Background: The volume of surgery has been examined as a major source of variation in outcome after surgery. This study investigated the direct effect of surgery volume to in hospitals mortality and the moderating effect of structural complexity?the level of diversity and sophistication of technology a hospital applied in patient care?to the volume outcome relationship. Methods: Discharge summary data of 11,827 cancer patients who underwent surgery and were discharged during a month period in 2010 and 2011 were analyzed. The analytic model included the independent variables such as surgery volume of a hospital, structural complexity measured by the number of diagnosis a hospital examined, and their interaction term. This study used a hierarchical logistic regression model to test for an association between hospital complexity and mortality rates and to test for the moderating effect in the volume outcome relationship. Results: As structural complexity increased the probability of in-hospital mortality after cancer surgery reduced. The interaction term between surgery volume and structural complexity was also statistically significant. The interaction effect was the strongest among the patients group who had surgery in low volume hospitals. Conclusion: The structural complexity and volume of surgery should be considered simultaneously in studying volume outcome relationship and in developing policies that aim to reduce mortality after cancer surgery.


Phosphate solubilizing bacteria (PSB) metabolites are organic acids, phosphomonoesterase enzyme (alkaline phosphatase) and antibiotic, which is able to dissolve insoluble phosphate. Phosphate solubilizing bacteria used in this study was expected to suppress Rhizoctonia solani attacks. This experiment was aimed at (1)  identifiying and quantifying  PSB metabolites, and (2) examining their capability as biocontrol agent for Rhizoctonia solani in vitro and hydroponics soybean. This study was conducted in three stages. The first stage of this study was culturing two PSB isolates (Pseudomonas putida 27.4B and Pseudomonas diminuta) in the Pikovskaya medium to analyze their metabolites. The second and third stage of this study was testing the antagonist of two bacteria to suppressed R. solani activity, which was conducted in vitro, and in hydroponics medium soybean as indicator plant. The results showed that P. putida 27.4B and P. diminuta produced organic acids i.e.: citrate, formic, succinic, acetic, propionate, butyrate, and oxalate. The totals of organic acids from each bacterium were 70,3 mg.kg-1 and 61,9 mg.kg-1. Production of alkaline phosphatase enzyme in Pikovskaya medium of P. Putida27.4B was 11,71 μg pNP .mL-1.h-1 and P. diminuta was 24,04  μg pNP.mL-1.h-1. Concentration of this enzyme in soil medium was higher than that in Pikovskaya medium with 26,27 μg pNP.g-1.h-1 and 39,03 μg pNP.g-1.h-1 respectively. This study also showed that total concentration of antibiotics (tetracycline, oxitetracycline and penicillin) produced by the PSB, were 3,2 μg.mL-1 (P. putida 27.4B) and 10,96 μg.m1-1 (P. diminuta), respectively. The results from second stage of this study showed that by using in vitro, the reduced growth of  R. solani was observed 58,35% with P. putida 27.4B and 41,96% with P. diminuta. In addition, inoculations of PSB in hydroponics medium reduced the fungal pathogenesis from 10,71% to 21,42% of pre and post emergence damping-off. Visually, the symptom of pathogen attack appeared within the period of  2 untill 14 days after infection.


ABSTRACT
Objective
To evaluate the efficacy of single bolus dose of xylocard before induction to provide perioperative hemodynamic stability in patients undergoing laparoscopic cholecystectomy.
Patients and Methods
Fifty patients of either sex, 18-65 years of age, undergoing elective laparoscopic cholecystectomy were randomly allocated in one of the two groups comprising of 25 patients each. Group D received intravenous xylocard 1.5 mg/kg body weight five minutes before induction and Group S received 0.9% saline in the same volume with a similar syringe by a different observer. Changes in mean arterial pressure, heart rate and recovery time of the patients were observed at different intervals.
Results
Mean arterial pressure and heart rate in Group D were significantly lower after intubation and throughout the period of pneumoperitoneum than the Group S. No significant difference in the parameters of recovery were observed between the two groups.
Conclusion
Pretreatment with xylocard improves intra and post-operative hemodynamic stability during laparoscopic surgery without prolongation of recovery.
Keywords
Xylocard, laparoscopy, pneumoperitoneum.
INTRODUCTION
In 1940, Reid & Brace first described the hemodynamic response to laryngoscopy and intubation.1 As these changes may be fatal in some patients, to attenuate these responses various methods including adrenergic blockers, vasodilators, calcium channel blockers and -2 agonist have been tried.2 Narcotics and inhalational anesthesia too may obtund these responses by increasing depth of anesthesia. Xylocard also provides improved hemodynamic stability during intraoperative period.
Pneumoperitoneum produced by administration of carbon dioxide (CO2) during laparoscopic surgical procedures,3 cause adverse cardiovascular effects.4 Some of these effects are related to CO2 and some are due to cephaloid movement of the intra¬abdominal content pressing upon diaphragm. Immediately after pneumoperitoneum, plasma levels of norepinephrine, epinephrine and plasma renin activity increase.5 These changes contribute to elevated arterial pressure, increased systemic and pulmonary vascular resistance and reduced cardiac output.6 Apart from that, laparoscopic cholecystectomy (LC) is performed in reverse Trendelenburg position, which leads to diminished venous return and thereby further reduction in cardiac output.7 This placebo controlled, double blind prospective study was designed to evaluate the efficacy of xylocard to provide hemodynamic stability in patients undergoing LC.
PATIENTS AND METHODS
Fifty ASA grade I and II patients, aged 18-65 years, undergoing elective LC were randomly assigned to two groups (each containing 25 patients): Group D (Xylocard group) and Group S (Control group). Patients with hypertension, morbid obesity and with severe hepatic, renal, endocrine and cardiac dysfunction were excluded from the study. Informed consent was taken from all patients.
On a


A 2meter by 4meter DART (dual anamorphic reflector telescope) system has been designed and fabricated using thin stretched mesh reflectors. The system concept consists of a pair of single curvature reflectors with curvature in orthogonal directions relative to each other and is being developed for future ultra-lightweight space applications. The current design is an extension of a successful lm system previously prototyped and tested. The 2m x 4m system is a laboratory prototype with areal density of less than lOkg/m2 for each reflector. The new design demonstrates the advantageous scaling properties of the single curvature reflector concept. The 2m x 4m system was configured and tested in the RF over several frequencies from 5.8 8.2 GHz. This report documents the structural configuration, test preparation, test results, and analysis correlation. Test results show the DART system to be a high directivity antenna (46.5 a), and very low cross-polarization (-33 dB) with good off-axis properties. Test results were in good agreement with analytical predictions of the performance. Generally, the DART system easily achieves the surface accuracy requirements at 8.2GHz.


A finite impulse response (FIR) programmable filter is implemented using computation sharing multiplication (CSHM) technique to reduce power consumption and improve performance. Both carry select adders (CSLA) and carry look-ahead adders (CLA) are used to determine power consumption, throughput and area of the proposed design. A 10-tap programmable FIR digital filter was implemented in CMOS 180 nm technology and a maximum clock frequency of 1.42 GHz was achieved. The area is determined to be 516 K transistors with latency of 131 clock cycles and power consumption of 2.966 W.


Inter-well communication in unconventional reservoirs has received huge attention due to its significant effects on well production. Though it has long been a known side effect of hydraulic fracturing, well interference has become more prominent and frequent as the industry moves to larger completion designs with closer well spacing and infill drilling. Fracturing of infill wells ("child" wells) directly places the older adjacent producing wells ("parent" wells) at risk of suffering premature change in production behavior. Some wells may never fully recover and, in worst cases, permanently stop producing after taking severe frac hits.
 This paper presents an automatic data-driven workflow developed to identify inter-well interference events and their impact on EUR (estimated ultimate recovery) based on changes in the well productivity trend. The innovative approach of the workflow is the ability to automatically analyze interference using the complete production history for all wells in a field, using routinely collected data and without introducing human bias in the derivation of the results, instead applying a consistent criteria. The final result is a comprehensive collection of all well interference events occurred in a field, which may be used as a training set for statistical and machine learning based models aiming at predicting such events.
 First, the automatic identification of anomalies in the well behavior was developed and criteria set to label the interference events. Next, probabilistic simulations are run to forecast multiple scenarios to quantify the impact of a well interference event reported in terms of change in cumulative oil production. Finally, every event is analyzed in the overall context of field operations, in an attempt to present possible causes which may explain the change of production behavior.


