Dual band antennas are important in communication systems which operate in more than one frequency band. This paper presents a new dual band coplanar waveguide- fed- slot coupled rectangular dielectric resonator antenna operating at the two frequency bands centered at 5.4 and 6.8 GHz. The use of DR allows for unidirectional radiation with a front to back ratio of more than 10 dB. The designed antenna is linearly polarized with a cross polarization level more than 26 dB lower than the co-polarization level.


The classical front end analysis in speech recognition is a spectral analysis which parametrizes the speech signal into feature vectors; the most popular set of them is the Mel Frequency Cepstral Coefficients (MFCC). They are based on a standard power spectrum estimate which is first subjected to a log-based transform of the frequency axis (mel- frequency scale), and then decorrelated by using a modified discrete cosine transform. Following a focused introduction on speech production, perception and analysis, this paper gives a study of the implementation of a speech generative model; whereby the speech is synthesized and recovered back from its MFCC representations. The work has been developed into two steps: first, the computation of the MFCC vectors from the source speech files by using HTK Software; and second, the implementation of the generative model in itself, which, actually, represents the conversion chain from HTK-generated MFCC vectors to speech reconstruction. In order to know the goodness of the speech coding into feature vectors and to evaluate the generative model, the spectral distance between the original speech signal and the one produced from the MFCC vectors has been computed. For that, spectral models based on Linear Prediction Coding (LPC) analysis have been used. During the implementation of the generative model some results have been obtained in terms of the reconstruction of the spectral representation and the quality of the synthesized speech.


Background: A 43-year-old woman with recurrent hiccup and discomfort in the right upper abdomen was diagnosed by computed tomographic (CT) scan with a cystic tumor in the right liver. Echinococcus serology was negative. Methods: A laparoscopic procedure was chosen as standard therapy for symptomatic cystic liver tumors. The presumed tumor turned out to be a diaphragmatic cyst 8 cm in diameter at the center of the right hemi-diaphragm. By using the ultrasonic device, the cystic tumor was completely and safely removed from the diaphragm. The defect was closed by using nonabsorbable sutures. A chest drain was inserted for 1 day. Results: The postoperative course was uneventful, and the patient was discharged on day 4. The histopathological examination revealed a bronchogenic cyst. No recurrence was noted by CT-scan after 12 and 24 months. Conclusions: Due to this rare diagnosis, the intradiaphragmatic location of a bronchogenic cyst is difficult to identify with radiological methods. Complete surgical excision is the treatment of choice. The conventional surgical approach is a posterolateral thoracotomy. In the literature, video-assisted thoracoscopic surgery (VATS) has been described as a safe and effective procedure. In our case, we could demonstrate that the laparoscopic excision of a cyst including partial diaphragmatic resection can be done safely in a diaphragmatic location with all the advantages of minimally invasive surgery.


Atrial fibrillation (AF) often requires invasive treatment by ablation to decrease symptom burden. The pulmonary veins (PV) are thought to trigger paroxysms of AF, and ablative PV isolation (PVI) is a cornerstone in AF treatment. However, incomplete PVI, where electrical conduction between the PV and left atrium (LA) is maintained, is curative of AF in a subset of patients. This implies that an antiarrhythmic effect other than electrical isolation between the PV and LA plays a role in AF prevention in these patients. We reason that the PV myocardium constitutes an arrhythmogenic substrate conducive to reentry in the patients with curative incomplete PVI. This PV substrate is amenable to ablation, even when conduction between the LA and PV persists. We propose that PV ablation strategies are differentiated to fit the arrhythmogenic mechanisms in the individual patient. PV substrate modification in patients with PV reentry may constitute a new therapeutic approach that is potentially simpler and more effective, in this subgroup of patients.


In this paper we focus on concurrent processes built on synchronization by means of futures. This concept is an abstraction for processes based on a main execution thread but allowing to delay some computations. The structure of a general concurrent process with futures is more or less a directed acyclic graph. Since the quantitative study of such increasingly labeled graphs (directly related to processes) seems out of reach, we restrict ourselves to the study of arch processes, a simplistic model of processes with futures. They are based on two parameters related to their sizes and their numbers of arches. The increasingly labeled structures seems not to be specifiable in the sense of Analytic Combinatorics, but we manage to derive a recurrence equation for the enumeration. For this model we first exhibit an exact and an asymptotic formula for the number of runs of a given process. The second main contribution is composed of an uniform random sampler algorithm and an unranking one that allow efficient generation and exhaustive enumeration of the runs of a given arch process.


How many of the thousands who contracted polio during the epidemics 30 and 40 years ago will experience post-polio syndrome? What causes these delayed effects, and how quickly will they progress? None of these questions can be answered with certainty. At present, several factors appear to be at work. Patients are generally in one of two groups: The first group has deterioration in the function of muscles that were affected by the disease. This muscle weakness may be caused by a loss of motor neurons, due to aging, from an already depleted neuron pool. The remaining motor units then become stressed from overuse. The second group has problems in new muscle groups or those thought to be recovered from the disease. Problems in the second group appear to have a cause other than simple aging, possibly autoimmune, but longer follow-up is required to assess these patients. Evaluation of post-polio patients should be based on differentiating new neuromuscular disorders from exacerbations of the original disability. Although changes associated with aging cannot be halted, once post-polio syndrome is diagnosed, patients can be encouraged to follow appropriate dietary and exercise programs to maintain their present function, and they can be reassured of the relatively benign course of their problems.


We reproduce the text by Victor Fet, which was read on 6 October 2011 at the Moscow Society of Naturalists during the presentation of new book translation (B.M. Kozo-Polyansky. Symbiogenesis: A New Principle of Evolution / transl. by Victor Fet; ed. by Victor Fet & Lynn Margulis. Cambridge, Mass.: Harvard University Press, 2010. 138 p.) This half-forgotten book by Boris M. Kozo-Polyansky was known only by name to Western biologists. Victor Fet gives a brief history of this new translation, enthusiastically initiated and supported by Lynn Margulis (1938-2011), a famous naturalist who was always eager to gave credit where credit was due. Kozo-Polyansky, along with Merezhkovsky, Portier, and Wallin, pioneered symbiogenetic ideas that were brilliantly developed and vindicated starting from 1960-1970s. It was Lynn Margulis who noticed also that Kozo-Polyansky preceded E. Chatton in recognizing the profound difference between prokaryotes and eukaryotes; in fact, he maintained that this difference was due to symbiogenetic, complex nature of the eukaryotic cell! Two "scientistic" poems (in Russian) by Victor Fet are included, dedicated to all the prophets and martyrs of science.


Engaging students in the classroom can be challenging. Using videos, and in particular comedic videos, is one method for overcoming this challenge. This paper describes an experiential exercise that uses video clips of the character Kramer from the TV show Seinfeld, to teach students about business ideas and models. In the appendix we have assembled several YouTube video clips of Kramer business ideas that can be used as in-class exercises to evaluate business ideas and models. The topics, time length, and YouTube links have been included in the appendix. The video clips can be combined with the provided readings and real-world business examples, and are appropriate for any course on entrepreneurship and/or innovation at any level depending on the resources used. Additionally, Seinfeld clips can be used in exercises to help teach other entrepreneurship topics like market research, trends analysis, creativity, foundations of entrepreneurship, and customer feedback.


This paper examines the effects of salt aerosol production at a Gradierwerk (GW) facility in Bad Reichenhall, Germany. The sampling campaign concentrated on the particle number concentration below 500 nm suspended in air. Sampling sites directly at the GW and at certain distances were chosen to investigate the effects of the salt aerosols on inhalation therapy and on the ambient aerosol inventory. For comparison, measurements were also made while the GW was turned off. Factoring the aerosol data into a stochastic lung deposition model showed a higher total deposition as well as a slightly higher deposition in the alveolar region for the day the GW was turned off. This directly illustrates the therapeutic benefit of the brine inhalation by reducing lung deposition and increasing clearance. The data also reveal a filtering effect in the ultrafine particle range when the GW was in function, which seems to reduce the amount of aerosols originating from the nearby traffic.


This paper evaluates the dynamic adjustment of the demand for distiller's dried grain with solubles (DDGS) to a growth in the mandated volume of ethanol. The estimation results of the dynamic linear logit model suggest the sluggish adjustment of the demand for feed grains. In addition, the estimates of the own-price elasticities indicate that corn demand is inelastic in the short and long run, which suggests that livestock producers can face high feed cost in response to high corn prices. At the same time, the estimated cross-price elasticities reveal the potential value of DDGS as a substitute for corn. Finally, the simulation results show that the ethanol mandate can significantly reduce corn demand but raise DDGS demand, suggesting that the demand for DDGS will continue to increase in proportion to a growth in the blending requirements of ethanol.


We examined eight patients with Kearns-Sayre syndrome (KSS) to investigate a dysfunction in the central nervous system (CNS) using PTN-SEP, MN-SEP and BAEP. We found a significant increase in the P37 latency of PTN-SEPs and the central conduction time of MN-SEPs, and interpeak latencies of BAEPs. Delayed SEPs or BAEPs were caused by a dysfunction of the somatosensory or lateral lemniscus pathways which could be related to mitochondrial abnormalities in the CNS. Long-term therapy with CoQ showed an improvement of the latencies of SEPs after about half a year from the start of CoQ therapy in our patients. The improvement of the latencies of SEPs were preserved during CoQ therapy. It could be demonstrated that CoQ therapy had the beneficial effects on abnormal functions of the CNS in patients with KSS.


The article presents the hitherto unknown decoration of the furnishing of a little Protestant church in Rodowo in Ducal Prussia, founded by the local aristocratic family ofthe Schack von Wittenaus. After firstly providing an overview of the complicated confessional history of the region, the church, and its patrons, the second part of this article presents the emblematic decoration of church benches based on the "Four Elements," with models for tapestries designed by Charles Le Brun and published in Paris in 1668 (and later in Germany). The original emblems, with descriptions by Charles Perrault, refer to King Louis XVI as the ideal ruler, but in Rodowo they emphasize the position of the Prussian nobility as the most important social group in the country. The second part of the article presents four unknown easel paintings on the church walls, with a symbolic presentation of Lutheran piety connected with Pietism in Ducal Prussia. The entire artistic ensemble in the church refers to the role of noblemen as leaders in the social and religious life of Ducal Prussia.


