Serum amyioid A (SAA) 1 is presumed to be the precursor for amyloid A protein, the main protein constituent found in the amyioid fibrils of reactive amyloidosis (1-3). In the mouse SAA is encoded by a family of three genes (Morrow, John F., personal communication). SAA1 and SAA2 are synthesized in the liver by hepatocytes (4-10) and are found circulating in nearly equal quantities associated with high density lipoprotein (HDL) (11). SAA3 mRNA is also expressed in the liver; however, the corresponding polypeptide has not been identified. We have found that of the three possible SAA gene products, SAA2 appears to be the sole precursor of murine amyloid fibril protein AA (12). We wish to determine by what mechanism this monotypic fibril formation occurs. One can conceive of three ways in which this could come about: (a) the gene for SAA2 could be active in tissues in which the deposits occur; (b) amyloid A fibril protein could be derived from a circulating SAA2 precursor whose concentration is selectively enhanced relative to the other SAA proteins during the induction of the disease process; and (c) there could be selective SAA~ removal from a circulating pool of possible precursors and deposition of SAA2 as amyloid A protein. We designed the experiments described here to decide among these three alternatives. To differentiate among the several possible mechanisms of amyloidosis, we searched for evidence of local SAA synthesis and examined SAA metabolism during amyloid induction at the level of SAA gene expression, synthesis, secretion, and circulatory levels. We conclude that anayloid A protein monotypy is not due to local SAA2 production, nor is it a reflection of selective increase of SAA2 isotype levels in the circulation. However, it does involve the selective and rapid removal of SAA2 from the circulating pool of both SAA~ and SAAz. Our experimental analysis clearly indicates that a combination of some feature of SAA~ interacting with itself and/or local tissue constituents is responsible for the appearance of amyloid fibrils with AA2 as the major constituent peptide.


The force cone method developed by Claus Mattheck enables computer-free topology designing and offers a profound knowledge for lightweight structures. Thus, the recently developed method enhances the series of the so-called thinking tools. The method's basic idea is the force distribution of a single force in an elastic plane. The symmetrically placed cones appear in front of the force and behind it. These cones intersect with 90° angles at primary points that quickly lead to a structural design proposal. Furthermore, the method is very useful for the evaluation of structures and their lightweight potential. With the knowledge of the load case, it is easy to identify the main tension and compression paths leading to a deeper understanding of lightweight results. Natural structures such as trees can also be understood in another way, highlighting the structural principles at the root, leaf, treetop or even the entire tree. Nowadays, technical lightweight solutions can be found with different methods, including the soft kill option developed at the KIT 20 years ago. The method resembles that of the biological mineralization process of living bone and results in structures that can be seen as optimized lightweight design proposals. The comparisons of those structures with the state-of-the-art designs used in the industry and with those found by the force cone method indicate the high potential of the new method. For the confi rmation of the basic rules and principles, different assembly positions of force and supports as well as different types of supports, such as fi


SUMMARY: A simple method of detecting arabinose by paper chromatography in the cell-walls of aerobic actinomycetes is described. Mycobacteria and Nocardia species are rich in arabinose while saprophytic species of Streptomyces are deficient. Pathogenic Streptomyces species tend to fall between the two extremes but Streptomyces somaliensis is apparently nearly devoid of arabinose.


Background: Complications of rheumatoid arthritis (RA) may modify the clinical course and symptoms of allied disorders leading to missed diagnosis or late recognition of associated diseases. Objectives: The aim of this study was to determine the possible role of classic complications of RA: systemic autoimmune vasculitis (AV), AA amyloidosis (AAa), lethal cardiac insufficiency (CI) caused by endo-, myo- or pancarditis, with or without interstitial pneumonitis, furthermore lethal septic infection (SI) on prevalence and mortality of coexistent associated diseases: atherosclerosis (Ath), hypertension (HT), type 2 diabetes mellitus (DM), and tuberculosis (Tb) with miliary dissemination (mTb). Methods: 234 non- selected autopsy patients with RA were studied. RA was confirmed clinically according to the criteria of the ARA. The presence of AV, AAa, CI and SI was determined at autopsy and confirmed by a detailed review of extensive histological material. The prevalence and mortality of associated diseases Ath, HT, DM, Tb or mTb were determined and analyzed retrospectively, reviewing the clinical and pathological reports. The link between AV, AAa, CI or SI and Ath, HT, DM, Tb or mTb was analyzed by (χ 2) test. Results: RA was complicated by AV in 43 (18.4%), by AAa in 48 (20.5%), by CI in 15 (6.4%), and by lethal SI in 33 (14.1%) of 234 patients. RA associated with severe Ath in 106 (45.3%), with HT in 41 (17.5%), with DM in 41 (17.5%), with Tb in 28 (11.9%) and with mTb in 9 (3.8%) of 234 patients. As a basic disease Ath led to death in 61 (26.1% of 106), HT in 2 (0.9% of 41), DM in none (0% of 41) and Tb with mTb in 3 (1.3% of 28) of 234 patients. Tb without miliary dissemination was not lethal in our patient population. The statistical links ("p" values of significance) between complications of RA and prevalence or mortality of allied disorders are summarized in Table. (*asterisk indicates a negative value of associations' coefficient with inverse relationship). Complications of RA AV n=43 of 234 AAa n=48 of 234 CI n=15 of 234 SI n=33 of 234 Allied disorders in RA Ath n=106 of 234 χ²=6.43*, p<0.01 χ²=10.04*, p<0.001 χ²=0.92*, p<0.33 χ²=5.03*, p<0.02 Ath lethal n=61 of 106 χ²=15.92*, p<0.00 χ²=11.04*, p<0.00 χ²=4.29*, p<0.03 χ²=12.01*,p<0.00 HT 41 of 234 χ²=3.20*, p<0.07 χ²=0.03*, p<0.86 χ²=0.00*, p<0.92 χ²=1.27*, p<0.25 HT lethal n=2 of 41 χ²=0.05*, p<0.80 χ²=0.02, p<0.87 χ²=1.16*, p<0.28 χ²=0.19*, p<0.65 DM 41 of 234 χ²=0.05*, p<0.81 χ²=1.05*, p<0.30 χ²=0.92, p<0.33 χ²=0.01, p<0.91 Tb 28 of 234 χ²=4.02, p<0.04 χ²=2.61*, p<0.10 χ²=0.33, p<0.56 χ²=0.37, p<0.54 Tb lethal n=3 of 28 χ²=0.00*, p<0.93 χ²=0.02*, p<0.86 χ²=0.53*, p<0.46 χ²=0.01*, p<0.89 mTb 9 of 28 χ²=4.24, p<0.03 χ²=0.08, p<0.77 χ²=0.01, p<0.91 χ²=0.05, p<0.82 mTb lethal n=3 of 9 χ²=0.00*, p<0.93 χ²=0.02*, p<0.86 χ²=0.53*, p<0.46 χ²=0.01*, p<0.89 Conclusion: The inverse correlations between AV, AAa, CI, SI and Ath, HT, DM, Tb or mTb indicate that the prevalence and mortality of allied disorders were not influenced basically by the complications of RA. The consequently inverse and (in most cases) significant correlations between prevalence of AV, AAa, CI, SI and the prevalence and mortality of Ath show that these are independent entities in RA. The AV, AAa, CI and SI are the most important complications of RA, and are characterize severe forms of disease, mostly involving younger patients, with an earlier onset (without pronounced atherosclerosis); while Ath is basically an age dependent phenomenon, characteristically present in RA patients with advanced age. RA patients with Ath may represent a special group of RA, characterized by lower incidence of AV, AAa, CI or SI, and a better prognosis. Disclosure of Interests: None declared


From the perspective of social cognitive theory, the motivation of students to learn science in college courses was examined. The students—367 science majors and 313 nonscience majors—responded to the Science Motivation Questionnaire II, which assessed five motivation compo- nents: intrinsic motivation, self-determination, self-efficacy, career motivation, and grade motivation. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analyses provided evidence of questionnaire construct validity. The motivation components, especially self-efficacy, were related to the students' college science grade point averages. The science majors scored higher than the nonscience majors on all of the motivation components. Among both science majors and nonscience majors, men had higher self-efficacy than women, and women had higher self-determination than men. The findings suggest that the questionnaire is a valid and efficient tool for assessing components of students' motivation to learn science in college courses, and that the components play a role in students' science achievement. 2011 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Res Sci Teach 48: 1159-1176, 2011 ey


Optical performance monitoring is becoming an important network building block as the system becomes increasingly sophisticated and the network span becomes larger and larger. The general requirement for the optical performance monitor from the noise perspective is derived from the fundamental considerations of detector noises. Based upon this understanding, the monitor sensitivity, defined as the minimum input optical power that is required for a specified dynamic range of the signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) monitoring, for example, 30 dB of detectable SNR range, is shown related to the data rate and the monitor characteristics. It is also shown that within the optical layer, the bit-error rate as can be measured by a full receiver may not be a good measure for signal quality monitoring.