The diurnal patterns of plasma growth hormone (GH), thyroid hormone and cortisol concentrations in rainbow trout Oncorhynchus mykiss held under three photoperiod (L : D) regimes (6 : 18, 12 : 12 and 18 : 6), and fed either daily (DF) or on alternate days (ADF) with 2� 0% body mass per day of a commercial trout diet were determined. The ADF groups had reduced total mass gain and specific growth rates compared with DF fish, but photoperiod had no affect on growth for either of the feeding regime groups. In the ADF groups, the mean 24 h plasma thyroxine (T4) and triiodothyronine (T3) concentrations were significantly lower, both on days of feeding and days of fasting, than in DF fish held under all three photoperiod regimes, but for GH, only the 18L : 6D DF group was higher than the comparable ADF groups. There were no significant differences in mean 24 h plasma cortisol concentrations of DF and ADF groups. Diurnal patterns of plasma GH, cortisol, T4 and T3 were found in DF fish held under all three photoperiod regimes. Increases in plasma cortisol changes were associated with the onset of the light phase; elevations in plasma GH and T4 concentrations were more closely associated with clock time, regardless of photoperiod; increases in plasma T3 concentrations were strongly associated with time of feeding. In ADF groups, these diurnal changes in plasma GH, T4 and T3 concentrations were suppressed for both the fed and fast days, and plasma cortisol concentrations were suppressed on the fasting day. The observations are discussed in terms of the proposed anabolic, catabolic and growth regulating roles of these hormones in different growth and metabolic modifying situations in teleosts. # 2003 The Fisheries Society of the British Isles


Geopolitical national borders have long created homogenous, stereotypical, and fixed identities in order to serve a nation-building myth. In this paper I analyze the (de) construction of fixed notions of identity, region and nation through the use of memory in the short stories "Um oriental na vastidao" [An Eastern Man in the Vastitude] and "A Casa Ilhada" [The Island House] of the book A Cidade Ilhada [The Island City] by Milton Hatoum. In these short stories the homodiegetic narrators present characters from various parts of the world (Japan, England, and Switzerland). Milton Hatoum, an immigrant descendent, intertwines fiction and childhood memories. He undoes the homogeneity of identity traditional of the regionalist writing of the Amazons by touching upon the theme of immigration in his native city of Manaus and the integration of this new community into Brazilian society. This analysis will work with the premises of Albuquerque Jr.'s theory in the book A invencao do Nordeste [The invention of the Brazilian Northeast]: the region is an "invention". In "Um Oriental na Vastidao" and "A Casa Ilhada", these inventions consist of memories that bring different regions and subjects together and engender 'world nets' that promote "cultural global flows" (Appadurai). I argue that Hatoum's narratives challenge
not only the normative discourse of mesticagem (mixing) in the foundational discussion about Latin American identity (Lund, Joshua) but also imply a simultaneously local and global construction of this identity. These stories provide new insights into the notions of the national body and the national subject not only by setting their narratives in the naturally transnational region of the Amazon jungle but also by depicting the complex cultural and social networks of the Amazon as memory (de)constructions.


Glioma is the most common primary tumour in the central nervous system in adults, and at present, there is no effective treatment to cure this malignancy. Long noncoding RNAs (lncRNAs) are closely related to tumour progression and have attracted increasing attention in tumour research. However, the role of lncRNA FGF14-AS2 in glioma tumorigenesis has not been determined. In the present study, we found that FGF14-AS2 expression was significantly elevated in glioma tissues and was associated with poor survival in glioma patients. Silencing FGF14-AS2 inhibited the proliferation, migration and invasion ability of glioma cells. In vivo assay showed that silencing FGF14-AS2 led to inhibition of tumour growth. In addition, FGF14-AS2 was observed to promote glioma progression via the miR-320a/E2F1 axis. Moreover, E2F1 could bind to the promoter region of FGF14-AS2, thereby enhancing FGF14-AS2 expression. In conclusion, FGF14-AS2 could accelerate tumorigenesis of glioma by forming a feedback loop with the miR-320a/E2F1 axis which suggested that FGF14-AS2 could serve as a therapeutic target for glioma.


We earlier observed a positive correlation between portal venous pressure (PVP) and the concentration of laminin in serum. Here we investigated whether the diagnostic efficacy could be improved by considering additional analytes and application of multivariate statistical analysis. In 102 patients with fibrotic liver disease of various etiologies we measured PVP as the gradient of the wedged and free hepatic venous pressures and determined the concentrations of hyaluronic acid and laminin in serum. Regression coefficients established by logistic regression in this group were subsequently used to predict portal hypertension (PVP greater than mmHg) in an independent group of 45 patients. By comparison with the known PVP, we obtained a sensitivity of 0.83 (confidence interval: 0.63-0.93) and a specificity of 0.82 (0.61-0.93) for diagnosis of portal hypertension by means of the concentrations of hyaluronic acid and laminin in serum. Application of the model is suggested as a tool for pre-screening and monitoring patients to be subjected to assessment of portal hypertension.


Objective Cetirizine (CET) and thalidomide (THA) have been previously found to influence angiogenesis. The present study aimed to assess the ability of these drugs to influence mammary carcinogenesis in rats. Materials and methods Sixty Sprague-Dawley female rats, aged 8 weeks, received 15 mg of 7,12-dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA) intragastrically. CET and THA (1.0 and 3.0 mg/kg, respectively) were administered orally for 118 days after DMBA administration. At the end of the treatment period, mammary tumors were counted and weighed, and their morphology was analyzed using light microscopy. In tumor tissue, proliferation and apoptotic indices and microvessel density were determined using immunohistochemical techniques; the levels of angiogenic factors, vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor, were measured by western blotting. Results CET and THA, administered separately, failed to influence tumor formation and angiogenesis. In contrast, the drug combination decreased latency to first tumor (significant difference from vehicle-treated control and groups that received either drug alone, P<0.01) and significantly lowered tumor number per rat, number of malignant tumors per rat, tumor burden, and tumor number per tumor-bearing animal (P<0.05 or <0.01). In tissue of malignant tumors, the drug combination decreased the number of proliferating cells, microvessel density, and levels of vascular endothelial growth factor and basic fibroblast growth factor and stimulated apoptosis (difference from all other groups, P<0.01). Conclusion It was shown for the first time that H1-antagonist and THA synergistically inhibit DMBA-induced mammary carcinogenesis; this effect was associated with a decrease in tumor angiogenesis. Further study of the anticancer and antiangiogenic activity of the combination may provide a new approach to breast cancer treatment.


The high-profile appearance of Chinese media organizations in Africa has attracted considerable attention. How Chinese correspondents in Africa actually go about their work is, however, little understood. A posting in Africa gives journalists at Xinhua News Agency or China Central Television a degree of freedom not experienced in China combined with greater local visibility than a posting in the West and more market opportunities. At the same time, it carries the rather heavy responsibility to act as a pioneer of a new, distinctive global voice for China envisaged by the Chinese government. Based on interviews and observation at several Chinese media organizations in three African locations and in Beijing over the course of 3 years, this article suggests that Chinese correspondents in Africa are unable to make use of the opportunities their postings offer. While the greater investments of Chinese media in Africa have been framed to date as a challenge to their struggling competitors, in reality, journalists working for Chinese media not only feel some of the constraints that have characterized international journalism in the past decade but also face additional ones: the problem of finding and communicating a clear identity; of remaining relevant in a space where national media are growing fast and becoming more professional; of testing new styles without appealing only to a niche.


INTRODUCTION Use of electronic nicotine delivery systems (ENDS) among pregnant women is of great concern. To our knowledge the current literature provides conflicting views regarding the uncertainties of the effects of ENDS use during pregnancy on the health of the fetus. METHODS We searched PubMed, CINAHL, and EMBASE, for the period 2007 to October 2017 for terms to identify publications on ENDS use during pregnancy and the reproductive outcomes. We updated the search for the period November 2017 to November 2018 using Ovid Medline. We obtained full text of articles and present a summary of the contents. RESULTS We found no studies of pregnant women exposed to ENDS use and its effect on their fetus or neonates. However, there is a growing body of experimental studies in animals that suggest that nicotine in ENDS alters DNA methylation, induces birth defects, reduces the birth weight, and affects the development of the heart and lungs of their offspring. A large population-based cohort study in the United States estimated that 5% of pregnant women were current ENDS users in 2014; most of them also smoked cigarettes. Surveys conducted among practitioners indicate that there is a need to screen and counsel pregnant women. Systematic reviews and meta-analysis of studies of women who used smokeless tobacco during pregnancy suggest that prenatal nicotine alone is a risk factor for low birth weight, premature delivery, and stillbirth. CONCLUSIONS There were no previous studies assessing the reproductive effects of ENDS use during pregnancy. However, prenatal exposure to nicotine is known to be harmful to the fetus and the pregnancy.

https://www.tobaccoinduceddiseases.org/pdf-104724-40741?filename=The use of electronic.pdf


The Vietnam Development Report (VDR) is a joint development partner report. It aims to inform the reform agenda of the government of Vietnam and to harmonize development partner support for this framework. Therefore the emphasis is not so much on background description as it is on a discussion of the way forward. The current VDR is one in a long series of annual reports addressing the most important development topics of Vietnam. They do so against the backdrop of the Socio-Economic Development Plan, which lays out the government's broad development agenda. The theme of this VDR is natural resources management. The main question that the VDR poses is: how can natural resources be used efficiently to promote robust economic growth and alleviate poverty in a manner that is environmentally and socially sustainable? An examination of that question entails addressing several subthemes that run through the different chapters. The report is organized to address the lead themes of efficiency, environmental sustainability, and equity in sectoral chapters on land, water, forests, marine resources, and mineral resources. The first chapter provides a broad overview connecting the sectoral chapters. A statistical annex provides further data in support of the text. The VDR is the result of a consultative process involving not only development partners but also nongovernmental organizations, academics, researchers, and independent consultants. The process has been coordinated by the World Bank.


Odd Arne Westad's The Cold War: A World History is a considerable achievement. It is, in every respect, a world history. Its 22 chapters cover the globe. It is well written and accessible, and assured in its treatment of the many complex issues it deals with. Its judgments are judicious and supported by evidence. Westad is particularly strong in showing the variety of ways in which the Cold War affected different regions and different aspects of world politics. He gives a good sense of the changes taking place in the world during the Cold War—decolonization and globalization, for example. There is nothing like this book in the literature on the Cold War, and it is hard to imagine a better single comprehensive history being produced in the near future. In an earlier book, The Global Cold War: Third World Interventions and the Making of Our Times (New York: Cambridge University Press, 2005), Westad sought to analyze the Cold War in its global context. He argued that the most important aspects of the Cold War were neither military nor strategic nor Europe-centered. He looked at interventions by the "Empire of Freedom" and the "Empire of Justice" in the Third World as it was undergoing decolonization. Each of these "empires," he argued in The Global Cold War, advanced its own version of modernity, with overall results that were far from beneficial for the intended beneficiaries. In the new book, Westad not only embraces the globe but also extends the temporal scope of Cold War history. There has long been disagreement about when the Cold War started or, more precisely, about the date one should adopt as a startingpoint for writing about it. Is it 1917, when the Bolsheviks came to power? Or is it the immediate aftermath of World War II? Westad is not happy with either choice. He traces the origins of the Cold War to the late nineteenth century, when capitalism and socialism emerged as two distinct models of industrial society. The first of course really existed then; the second provided a critique of capitalism and foretold its overthrow and replacement by a more just and equitable society. This binary approach works awkwardly for the first half of the twentieth century, but it has the great advantage of putting the two models of industrial society at the center of the Cold War, which began, in Westad's view, only after World War II. Two great powers were left standing in 1945, one of them the incarnation of capitalism, the other the standard-bearer of socialism. Germany and Japan had been utterly defeated, Britain and France had been gravely weakened, and China was embroiled in civil


MMOG are very large distributed applications, sharing very large states, and supporting communication between potentially thousands of player nodes. Despite the development of many solutions to define suitable architecture, communication protocol and enabling efficient deployment of these types of applications, many issues remains which still require a solution. In this paper we discuss MOG deployed over a Peer-to-Peer architecture, supporting a distributed model of systems with shared state and we address issues related to scalability, interest management and communication. We identify an efficient partitioning and distribution of the shared state as an important aspect in such models and propose a hierarchical multi-level interest management algorithm which enables contextual communication between peers. Experiments have been carried out and show the performance of the approach.