Introduction
Sleep and physical activity habits during childhood are influenced by developmental, cultural and environmental factors. Poor sleep is associated with lower immune function, physical activity levels, and psychological functioning, thus contributing to a vicious cycle of increased vulnerability during this developmental period. Regular physical activity, in turn, is associated with better sleep, improved immune function, and higher psychological well-being. There is, however, a lack of research on sleep and physical activity patterns in Sub-Saharan Africa, especially among children from marginalized areas. Therefore, the present study has two objectives: First, it aims to fill a gap in the literature by reporting sleep and physical activity patterns among primary schoolchildren aged 6-12 years from Tanzania (Ifakara: N = 845), South Africa (Gqeberha: N = 1,287), and Côte d'Ivoire (Taabo: N = 1,027). Second, to investigate the relationship between habitual physical activity (7-day actigraphy) and sleep (parental and self-reported).
Methods
Thousand three-hundred and twenty children aged 5-12 years from each country were recruited. Sleep. Parents were asked to complete a few sleep-related questions regarding their child`s bed- and rise times. To assess sleep quality, children completed questions from the Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (Buysse et al., 1989). To screen for sleep disturbances, children also answered three items of the Insomnia Severity Index (Morin et al., 2011), addressing difficulty falling asleep, staying asleep and waking up too early in the morning. Physical Activity. Objective physical activity was assessed with an accelerometry (Actigraph wGT3x-BT, Shalimar, FL, USA) worn around the hip. The device was worn for 7 consecutive days to assess a full weekly period, with a sampling epoch of 15 sec (Rowlands, 2007). Time per day spent in MPA (>3 MET [metabolic equivalents of task]) and VPA (>6 MET) is determined based on the raw accelerometry counts and the ActiLife computer software, with cut-off values derived from Freedson et al. (1998). The ActiGraph accelerometrys have been validated with children (Crouter et al., 2013; Hänggi et al., 2013).
Results
Children assessed in Côte d'Ivoire and Tanzania showed higher levels of daily physical activity (MVPA) than those assessed in South Africa. Yet, mean group levels still exceeded the recommended amount of 60 min MVPA/day. Across all three countries, boys generally had higher MVPA levels than their female peers, and children from the poorest wealth quintile were also more active than their peers from the least poor quintile. Composite sleep health was significantly different between countries, with the highest scores reported in Tanzania, followed by Côte d'Ivoire and South Africa. After controlling for sex, it was found that MVPA significantly predicted composite sleep health among children in Tanzania (ß = 5.83, p = .002) and Côte d'Ivoire (ß = 3.41, p = .072), but not in South Africa (ß = 0.67, p > .05).
Discussion/Conclusion
Adequate sleep and physical activity is crucial for children's physical and mental development. Most of our understanding of the relationship between daily physical activity and sleep patterns is based on research conducted in Western high income countries. Currently, little is known about this association in children from Sub-Saharan African, specifically primary schoolchildren living in marginalized areas in Tanzania, South Africa, and Côte d'Ivoire. Results will reveal whether research from high-income countries is generalizable to low- or middle-income countries, and inform health policy makers on points for prevention and intervention in school-based settings.
References
Buysse, D. J., Reynolds, C. F., & Monk, T. H. (1989). The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index: A new instrument for psychiatric practice and research. Psychiatry Research, 28(2), 193–213. https://doi.org/10.1016/0165-1781(89)90047-4
Crouter, S. E., Horton, M., & Bassett, D. R. (2013). Validity of ActiGraph child-specific equations during various physical activities. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 45(7), 1403–1409. https://doi.org/10.1249/MSS.0b013e318285f03b
Freedson, P. S., Melanson, E., & Sirard, J. (1998). Calibration of the Computer Science and Applications, Inc. accelerometer. Medicine & Science in Sports & Exercise, 30(5), 777-781. https://doi.org/10.1097/00005768-199805000-00021
Hänggi, J. M., Phillips, L. R. S., & Rowlands, A. V. (2013). Validation of the GT3X ActiGraph in children and comparison with the GT1M ActiGraph. Journal of Science and Medicine in Sport, 16(1), 40–44. https://doi.org/10.1016/j.jsams.2012.05.012
Morin, C. M., Belleville, G., Bélanger, L., & Ivers, H. (2011). The Insomnia Severity Index: Psychometric indicators to detect insomnia cases and evaluate treatment response. Sleep, 34(5), 601–608. https://doi.org/10.1093/sleep/34.5.601
Rowlands, A. V. (2007). Accelerometer assessment of physical activity in children: An update. Pediatric Exercise Science, 19(3), 252–266. https://doi.org/10.1177/0013164497057002014


OBJECTIVE
To prepare a monoclonal antibody (mAb) against the fusion protein preM/EIII of West Nile virus (WNV) for clinical detection of WNV.

METHODS
Sp2/0 cells were fused with the spleen cells of BALB/c mice immunized with the recombinant fusion protein preM/EIII expressed in E. coil to obtain the hybridoma cell line that secreted preM/EIII mAb. The hybridoma cells were injected into the peritoneal cavity of BALB/c mice and the ascites was collected and purified. The specificity and titer of the obtained mAb were determined using ELISA and Western blotting.

RESULTS
One hybridoma cell line secreting preM/EIII mAb, named ME1, was obtained. The titer of the purified mAb was 10(-6). Identified as a mAb of the Ig subclass IgG1, ME1 was capable of specific reactions with preM/EIII protein and WNV without cross-reactions with other viruses such as JEV, SLEV, YFV and DENV. The accuracy of clinical testing of MNV with ME1 was 97.78%.

CONCLUSION
The mAb against preM/EIII obtained have a high specificity and accuracy in clinical testing of MNV and can be used in clinical diagnosis of MNV infection.


Despite major advances in psychiatry in the past three decades, the rate of suicide has not declined. In an effort to better understand suicide, recent research has examined the importance of biochemical factors in this behavior. Biochemical studies of suicide victims and attempters have indicated that either serotonin (5-HT) or its metabolite 5-hydroxyindoleacetic acid (5-HIAA) is reduced in this population when compared with individuals who do not exhibit suicidal behavior. Also, alterations in 5-HT receptors have been observed in suicide victims. While the biochemical findings are promising, it appears that an approach that combines psychosocial and biochemical factors offers the greatest promise for improved identification of suicide risk.


Skeletal muscle insulin-resistance is a major risk factor for type 2 diabetes. During the early stages of insulin-resistance the proximal insulin-signalling proteins are activated by insulin despite GLUT4 vesicle translocation and glucose transport being impaired. There is growing evidence that the dual function protein β-catenin can support vesicle trafficking, and is dysregulated in insulin resistance. Here we investigate the potential role of β-catenin in facilitating skeletal muscle glucose transport. We report that novel adult-induced skeletal muscle-specific β-catenin knockout mice are insulin resistant and have impaired skeletal muscle glucose transport. Furthermore, the mutation of β-cateninS552 in muscle cells impairs insulin-stimulated GLUT4 translocation and glucose uptake, an effect that appears to be independent of β-catenin's WNT-signalling transcriptional role. Using immunoprecipitation coupled to proteomics we identify M-cadherin as an insulin-sensitive binding partner of β-catenin, which we confirmed to be required for normal insulin-stimulated glucose transport. Consistent with the role of cadherins in regulating actin filament organization, β-cateninS552 mutant muscle cells have impaired insulin-stimulated actin remodelling. This suggests that insulin-mediated phosphorylation of β-cateninS552 promotes the binding of β-catenin to M-cadherin which then provides support for actin polymerisation at the plasma membrane, a critical step for GLUT4 trafficking. We therefore propose that the dysregulation of β-catenin may play a role insulin resistance independent of proximal insulin signalling. Disclosure S.W. Masson: None. T.L. Merry: None. Funding Rutherford Discovery Fellowship (RDF-15-UOA-020)


Objectives: Currently, no studies have assessed the efficacy of transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) to treat fatigue and pain associated with or potentiated by post-COVID-19 syndrome in patients with systemic autoimmune rheumatic diseases (SARDs). Methods: This study included nine patients with different types of SARDs. All patients had previously confirmed RT-PCR test for COVID-19 as well as significant, persistent fatigue and pain that began to worsen after infection. Anodal tDCS was administered in five daily sessions (2mA, 20 minutes) over the C3 or C4 10/20 EEG positions, with the cathode placed at Fp1 or Fp2. Concomitantly, patients were involved in an aerobic exercise program by treadmill walking. All participants were evaluated using specific questionnaires and strength assessment by handgrip and physical function by timed-up-and go test and sit-to-stand test at baseline (within one week before tDCS protocol), and one week after tDCS protocol. During all procedures, the patients' treatments remained unchanged. Results: The sample was composed of eight women and one man with a mean age of 48.7±9.6. After the tDCS protocol, the pain and fatigue significantly improved by a visual analog scale (P<0.05). The physical function also improved 9.5±2.7 vs. 6.8±0.8 (P=0.001) for timed-up-go-test and 10.3±3.7 vs. 15.1±4.0 (P=0.037) for sit-to-stand test. No subject experienced adverse events. One-hundred percent of patients adhered to all protocols. Conclusions: The present study showed tDCS in combination with aerobic exercise was effective in improving the physical function, and reducing fatigue/pain in SARDs patients with post-COVID-19 syndrome.Clinical Trials: NCT04890483.


Purpose of the Review
To highlight five new things in the research and clinical aspects of essential tremor (ET).

Recent Findings
The introduction of a new definition of ET and a new category "ET plus" were the major themes of the recent consensus statement. This new change demands a change in the approach to the clinical diagnosis of ET and related diseases. From the pathogenesis standpoint, the cerebellar neurodegenerative model seems to have abundant evidence in its favor compared with the olivary model, which has largely fallen out of favor. From the standpoint of therapeutics, magnetic resonance-guided focused ultrasound (MRgFUS) thalamotomy has enriched the therapeutic armamentarium.