Aims: The aim of this study was to investigate whether alterations in left ventricular (LV) twisting and untwisting motion could be induced by cardiac involvement in patients with immunoglobulin light‐chain (AL) systemic amyloidosis. Methods and Results: Forty‐five patients with AL amyloidosis and 26 control subjects were evaluated. After standard echocardiographic measurement and two‐dimensional (2D) speckle tracking echocardiography, LV rotation at both basal and apical planes, twisting, twisting rate, and longitudinal strain were measured. Tissue Doppler imaging (TDI) derived early diastolic peak velocity at septal mitral annulus (E′) was also evaluated. Twenty‐six of 45 patients with systemic amyloidosis were classified as having cardiac amyloidosis (CA) if the mean value of the LV wall thickness was ≥ 12 mm or not (NCA) if this value was not reached. In NCA patients, both LV twist and untwisting rate were increased while they were decreased in CA patients making them similar to the control group. Longitudinal strain was reduced only in CA patients. Impaired relaxation as indicated by E′ values was progressively reduced in the course of the disease. Conclusions: Both twisting and untwisting motions are increased in patients with AL systemic amyloidosis with no evidence of cardiac involvement while they are reduced in patients with evident amyloidosis cardiac involvement. This finding suggests that impaired LV relaxation induces a compensatory mechanism in the early phase of the disease, which fails in more advanced stage when both twisting and untwisting rates are reduced. The increase in LV rotational mechanics could be a marker of subclinical cardiac involvement. (Echocardiography 2010;27:1061‐1068)


This title helps you master French grammar without tedious drills or obscure technical jargon. Mastering French grammar can be a daunting challenge. Unfortunately, most references on the subject only make matters worse by removing French grammar entirely from any real-world context and presenting it as a collection of puzzling technical terms and arbitrary rules. In "French Grammar: A Complete Reference Guide, Second Edition", Professor Daniel J. Calvez departs from the standard method of indoctrinating learners into the mysteries of French grammar to provide you with a systematic, easy-to-understand presentation anchored in real-life usage. An ideal guide for learners at all levels, "French Grammar" is the quickest and easiest way to acquire the knowledge and skills you need to write and speak French with confidence.It avoids tedious memorization drills typical of most references, focusing instead on patterns commonly found in contemporary French speech and literature. A model of clarity and simplicity, it defines puzzling grammatical jargon in straightforward English, leaving no room for doubt as to what, for instance, a relative pronoun or reflexive verb might be. This revised and expanded second edition of the popular guide to French grammar: lets you learn French grammar in context, as it's used in everyday speech and writing; simplifies presentations of difficult structures within a clearly organized system; and, features loads of helpful at-a-glance reference lists, tables, and charts. It now includes more than 130 exercises that supplement all topic areas and an answer key. "French Grammar: A Complete Reference Guide, Second Edition", is the ultimate reference for anyone grappling with the intricacies of the French language.


Objective: to identify the factors that promote and threaten Hope in family caregivers of 2- to 3-year-old children with chronic conditions. Method: qualitative study with 46 family caregivers of children between 2 and 3 years old with a chronic condition, discharged from two Neonatal Intensive Care Units. Data was collected through semi-structured interviews guided by the Model for Intervention in Mutual Help Promoter of Hope. Data were submitted to deductive thematic analysis. Results: the following were identified as factors that promote Hope: The experience shared with members of the social support network; The relationship with the child; Clinical improvement of the child; Spirituality; Positive guidance for the future. The following were identified as factors that threaten Hope: Conflictual relationships and discredit of the child by close people; Uncertainties about the future; Insecurities about the ability to care for the child. Conclusion: the threatening factors of Hope generated suffering, pain, anguish, anxiety, and loneliness in caregivers. The promoting factors of Hope generated comfort, motivation, strength and joy. The findings allow Nurses to recognize the strengths and weaknesses of caregivers and adopt behaviors that promote Hope in caregivers of children with chronic conditions.


This study compared oral health in oropharyngeal squamous cell carcinoma (OPSCC) patients with positive or negative human papillomavirus (HPV) status and analysed whether oral health was associated with survival. Patients referred for dental assessment prior to radio(chemo)therapy between 2009 and 2019 were included. Patient-related risk factors for OPSCC (alcohol, tobacco, HPV status), age, sex, treatment (primary treatment, intent), performance status, tumor/node/metastasis (TNM) staging, and oral health parameters (DMFT, periodontal status, teeth with/without root canal treatment and with/without periodontitis apicalis) were compared between HPV-negative and HPV-positive patients. Survival was assessed using Kaplan-Meier statistics. The effect of patient-related risk factors and oral health parameters was analysed by cox regression analyses (α=5%). A total of 119 patients (n=50 HPV-negative, n=69 HPV-positive) was included. HPV-positive patients showed more present teeth, a higher number of filled teeth, were less often edentulous and presented a lower DMFT compared to HPV-negative patients (padj.≤0.003). Among dentulous patients, HPV-positive patients showed more present teeth and fewer teeth with periodontitis apicalis lacking a root canal treatment (padj.≤0.036). Survival probability differed between groups (p=0.006) and trended towards being associated with HPV status, tobacco exposure, performance status, T stage, N stage, and the number of missing or filled teeth as well as the number of root canal treated teeth with periodontitis apicalis and the number of teeth with periodontitis apicalis lacking a root canal treatment (p≤0.077). However, only tobacco exposure, performance status, and the number of teeth with periodontitis apicalis lacking a root canal treatment in dentulous patients remained significant in the multivariate analyses (p≤0.047). HPV-negative patients with OPSCC showed a poorer oral health compared to HPV-positive patients, but survival was not associated with oral health.


Heat is an inevitable outcome in energy consumption processes, as more than 65% of input energy is wasted as heat. If we can generate electricity from waste heat, it will help minimize the needs for fossil fuels in power plants and can reduce carbon emissions. One way to generate power from heat is through the use of thermophotovoltaics (TPVs), where photons radiated from thermal emitters are converted into electricity. To optimize TPV performance, it is crucial to design emitters such that their emissivity spectrum matches their operating temperature. For example, higher emissivity is needed at shorter (longer) wavelengths at higher (lower) temperatures. Thus, having the ability to create wavelength-selective emitters can enable TPV applications for a wider range of temperatures. This research focuses on utilizing metamaterials (2D emitters) and planar thin films (1D emitters) to create those emitters. Simulation, fabrication, material property analysis, and radiation measurements were used to characterize the emitters. Based on simulation, metamaterial emitters exhibit engineerable emissivity due to various mechanisms of their optical resonance. Also, large-area fabrication of 1D emitters (78 cm2) was achieved owing to their simple structure, which is required to produce higher TPV power output. Incorporating the characteristics of emitters of each type, their advantages and challenges are discussed. Therefore, the comprehensive results of this research help realize practical implementation of TPV applications.


OBJECTIVES
In clinical trials, tocilizumab (TCZ) is efficacious in patients with giant cell arteritis (GCA). This study evaluated the real-world tolerability and effectiveness of TCZ in Japanese patients with GCA.

METHODS
In this multicentre, prospective, phase 4, large-scale, observational study, patients with GCA (with no TCZ treatment 6 months before the study) were recruited from 71 centres across Japan. Patients received subcutaneous TCZ 162 mg weekly (observation period, 52 weeks).

RESULTS
Of the 117 patients (female, 70.1%; mean age, 74.2 years; mean disease duration, 1.4 years; treated for new-onset GCA, 71.8%; presence of large-vessel lesions [LVLs], 61.5%; previous immunosuppressant use, 28.2%; glucocorticoids at baseline, 95.7% [mean: 22.4 mg/day]), 38.5% reported adverse events. The most common adverse events of special interest were neutropenia and leukopenia (7.7%), followed by serious infection (6.0%). The relapse-free proportion was 85.0%; relapse after remission, 6.0%; and no remission, 9.0%. At the last observation, 94.2% of relapse-free patients received a concomitant glucocorticoid dose of <10 mg/day. Fatigue, headache, neck pain and absence of LVLs were positively associated with the relapse.

CONCLUSIONS
TCZ was effective and well tolerated in Japanese patients with GCA and may be an effective treatment option combined with glucocorticoids.


In recent years, reinforcement learning (RL) has become increasingly successful in its application to the quantum domain and the process of scientific discovery in general. However, while RL algorithms learn to solve increasingly complex problems, interpreting the solutions they provide becomes ever more challenging. In this work, we gain insights into an RL agent's learned behavior through a post-hoc analysis based on sequence mining and clustering. Specifically, frequent and compact subroutines, used by the agent to solve a given task, are distilled as gadgets and then grouped by various metrics. This process of gadget discovery develops in three stages: First, we use an RL agent to generate data, then, we employ a mining algorithm to extract gadgets and finally, the obtained gadgets are grouped by a density-based clustering algorithm. We demonstrate our method by applying it to two quantum-inspired RL environments. First, we consider simulated quantum optics experiments for the design of high-dimensional multipartite entangled states where the algorithm finds gadgets that correspond to modern interferometer setups. Second, we consider a circuit-based quantum computing environment where the algorithm discovers various gadgets for quantum information processing, such as quantum teleportation. This approach for analyzing the policy of a learned agent is agent and environment agnostic and can yield interesting insights into any agent's policy.


Objective To determine the prevalence of non-communicable disease (NCD) risk factors among nurses and para-health professionals (PHPs) working at primary healthcare centres in Bangladesh. In addition to this, we also investigated the association of these risk factors with the categories of health professions. Design Cross-sectional study and the sampling technique was a census. Setting The study site was a medical university of Bangladesh where the study population was recruited by NCD Control Programme of Directorate General of Health Services to participate in a 3-day training session from November 2017 to May 2018. Participants A total of 1942 government-employed senior staff nurses (SSNs) and PHPs working at Upazila Health Complexes. Primary and secondary outcome measures The data were collected using a modified STEPwise approach to NCD risk factors surveillance questionnaire of the World Health Organisation (V.3.2). The prevalence of NCD risk factors was presented descriptively and the χ² test was used to determine the association between NCD risk factors distribution and categories of health professions. Results The mean age of the participants was 37.6 years (SD 9.5) and most of them (87.6%) had a diploma in their respective fields. Physical inactivity (86.9%), inadequate fruits and/vegetable intake (56.3%) and added salt intake (35.6%) were the most prevalent behavioural risk factors. The prevalence of central obesity, overweight, raised blood glucose and raised BP were 83.5%, 42.6%, 19.2% and 12.8% respectively. Overall, the NCD risk factors prevalence was higher among PHPs compared with SSNs. A highly significant association (p<0.001) was found between risk factors and the categories of health professions for tobacco use, alcohol intake, added salt intake and physical inactivity. Conclusion High NCD risk factors prevalence and its significant association with SSNs and PHPs demand an appropriate risk-reduction strategy to minimise the possibility of chronic illness among them.


OBJECTIVES
To detect a potential hidden dissemination of the blaOXA-48 gene among Proteus mirabilis isolates obtained from a single centre.