Technical developments have made several clinically significant improvements in clinical microbiology possible during the latest decade. DNA sequencing and mass spectrometry have dramatically changed accuracy and speed of the identification of bacteria. Polymerase chain reaction amplification of bacterial DNA and DNA sequencing have provided hitherto unseen opportunities for identification of non-cultivable bacteria in clinical samples. Routine functional characterization of bacteria isolated from patients is constantly expanding. The changes benefit both individual patients and the understanding of bacterial pathology.


Decentralized learning has gained great popularity to improve learning efficiency and preserve data privacy. Each computing node makes equal contribution to collaboratively learn a Deep Learning model. The elimination of centralized Parameter Servers (PS) can effectively address many issues such as privacy, performance bottleneck and single-point-failure. However, how to achieve Byzantine Fault Tolerance in decentralized learning systems is rarely explored, although this problem has been extensively studied in centralized systems. In this paper, we present an in-depth study towards the Byzantine resilience of decentralized learning systems with two contributions. First, from the adversarial perspective, we theoretically illustrate that Byzantine attacks are more dangerous and feasible in decentralized learning systems: even one malicious participant can arbitrarily alter the models of other participants by sending carefully crafted updates to its neighbors. Second, from the defense perspective, we propose Ubar, a novel algorithm to enhance decentralized learning with Byzantine Fault Tolerance. Specifically, Ubar provides a Uniform Byzantine-resilient Aggregation Rule for benign nodes to select the useful parameter updates and filter out the malicious ones in each training iteration. It guarantees that each benign node in a decentralized system can train a correct model under very strong Byzantine attacks with an arbitrary number of faulty nodes. We conduct extensive experiments on standard image classification tasks and the results indicate that Ubar can effectively defeat both simple and sophisticated Byzantine attacks with higher performance efficiency than existing solutions.


Man is a living being. But in the midst of life death is a reality. The antithesis of life is death. Hence many a thinker over the ages have sought to depict it in several forms. It is a 'necessary end that will come when it will come'; yet the desire to live is the most defining impulse of humankind. It would appear that the desired living is also a living in dignity and happiness. Little wonder then that in every land and clime, life is intrinsically valuable and the essence of society is to sustain it. Sometimes however, we encounter situations where human beings contrary to the ordinary flow of existential perceptions desire on their own to die. They crave death because to them life has lost its meaningfulness. They seek to determine definitively the end of life. Some of them now assert that the right to take that decision is an inherent aspect of the human right to life. How true is this assertion? In this work it is sought to briefly examine the issue of death as a right and how it has been seen around different jurisdictions of the world using specific apex court decisions to do so. The work will also seek to show the different jurisprudence dispositions adopted by judges in disposing the cases that touch on this issue. The arguments for and against elicited will be highlighted using the different schools of legal philosophy as the mirror. It will be seen that the judges are rather most circumspect and appear generally unsure footed hence they prefer to keep the status quo. It will comparatively draw inspiration from other philosophical writings relevant to the work in other to give it the required comparative breadth.


Increasing extreme weather and climate events have led to recurrent disasters that cause significant harm to human populations. The aim of this present study is to complement Costa Rica's National Meteorological Institute 2017 risk assessment methodology for extreme weather and climate events. This methodology uses different socio-spatial indicators related to vulnerability and hazards to extreme hydrometeorological events. However, in the methodology applied and presented in this document, an exposure component was added to the model to obtain a more detailed representation of climate-related risks. The presented methodology was implemented in the municipalities of Cartago and Turrialba, where the frequency and severity of weather events have been a major issue in the last few decades. The results showed in fact, there were considerable differences between both, whereby factoring in the exposure component it is possible to visualize more specific risk zones, which evidences the need to include exposure components in this type of model, as this may allow for more timely responses and disaster risk prevention according to the specific vulnerability conditions in these zones. The outcomes at the minimal geostatistical unit level can aid local decision makers in developing more effective disaster risk management and adaptation strategies to minimize the loss of life and property resulting from extreme weather and climate events in Costa Rica.


Bilingual higher education for South Africa? Language policy development at historically Afrikaans-medium universities (HAUs) as a case study
This article investigates the demand for an appropriate model for the introduction of an indigenous language as an additional medium of instruction in higher education in South Africa. Two models of bilingual higher education are considered, namely institutional bilingualism (dual monolingual education or parallel bilingualism) as against integrated bilingualism (individual bilingualism). The policy of the HAUs concerning institutional bilingual education is dealt with as a case study. It was found that the HAUs have opted for a differentiated approach to the issue of the medium of instruction. Although parallel-medium education serves as the preferential model, the HAUs are making provision for diverse deviations from this model, depending on the mode of service delivery and in accordance with the requirements of the different campuses. It appears that the consistent application of parallel bilingual higher education, essentially institutional bilingualism, may be difficult to sustain in the long run. It is recommended that the individual bilingual higher education model would probably prove to be more beneficial as a framework within which an indigenous language can be implemented as an additional medium of instruction. Some of the implications hereof are considered.


This study aims to develop a solid bolt/nut model utilized in 3D-FE analysis for the strength design of mechanical structures with bolted joints to obtain the internal forces and the bending moment acting on the bolt/nut assembly. A solid bolt/nut model has an advantage to save the time for calculation drastically since it requires fewer numbers of elements and contact surfaces. On the other hand, the solid model has to have the same axial and flexural stiffnesses as the actual bolt/nut assembly to maintain the accuracy of the equilibrium of forces and displacement in the bolted joint and of the internal forces or stresses acting on the bolt/nut assembly calculated. This study depicts how to determine the design parameters for the solid model directly from the specifications of actual bolt/nut assemblies appropriately. To demonstrate the validity of the solid model developed, the stresses acting on the bolt/nut assembly in a cylinder cover bolted joint subjected to internal pressure are calculated by 3D-FE analysis using (a) fully modeled axi-symmetric bolt/nut assembly and (b) the solid bolt/nut model developed. The results obtained using the solid model proposed coincide accurately with the ones using the fully modeled axi-symmetric bolt/nut assembly model, and show good agreement with the measurement using the strain gauges put on the bolt shank as well. This clearly highlights the effectiveness and usefulness of the solid model developed.


Strong long-term international partnership in science, technology, finance and policy is critical for sustainable field experiments leading to successful commercial deployment of novel technology at community-scale. Although technologies already exist that can remediate arsenic in groundwater, most are too expensive or too complicated to operate on a sustained basis in resource-poor communities with the low technical skill common in rural South Asia. To address this specific problem, researchers at University of California-Berkeley (UCB) and Lawrence Berkeley National Laboratory (LBNL) invented a technology in 2006 called electrochemical arsenic remediation (ECAR). Since 2010, researchers at UCB and LBNL have collaborated with Global Change Program of Jadavpur University (GCP-JU) in West Bengal, India for its social embedding alongside a local private industry group, and with financial support from the Indo-US Technology Forum (IUSSTF) over 2012–2017. During the first 10 months of pilot plant operation (April 2016 to January 2017) a total of 540 m3 (540,000 L) of arsenic-safe water was produced, consistently and reliably reducing arsenic concentrations from initial 252 � 29 to final 2.9 � 1 parts per billion (ppb). This paper presents the critical strategies in taking a technology from a lab in the USA to the field in India for commercialization to address the technical, socio-economic, and political aspects of the arsenic public health crisis while targeting several sustainable development goals (SDGs). The lessons learned highlight the significance of designing a technology contextually, bridging the knowledge divide, supporting local livelihoods, and complying with local regulations within a defined Critical Effort Zone period with financial support from an insightful funding source focused on maturing inventions and turning them into novel technologies for commercial scale-up. Along the way, building trust with the community through repetitive direct interactions, and communication by the scientists, proved vital for bridging the technology-society gap at a critical stage of technology deployment. The information presented here fills a knowledge gap regarding successful case studies in which the arsenic remediation technology obtains social acceptance and sustains technical performance over time, while operating with financial viability.


