Current concerns in Jamaica as well as in many other western societies that families and family values are losing their strength, viability and influence are based on the long-held belief that the family unit is one of the most important social institutions. It is the first one in which primary socialisation of individuals normally occurs; it is expected to provide the nurturing, and integrative environment deemed necessary for the development of a properly functioning adult; it is supposed to provide the support networks critical for good health status, as well as its maintenance and management when required; and it has been recognised as an important and determining factor in the processes of economic development, wealth accumulation and individual economic advance. A harmonious family life has been almost an "object of veneration" . Not surprisingly therefore, social ills such as high and increasing poverty levels, juvenile delinquency, criminal behaviours, welfare dependency, and poor educational performance have frequently been linked to family forms and arrangements defined as "dysfunctional" .


Twenty five genotypes of okra ( Abelmoschus esculentus L.) were evaluated for genetic divergence for yield and its attributing characters. The genotypes were grouped in seven clusters on the basis of relative magnitude of D 2 values. The maximum genetic distance was observed between cluster II and VI followed by Cluster VI and VII. However, cluster III and IV showed lowest degree of divergence. The mean value of different clusters, genotypes having high yield along with plant height, internodal length, fruit weight, fruit length, 1000 seed weight were observed in cluster VI having genotypes like AE 13 and AE 21. Cluster II showed lowest mean values for maximum characters.


We report progressive necrotizing fungal cellulitis and myositis in the leg of a patient with glioblastoma multiforme treated with temozolomide and corticosteroids. While the morphologic appearance of the isolate and its ability to grow at temperatures greater than 32°C were suggestive of Mycoleptodiscus indicus, some of the conidia were atypical for this species in that they had single septa and occasional lateral appendages. Furthermore, the isolate was different from M. indicus based on the sequencing analysis of two rDNA regions. This is the first case of Mycoleptodiscus invasive fungal disease in which the causative agent could not be resolved at the species level because of inconsistencies between morphological and molecular data.


The structure of the capsular polysaccharide (CPS) of serotype Ia group B Streptococcus (GBS) has been characterized for years, but its repeating unit, which is a challenging pentasaccharide with a branch and a difficult α-sialic acid linkage, has not been synthesized yet. In this report, an effective synthesis was developed for the serotype Ia GBS CPS repeating unit, which had a reactive functionality linked to its main-chain reducing end to enable further elaboration, such as coupling with carrier proteins. The target molecule was accomplished by a convergent [2 + 3] glycosylation strategy employing a sialo-disaccharide as donor and a branched trisaccharide as acceptor. The strategy was designed to suit the synthesis of oligomers of the repeating unit.


The design and operation of a cascade matrix electron flow amplifier based on an electron concentrator multiplier is considered. Unlike classical microchannel plates, the proposed amplifier can provide a high density of output current, which also allows it to be used as a field cathode in vacuum microelectronics of giga and terahertz ranges.


Abstract:This article examines a group of objects known as "witch-bottles"–stoneware jugs that were filled with ingredients, heated and often concealed as a means of curing bewitchment in early modern England. These bottles and their associated practice have played a central role in archaeologies of ritual, folklore and magic, but have not been seriously considered as a facet of medicine. This paper provides a thorough examination of the workings of the cure, the objects' social and spatial geographies, and a material and conceptual analysis of the bottles and their associated texts. Rather than seeking to displace the current narrative surrounding "witch-bottles" entirely, this paper addresses issues regarding the interpretation of these magical objects, and situates them within the history of healing.


Hypoxia inducible factor 2α (HIF-2α) can trigger the expression of several genes related to many aspects of tumor progress under hypoxia. As an independent factor, the role of HIF-2α is different from other hypoxia-mediated elements, including HIF-1α. Carbonic anhydrase (CA) were also regarded as important enzymes that involve in the tumor microenvironment pH. To find clinical-pathological features of breast cancer in plateau and explore the impact of CAIX, XII (CA-9, CA-12) and HIF-2α on patients with breast cancer. Clinical data were collected and summarized in 94 patients with breast cancer. The expression of HIF-2α, CA-9 and CA-12 were detected, using immunohistochemistry of specimens. The relation between expressions and clinical-pathology was analyzed. Under normoxia, hypoxia, and after being pretreated with the JNK inhibitor SP600125, HIF- 2α, CA-9 and CA-12 expressions were detected, and adhesion and invasion assays were performed in MCF-7 cells and HIF- 2α shRNA cells, respectively. There are higher expressions of HIF-2α in tumor classification 2 and clinical stage 2 (P < 0.05). High expression of CA-12 was observed in clinical stage 2 (P < 0.05). CA-9 expression is significantly correlated with CA-12 expression (r = 0.376, P = 0.0001). HIF-2α expression is not correlated with both CA-9 expression (P = 0.21) and CA-12 expression (P = 0.27). Breast cancer cells in vitro showed that HIF-2α, CA-9 or CA-12 had an increase expression under hypoxia (1% O2). CA-9 or CA-12 expression was observed in HIF-2α shRNA cells. JNK inhibitor SP 600125 reduced the HIF-2α expression and inhibited the adhesion and invasion of breast cancer cell. Slight inhibition effect on CA-9 and CA-12 expression was found. In conclusion, HIF-2α, CA-9 and CA-12 are important hypoxia responsive elements in breast cancer. HIF-2α was involved in metastasis and invasion of breast cancer cells under hypoxia, by the involvement of c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK) signal pathway. CA-9 and CA-12 may tend to be regulated by HIF-1α more often than by HIF-2α under hypoxia.