METHODS
P. mirabilis from diverse clinical samples presenting an ESBL phenotype or obtained from blood cultured from 2017 to 2019 were evaluated. Bacterial identification was performed using MALDI-TOF MS. MICs were determined using International Organization for Standardization (ISO) standard microdilution and interpreted following EUCAST guidelines. WGS was performed using both short- and long-read technologies and assemblies were done using Unicycler. Resistomes were assessed using the ResFinder database. SNPs were detected using the PATRIC bioinformatics platform. Cloning experiments were performed using the pCRII-TOPO cloning kit.

RESULTS
Thirty-one out of 108 (28.7%) isolates were positive for blaOXA-48 and blaCTX-M-15. Twenty-nine out of 31 of the isolates were susceptible to temocillin, piperacillin/tazobactam, ertapenem and meropenem, whereas only 2/31 showed a resistance phenotype against these antibiotics. Both blaOXA-48 and blaCTX-M-15 genes were detected within the same chromosomally integrated new transposon in all isolates. The resistant isolates displayed a single mutation located in the putative promoter upstream of blaOXA-48. Cloning experiments confirmed that the mutation was responsible for the resistance phenotype.

CONCLUSIONS
The presence of a chromosomal copy of blaOXA-48 did not confer resistance to carbapenems, but a single mutation in the promoter could lead to an increase in resistance. This study shows a hidden circulation of OXA-48-positive, but carbapenem- and piperacillin/tazobactam-susceptible, P. mirabilis isolates that can become resistant to β-lactams after a single mutation.


There are an increasing number of possible applications for the use of Erbium:YAG and Neodymium:YAG lasers in ophthalmology. Laser-phacoemulsification as well as Erbium-laser vitrectomy is of major interest. We report on the underlying technology and more than 1-year-experience using the PHACOLASE (Asclepion-Meditec, Jena, Germany, 10-100 Hz frequency, 5-50 mJ single pulse energy) for phacoemulsification and pars plana vitrectomy and the Lyla-Dodick laser photolysis (A.R.C. Laser, Eckental-Forth, Germany, 1-20 Hz, up to 8 mJ single pulse energy). The Erbium:YAG-laser as well as the Neodymium:YAG-laser enabled us to extract lenses with up to medium hard nuclei. Moreover, the Erbium laser enabled fast vitrectomy with little mechanical traction. In many of our initial surgical operations we had to change to mechanical vitrectomy due to initial technical problems. No new complications occurred intra- or postoperatively. The handpiece worked well in removing vitreous bodies, but was not feasible for cutting membranes. Modified handpieces for this purpose are under development.


Laser peening offers potential advantages over conventional peen technologies in terms of the depth of the residual stresses that can be induced, and improvements in surface micro-hardness. The present study was undertaken to understand the effect of laser penning on the properties of titanium alloy, a TC4 titanium alloy work-piece was processed with ND: YAG laser with the wavelength of 1064 nm, pulse energy of 0-10J and pulse width of 12ns, and micro-hardness and residual stress for different laser peening parameters were examined and analyzed by micro-hardness tester and X-ray diffraction. Results are presented and discussed of the residual stress profiles and the micro-hardness profiles, The experimental results show that the satisfying laser peening appearance can be achieved when the pulse energy was 6J, water tamping layer thickness was 1.8mm and ablative layer thickness was 100μm, surface micro-hardness increased by up to 33% and the compressive residual stress on the surface of laser shocked area reached up to-327.8MPa, laser peening improved hardness and residual stress of titanium alloy significantly. The experiment results show that the effect of laser peening was evidently.


(1) Background: A large number of patients of orthodontic clinics are diagnosed with improper jaw relationships. Intraoral scanners have become an important part of orthodontic practice and provide an opportunity to measure the changes in the width of dental arches. The purpose of the study was to evaluate the impact of removable appliances used over a 10-month period on growth changes in children with narrowed jaw dimensions. (2) Methods: Twenty four patients were included in the study (a study group—patients, treated with removable appliances in the upper dental arch for a minimum of 10 months; a control group—patients with no craniofacial abnormalities and who did not require orthodontic treatment). A panoramic radiograph and digital intraoral scan were taken, followed by palatal width measurements in Ortho-CAD before treatment, and after a period of 10 months of treatment with removable appliances. (3) Results: After a period of 10 months of the treatment, the study group had a statistically significantly greater mean change in the anterior width of the upper dental arch than the control group. (4) Conclusions: The use of removable appliances in children with narrowed maxillary transverse dimension contributes to offsetting growth changes in comparison to children with normal occlusion.


By analyzing morbidity accompanied by temporary disability in workers at two tobacco plants, the authors conclude that their working conditions and the organization of medical aid to them have an impact on the pattern of morbidity and the health status of the workers.


Concrete is probably the most extensively used construction material in the world. However, environmental concerns regarding rapid consumption of natural resources and CO2 emission during cement manufacturing process have brought pressure to reduce cement consumption by the use of cement replacement materials (CRMs). The utilization of calcined clay (metakaolin) and silica fume in concrete has received considerable attention in recent years. Brick powder has not got much popularity with respect to strength enhancement but it is effective to reduce drying shrinkage. The following study has been focused to determine the performance of locally available metakaolin, silica fume and brick powder as CRMs in concrete. This study focuses on compressive strength, drying shrinkage and sulfate attack properties of the concrete. Concrete cubes were used for compressive strength determination and mortar prisms for determination of drying-shrinkage and sulfate attack. 5%, 10% and 15% replacement of cement was used for all these three CRMs. Three mixtures with water-binder ratios of 0.63, 0.54 and 0.47 were prepared with a slump of 75-100mm. The sulfate attack was determined by immersing mortar prisms in 2, 5 and 10% solution of magnesium sulfate. The results revealed that silica fume concrete at optimum replacement level of 15% gave highest compressive strength. The lowest drying shrinkage was experienced in case of mortar prisms constituting brick powder. However, very low expansion was observed in SF and MK pastes and also found mutually comparable to each other.


Background Host-derived lipids including cholesteryl esters (CEs) such as cholesteryl linoleate have emerged as important antibacterial effectors of innate immunity in the airways and cholesteryl linoleate has been found elevated in the context of inflammation. Cystic fibrosis (CF) patients suffer from chronic infection and severe inflammation in the airways. Here, we identified and quantified CEs in bronchoalveolar lavage fluid (BALF) from CF patients and non-CF disease controls, and tested whether CE concentrations are linked to the disease. Materials and Methods CEs in BALF from 6 pediatric subjects with CF and 7 pediatric subjects with non-CF chronic lung disease were quantified by mass spectral analysis using liquid chromatography coupled with tandem mass spectrometry and multiple reaction monitoring. BALFs were also examined for total lipid, total protein, albumin, and, as a marker for inflammation, human neutrophil peptide (HNP) 1–3 concentrations. Statistical analysis was conducted after log 10 transformation of the data. Results Total lipid/protein ratio was reduced in CF BALF (p = 0.018) but the concentrations of CEs, including cholesteryl linoleate, were elevated in the total lipid fraction in CF BALF compared to non-CF disease controls (p < 0.050). In addition, the concentrations of CEs and HNP1-3 correlated with one another (p < 0.050). Conclusions The data suggests that the lipid composition of BALF is altered in CF with less total lipid relative to protein but with increased CE concentrations in the lipid fraction, likely contributed by inflammation. Future longitudinal studies may reveal the suitability of CEs as a novel biomarker for CF disease activity which may provide new information on the lipid mediated pathophysiology of the disease.


This chapter examines cybercrimes, cyberattacks such as denial-of-service attacks, and law enforcement in the information society. It looks at advance fee fraud, internationally known as '419 Fraud' with reference to Nigeria; as well as the 'Russian Scam' that targets the users of online dating sites. It also examines other criminal activities common on the internet, such as privacy attacks, including phishing which illegally appropriates personal data; harassment; cyberstalking; and grooming, and also considers identity theft and identity fraud, as well as cyberterrorism. The chapter presents case studies dealing with cybercrimes, and, finally, it discusses the efforts of the Council of Europe Convention on Cybercrime to harmonize international cybercrime laws.


Issues of the determination of fetal sex have haunted embryologists. Nowadays vestiges of traditional prejudice against the birth of girls are aided by ultrasound scans. The importance of perfect timing of conception and fetal care has been highlighted by sophisticated IVF (In Vitro Fertilisation) technologies and New Age fetal instruction for generations of middle-aged mothers with declining fertility. As the concept of having one fixed gender increasingly wavers, it is fascinating to find that all these preoccupations with sex determination and gender transformation can be found in ancient Indian and Chinese medical treatises. Nevertheless the ulterior motives naturally change from one context to another. In describing and comparing a number of early and medieval Chinese and Indian sources this article distinguishes between the aims and ambitions of gender technologies in Buddhist and medical sources.


The Bromeliaceae family stands out among the great variety of Brazilian native tropical plants because of the economic importance of its ornamental plants, currently widely cultivated and used for indoors decorations and landscape projects. Some genera are endemic to the Atlantic Forest and to meet their great demand, removal from their natural environment has become a threat to some species. The Research and Conservation of Bromeliaceae (UPCB) Unit of the Universidade Federal de Vicosa, in Vicosa, MG promotes research on Bromeliaceae conservation. Weed infestation is a constant problem in the maintenance of this collection. The objective of this work was to define the most critical weeds in bromeliad cultivation. From November 2006 to January 2007, weekly visits were conducted to the collection of bromeliads planted in pots at the UPCB, aiming to characterize the occurrence and behavior of weed species. After this period, the weeds were manually removed from the pots, identified and quantified. The critical weed species were described and their fertile individuals were included in the VIC Herbarium of the Department of Plant Biology, as checks. Photographic documentation of the weeds was also conducted. Two critical species were identified: Pilea microphylla,with around six individuals per pot, and Cardamine bonariensis, with approximately 13 individuals per pot. Seven other species were considered potentially critical, with Crepis japonica being the most important one. Twelve opportunistic species were also identified.