Purpose: Amid the COVID-19 pandemic, it is important to consider the effectiveness of insolvency law given the increase in companies facing financial distress Current insolvency law was not designed in the context of the unprecedented challenges of the pandemic Therefore, it may not provide the framework needed to assist the rehabilitation of distressed companies that is important to economic recovery The purpose of this paper is to briefly discuss the rethinking of insolvency law policy with a view to maximising opportunities for rescue and rehabilitation Design/methodology/approach: The commentary offers suggestions on how insolvency law can maximise opportunities for rehabilitation The approach is to consider competing theoretical perspectives on the objective of insolvency law and provide commentary on rethinking key insolvency law provisions to better meet the needs of distressed businesses in the unprecedented circumstances of the pandemic and into the future Findings: This paper concludes that in the context of the pandemic insolvency policy that is value-based and debtor-friendly is needed to promote rehabilitation Insolvency law should refocus on debtors and rehabilitation rather than being excessively focussed on the interest of creditors Originality/value: This paper offers a unique and timely commentary on the capacity of insolvency law to respond to the unforeseen COVD-19 pandemic © 2021, Emerald Publishing Limited


OnabotulinumtoxinA has recently been granted a license for use in overactive bladder (OAB). This review assesses the latest evidence gained from 12 randomized-controlled trials from an updated systematic review. All randomized-controlled trials have shown significant improvements in urinary symptoms. Recent Phase III studies have also shown improvements in patient satisfaction and quality of life. Significant improvements have also been reported for urodynamic parameters. The adverse events rate is low, making this form of therapy very safe. The need for intermittent self catheterization is low overall at 12% and urinary tract infection rates are between 14 and 21%. Repeated injections have been shown to be safe up to eight injection cycles and reinjection is usually required between 6–12 months. Future studies should investigate volume, site and number of injections. Electromotive and liposome methods of administration require further study.


In the context of modern industrial capitalism and the expansion of wage labor, the consumption of alcohol has gradually increased since the 18th century. This growth was present, both in Eastern and Western Europe, also in restructured state-socialist systems after the World War II, like in Romania. The present study analyzes the dynamics of alcohol consumption in the state-socialist period, using as a starting point the alcohol policies of that period. Three phases can be distinguished: alcohol, as considered a stable state income (due to increasing consumption), expanding access as an indicator of prosperity (increasing consumption), the third phase is on restraining consumption opportunities, consequently consumption too. Keywords: social history, alcohol consumption, lifestyle, communism, Romania


Quantitative histochemical methods demonstrate a variety of glycoproteins within mucus-secreting cells of airway epithelium. A single cell may synthesize one or a combination of four major types--(i) neutral glycoprotein, (ii) and (iii) sialylated either sensitive or resistant to sialidase and (iv) sulphated. In human airway disease, or in experimental response to inhalation of an irritant, there is mucus cell hyperplasia and change in the proportion of cells synthesizing the various types. Experimental studies show how speedily these changes occur. In rats exposed to tobacco smoke changes are found within 20 h of the first exposure. Only in the extrapulmonary epithelium is there discharge of the secretions, with an apparent fall in cell number. Modification of glycoprotein may occur with an unchanged or increased cell number, suggesting that it occurs in existing and newly appearing secretory cells. Modification of the contents of the granule occurs toward the cell apex. Modification of glycoprotein synthesis towards the normal is also the most sensitive and earliest sign of recovery.


A mathematical model is developed to quantify the effect of operation conditions and casting strategy on residual amount of slag and metal in hearth. The model is validated by a physical scale model experiment. Calculated results show that the residual amount of slag increases in proportion to the square of production. The effect of hearth permeability on the residual amount of slag is larger than slag viscosity. Then high permeability is necessary under high productivity operation condition. Although a load is not small, increasing tapping rod diameter and shortening cast duration are the effective way to decease maximum slag level. High durability filling mud is necessary to keep cast duration.


Investigated the ability of the Child Abuse Potential (CAP)--Inventory to distinguish "At Risk" individuals. During a 2-year period the CAP-Inventory was given of 67 "At Risk" parents who were participating in an "At Risk Parent-Child Program." Ss were judged as "At Risk" when they met one or more of the "At Risk" criteria that had been developed by the Program. Sixty-four of the Ss completed the CAP-Inventory. Results indicated that the "At Risk" sample scored significantly higher on the Inventory than a norm group. More specifically, 45% of the "At Risk" sample had Inventory scores above the 95th percentile of the norm group. Strengths and weaknesses involved in the labeling of Ss as "At Risk" using the "At Risk" criteria and the CAP-Inventory are discussed.


lithium prophyLaxis.Journal of AffectiveDisorders, 10,9—13. GODFREY, P. S. A., boNE, B. K., CARNEY, M. W. P., et al (1990) Enhancement ofrecoveryfrompsychiatricillnessbymethylfolate. Lancet,336,392—395. LEa,S., CHOW, C. C., SHEK, C. C., a al(l992) Folate concentration in Chinese psychiatric outpatients on longterm lithium treatment. Journalof AffectiveDisorders(in press). PRoc'raa, A. (1991) Enhancement of recovery from psychiatric illness by methylfolate. British Journal of Psychiatry. 159, 271—272.


Thyroid disease is one of prevalent endocrine disease among child-bearing aged women, including preconceptional thyroid disease and thyroid disease during pregnancy. The aim of this paper is to focus on preconception care for preconceptional thyroid disease in child-bearing aged women. Thyroid disease and sub-clinical thyroid disease would cause adverse effect on mother and fetal if their disease were not controlled in stable condition. Evidence showed that medical examination before conception could identify risk factors effecting pregnancy outcome,thus providing counseling and intervention according to the risk factors for them will modify the pregnancy outcomes of women with thyroid disease and prevent for malformed children.

Key words:
hyperthyroidism; hypothyroidism; preconception counseling; malformed children


Background: Magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) is used nowadays with increased specificity to distinguish between malignant and benign breast lesions. Objective: To determine the diagnostic accuracy of MRS in malignant breast lesions. Methodology: Newly diagnosed patients (n=158) having breast lesions diagnosed on ultrasound and mammography were enrolled to conduct the present study at Bahawal Victoria Hospital, Bahawalpur, Pakistan for six months. Enrolled patients were informed and consent was taken. Every patient underwent proton MRS using a 1.5 Tesla MR system. Fast scans in various planes were obtained. Mean ± standard deviation (SD) was given for age, size of the lump, and duration of the disease whereas frequency and percentage were given for benign and malignant breast lesions by SPSS version 26. A significant p-value was ≤0.05. Results: The mean age of patients was 41.27 ± 5.48 years. The diagnosis of malignant breast lesions in 80 (50.63%) patients was shown by MRS whereas histopathology showed malignancy in 83 (52.53%) cases. Conclusion: MRS is an accurate diagnostic modality for malignant breast lesions.


Beware of what people tell you—especially online. How much can you trust your networks these days, especially in the disembodied digital frontier where rumours, lies, quasi-facts and conspiracies circulate at the speed of electrons? But is it anything new? Three philosophers of knowledge tell us if there's anything to worry about in the so-called post-truth world—and ways to solve it if there is.


This paper presents methodologies for using critical area analysis with inline defect data to predict random defect limited yield and for partitioning yield losses by process step. The procedure involves (1) calculating critical areas, (2) modeling defect size distributions, and (3) combining critical area information and defect size distributions to estimate yield loss. We introduce a method to model defect size distribution from inline defect data. We develop two yield prediction methods that can overcome the difficulties caused by the inaccuracies in determining defect size when using laser scatterometry detection. We compare the predicted yield with the actual yield and show that the two are in good agreement.


Hookworm infestation was investigated amongst 273 primary school children from some random selected primary schools and a farming community, all in Enugu, Enugu State, South-East of Nigeria, between May and August 2008. The subjects were made up 110 (40.29%) males and 163 (59.71%) females. Stool samples 11 were collected from each subjects and examined macroscopically and microscopically for parasites using standard parasitological techniques. Out of 273 samples examined parasite 22 (8.06%) were positive for helminthic parasite and of this numbers of positives, ova of ascaris was 11 (50%), ova of hookworm 9 (40.9%), while mixed Infection with ova of ascaris/hookworm was 2 (9.1%). The age group 5-gyears had the highest number of parasites in the population studied 11 (50%). Females recorded a higher incidence rate of 17 (77.27%) than males 75 (22.72%). The age groups and sex distribution of positives showed statistical significance difference (p<0.05). Hookworm had a prevalence rate of 11 (4.0%) for single and mixed infection altogether. The age group 5-6 years had higher number of positives for hookworm, while females had the highest incidence rate for hookworm 9 (40.91%) than males 3 (13.64%). The difference in distribution of positive cases for hookworm between various age groups and sexes was statistically significant (P<0.05). The present work has established the presence of hookworm infestation amongst primary school children in Enugu. The need for enlightenment of these primary school children on the importance of personal and environmental hygiene and practice is hereby stressed.


References to articles and books should be carejully checked. In a reference the following information. should be given without abbreviation: Initials of author, surname of author, full title oj article, name oj journal, volume, jull date (month, day and year), number ot the first pagl! oj the article. I] a reference is made to an abstract ot a paper, the name ot the original journal, together with that ot the journal in which the abstract has appeared, should be given with fUll date in each instance. Authol's who are not accustomed to preparing drawings or photographic prints [or reproduction are invited to seek the advice of the Editor.


Typical diets include an assortment of unprocessed, processed, and ultra-processed foods, along with culinary ingredients. Linear programming (LP) can be used to generate nutritionally adequate food patterns that meet pre-defined nutrient guidelines. The present LP models were set to satisfy 22 nutrient standards, while minimizing deviation from the mean observed diet of the Seattle Obesity Study (SOS III) sample. Component foods from the Fred Hutch food frequency questionnaire comprised the market basket. LP models generated optimized 2000 kcal food patterns by selecting from all foods, unprocessed foods only, ultra-processed foods only, or some other combination. Optimized patterns created using all foods contained less fat, sugar, and salt, and more vegetables compared to the SOS III mean. Ultra-processed foods were the main sources of added sugar, saturated fat and sodium. Ultra-processed foods also contributed most vitamin E, thiamin, niacin, folate, and calcium, and were the main sources of plant protein. LP models failed to create optimal diets using unprocessed foods only and ultra-processed foods only: no mathematical solution was obtained. Relaxing the vitamin D criterion led to optimized diets based on unprocessed or ultra-processed foods only. However, food patterns created using unprocessed foods were significantly more expensive compared to those created using foods in the ultra-processed category. This work demonstrates that foods from all NOVA categories can contribute to a nutritionally adequate diet.


