication operation at runtime, the correctness of the decision taken strongly depends on detecting and removing outliers in the data used for the comparison. This automatic decision is greatly complicated by the fact that the types and quantities of outliers depend on the network interconnect and the nodes assigned to the job by the batch scheduler. This paper evaluates four different statistical methods used for handling outliers, namely a standard interquartile range method, a heuristic derived from the trimmed mean value, cluster analysis and a method using robust statistics. Using performance data from the Abstract Data and Communication Library (ADCL) we evaluate the correctness of the decisions made with each statistical approach over three fundamentally different network interconnects, namely a highly reliable InfiniBand network, a gigabit Ethernet network having a larger variance in the performance, and a hierarchical gigabit Ethernet network.


A one-dimensional theoretical heat and mass transfer model was developed for high-frequency (HF) heating of veneer-based composites, such as laminated veneer lumber (LVL) and plywood. This model was based on the basic principles of energy and mass conservation, momentum conservation of gas flow, and gas thermodynamic relations. The response variables, including temperature, gas pressure, and moisture content (MC), were linked to basic material properties, such as veneer density, thermal conductivity, permeability, and dielectric properties. Initial and boundary conditions for solving the governing equations were also considered. The model was further validated by experiments with veneer HF heating and LVL HF heating. The model predictions agreed well with the experimental results. During veneer HF heating, the inner veneer core layers had lower MC than the outer surface layers. Compared to conventional hot platen heating, HF heating was proven to be an efficient and robust method for manufacturing veneer-based composites.


We have performed a comparative analysis of allostimulatory, Th1/Th2-stimulatory and tolerogenic activities of dendritic cells (DCs) derived from healthy donors (n = 52). The DCs were generated in vitro with IFN-alpha (IFN-DCs) or IL-4 (IL-4-DCs). It was shown that IL-4-DCs and IFN-DCs did not differ in their key functional characteristics, i.e., in their ability to stimulate proliferation of T-cells in response to alloantigens, and to induce generation of T-regulatory cells in mixed leukocyte culture. IFN- and IL-4-induced DCs possess similar ability of boosting T cells to produce Th1/proinflammatory (IFNγ, IL-2, IL-1β, TNFα, IL-12, IL-17) and Th2/antiinflammatory cytokines (IL-4, IL-6, IL-10, IL-13), growth factors (G-CSF, GM-CSF, IL-7) and chemokines (IL-8, MIP-1β). Nevertheless, IFN-DCs have more pronounced stimulatory effect upon Th1 and Th2 cells, thus manifesting as a significantly higher IFNγ, IL-5 and MIP-1β production. IFN-DCs were characterized by more prominent ability to activate Th1-cells, and by moderate Th2-stimulatory activity, which is absent in IL-4-DCs. These data strongly suggest that IFN-DCs may present a quite promising cellular tool for development of therapeutic vaccines aiming to induce/enhance the immune response.


Medieval Anglo-Jewish history has only very recently begun to be included in scholarly histories of England and is still relatively absent unless the history is specifically concerned with the Jews of England. Unfortunately, the relative invisibility of medieval Jewish history in British historical scholarship is mirrored in the semi-scholarly "public face" of British history as it is represented in historical and heritage materials, guidebooks, memorials, and other informational sources for travelers and history in England. While it is often the nature of heritage groups to sanitize and homogenize the past, the degree to which this is done with regard to the medieval Anglo-Jewish past requires response and action, particularly in the context of an alarming world-wide rise in antisemitism. If knowledge is an essential context for understanding and tolerance, more visible and accurate accounts of medieval Jewish history are a necessary first step towards effecting social change.


The occurrence of significant mitral regurgitation whithout the characteristic auscultatory signs, particularly the holosystolic murmur and the third heart sound, is unusual. It becomes of considerable importance when it occurs in combined lesions of the mitral valve, and more so in those areas where the treatment of mitral stenosis is by closed mitral valvotomy. Two cases of silent mitral incompetence are presented. The features that should have indicated the coexistence of regurgitation with mitral stenosis were cardiomegaly with considerable dilatation of the left atrium, and lesser degrees of right ventricular hypertrophy on electrocardiography for the severity of mitral stenosis and evidence of biventricular hypertrophy.


