Nitrous oxide (N(2)O), also known as laughing gas, is widely used in the dental offices as a common inhaled sedative analgesic gas to reduce anxiety and pain during treatment. Studies have shown that long-term exposure to higher concentrations of laughing gas may have a certain impact on the health of medical staff, while currently research on iatrogenic pollution in applications of laughing gas in oral therapy is not sufficient. In the United States and Europe, the condition of applications of laughing gas is relativrly mature, and there are related regulations and recommended measures to prevent and control iatrogenic pollution. However, studies in these countries still show that there is iatrogenic pollution in the clinical use of laughing gas and lack of uniform detection measures. While, in China, there is little research on the health effects of laughing gas on medical staff and on how to detect and control nitrous oxide pollution. This review is about the hazards, monitoring and control of clinical application of nitrous oxide.


could have been less fitted than Madison. He was no executive, and shrank from exercising the powers of one. Confronted with problems strangely similar to those which Woodrow Wilson faced, Madison simply had not the forcefulness to put himself at the head of the Nation and lead it with iron hand to battle. Dr. Smith has sensed this inadequacy with the most delicate understanding. He has put it into words with skill, and drawn shrewd and just conclusions. This alone would be enough to make his biography worth while. ALPHONSE B. MILLER


A numerical treatment of body forces which are equivalent to seismic sources in elastic media is given. This treatment allows the formulation of sources of different orders and with different spatial and temporal dependence. It includes internal sources having different extensions in different directions in space; the internal sources can be located arbitrarily close to a free surface or an interface. The method also handles distributed surface forces acting on a finite area. Complete solutions, calculated for impulsive sources of first, second, and third order, buried in an elastic half‐space and extending over a finite region, and for a distributed surface loading, are illustrated.


An experimental study has been carried out to reveal the shear-bond failure mechanism of composite deck slabs. Thirteen full scale simply supported composite slabs are studied experimentally, with the influence parameters like span length, slab depth, shear span length and end anchorage provided by steel headed studs. A dozen of strain gauges and LVDTs are monitored to capture the strain distribution and variation of the composite slabs. Before the onset of shear-bond slip, the longitudinal shear forces along the span are deduced and found to be proportional to the vertical shear force in terms of the shear-bond strength in the m-k method. The test results are appraised using the current design procedures. Based on the partial shear-bond connection at the ultimate state, an improved method is proposed by introducing two reduction factors to assess the moment resistance of a composite deck slab. The new method has been validated and the results predicted by the revised method agree well with the test results.


The manifestations of epidemic encephalitis in children have received attention in this and other countries, and it has been our privilege in the Mayo Clinic to see nearly all the features described by other observers. However, one syndrome in children, which was presented to us more forcibly than the other more common disturbances of function, was a disturbance of the respiratory rhythm and depth, persisting many months after the initial phase of the disease had passed. Seven children and one adolescent came to the Mayo Clinic during the last half of 1921 and the first half of 1922, manifesting, besides the characteristic disturbance of the respiratory function, the now well recognized intractable insomnia and metamorphosis of character seen in children who have had epidemic encephalitis. Six of the patients dated their illnesses from the first three months of 1920. Disturbances in respiration during the acute stages of encephalitis. have already


Abstract Background Our objective was to determine the predictive value of the prenatal diagnosis of isolated clubfoot in twin gestations compared to singleton gestations. Methods A prospectively entered ultrasound database was reviewed for all pregnancies scanned at our institution from 2002 to 2014. Cases of suspected clubfoot were identified. Neonates with associated anomalies or aneuploidy, and patients who delivered at other institutions were excluded. Neonatal charts were reviewed for the confirmation of clubfoot. The chi-squared (χ2) test, Fisher's exact test and the Mann-Whitney U test were used in the analysis, with p < 0.05 considered significant. Results Of those women who had prenatal ultrasound and subsequently delivered at our hospital, 84 pregnancies had isolated clubfoot suspected in the antenatal period. Of these pregnancies, 20 were twin gestations and 64 were singleton gestations. Overall, 51/84 (60.7%) pregnancies had clubfoot confirmed during the neonatal period. Of the twin pregnancies, only 35% (7/20) had a confirmed diagnosis of clubfoot at birth compared to 68.8% (44/64) of the singleton pregnancies (P = 0.008). Gestational age at diagnosis, breech presentation, neonatal gender, unilateral vs. bilateral clubfoot and suspicion of clubfoot in the presenting twin (Twin A) vs. the non-presenting twin (Twin B) did not correlate with an accurate diagnosis of clubfoot in twins. Conclusion False-positive prenatal diagnosis of isolated clubfoot is more common in twin gestations compared to singletons. This may be due to transient malpositioning or a result of diminished space. Obstetric providers should consider the possibility of a false-positive diagnosis and use caution when counseling patients about a prenatal suspicion for clubfoot, especially in twin gestations.


Background: Type 2 diabetes (T2D) is becoming more prevalent in adolescents. Multi-disciplinary care with periodic follow-up is required to ensure optimal management with lifestyle modification and medications. The purpose of this study was to estimate physician visitation rates and antidiabetic medication use (including off-label use) among adolescents with T2D and examine the impact of insurance type (Commercial vs. Medicaid). Methods: We used data from the Truven MarketScan Commercial and Medicaid administrative claims databases to identify a cohort of adolescents aged 10-17 years with T2D (≥2 T2D diagnoses or ≥1 T2D diagnosis and ≥1 antidiabetic medication) with continuous medical and prescription enrollment in 2015. Patients with gestational diabetes, diabetes complicating pregnancy, and secondary diabetes were excluded. Visits to specified providers (pediatric endocrinologist, pediatrician, and family practitioner) and use of medications overall and by class were assessed. Results: Substantially more commercially insured than Medicaid patients had ≥1 visit to any specified provider (88% vs. 45%) and to pediatric endocrinologists (33% vs. 14%). The use of any antidiabetic medication was similar in both insurance types (92% vs. 90%); however, off-label use was higher in commercially insured patients (9% vs. 6%), specifically those visiting only family practitioners (12%). The most commonly used off-label drug class was sulfonylureas. Conclusions: A higher proportion of commercially insured adolescents received multi-disciplinary care. While use of any antidiabetic medication was similar, off-label use was greater among commercially insured. Concerted efforts are needed to enhance patient access, generate evidence regarding non-approved medications, and educate providers about optimal care of youth with T2D, particularly on the use of sulfonylureas, which are not recommended by current guidelines. Disclosure S. Curtis: Employee; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. Employee; Spouse/Partner; Eli Lilly and Company. J.A. Johnston: Employee; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. P.W. Anderson: Other Relationship; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. K.M. Schroeder: Employee; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. Stock/Shareholder; Self; Eli Lilly and Company. J. Wu: None. P. Zeitler: Consultant; Self; Daiichi Sankyo Company, Limited, Merck & Co., Inc., Eli Lilly and Company, Takeda Development Center Americas, Inc., Boehringer Ingelheim GmbH.


Given the rise in incidents of Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), a validated finite element model (FEM) of the human head is necessary for the study, assessment and mitigation of this injury. In this study, dynamic compressive mechanical properties of the human skull have been determined. These properties are suitable for incorporation in an FEM of the skull with a coarse mesh (~ 5 mm) affording greater computational efficiency. Cylindrical through-the-thickness specimens (co res) of skull bone were obtained from ten regions of the right calvarium of ten male post-mortem human surrogates. Potted specimens were compressed using a ramp displacement. The resulting stress vs. strain behavior was used to calculate effective material properties of the skull cores. A micro computed tomography (μCT) study of the cores was performed prior to testing to determine response dependency on microstructure. The modulus of elasticity was determined as 450 ± 135 MPa and the failure stress was estimated as 23 ± 6 MPa. These material properties did not correlate with harvest location or average apparent density in the cores. This study characterizes the combined response of the inner and outer tables and the diploe and provides dynamic material properties to be used in an FEM suitable for high strain rate applications.


The software product line development goal is whole domain rather than a single software system, with the results that effectively improved the software system development productivity and quality, shortened development time, and reduced overall development costs. The ideas of software product line engineering can be used as an experience for reference of this article, and proposed the construction method of evaluation indicator system model based on software product line engineering, which in the real application attempt to build the evaluation indicator system overcome casualness of disadvantages, and quickly construct high-quality domain evaluation indicator system.