This study proposes a new method of inverse analysis from ancient turbidites to the non-steady turbidity currents with consideration of multiple grain-size classes. The forward model employed in this study is based on the shallow water equation, and the initial condition of flows are assumed to be the lock-exchange type condition. To obtain a solution of the inverse problem, this study employed the genetic algorithm for finding the optimized initial conditions. The present method successfully estimated the true given initial conditions of the turbidity currents from the artificial data sets of deposits created by the calculation of the forward model. The author also applied the method to the turbidite bed in the Kiyosumi Formation. As a result of inverse analysis, the obtained solution fits well to the observed data of the individual turbidite, providing estimates of the flow velocity, the flow thickness and the sediment concentration of the turbidity current.

The flow thickness and velocity when the turbidity current reached at the downstream end of the study area were reconstructed to be 334.6 m, 0.98 m/s respectively at the location of the downstream end. Result of our analysis is the first example of reconstructing a reasonable conditions of the turbidity current from an ancient turbidite observed in the field, and the method is expected to be applied in various regions in the future.


To the Editor.— Diphenylhydantoin, now officially named phenytoin, interferes with the effect of dexamethasone by increasing its renal and biliary excretion.1,2This acceleration of dexamethasone catabolism probably accounts for the failure of low doses of dexamethasone to suppress plasma corticosteroids and urinary 17-hydroxycorticosteroids when phenytoin is used concurrently.3The following report indicates that phenytoin may reduce the potency of dexamethasone in a patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Report of a Case.— Systemic lupus erythematosus developed in a 15-year-old girl in 1973. It was manifested by arthritis, alopecia, leukopenia, fever, renal disease, and hypertension. Serum antinuclear antibody studies and lupus erythematosus preparations were positive. Serum C3 values ranged from 45 to 90 mg/100 ml. Urinary sediment contained numerous leukocytes, erythrocytes, and granular and red blood cell casts. Percutaneous renal biopsy revealed membranoproliferative glomerulonephritis. For 14 months, therapy was maintained with prednisone, methyldopa, chlorthalidone, and hydralazine hydrochloride. The patient


Endometrial carcinoma is one of the most frequent gynecological cancers in developed countries. Lymphovascular space invasion (LVSI), histological grade, and myometrial invasion (MMI) are important prognostic factors of endometrial carcinoma. LVSI is considered an independent poor prognostic factor in endometrial carcinoma. Based on the importance of LVSI, this study aimed to discuss the association of LVSI with tumor grade and MMI. A search of PubMed, EMBASE, Web of Science, Scopus, Google Scholar, and Cochrane Library was carried out to collect related studies. Consequently, most studies showed that LVSI is significantly associated with higher histologic grade and deep MMI.


Abstract: 250 words
Purpose: Three dimensional optical coherence tomography (OCT) is a novel technique to diagnose retinal disorders. In diabetes, loss of retinal neurons is said to be an early event. We did a small pilot study from Eastern India to find the usefulness of OCT in detecting changes in retinal nerve fibre layer (RNFL) in diabetics.
Patients and methods: We selected adult type 2 diabetics without overt retinopathy. Patients aged more than 60 or with pre-existing problems like glaucoma or vasculitis were excluded. RNFL thickness was measured using HRA-OCT Spectralis analyser. A 12o area around optic nerve head was analysed and depth of each quadrant was separately measured. The patient values were compared with normative Indian data to detect aberrations. Also, the venous blood sugar levels were measured and correlation studies were done with the retinal thickness values. Standard statistical methods were used.
Results and analysis: We had 10 diabetic cases (20 eyes) and 11 controls (22 eyes). There was significant thinning of RNFL in 6 (60%) diabetic cases and none of the controls. Two of the diabetics had severe thinning around optic nerve head. 83% of the patients had thinning on temporal side and 50% on nasal side. Mean blood glucose levels were higher in those with RNFL thinning. Both FBS and PPBS showed significant negative correlation with retinal thickness measurements.
Conclusion: This is probably the first study of its kind from India. 3-D OCT can be a valuable tool in screening diabetics for complications. However, more studies are needed to better elucidate the role of this novel technology.


ABSTRACT Introduction: Chronic constipation is a frequent complaint in daily clinical practice. Notwithstanding the availability of numerous drugs, its treatment it is still unsatisfactory. However, new emerging treatments are in the pipeline and some drugs seem to be promising; among these velusetrag, a selective 5-HT4 receptors agonist. Areas covered: An in depth Medline literature search was performed concerning topics related to the treatment of constipated patients with velusetrag. In addition, abstracts concerning the topic were searched by hand in our libraries. Expert opinion: After analyzing the available data, the authors feel that velusetrag may likely improve symptoms and the quality of life of chronically constipated subjects. However, additional data is needed to fully understand the safety and efficacy of velusetrag, particularly in patients on long-term therapy. Thanks to the once-daily dosing and the pharmacologic properties, velusetrag could be used as a single agent or in association with other drugs. In the future, this drug holds the potential to be an effective adjunct to the therapeutic armamentarium for chronic constipation.


Introduction: In patients with hemophilia, the development of inhibitors against exogenous factor VIII (FVIII) or factor IX (FIX) is one of the most serious complications of repeated exposure to replacement therapy and has major clinical and economic consequences. The multicenter, non-interventional, cross-sectional, case-control ESOS study aimed to evaluate the relationship between inhibitor status of patients with hemophilia and their quality of life (QoL) and degree of arthropathy, as well as to compare the orthopedic status of patients with inhibitors with that of patients without inhibitors. Methods: Overall, 128 patients were enrolled: group A (n=38), males aged 14–35 years, with severe congenital hemophilia A or B (basal FVIII/FIX level 5 BU) and who have had the inhibitors >5 years; group B (n=41), as group A, but aged 36–65 years; and group C (n=49), as group A, but without inhibitors. Key assessments included: socio-demographics; data on replacement therapy, inhibitor characteristics, immune tolerance testing, genotype, and prophylaxis; care management; QoL (EuroQoL questionnaire); and Gilbert's and Pettersson's classifications. Results: A maximum inhibitor titer >50 BU was observed in 71% of patients in group A and 63% in group B. There were significant differences in genotype for patients in groups A and B compared with those in group C (e.g. inversions, large deletions, missense mutations). Prior to enrolling in the study, orthopedic procedures had been performed in 66% of patients in group A compared with 34% in group B and 37% in group C; arthroplasty had been performed only in patients with inhibitors (groups A and B, n=2 in each). During the 12-month study period, patients with inhibitors had more absence from work or school due to orthopedic complications than patients without inhibitors. In groups A and B, 16% and 27% of patients were hospitalized for orthopedic procedures compared with only 4% in group C. Patient mobility was severely reduced in groups A and B, with 24% and 23% of patients using wheelchairs compared with only 4% in group C, and 50% and 51% of patients needing a walking aid compared with only 29% in group C. In terms of orthopedic status, significantly more joint pain was reported by patients in group A compared with those in group C; clinical/radiological orthopedic scores were also worse in group A compared with group C. In terms of bleeding, there was no difference in the incidence of muscle hematomas between the groups; the incidences of hemarthroses were higher in younger patients (groups A and C) than in older ones (group B). For the QoL analysis, patients in group A reported significantly more joint abnormality than those in group C. Conclusion: Our study confirms that the burden of orthopedic complications and the impact on QoL is more severe in patients with hemophilia who have developed inhibitors compared with those patients without inhibitors.


The lattice fractal Sierpinski carpet and the percolation theory are applied to develop a new random stock price for the financial market. Percolation theory is usually used to describe the behavior of connected clusters in a random graph, and Sierpinski carpet is an infinitely ramified fractal. In this paper, we consider percolation on the Sierpinski carpet lattice, and the corresponding financial price model is given and investigated. Then, we analyze the statistical behaviors of the Hong Kong Hang Seng Index and the simulative data derived from the financial model by comparison.


In this paper, event-triggered algorithm and self-triggered algorithms are proposed to establish the formation with connectivity preservation for multi-agent systems. Each agent only needs to update its control input by sensing the relative state information and to broadcast its triggering information to its neighbors at its own triggering times, and to listen and to receive its neighbors' triggering information at their triggering times. Two types of system dynamics, single integrators and double integrators, are considered. As a result, all agents converge to the formation exponentially with connectivity preservation, and Zeno behavior can be excluded. Numerical simulations show the effectiveness of the theoretical results.


In the Andean Mountains some agroecosystems are adequate environments for biodiversity conservation or for the readaptation, recolonization and natural recovery of species. To evaluate this phenomenon, soil macroinvertebrate communities were studied in different land uses of the Otun watershed in Colombia. Nineteen orders were found, with richness ranging from 12 to 16 groups per land use system; the forest had the highest while the plantations had the lowest diversity. Earthworms were the dominant group in terms of abundance (620 individuals m-2) and biomass (134.1 g.f.w. m-2). Highest diversity, frequency and homogeneity of distribution of the soil macrofauna were observed in the forest, together with a high percentage dominance and mixed dominance for certain epigeic groups such as millipedes, isopods and arachnids, considered indicators of more preserved ecosystems. The factorial correspondence analysis for macroinvertebrate abundance significantly separated (p < 0.01) the systems according to land use gradient and intervention level, with the first two components explaining 51% of the total variability.