The Gauss-Newton algorithm is often used to minimize a nonlinear least-squares loss function instead of the original Newton-Raphson algorithm. The main reason is the fact that only first-order derivatives are needed to construct the Jacobian matrix. Some applications as, for instance multivariable system identification, give rise to "weighted" nonlinear least-squares problems for which it can become quite hard to obtain an analytical expression of the Jacobian matrix. To overcome that struggle, a pseudo-Jacobian matrix is introduced, which leaves the stationary points untouched and can be calculated analytically. Moreover, by slightly changing the pseudo-Jacobian matrix, a better approximation of the Hessian can be obtained resulting in faster convergence.


Privacy concerns have long been expressed around smart devices, and the concerns around Android apps have been studied by many past works. Over the past 10 years, we have crawled and scraped data for almost 1.9 million apps, and also stored the APKs for 135,536 of them. In this paper, we examine the trends in how Android apps have changed over time with respect to privacy and look at it from two perspectives: (1) how privacy behavior in apps have changed as they are updated over time, (2) how these changes can be accounted for when comparing third-party libraries and the app's own internals. To study this, we examine the adoption of HTTPS, whether apps scan the device for other installed apps, the use of permissions for privacy-sensitive data, and the use of unique identifiers. We find that privacy-related behavior has improved with time as apps continue to receive updates, and that the third-party libraries used by apps are responsible for more issues with privacy. However, we observe that in the current state of Android apps, there has not been enough of an improvement in terms of privacy and many issues still need to be addressed.


In On Collective Memory, Maurice Halbwachs asks, "Why does society establish landmarks in time that are placed close together—and usually in a very irregular manner, since for certain periods they are almost entirely lacking—whereas around such salient events sometimes many other equally salient events seem to gather, just as street signs and other signposts multiply as a tourist attraction approaches?" (1992:175). The recognition of the "irregular manner" of history and memory only emerges in contrast to a concept of the regularity of time implied by objectifying chronologies. Furthermore, such irregularity suggests that concepts of time other than chronology are crucial for understanding representations of the past, and experiences of the past in the present. This article draws on nondirected interviews conducted in rural Trinidad in which subjects discussed significant events in their lives. In examining this material, I address Halbwachs's question by emphasizing nonchronological, cultural models of time that organize autobiographical narratives. These cultural models position autobiographical narratives in space and connect them to events of historical significance. [time, memory, intersubjectivity, labor, Trinidad]


Accumulating data from studies in animals and humans indicate that beta-blockade has antiatherosclerotic effects. To date, 2 long-term ultrasound studies provide the strongest evidence. The Beta-Blocker Cholesterol-Lowering Asymptomatic Plaque Study (BCAPS) trial reported favorable effects with beta-blockade on early stages of atherosclerosis in patients with carotid plaque but no symptoms of carotid artery disease. Compared with placebo, metoprolol controlled release/extended release (CR/XL) 25 mg once daily significantly reduced plaque thickness after 18 months of treatment (net difference -0.058 mm/year; p <0.001) and at 3 years' follow-up (net difference -0.023 mm/year; p = 0.018). The Effects of Long-Term Treatment of Metoprolol CR/XL on Surrogate Variables for Atherosclerotic Disease (ELVA) trial demonstrated that beta-blockers and statins affect different mechanisms in the atherosclerotic process and have additive beneficial effects. Patients with hypercholesterolemia were randomized to metoprolol CR/XL 100 mg once daily or placebo once daily and concomitant statin therapy. The metoprolol CR/XL group had a significantly lower rate of progression of the composite carotid bulb intima-media thickness (IMT) plus common carotid IMT than the placebo group, both at 1 year (-0.08 vs -0.01 mm; p = 0.004) and after 3 years' follow-up (-0.06 vs +0.03 mm; p = 0.011). Several factors may contribute to the mechanism of benefit in these trials, including reduced sympathetic activity, improved hemodynamic parameters, and direct effects on the vascular endothelium.