Abstract Impressions and marks are expected components of any crime scene. There is nothing more disappointing for fingerprint experts than finding glove marks at a crime scene. The forensic expert's primary task in such cases is to compare the characteristic features of glove impressions with the characteristics of a suspect. The aim of the present study was to determine whether additional information could be obtained from glove prints. Specifically, whether they could be used to help to predict the sex and stature of a suspect was investigated, as was the potential for ascertaining additional information in cases where such prints were recovered from diverse objects with different diameters. Male and female participants wore latex gloves, and after ink was applied to the gloves they grasped objects of different diameters (2, 4, 6 and 8 cm). Impressions of gloved flat hands were also obtained. Phalangeal and finger lengths were measured digitally via software. Sex and stature were successfully estimated based on impressions derived from gloved flat hands and from prints on various grasped objects. A regression equation was developed for stature prediction, and a discriminant equation was developed for sex prediction.


Ethyl glucuronide (EtG) is considered to be a promising candidate marker of alcohol consumption, but exhibits a short window of detection in blood or urine. Keratinized tissues are known to retain foreign substances and to provide a greater retrospective window of detection than body fluids. Therefore, post-mortem hair, skin swabs, and stratum corneum samples were collected from four subjects with a reported history of alcohol misuse and from seven subjects with a report of regular, socially accepted drinking behaviour, and were investigated for EtG. Additionally, certain specimens were collected from three children, who had not yet consumed any alcoholic beverages. EtG was detectable in most of the hair and stratum corneum samples as well as in perspiration stains from alcohol-consuming subjects. The results indicated that EtG might be formed locally in very small and highly variable amounts. The most important finding was that EtG cannot be expected to be generally detectable in keratinized tissues or perspiration stains from alcohol-drinking subjects, whereas a positive result is always associated with recent alcohol consumption.


Through his three films London, Robinson in Space and Robinson in Ruins, Patrick Keiller has sought, inter alia, to provide an incisive commentary on the neo-liberal social order and the way that the spaces we inhabit are experienced and represented. Keiller's films draw from a variety of sources including: surrealism; political economy; cinematic theory; and architecture. Yet, although there is a considerable body of commentary on his work, there is less analysis that engages in a detailed way with the substance of the work itself – its images and techniques – or with the framework within which it operates. Our aims are twofold: first, to redress that omission here, and especially to attend to what appears to be the divergent character of the most recent film, Robinson in Ruins, when considered in relation to the framework established by the first two – a divergence that directly implicates Keiller's thematisation of landscape; and, second, to reflect more broadly on the wider significance of Keiller's films for geography and other critically inspired scholarship.


Background and objective: Student evaluation is a special concern in medical education, and validity is one of the most important evaluation characteristics. There are different kinds of validity. Criterion validity is a degree of correlation between an evaluation and another reference evaluation. Medical education for the general physician consists of four discrete courses. Indeed, the average of course scores and comprehensive basic science examination score and score on pre- internship examination are about predicting success of a student in following course. We consider this as criterion validity. Material and Methods : We studied average courses score and comprehensive basic science examination and pre-internship examination score of 58 students after all courses were completed. Also, the summative average of previous courses was calculated. The correlation between all single and summative averages and the following course was calculated. Results: Most calculated correlations were above 0.5, but they decreased gradually from basic sciences to clinical sciences. Correlation between basic science average score and pathophysiology average score(0.834) was the highest and correlation between pre-internship exam score with internship average score(0.415) was the lowest. Comprehensive basic sciences examination score and pre-internship examination score did not have a higher coefficient correlation with the following courses compared with the basic science average score and externship average score. The summative average of previous courses showed higher correlation with the following course compared with the single course average. Conclusion: It seems that the evaluation method determine correlations. Comprehensive basic science examination and pre-internship examination both were performed on a single day with MCQ method. All course examinations were performed along with the courses and contained multiple examinations in most of which other methods including OSCE and Tutor Report are used.


We prove theorems on the exact asymptotic behaviour of the integrals for and for two random processes , namely, the Wiener process and the Brownian bridge, and obtain other related results. Our approach is via the Laplace method for infinite-dimensional distributions, namely, Gaussian measures and the occupation time for Markov processes.


Taenia martis, a tapeworm harbored in the intestine of mustelids, is a rarely encountered zoonotic cysticercosis pathogen. The larval stage closely resembles the Taenia solium cysticercus, but the natural host and thus the epidemiology of the disease is different. We here report a human eye infection diagnosed molecularly in a previously healthy female German patient. The case represents the third human infection described worldwide; the two previous cases were also European, involving eye and brain.


The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of environmental enrichment (EE) on neurotrophin expression in an animal model of Parkinson's disease (PD). PD was induced via intraperitoneal injection of 1-methyl-4-phenyl-1,2,3,6-tetrahydropyridine (MPTP). Male mice (N = 42) were randomly divided into 3 groups: control, MPTP + standard condition (SC), and MPTP + EE. The groups were raised separately for 28 days. On Day 21 they received 1 injection (20 mg/kg MPTP or saline for MPTP and control groups, respectively) every 2 hr for a total of 4 injections. Animals were sacrificed 7 days after the final injection and their brains were immediately removed. Neurotrophins and messenger ribonucleic acid (mRNA) expression levels were measured. The BCL-2/Bax ratio significantly increased in the MPTP + EE compared to the MPTP + SC group. Nerve growth factor (NGF) mRNA level was upregulated (but not significantly) in the MPTP + EE compared to the MPTP + SC group. Tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) expression significantly increased in the MPTP + EE compared to the MPTP + SC group. Finally, expressions of proNGF and p75 neurotrophin receptor (p75NTR) were significantly downregulated in the MPTP + EE compared to the MPTP + SC group. Results confirm that EE has neuroprotective effects on dopaminergic neurons via suppression of activation of the p75NTR-mediated signaling pathway through the binding of proNGF and p75NTR. Findings suggest that use of EE as a therapeutic intervention would promote healthy aging by facilitating recovery following brain injury and preventing neurodegenerative diseases.


Though the idea of horizontal networked, bottom-up communication processes is present in many discussions of the role of digital media in the context of social movements, not many studies point to the processes behind the creation and publication of authorial testimonial content by regular people, that is, content produced in situ at the heat of the moment whose author is neither media nor political actors. Through 10 interviews structured according to Proulx and colleagues' ICT social appropriation framework (2017), with users that have created and published such type of content on Twitter with the hashtag #ForaTemer in the aftermath of Rousseff's impeachment in Brazil in 2016.This paper discusses why and how ordinary people take media matters in their own hands as a form of political action, even though it may apparently be dressed up with different communicative functions, such as emulating the pretense neutrality and objectivity of media discourse. Findings point to a convergent media critique as main motivator, followed by the aim to connect the absent and to scrutinize police abuse. The aggregated result seems to point to a manifestation of collective intelligence, characterized by swarm-like logics and alienation from the complete result of the #ForaTemer publications.Research funded by CONICYT-PCHA/Doctorado Nacional/2016-21160426.


A pyranometer is a device used to measure the level of solar irradiation. This device has a sensor that measures the density of the electromagnetic flux of solar radiation on a flat plane. The electromagnetic flux density parameter is converted into an electrical parameter in watts per square meter. Pyranometers are used in weather station devices to analyze and predict weather conditions. Solar power generation systems are usually also installed with this device. It is intended to monitor solar irradiation's condition to examine the generating system's performance. This article discusses the photovoltaic-based pyranometer characterization method. The characterization method is carried out to determine the measurement parameters such as accuracy, precision, and hysteresis. Knowing these parameters will make it possible to see the performance of measuring solar irradiation levels by a measuring instrument for solar irradiation levels, like a pyranometer. The characterization method is to compare the measurement results with standard instruments. The solar irradiance level monitoring is also optimal, accurate, and precise with a reliable measurement method.


A dull political battle. An analysis of the political news coverage in De Telegraaf, 1902-1914

 In 1893, De Telegraaf was founded as a response to the 'boring news coverage of the bourgeois press'. As a self-declared neutral newspaper, inspired on the emerging Anglo-American mass press, the young daily was the odd one out in the Dutch bourgeois-journalistic landscape. This contribution shows how De Telegraaf, as one of the largest newspapers of this period, reported about Dutch politics in the first decades of the twentieth century. Its reporting shows that the newspaper considered politics with a certain distance: as a game with accompanying rules. The most effective political strategy was that of authenticity: sincere politicians who sought to connect with their voters were praised by the newspaper. This contribution shows that research on the crossroads of political culture and media can shed a new light on the political form changes around the turn of the century. The popular press played a crucial role in shaping the new politics.


A stability-indication high performance liquid chromatographic method has been developed for the determination of norfloxacin in tablet dosage forms. Optimum separation was achieved in less than 7 minutes using Eclipse Plus Zorbax C18 Agilent, 150 mm×4.6 mm i.d., 5 μm particle size column. The analyte was resolved by using a mobile phase 5% acetic acid aqueous solution and methanol (80:20, v/v) at a flow rate 1.0 ml/min on an isocratic high performance liquid chromatographic system at a wavelength of 277 nm. Linearity, system suitability, precision, sensitivity, selectivity, specific, and robustness were established by International Conference Harmonization guidelines. For stress studies the drug was subjected to photolysis, oxidation, acid, alkaline and neutral conditions. The analytical conditions and the solvent developed provided good resolution within a short analysis time and economic advantages. The proposed method not required sophisticated and expensive instrumentation.


Let's read! We will often find out this sentence everywhere. When still being a kid, mom used to order us to always read, so did the teacher. Some books are fully read in a week and we need the obligation to support reading. What about now? Do you still love reading? Is reading only for you who have obligation? Absolutely not! We here offer you a new book enPDFd personnel systems and data management to read.