The proximity of technologies to rehabilitation has been accentuated in recent times as a result of technological development, which has led to the evolution of a traditional system based almost exclusively on the connection between therapist and patient, for systems with resources to technologies, where they assume a supportive role therapy. The paper presents an overview of the state of the art, limitations and concerns related to information systems for the rehabilitation of older people based on exercise and serious games. The purpose of this review was to gather relevant information from the study in order to support and guide current research as well as inform the work to develop, study and design a technology platform and resources for the use of serious games and people rehab exercises the elderly. The article concludes with general remarks on the use of exercise and serious games in the rehabilitation of elderly adults and suggestion for future work. Keywords: Serious Games; Rehabilitation of the Elderly; Multidisciplinary


This study uses an atmospheric general circulation model (AGCM), with a resolution of 60 km, to investigate the effect of high-horizontal-resolution SST data on simulations of elements of the East Asian summer monsoon (EASM), including the northwestern Pacific subtropical high (NWPSH) and tropical cyclone (TC) genesis. Plotting the result of the fine-resolution (60 km) minus coarse-resolution (300 km) SST AGCM runs shows a low-level anticyclonic anomaly (with suppressed convective activity) over the northwestern Pacific (NWP) following the onset of the NWP monsoon (July–September). In addition, TC frequency and mean TC intensity are controlled by the atmospheric circulation change that is related to the NWPSH. Changes in environmental parameters can partly explain these TC frequency and intensity changes. Based on the similarity between the realistic and idealized SST experiments, the cold SST anomaly around 10–15°N seems to play a key role in the low-level anticyclonic anomaly. Analysis of the ocean circulation and heat budget reveals that advection of cold water from the central Pacific by the westward-flowing North Equatorial Current (NEC) is important for the development of this cold SST anomaly.


Abstract Background Central pancreatectomy (CP), a partial resection of the pancreas, is indicated for the excision of neuroendocrine tumors (NETs) of the pancreas, when located at the neck or the proximal body. Specifically, CP is preferable in functional NET and in nonfunctional sized 1 to 2 cm or/with proliferation marker Ki67 < 20% (Grade I/II). Postoperative leakage from the remaining pancreas constitutes the most frequent complication of CP (up to 63%). The aim of our study was to share the experience of our center in CP for NET, with pancreaticojejunal anastomosis. Methods In 1 year, we performed CP in two patients, following the aforementioned criteria. They presented with tumor of the body of the pancreas, which was found in random check with computed tomography, with negative hormonal blood tests and they underwent magnetic resonance imaging and endoscopic ultrasound/fine-needle biopsy/pathological examination. Results The patients underwent CP with Roux-en-Y pancreaticojejunal anastomosis of the distal pancreatic stump and jejunal patch of the proximal pancreatic stump. Histological exam revealed NET sized 2.8 cm and 1.45 cm, Grade I and II, respectively. Postoperatively both patients developed small pancreatic leakage, which did not affect their physical condition and stopped after 20 and 30 days. No one needed pancreatic enzymes supplements or developed new-onset diabetes mellitus. Conclusion CP provided adequate, functional remaining pancreatic tissue in both patients. Small leakages were treated conservatively and retreated without septic complications. As a result, CP might be considered as safe and effective technique for pancreatic neck/proximal body NET.


Gentamicin (Gen) is widely used against serious infections, but its therapeutic use is limited due to its nephrotoxicity which causes acute renal failure. We aimed to evaluate the potential protective effect of highly selective angiotensin II (Ang II) type 1 (AT1) receptor blocker Telmisartan (Tel) on the renal damage generated by Gentamicin in rats. 36 Male Wistar rats were divided into six groups (6 rats each): Naive, Tel group (10 mg/kg/day orally for 7 days), control (1 ml/day 0.9% NaCl intraperitoneally i.p. for 7 days), Gen group (100 mg/kg/day i.p for 7 days), Gen + Tel 5 mg/kg/day concurrently for 7 days, Gen + Tel 10 mg/kg/day concurrently for 7 days. Concentrations of serum urea, serum creatinine, and renal reduced glutathione (GSH) levels were evaluated after treatment. Gen was observed to cause a severe nephrotoxicity, which was evidenced by an elevation of serum urea and creatinine levels which weren't altered by simultaneous treatment with Tel. The oxidative stress caused by Gen demonstrated by a decrease in renal GSH level was significantly attenuated by Telmisartan (the higher dose). Conclusion : This study proves the nephrotoxicity caused by Gentamicin, and suggests that concurrent treatment with Telmisartan ameliorate oxidative stress induced by gentamicin without changes to serum urea and creatinine.


Abstract

The Corona Virus Disease pandemic has significant adverse effects on the economy, health, and society that have hampered global economic growth. Taiwan is one of the countries impacted by this pandemic. The pandemic had an enormous influence on the world economy, making the role of financial report quality an even more critical issue. This study aims to examine and evaluate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the quality of financial reports. Additionally, it intends to examine and evaluate the differences between the impact of audit opinion and audit quality on the quality of financial reports before and after the COVID-19 pandemic. This study adopts secondary data, i.e., annual financial reports and audit quality data of public listing firms on the Taiwan Stock Exchange (TSE). Furthermore, this study selected data from 2016 to 2021. This study proves that the COVID-19 pandemic affects the quality of financial reports. Furthermore, this study suggests that the COVID-19 pandemic strengthens the negative impacts of audit opinion on the quality of financial reports using accrual earnings management proxies. However, it also shows that the audit quality did not impact the quality of financial reports proxied by accrual and real earnings management at the beginning of the COVID-19 outbreak.

JEL classification numbers: G32, M41, O06, Q56.
Keywords: The Quality of Financial Reports, COVID-19 Pandemic, Audit Opinion, Audit Quality.


We consider all-optical network evolution from a quantum perspective. We show that a use of optimal quantum receivers allows an estimated $55\%$ decrease in energy consumption of all-optical amplifiers in network configurations that are typical today. We then compare data transmission capacities of quantum receivers with today's technology operating within the boundaries set by Shannon. We find that quantum receiver technology allows for a logarithmic scaling of the system capacity with the baud-rate, while Shannon-type systems are limited by the transmit power. Thus a natural quantum limit of classical data transmission emerges. Based on the above findings we argue for a new approach to optical communication network design, wherein in-line amplifiers are replaced by novel fiber supporting high spectral bandwidth to allow for noiseless data transmission in the quantum limit.


A total of 207 men belonging to Bhuyan, Juanga and Munda tribes and 108 non-tribal residents of Banspal block area of Keonjhar district of Orissa were screened for glucose-6-phosphate dehydrogenase (G-6-PD) deficiency, abnormal haemoglobin and malaria parasite. In the tribal group, G-6-PD enzyme deficiency was observed in 13.52 per cent as compared to 3.70 per cent in non-tribals. No abnormal haemoglobin was detected in the studied population, while 15.87 per cent of individuals were positive for Plasmodium falciparum. An extremely weak association was observed between malaria and G-6-PD deficiency.


This thesis analyses the so-called "Third Wave" campaign in Western Australia in 1997 which was organised by the labour movement to protest against new industrial relations legislation. It uses a mixed-methods approach, including participant-observer ethnography. The research examines union strategy using theoretical approaches drawn from geographical, sociological, and cultural theory.

The thesis firstly takes a "conventional" or mainstream IR approach to analysing the campaign, using union strategy literature and in particular exploring the role of the Trades and Labor Council - WA's state-based union peak council - as the prime mover in the unions' campaign.

However, the thesis finds that such an approach fails to explain fully many of the strategies and tactics used in the campaign. These included the setting up of a protest site opposite WA's Parliament House: the Workers' Embassy. This site was staffed around the clock by unions for six months - five of those following the passage of the legislation. A conventional analysis does not explain why the union movement deployed its (scarce) resources at the site when they had no prospect of "winning" the campaign - ie, could not prevent the passage of the legislation.

Raymond Williams has commented that "the task of a successful ... movement will be one of feeling and imagination quite as much as one of fact and organisation". The thesis therefore analyses the campaign from a cultural materialist perspective - an approach that foregrounds "feeling and imagination", rather than simply describing the campaign from an institutional and/or politicolegislative viewpoint that privileges "fact and organisation".

Such an analysis explains why the campaign continued when it seemed to have been "lost" - and what the long-term benefits of such campaigning are. Simplistically, culture can be seen as a "whole way of life" or, alternatively, as a "whole way of struggle". The argument in this thesis is that paradoxically, union sociocultural strategies can be both - developing and cementing relationships between individuals and groups as they seek representation within the public sphere as a "union counterpublic", and at the same time being vehicles of ideological contestation internally and externally.

To complement the cultural material analysis, the thesis uses geographical theory - particularly radical human geography - to explore the spatiality of the campaign. Spatial features include the setting up of the Workers' Embassy and its eventual transformation to "Solidarity Park" which was gifted to the people of WA and remains today as a monument not only to the campaign but also to the ideal of union solidarity. The campaign's broader geographical dimensions are also examined. Social movement theory - using particularly John Kelly's adaptation of such theories to IR - permits exploration of some of the sociological aspects of the campaign.

The thesis argues that industrial relations research and theory can expand its boundaries by moving beyond a preoccupation (in simple Marxist terms) with the "economic base", to examine the "cultural superstructure", and perhaps more importantly, to examine the processes integrating base and superstructure within particular contexts. This can be done by adopting subjectivist and/or interpretivist theoretical perspectives that are not normally used in the industrial relations literature. The thesis thus uses and applies geographical, sociological and cultural theory, all approaches not usually employed to study unions. The resulting analysis gives a complex, multi-stranded picture of union culture in which elements of traditional strategies are combined with newer methods to contest hegemonically imposed notions of what it is to be "union".


Particle loading affects the dynamics of buoyant plumes, since the difference between particle and fluid densities is much greater than that in the fluid alone. In stratified environments, plume rise is density limited; after initial overshoot, the plume reaches a terminal level and spreads radially. Particles dropping from this horizontal intrusion may be re-entrained. This recycling of dense matter reduces plume buoyancy and intrusion height and, for sufficient load, can lead to plume collapse. Entrainment-based formulae yield a steady-state plume rise. We identify a new conserved quantity for such plumes. Integrating paths of particles dropping from the intrusion yields the fraction re-entrained. A simple mathematical model predicts from buoyancy ratio at source ( $P=$ negative particle buoyancy divided by positive fluid buoyancy) whether a particle-laden plume will collapse. Under this model, for small settling velocity, a particle-laden plume will not collapse if $P<0.368$ . Above this, collapse depends also on the amount of particle-free ambient fluid entrained in the overshoot region. For pure plumes, experimental evidence suggests that this is small. For forced plumes, more substantial overshoot and entrainment is shown to increase the critical ratio. An extension, based on successive recycling, estimates time to collapse. To investigate further we develop a simple computational model, coupling a 'top-hat' plume model, an analytical formula for radially decaying concentrations in the intrusion and an axisymmetric finite-volume solution for time-dependent settling and entrainment. The model can predict the impact of particle load on final rise, as well as the occurrence and time scales of plume collapse.