Objectives and insightsThe supply of Chinese network equipment to wireless carriers in Africa and of cellphones and smartphones to consumers are well known phenomena, but poorly explored. There has been more interest in the formation and reshaping of the major carrier groups (e.g., Etisalat, Orange and Vodafone) and in the adoption of m-banking, plus some concern about interconnection rates.This paper examines the engagement of the Chinese government and manufacturers with African governments and carriers, which proved surprisingly diverse. Where there are competitive carriers, Huawei and ZTE offered low-priced equipment and won contracts, if necessary backed by China EXIM Bank. Where there are infrastructure projects (e.g., pipelines and railways), optical fibres are laid, which can become part of the national or regional backbone networks. Where there was an ineffective state monopoly, CITCC, a Chinese contractor, installed equipment from Huawei and ZTE and in some cases runs the network. Even in conflict and post-conflict states equipment was available to smaller carriers, regardless of any risks and the absence of governance. In addition to sales of handsets through the conventional channel of carriers, they are also sold through informal channels with traders buying from factories in China and bring them to retailers in Africa.Analytical methodThe approach taken has been to examine all the publicly available information about supply contracts in Africa and global production networks, especially those in China. This was informed by the substantial literature on Africa in China, plus the literatures on telecommunications in China and in Africa. Description of the dataInformation about contracts was collected from a wide range of public sources (e.g. press releases, newspaper stories and ministries), both concerning telecommunication and infrastructure projects. Additional sources included annual reports of manufacturers, carriers, regulators and banks. NoveltyWhile the general engagement of China with Africa has been covered extensively, albeit sometimes polemically, this is the first account of the telecommunications sector. The support for African state-owned monopolies by Chinese manufacturers and a Chinese network construction firm, aided by development banks, was unexpected, since it bypasses the usual conditionality of good governance. The flexibility is surprising, though it has delivered growth in networks for which no other hope existed, it explains an uplift in mobile teledensities in countries where it would not be expected.Full paper available on request


Schlusselworter: Bergbau, Guatemala, Neuer Extraktivismus, Widerstand, Indigene ----- Current extractivism in the context of multiple forms of resistance: the case of Guatemala. Abstract With few exceptions, the history of extractivism in Guatemala has been characterized by the violent exploitation of natural resources by a coalition of transnational companies and national oligarchies. Local communities and mining workers, on the other hand, have a long history of opposition  against extraction projects; they have opposed their effects on the  environment and the living conditions of surrounding communities, and  have been actively trying to improve miserable working conditions. They  have also been actively involved in some of the country's most prominent demonstrations and marches. Since the end of the civil war, which  amounted in several cases to genocide against the indigenous  population,transnational mining companies have increased their activities  in Guatemala, and they are now applying new technologies which seriously harm the living conditions of indigenous communities. Community  members have developed new forms of resistance which include public  protests, international networking, and judicial procedures against the  companies at the national and international level. National and international laws also provide the framework within which indigenous  communities creatively develop new forms of customary law. The concept  of "new extractivism", however, falls short in describing the relevant politics of the former social democratic president Alvaro Colom, and ignores the new forms of extractivism as well as the innovative strategies of resistance. Keywords: mining, Guatemala, new extractivism, resistance, indigenous population


Background One of the main concerns of state governments about Medicaid expansion is the potential increase in state fiscal burden following the rise in enrollments. In previous literature, limited attention has been paid to the effect of macroeconomic changes, which are closely linked to Medicaid enrollments, in understanding the impact of Medicaid expansion on a state. To narrow the gap, this study establishes a synthetic model to represent the transmission channel from an unemployment shock to the Medicaid program and state expenditures. Methods The panel vector autoregression (VAR) model is adopted for the empirical analysis using annual data from 2010 to 2019 for 50 US states and D.C. The unit root and Granger causality tests are conducted to check the model's appropriateness. The estimated results are analyzed by using impulse response functions. Results A sudden increase in the unemployment rate will raise the number of Medicaid enrollees and the state Medicaid expenditure, but the impact on the overall state budget is not clear. States that adopt Medicaid expansion will encounter surges in enrollment and increasing Medicaid expenditure during the economic recession, while the non-expansion states will only have moderate enrollment increases. However, an increased budgetary burden per new enrollees will not be significant at its level. Conclusion Medicaid expansion will allow more people to benefit from the public health insurance program during an economic recession while the impact on states' fiscal burden will be moderate.


. In this paper, we focus on the problem of determining the feasibility of medication assignment in an automated dispensing cabinet. Indeed, a cabinet is made up of several drawers. Each drawer is subdivided into compartments, each capable of receiving one medication type. There are medications which should not be placed in neighbouring compartments because of the risk of confusion, according to medication similarity (look-alike/sound-alike drugs) or the pharmacological incompatibility which may lead to errors in dispensing. Then, the problem consists in determining the boundary conditions necessary for the allocation of medications to the different compartments without similar/incompatible medications in close proximity to one another. First, we developed an algebraic model that calculates the upper limit (not to exceed) of appearances of a medication in all pairs of incompatible medications. Then we formulated an efficient mixed-integer linear program that checks the existence of an acceptable solution to the assignment problem.


The Surgeon-General's report, by redefining the nature of the tobacco problem, invites a re-examination both of our goals and of our concepts and categories of tobacco use. A crucial pre-requisite to the acceptability of the development of refined nicotine-containing products, and of long-term nicotine maintenance therapy, will be progress in understanding the health risks of nicotine use per se. A broader conceptualization of prevalence and cessation is urged, one which takes account of cigar and pipe smoking as well as cigarettes. In addition to increasing overall prevalence somewhat, this approach drastically alters estimates of cessation rates, and indicates that the often-claimed gender difference in cessation is myth rather than reality. An analysis which combines social class and housing tenure as conjoint indicators of socio-economic position sharpens class gradients of smoking prevalence and shows that smokers are still comfortably in the majority among substantial groups of the population in the UK. Future progress in lowering prevalence, and hence smoking-related disease, is increasingly going to depend on reaching the most disadvantaged members of society.


Rotating scroll waves are dynamical spatiotemporal structures characteristic of three-dimensional active media. It is well known that, under low excitability conditions, scroll waves develop an intrinsically unstable dynamical regime that leads to a highly disorganized pattern of wave propagation. Such a "turbulent" state bears some resemblance to fibrillation states in cardiac tissue. We show here that this unstable regime can be controlled by using a spatially distributed random forcing superimposed on a control parameter of the system. Our results are obtained from numerical simulations but an explicit analytical argument that rationalizes our observations is also presented.


'Not Today, Old Man' was written to the journal's call-out theme 'Tropical Gothic'. Informed by these ideas and a long tradition of women's writing from Austen to Atwood, 'Not Today, Old Man' interrogates the relationship between women and violence.Throughout most of the twentieth century, ongoing abuse of women in a domestic environment was not considered a mitigating factor in violent action performed against the perpetrator, or indeed 'self-defence', unless taken at the time of attack. Unable to physically shield themselves from their abusers, and without a legal defence should they seek to protect themselves outside the temporal boundary of a violent attack, women were in a sense imprisoned within these relationships. In the comparatively rare instance that a woman was the perpetrator of domestic violence, 'Battered Woman Syndrome' was not available for defence in the context of Australian provocation law until the end of the twentieth century (see R v Kontinnen 1991; R v Runjanjic 1992). It is worth considering that in this same era, a man making unwelcome sexual advances to another man was considered reasonable grounds for 'self-defence' (R v Green 1997).The landscape in 'Not Today, Old Man' is predominantly set in the tropics, but the story also alludes to the diversity of countryside and climate within Australia, both in the text itself and through allusions to authors like Gerald Murnane. The dark undertones of the piece are embedded in the depiction of these landscapes and the images they evoke. The oppressive heat, humidity, and comparatively low population of Australia's tropical regions lends itself to gothic exploration. This dark undertone was modelled on writers like David Malouf, whose fiction and poetry have been significant in endowing Australia with a sense of mythology associated with its Northern environments. As Malouf has explained, re-mythologizing the postcolonial Australian landscape gives its diverse inhabitants a renewed, 'symbolised place' to 'exist in' (cited in Mulligan & Hill, 2001, p.110).


Measurements of the 238U( gamma , alpha ) cross section do not confirm previous estimates of this cross section and establish an upper limit lower by a factor of 30. The possibility of a background contribution to the original experiment, through the reaction 238U(n, alpha n'), is investigated and shown to be negligible.


Background: The presence of pesticides is very prevalent in surface waters of Iran. These toxic substances may accumulate in the food chain and cause serious ecological and health problems. The aim of this study was to determine the acute toxicity of glyphosate, deltamethrin and pretilachlor as potential dangerous organic pesticides to assess lethal effects of these chemicals agents to the Guppy (Poecilia reticulata). Methods: Fish samples were exposed to different concentrations of glyphosate (41%) (0, 2, 5, 10, 15 and 25 ppm), deltamethrin (2.5%) (0, 0.01, 0.02, 0.04, 0.10 and 0.30 ppm) and pretilachlor (50%) (0, 2, 4, 8, 16 and 32 ppm) for 96 h and cumulative mortality of the guppies was calculated with 24 h intervals. Results: LC50-96h was 12.01±1.00, 0.08±0.47 and 8.24±0.42 for glyphosate, deltamethrin and pretilachlor respectively. The very low LC50 obtained for glyphosate (12.01±1.00 ppm), deltamethrin (0.08±0.47 ppm) and pretilachlor (8.24±0.42 ppm) indicate that glyphosate, deltamethrin and pretilachlor are highly toxic to guppies. Conclusion: Our results demonstrated that deltamethrin and glyphosate had the lowest


UNLABELLED
Immunization is important to protect immunocompromised patients from preventable infectious disease but is often underused. Although live vaccines are contraindicated for most immunocompromised patients, many killed or component vaccines are safe and recommended. Vaccines may sometimes induce suboptimal immunogenicity, but even partial protection may benefit severely ill patients.

KEY POINTS
Vaccines against Streptococcus pneumoniae and influenza are strongly recommended for most immunosuppressed patients. When possible, immunization series should be completed before procedures that require or induce immunosuppression, such as organ transplantation or chemotherapy. If this is not possible, the patient may mount only a partial immune response, but even this partial response can be beneficial. Patients who undergo allogeneic bone marrow' transplantation lose preexisting immunities against a variety of diseases and should be revaccinated. In many situations, family members should be vaccinated to protect the patient. However, oral live polio vaccine should be avoided because it may carry the risk of infecting the patient.


A middle aged man showed retroperitoneal fibrosis with signs of vasculitis verified by biopsy of the retroperitoneal mass. Antineutrophil cytoplasmic antibodies (ANCA) with cytoplasmic staining pattern (cANCA) were strongly positive, although there were no clinical or histological signs of Wegener's granulomatosis. No cases of cANCA associated retroperitoneal fibrosis have been described except in connection with Wegener's granulomatosis. ANCA have been found to associate with any inflammatory disorders. This observation may broaden the clinical spectrum of cANCA positive vasculitides.