Abstract A proper methodology for collecting samples of geothermal water makes it possible not only to determine the hydrochemical characteristics of the water, but also to assess its temporal and spatial variability. The knowledge about the concentration of selected elements as well as the values of field measurements can help to indicate their impact on other environments and the processes that occur in a geothermal system. An important issue is the quality of the results obtained from in-situ measurements of unstable parameters, i.a. pH and electrical conductivity (EC). The results of measurements presented in the paper were completed with the use of three different devices in hot and cooled raw geothermal water (field test). The research was performed during two seasons of increased (winter) and lower (summer) exploitation of geothermal water. The percentage difference between EC at temperatures of 22°C and 75°C was 3.27%; however, for the pH the observed percentage difference was only 0.26%. An additional experiment was carried out on a laboratory scale to indicate the influence of temperature changes on pH and EC measurements.


Many researchers are investigating the brain function by using a block paradigm in fMRI measurement. However, there are some problems to pick up the activating area of brain for visual stimulation in analysis system which is equipped with MRI normally. It becomes a standard so that using the analysis software such as SPM may deal with such various problems. But, problems exist even if these software are used. Then, we advocate constructing a single paradigm which is a new measurement technique for considering BOLD effect, and specify a target part simply by using fMRI. We compared the ordinary block paradigm to the single paradigm through the aspect of the evaluation of the activating part in the MRI image and the change in the signal intensity (change of hemodynamics).


Objective: The objective of present study deals with an attempt to formulate Glimepiride in liposomal drug delivery system, in order to maintain steady state plasma concentration; hence it has to be administered frequently to the patients, because of its short plasma half life. To maintain steady plasma concentration for longer period of time formulation of controlled drug release system is essential. Liposomal drug delivery system provides sustained release of Glimepiride. Methods: Glimepiride liposomes were prepared by ethanol injection method using varying concentration of cholesterol and lecithin. Drug excipient compatibility study was performed by FT-IR spectral studies and differential scanning calorimetry studies. Liposomes were evaluated for drug encapsulation efficiency, morphological study by optical microscope, SEM and TEM, vesicle size and zeta potential determination, In -vitro drug release & kinetic study and stability studies. Results: The formulations fulfilled all official requirements. The drug release was slow and sustained for >12 hrs. The formulations followed zero order kinetics. Zeta potential and stability study for 90 days demonstrated that the formulation was stable at 25¬¬¬¬oC than when refrigerated. Conclusion: Glimepiride was formulated as liposomal formulation after checking the compatibility by DSC and FT-IR studies. The liposomes preparation FA3 was optimized based on the particle size, zeta potential, entrapment efficiency, and drug release characteristics.


Introduction In many habitats ants form a major part of the arthropod fauna found on vegetation, and recent studies have shown that the abundance and diversity of ant– plant associations is particularly remarkable in the tropical region. For instance, one-third of the plant species in a Panamanian forest (Schupp & Feener 1991) and over 20% of the woody species in a Brazilian savanna (Oliveira & OliveiraFilho 1991) were found to produce ant rewards. Furthermore, 312 ant–plant interactions were recorded in one Mexican coastal site (Rico-Gray 1993), and the ant–plant community in an Amazonian rainforest comprised 377 plants per ha (Fonseca & Ganade 1996). In the tropics many ant species use plant surfaces as a foraging substrate to search for both live and dead animal prey, as well as for different types of plant-derived food products (Carroll & Janzen 1973). Ant activity on foliage can be promoted by the occurrence of predictable and immediately renewable food sources, including extrafloral nectar, honeydew from phloemfeeding hemipterans, and secretions from lepidopteran larvae (see Way 1963; Bentley 1977; Buckley 1987; Koptur 1992; Pierce et al. 2002). In fact, plantand insect-derived liquid foods appear to provide a large amount of the energy supply of foliage-dwelling ants (Tobin 1994; Davidson et al. 2003). Although food resources located on foliage are probably more often found and exploited by arboreal species, ground-nesting ants frequently extend their foraging areas onto the plant substrate as well (Rico-Gray 1993; Blüthgen et al. 2000; Davidson et al. 2003). Intense ant activity on vegetation has resulted in a multitude of ant– plant–herbivore interactions, ranging from facultative to obligate associations (reviewed by Beattie 1985; Davidson & McKey 1993; Bronstein 1998). From the


We investigate the influence of the coherent effect on femtosecond time-resolved Z-scan measurements using a degenerate pump-probe Z-scan technique. The time response of the light-induced transient grating (LITG) of Bi2O3-B2O3-SiO2 (BI) glass shows a valley-peak variation, which has an obvious influence on the time-resolved Z-scan measurements. The valley-peak variation of the LITG signals with the delay time in BI glass is due to coherent transient energy transfer between positively chirped pump and probe pulses. The influence of the LITG effect on the closed-aperture time-resolved Z-scan measurements could be reduced by adjusting the position of the aperture transversely.


Machine learning deals with the construction and study of systems that can learn from data, rather than follow only explicitly programmed instructions. Classification is the problem of identifying to which of a set of protein categories a new observation belongs, on the basis of a training set of data containing observations (or instances) whose category membership is known based on positive and negative datasets. This paper primarily emphasizes on the development of prediction tool for drought tolerant protein NAC in rice using Support Vector Machine algorithm. In this paper, we have used seven feature extraction methods including amino acid features, dipeptide, hybrid methods and exchange group features. Using dipeptide features, we have obtained a precision rate of 86% for the NACPredictor tool. This is also further compared with sequence similarity search tool PSI-BLAST.


Bloodstream forms of the parasitic protozoa Trypanosoma brucei gambiense derive all of needed energy through an unusual glycolysis. In an earlier study, we showed that D-mannose specifically inhibited the growth of bloodstream forms of T. b. gambiense. We investigated D-mannose transport into the T. b. gambiense bloodstream forms and its metabolism in the initial phase of the glycolytic pathway. D-Mannose was transported rapidly into the bloodstream forms of T. b. gambiense (K(m) = 378 microM), and D-glucose competitively inhibited D-mannose uptake. D-Mannose and D-glucose are transported into bloodstream trypanosomes by the same carrier. Hexokinase from the bloodstream trypanosomes could convert D-mannose to D-mannose 6-phosphate (K(m) = 155.8 microM; Vmax = 0.93 mumol/min/mg protein); with kinetic properties very similar to D-glucose phosphorylation (K(m) = 199.4 microM; Vmax = 1.15 mumol/min/mg protein). D-Mannose 6-phosphate could be further metabolized in the glycolytic pathway. However, the metabolic rate was extremely slow, and D-mannose 6-phosphate accumulated in the glycosomes. D-Mannose may cause growth inhibition of bloodstream trypanosomes through an extremely high concentration of D-mannose 6-phosphate in the glycosomes.


Dorothy Rayner, the second of three children, was raised in Teddington, Middlesex. After attending Bedales School, she matriculated in 1931 to read Natural Sciences at Girton College, Cambridge, where she distinguished herself as both an undergraduate and postgraduate student. In those pre-war years, Cambridge University had not yet begun to admit women as full graduates, so her First Class BA was awarded by Girton College in 1935. In the same year, Dorothy was a University Harkness Scholar and recipient of the G. G. B. Crewdson Memorial Prize. From 1936 to 1938, she was a Hertha Ayrton By-Fellow at Girton College, carrying out research in vertebrate palaeontology, primarily at Cambridge but also at University College, London. The University of Cambridge awarded her a doctorate in 1938. A Cambridge MA followed.


Abstract. The apparatus described here is a fully portable, steady-state gas exchange system for simultaneous measurements of the CO2 exchange and transpiration of single, attached leaves. The leaf cuvette provides temperature, humidity, and CO2-concentration control. The system is suitable for either surveys or detailed studies of photosynthetic and stomatal responses to environmental variables. Representative data demonstrate the response time characteristics of the system and constitute the first field evidence of stomatal behaviour consistent with a recent hypothesis concerning the optimum pattern of stomatal conductance for the maximization of water-use-efficiency.


Objectives
Evaluate the association between insufficient 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] serum levels and healthcare payer source of older adults living in long-term care (LTC) communities.

Methods
Residents (age >65 yo) of five LTC communities in Central, Texas were recruited to participated in the multi-site, cross-sectional study. A one-year medical history was abstracted from medical records using double-blinded data abstraction and entry protocols. Medical history included but not limited to: diagnosis, medications, history of supplementation, BMI, mini-nutritional assessment, diet order, total mood assessments, hospitalizations and number of infections. Data on payer source and other demographics were also obtained via medical records. Blood draws were collected to measure serum 25(OH)D levels. Logistic regression models were uses to assess the association between insufficient25(OH)Dserum levels (defined as <30 ng/ml) and healthcare payer source. Total vitamin D supplemented per day along with amount provided in meals, body mass index, race, gender, age, years living in community, and diagnosis of liver and renal disease were used as confounders.

Results
The 174 participants (89% Caucasian, mean age 83 yo) included 63% females. Payer source was distributed as follows: 55% private pay, 8.6% Medicare, 35% Medicaid, and 1% insurance. Fifty-five % had insufficient25(OH)D serum levels (mean serum level = 32.6 ng/ml; mean supplementation rate of 1138 IU per/d). Insufficient serum levels were seen in 48% of participants with private pay (mean serum level = 36 mg/ml) and 58% with Medicaid (mean serum level = 30.5 ng/ml). Adjusted logistic regression showed that payer source was a significant determinant of insufficient25(OH)D serum levels. Medicaid residents had significantly greater odds of having insufficient 25(OH)D serum levels (adjusted odd ratio (OR) 3.26; CL: 1.25, 8.48; P = 0.015) than private pay participants.

Conclusions
Practitioners working in LTC can use these results to ensure equity in the provision of medical nutritional therapy across Medicaid residents and private pay residents.

Funding Sources
Funding for study was provided through the private funds of research team.