Summary
There has been considerable progress in the field of ET. We discuss five new things in this article, which include (1) new definition, (2) ET plus, (3) approach to the diagnosis of ET, (4) cerebellar degeneration, and (5) MRgFUS thalamotomy.


The growth of two provenances of Pinus sylvestris L. were compared with two provenances of Picea abies (L.) Karst. and with Pinus contorta Dougl. when grown in solution cultures with low nutrient concentrations. Nitrogen was added at different exponentially increasing rates, and the other nutrients were added at a rate high enough to ensure free access of them to the seedlings.

During an initial period of the culture (a lag phase), when the internal nutrient status was changing from optimum to the level of the treatment, deficiency symptoms appeared. The needles yellowed and the root/shoot ratio increased. The initial phase was followed by a period of exponential growth and steady-state nutrition. The needles turned green again, and the root/shoot ratio stabilized at a level characteristic of the treatment. These patterns were the same as previously reported for other tree species.

The relative growth rate during exponential growth was numerically closely equal to the relative nitrogen addition rate. The maximum relative growth rates were about 6 to 7.5% dry weight increase day-1. This is a much lower maximum than for broad-leaved species (about 20 to 30% day-1) under similar growth conditions.

The internal nitrogen concentrations of the seedlings and the relative growth rates were stable during the exponential period. Close linear relationships were found between these parameters and the relative addition rate up to maximum growth.

During steady state the relative growth rates of the different plant parts were equal. However, there were large differences between genotypes in absolute root growth rate at the same seedling size because of differences in root/shoot ratio. Lodgepole pine had the highest root growth rate, whereas that of Norway spruce, especially the southern provenance, was remarkably low. Yet, Norway spruce had a high ability to utilize available nutrients. In treatments with free nutrient access, growth allocation to the shoot had a high priority in all genotypes, but there was still a marked tendency for luxury uptake of nutrients. Nitrogen productivity (growth rate per unit of nitrogen) was lower than in broadleaved species and highest in lodgepole pine. The relevance of the dynamic factors, i.e. maximum relative growth rate, nutrient uptake rate, nitrogen productivity, growth allocation and root growth rate, are discussed with regard to conifer characteristics and selection value.


INTRODUCTION
Recent studies have revealed an increase in the consumption of dietary supplements including frequency of use of caffeine, which is addictive and potentially harmful in higher doses. Energy drinks include high doses of caffeine and are particularly targeted at young people.

OBJECTIVE
The aim of the study was to investigate the frequency of use of caffeine-containing energy products, associated factors and understanding the associated side- effects in university students.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
A cross-sectional questionnaire-based survey was conducted among students of the 5 largest Universities in Krakow. Statistical significance was set at the 0.05 level.

RESULTS
Around 35% of respondents reported the use of different supplements including high doses of caffeine. Frequency of caffeine-containing products consumption was significantly higher in female students compering to males. Also, those respondents who originated from big cities were more likely to use caffeine-containing products. The study revealed that these substances were also more popular among those participants who study economics. Most students use these substances in order to reduce feeling tired and the duration of sleep, others mainly to increase concentration prior to examinations. Almost one fourth of the group who used these substances admitted to having experienced some sideeffects in the past. They suffered mainly from insomnia, but also from excessive stimulation and muscle trembling. Almost half of the substances users did not know of any potential side-effects.

CONCLUSIONS
Attempts should be made to increase public awareness of the side-effects of these substances, particularly among the student population. These campaigns should be targeted especially at female students who come from bigger cities. This study is a step towards drawing attention to this issue.


Philosophically, positivism adheres to the realistic knowledge acquired through observation, empirical evidences and measurement. In positivism studies the role of the researcher confined to data collection, analysis, and interpretation that are observable and quantifiable within the set objectives. Statistical techniques and mathematical modelling are central to positivist research, which adheres to structured research techniques and pre-determined research designs. Positivist researchers tend to make generalisations with limited observations and data evidences, which have emerged as one of the fundamental weaknesses of the positivist philosophy. They believe positivism is deductive research process in management, which eliminates the possibility of conceptualisation against the evidence based research. This paper aims at critically examining the positivism in management research stemming out of the epistemological growth in management research and contributes to the existing literature by interpreting the convergence of classical school of thoughts with the contemporary ideology on management research.


Ubiquitous availability and need for transparent remote data access has increased significantly due to increased capacity and widespread availability of computer networks such as Internet. Remote access can be facilitated by storing data at the file server and accessing data as required using distributed file systems (DFS's). This remote access exposes file server, client and data to various on-line and off-line attacks. Off-line attacks to data can be prevented by using Encrypting File System (EFS) such as TransCrypt [1], NCryptfs [2], Microsoft EFS [3], etc. On-line attacks can be handled by using dynamic security mechanisms such as mutual authentication and secure session establishment. In this paper, a secure DFS for providing access to data residing on a TransCrypt [1] server from a client machine is proposed. The proposed DFS is implemented, and can be used transparently and flexibly without requiring any change to the existing applications.


Abstract Botosani Municipality faces since 2008 to massive trees drying, in areas such as Mihai Eminescu Boulevard, Calea Nationala Street, Marchian Street. In many cases, although the trees have been toileted, treated with substances used for pest control, there couldn't be saved but very few specimens, but most of them have been cut down. Furthermore, on Mihai Eminescu Boulevard, there no longer leaf out for a few years the chestnut trees, sycamore trees, linden trees, cherry trees, acacia, maple trees, which probably will be cut down eventually.


In a one year old female infant BCG-vaccinated as a neonate, a large mediastinal mass was found after routine examination. X-ray and CT scan suggested a teratoma. Histology and microbiology, however, revealed the diagnosis of an active tuberculosis. Thus, the tumor was caused by mediastinal BCGitis. To our knowledge this complication of BCG-vaccination has not yet been described.


The study of cropping pattern assumes a great significance as it is one of the important path for balanced development of agriculture to meet the human requirements. The adoption of better cropping pattern optimally suited to the technological changes is an important one for augmenting agricultural growth. Cropping pattern has been dynamic to cope up the changing scenario and to meet the ever changing demands of growing population. Limited availability of land to rising population and declining yield forced farmers to search for alternatives ways for raising farm income. With the passage of time farmers became increasingly commercialized and started farming for maximizing their output. Now the realization prevails amongst the famers for long term returns and they are in search of optimum cropping pattern which can fulfill their aspirations. So in this context, an effort has been made to examine the changes in cropping pattern, and cotton, and identification of advantageous crop in selected tahsils of Yavatmal district.


Wildfires have significant effects on human populations worldwide. Smoke pollution, in particular, from either prescribed burns or uncontrolled wildfires, can have profound health impacts, such as reducing birth weight in children and aggravating respiratory and cardiovascular conditions. Scarcity in the measurements of particulate matter responsible for these public health issues makes addressing the problem of smoke dispersion challenging, especially when fires occur in remote regions. Previous research has shown that in the case of the 2014 King fire in California, crowdsourced data can be useful in estimating particulate pollution from wildfire smoke. In this paper, we show that the previous model continues to provide good estimates when extended statewide to cover several wildfires over an entire season in California. Moreover, adding the semantic information contained in the social media data to the predictive model significantly increases model accuracy, indicating a confluence of social and spatio-temporal data.


The response of Vorticella convallaria to electrical and mechanical stimuli was investigated. It was shown that: (I) V. convallaria becomes habituatcd independently to both mechanical and electrical stimuli if these are repeated at I0 sec. intervals. (2) The habituation is more rapid to lower intensities of stimuli. (3) The form of the response curve is similar for both types of stimulus. (4) No habituation was obtained when the animals were stimulated while in deionized water. No response was obtained while they were placed in a solution of CaCl2 but continuous contraction was induced in a solution of KOH. Other potassium and sodium salts in deionized water gave response curves similar to those obtained under normal conditions.


Calcium hydroxide was reacted with aliphatic calboxylic acids having the different number of carbons, and the precipitated products were characterized by TG, SEM, TEM and XRD. Layered structure was confirmed by TEM images and XRD patterns. From the results of XRD patterns, the interlayer spacing d increased with an increase of the number of carbons of carboxylic acids from 30 Å to 60 Å, and it was proportional to the carbon number of the materials. Calculated angles of the long chain fatty acids in the crystal structures of the reaction products was about sixty degrees. The adsorption ability of the nanocomposite prepared with stearic acid was carried out by using the mixture of three organic compounds at room temperature. For the adsorption experiment, only one kind of organic matters was selectively adsorbed.


In this paper, an approach for improving active shape segmentation of medical images using machine learning techniques which can achieve high segmentation accuracy is described. A statistical shape model is created from a training dataset which is used to search for an object of interest in an image. Active shape model has shown over time to be a reliable image segmentation methodology, but its segmentation accuracy is hindered especially by poor initialization which can't be guaranteed to always be perfect. In our methodology, we extract features for each landmark using haarfilters[9]. We train a classifier with these features and use the classifier to classify points around the final points of an Active shape model search. The aim of this approach is to better place points that might have been wrongly placed from the ASM search. We have used the simple, yet effective K-Nearest Neighbour machine learning algorithm, and have demonstrated the ability of this method to improve segmentation accuracy by segmenting 2d images of the lateral ventricles of the brain.


The market demands and financial constraints in medium- to long-term production planning are often subject to uncertainties. As an extension of the author's previous paper, this paper focuses on a formulation and simulation analysis for multi-product aggregate production-planning problems with fuzzy demands and fuzzy capacities. The fuzzy production–inventory balance equation is formulated as a soft equation and can be interpreted as the possibility level of meeting the market demands, which is more meaningful and accepted by the practitioner than the previous one. With this interpretation, a fuzzy multi-product aggregate production-planning model is transformed into a parametric programming model. A simulation of a practical instance is conducted to illustrate the model and demonstrate the performance and effect of various parameters on the optimal aggregate production plan. The proposed formulation and simulation analysis can help the decision-maker make a reasonable and preferred aggregate plan to guarantee feasibility of the downstream family disaggregation plans.