The energy spectra of gravitational waves (GWs) produced in quintessential inflationary models increase in frequency and exhibit a sharp spike around 170 GHz where the associated fraction of critical energy density presently stored in relic gravitons is of the order of 10-6. The maximal energy density present (today) in the stochastic GW background of quintessential origin is mainly constrained by the consistency with the (homogeneous and isotropic) big-bang nucleosynthesis scenario. We contrast our findings with the spectra of ordinary inflationary models and we comment on possible detection strategies for the spike.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is fourfold: first, to analyse the relationship between executive functions and academic performance; second, to identify the level of prediction executive functions have on academic performance; third, to determine the correlation between executive functions and academic performance; and fourth, to compare executive functions based on the level of academic performance.

Design/methodology/approach
The sample composed of 175 university students aged between 18 and 36 years (M=21.49, SD=3.22). The EFECO scale, the average student grade and a scale based on the diagnostic criteria for ADHD were used as measurement instruments.

Findings
Difficulties in executive functions: Difficulties in working memory (r=−0.30, p=<0.01) and difficulties in conscious supervision of behaviour (r=−0.29, p⩽0.01) have an inversely proportional relationship to academic performance (the greater the deficit of executive functions, the lower the academic performance). The regression analysis showed that executive functions explain 31 per cent of the variance of academic performance (χ2(25)=43.81, p <0.001). The study found that there is a relationship between all the executive functions and students' behaviour in a medium to large magnitude.

Research limitations/implications
A limitation of this study was the size of the sample as it is not representative of the country. Nevertheless, the correlation among the variables studied here has the necessary magnitude for the proposed correlations to be found. Nonetheless, it is necessary that we perform a study with a larger number of participants in order to achieve adequate extrapolation of the results.

Practical implications
Data found in this study suggest that low academic performance of university students is related to a lower functionality of their executive functions.

Originality/value
The originality of the research lies in relating specific concepts of neuropsychology to explain the academic performance of university students. The research findings allow us to project new studies to improve the executive functions for the benefit of the university student.


The gastrointestinal (GI) tract of fish reacts to stress, sometimes with severe cell damage to intestinal enterocytes and modulation of the gut bacterial community. The effect of dominance hierarchy formation, acute - and handling stress on the intestinal bacterial community have been reported in three salmonids; Arctic charr (Salvelinus alpinus L.), Atlantic salmon (Salmo salar L.) and rainbow trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss Walbaum), and Atlantic cod (Gadus morhua L.). In Arctic charr, hierarchy formation reduced cultivable autochthonous (adherent) bacteria level in proximal intestine of subordinate fish compared to dominant fish, but this effect was not noticed in the distal intestine (DI). Furthermore, hierarchy formation modulates the gut microbiota. When Atlantic salmon and rainbow trout were exposed to acute stress the population level of adherent bacteria decrease in DI with concomitant increase in faeces, but this effect was not observed in Atlantic cod. The reason for the effect in Atlantic salmon is probably a peel-off effect of mucus and transporting autochthonous gut bacteria out of the fish. This will in turn allow allochthonous bacteria (present in the lumen or associated to digesta) to adhere and colonise the mucus layer. The elimination of the existing beneficial adherent gut microbiota and the lack of protecting mucus during acute stress might have relevance in pathogenesis. The present study reveals that stress eliminates certain protecting bacteria in the GI tract making the gut more prone to pathogen infections.

 Key words: Fish, stress, intestinal microbiota.


Abstract When nuclear power reactors are operated in a load following (LF) mode, the nuclear fuel may be subjected to step changes in power on weekly, daily, or even hourly basis, depending on the grid's needs. Two load following tests performed in TRIGA Research Reactor of Institute for Nuclear Research (INR) Pitesti were simulated with finite elements computer codes in order to evaluate Stress Corrosion Fatigue (SCF) of the sheath arising from expansion and contraction of the pellets in the corrosive environment. The 3D finite element analyses show that the cyclic strains give highly multiaxial stresses in the sheath at ridge region. This paper summarizes the results of the analytical assessment for SCF and their relation to CANDU fuel performance in LF tests conditions.


Serendipity, the notion of researchers making unexpected and beneficial discoveries, has played an important role in debates about the feasibility and desirability of targeting public R&D investments. The purpose of this paper is to show that serendipity can come in different forms and come about in a variety of ways. The archives of Robert K Merton, who introduced the term to the social sciences, were used as a starting point for gathering literature and examples. I identify four types of serendipity (Walpolian, Mertonian, Bushian, Stephanian) together with four mechanisms of serendipity (Theory-led, Observerled, Error-borne, Network-emergent). I also discuss implications of the different types and mechanisms for theory and policy.


Abstract Laser ablation inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (LA-ICP-MS) has become established as a very efficient and sensitive trace, ultratrace, and surface analytical technique in the life sciences. We have developed a new analytical imaging technique using LA-ICP-MS to study element distribution in biological tissues. Nowadays, LA imaging ICP-MS using double-focusing sector field (LA-ICP-SFMS) or quadrupole-based mass spectrometers (LA-ICP-QMS) can be applied as an exciting tool providing new information on the pathophysiology, pharmacology, and toxicology of elements of interest in biological systems. The quantitative determination of elements (e.g., Cu, Fe, Zn, Se, and others) in biological tissues is of growing interest especially in brain research (e.g., for studying neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer's or Parkinson's disease). LA-ICP-SFMS was employed to produce images of detailed regionally specific element distributions in thin tissue sections of different sizes (such as control human or rat brain tissues or tumor regions). In addition, imaging MS using LA-ICP-QMS was applied to study the uptake and transport of nutrient and toxic elements in plant tissues. Besides the quantitative imaging of essential and toxic elements in tissues, powerful analytical techniques are also required for the determination and characterization of phosphoproteins and metal-containing proteins within a large pool of proteins, after electrophoretic separation (e.g., blue native, BN and sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis, SDS-PAGE) into 1D and 2D gels. LA-ICP-MS was used to detect metalloproteins in protein bands of 1D gels or protein spots separated after 2D gel electrophoresis (2D-GE). In addition to elemental determination by LA-ICP-MS, matrix-assisted laser desorption/ionization (MALDI)-MS was employed to identify metal-containing proteins. Recent progress will be discussed in applying LA-ICP-MS in the life sciences, including the imaging of thin slices of tissue and applications in proteome analysis in combination with MALDI-MS to investigate phosphoproteins and metal-containing proteins.


Introduction: Pancreatic and peripancreatic tuberculosis is such a rare entity that most of our learning about the disease is mainly from individual case reports and few case studies that have been published worldwide. Due to its vague clinical presentation, subtle biochemical abnormalities, unusual radiological findings and low index of suspicion, it is often misdiagnosed as malignancy and the patient lands up in a surgery. Ultrasonography/computed tomography/endosonography-guided biopsy is the recommended diagnostic technique and the disease is very well treatable with regular anti-tubercular chemotherapy. Case outline: We report a case of an adult female with no previous history of tuberculosis and were immunocompetent. Diagnosis was obtained by abdominal ultrasound guided FNAC that was suggestive of a tubercular lesion. The patient was then started on anti-tubercular therapy following which she became asymptomatic. Conclusion: In cases of suspicious pancreatic mass lesions, possibility of pancreatic tuberculosis should be kept in mind and to rule it out, a histopathological or microbiological diagnosis should be made.


Background: Aiming to verify that therapeutic drug monitoring has the potential to optimize treatment with acetylcholine esterase inhibitors of patients with Alzheimer dementia, this study investigated whether serum concentrations of donepezil are associated with clinical improvement. Methods: Clinical improvement was measured using the clinical global impression (CGI) scale, and donepezil concentrations were measured in serum by a high-performance liquid chromatographic method with spectrophotometric detection. Results: In total, 206 serum samples from 106 patients (49.5% female) were retrospectively available for analysis. Patients included were treated under everyday conditions. Their mean ± SD age was 72 ± 9 years, daily doses of donepezil were 5 and 10 mg, and their mean ± SD serum concentrations were 23 ± 9 and 47 ± 18 ng/mL, respectively. Serum concentrations correlated significantly (P < 0.001) with CGI scores (Pearson's correlation coefficient r = 0.511, P < 0.01). In patients who were "very much improved," according to their CGI score, the mean serum concentration was 66 ± 20 ng/mL and thus significantly higher (P < 0.01) than in patients with "minimal improvement" (29 ± 12 ng/mL). Receiver operating characteristics analysis suggests that donepezil serum concentrations of at least 50 ng/mL may be recommended for maximal clinical benefit. Conclusions: Because donepezil serum concentrations were highly variable between individual patients and the majority of patients exhibited concentrations that were below 50 ng/mL at therapeutic doses of 5 and 10 mg/d, it can be concluded that therapeutic drug monitoring may be used to enhance the effectiveness of donepezil treatment.


Light microscopy of sections from the paraaortic and pelvic lymph nodes of a patient revealed micrometastases with sinus pattern. The diagnosis of metastatic rhabdomyosarcoma was confirmed ultrastructurally by demonstration of actin filaments and Z bands. To our knowledge occult metastases of rhabdomyosarcoma with purely sinus pattern have not been reported previously and diagnosis might be difficult to establish clinically or pathologically. However, recognition of the lymph node involvement changes the clinical staging and therapeutic regimen of this disease. Therefore, rhabdomyosarcoma should be included in the differential diagnosis of lymphadenopathies with sinus pattern. The disorders causing sinus pattern in lymph nodes are briefly reviewed.