As it is unlikely that retrospective studies will be able definitively to establis: the relationship of oestrogens to endometrial carcinoma prospective surveys to elucidate this problem fully are urgently needed. In our prospective studies we have performed pretreatment curettage and then monitored the endometrial response to unopposed oestrogen and combined oestrogen/progestogen regimens, curettage being repeated at intervals during therapy. In a double-blind, randomised, placebocontrolled crossover study endometr.al hyperplasia was diagnosed in 23 00 of patients after unopposed oestrogens but in no patient after placebo."1 In further longitudinal studies12 13 extending for nearly three years dose-dependent hyperplasia was diagnosed in 13-36 0. of patients during unopposed cyclical oestrogen therapy, atypical hyperplasia developing later than, and perhaps from, cystic glandular hyperplasia. The urinary and plasma oestrogen levels during therapy13 were in and above the range associated with the mid-cycle ovulatory peak (indicating that the term "hormone replacement therapy," much used in your article, is inappropriate). The development of both cystic glandular and atypical hyperplasia, in view of the oestrogen levels, is not illogical and we find that, in order effectively to relieve menopausal symptoms oestrogens have to be given at dosages which promote endometrial hyperplasia. Our final disagreement with your article relates to the value of progestogens in preventing endometrial hyper-stimulation. Although endometrial carcinoma has been reported during sequential therapy,'4 such anecdotal reports should not be included in a serious debate. Combination oestrogen/progestogen therapy (as in oral contraception) has not resulted in an epidemic of endometrial cancer, and progestogens per se are destructive to endometrial cancer.15 16 In our studies'2 13 the subsequent addition of a progestogen for five or seven days each calendar month not only reversed oestrogen-induced hyperplasia to normal endometrium in all cases but also reversed pretreatment hyperplasia. Furthermore, hyperplasia was diagnosed in only one (2 0,) of patients solely given sequential therapy. Progestogens therefore act in a protective role. It is probable that this protective effect is exerted in at least two ways. Progestogens induce regular endometrial shedding and in our studies the absence of vaginal bleeding during unopposed oestrogen therapy was associated with a higher incidence of endometrial hyperplasia. In the premenopausal woman progesterone lowers the endometrial levels of both oestradiol and progesterone receptors'7 and increases the oestradiol dehydrogenase levels.'8 19 Oestrogenic stimulation of the endometrium which is mediated through the receptor mechanism is therefore depressed. Also, the enzymatic conversion of the more active intrauterine oestrogen, oestradiol, to the less active oestrone is accelerated and these actions of progesterone may be synergistic. Our preliminary data suggest that similar mechanisms operate in the postmenopausal woman given progestogens.2 .


Grain legumes are the important crops for improving soil condition and dietary status of humans. These crops could improve both soil and human health if grown in the prevailing farming systems. Keeping these view in mind, participatory varietals selection (PVS) on lentil ( Lens esculents L.), mung bean ( Vigna radiata ) and cowpea ( Vigna ungiculuta ) was conducted in the central mid hills (Ramechha and Sindhuli districts) of Nepal. Five varieties of lentil (ILL 7982, ILL 6829, ILL 7537, ILL 7723 and Simal), four of mung bean (VC 3960, Kalyan, Pratiksha and Farmers' Local) and cowpea (Surya, Prakash, IT 86-2089-5F and America) were tested at different locations of those districts under rice-wheat-fallow and rice-fallow-maize systems during 2007 to 2009. All of those varieties were tested in farmers' field condition keeping farmers as a replication in RCB design with ten replications for each crop. Agronomic practices were performed by farmers as and when necessary. Among the tested varieties of lentil, ILL 7982 produced the highest grain yield of 1347 kg/ha whereas Sital produced the lowest grain yield of 1003kg/ha. Similarly for mung bean, the variety VC 3960 gave the highest grain yield of 1145kg/ha and Pratiksha produced the lowest grain yield of 975 kg/ha. Likewise, among the tested varieties of cowpea, America gave the highest pod yield of 5320 kg/ha and Prakash gave the lowest pod yield of 3400 kg/ha. These varieties were identified suitable for further promotion in different cropping patterns such as rice-lentil- maize, rice-maize/mung bean, ricemaize/ cowpea systems. Simple economic analysis of the cropping systems under question indicated that inclusion of legumes in the systems seemed highly lucrative compared to maize and wheat. Therefore, it is anticipated that integration of legumes in the systems could enrich soil as well as it would be beneficial to farmers because of nutritional status attractive price in the market of these crops. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/ajn.v1i0.7543 Agronomy Journal of Nepal (Agron JN) Vol. 1: 2010 pp.61-66