This session explores: 1) the ability of late antique and medieval authors to create images throughout their written words, blurring the borders between visual and literary arts; 2) investigate how the written and oral dissemination of textual imagery interacted with the conception, production, and perception of visual arts in the same period. Using their stylus as a painting brush, late antique and medieval authors transformed words in literary images/icons, making them part of a wider visual culture. Works of art described or evoked might have existed, but, most of the time, textual imagery remained 'literary works of art' in a poetic space of creation, a fiction of shapes and colors, depicted or shaped under the readers' eyes.


Based on a data set comprising 2879 animals and 17 nuclear microsatellite DNA markers, we propose the most comprehensive in-depth study mapping the genetic structure and specifying the assignment success rates in horse breeds at the Czech population scale. The STRUCTURE program was used to perform systematic Bayesian clustering via the Markov chain Monte Carlo estimation, enabling us to explain the population stratification and to identify genetic structure patterns within breeds worldwide. In total, 182 different alleles were found over all the populations and markers, with the mean number of 10.7 alleles per locus. The expected heterozygosity ranged from 0.459 (Friesian) to 0.775 (Welsh Part Bred), and the average level reached 0.721. The average observed heterozygosity corresponded to 0.709, with the highest value detected in the Czech Sport Pony (0.775). The largest number of private alleles was found in Equus przewalskii. The population inbreeding coefficient FIS ranged from –0.08 in the Merens to 0.14 in the Belgian Warmblood. The total within-population inbreeding coefficient was estimated to be moderate. As expected, very large genetic differentiation and small gene flow were established between the Friesian and Equus przewalskii (FST = 0.37, Nm = 0.43). Zero FST values indicated no differences between the Czech Warmblood–Slovak Warmblood and the Czech Warmblood–Bavarian Warmblood. A high level of breeding and connectivity was revealed between the Slovak Warmblood–Bavarian Warmblood, Dutch Warmblood–Oldenburg Horse, Bavarian Warmblood–Dutch Warmblood, and Bavarian Warmblood–Oldenburg Horse. The breeds' contribution equalled about 6% of the total genetic variability. The overall proportion of individuals correctly assigned to a population corresponded to 82.4%. The posterior Bayesian approach revealed a hierarchical dynamic genetic structure in four clusters (hot-blooded, warm-blooded, cold-blooded, and pony). While most of the populations were genetically distinct from each other and well-arranged with solid breed structures, some of the entire sets showed signs of admixture and/or fragmentation.


Learning process is to access information. Traditional research methods which are used for searching library resources changed with the rapid development of information and communication technologies, accessing to knowledge became easier. Internet is a huge mass of information and it is growing bigger day by day. These continuous growths not only make it attractive but also make it more complex and more difficult to reach the information. The researches show that the users which have search skills can easily reach results which are appropriate and directly related with the subject; they can reach the information easily instead of being lost in mass of information. The purpose of the study is to help users to find information they are looking for easily.


Background Identification and understanding of the pathogens responsible for pleural infection is critical for appropriate antibiotic treatment. This study sought to determine the microbiological characteristics of pleural infection and to identify potential predictive factors associated with mortality. Methods In this retrospective study, we analyzed patient data from 421 cases of parapneumonic effusion. A total of 184 microorganisms were isolated from 164 patients, using two culture systems: a standard method and a method using pairs of aerobic and anaerobic blood culture bottles. Results The most frequently isolated microorganisms were streptococci (31.5%), followed by staphylococci (23.4%), gram-negative bacteria (18.5%) and anaerobes (10.3%). Streptococci were the main microorganisms found in standard culture (41.9%) and community-acquired infections (52.2%), and were susceptible to all antimicrobial agents in drug sensitivity testing. Staphylococci were the most frequently isolated pathogens in blood cultures (30.8%) and hospital-acquired infections (38.3%), and were primarily multidrug-resistant (61.8%). In multivariate analysis, the following were significant predictive factors for 30-day mortality among the total population: CURB-65 ≥ 2 (aOR 5.549, 95% CI 2.296–13.407, p<0.001), structural lung disease (aOR 2.708, 95% CI 1.346–5.379, p = 0.004), PSI risk class IV-V (aOR 4.714, 95% CI 1.530–14.524, p = 0.007), no use of intrapleural fibrinolytics (aOR 3.062, 95% CI 1.102–8.511, p = 0.014), hospital-acquired infection (aOR 2.205, 95% CI 1.165–4.172, p = 0.015), age (aOR 0.964, 95% CI 0.935–0.994, p = 0.018), and SOFA score ≥2 (aOR 2.361, 95% CI 1.134–4.916, p = 0.022). Conclusion In this study, common pathogens causing pleural infection were comparable to previous studies, and consisted of streptococci, staphylococci, and anaerobes. CURB-65 ≥2, structural lung disease, PSI risk class IV-V, no use of intrapleural fibrinolytics, hospital-acquired infection, older age, and SOFA score ≥ 2 are potential predictors of mortality in pleural infection.


Background. Isoniazid (INH) therapy for tuberculosis carries a known risk for hepatoxicity, and leads to hepatic failure in a small subset of patients. This incidence has been described for adults, but is uncertain in children. Our aim was to estimate the incidence of pediatric referrals for INH-related liver failure, and to describe the characteristics and outcomes of these patients. Methods. The 84 U.S. centers performing pediatric liver transplants between 1987 and 1997 were surveyed regarding patients with INH-induced liver failure. Additional transplant statistics were obtained from the United Network for Organ Sharing. Estimates of the number of children taking preventive INH were derived from a nationwide public health database. Results. Twenty cases of INH-related liver failure were found during a 10-year period. Four patients (20%) recovered spontaneously; 10 (50%) underwent orthotopic liver transplantation (OLT), while six (30%) died awaiting OLT. Mean age at presentation was 9.8 years (range 1.3-17). Mean length of INH therapy was 3.3 months (range 0.5-9). Notably, five patients seen for symptoms of hepatitis were initially told not to stop treatment. INH-associated liver failure accounted for 0.2% (8 of 4679) ofall pediatric OLTs, and 14% (8/56) of transplants for drug hepatoxicity. The estimated incidence of liver failure was up to 3.2/100,000 for children on prophylactic INH. Conclusions. While INH-associated liver failure in children is rare, discontinuation at the onset of symptoms does not assure recovery. This indicates a need for increased awareness of hepatotoxicity risk, expanded biochemical monitoring for children receiving INH, and prompt withdrawal in symptomatic patients.


The dependence of periodic structures and ablated areas on temporal pulse shaping is studied upon irradiation of fused silica by femtosecond laser triple-pulse trains. Three types of periodic structures can be obtained by using pulse trains with designed pulse delays, in which the three-dimensional nanopillar arrays with ∼100–150 nm diameters and ∼200 nm heights are first fabricated in one step. These nanopillars arise from the break of the ridges of ripples in the upper portion, which is caused by the split of orthogonal ripples in the bottom part. The localized transient electron dynamics and corresponding material properties are considered for the morphological observations.


Jean-Baptiste Say is remembered as the father of French economic liberalism and as the origin of a long line of French writers who opposed colonization on the basis of free-trade arguments. This article argues that because Say's commentators have primarily focused on his economic writings, they have misinterpreted his overall thought on colonies and on the extra-European world. Far from always defending the political independence of extra-European societies, Say put forward the same sort of argument in favor of European domination as his friend James Mill. By investigating Say's early writings and lesser-known texts, this article suggests that Say's colonial writings need to be reassessed in light of the specific intellectual and political context of the late eighteenth century. In doing so it also offers new insights into the intellectual origins of so-called French imperial liberalism.


In general, sexual activity in normal animals declines with increasing age. In aged male rats, for example, no ejaculation occurs when paired with receptive females. The ejaculatory response induced by p-chloroamphetamine (PCA) in aged adult rats, 14 to 18 months of age, was observed. The animals were treated intraperitoneally with PCA. The ejaculation rates were 0.28.6, 57.1 and 100% at doses of 0.3125, 0.625, 1.25 and 2.5 mg/kg, respectively. These animals, with a few exceptions, showed an ejaculation within 2 hrs of PCA injection. These data for aged adults are similar to those for young adults.


Background: Previous studies of genetic and environmental influences on adolescent substance use have been limited to Western samples. Methods: This study assesses genetic and environmental contributions to cigarette smoking, alcohol use, and psychological variables (depression, anxiety, aggression, hostility) among 602 pairs of adolescent twins, 11 to 19 years old, in Qingdao, China. Results: Heritable influences were more pronounced for alcohol use than cigarette smoking. In univariate analyses, no heritable effects were found for depression or aggression, and modest heritability was found for anxiety. Hostility was relatively more heritable in girls than boys. Bivariate associations between substance use and psychological measures could be attributed to a combination of common genetic and environmental factors. Conclusions: Among Chinese adolescents, experimentation with tobacco is familial, and experimentation with alcohol is heritable. The genetic and environmental architecture of hostility differs by gender. Consistency of univariate results with Western adolescent samples appears limited to the alcohol use measures.


The ambitious objective stated in the latest Paris Agreement 2015 to limit the average global increase in temperature to 2°C before preindustrial levels, and possibly to 1.5°C, will need a tectonic shift in infrastructure; energy production; industrial processes; and, at a smaller scale, our lifestyles. Because investors will play a key role in financing these objectives, they need a robust framework to measure the impact of their investments while monitoring long-term risk related to climate change. Derived from standard financial reporting, the authors propose such a framework to measure a complete carbon footprint for dynamically rebalanced funds. They enhance this framework with the derivation of the carbon performance attribution of funds versus their benchmarks, both for absolute (e.g., carbon emissions) and relative measures (e.g., carbon intensity).