Diseases from the major pathophysiological subgroups, including inflammatory, infectious, neoplastic, autoimmune, and metabolic disorders, can present in a very similar clinical manner. The importance of generating a broad differential diagnosis is supported by a case in which an 80-year-old white man presented with a verrucous plaque on the tip of his nose. The appropriate differential diagnosis for such a lesion as well as an overview of the disease diagnosed, North American blastomycosis, is presented.


Early Childhood Education (PAUD) receives enormous attention from the government, because preparing the next generation needs to pay attention to how to foster children from an early age. One method of learning for young children that is fun and interesting is Beyond Centers and Circle Time (BCCT) or better known as the Center Method. The purpose of this study was to analyze the Obstacles and Solution of Beyond Centers and Circle Time (BCCT) Implementation in TK ABA 2 Banjarmasin.However, this method has not been widely applied in South Kalimantan Province, especially in Banjarmasin. TK Aisiyah Busthanul Athfal (ABA) 2 in Banjarmasin is the first kindergarten that has implemented in Banjarmasin. Therefore, this qualitative research was conducted with a case study approach, to explore the TK ABA 2 Kindergarten Banjarmasin process so that they could use BCCT, as well as the problems and solutions they had faced so that they could be input for other schools who wanted to also use this method. The principle and six teachers were interviewed to get information about the case. TK ABA 2 Banjarmasin started implementing BCCT in 2013. There are a number of things that need to be prepared, including preparing teachers especially in terms of educational background and center preparation including the availability of toys in each center. Obstacles can be resolved if all stake holders are dedicated to implement BCCT.


In order to separate the entire effect of two-particle on-shell scatterings in three-particle systems from the effects of hidden mesonic degrees of freedom (off-shell effects and three-body forces), the zero range limit of the Karlsson-Zeiger equations. Although the Faddeev equations are ambiguous in this limit, the KZ equations remain well defined. Using only two-particle phase shifts, binding energies, and reduced widths, these zero-range equations uniquely predict the three-particle observables which would occur in the absence of hidden mesonic degrees of freedom. The three-particle amplitudes possess all requisite physical symmetry properties, and can be proved to be unitary if the spectator basis is orthonormal and complete. Possible extensions of the scheme for the analysis of three-particle final states, to zero range four-particle equations, and to relativistic systems are conjectured.


Consumption of greens is a major source of vitamins and micro-nutrients for people using only vegetarian diets rich in carbohydrates. In remote rural settlements where vegetable cultivation is not practiced and market supplies are not organized, local inhabitants depend on indigenous vegetables, both cultivated in kitchen gardens and wild, for enriching the diversity of food. Knowledge of such foods is part of traditional knowledge which is largely transmitted through participation of individuals of households. A total of 123 households in six villages of Nanda Devi Biosphere Reserve buffer zone was surveyed using a schedule to assess the knowledge, availability and consumption pattern of wild leafy vegetables. Quantity estimations were done using regular visits with informants from 30 sample households of the six study villages during the collections. Monetization was used to see the value of wild leafy vegetables harvested during a year. The diversity of wild leafy vegetables being use by the local inhabitants is 21 species belonging to 14 genera and 11 families. This is far less than that being reported to be used by the communities from Western Ghats in India and some parts of Africa. Irrespective of social or economic status all households in the study villages had the knowledge and used wild leafy vegetables. The number of households reported to consume these wild leafy vegetables is greater than the number of households reporting to harvest them for all species except for Diplazium esculentum and Phytolacca acinosa. The availability and use period varied for the species are listed by the users. The study indicated that the knowledge is eroding due to changing social values and non participation of younger generation in collection and processing of such wild leafy vegetables.


This protocol illustrates the modelling of a protein-peptide complex using the synergic combination of in silico analysis and experimental results. To this end, we use the integrative modelling software HADDOCK, which possesses the powerful ability to incorporate experimental data, such as NMR Chemical Shift Perturbations and biochemical protein-peptide interaction data, as restraints to guide the docking process. Based on the modelling results, a rational mutagenesis approach is used to validate the generated models. The experimental results allow to select a final structural model best representing the bona fide protein-peptide complex. The described protocol can also be applied to model protein-protein complexes. There is no size limit for the macromolecular complexes that can be characterized by HADDOCK as long as the 3D structures of the individual components are available.


In this article matured necessity of decision management challenges in the field of endocrine surgery is discussed. There are epidemiological data, which improved their social magnification. The most impotent problem in this sphere are absence of modern guidelines, lack of epidemiology data and national registers, difficulties of education new specialists, delay of scientific development. The authors insist to separation of endocrine surgery as self depending specialty, it could be first step in resolving of available challenges.


Plant Preservative Mixture (PPM), a relatively new, broad-spectrum preservative and biocide for use in plant tissue culture, was evaluated as an alternative to the use of conventional antibiotics and fungicides in plant tissue culture. Concentrations of 0.5 to 4.0 mL.L -1 were tested with leaf explants of chrysanthemum (Dendranthema × grandiflora Kitam), European birch (Betula pendula Roth), and rhododendron (Rhododendron catawbiense Michx.). PPM had little effect on the percentage of explants forming shoots and the number of shoots formed per explant in birch and rhododendron, but dramatically reduced both responses in chrysanthemum. Therefore, the effects of PPM must be evaluated for each species of interest prior to use.


The impact of grazing on C fluxes from pastures in subtropical and tropical regions and on the environment is uncertain, although these systems account for a substantial portion of global C storage. We investigated how cattle grazing influences net ecosystem CO2 and CH4 exchange in subtropical pastures using the eddy covariance technique. Measurements were made over several wet-dry seasonal cycles in a grazed pasture, and in an adjacent pasture during the first three years of grazer exclusion. Grazing increased soil wetness but did not affect soil temperature. By removing aboveground biomass, grazing decreased ecosystem respiration (Reco ) and gross primary productivity (GPP). As the decrease in Reco was larger than the reduction in GPP, grazing consistently increased the net CO2 sink strength of subtropical pastures (55, 219 and 187 more C/m2 in 2013, 2014, and 2015). Enteric ruminant fermentation and increased soil wetness due to grazers, increased total net ecosystem CH4 emissions in grazed relative to ungrazed pasture (27-80%). Unlike temperate, arid, and semiarid pastures, where differences in CH4 emissions between grazed and ungrazed pastures are mainly driven by enteric ruminant fermentation, our results showed that the effect of grazing on soil CH4 emissions can be greater than CH4 produced by cattle. Thus, our results suggest that the interactions between grazers and soil hydrology affecting soil CH4 emissions play an important role in determining the environmental impacts of this management practice in a subtropical pasture. Although grazing increased total net ecosystem CH4 emissions and removed aboveground biomass, it increased the net storage of C and decreased the global warming potential associated with C fluxes of pasture by increasing its net CO2 sink strength.


In 1998 6.4 Eastern pygmy possums Cercartetus nanus were placed in a large communal outdoor enclosure at Healesville Sanctuary. After 4 months two ♀♀ each had litters of four pouch young and a third ♀ had a single pouch young. The husbandry conditions which resulted in successful breeding in 1998 and 1999 are described and goals for future husbandry and research are outlined. At time of writing, and to the best of our knowledge, this is the first published record of C. nanus breeding in captivity.


Dementia is a disorder that affects many people today and because of our ageing society, is set to rise within the next few decades. As a result the care required to meet the needs of people with dementia will also become an issue. As a dementia care worker one of your unique roles is to maintain the quality of life for the person with dementia and enable the individual to maximize their potential. However, to enable you to fully meet the needs of the person with dementia you need to understand some of the most fundamental facts in relation to how dementia affects the person. This article will focus on one of the five defining attributes of the person centred concept: neurological impairment.


A marked difference in the quality of reading lesson plans after early childhood education students were required to use the Unit Builder feature in a web-based productivity tool (TaskStream) prompted the design of a study to measure significant changes. A rubric was created that meshed the qualities of effective teachers of literacy and the elements of an effective lesson plan. Two researchers independently evaluated 32 lesson plans. Statistically significant differences in quality were found across all nine measures of effectiveness. It was concluded that technology, as a cognitive tool, positively scaffolded students as they learned about lesson planning in a content area and increased the effectiveness of their literacy plans.


The difficulty in retrieval of visual information in engineering technical drawings needed for decision-making is an area of major concern. Current methods of retrieval do not satisfy the demand for rapid and precise location of information contained in large sets of drawings. This paper presents a conceptual model, a classification scheme and a prototype of an information retrieval system (IRS) for engineering technical drawings which addresses this problem using techniques of analysis and processing of images. The system integrates concepts of information science, computer science and engineering to improve retrieval of technical drawings which can impact positively on services and decision making in areas such as infrastructure (sanitation, energy and roads), security, health and education.


Smith, P. and Heath, D. (1974).Thorax, 29, 643-653. Paraquat lung: a reappraisal. The histopathology of the lungs from four human cases of paraquat poisoning is described. In two of them there was a dense mass of fibroblastic tissue which obliterated the lung architecture, and one of these showed an extensive deposit of collagen with honeycomb change. In a third case pulmonary fibrosis was less severe and could be demonstrated exclusively within the alveolar spaces. The fourth showed earlier lesions of capillary congestion, alveolar oedema, and hyaline membrane formation. We suggest that paraquat produces the same effect on the lung in man as in the rat, namely a diffuse, cellular, intra-alveolar fibrosis. The intra-alveolar origin of this fibrosis is often obscured in the advanced stage of the disease and has been misinterpreted as fibrosing alveolitis. This fibrosis is associated with a pulmonary vascular disease. In assessing the histopathology of the lung in paraquat poisoning a history of oxygen therapy must be taken into account, for prolonged exposure to this gas may in itself induce pulmonary fibrosis.