Several US states are enacting 'right-to-die' laws, in the wake of the Karen Quinlan case. But the way such a law is drafted may cast doubt on a patient's existing common law right to control all aspects of his own treatment; it may give legal sanction to a lower standard of medical care that society at present expects from doctors; and it may lead to conflict between the patient's directive and his doctor's clinical judgement which cannot readily be resolved. The laws themselves are categorised as a) legalising active killing or b) defining rights of patients to control treatment or c) assigning to others the rights to control treatment where the patient is not competent. The California law is discussed critically. The conclusion is that such legislation is not a satisfactory answer to the ethical problem of euthanasia.


Technological innovations generate knowledge spillovers—non-innovators benefit through the adoption, imitation, and extension of new technologies. International trade facilitates technology diffusion by providing importing countries access to technical knowledge that they can potentially internalize. Previous studies of the effect of trade on technology diffusion typically only consider the impact of direct (bilateral) trade on indirect measures of technology (e.g., total factor productivity). We contend that the analysis of trade's impact on technology diffusion would be more accurately assessed by using direct measures of specific technologies (e.g., intensity levels) and by allowing for the influence of both the direct and indirect effects of trade in the analysis. The latter is accomplished by modeling the international trade system as a weighted network, which quantifies both direct and indirect trade linkages. Combining trade data with data on the adoption of specific technologies, we find that the network effects of trade play a significant role in technology diffusion. In most cases, countries that are better-connected on the trade network have higher technology intensities. Further support for the importance of trade is provided by the finding that for "outdated" technologies, better-connected countries have lower technology intensities because of their adoption of newer, substitute technologies.


Abstract There is renewed interest in Europe to deepen trade with Africa in the hope that this will reduce migrant flows. While improved trade with Africa will not reduce but likely stimulate migrant flows, it could promote African development and further European long-term economic interests. To deepen trade, this article argues for further trade integration with North Africa with a long-term EU membership perspective. To further trade with Sub Saharan Africa, it suggests greater use of unilateral trade opening on the part of the EU, including more flexible application of rules of origin.


Background: The abnormal meiosis of triploid is paid little attention; however, triploid not only is an important trend of ornamental breeding but also is regarded as a bridge of plant polyploidy speciation. In the present research, an allotriploid lily 'Triumphator' (LLO, 2n = 3x = 36 ) was investigated. Results: The results showed that the homoeologous chromosomes of two L-genomes formed bivalents and then disjoined and their half-bivalents moved to opposite poles at anaphase I; The chromosomes of O-genome formed univalents, among which, some attached to spindle fibers on two sides, their sister chromtids moved to the opposite poles slower than half-bivalents; some attached to spindle fibers on one side, they move to one pole at similar speed to half-bivalents; some of which deattached to spindle fibers at kinechores on either side, they became micronuclei at anaphase I. Conclusions: Interploid hybridizaitons showed that the LLO lily, regarless of male sterile, could be female parents to crossed with appropriate males to produce aneuploids, supporting the hypothesis -- five same genomes is essential for its endosperm development in interploid hybridizations of Lilium. The discussion well not only explained why triploid lilies with Fritillaria embryo sacs, regardless of male sterile, are usually partial female fertile while other plants with polygonum embryo sacs are seedless; but also explained that why 3x × 2x/4x lilies and tulips produce predominantly aneuploids while 3x × 2x/4x and 2x/4x × 3x of other plants, including 2x/4x × 3x of lilies and tulips, produce euploids and near so.