The data of real world applications generally cannot be expressed strictly. An efficient way of handling this situation is expressing the data as intervals. Thus, this paper focus on the Indefinite Quadratic Interval Transportation Problem (IQITP) in which all the parameters i.e. cost and risk coefficients of the objective function, supply and demand quantities are expressed as intervals. A Taylor series approach is presented for the solution of IQITP by means of the expression of intervals with its left and right limits. Also a numerical example is executed to illustrate the procedure


In ceramic production, there are around 5-8 % of floor tile defects occurred due to unsuitable body compositions or operational failure. The reuse of those fired products creates problems due to the difficult grindability features. These kinds of wastes are stored near factories and create vital environmental problems. There are some attempts to utilize these waste materials by adding to the recipes at small amounts. However, the grinding efficiency of the system is detrimentally affected and the grinding costs increases sharply. The aim of this work is to determine the dry grinding properties of floor tile wastes in order to utilize more and economical manner in the process. This paper includes grinding experiments in the laboratory dry ball mill. It is driven by inverter motor and control panel that allow to adjust the mill rotational speed, measure the grinding time and required energy consumption. Systematic grinding tests were carried out to observe the effect of feed particle size, feed rate, material moisture and mill rotational speed on the grinding efficiency. Finally, it was sought to use the dry prepared powder in glazed porcelain body composition. It was found that there are no inconvenient results on the sintered body up to usage of 20%.


In large organizations and small firms in transportation, there is a growing need to use and analyze spatial data. Transportation system analysis and planning as well as mobility studies frequently use Geographic Information Systems (GIS). In this paper we propose the development of a web services platform dedicated to transportation and logistics. Taking advantage of the web services development framework PyOpenCF we integrate in the same environment services oriented to geolocalization, logistical optimization, etc. We develop a PyOpenCF client whose graphic interface allows processes with spatial data to be launched and provides a visualization of the results.


Optimization of reaction systems plays a key role in preventing the backward reaction of water splitting. 'Nanoreactors' are formed with nanoporous photocatalyst in a facile H(2) production system, hexane-water biphase system. The rate of H(2) evolution could reach 63.37 mmol h(-1) g(-1) in the biphase system (40% higher than that in the single phase system).


I read with interest the concise report of MacDonald and Holmes about acquired progressive kinking of the hair (APKH), affecting scalp and eyelashes as an unreported feature. In that case, the patient had noticed that her eyelashes grew curled, causing irritation of the eyelids. In 2001, Gübelin and I reported two cases of APKH, one of them associated with trichiasis. This patient, a 15year-old boy, had noticed that some years before his hair growth became curled, with some darker hairs resembling pubic hairs. In addition, since infancy, his lower eyelashes had grown inward toward the eyes, provoking repetitive conjunctivitis. Trichiasis is a condition in which the eyelashes grow toward the globe of the eye, causing irritation of the conjunctiva and cornea, with a foreign-body sensation, production of tears, irritation, pain, redness, and sometimes secondary infection or vision loss in extreme cases. The misdirected eyelashes may be diffuse or segmented, affecting one or both eyes. The disorder has various causes, including blepharitis, entropion, injuries, trachoma and pemphigoid. It would be interesting if future reports on APKH were to include routine examination of the eyelashes, to determine if their acquired curvature is a possible associated feature of this disorder or just an isolated finding, and whether the curvature is towards the eyes or the eyelids.


The purpose of this study was to explore and describe three preservice teachers' beliefs as they evolved throughout a 4-year teacher preparation program. Data collection spanned 5 years and included formal interviews, open-ended questionnaires, and document analysis of reflective writings. The results indicated that participants assimilated program messages into their beliefs about teaching physical education relative to elementary content, teaching effectiveness, and the importance of planning. Participants were less likely to assimilate program messages about classroom management and the purpose of physical education due to the impact of their own biographies. Participants were in favor of emphasizing effort and participation and rejected the program philosophy on assessment of student learning. Data suggest that participants' K–12 school experiences as well as their lived experiences play a powerful role in the formation of their beliefs about teaching physical education.


Abstract Conflict is a part of daily life and it can occur for many reasons. In an intercultural environment, both international and local people can face conflict due to their interactions. Even though there has been an exponential increase in the growth of international students in Turkey in recent years, little is known about their experiences in the realm of intercultural conflicts. Therefore, the main objective of this study was to assess the occurrence of intercultural conflicts among international students at Anadolu University. In particular, the study sought to examine possible intercultural conflicts this group of students might experience, international students' intercultural awareness, the major sources of the intercultural conflict and how the international students cope with intercultural conflict. A qualitative research method with phenomenological research design was utilized and semi-structured in-depth interviews were used to gather data. The analysis of the study was organized into six themes, namely: awareness, approach, experience, communication style, worldview change, and coping strategy. Except for the last theme, the obtained data aligned with the literature. Findings revealed that the international students experienced intercultural conflicts mainly due to lack of intercultural competence. Based on these findings, recommendations for future studies were suggested.


The present invention comprises a central 窩結 image system capable capture wide-angle images and fovea image, foveal image is controllable region of interest wide-angle image. System faces the external field, and receives incident light from the external field configured to focus light onto the beam splitter, an objective lens (110), wide angle imaging path of incident light from the external field provided configured to divide the (125) and the center 窩結 image path (135) within a beam splitter (120), a wide angle imaging path (125), and a foveal vision imaging path (135) . The wide angle imaging path comprises a first stop portion (127), a wide-angle imaging lens (130), and a wide-angle imaging sensor (140). Foveal vision imaging path comprises a second stop (137), a scanning mirror (150), a center 窩結 imaging lens (160), and a central 窩結 image sensor (170).


Generally speaking, being an efficient information hiding scheme, what we want to achieve is high embedding capacity of the cover image and high visual quality of the stego image, high visual quality is also called embedding efficiency. This paper mainly studies on the information hiding technology based on gray-scale digital images and especially considers the improvement of embedding capacity and embedding efficiency. For the purpose of that, two algorithms for information hiding were proposed, one is called high capacity of information hiding algorithm (HCIH for short), which achieves high embedding rate, and the other is called high quality of information hiding algorithm (HQIH for short), which realizes high embedding efficiency. The simulation experiments show that our proposed algorithms achieve better performance.


The features of the emergence and functioning of reading rooms in the Buryat-Mongolian Autonomous Soviet Socialist Republic in the 1920s-1930s are considered. The author analyzes the measures taken by the Soviet government, local cells of the Communist Party and Komsomol activists aimed at strengthening izba-reading rooms on the territory of the republic. The main problems of the organization and activities of izba-reading rooms are investigated in detail, attention is paid to various methods of work to attract the population to new forms of Soviet culture. The relevance of the study is due to the fact that the study   of the role and place of the izba-reading room in the regional cultural space will make an important contribution to the creation of a largescale objective picture of the cultural revolution that took place in the USSR in the 1920s1930s. The scientific novelty lies in the fact that a number of previously unpublished sources are put into circulation, collected directly for this study. This made it possible to highlight some details that previously could not be reflected in other works. As a result   of the study, it was determined that the izbareading room, despite the difficulties that arose (weak resource base, a shortage of trained personnel, low qualifications of workers, cultural and linguistic differences, a wary attitude of the local population  towards  the  events  of the Soviet government) gradually managed to win the sympathy of the adult population and become a reference point of cultural and educational work in the village.


Maize (Zea mays L.) is grown popularly in the world. It is severely attacked by termites. Insecticides are widely used to control, but could not minimize termites' damage mainly because of resistance development and easily break down of the active ingredients. Hence, field experiment was conducted with the aim of evaluating different botanical crude extracts from leaves of Croton macrostachys (Hochst), Jatropha curcas L. and Phytolacca dodecandra L. for the management of termites.  The experiment was conducted at Wollega University (wu) under irrigation and rain fed conditions. Leaves of the botanicals were collected from experimental sites in western Ethiopia and dried under shade. The dried leaves were grounded to a fine powder using a small hand-operated manual grinder and the powder was further sliced with analytical mill and sieved through a 0.25 mm pore size mesh to make uniform fine dust particle. The treatments were C. macrostachys, P. dodecandra, J. curcas, C. macrostachys + P. dodecandra, C. macrostachys +J. curcas, P. dodecandra + J. curcas, C. macrostachys + P. dodecandra + J. curcas. Untreated check was used for comparison. For treatment preparation, 300 g. of each botanical leaf powder was soaked in 1000 ml distilled water for 72 hrs. The mixtures were filtered with clean cheese cloth and stored in a beaker of 250 ml capacity. The experiment was laid-out in a Randomized Complete Block Design (rcbd) in four replications. Shallow holes for maize seed planting were prepared well ahead of planting on the experimental plots. From the stock solution of each botanical, 20 ml was drenched to each planting hole 10 days before planting and continued at all maize growth stages. Treatments were applied using 30 ml capacity Syringe. Data on termite damage symptoms were collected two days before planting and two days after treatment application at every growth stage. The results revealed that mixed botanicals treatments were significantly (p<0.05) superior to non-mixed botanical treatments in the management of termites. The highest number of foraging termites, galleries and mounds were recorded in the untreated check plot, while the lowest was recorded in the mixed botanical treatments. Moreover, the highest number of maize stand count, maize cobs and maize yield were recorded from plots that received mixed botanicals and the lowest were recorded from the untreated plot. In conclusion, mixtures of C. macrostachys, J. curcas and P. dodecandra can be used as part of an integrated termites' management.


Vaccination has eradicated smallpox and greatly decreased mortality and morbidity associated with a variety of viral and bacterial infectious diseases. However, conventional methodologies have failed to provide vaccines against many widespread deadly human diseases, among them HIV, malaria and cancer. Recombinant DNA vaccines have shown great promise in animal models in inducing protective immunity. In this review we will discuss their potential safe use in humans following recent advances in their use in animals, including non-human primates.


A dynamic incoherent-to-coherent converter using the photorefractive fanning effect is demonstrated in a BaTiO(3):Ce crystal, and high-quality positive replicas of the incoherent image are obtained with a resolution of 32line pairs/mm. In this method the incoherent image-bearing beam modulates the transmission intensity of the coherent beam directly, and no readout beam is required. When the intensity ratio of the incoherent beam to the coherent beam is smaller than 5, the transmission intensity of the coherent beam increases almost linearly with increased intensity of the incoherent beam.