The mathematical and physical properties of the Lamb vector divergence are explored. Toward this aim, the instantaneous and mean dynamics of the Lamb vector divergence are examined in several analytic and turbulent flow examples relative to its capacity to identify and characterize spatially localized motions having a distinct capacity to effect a time rate of change of momentum. In this context, the transport equation for the Lamb vector divergence is developed and shown to accurately describe the dynamical mechanisms by which adjacent high- and low-momentum fluid parcels interact to effect a time rate of change of momentum and generate forces such as drag. From this, a transport-equation-based framework is developed that captures the self-sustaining spatiotemporal interactions between coherent motions, e.g. ejections and sweeps in turbulent wall flows, as predicted by the binary source–sink distribution of the Lamb vector divergence. New insight into coherent motion development and evolution is found through the analysis of the Lamb vector divergence.


In this study, it was aimed to obtain an alternative, more economical and preferable milk substitute feed by adding whey powder to cow's milk in kid rearing and to determine the effect of propolis supplement on this diet. 40 Saanen goat kids born in the same period were divided into 4 groups, on average 7 days after taking colostrum, and while the 10 kids in the control group were kept together with their mothers. the kids in the other three groups, 10 heads in each one, were taken into seperate sections. Kids in all three experimental groups were fed only formula. In addition to the feed, 0.4 cc and 0.2 cc propolis were given to the kids in the second and third experimental groups, respectively, once a day. Some growth and development parameters and rectal temperature were measured once a week for 5 weeks from all groups and morning and evening diarrhea scoring was done. Some biochemical and hematological analyzes were performed. According to all the results obtained, the differences between the groups were found to be significant in terms of body temperature, glucose and urea evaluations, and the differences within the group in other characteristics were statistically significant (P < 0.05). The insignificant difference between the average growth and development parameters of the kids in the groups fed with the formula and the average of the kids in the control group is an important result in terms of growing kids economically and bringing goat's milk to the economy. According to the diarrhea scores, it has been observed that propolis is effective on diarrhea and can be used in growing kids as a preventive measure. Feeding kids with the formula was found more economical than feeding their mother's milk. As a result of this study, it can be said that the use of milk replacers containing whey and propolis will positively affect the growth, development and health of the kid.


INTRODUCTION
The spinal fractures associated with posterior complex ligament injury are highly unstable, they require surgical stabilization and with frequency they can not do the diagnosis through imaging methods as radiography or computed tomography scan. Ultrasound is a no invasive imaging method that lets the visualization of the spinal posterior complex ligament and it also allows to see spinal fractures with or without ligament injury.

OBJECTIVES
To correlate preoperative physical, radiographic and ultrasound findings with direct visualization of the posterior complex ligament, showing the diagnostic accuracy of the tests above mentioned regarding to detection of posterior complex ligament injury associated with thoracolumbar spinal fractures.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Fourteen patients with thoracolumbar fractures were evaluated by palpation of the interspinous gap, plain radiography and ultrasound before surgical treatment by a posterior approach. During the operation, posterior ligament complex injury was carefully examined.

RESULTS
A wide interspinous gap was palpated in four patients and was found in 5 patients by radiography. Ultrasound examination showed ligament injury in 8 patients and integrity in 6. There was a significant relation between ultrasound findings and surgical results.

CONCLUSION
Ultrasound is a highly sensitive and specific method to evaluate supraspinous and interspinous ligament injury in patients with thoracolumbar fractures, with superior diagnostic accuracy than physical exploration and radiographic evaluation.


Tooth anomalies in childhood may negatively affect the healthy development of the dentition and occlusion; hence, it is important to examine the actual oral condition at an early stage. The present study was performed to understand the state of missing deciduous anterior teeth in children aged 3.5 years who underwent dental checkups in Matsubara City. In total, 3508 children received oral examinations, and items such as erupted deciduous teeth and teeth anomalies were recorded. Among these children, those with missing anterior deciduous teeth were selected, and their details were analyzed. In the 216 children, there were 266 missing anterior deciduous teeth. Congenitally missing anterior deciduous teeth were observed in 80 children, and fused teeth were observed in 128 children. The missing teeth were predominantly located in the mandible and occurred more frequently on the right side. The most common reason for acquired missing teeth was trauma, and no cases of spontaneous loss due to systemic disease were found in this study. Screening for various tooth anomalies is expected to play an important role in cultivating a better understanding of the oral cavity of children, developing healthy dentitions, and contributing to the early detection of some systemic diseases.


The present study reports the performance of final year medical students from the Universiti Malaysia Sabah (UMS) in the end of the senior surgical posting examination (SSP) with the aim to demonstrate the medical students graduating from this newly established university are of good standing and of improving quality. A study on the outcome of the method of teaching conducted on this study was performed by measuring the students' performance continuously and at the end of their posting. The present data analyses demonstrate that there have been improvements in the medical students' performance between the last two batches of students graduating from UMS. However, the students appear to be weaker in their MCQs, demonstrating a decline in theoretical knowledge. The analyses also demonstrate that there is a poor positive correlation between theoretical knowledge, clinical skills and/or continuous assessments, demonstrating the importance of emphasis in these 3 areas amongst medical students. Further studies may be required to determine the reason for this poor correlation since these may lead to better understanding on how to improve the overall performance of future medical student. CONCLUSION: The present study demonstrates that UMS medical student appears to continue to improve in their SSP performance although there are concerns about the decline in theoretical knowledge.


In 1986, the People's Republic of China enacted its first national bankruptcy law, the Law of the People's Republic of China on Enterprise Bankruptcy, as part of an emerging legal framework for the country's transition from a planned economy to a market economy. At the time of its enactment the bankruptcy law was considered a significant political and economic breakthrough that was necessary to apply some market pressure on China's State-Owned Enterprises ("SOEs") to force them to become more efficient. However, the rapid development of economic reforms in China soon exposed serious limitations in the bankruptcy law: This article discusses the bankruptcy law and practice in the Shenzhen Special Economic Zone, which offers an interesting and informative comparison and perhaps some lessons for China in reforming its national bankruptcy law. The article also sets out the results of a research project organized by the Faculty of Law at the University of Hong Kong and the Department of Economic Law at the China University of Politics and Law in Beijing that involved conducting interviews from February 16-18, 2000, of members of the Shenzhen judicial, legal, and political branches who are familiar with bankruptcy law and practice in Shenzhen.


The Civic Competence has been acknowledged essential to support sustainable societies, economies and ecosystems for the development of responsible active citizens in today's increasingly connected world. In this regard, telecollaboration seems to help enhance related media literacy and intercultural skills. However, despite the development of key competences for lifelong learning with telecollaboration has already been the focus of some studies, the measurement of Civic Competence in teacher education with telecollaboration remains still a question for investigation. Following this line of research, this study aimed to explore the own perception of FL student teachers in Civic Competence, and if this competence can be developed working the Sustainable Development Goals (SDG) with telecollaboration. The participants of this study were two groups of student teachers at two different European universities. Both groups completed a survey and proposed collaborative strategies to improve the global and Civic Competence. Educational proposals and digital collaborative tools were analysed to measure the improvement of the student teachers´ perception. Forum, e-portfolios and evaluation forms together with pre- and post-questionnaires were used to explore the outcomes. Results indicated that most Civic Competence domains can be enhanced by working SDG and that adopting a reflective, experiential and safe collaborative online international learning approach can help promote further knowledge, skills and attitudes in specific contexts.


This paper proposes a measurement method of the 2DOF (two degrees of freedom) joint angles and angular velocities using inertial sensors. A 3-axis gyro sensor and a 3-axis accelerometer are attached on the base link, and two 3-axis accelerometers are attached on the motion link in this method. The 2DOF joint angles and the angular velocities such as the hand and finger joints can be measured by applying Extended Kalman filter. The nonlinear state equation and the nonlinear measurement equation are established by the rotational component, the translational and gravity components of acceleration on the motion link and the angular velocity and the acceleration on the base link. The rotational component and the translational and gravity components on the motion link are calculated from accelerometers attaching on the motion link. The experiment was conducted to clarify the precision of the proposed method using the experimental setup installing the rotary encoders. The results indicated the effectiveness of this method.


We study the ordering dynamics of nonlinear voter models with multiple states, also providing a discussion of the two-state model. The rate with which an individual adopts an opinion scales as the $q$-th power of the number of the individual's neighbours in that state. For $q>1$ the dynamics favor the opinion held by the most agents. The ordering to consensus is driven by deterministic drift, and noise only plays a minor role. For $q<1$ the dynamics favors minority opinions, and for multistate models the ordering proceeds through a noise-driven succession of metastable states. Unlike linear multi-state systems, the nonlinear model cannot be reduced to an effective two-state model. We find that the average density of active interfaces in the model with multiple opinion states does not show a single exponential decay in time for $q<1$, again at variance with the linear model. This highlights the special character of the conventional (linear) voter model, in which deterministic drift is absent. As part of our analysis, we develop a pair approximation for the multi-state model on graphs, valid for any positive real value of $q$, improving on previous approximations for nonlinear two-state voter models.