The analysis of original and literature evidence on nimodipin administration in senile patients with vascular dementia and Alzheimer's disease allows the conclusion on positive effects of the drug on cognitive, motor, behavioral, neuropsychological and postural defects. Further efforts should be directed to the study of long-term regimens and elucidation of nimodipin ability to inhibit progression of dementia.


This paper proposes an adaptive second order sliding mode (SOSM) control strategy to tackle nonlinear uncertain systems. For effective handling of the uncertain system, prior knowledge about the upper bound of the system uncertainty is a prerequisite for the sliding mode control (SMC). In order to remove this constraint, an adaptive tuning law based SMC was designed recently where the upper bounds of the uncertainties were not required to be known in advance. However, such controllers were found to suffer from the drawback of the high frequency chattering in the control input. In this paper an improved adaptive second order sliding mode controller is proposed to alleviate the undesired chattering phenomenon. The proposed control strategy uses an adaptive tuning law for the sliding mode controller which is of the second order. A simulation example illustrates the benefits of the proposed scheme.


Peritoneal dissemination threatens the survival of patients with gastric cancer (GC). Bufalin is an extract of traditional Chinese medicine, which has been proved to have anticancer effect. The target of bufalin in suppressing gastric cancer peritoneal dissemination (GCPD) and the underlying mechanism are still unclear. In this research, GC cell line MGC‐803 and high‐potential peritoneal dissemination cell line MKN‐45P were treated with bufalin or L‐NAME. Malignant biological behavior and protein level of GC cell lines were detected with MTT, wound healing, transwell, adhesion, and western blotting. Bioinformatics analysis and patient tissues were used to verify the role of endothelial nitric oxide synthase (NOS3) in GC. Mice model was used to assess the effect of bufalin and role of NOS3 in vivo. We found that bufalin inhibited the proliferation, invasion, and migration in GC cell lines. NOS3, which was an independent prognostic factor of GC patients, was predicted to be a potential target of bufalin. Further experiments proved that bufalin reduced the phosphorylation of NOS3, thereby inhibiting the mitogen‐activated protein kinase (MAPK) signaling pathway, and ultimately suppressed GCPD by inhibiting EMT process. In conclusion, NOS3 was a potential therapeutic target and prognostic biomarker of GC. Bufalin could suppress GCPD through NOS3‐MAPK signaling pathway, which provided more evidence support for intraperitoneal perfusion of bufalin to treat GCPD.


A simple formula is derived for the shift in angle variable (Hannay angle) arising from a slow (adiabatic) cycle of a parameter in a one-dimensional classical system. The formula is illustrated by numerical computations for different degrees of smoothness of the adiabatic driving. If the driving is smooth enough, the adiabatic invariant is sufficiently well conserved to enable fluctuations in the frequency to be neglected when computing the dynamical angle contribution to the final angle. If not (e.g. if the driving is uniform over a finite time), these fluctuations must be taken into account. The Hannay angle appears as a small change in period of a celestial body (Earth) rotating about another body (Sun) caused by the slow revolution of a third body (Jupiter).


The content of this thesis consists of two parts. For the first part, size and crystallographic orientational influence on the elastic properties of bcc nanowires and films have been studied through static molecular simulations. In order to explicitly account for surface effects, the concept of surface free energy has been employed. Comparisons between continuum mechanical calculations and results from atomistic simulations reveal that the relaxation strains for thin films are in very good agreement with continuum mechanical predictions. For $(110)$ and $(111)$ surfaces, inclusion of non-linear elastic terms improves the correspondence between the continuum mechanical results and the results from simulations. On the other hand, for (100) surfaces non-linear elasticity increases the discrepancies and the linear elastic predictions are in better agreement with the simulations. For the size dependence of [110] wires, both the linear and non-linear calculations predict similar relaxation strains and Young's moduli to those of the simulations. When regarding [100] wires, the linear as well as the non-linear predictions fail to describe the relaxation strains accurately. Comparing Young's modulus for [100] wires, when incorporating non-linear elastic constants into the continuum mechanical solution, the prediction is that the nanowires stiffen, whereas for linear elasticity the wires are found to be more compliant with decreasing size. From the simulations the iron wires stiffen while tungsten wires weaken with decreasing size. This may be an artifact originating from the fact that it may not be sufficient to describe the elastic properties of these rectangular cross-sections solely based on properties of surfaces, but it may also be required to incorporate explicit edge effects. Comparing the bending stiffness calculated from tensile simulations with those obtained from bending simulations reveals that there is a consistency between the two. Studying the rotations of the cross sections in the bending simulations reveals that the shearing is small. For the second part, a set of EAM potentials for bcc transition metals have been constructed, and have been adjusted to give stable self-interstitials corresponding to those found in experiments and from emph{ab initio} simulations. These potentials are then used to evaluate the stabilities of divacancies and the migration paths for mono and divacancies. For all the potentials, the migration and activation energies for monovacancies are in good agreement with experimental data. All the potentials are found to give the second nearest neighbor as the most stable divacancy configuration and the nearest neighbor paths are found to be the plausible migration paths. Comparing the divacancy activation energies with the available experimental data, it can be seen that for V the activation energy is in good agreement. For Mo, Ta, and W the activation energies are slightly overestimated by the potentials in comparison with the available experimental data. (Less)