Biomedical imaging is a series of procedures which create images of the human body, or parts of the body, to help screen for possible illness or injury, diagnose the likely cause of symptoms and monitor health conditions or the effects of treatment. The objective of the paper is to provide an overview about various bio medical imaging techniques used in detection and diagnosis of Cancer. Each of these imaging techniques provides information about the anatomy, chemical or physiologic phenomena of the human body which are studied independently by doctors to identify Cancer. The biomedical imaging systems, applications, benefits, drawbacks and research challenges are discussed. Image Fusion and its role in Bio medical imaging is also discussed. Image Fusion is the process of fusing two or more bio medical images which contain complementary information into a single composite image. These enrich image quality and avoid redundancy thereby increase the clinical applicability of medical images for cancer detection, prognosis and treatment planning of Cancer.


To determine the Avogadro constant with a target relative uncertainty of 2 × 10 −8 , the uncertainty component of the silicon sphere's volume introduced by the spherical harmonics method, which is usually used in determining the sphere's volume, is reevaluated. By means of representing the shape of the silicon sphere by an ellipsoid with Gaussian white noise in its diameters, the uncertainty of the current mapping methods based on the spherical harmonics theory can be estimated theoretically. It is evidenced that the uncertainty component attributed to the current mapping method is underestimated. To eliminate this effect as much as possible, the number of mapping points should be increased to more than before. Moreover, a new mapping method is proposed to accomplish the equal-area mapping with large number points on the silicon sphere.


An approach that allows to estimate the necessity of homogeneous nucleation process accounting/not accounting for evaporation intensity and to predict the direction (increase or decrease) of mass flux density change of evaporating matter has been proposed. A dimensionless parameter making it possible to determine the areas of increase/decrease of evaporation intensity in the presence of a homogeneous nucleation process is proposed. It is shown that for some substances (methanol, ethanol) the direction of process significantly depends on the nature of heat exchange between the formed droplets and the surrounding vapor droplets. Keywords: homogeneous nucleation, evaporation, supersaturation degree.


Scleractinian corals are essential ecosystem engineers, forming the basis of coral reef ecosystems. However, these organisms are in decline globally, in part due to rising disease prevalence. Most corals are dependent on symbiotic interactions with single-celled algae from the family Symbiodiniaceae to meet their nutritional needs, however suppression of host immunity may be essential to this relationship. To explore immunological consequences of algal symbioses in scleractinian corals, we investigated constitutive immune activity in the facultatively symbiotic coral, Astrangia poculata. We compared immune metrics (melanin synthesis, antioxidant production, and antibacterial activity) between coral colonies of varying symbiont density. Symbiont density was positively correlated to both antioxidant activity and melanin concentration. Our results suggest that the relationship between algal symbiosis and host immunity may be more complex than originally hypothesized and highlight the need for nuanced approaches when considering these relationships.


We have shown that step length asymmetry seen in hip osteoarthritis (OA) is associated with poorer mechanical energy exchange and higher metabolic cost. Thus, we conducted this proof-of-concept study to investigate whether modifying step length through split-belt treadmill training can improve walking energetics. We conducted split-belt treadmill training in four periods with simultaneous motion and metabolic analyses in 10 women with unilateral hip OA. Using repeated measures ANOVA, we evaluated changes across each period, in step length asymmetry, mechanical energy exchange, and O2 rate. We also examined changes in hip range of motion and peak plantarflexor moment. We used Spearman correlations (rho) to assess the strength of associations between variables at baseline and after adaptation. We found that step length asymmetry and O2 rate decreased (p = 0.007, p < 0.001) and mechanical energy exchange increased (p < 0.001). Reduced step length asymmetry was associated with reduced O2 rate (rho = 0.732, p = 0.016). Hip range of motion increased (p < 0.001) and was associated with decreased step length asymmetry (rho = 0.818, p = 0.004), indicating a potential mechanism. These findings suggest that reducing step length asymmetry by split-belt treadmill training could improve walking energetics in hip OA people.


Objective: To examine the prerequisites of sleep problems among a traumatized population, and assess the underlying mechanisms of sleep problems following trauma. Method: The current study investigated 187 flood victims from 5 makeshift shelters in the Wuhu city of Anhui province after a major flood disaster that occurred in July 2016. A traumatic exposure questionnaire, a fear questionnaire, a posttraumatic cognition inventory, a depression inventory, and a sleep problems questionnaire were used. Results: Traumatic exposure had a direct and positive association with sleep problems and could also be indirectly associated with sleep problems through fear, depression, but not negative cognitions. The positive association could be the result of a path from negative cognitions to depression, but not from fear to negative cognition, or from fear to depression. Furthermore, a threefold multipath from fear to depression via negative cognitions could also link traumatic exposure to sleep problems. Conclusions: Flood victims' sleep problems are elicited by the combined role of fear, negative cognitions, and depression following trauma.


The COVID-19 pandemic impacted many if not all aspects of our lives, including the way we handle money. This paper takes mobile payments as an example to show how COVID-19 affected the United Arab Emirates. Many researchers rushed into writing their first impressions in response to the pandemic to produce early study results. This paper uses these early electronic articles and blogs as valuable data sources for a first-level analysis. It attempts to assess the impact of COVID-19 on mobile payment services in the post-pandemic world from the demand and supply perspective in the UAE. The previous literature has been reviewed to understand the scope of the services present in the UAE before the onset of the pandemic. Further, an online questionnaire with open- and closed-ended questions was used to gather data from 125 vendors capable of receiving mobile payments. Regression analysis with two time periods has been included to develop a better perception of mobile payment services before and after the spread of the coronavirus. It was found that COVID-19 has created a suitable environment for mobile payments, with significant positive relationship in both periods. The reasons for using mobile payments during the pandemic were to apply social distancing and to avoid physical touch, a requirement in the COVID-19 period, resulting in a move towards creating a positive attitude towards a cashless society.


Objective. To evaluate the impact of an innovative team-taught elective course on second-year (P2) students' knowledge and skills relating to the relationship between aromatherapy and pharmacy. Design. An Aromatherapy Science elective course was offered to P2 students in an accelerated doctor of pharmacy (PharmD) degree program and was designed to provide an elective course experience while focusing on active-learning skills such as group work, student-led presentations, and in-class activities. Lectures were designed to reinforce core curricular threads from the basic sciences within the pharmaceutical sciences department while highlighting key aromatherapy principles. Assessment. Course evaluations, grades, and student self-assessments were used to evaluate student fulfillment and knowledge gained. Students agreed this hands-on course integrated pharmaceutical science experiences, enriched their pharmacy education, and provided knowledge to enhance their confidence in describing essential oil uses, drug interactions, and key aromatherapy clinical implications. Conclusion. Students agreed this course prepared them to identify essential oil therapeutic uses and potential essential oil-drug interactions, and interpret literature. The introduction of aromatherapy principles to pharmacy students will prepare a new generation of healthcare professionals on the role of alternative medicines.


Superparamagnetic iron oxide nanoparticles (SPIO NPs) are widely used in magnetic resonance imaging and magnetic hyperthermia. In this study, we used the self-assembly behavior of biodegradable polyurethane nanoparticles (PU NPs) in water to encapsulate SPIO NPs (SPIO-PU NPs) or hydrophobic model drugs (drug-PU NPs) by an in situ method. PU NPs and SPIO-PU NPs were characterized by dynamic light scattering, transmission electron microscopy, infrared spectroscopy, and thermogravimetric analysis. The superparamagnetic property and magnetic heating ability of SPIO-PU NPs were assessed. PU NPs had no significant cytotoxicity and could be taken up by cells. SPIO-PU NPs were highly efficient in labeling cancer cells with cellular uptake of ∼16 pg iron per cell on average. Hydrophobic drugs were entrapped in PU NPs effectively and showed a sustained release profile. Upon heating, the release of drug was accelerated. This proof-of-concept study demonstrated a novel way to encapsulate SPIO and hydrophobic drugs in PU NPs with smart designs for potential applications in cancer diagnostics, hyperthermia, and chemotherapy.


Objective The prevalence of metabolic syndrome (MetS) has been reported to be higher in selected populations of people with COPD. The impact of MetS on mortality in COPD is unknown. We used routinely collected healthcare data to estimate the prevalence of MetS in people with COPD managed in primary care and determine its impact on 5-year mortality. Methods Records from 103 955 patients with COPD from the Clinical Practice Research Datalink (CPRD-GOLD) between 2009 to 2017 were scrutinised. MetS was defined as the presence of three or more of: obesity, hypertension, lowered high-density lipoprotein cholesterol, elevated triglycerides or type 2 diabetes mellitus (T2DM). Univariate and multivariable Cox regression models were constructed to determine the prognostic impact of MetS on 5-year mortality. Similar univariate models were constructed for individual components of the definition of MetS. Results The prevalence of MetS in the COPD cohort was 10.1%. Univariate analyses showed the presence of MetS increased mortality (hazard ratio (HR) 1.19, 95% CI: 1.12–1.27, p<0.001), but this risk was substantially attenuated in the multivariable analysis (HR 1.06, 95% CI: 0.99–1.13, p=0.085). The presence of hypertension (HR 1.70, 95% CI: 1.63–1.77, p<0.001) and T2DM (HR 1.41, 95% CI: 1.34–1.48, p<0.001) increased and obesity (HR 0.74, 95% CI: 0.71–0.78, p<0.001) reduced mortality risk. Conclusion MetS in patients with COPD is associated with higher 5-year mortality, but this impact was minimal when adjusted for indices of COPD disease severity and other comorbidities. Individual components of the MetS definition exerted differential impacts on mortality suggesting limitation to the use of MetS as a multicomponent condition in predicting outcome in COPD. The presence of MetS in COPD is not significantly associated with increased mortality over 5 years. The individual components of MetS exert differential effects on mortality, limiting the utility of the syndrome in predicting outcome. https://bit.ly/3PooGQd


Therapeutic versus prophylactic anticoagulation for patients admitted to hospital with COVID-19 and elevated D-dimer concentration (ACTION): an open-label, multicentre, randomised, controlled


The brains of patients with Alzheimer's disease contain deposits of hyperphosphorylated tau proteins that have polymerized into insoluble fibrils. These deposits, in neurofibrillary tangles and dystrophic neurites, correlate with loss of cells and synapses, and consequently with dementia. Neurofibrillary pathology occurs in humans, as well as certain ungulates, including goats, sheep, and cows, but not in nonhuman primates. We hypothesize that the differences among species in the propensity to develop neurofibrillary pathology may be attributable to variations in the amino acid sequence of tau proteins. To investigate this hypothesis, we sequenced tau-encoding mRNA transcripts from the brains of rhesus monkey and domesticated goat and compared them with the known sequences of tau mRNAs from humans. The major difference we observed was that some tau mRNAs from rhesus monkey neocortex contain exon 8, whereas this exon has not been found in cortical tau from human or goat. Cows express very low levels of exon 8, and they tend to develop sparse neurofibrillary pathology with aging. We also found a transcribed tau-related pseudogene in rhesus monkey, which may be present in humans. We propose that differences in the expression of tau and tau-related protein sequences may underlie the predilection of human but not monkey brains to develop neurofibrillary degeneration.