Carbon slurry, dried in open air, has been used as an adsorbent material for the removal of nickel(II) from aqueous solutions at different experimental conditions in batch adsorption technique. The time required to attain equilib- rium was found to be 50 minutes. The effects of initial concentration of Ni(II), particle size of adsorbent, adsorbent dose, temperature and pH on removal of nickel(II) have been studied. The removal was favored at higher pH, the pH value for maximum adsorption being 10.00. Batch adsorption kinetics has been described by the Lagergren equation. Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms were applied and both isotherms were seen to be applicable over the concentration range studied. Thermodynamic parameters indicate the endothermic nature of Ni(II) adsorption on carbon slurry.


This paper deals with a seam tracking system of welding of Tailored Weld Blanks based on active laser-triangulation. The system consists of DSP based vision camera and stripe-type laser diode. The total system is assembled into a compact module which can be attached ahead of welding torch and it has high dynamic performance in guiding the robot arm welder accurately over the seam. its structure, basic principle of this system and the main function are introduced . The images taken by the camera are analyzed using image processing algorithms: setting the range of interest, the median filtering and bi-level thresholding. Furthermore, the middle line of the laser stripe is extracted. Finally, a search method is carried out to examine the mid-point. A prototype sensor system has been developed and experimental results show its effectiveness and good performance.


This paper clarifies the fundamental income computational structure under the Asset-and-Liability view. According to this income view, income is the increase/decrease in the net asset of an enterprise and key concepts are asset and liability. Thus, in the fundamental income computational structure, income is calculated in the balance sheet with the causes of income being explained in the income statement. However, the income statement does not necessarily have to explain all causes of income. In the clarification of the fundamental structure, this paper examines income concepts defined in the memorandum of the ASBJ (Accounting Standards Board of Japan) where comprehensive income and net income are defined. Comprehensive income is to be based on the Asset-and-Liability view, net income on the Revenue-and-Expense view. These two income concepts may lead to duality of periodical income allocation in Japan. This paper considers the reason for co-existence of two different types of income in terms of the fundamental income computational structure of the Asset-and-Liability view.


Before they acquire and develop language, children first refuse and reject with their bodies. The development of the various semiotic means to express refusal and rejection in longitudinal data of adult-child conversation provides a relevant domain for combining multimodal and multi-level analyses. As discussed by Bloom (1970) and later Choi (1988), rejection and refusal are negative functions which appear very early in children's productions. At first they are conveyed by actions and motions of avoidance (Clark, 1978), but as children grow older they use symbolic means to express negation (Guidetti, 2005). Spitz (1957) shows that this transition starts at around fifteen months, when children stop using actions or physiological refusals - such as pushing an object away or avoiding food with their bodies - and replace them with symbolic gestures like head-shakes through a process of ritualisation of spontaneous actions (Kendon, 2002). However, this path from actions to speech does not apply to rejection and refusal as they can be signalled nonverbally (Horn, 2001). To understand the way refusal and rejection are conveyed in children's productions, I analysed all the actions, gestures, vocalisations and verbal productions of one French-speaking child and one English-speaking child filmed for one hour a month between ten months and four years old, along with those of their adult interlocutors. This study was conducted from a multimodal and constructivist theoretical perspective. A specific coding system was developed combining the use of Excel, CLAN and ELAN with video data and transcriptions to analyse the children's refusals and rejections according to context in dialogue. Results show that the two children first use actions but one of them does not replace this modality with gestures during her second year. When their language has become complex, they continue using actions in combination with speech and when refusal and rejection are verbalised, their expression often takes the form of a no or non and does not require a complex syntactic realisation. The way the two children express refusal and rejection from 1;00 to 4;00 is very different from the path they use to express other modalities like denial or absence. Indeed, they usually use actions, then gestures and finally words alone or in combination with gestures but they hardly rely on actions once their speech has become elaborate. These findings show that the expression of refusal and rejection depends on the situation and on individual differences. This study also addresses the status given to actions, as well as how they are later coded syntactically in child and adult speech. It is especially notable that the modality of action -- typically replaced over the course of development by the more symbolic modalities of gesture and language -- continues to be used for expressing refusal and rejection even into adulthood. This continuity suggests that these negative functions may be embodied to a greater degree than others. Children's use of different modalities to refuse is an ideal domain for examining the relation between action and cognitive development and provides further support for embodied approaches to language development. References: Bloom, L. (1970) Language development: Form and Function in emerging grammars. Cambridge, MA: MIT Press. Choi, S. (1988) The Semantic development of negation: Across-linguistic study. Journal of Child Language 15, 517-532. Clark, E.V. (1978) From gesture to word, on the natural history of deixis in language acquisition. In J.S. Bruner & A. Garton (ed.), Human growth and development: Wolfson College lectures (1976). Oxford: Oxford University Press, 85-120. Guidetti, M. (2005) Yes or no? How do young children combine gestures and words to agree and refuse. Journal of Child Language 32, 911-924. Horn, L.R. (2001) A Natural History of Negation. Stanford, CA: CSLI Publication. Kendon, A. (2002) Some uses of the headshake. Gesture 2, 2, 147-182. Spitz, R.A. (1957) No and Yes: On the Genesis of Human Communication. New York: International Universities Press, Inc. New York.


It is well known that congenital heart abnormalities are common in children with Down's syndrome. However there are few studies on cardiac abnormalities in adults with Down's syndrome. Therefore, we estimated cardiac abnormalities by means of echocardiography in 30 institutionalized Japanese adults with Down's syndrome, but without cardiac symptoms. Two-dimensional echocardiography showed an incidence of 26.7% in mitral valve prolapse and 20% increase of echo brightness in the mitral valve. Doppler echocardiography revealed an incidence of 16.7% in mitral valve regurgitation, and 13.3% in aortic valve regurgitation. Thus, even adults with Down's syndrome who are apparently free of cardiac symptoms may be at risk for valvular disease.


India is a major cotton producing country in the world along with the U.S. and China. A change in the supply of and demand for cotton in the Indian market has the potential to have an impact on world cotton trade. This study evaluates the implications of efficient Bt cotton refuge policies in India on world and U.S. cotton markets. It can be hypothesized that increased refuge requirements for Bt cotton varieties in India could decrease the world supply of cotton because of the lower yield potential of non-Bt cotton varieties planted in refuges. A decrease in world cotton supply could potentially raise world cotton prices, ceteris paribus. This study conceptualizes the impact of efficient refuges in India on world cotton markets by using a partial equilibrium model. The hypothesized cotton trade scenario includes India, U.S., China, and rest of the world; where India and the U.S. are assumed to be net cotton-exporting countries and China is assumed to be a net cotton-importing country. The Chinese Tariff Rate Quota (TRQ) and the U.S. marketing loan program are explicitly included in the model. Impacts of increased adoption of Bt cotton varieties and increased domestic demand for textiles in India (because of the higher standard of living of the Indian population in recent years and increased exports of cotton-based textiles associated with the elimination of import quotas under the Multi-Fiber Arrangement (MFA)) are also considered in the model. The conceptual model hypothesizes that an increase in the supply of raw cotton in India due to increased adoption of Bt cotton would shift the excess supply curve upward in the world cotton market, resulting in a decrease in world price and an increase in the quantity traded. An increase in the world supply of cotton does not, however, translate into sustained higher revenues/profits for adopters of Bt cotton as prices for cotton could fall worldwide. As indicated, the rising domestic demand for textiles in India could increase demand for domestic and imported cotton in India, which would result in a decrease in the excess supply in the world market and an increase in price and a decrease in the quantity traded. If Indian cotton farmers comply with efficient refuge requirements, the supply of cotton would be expected to decrease, which would further shift the excess supply curve downward resulting in higher world prices. So, it is conceptualized that the expected impact of refuge compliance would be to alter cotton trade flows and increase world prices of cotton. However, the net change in world price and the trade of cotton is determined by the elasticities of demand and supply for the various countries. A partial equilibrium structural econometric model of Indian fiber markets was developed to measure the impact of change in refuge requirements in India on world price and trade of cotton. The model includes supply, demand and price relations for cotton and man-made fibers along with the proportion of the area under Bt cotton. Acreages under Bt and non-Bt cotton, and yield levels of cotton in three regions in India contribute to cotton production, which builds up total domestic supply after incorporating beginning stocks and imports. The model takes into account inter-fiber competition among cotton, wool and man-made fibers based on their relative prices. Fiber demand is derived by estimating textile consumption and mill demand for cotton and man-made fibers. Cotton ending stocks and cotton trade are also taken into account in order to close the model. Finally, world cotton price (A-Index) enters into the model through cotton trade equations. The estimated model was used to build baseline projections for supply, demand and prices of cotton and man-made fibers in the Indian fiber market. The baseline projections for the world fiber market were developed by linking Indian fiber model with the world fiber model developed and maintained by the Cotton Economics Research Institute (CERI), Texas Tech University. The baseline projections assumed that the area under Bt cotton in India would remain fixed at 2007-08 growing season levels. After developing baseline, two alternative scenarios were evaluated: Scenario 1 assumes that cotton producers comply with efficient refuges; and Scenario2 assumes that cotton producers grow 100% Bt cotton acreage and no refuge. Indian fiber model was shocked under each of the scenarios and the impacts on world cotton markets were observed. The policy effects are measured by comparing the differences between the scenarios and the baseline projections. The results revealed that the world the U.S. prices were higher when efficient refuges are mandatory as compared to the scenario when all the areas are under Bt cotton. The net trade decreased under refuge restrictions as compare to the scenario when 100% of cotton area is under Bt cotton. However, the U.S. cotton exports were projected to decrease whether the farmers in India comply with efficient refuges or they grow all of their cotton area under Bt cotton. Finally, it was concluded that farmers' compliance with optimal refugia in India could increase world and U.S. cotton prices and decrease the world net trade of cotton. Therefore, the proportion of Bt cotton according to the optimal refugia has the potential to impact world cotton markets because India is a large cotton producing country having 25% of world cotton area.