On-device training is an emerging approach in machine learning where models are trained on edge devices, aiming to enhance privacy protection and real-time performance. However, edge devices typically possess restricted computational power and resources, making it challenging to perform computationally intensive model training tasks. Consequently, reducing resource consumption during training has become a pressing concern in this field. To this end, we propose SCoTTi (Save Computation at Training Time), an adaptive framework that addresses the aforementioned challenge. It leverages an optimizable threshold parameter to effectively reduce the number of neuron updates during training which corresponds to a decrease in memory and computation footprint. Our proposed approach demonstrates superior performance compared to the state-of-the-art methods regarding computational resource savings on various commonly employed benchmarks and popular architectures, including ResNets, MobileNet, and Swin-T.


Einstein's Special Theory of Relativity was proposed a little over a hundred years back. It remained a bedrock of twentieth century physics right up to Quantum Field Theory. However, the failure over several decades to provide a unified description of Electromagnetism and Gravitation or alternatively, Quantum Theory and General Relativity has finally lead researchers to abandon the differentiable spacetime manifold on which all of the above was based. In the most recent approaches we consider a spacetime that is discretized or is noncommutative. This immediately leads to corrections to the Special Theory of Relativity, more specifically to Lorentz Symmetry. It is quite sig-nificant that there are observational indicators, particularly in ultra high energy cosmic rays which suggest that such corrections are indeed there. We examine the whole issue in this paper.


OBJECTIVES
The aims of this research were to evaluate the effectiveness of two different sets of dental classification guidelines to differentiate dental emergency (DE) rates between deployable and nondeployable personnel.

METHODS
A retrospective study of the dental records of two cohorts of Marine Corps recruits examined and treated using different classification guidelines was completed.

RESULTS
Both classification systems showed significant differences between DE rates of nondeployable and deployable personnel. No statistical difference was observed when comparing the adjusted HRs of the two cohorts.

CONCLUSIONS
Results of this study suggest that both guidelines are able to distinguish between deployable and nondeployable personnel and give reasonable assurance that class 1 and 2 patients will not experience a DE for a 6-month period. Incorporating factors such as caries risk, number of missing and filled teeth, and number of third molars may improve the ability of the dental classification systems in predicting DE.


Introduction. Genetic studies in familial PAH have revealed heterozygous germline mutations in the BMPR2 gene and dysfunction of serotonin (5-HT) signaling has been implicated in other forms of PAH. Here we investigate a genetic model of PAH, where BMPR2 deletion is restricted to endothelial cells (ECs)-BMPR2 f/f ;ALK1-Cre strain, aiming to determine a relationship between pathologies mediated by 5-HT and BMPR2 signaling. Methods. We investigated the effects of p-chlorophenylalanine (pCPA; 200mg/kg- inhibits 5-HT synthesis by blocking tryptophan hydroxylase (TPH)), on hemodynamics, vascular remodeling and plasma signatures in wild-type (WT) and BMPR2 f/f ;ALK1-Cre mice (BMPR2-KO) exposed to chronic hypoxia under VEGFR inhibition (SU5416) for 3 weeks. Results. Pathobiology development profile of BMPR2-KO mice at 2 and 5 months of age, demonstrated that the older age group tended to have a higher frequency of increased right ventricular pressure (RVP) and hypertrophy (RVH). 2 month old BMPR2-KO mice exposed to chronic hypoxia/SU5416 developed higher RVP and RVH compared with WT controls. Normoxic WT and BMPR2-KO mice did not display significant changes in the above measurements when compared between groups. Treatment with pCPA reduced all measures of PAH pathology observed in chronic hypoxic/SU5416 treated BMPR2-KO mice. These changes were observed in accordance with a fall in platelet rich plasma 5-HT. Conclusion. Genetic ablation of the BMPR2 gene in pulmonary ECs is sufficient to predispose to PAH. Our data reveal interplay between BMPR2 signaling and the 5-HT system in ECs within PAH, leading to increased susceptibility to PAH progression.


An important dimension of contemporary capitalism is the global spread of intellectual property rights law, drawing new attention by governments and media to the unauthorized copying of fashion brands. In this dissertation, I draw on sixteen months of ethnographic research with small-scale, indigenous Maya garment manufacturers to examine the cultural and moral context of brand piracy in Guatemala. I analyze what practices of copying and imitation, some of which qualify as piracy under national and international law, among Maya manufacturers reveal about two aspects of the social field: first, changing economic and cultural conditions following waves of neoliberal economic and legal reform, and, second, the nonlinear reproduction of forms of moral and legal reckoning at the margins of the global economy and amidst mounting insecurities that include rising violent crime rates and legal impunity for violent crime. I examine how practices of copying and imitation among manufacturers and competitive behavior more generally are evaluated locally in light of kin relations that promote the sharing of knowledge and resources within a somewhat loose property regime and given ideologies of race and nation that encourage class-based solidarity among Maya people. I find that the normative models and business practices evident among these manufacturers parochialize official portraits of progress, business ethics, and development promoted in neoliberal policy agendas and international law. Professor Kimberly S. Theidon Kedron Thomas iv In addition, I analyze significant gaps between what fashion and branding mean in Guatemalan Maya communities and how they are understood in international projects of legal harmonization that are also about re-branding and re-imagining the Guatemalan nation. Neoliberal statecraft following a long internal armed conflict in Guatemala involves policy approaches that amplify the presence of global brands while compounding conditions of social and economic inequality that limit Maya men and women's access to authorized goods. Meanwhile, Maya people are invited to participate in a modernist vision of citizenship and social progress that encourages a privatized model of indigenous identity mediated by branded commodities and formal market transactions. The brand emerges as a powerful medium through which claims to legitimacy and authority and senses of belonging are negotiated at national and local


300MW unit is taken for example in this paper, two calculation methods are used in heat balance calculation. One is that No.8 low-pressure heater, gland heater and condenser hot well are regarded as a whole to list heat balance equation, and the other is that only No.8 low-pressure heater is regarded as a whole to list heat balance equation. Then, the paper analyses and compares difference between two calculated results under conditions of steam turbine load variation and emergency drainage occurs in low-pressure heater. Meanwhile, in view of drainage flash evaporation in condenser hot well, the calculation method with respect to heater's drainage flash evaporation is given. The conclusions are significant to further improve the accuracy of steam turbine thermal system calculation and study the change mechanism of steam turbine heat economy.


Abstract Many women creative practice-led researchers appear inhibited by a number of factors directly connected to their gender. This article discusses these factors, including the culture of visual arts professional practice, the circumstances surrounding women postgraduate students and unproductive self-theories about intelligence and creativity. A number of feminist strategies are discussed as potential interventions that may assist women creative practice-led researchers and their supervisors to reap more personal and professional rewards from their postgraduate research.


In this paper we extend analytic signal to the multidimensional case. First it is shown how to obtain separate phase-shifted components and how to combine them into instantaneous amplitude and phase. Secondly we define the proper hypercomplex analytic signal as a holo-morphic hypercomplex function on the boundary of polydisk in the hypercomplex space. Next it is shown that the correct phase-shifted components can be obtained by positive frequency restriction of the Scheffers-Fourier transform based on the commutative and associative algebra generated by the set of elliptic hypercomplex numbers. Moreover we demonstrate that for d > 2 there is no corresponding Clifford-Fourier transform that allows to recover phase-shifted components correctly. Finally the euclidean-domain construction of instantaneous amplitude is extended to manifold and manifold-like graphs and point clouds.


This talk reports on processing of high-speed telecommunication signals based on cascaded quadratic nonlinearities in periodically poled lithium niobate (PPLN) waveguides. A strong pump positioned within the acceptance bandwidth of the PPLN device can interact via a cascaded nonlinear process with a second signal, thereby facilitating a switch with a broad optical bandwidth and yielding an output located within the same wavelength band as the inputs. The combination of the PPLN switch with custom-designed optical filtering for pre-conditioning of the signals gives rise to a versatile pulse processing system exhibiting important advantages in terms of compactness and environmental stability [1, 2]. As an example, Fig.1 describes schematically how an optical time-division multiplexed (OTDM) signal can be converted through cascaded second-harmonic generation and difference-frequency generation to a wavelength-division multiplexed (WDM) signal. The experiments that have led to this demonstration will be described in the talk [2]. Another exciting possibility offered by the action of periodically poled waveguides relates to the coherent manipulation of the optical phase of signals. Recent demonstrations relating to phase-sensitive amplification [3], as well as novel applications effecting to the elimination of chirp from optical signals will also be outlined in the talk.


Headache is one of the most frequent population health problems. It is also one of the most frequent complaints during an encounter in general practice. The family doctor is confronted with a difficult way of getting action, either diagnostic or therapeutic, which has to take into account the specificity of decision making in primary health care. A pragmatic and efficient proposal is built up, step by step.


For effective air quality management, one of the main conditions is the identification of pollution sources, determining their share in the overall pollution as well as implementation the measures for control and reducing the pollution. The aim of this paper is that, based on collected data, to make a conclusion on how soot affects the level of pollution in the municipality of Bor. The results presented in this paper were obtained on the basis of processed daily and average annual values of soot concentrations for these years. Analysis of samples was carried our on refractometer at 24 hour continuously, seven days a month at a particular measurement point. For statistical data processing, the statistical software SPSS (Statistical Package for the Social Sciences) version 17.0 was used. Based on the results obtained using the software, there is the conclusion that there is little correlation between the metrological parameters and soot concentration in the municipality of Bor, and that there is no increased concentration at the measuring points despite pyrometallurgical treatment of copper concentrate in RTB Bor. The great importance to the increased soot concentration has the use of fossil fuels for heating households, as it is not the case in Bor, because more than 90% of households are heated by district heating system.