: Experimental studies of the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning (BEF) have mainly been conducted in artificial ecosystems with randomly assembled species, highlighting the need of testing this relationship in real world. In particular, these studies did not consider the effects of environmental factors on the relationship between biodiversity and ecosystem functioning. Hence, we used secondary forests, which are widely distributed in the subtropics, as research objects. We used model fitting methods to study the relationship between species richness and biomass/productivity. Meanwhile, we also ex-plored the effects of environmental factors (e.g., elevation, aspect, slope, and soil depth) on biomass and productivity and on BEF relationships. Our results showed that there was a significant linear correlation between species richness and biomass, and a quartic correlation between species richness and productivity (i.e., humped curve) when environmental factors were not considered. Considering that biomass was significantly affected by stem density and soil depth, while productivity was not affected by environmental factors, we found that only under the environmental conditions characterized by steep slopes, south aspects, or higher soil depths, was species richness significantly correlated with biomass. The relationship between species richness and productivity showed a significant quadratic correlation under higher elevation, but not under any other environmental conditions. These results suggest that the relationship between species richness and productivity is different from the relationship between species richness and biomass, and both these relationships depend on environmental factors.


In this paper, we describe COCA -- Computation Offload to Clouds using AOP (aspect-oriented programming). COCA is a programming framework that allows smart phones application developers to offload part of the computation to servers in the cloud easily. COCA works at the source level. By harnessing the power of AOP, COCA inserts appropriate offloading code into the source code of the target application based on the result of static and dynamic profiling. As a proof of concept, we integrate COCA into the Android development environment and fully automate the new build process, making application programming and software maintenance easier. With COCA, mobile applications can now automatically offload part of the computation to the cloud, achieving better performance and longer battery life. Smart phones such as iPhone and Android phones can now easily leverage the immense computing power of the cloud to achieve tasks that were considered difficult before, such as having a more complicated artificial-intelligence engine.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study is to compare the occurrence of pain applying different materials of root canal therapy in vital teeth.

METHODS
288 vital teeth were divided into 4 groups, Cortisomol sealer+gutta-percha and Vitapex+gutta-percha were used respectively in 2 groups of one time method; while Cortisomol sealer+gutta-percha and Vitapex+gutta-percha were used after 24-48 hours drainage in the other 2 groups. The occurrence of pain after 1 week was recorded.

RESULTS
In all treated teeth,the occurrence rate of self-healing pain after root canal therapy was 22.6%, the occurrence rate of non-self-healing was 2.08%; in the groups of one time method,the occurrence rate of pain using Cortisomol was lower than the group using Vitapex with significant difference(P<0.01); while in the groups of root canal filling after drainage,the occurrence of self-healing pain in the group using Cortisomol was lower than the group of using Vitapex without significant difference(P>0.05);the pain occurred within 72 hours in most of the teeth.

CONCLUSION
Root canal treatment applying Cortisomol sealer+gutta-percha can decrease the rate of pain occurrence after root canal filling.