The paper sets in prominence the newfound cooperation between engineering and archaeology. This integration of knowledge is particularly useful in the development of preventive archaeology that allows targeted excavations with a considerable saving of resources and a widening of the possibilities for the protection of the cultural heritage. In many cases, the engineering reading of the ancient buildings reveals surprisingly good construction practices in seismic areas. Particularly, the architectures of archaeological sites shows a series of cases that meet the criteria of seismic assessment by combining the formal and functional aspects of space destruction to the static and dynamic behaviour of the construction.


Since the end of the 1990s, the number of fires increases dramatically in the city of Malmo. Between 1998 and 2009, the increase was 215 percent. A growing number of the fires are intentional and take place outdoors. Most of the fires are also concentrated in a limited number of neighborhoods. Furthermore, many schools are affected. Between 2000 and 2011, nearly 360 intentional fires occurred in schools. In addition, conflicts between groups of teenage boys and young men on the one hand, and the police and the emergency services on the other occurred during this time period. In these conflicts, fire-setting is used as a conflict practice.
The aim of this report is to:

Analyze if intentional fires can be seen as an expression of changing social condi-tions in the Swedish society in general, and in Malmo's social geography in particular.
Examine children's and young people's views to fire-setting, and analyze if fire-setting can be part of children's and young people's conflict and protest strat-egies against authorities such as the po-lice and the emergency services.

Analyze when and how intentional fires are started in schools and why schools are exposed to vandalism and fire-setting.

From an area-based approach, propose inter-disciplinary working methods in or-der to reduce fire-setting.
The main conclusions of the report are:
The rapid increase of intentional fires in Malmo during the early 2000s, can be mainly explained by two social processes. The first process relates to the illegal burning of copper cable in order to access copper. "Cable fires" account for about 11 % of the total number of intentional fires between 2000 and 2011.The second process concerns the increasing number of intentional fires in certain neighborhoods. Between 2000 and 2009, two sub-areas account for nearly 30 % of the increase of intentional fires, and of the investigated sub-areas, 10 % account for 75 % of the increased number of intentional fires. These areas are characterized by poor living conditions. The two most fire exposed sub-areas have a high proportion of children and young people, and many overcrowded residences. A statistical analysis shows that the number of children and the level of education are the two key factors behind intentional fires. The combination of factors such as informal population growth, a system with many informal second and third-hand apartment contracts, poor health and high health care needs in the population and the low proportion of elementary school students with upper secondary school eligibility, create conditions of high social, economic and psychological stress. On specific occasions, conflicts between youth and police authorities have occurred, these became particularly severe during the winter of 2008 and the spring of 2009.
For young people in certain disadvantaged neighborhoods, fire-setting is a frequent phenomenon and part of everyday life. There are several reasons why intentional fires are started. Some of the motives presented in focus group interviews were excitement, attention, group belonging, frustration, vandalism and vengeance. Other motives are to interrupt school activities, conceal crimes or to earn money. The results from this study to a large extent confirm earlier research but also stress an increasingly important factor. This is that teenage boys and young men are beginning to use fire-setting as part of a conflict practice primarily targeted against the police, but also against the emergency services. From having been a sporadic phenomenon in the mid-2000s, this type of conflict practice rose significantly in 2008 and 2009. Fire-setting in conflicts has also occurred in several neighborhoods as recently as the late fall and winter 2012, in which cars have been set on fire in conflicts with police.
Intentional fires in schools are more frequent in Malmo compared to other major cities in Sweden. Of all elementary school types, secondary schools (where students are 12-15 years old) are most affected. Between 2000 and 2011, 8 % of the elementary schools ac-count for nearly 40 % of school fires in Malmo. These schools are often located in or directly connected to fire-affected neighbor-hoods. This indicates neighborhood effects, where causes of intentional fires in schools and in adjacent neighborhoods can be traced to similar social processes. Important factors that can be related to school fires include the proportion of students who are not eligible for upper secondary school (gymnasium), students' influence in schools and support from school personnel. If students do not experience autonomy in school they seek it in activities outside the school environment, e.g. through various types of recreational activities such as sports. If students do not find autonomy in such activities, they may find it in antisocial behavior such as vandalism at school, and even worse, in fire-setting. One conclusion is that the risk of fire-setting in schools increases with a higher proportion of unqualified students to upper secondary school. However, this risk can be reduced if students feel that they have influence in school, if they feel they have support from the school personnel and if they have stimulating leisure activities. Intentional fires must be addressed in a wider context which includes more intensive work with safety and security, and more specific and preventive measures against intentional fires. Coordinated action between authorities in fire prone neighborhoods is a requirement. Another strategic priority is to involve residents and other members of the community in the preventive work. The report stresses the importance of three preventative measures: structural prevention for better living conditions, social prevention to support families and individuals, and contextual prevention to implement area-based measures.


The much touted transformations of television not only towards more television but more ways of accessing television presents particular challenges for 'business as usual' in audience measurement, particularly with respect to the trade-offs involved in establishing and maintaining broadcast ratings conventions. The gradual erosion of the standard broadcast model and the evolution of niche broadcasters alongside a variety of platforms including YouTube demonstrate an increasingly more complex and mixed set of televisual arrangements and business models. In this context audience measurement is both becoming more complex and needing to recalibrate its instruments to meet the new challenges of covering not only more but also different kinds of viewing. At the same time the relation between the audience market defined by advertising and the content market defined by sales of media product including pay-tv, DVD and downloads of programs is entering a new and more mixed phase. What the authors want to do in this paper is to follow the debates and controversies within audience measurement in Australia and the USA, especially as they relate to the future of exposure as the standard measure.


Since WHO declared COVID-19 as a global pandemic, COVID-19 management has become a problem for countries with limited resources and weak health systems. The purpose of this article is to describe the implementation of policies in Indonesia and Vietnam, in which both countries have limited resources in facing the COVID-19 pandemic. The present study is a narrative review which compares he COVID-19 policies in two countries. The study is conducted by searching relevant literature on Google Scholar with the keywords "Penerapan Kebijakan COVID-19 di Indonesia", "COVID-19 policy responses in Vietnam", "lesson from limited resource country to control COVID-19", and also scrutinizing the official website managed by the Indonesian Ministry of Health and the Vietnam Ministry of Health. The inclusion criteria are open access papers published between December 2019 and March 2020 in the form of original articles and review articles. This study found the differences in policy implementation between Indonesia and Vietnam in terms of the number of policies, implementation time, scope, and the basis for making policy decisions. Unlike Indonesia, the implementation of policies carried out in Vietnam is more anticipatory, based on previous experience in dealing with the SARS epidemic in 2003. In dealing with the COVID-19 pandemic, as a country with limited resources in the health system, it is very important to implement policies that are more preventive and anticipatory based on past experience in dealing with pandemics.


Nitrogen mustard preparations have an established role in the treatment of Hodgkin's disease. 1,2 They may be used in conjunction with radiation therapy or alone to ameliorate constitutional symptoms. Although the beneficial response to such therapy may be dramatic at first, after variable periods symptoms always return. Several serious toxic side effects may follow the administration of a nitrogen mustard. This and similar agents inhibit cell growth and damage rapidly proliferating tissue forming the basis of their therapeutic action. Unfortunately, normal tissue is as susceptible as neoplastic. Severe local reactions may develop from the extravasation of a nitrogen mustard into the subcutaneous tissues. Veins used for injection of concentrated solutions of mustard are subject to the development of thrombophlebitis. Systemic reaction include nausea and vomiting, depression of bone marrow function, destruction of lymphoid tissue and, rarely, skin eruption. Both herpes zoster and maculopapular reactions apparently unrelated to hypersensitivity have been observed. 3


Objectives FAM83A is recently found to be overexpressed in cancer and hypothesized to be oncogenic. This study is to illustrate the functional role and mechanism of FAM83A in cervical cancer. Methods 153 different clinical cervical specimens were used for validation by SYBR Green RT-qPCR and IHC. Cell proliferation, cell migration and invasion were done for functional validation. RNA-seq approach was applied to investigate the altered genes regulated by FAM83A. Results We found FAM83A is overexpressed in cervical cancer tissues. However, the expression of FAM83A was instead decreased in patients with advanced FIGO stage, deep stromal invasion, poor differentiation and/or lymph node metastasis, and negatively associated with short survival of patients with cervical cancer. We found knockdown of FAM83A increased cervical cancer cell proliferation, promoted cell migration and invasion. We further identified 192 genes that were changed in the context of FAM83A knockdown. KEGG pathway analysis showed ECM-receptor interaction, focal adhesion, PI3K-Akt signaling and TNF signaling were the main activated pathways. Conclusions We conclude that FAM83A exerts an unexpected tumor suppressive role in cervical cancer progression.


Abstract Objective: The aim of the current study was to investigate possible associations between catalase C262T (CAT C262T), glutathione peroxidase 1 Pro198Leu (GPX1 Pro198Leu), manganese superoxide dismutase Ala16Val (MnSOD Ala16Val) gene polymorphisms and non-Hodgkin Lymphoma risk (NHL) in a Romanian population and the five-year overall survival rate of the NHL patients. Methods: We included in this case-control study 406 individuals, divided into two groups: the control group (n=315) and the patients group (n=91). The DNA was extracted from peripheral blood and amplified using specific techniques. Results: The variant homozygous genotype of GPX1 Pro198Leu represents a risk factor for NHL development and no associations regarding the risk for NHL were found for MnSOD Ala16Val and CAT C262T gene polymorphisms. Two of the studied polymorphisms were associated with the overall survival rate thus: negative association regarding MnSOD Ala16Val, associated with higher overall survival rate and a positive one regarding CAT C262T, associated with lower overall survival rate. Conclusions: According to our results, the mentioned polymorphisms may be considered as susceptible markers of the five-year overall survival rate for NHL patients. Future studies with a larger number of patients are needed to confirm our results.