A fully integrated switched-capacitor power amplifier (SCPA) utilizes switched-capacitor techniques in an EER/Polar architecture. It operates on the envelope of a nonconstant envelope modulated signal as an RF-DAC in order to amplify the signal efficiently. The measured maximum output power and PAE are 25.2 dBm and 45%, respectively. When amplifying an 802.11g 64-QAM orthogonal frequency-division multiplexing (OFDM) signal, the measured error vector magnitude is 2.6% and the average output power and power-added efficiencies are 17.7 dBm and 27%, respectively.


The direct-current (dc) properties of a set of recently developed wideband alternating-current (ac) shunts in the range of 30 mA to 10 A are presented. The characterization includes the long-term drift, the temperature coefficient, and the power coefficient, which all appear to have effects on the level of 1-10 μΩ/Ω. After corrections for these effects, the total uncertainty in the shunt resistance is between 1 and 3 μΩ/Ω. These results prove the suitability of the shunts for wideband power applications where both small ac-dc transfer differences (small phase angles) over the whole frequency range and stable dc characteristics are required.


A spin strongly driven by two incommensurate tones can pump energy from one drive to the other at a quantized average rate, in close analogy with the quantum Hall effect. The quantized pumping is a pre-thermal effect with a lifetime that diverges as the drive frequencies approach zero. We study the transition between the pumping and non-pumping pre-thermal states. The transition is sharp at zero frequency and is characterized by a Dirac point in the instantaneous band structure parametrized by the drive phases. We show that the pumping rate is half-integer quantized at the transition and present universal Kibble-Zurek scaling functions for energy transfer processes in the low frequency regime. Our results identify qubit experiments to measure the universal linear and non-linear response of a Dirac point.


Workplace health and safety is constantly evolving both in developed and developing countries. Under the tumultuous development of technology, working environments are changing, leading to the onset of new occupational hazards and unprecedented risk conditions deriving from the new ways of organizing work. At the same time, progress in medical science, with the knowledge in the fields of genetics, metabolomics, big data, and smart technologies, makes it possible to promptly identify and treat risk conditions that would have escaped notice in the past. Personalized occupational medicine represents the frontier of prevention in the workplace, from the perspective of total worker health and the sustainability of resources. The contributions to this Special Issue range from chemical, physical, and biological to psychosocial risks, and from the search for new ways to control long-known risks, such as mercury toxicity, to observations of the most frequent pathologies in the workplace in the last twenty years, such as repetitive trauma diseases, immunodeficiency transmitted as a result of biological injuries, and violence and psychological trauma in the workplace. New insights are needed in occupational health and safety practice to address the new challenges in this field.


During acute (< 30 min) hypoxia, cellular respiration is independent of the O2 concentration as long as PO2 remains above a critical value (5-10 Torr). Similarly, state 3 respiration by isolated mitochondria is independent of PO2 above a critical tension of 2-4 Torr. However, rat hepatocytes demonstrate a reversible suppression of respiration and an increase in NAD(P)H concentration during prolonged (2-24 h), but not acute hypoxia [P. T. Schumacker, N. Chandel, and A. G. N. Augusti. Am. J. Physiol. 265 (Lung Cell. Mol. Physiol. 9): L395-L402, 1993]. This study tested whether respiration is similarly inhibited in isolated mitochondria exposed to low PO2 for prolonged periods and whether cytochrome-c oxidase participates in this response. Coupled rat liver mitochondria were incubated under low oxygen conditions (PO2 < 2 Torr) for 2 h. State 3 respiration after reoxygenation to PO2 = 20 Torr was then compared with the value obtained subsequently at 100 Torr. Using succinate and ADP as substrates, we determined that state 3 respiration at 20 Torr was 61.0 +/- 8.4% of the subsequent value at 100 Torr (P < 0.05). By contrast, control mitochondria reoxygenated to 100 Torr first and 20 Torr subsequently showed no significant difference at the two O2 tensions (P = NS).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


AIMS
The aims of the study were to determine the relationship between preoperative geriatric nutritional risk index (GNRI) and the occurrence of postoperative delirium (POD) in elderly patients after cardiac surgery and to evaluate the additive value of GNRI for predicting POD.

METHODS
The data were extracted from the Multiparameter Intelligent Monitoring in Intensive Care (MIMIC-IV) database. Patients who underwent cardiac surgery and were aged 65 or older were included. The relationship between preoperative GNRI and POD was investigated using logistic regression. We determined the added predictive value of preoperative GNRI for POD by measuring the changes in the area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC) and calculating the net reclassification improvement (NRI) and integrated discrimination improvement (IDI).

RESULTS
A total of 4286 patients were included in the study, and 659 (16.1%) developed POD. Patients with POD had significantly lower GNRI scores than patients without POD (median 111.1 vs. 113.4, p < 0.001). Malnourished patients (GNRI ≤ 98) had a significantly higher risk of POD (odds ratio, 1.83, 90% CI, 1.42-2.34, p < 0.001) than those without malnutrition (GNRI > 98). This correlation remains after adjusting for confounding variables. The addition of GNRI to the multivariable models slightly but not significantly increases the AUCs (all p > 0.05). Incorporating GNRI increases NRIs in some models and IDIs in all models (all p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Our results showed a negative association between preoperative GNRI and POD in elderly patients undergoing cardiac surgery. The addition of GNRI to POD prediction models may improve their predictive accuracy. However, these findings were based on a single-center cohort and will need to be validated in future studies involving multiple centers.


An 8-channel CMOS low-noise readout IC is designed for CdZnTe (CZT) X-ray detector arrays. One channel of the IC is composed of a continuously discharged preamplifier and a comparator. The preamplifier is operated in pulse-mode and this is realized with a feedback capacitor and a pair of MOSFETs. The noise of this readout IC is calculated by the time-domain Hspice noise simulation. The operation region of this readout IC is over 10 MHz, so the thermal noise of the input transistor dominates over the detector shot noise and the 1/f noise of the input transistor. The calculated RMS total noise voltage at the output node of the preamplifier is 0.246 mV. The prototype chip is fabricated in 1.5 /spl mu/m CMOS technology through MOSIS and the measured noise voltage of the preamplifier output is 0.435 mV. The results suggest that the time-domain Hspice noise simulation can be used to design the low noise readout IC.


About half of the money that finances housing in the U.S comes from three government-related "Agencies:" two government-sponsored enterprises (GSEs): Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac, and a government owned enterprise, Ginnie Mae, that buy mortgages and securitize them and sell the securities or debt backed by mortgages (or mortgage-backed securities) in the bond markets. The purpose of this paper is to analyze Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac and their role in the mortgage market and effects on resource allocation and urban economies. A central point of the paper is that the problem is essentially a "second best" one because of the presence of multiple guarantees and subsidies in the mortgage market. The two agencies may well lead to too much housing but they may also be the most efficient (relatively to banks, which also have guarantees and subsidies) way of funding mortgages.


Abstract Although water‐soluble graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have shown various promising bio‐applications due to their intriguing optical and chemical properties, the large heterogeneity in compositions, sizes, and shapes of these GQDs hampers the better understanding of their structure‐properties correlation and further uses in terms of large‐scale manufacturing practices and safety concerns. It is shown here that a water‐soluble atomically‐precise GQD (WAGQD‐C96) is synthesized and exhibits a deep‐red emission and excellent sonodynamic sensitization. By decorating sterically hindered water‐soluble functional groups, WAGQD‐C96 can be monodispersed in water without further aggregation. The deep‐red emission of WAGQD‐C96 facilitates the tracking of its bio‐process, showing a good cell‐uptake and long‐time retention in tumor tissue. Compared to traditional molecular sonosensitizers, WAGQD‐C96 generates superior reactive oxygen species and demonstrates excellent tumor inhibition potency as an anti‐cancer sonosensitizer in in vivo studies. A good biosafety of WAGQD‐C96 is validated in both in vitro and in vivo assays.


The purpose of this study was to examine the validity of counting steps and computing indices of moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) using miniature activity monitors with 3-D technology worn at various locations under controlled (CON) and free-living conditions (FL). Kenz e-style2, Tanita Calorism Smart, and Omron Calori Scan HJA-306 activity monitors were assessed. Nine and 31 young adult women were assigned to the CON and FL studies, respectively. While walking or jogging on a treadmill at 5 different speeds, the subjects simultaneously carried the 3 different monitors in a pants pocket (PP), a chest shirt pocket, and a shoulder bag (B). Under the FL condition, the 3 monitors were placed only at the PP and B locations for practical reasons. Significant effects of monitor location and walking/jogging speed on the step count measured by the 3 monitors were evaluated under the CON condition. Monitors placed at both PP and B tended to underestimate the number of steps; however, there were no significant differences between the values obtained with the Kenz monitor and those obtained with a criterion accelerometer under the FL condition. Moreover, strong correlations were observed between steps measured by monitors placed at PP and steps measured by the criterion accelerometer. The amount of MVPA for the PP location and the non-carrying duration of the bag for the B location were considered to be important determinants of the accuracy of step counting under the FL condition. In conclusion, monitors placed at the PP location, especially the Kenz monitor, showed acceptable accuracy for young adult women in real-life settings. In contrast, MVPA indices assessed using these monitors showed limited validity.


Replacement of the aliphatic isoleucine residue in position 3 of oxytocin (the first corner position of the beta-turn in the 20-membered ring of the solution conformation of the hormone) by phenylalanine has been shown to result in analogues with reduced affinity and intrinsic activity when tested by the individual dose-response procedure on the isolated rat uterus. Studies of effects of structural modifications have been extended to include two additional beta-turn corner positions. First, the dose-response behavior of [Leu4]oxytocin and [Phe4]oxytocin, two analogues in which the Glu4 side chain in the second corner position of the beta-turn in the 20-membered ring has been substituted by hydrophobic and bulky groups, was compared with that of oxytocin. Second, the solid-phase synthesis and biological properties of [Phe3,Leu4,Met8]oxytocin and [Phe3,4,Met8]oxytocin are described. The presence of leucine or phenylalanine in position 4 evokes a drastic reduction in both the affinity and intrinsic uterotonic activity of the resulting analogues, with phenylalanine significantly more effective in reducing intrinsic activity than leucine (p less than 0.001).