In this paper we study the impact of user effects on the performance of receive antenna diversity systems in flat Rayleigh fading channels. Three diversity combining techniques are compared: maximal ratio combining (MRC), equal gain combining (EGC), and selection combining (SC). User effects are considered in two scenarios: 1) body loss (the reduction of effective antenna gain due to user effects) on a single antenna, and 2) equal body loss on both antennas. The system performance is assessed in terms of mean SNR, link reliability, bit error rate of BPSK, diversity order and ergodic capacity. Our results show that body loss on a single antenna has limited (bounded) impact on system performance. In comparison, body loss on both antennas has unlimited (unbounded) impact and can severely degrade system performance. Our results also show that with increasing body loss on a single antenna the performance of EGC drops faster than that of MRC and SC. When body loss on a single antenna is larger than a certain level, EGC is not a "sub-optimal" method anymore and has worse performance than SC.


The grid method is one of the techniques available to measure in-plane displacement and strain components on a deformed material.
A periodic grid is first
transferred on the specimen surface, and images of the grid are
compared before and after deformation. Windowed Fourier analysis-based
techniques permit to
estimate the in-plane displacement and strain
maps. The aim of this article is to give a
precise analysis of this estimation process.
It is shown that the retrieved
displacement and strain maps are actually a tight
approximation of the convolution of the actual displacements and
strains with the
analysis window.
The effect of
digital image noise on the retrieved quantities is also characterized
and it is proved that the
resulting noise can
be approximated by a stationary spatially correlated noise.
These results are of utmost importance to enhance the metrological
performance of the grid method, as shown in a separate
article.


This study examined the effects of long-term treatments with the angiotensin-converting enzyme inhibitor, enalapril, and the calcium antagonist, amlodipine, on the morphologic changes, progressive left ventricular dysfunction, and gene expression of the ryanodine receptor (RyR) and phospholamban (PLN) in dilated cardiomyopathy. From the ages of 5 through 20 weeks, dilated cardiomyopathic hamsters, BIO53.58 (BIO), and control hamsters, F1b, orally received either enalapril or amlodipine. Cardiac function was assessed by echocardiography. At the age of 20 weeks, the collagen volume fractions were analyzed by the stereologic method. RyR and PLN messenger RNAs (mRNAs) were examined by Northern blot in the amlodipine group. In BIO, the reduction of left ventricular percentage of fractional shortening was attenuated in the enalapril group (p < 0.05) and amlodipine group (p < 0.001), and the increase in the collagen volume fraction and the loss of myocytes were suppressed in the amlodipine group compared with the untreated group. RyR mRNA level decreased in BIO (p < 0.01) compared with F1b, but PLN mRNA level was unchanged. RyR and PLN mRNA levels were unaffected by the treatment with amlodipine. Enalapril and amlodipine prevent progressive remodeling and reduce cardiac dysfunction in BIO. Amlodipine prevents fibrosis and cell death without modifying RyR and PLN mRNA levels in BIO.


Forecasting emerging technologies and identifying the rate of diffusion of products based on these technologies is difficult because of lack of data. Even here techniques such as bibliometric analysis and bass model based on analogous products provides an opportunity to identify the technology growth and possible diffusion of the product. This paper uses bibliometric analysis to forecast RFID technology and uses the adoption of barcode scanner to model the RFID scanner adoption in US retail market.


The chromium leaching from stainless steel slag highly depends on the occurrence of chromium. The effect of MnO on the mineral composition of stainless steel slag was investigated through CaO-SiO2-MgO-Al2O3-Cr2O3 synthetic slags. The experiments were performed in a conductive furnace, and the samples collected during tests were analyzed using X-ray Diffrac-tion (XRD) and Scanning Electron Microscope (SEM) equipped Energy Dispersive Spectroscopy (EDS). The results show that the addition of MnO significantly reduces the solidus temperature of oxide systems from 1204oC to 950oC, promotes the spinel precipitation and increases the size of spinel crystals. The fraction of chromium contained in non-spinel mineral phases decreases and the amount of larnite dissolved into spinel phase slightly reduces with the content of MnO increasing. In addition, the amorphous phase forms when the content of MnO is up to 6 wt%. Hence, the addition of MnO is beneficial to suppress chromium leaching from slag.


Aim of the study — to develop a strategy for the recruiting potential donors to the registry, which is based on the biological characteristics of russian populations. Materials and methods . The object of the study was 35,117 potential donors of the hematopoietic stem cells of the registry of KRIHBT FMBA of Russia, recruited in 22 subjects of the Russian Federation. Results . Based on a comparison of the HLA-A-B-C-DRB1 haplotype profiles of local donor populations, calculated using the EM-algorithm in the Arlequin v.188.8.131.52 software, with the profile of the pooled donor population of the registry, general requirements for the recruitment of potential hematopoietic stem cells donors to the registry were formulated.


This investigation has determined the presence of biological nitrogen fixation in two reservoirs in the southwestern United States: Lake Arlington and Lake Ray Hubbard. Subsequent tests have gathered baseline data on the effects of various biological, chemical, and physical parameters on in situ nitrogen fixation in these reservoirs. Of specific importance is the relationship between nitrogen fixation arid occasional blooms of blue-green algae which produce such problems as testes and odors in these water-supply impoundments.


Zika virus (ZIKV), a flavivirus with homology to dengue virus (DENV), is spreading to areas of DENV hyper-endemicity. Heterologous T cell immunity, whereby virus-specific memory T cells are activated by variant peptides derived from a different virus, can lead to enhanced viral clearance or diminished protective immunity and altered immunopathology. In mice, CD8+ T cells specific for DENV provide in vivo protective efficacy against subsequent ZIKV infection. In humans, contrasting studies report complete absence or varying degrees of DENV/ZIKV T cell cross-reactivity. Moreover, the impact of cross-reactive T cell recognition on the anti-viral capacity of T cells remains unclear. Here, we show that DENV-specific memory T cells display robust cross-reactive recognition of ZIKV NS3 ex vivo and after in vitro expansion in respectively n = 7/10 and n = 9/9 dengue-immune individuals tested. In contrast, cross-reactivity toward ZIKV capsid is low or absent. Cross-reactive recognition of DENV or ZIKV NS3 peptides elicits similar production of the anti-viral effector mediators IFN-γ, TNF-α, and CD107a. We identify 9 DENV/ZIKV cross-reactive epitopes, 7 of which are CD4+ and 2 are CD8+ T cell epitopes. We also show that cross-reactive CD4+ and CD8+ T cells targeting novel NS3 epitopes display anti-viral effector potential toward ZIKV-infected cells, with CD8+ T cells mediating direct lyses of these cells. Our results demonstrate that DENV NS3-specific memory T cells display anti-viral effector capacity toward ZIKV, suggesting a potential beneficial effect in humans of pre-existing T cell immunity to DENV upon ZIKV infection.


In the last few decades CSR has started to accentuate the role of environment and context in the human cognition and behavior. People do not just think and react differently in different situations; they behave differently in various environments. And various environments work as implicit contextual cues and unknowingly guide our behavior. There is evidence that religious settings can increase in-group prosocial behavior in comparison to non-religious settings regardless of individual religiosity. In religious sites, in general, subjects are tend to contribute more to others and/or common good. In a real world, however, there are not only religious or non-religious environments, but various religious environments we interact with. Moreover, we are affiliated to some of them and not to the others. Do believers behave equally in different religious environment regardless of their religious affiliation? More specifically, does in-group religious contextual prime have stronger positive effect on prosocial behavior among believers than out-group or secular one? The paper will discuss this topic by referring to surprising results of the field experimental study conducted among Mauritian Catholics using different in-group and out-group religious settings, economic games and within-subject experimental design. The paper also discusses strengths and weaknesses of a field experiment in religious studies and anthropology.


Empirical studies of quantitative genetic variation have revealed robust patterns that are observed both across traits and across species. However, these patterns have no compelling explanation, and some of the observations even appear to be mutually incompatible. We review and extend a major class of theoretical models, 'mutation–selection models', that have been proposed to explain quantitative genetic variation. We also briefly review an alternative class of 'balancing selection models'. We consider to what extent the models are compatible with the general observations, and argue that a key issue is understanding and modelling pleiotropy. We discuss some of the thorny issues that arise when formulating models that describe many traits simultaneously.