Urethritis of infectious origin are part of the sexually transmitted diseases (STD) that represent a major public health problem in terms of costs and morbidity. The incidence of urethritis has been increasing for several years and the diagnosis and management must be carried out as soon as possible to avoid complications that may arise and that are sometimes irreversible, but also to limit contamination chains. The difficulties of diagnosis lie in the numerous asymptomatic cases and the management of sexual partners who may be multiple and difficult to identify. The constantly changing epidemiology and resistance to antibiotics guide new developments in their management.


The self-assembly of DNA dumbbell conjugates possessing hydrophobic perylenediimide (PDI) linkers separated by an eight-base pair A-tract has been investigated. Cryo-TEM images obtained from dilute solutions of the dumbbell in aqueous buffer containing 100 mM NaCl show the presence of structures corresponding to linear end-to-end assemblies of 10-30 dumbbell monomers. The formation of assemblies of this size is consistent with analysis of the UV-vis and fluorescence spectra of these solutions for the content of PDI monomer and dimer chromophores. Assembly size is dependent upon the concentration of dumbbell and salt as well as the temperature. Kinetic analysis of the assembly process by means of salt-jump stopped-flow measurements shows that it occurs by a salt-triggered isodesmic mechanism in which the rate constants for association and dissociation in 100 mM NaCl are 3.2 × 10(7) M(-1)s(-1) and 1.0 s(-1), respectively, faster than the typical rate constants for DNA hybridization. TEM and AFM images of samples deposited from solutions having higher concentrations of dumbbell and NaCl display branched assemblies with linear regions >1 μm in length and diameters indicative of the formation of small bundles of dumbbell end-to-end assemblies. These observations provide the first example of the use of hydrophobic association for the assembly of small DNA duplex conjugates into supramolecular polymers and larger branched aggregates.


INTRODUCTION The idea that the pursuit of private interests may not redound to the larger social interest has a long history in economic thinking, but it was not until the second half of the 19th century that this line of thought began to coalesce into an analysis of market failure. The first stage of this process culminated in A. C. Pigou's analysis of private and social net products, beginning with his Wealth and Welfare and then, more expansively, in The Economics of Welfare . The Economics of Welfare , in turn, laid the foundation for the second stage: the development of the orthodox theory of market failure in the middle third of the 20th century. Indeed, Pigou's work has been cited by supporters and critics alike as the basis for a neoclassical approach to market failures that dominated economic thinking from the 1940s onward. The resulting advances showed the restrictive nature of the conditions for optimality and, as a result, the pervasiveness of market failure. With this came demonstrations of how governmental policies could be put in place to achieve optimality. The last third of the century witnessed a series of challenges to this received view, catalyzed by the Chicago and Virginia schools. The work of James Buchanan, Ronald Coase, Milton Friedman, Robert Lucas, George Stigler, and Gordon Tullock both challenged the traditional view and led to a larger reexamination by economists of the relations between state and economy at both the micro and macro levels.


The paper builds a planning model with maximizing the penetration of microgrid as its aim to realize the maximum output of microgrid based on the planning problem of microgrid grid-connection in distribution network. Considering the impact of microgrid grid-connection on distribution network, power flow, power balance, bus voltage are taken as the constraint conditions. Optimal scheme of microgrid grid-connection is acquired by the application of Artificial Bee Colony algorithm and the results of simulation calculation using IEEE 39-bus test system verify the validity of the built model and better convergence of the adopted algorithm.


The feasibility of the recently proposed concept of adaptive observations is tested on a typical case of poorly forecast North Atlantic cyclogenesis. Only numerical tools are employed, no special observations. Although based on simulated data, this study addresses both theoretical and practical problems of adaptive observations. In the first stage of this study, the role of the data assimilation processes is neutralized; the correction is done by forcing correct continuous fields within the target area. These experiments prove that it is necessary to correct the projection of the initial errors on the first unstable plane (the first two leading singular vectors) in order to significantly improve the forecast. These results also clearly demonstrate that the quality of the initial conditions on a limited, but quite large, area could be a major factor influencing the forecast quality. In a second stage, the focus is on operational aspects. The correction is done through the assimilation of a discrete set of simulated profiles using a 3DVAR analysis system. This leads to studying the impact of the assimilation scheme and to testing different sampling strategies. These experiments suggest that the concept of adaptive observations shows great promise in situations comparable to the one studied here. But the current assimilation systems, such as 3DVAR, require that all the structure of the target has to be well sampled to have a significant beneficial effect; sampling only the extremum does not suffice.


BACKGROUND AND AIM
As leptin is the object of intensive clinical research, we compared the radio-immunological assay (RIA) and enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) commercially available for measuring its plasma concentration in humans (Study 1), and sought to determine the power of a single plasma leptin measurement to characterise adequately a subject within a population on the basis of its intra- and inter-individual variations (Study 2).

METHODS AND RESULTS
Study 1--Plasma leptin concentrations were determined by means of RIA and ELISA in a sample of 80 males. The measurements obtained using the two methods were closely correlated (r = 0.942), but the bias of the means was 21.1 +/- 73.5% (M +/- SD, p < 0.001) and indicated that the two assays were not in agreement with each other. As expected, there were strong statistical associations between plasma leptin and a number of anthropometric indices, but the slopes of the regression of leptin concentration was significantly steeper when measured by ELISA. Study 2--ELISA was used to measure plasma leptin concentrations in three different samples obtained from 12 males and 12 females at two-week intervals. The inter-individual variation in plasma leptin was much greater than its intra-individual variation (the ratio of intra-to inter-individual variance = 0.05 and 0.04 in males and females, respectively), thus suggesting that a single fasting measurement is sufficient to characterise an individual's plasma leptin level within a population.

CONCLUSIONS
ELISA is at least as effective as RIA in measuring plasma leptin, and is fully suitable for epidemiological investigations. A single measurement made in the morning and under fasting conditions is sufficient to characterise an individual within a population.


Mutations in the dim light photoreceptor protein rod opsin cause autosomal dominant retinitis pigmentosa. The majority of these mutations (class II) lead to protein misfolding. For example, the common class II rod opsin mutation P23H misfolds and is retained in the ER, prior to retrotranslocation and degradation by the proteasome. If degradation fails then the protein can aggregate to form intracellular inclusions. Furthermore, mutant opsin exerts a dominant negative effect on the wild-type (WT) protein. Here we show that the toxic gain of function and dominant negative properties of misfolded rod opsin in cells can be alleviated by drug treatments targeted against a range of cellular pathways. P23H rod opsin aggregation, inclusion formation with associated caspase activation and cell death were reduced by kosmotropes, molecular chaperone inducers and mToR inhibition. But these treatments did not enhance mutant opsin folding or reduce the dominant negative effect of P23H rod opsin. In contrast, retinoids acted as pharmacological chaperones to enhance P23H folding and reduce the dominant negative effect on WT rod opsin processing, as well as reducing toxic gains of function. Therefore, the suppression of the dominant negative effects of protein misfolding required enhanced folding of the mutant protein, whereas suppression of toxic gain of function effects did not require improved folding per se. These studies suggest that some forms of rhodopsin RP may be treated by targeting protein folding and reducing protein aggregation.


Contribution: This article compares the predictive performance of the scores on WeBWorK homework (online) with those of standard handwritten homework. The comparison is done across six undergraduate electrical engineering classes where each of the nine instructors have used both homework modalities. Background: Online homework systems have been used for many years, but analysis of their effectiveness is mixed. Previous work has been limited to a small number of classes in a wide variety of disciplines. This article has a larger number of classes and instructors than previous studies. The classes cover many basic topic areas in electrical and computer engineering, so is directly applicable to the audience of these transactions. Research Question: What is the effect of online homework compared to traditional handwritten homework on the performance of the students on the final exams in selected ECE classes? Methodology: Mixed-effects analysis of variance models are used to determine the predictive ability of performance on homework of the two modalities on the performance on the final exams. The data are limited to classes where the instructors have taught the class using both modalities. These models incorporate the effect of modalities for each instructor and the effect of the modalities across all classes. Findings: The result is that there is no significant statistical difference in the two modalities to predict final exam scores. This indicates that the advantages of using the automated online system can be obtained with no detrimental effect on the students' learning.


This paper presents the integration between a pair of coupled asymmetric stepped impedance resonators (SIRs) and U-shaped Defected Microstrip Structure (DMS) in producing of dual-band bandpass filter (BPF). In this study, as the DMS were integrated with SIR bandpass filter, the low loss, high attenuation and good selectivity between dual-bandpass were produced. The DMS was designed at resonant frequency of 3 GHz with the attenuation is better than 60 dB. The measured results show two bandpasses centered at 2.50 GHz and 3.50 GHz with the fractional bandwidth of 16% and 18.3%, respectively. Meanwhile, the return and insertion losses are greater than 15dB and 1dB, respectively. Additionally, the proposed filter is designed with 3 transmission zeroes with the attenuation level more than 50dB.  The simulated and measured results are both presented and show a good agreement. This filter is very useful in modern wireless communication and many applications.