ABSTRACT Reducing emissions from construction and buildings is pivotal to climate change mitigation. Hence, transitioning to a low-carbon emission industry is the focus of many countries by applying prefabrication and building information modelling (BIM). Although prefabrication and BIM contribute towards reducing emissions, the burgeoning body of knowledge mostly consider them separate and often neglect advances in their synergies towards low-carbon building delivery. More importantly, a thorough review of the current state of BIM and prefabrication integration is still lacking. Therefore, this study uses the systematic review to explore the integration of BIM and prefabrication towards low-carbon efforts in building delivery. Six typologies of integrating BIM and prefabrication for low-carbon activities were revealed. Thus, energy and environmental assessments; visualization and real-time monitoring; parametric design optimization; automation in modelling; BIM-PC modifications; and information mapping. Further, these typologies explored four main low-carbon attributes in building delivery; energy evaluation, material selection, waste reduction and process efficiency. From the findings, research gaps were identified and future research directions such as BIM-based bill of quantities for carbon footprint analysis, and circularity features of prefabricated components were provided. This study consolidates advances in BIM and prefabrication scholarship and informs practice for evaluation of low-carbon processes in buildings.


The medicinal plant industry, and the people of Appalachia, have relied on the rich natural resources of the Appalachian Mountains for centuries, collecting plants for food, medicine, and livelihood. By the 1700s, Appalachia had become a major supplier of medicinal plants and was recognized internationally as a source of American ginseng. Today, the value of these products is substantial, with more than $11 billion in 2020 U.S. sales. There is a growing concern, however, that many medicinal herbs are disappearing. We review current research on wild harvesting, forest cultivation, and efforts to create markets for sustainably-sourced Appalachian medicinal herbs. There is a critical need for ecologically sound management and sustainable economies in Appalachia, to support our natural resources and communities. Keywords:


The dissociation and reassociation behavior of the hexameric leucine aminopeptidase (LAP) in solutions of 0.5 to 6 M guanidine-HC1 (Gu-HC1) was investigated by means of thin layer chromatography on Sephadex G-200 superfine. Up to 0.5 M Gu - hc1 the hexameric LAP-structure remains intact. In 0.75 to 2 M Gu - HC1 the enzyme dissociates nearly completely into its half-molecules (LAP-trimers, MW 160000 +/- 10,000). In 2.5 and 2.75 M Gu - HC1 a mixture of LAP-monomers (subunits) (MW 60000 +/- 5000) and trimers was to be found. Treatment with beta-mercapto ethanol increases the portion of monomers. Only monomers occurred in 3 to 6 M Gu - HC1. Parallel to the dissociation, a loss of the essential zinc (half life: 10.5 and 3.5 hours in 1 M and 4 M Gu - HC1 resp.) and a decrease of the enzymatic activity (30 min after treatment with 1 M and 4 M Gu - HC1 50% and 1% resp. residual activity) of the observed. On the other hand, the enzyme was activated by dilute solutions of Gu - HC1 (0.1 to 0.3 M: max. increase 50%). Removal of the denaturant causes reassociation of all types of fragments to hexameric LAP which was indistinguishable from the native LAP in Ouchterlony immune diffusion test. The reassociation was accompanied by a small increase in activity only.


INTRODUCTION
The use of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy in type 1 diabetes mellitus has increased due to its benefits on glycemic control and on the lifestyle flexibility. The aim of this study was to assess the impact of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy on glycemic control, body mass index, total daily dose of insulin and complications associated with this therapy, during 20 years of experience in Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
This retrospective study included patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus who started continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy up until 2005, followed at Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra. Glycated hemoglobin A1c, body mass index, total daily dose of insulin and acute complications associated with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy were evaluated immediately prior to initiation of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy with follow-up at six months, one year, five, 10, 15 and 20 years. The frequency of acute complications associated with this type of therapy was also evaluated.

RESULTS
This study included 20 patients (seven males, 13 females) with mean disease duration up to the start of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy of 16.1 ± 7.9 years, mean age of onset of continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy of 31.1 ± 8.4 years and follow-up during 13.2 ± 2.3 years. The reasons for initiating pump therapy were: inadequate metabolic control in 15 patients, history of asymptomatic or severe hypoglycemia in four patients, and pregnancy/pregnancy planning in one patient. The previous median of glycated hemoglobin A1c was 9.3% (6.5 - 16.0) and, at six months, decreased to the minimum value of 7.2% (5.3 - 9.8); p < 0.0125. The reduction of glycated hemoglobin A1c remained statistically significant in the first 10 years of follow-up. There was a statistically significant difference in the body mass index variation at 10 years with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy compared to previous body mass index; 24.7 kg/m2 (18.9 - 31.8) vs 25,5 kg/m2 (18.9 - 38.9), p <0.0125. Daily insulin requirements were reduced from 56.5 U (32.0 - 94.0) to 43.8 U (33.0 - 64.0) (p < 0.0125) at six months and no statistical differences were found in the remaining follow-up. There were two severe episodes of hypoglycemia (incidence 0.0095/patient/year), five episodes of diabetic ketoacidosis (0.0238/patient/year) and no infections at the site of catheter insertion.

DISCUSSION
This study shows that continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy improved glycemic control, especially during the first 10 years of follow-up and allowed a significant decrease in total daily dose of insulin in the first six months. The rate of acute complications was low.

CONCLUSION
Treatment with continuous subcutaneous insulin infusion therapy seems effective in achieving metabolic control in selected patients with type 1 diabetes mellitus.


Objective: Sleep disturbances are reported as common in children during the COVID-19 outbreak. This study was designed to investigate relationship between sleep problems of children and depression/anxiety symptoms in both children and their parents. Methods: A total of 372 parents completed a web-based survey on sociodemographic and clinical data. The psychiatric status was assessed using Depression Anxiety and Stress Scale-21 (DASS-21), Health Anxiety Inventory (HAI), Revised Child Anxiety and Depression Scale–Parent Version (RCADS-P), and Sleep Disturbance Scale for Children. Results: It was found that significant sleep disturbances were higher in school-aged children (P =.015). HAI and RCADS-P scores were higher in children with sleep disturbances in all developmental periods. DASS-21 subscale scores were higher in preschoolers and school-aged children with significant sleep disturbances. Conclusion: Depression and anxiety symptoms in children and parents are associated with sleep problems in children. In addition, school-aged children can be thought to be more at risk for depression/anxiety symptoms and sleep problems. Psychiatric evaluation of children and their parents is recommended when sleep problems occur in children during the COVID-19 outbreak.


We study the quickest detection problem of a sudden change in the arrival rate of a Poisson process from a known value to an unknown and unobservable value at an unknown and unobservable disorder time. Our objective is to design an alarm time which is adapted to the history of the arrival process and detects the disorder time as soon as possible. In previous solvable versions of the Poisson disorder problem, the arrival rate after the disorder has been assumed a known constant. In reality, however, we may at most have some prior information about the likely values of the new arrival rate before the disorder actually happens, and insufficient estimates of the new rate after the disorder happens. Consequently, we assume in this paper that the new arrival rate after the disorder is a random variable. The detection problem is shown to admit a finite-dimensional Markovian sufficient statistic, if the new rate has a discrete distribution with finitely many atoms. Furthermore, the detection problem is cast as a discounted optimal stopping problem with running cost for a finite-dimensional piecewise-deterministic Markov process. This optimal stopping problem is studied in detail in the special case where the new arrival rate has Bernoulli distribution. This is a nontrivial optimal stopping problem for a two-dimensional piecewise-deterministic Markov process driven by the same point process. Using a suitable single-jump operator, we solve it fully, describe the analytic properties of the value function and the stopping region, and present methods for their numerical calculation. We provide a concrete example where the value function does not satisfy the smooth-fit principle on a proper subset of the connected, continuously differentiable optimal stopping boundary, whereas it does on the complement of this set.


In a remote aboriginal community in tropical northern Australia, a mother comes to the health center with her 4-year-old son, who has multiple sores on the skin of his arms and legs. He is treated with a single dose of intramuscular penicillin G benzathine and with the application of topical 5% permethrin cream over his whole body. A week later, the pyoderma has substantially resolved, but the boy continues to scratch his hands and feet. The clinic nurse visits the family house and finds that skin sores are present on both infants who live in the household, three of the six young children, and one of the three adolescents. Some also have scratches and small interdigital excoriations, which are consistent with scabies. An infirm elderly aunt living in the house is found to have widespread areas of extensively crusted and scaly skin, which are especially prominent on her hands, elbows, armpits, knees, and buttocks. All the household members are given topical permethrin, and the aunt is referred to the hospital for oral ivermectin therapy.


Field-induced effects of optical absorption in coupled quantum wells, comprising two GaAs-AlAs quantum wells separated by a thin AlAs barrier, have been studied. The coupled system evolves into an uncoupled one, leading to large variations of the absorption coefficient at the absorption edge through the field-induced decoupling effect. The large linear shift of the quantum energy levels and an effective blue shift of the absorption edge with electric field lead to unique polarization and wavelength dependence of the electroabsorption effect.


A polypyridylimidazole-based bifunctional Os(II) complex of the type [(bpy)2Os(tpy-Hbzim-dipy)](ClO4)2 (1), where tpy-Hbzim-dipy = 4'-[4-(4,5-dipyridin-2-yl-1H-imidazol-2-yl)-phenyl]-2,2';6',2″-terpyridine and bpy = 2,2'-bipyridine, has been synthesized and structurally characterized for the construction of multifunctional logic devices. After coordination of an [Os(bpy)2](2+) unit to one of the two bidentate chelating sites, the complex offers a terpyridine motif for binding with cationic guests and an imidazole moiety for interacting with selective anionic species. Consequently, the anion- and cation-binding aspects of the metallorecptor were examined in solution and in the solid state by different spectroscopic and electrochemical methods. The complex behaves as a bifunctional sensor for F(-), AcO(-), CN(-), Fe(2+), and Cu(2+) ions in acetonitrile, whereas it is a highly selective chromogenic chemosensor for only CN(-) and Fe(2+) ions in water. Based on various output signals with a particular set of anionic and cationic inputs, the complex mimics the functions of two-input INHIBIT, OR, NOR, and XNOR logic gates, as well as three-input NOR logic behavior. More importantly, the complicated functions of a keypad lock and memory device were also nicely demonstrated by the complex. Finally, density functional theory (DFT) and time-dependent density functional theory (TD-DFT) calculations also provide a rationale for properly understanding and interpreting the experimentally observed results.