I do two things in this essay. First, I try to reawaken interest in the classic unsolved welfare-economic problem of interpersonal comparisons of well-being (ICWs) and argue for a particular interpretation of it. More specifically, I argue that in policy matters, we should take people's well-being to be grounded in their subjective evaluation of their life circumstances. Given this, we ought also understand the ICW problem as it historically was, as a mindreading problem. It is the problem of comparing the private first-person aspects of people's lives (like the magnitudes of their subjective values) on the basis of their public third-person aspects (like their observable choices or behaviors). En route to this first aim, I discuss the failure of preference (i.e. rational choice) theory, in the form of the zero-one and extended preference theories, to solve the ICW problem. I discuss the major ethical theories of well-being and meta-ethical theories of value and show that all of them concede the relevance of subjective value to well-being. I also argue that we have policy-based reasons for rejecting objective- in favor of subjective meta-ethics. Second, I try to articulate a solution to the mindreading problem, using arguments from the philosophy of mind, the sciences, and policy considerations. More specifically, I argue that we should take interpersonal comparisons of phenomenal quantities to be materially equivalent to comparisons of certain neural quantities. We should, for example, take Jack's subjective valuation of an extra dollar to be 20% higher than Diane's if and only if the neurons that encode subjective values in Jack's brain are firing at a 20% higher rate than in Diane's. In making my second main argument regarding material equivalence, I rely at crucial junctures on broadly acceptable policy-based arguments as opposed to divisive metaphysical ones. Despite intractable metaphysical disagreements among philosophers of mind, my conclusions should command the assent of most of the important positions within that literature, including reductionist physicalist, epiphenomenal and parallelist versions of non-reductionist physicalism, and modern dualism.


Postpartum hemorrhage and related risk factors increased over a 20-year period, and hysterectomy in the setting of postpartum hemorrhage decreased. OBJECTIVE: To analyze temporal trends in and risk factors for postpartum hemorrhage and to analyze the association of risk factors with postpartum hemorrhage–related interventions such as blood transfusion and peripartum hysterectomy. METHODS: This repeated cross-sectional study analyzed delivery hospitalizations from 2000 to 2019 in the National (Nationwide) Inpatient Sample. Trends analyses were conducted using joinpoint regression to estimate the average annual percent change (AAPC) with 95% CIs. Unadjusted and adjusted survey-weighted logistic regression models were performed to evaluate the relationship between postpartum hemorrhage risk factors and likelihood of 1) postpartum hemorrhage, 2) postpartum hemorrhage that requires blood transfusion, and 3) peripartum hysterectomy in the setting of postpartum hemorrhage, with unadjusted odds ratios and adjusted odds ratios with 95% CIs as measures of association. RESULTS: Of an estimated 76.7 million delivery hospitalizations, 2.3 million (3.0%) were complicated by postpartum hemorrhage. From 2000 to 2019, the rate of postpartum hemorrhage increased from 2.7% to 4.3% (AAPC 2.6%, 94% CI 1.7–3.5%). Over the study period, the proportion of deliveries to individuals with at least one postpartum hemorrhage risk factor increased from 18.6% to 26.9% (AAPC 1.9%, 95% CI 1.7–2.0%). Among deliveries complicated by postpartum hemorrhage, blood transfusions increased from 5.4% to 16.7% from 2000 to 2011 and then decreased from 16.7% to 12.6% from 2011 to 2019. Peripartum hysterectomy among hospitalized individuals with postpartum hemorrhage increased from 1.4% to 2.4% from 2000 to 2009, did not change significantly from 2009 to 2016, and then decreased significantly from 2.1% to 0.9% from 2016 to 2019 (AAPC −27.0%, 95% CI −35.2% to −17.6%). Risk factors associated with postpartum hemorrhage and transfusion and hysterectomy in the setting of postpartum hemorrhage included prior cesarean delivery with previa or placenta accreta, placenta previa without prior cesarean delivery, and antepartum hemorrhage or placental abruption. CONCLUSION: Postpartum hemorrhage and related risk factors increased over a 20-year period. Despite the increased postpartum hemorrhage rates, blood transfusions, and hysterectomy rates decreased in recent years.


This study investigates whether individuals exhibit different ethical attitudes toward non-compliance with respect to sales tax versus use tax in an e-commerce context. Based on a sample of 128 business students, the results indicated that the participants perceived sales tax non-compliance as more unethical than use tax non-compliance. Thus, they were more willing to comply with sales tax rather than use tax. This study further found that individuals' compliance intentions were associated with their ethical judgments in regard to the dimensions of the Multidimensional Ethics Scale (MES). Implications for policy makers and ethical education are discussed.


The regiment was the essential "building block" of Civil War armies. Assigned by states, most volunteer regiments were organized based on soldiers' home residence and reflective of those local communities. Each branch of the army—infantry, artillery, and cavalry—formed into regiments with varying numbers of companies and overall strength. There were regular army regiments and units specially designated for African American troops. As the war dragged on, regimental strengths diminished dramatically. The Confederate Army tried to refill older units with conscripts and new recruits, while the Union created new regiments to replace depleted ones and later consolidated smaller ones. Neither side was entirely successful in restoring regiments to full authorized strength. Nonetheless, the regiment was more than a mode of organization—it was the prime source of identity and pride for volunteers and later veterans. While armies, divisions, and brigades were crucial to winning battles, and companies forged tight bonds of loyalty, it was the regiment to which most soldiers claimed a personal allegiance. Famed regiments like the 1st Minnesota Infantry Regiment, the 1st Texas Infantry Regiment, and the 54th Massachusetts Infantry Regiment cited their battle honors and high casualty numbers as proof of their fighting prowess. After the war ended, veterans produced hundreds of regimental histories, recounting their battle service and seeking to claim a place in history. Although many historians dismiss these accounts as worthless for serious scholarly research, regimental histories offer rich firsthand accounts of the conflict. They also offer a vehicle for narrating the war in a form well familiar to the soldiers who experienced it.


Nurse call data may be used to evaluate the quality of nursing. However, traditional frequency-based statistics may not easily apply to nurse calls due to the large individual variability and daily call changes. We intended to propose a probabilistic modeling of nurse calls based on Bayesian statistics. We constructed the model including nurse call daily changes, individual variability, and adjustment according to characteristics (age and sex). Nurse call differences after surgery were analyzed based on data from the orthopedic ward from April 2014 to October 2017. Results show that there were differences in nurse calls from day 1 to day 10 after surgery between patients who had undergone orthopedic surgery and those who had undergone other surgeries such as tumor surgery. Furthermore, there were differences in nurse calls from day 1 to day 8 after surgery between patients who used extra pain relief medicine and those who did not. Although the analysis required multiple comparisons regarding daily nurse call changes and fixed data samples per day, our approach using Bayesian statistics could detect the periods and significant differences. This indicates that our nurse call modeling based on Bayesian statistics may be used to analyze nurse call changes.


Bending and axial forces simultaneously occur at the cross-section of a shotcrete lining reinforced with steel supports due to the tunnel geometry. The shotcrete has changing flexural stiffness depending on the axial forces and, as a result, severely nonlinear behavior. The mechanical properties of a shotcrete-steel composite also depend on the type of steel support. This study presents a fiber section element model considering the effect of axial force to evaluate the nonlinear behavior of a shotcrete-steel composite. Additionally, the model was used to analyze the effects of different types of steel supports on the load capacity. Furthermore, a modified hyperbolic model for ground reaction, including strain-softening, is proposed to account for the ground-lining interaction. The model was validated by comparing the numerical results with results from previous load test performed on arched shotcrete specimens. The changes in mechanical responses of the lining were also investigated. Results show a lining with doubly reinforcement rebar has similar load capacity as a lining with H-shaped supports. The use of more materials for the steel support enhances the residual resistance. For all types of steel reinforcement, the contribution of steel supports during peak load decreases as the ground becomes stiffer.


BACKGROUND
Patient cooperation is crucial for the success of noninvasive positive pressure ventilation (NPPV). This study evaluated the efficacy of medical hypnosis to reduce anticipatory anxiety and acclimatization time in children who are candidates for long-term NPPV.

METHODS
Medical hypnosis was performed by a trained nurse. The acclimatization time and long-term compliance with NPPV were evaluated.

RESULTS
Hypnosis was performed in nine children aged 2 to 15 years. Seven children had a high level of anticipatory anxiety because of a tracheotomy since birth (n=2), a history of maxillofacial surgery (n=2), severe dyspnea because of lung disease (n=2), and morbid obesity and depression (n=1), and two children with obstructive sleep apnea failed standard NPPV initiation. The hypnosis techniques were based on distraction in the youngest patient and indirect or direct hypnotic suggestions in the older children to obtain a progressive psychocorporal relaxation. All patients accepted the interface and the NPPV after the first hypnosis session. A median of three sessions was needed for overnight (>6 h) NPPV acceptance. The 6-month compliance with NPPV was excellent, with a median use of 7.5 h per night.

CONCLUSION
Medical hypnosis is an effective, safe, noninvasive, and inexpensive tool for reducing the anticipatory distress and acclimatization time for NPPV. This therapy is particularly useful in children with traumatic experiences, such as a tracheotomy or facial surgical procedures.


Liver regeneration after a two-thirds partial hepatectomy (PHx) is a complex process requiring interaction and cooperation of many growth factors and cytokines and cross talk between multiple pathways. Along with hepatocyte growth factor and its receptor MET (HGF-MET), the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR) signaling pathway is activated within 60 minutes after PHx. To investigate the role of EGFR in liver regeneration, we used two EGFR-specific short hairpin silencing RNAs to inhibit EGFR expression in regenerating normal rat liver. Suppression of EGFR mRNA and protein was evident in treated rats. There was also a demonstrable decrease but not complete elimination of bromo-deoxyuridine incorporation and mitoses at 24 hours after PHx. In addition, we observed up-regulation of MET and Src as well as activation of the ErbB-3-ErbB-2-PI3K-Akt pathway and down-regulation of STAT 3, cyclin D1, cyclin E1, p21, and C/EBP beta. The decrease in the ratio of C/EBP alpha to C/EBP beta known to occur after PHx was offset in shEGFR-treated rats. Despite suppression of hepatocyte proliferation lasting into day 3 after PHx, liver weight restoration occurred. Interestingly, hepatocytes in shEGFR-treated rats were considerably larger when compared with ScrRNA-treated controls. The data indicate that although the MET and EGFR pathways are similar, the contributions made by MET and EGFR are unique and are not compensated by each other or other cytokines.