The induced co-electrodeposition of Ni and Mo is a complex process, where metallic Ni-Mo alloys and Ni-Mo-O composites can originate from the complete and partial reduction of Mo respectively. By adjusting electrolyte compositions and electrodeposition parameters, various metallic, metal/oxide composite, and oxide thin films of Ni-Mo and Ni-Mo-O were electrodeposited from ammonium citrate baths. Ni-ammonia complexes, which play a critical role in promoting the deposition of metallic Ni-Mo alloys, were enhanced at alkaline pH (i.e., 8–10) and lower temperature (i.e., 25–45°C). Moreover, the electrochemical reduction of Ni is under mass transfer limitation, so the deposited Mo content decreased with increasing agitation. On the other hand, higher Mo content can be achieved by relatively higher citrate concentration and larger Mo-to-Ni precursor molar ratio. However, a critical molar ratio of metal precursor resulted in transition from alloy to composite due to Ni inducing the reduction of Mo.


The future smart grid is expected to be an interconnected network of small-scale and self-contained microgrids, in addition to a large-scale electric power backbone. By utilizing microsources, such as renewable energy sources and combined heat and power plants, microgrids can supply electrical and heat loads in local areas in an economic and environment friendly way. To better adopt the intermittent and weather-dependent renewable power generation, energy storage devices, such as batteries, heat buffers and plug-in electric vehicles (PEVs) with vehicle-to-grid systems can be integrated in microgrids. However, significant technical challenges arise in the planning, operation and control of microgrids, due to the randomness in renewable power generation, the buffering effect of energy storage devices and the high mobility of PEVs. The two-way communication functionalities of the future smart grid provide an opportunity to address these challenges, by offering the communication links for microgrid status information collection. However, how to utilize stochastic modeling and optimization tools for efficient, reliable and economic planning, operation and control of microgrids remains an open issue. In this paper, we investigate the key features of microgrids and provide a comprehensive literature survey on the stochastic modeling and optimization tools for a microgrid. Future research directions are also identified.


BACKGROUND
Behçet's disease (BD) has a growing prevalence in Silk Road countries. The aim of our cross-sectional study was to explore the clinical and molecular predictors of quality of life in BD patients.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
One hundred and fifty consecutive Iranian BD patients with an age range between 20-50 years were included. The Leeds Behçet's disease quality of life (BDQoL) in Persian form was fulfilled to evaluate quality of life. Anthropometric measurements were carried out using the calibrated scales. Iranian Behcet's Disease Dynamic Activity Measure (IBDDAM), Behcet's disease current activity form (BDCAF), and Total Inflammatory Activity Index (TIAI) were used to assess BD activity. mRNA expression of toll-like receptors 2 and 4 (TLR2 and TLR4) and tumor-necrosis-factor-alpha (TNF-α) level in serum were measured by real-time polymerase-chain-reaction (PCR) and ELISA, respectively. Multiple linear backward regression at P=0.1 was used to study on the potential predictors of quality of life.

RESULTS
TLR2 and BDCAF were shown to be the most important predictors of quality of life in BD patients by 22%. There were the positive associations between them (β = 0.326, p = 0.013 for BDCAF; β = 0.366, p = 0.006 for TLR2) and BDQoL value.

CONCLUSION
Higher TLR2 expression as a key protein in recognition of pathogens by innate immunity and BDCAF value as a comprehensive BD assessing scale contribute to poor quality of life among BD patients. Emphasizing on therapeutically approaches associated with lower TLR2 expression and BDCAF value can be considered in future studies.


In the last twenty years historians and social scientists have seen a veritable explosion of research into food and its consumption and social context. And yet archaeology has been slow to catch on. This is all the more surprising since the 'bread and butter' of archaeology are the residues of food preparation and consumption - animal bones, pottery and other containers, cooking places and other technologies of preparation, plant remains (micro and macro), landscapes and settlements, grave goods, etc., etc. This volume of papers arises out of a conference held in Sheffield in 1999, organised jointly by The Prehistoric Society and the Sheffield University Archaeology Society, on 'Food, Identity and Culture in the Neolithic and Early Bronze Age'. The aim was to bring together the different archaeological interests - from archaeological science and humanities perspectives - in food as cultural artefact/ecofact, to examine the potential of the new and developing scientific techniques for reconstructing prehistoric food habits, and to foster an integrated approach to the archaeology of food regardless of different researchers' specialisms.The 12 papers in this volume include: (1) Food, culture and identity: an introduction and overview; (2) Explaining the dietary isotope evidence for the rapid adoption of the Neolithic in Britain; (3) In the kinship of cows: the social centrality of cattle in the earlier Neolithic of southern Britain; (4) Animals into ancestors: domestication, food and identity in Late Neolithic Orkney; (5) Early Neolithic diets: evidence from pathology and dental wear; (6) The use of dental microwear to infer diet and subsistence patterns in past human populations; (7) You are where you ate: isotopic analysis in the reconstruction of prehistoric residency; (8) Diet and culture in southern Britain: the evidence from Yarnton; (9) Dairying, dairy products and milk residues: potential studies in European prehistory; (10) Neolithic and Early Bronze Age 'food' from northern Greece: the archaeobotanical evidence; (11) Changing paradigms: food as a metaphor for cultural identity among prehistoric fisher-gatherer-hunter communities of northern Europe; (12) Mead, chiefs and feasts in later prehistoric Europe.


Taeniasis has been known as one of the prevalent parasitic infections in Korea. Until recently, Taenia saginata had long been considered a dominant, and widely distributed species but epidemiological profiles of human Taenia species in Korea still remain unclear. In order to better understand distribution patterns of human Taenia tapeworms in Korea, partial nucleotide sequences of mitochondrial cox1 and ITS2 (internal transcribed spacer 2) were determined, along with morphological examinations, on 68 Taenia specimens obtained from university museum collections deposited since 1935. Genomic DNA was extracted from formalin-preserved specimens. Phylogenetic relationships among the genotypes (cox1 haplotype) detected in this study were inferred using the neighbor-joining method as a tree building method. Morphological and genetic analyses identified 3 specimens as T. solium, 51 specimens as T. asiatica, and 14 specimens as T. saginata. Our results indicate that all 3 Taenia tapeworms are sympatrically distributed in Korea with T. asiatica dominating over T. saginata and T. solium.


For the past few decades, control and building engineering communities have been focusing on thermal comfort as a key factor in designing sustainable building evaluation methods and tools. However, estimating the indoor air temperature of buildings is a complicated task due to the nonlinear and complex building dynamics characterised by the time-varying environment with disturbances. The primary focus of this paper is designing a predictive and probabilistic room temperature model of buildings using Gaussian processes (GPs) and incorporating it into model predictive control (MPC) to minimise energy consumption and provide thermal comfort satisfaction. The full probabilistic capabilities of GPs are exploited from two perspectives: the mean prediction is used for the room temperature model, while the uncertainty is involved in the MPC objective not to lose the desired performance and design a robust controller. We illustrated the potential of the proposed method in a numerical example with simulation results.


In 1993, a proof was published, within this journal, that there are no regular solutions to the linearized version of the twisting, type-N, vacuum solutions of the Einstein field equations. While this proof is certainly correct, we show that the conclusions drawn from that fact were unwarranted, namely that this irregularity might cause exact, twisting solutions of Petrov type N to be unable to truly describe pure gravitational waves. In this paper, we resolve the paradox - since such first-order solutions must always have singular lines in space for all sufficiently large values of r - by showing that if we iterate the solution up to the third order, there do exist acceptable, regular solutions. That these solutions become flat before they become non-twisting tells us something interesting concerning the general behaviour of solutions describing gravitational radiation from a bounded source.


On behalf of the Steering, Organizing and Program Committees, we would like to welcome you to the International Conference on Design and Technology of integrated Systems in nanoscale era (DTIS) 2015, an event devoted to presenting and discussing scientific trends, emerging results, hot topics, and practical applications in the area of design and technology of integrated systems.


Computer Networks and Open Systems: An Application Development Perspective covers principles, theory, and techniques of networks and open systems from a practical perspective, using real system and network applications as its basis. The selection of topics forms a core of material in computer networking, emphasizing methods and the environment for application development. The text aims to make readers immediately comfortable in today's networking environment while equipping them to keep pace in one of the fastest moving and most exciting areas of computer system development. Students will enter the study of networking through their own experience as a network users, and they will have the opportunity to practice the kind of networking tasks they will perform in the workplace.


OBJECTIVES
With the recent improvements in technology, the expectation of minimal invasion and maximal comfort in caries removal techniques is increasing. This study aims to examine the effectiveness of six caries removal methods in primary teeth.

STUDY DESIGN
Sixty primary molars (10 teeth in each groups) were used. The groups were: Group I (Tungsten Carbide Bur), Group II (Sono abrasion), Group III (Air abrasion), Group IV (Carisolv), Group V (Er:YAG Laser), Group VI (ART). In micro-CT scanning, mineral density at the cavity floor was examined before and after caries removal. After caries removal, the patency of the dentinal tubules was examined in two teeth from each group on SEM images. Statistical analyses were performed using Kruskal-Wallis, Wilcoxon tests.

RESULTS
For six different caries removal methods, tooth mineral (inorganic, total) densities at cavity floors were compared among the groups after the procedures, and no statistically significant difference was found (p>0.05). On the SEM images, it was seen that the dentinal tubules were exposed and no smear layer was formed in the Carisolv group. Significant rough surfaces were exposed in the laser group.

CONCLUSION
It was observed that alternative caries removal methods are at least as effective as the traditional method in primary teeth for clinical applications.