Background: Near-infrared reflectance confocal microscopy (RCM) allows for immediate noninvasive 3-D optical sectioning of opaque objects, such as human tissue, without using the potentially destructive staining and fixing methods used with routine pathology. Recently, RCM has been used to differentiate between malignant and non-malignant dermatologic conditions. We hypothesize that this technique can be used to efficiently and reliably evaluate human breast tissue for the presence of malignancy without compromising the ability to perform routine immunohistochemical (IHC) analyses that accompany the diagnosis of invasive breast cancer. Methods: 45 core needle breast biopsies (12mmx2mm) were collected under sonographic guidance. Biopsy specimens were immediately placed in phosphate buffered saline, injected with 5% acetic acid to enhance reflectivity of the nuclei, and imaged within 5–10 minutes. Digital images of the nuclear and cellular morphology from each intact specimen were acquired and catalogued within 1 hour of biopsy using the VivaCell 5000. Tissue samples were then formalin-fixed and sectioned for routine HE 2 specimens with IDC also contained ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS). Evaluation of the RCM images led to the same diagnosis of invasive carcinoma vs. not in all 45 samples and correctly identified 6/9 IDC and 1/1 ILC. RCM correctly identified 1/2 specimens known to contain DCIS. RCM misclassified 3 IDC as DCIS (1), ILC (1), or lobular carcinoma in situ (1), and 1 DCIS as ILC. With respect to the determination of ER/PR status, RCM accurately assessed positivity for both receptors in all 5 specimens. Conclusions: RCM is comparable to standard microscopy for the reliable identification of carcinoma, and the ability to evaluate breast tissue for malignancy using this technology allows for real-time pathology and may negate the need for repeat diagnostic biopsies to ensure adequate sampling for diagnosis. Importantly, the ability to perform routine IHC for ER/PR status after tissue processing for RCM appears to be preserved. Further evaluation applying the existing technology to a larger sample size for histopathologic correlation, assessment of ER/PR status, and evaluation for HER2 status are planned. These encouraging findings support interest in tailoring RCM for breast tissue to improve the ability to distinguish between invasive vs. in situ disease, and ductal vs. lobular histology. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P5-11-03.


The NIST CTR_DRBG specification prescribes a maximum size on each random number request, limiting the number of encryptions in CTR mode with the same key to 4 096. Jaffe's attack on AES in CTR mode without knowledge of the nonce from CHES 2007 requires 216 traces, which is safely above this recommendation. In this work, we exhibit an attack that requires only 256 traces, which is well within the NIST limits. We use simulated traces to investigate the success probability as a function of the signal-to-noise ratio. We also demonstrate its success in practice by attacking an AES-CTR implementation on a Cortex-M4 among others and recovering both the key and nonce. Our traces and code are made openly available for reproducibility.


After the introduction in Section 2, we very briefly sketch out current theoretical and empirical developments in the social sciences. In our view, they all point in the same direction: toward the acute and increasing need for multidisciplinary longitudinal data covering a wide range of living conditions and based on a multitude of variables from the social sciences for both theoretical investigation and the evaluation of policy measures. Cohort and panel studies are therefore called upon to become truly interdisciplinary tools. In Section 3, we describe the German Socio-Economic Panel Study (SOEP), in which we discuss recent improvements of that study which approach this ideal and point out existing shortcomings. Section 4 concludes with a discussion of potential future issues and developments for SOEP and other household panel studies.


The interactive theorem prover Isabelle/HOL is based on the well understood Higher-Order Logic (HOL), which is widely believed to be consistent (and provably consistent in set theory by a standard semantic argument). However, Isabelle/HOL brings its own personal touch to HOL: overloaded constant definitions, used to provide the users with Haskell-like type classes. These features are a delight for the users, but unfortunately are not easy to get right as an extension of HOL—they have a history of inconsistent behavior. It has been an open question under which criteria overloaded constant definitions and type definitions can be combined together while still guaranteeing consistency. This paper presents a solution to this problem: non-overlapping definitions and termination of the definitiondependency relation (tracked not only through constants but also through types) ensures relative consistency of Isabelle/HOL.


CLIGEN is a stochastic weather generator to produce daily variables to drive process-based runoff and erosion prediction models such as WEPP. Algorithms were developed to compute the R-factor, its monthly distribution, and 10-year storm erosion index (EI) needed to apply the revised Universal Soil Loss Equation (RUSLE) using stochastically generated weather variables. Measured R-factor and 10-year storm EI for 43 sites in Australia and 75 sites in the United States were used to test whether CLIGEN can be used to produce necessary climate inputs for RUSLE. It was found that R-factor calculated using CLIGEN- generated weather sequences is well related to the measured R-factor for these sites (r 2 = 0.94, n = 118). In addition, CLIGEN-generated precipitation data can be used to predict 10-year storm EI (r 2 = 0.82), and monthly distribution of rainfall erosivity for a wide range of climate environments (average discrepancy about 1.9%). CLIGEN can be used to generate a range of climate inputs for runoff and soil erosion predictions. This represents considerable improvement over existing methods to estimate climate inputs for RUSLE. Keywords: CLIGEN, WEPP, RUSLE, rainfall erosivity


Abstract A method to design a boundary controller for global stabilization of three-dimensional nonlinear dynamics of flexible marine risers is presented. Equations of motion of the risers are first developed in a vector form. The boundary controller at the top end of the risers is then designed based on Lyapunov's direct method. It is shown that when there are no environmental disturbances, the proposed boundary controller is able to force the riser to be globally exponentially stable at its equilibrium position. When there are environmental disturbances, the riser is stabilized in the neighborhood of its equilibrium position by the proposed boundary controller.


ABSTRACT This article investigates the regionally varied changes in social support and responsibilities of large-scale farms vis-à-vis household plot holders and their rural communities in post-Soviet Russia. Ongoing marketisation puts pressure on the Soviet-inherited symbiosis between large farms and household plots. We observe that large farms' shift to Anglophone-style, explicit Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR) hides declining support for villagers and sometimes even dispossession. In the second of our two case studies, a less well-endowed region, the inherited symbiosis continues with modifications ("implicit CSR") and helps sustain comparatively higher household plot production.


: Dimensional comparison, which is another important comparison type following social comparison and temporal comparison, refers to the process in which a single individual compares his or her ability in a target domain with that in a standard domain. Dimensional comparison predicts contrast effects when the "far comparisons" between different domains are triggered, and assimilation effects for the "near comparisons". Although dimensional comparison and social comparison significantly influenced self-concept, social comparison exerted a stronger effect than dimensional comparison. Future research of dimensional comparison should expand its application domains, strengthen its integration with other comparison types, and improve its research methods.


A Monte Carlo simulation is applied to investigate the escape process of the secondary electrons in a metal. The calculated energy distribution of secondary electrons agrees satisfactorily with the experimental results. The lateral distribution of secondary electrons is also calculated and is similar 10 Å for normal incidence, which corresponds to the theoretical limit of the scanning electron microscope in the image of secondary electrons. The decay of slow secondary electrons is shown not to obey a simple exponential decay law because of the cascade process from the calculation of the depth distribution. The calculated results suggest that a higher resolution in the scanning electron microscope can be attained by detecting only the secondary electrons with higher energies. The energy distribution of secondary electrons excited by Auger electrons is widely spread over the range between zero and the characteristic energy of Auger electrons.


Although febrile convulsions are a relatively common complaint, the approach to their management is far from uniform and highly controversial. This article reviews the consensus statement on febrile convulsions arrived at by the Consensus Development Conference held in 1980 by the National Institutes of Health, together with other literature of interest to family physicians. Guidelines are given for the assessment, diagnosis and emergency treatment of febrile seizures. Epilepsy and atypical febrile convulsions are distinguished from simple febrile seizures. Prognosis, prevention, and the importance of counselling parents are discussed, as well as the controversial issue of prophylactic treatment.


The photospheric iron abundance is important to understanding solar system formation and evolution, but methodological designs in the literature have produced significantly different abundance estimates. 290 original photospheric iron abundances were extracted from 68 primary publications identified through SAO/NASA Astrophysics Data System and Google Scholar. Methodological characteristics corresponding to each abundance estimate were categorised, including the ion studied, local thermodynamic equilibrium (LTE) assumption, the atmospheric model and its dimensions, the source of oscillator strengths, and microturbulence velocity. A linear mixed-effects regression model was implemented to quantify the role these variables play in abundance estimates. The mean photospheric iron abundance across all sources was 7.44 ± 0.02 dex on the astronomical log scale. On the average, abundance estimates from Fe II lines were 0.121+0.069-0.069 dex higher than those from Fe I lines (main effect), after controlling for other factors. Compared to LTE estimates, NLTE estimates were higher by 0.114+0.087-0.087 dex (main effect). The role of LTE was different for neutral and ionised iron analyses. LTE abundance predictions were lower than NLTE predictions for Fe I, but higher than NLTE predictions for Fe II. Other differences are described for various model atmospheres and oscillator strengths. A subgroup analysis of 245 1D and mean 3D model abundances suggests every 0.1 km s −1 increase in the microturbulence velocity parameter results in a 0.04 dex decrease in estimated abundance. These findings explain much of the differences in photospheric iron abundance estimates over time and have implications for future abundance research.


In many application areas, there is a need for inter-disciplinary collaboration and education. However, such collaboration and education are not easy. On the example of our participation in a cyberinfrastructure project, we show that many obstacles on the path to successful collaboration and education can be overcome if we take into account that each person's knowledge of a statement is often a matter of degree – and that we can therefore use appropriate degree-based ideas and techniques.