Hydrogen is not only an energy carrier but it's also one of the substituting source that can be replace fossil fuels. Therefore possible adsorbent extensively being tested for better hydrogen adsorption. Recently, there are researches on hydrogen storage by using developed materials such as complex hydride, carbon nanotubes, zeolites and alloy metal. Geopolymer is proposed as a potential adsorbent due to economically and environmental friendly properties and lower cost compared to other developed materials and also derived from industrial waste. Thus, the scope of the hydrogen storage is wide, the author has narrowed down his study on hydrogen adsorption by using synthesized metakaolin alkali based geopolymer. Different molarity of alkali activator of sodium hydroxide (NaOH) of 8M, 10M and 12M were used to synthesis raw material of metakaolin in order to find which one is the best parameter for hydrogen adsorption uptake. Result shown that hydrogen adsorption on least molarity of alkali activator (8M), it adsorbs about 1.34 weight percentage though slightly lower than alkali activator of 12M which has about 1.49 weight percent. In nutshell, as molarity of the alkali activator (NaOH) increases, the hydrogen adsorption (wt%) also increases.


Abstract In our research we pre-treated synthetically produced greywaters with filtration on various filters. We characterised the quality of greywater samples using several parameters. We investigated these parameters on the untreated and pre-treated samples as well. We evaluated the efficiency of the treatments by measuring the characteristic parameters. It was shown that the most effective pre-treatment for the greywater's preparation for reuse is filtration on silica sand or activated charcoal and silica sand combined filter media.


OBJECTIVE
Stress assessments are due to be conducted in December 2015. It is expected that there will be an increase in the number of private health agencies that provide stress assessment services and mental health care. This study aimed to clarify the current situation of and the factors related to stress assessments conducted by nurses in occupational health agencies.

METHODS
Nurses working full time were randomly selected from 60 organizations that were members of the National Federation of Industrial Health Organization. Self-administered questionnaires were sent out between November 2013 and January 2014. The questionnaire included the personal attributes of the participants, training programs, job contents, and how practical mental health care, including stress assessment, is. The study was approved by the ethics committees in the respective organizations.

RESULTS
Out of the 162 questionnaires that were distributed, 89 (54.9%) were returned and 85 (53.1%) were valid for analysis. Stress assessments were conducted by 38.8% of the participants. With reference to their confidence in conducting stress assessments, "confidence and" 70.6%, respectively. The groups that conducted and did not conduct the stress assessments did not show any differences in the findings or other attributes. Further, the implementation of stress assessment was not associated with occupational health nurse (OHN) training, education, position, age, years of experience, attendance of lectures on mental health, etc. However, the confidence in conducting the assessment was related to age when dealing with cases on confidence stress assessment consultation in follow-up to the implementation of screening, such as stress, persons at high risk, and so on.

CONCLUSION
Approximately 40% of the nurses were already conducting stress assessments, but most of them conducted such assessments about once a year and were not deeply involved in them. Approximately 70% of the nurses were confident in implementing stress assessments. Further, they reported that they were confident to do so even if OHNs were not involved. We found that to encourage OHNs in occupational health agencies to provide mental health care and stress assessments, practical training programs are required. Such programs should include a series of stress assessments and help foster cooperation with superiors, colleagues, and occupational health staff such that the OHNs obtain experience and confidence.


With the emergence of new innovative wireless technologies, there is an increased demand for technologies to provide high speed seamless connectivity between two places. Compared with radio frequency communication, free space optical communication has many advantages. It can provide very high speed communication services. But it is deeply influenced by the atmosphere turbulence, when used in terrestrial application. It is very important to do some researches on the atmosphere turbulence and its effects on the free space optical communication. We have used an experimental free space optical communication system to measure the characterization of atmosphere turbulence. In this paper we mainly analyze the experiment data of atmosphere turbulence. We also review the theory of atmosphere turbulence and analyze the relation with the characterization of atmosphere turbulence and the receiving power of the free space optical system. From the data we found that the atmosphere turbulence changed with time and weather. And we get some results from analyze the experiment data. The results from the experiment are very important in the design optimization of free space optics system performance in actual operational environments.