Ranking or evaluating corporate governance has become a big business. Trillions of dollars of investment capital is now allocated with reference to third-party commercial scoring of firms' corporate governance arrangements. Media outlets rank companies with the best governance, and proxy advisors score governance arrangements and use them to make voting recommendations. But what, exactly, is being measured? And do the resulting measurements tell investors anything useful about what is going on inside the corporation?

When the empirical research is examined, there appears to be no relationship between corporate governance scores or ranking schemes and future corporate performance. These schemes also fail to identify companies that are likely to experience scandals or even terminate underperforming executives. This is the case whether we examine the work of commercial rating agencies, media outlets, "comply or explain" regulatory regimes, academic models, or Environmental, Social and Governance indices. How did we get to such an absurd situation? How did corporate governance measures become detached from the actual operational outcomes that we care about?

Twentieth century corporate law scholars welcomed the theoretical coherence that was eventually provided by agency theory and the modern conception of corporate governance. Commercial providers of financial products found various market and institutional imperatives satisfied by the new way of thinking about companies. But unlike these other actors, fund managers owe fiduciary duties that should prevent them from relying on the evidently flawed modern approach to measuring corporate governance. In fact, bad measurements of corporate governance adversely impact the risk-adjusted returns of even well-diversified portfolios.


To the Editor: In contrast to many previous trials of biologic agents, which, with unbalanced designs, have compared the combination of a biologic agent plus methotrexate (MTX) with placebo plus MTX, the Treatment of Early Aggressive Rheumatoid Arthritis (TEAR) study correctly compared the combination of a biologic agent plus MTX with a combination of diseasemodifying antirheumatic drugs (DMARDs) in a double-blind trial (1). Apart from a small difference in total Sharp score (2), no differences in outcomes between the 2 treatments were reported. Similar results have been found in previous related studies. In 2005 the open BeSt (Dutch acronym for BehandelStrategieën, "treatment studies") study showed that a combination of 2 DMARDs plus an initial temporary course of glucocorticoid is as effective as infliximab plus MTX in the treatment of rheumatoid arthritis (3). Furthermore, in a recent meta-analysis we showed by means of indirect comparisons that inhibition of the radiographic progression rate was similar in 3 studies comparing 3 DMARDs with a single DMARD and 12 studies comparing the combination of a biologic agent plus MTX with a single DMARD (79% versus 84%) (4). In general, our results were in accordance with those of another contemporary meta-analysis (5). Recently, results of a 2-year followup assessment in an open, randomized trial showed that effects of triple DMARD therapy and of infliximab plus MTX were similar (6). According to the Results section in the report by Moreland et al, the etanercept plus MTX group had a borderline significantly smaller increase in total Sharp score compared with the triple therapy group (0.64 versus 1.69; P 0.047). On the basis of the results shown in Table 2, we recalculated the total Sharp score and had a similar, though statistically insignificant, result (0.67 versus 1.57; P 0.47). The difference is probably because we did not have data on individual patient differences in the radiographic scores at our disposal, which therefore may have exaggerated the standard deviations in our calculations. Our calculations also show that there was no difference in erosion score between the 2 groups (0.56 versus 0.70; P 0.8). We suggest that the authors provide a table showing the mean change in total scores and erosion scores and standard deviations for the 4 groups (0–2 years). As the number of patients without progression exceeded 50% in all 4 groups, it could be deduced that the median progression is 0 in all 4 groups. Probably the radiographic data are not normally distributed, and our guess would be that a nonparametric statistical test would show no difference in the radiographic data between the etanercept plus MTX group and the triple therapy group. Statistical significance or not, it seems fair to conclude that the numerical differences concerning radiographic progression are unimportant and that the radiographic data are in accordance with the remaining results of the TEAR study. Consequently, the TEAR study, with its very strong design, is very important as it confirms the results of previous studies and adds credence to the conclusion that a combination of DMARDs is as efficient as the combination of a biologic agent plus a single DMARD, and expensive biologic agents should therefore be reserved for patients who have an inadequate response to or cannot tolerate a combination of DMARDs.


Abstract This article explores the mimesis of indigenous "customs and law" as a theory of and strategy for colonial government in the period of late imperialism. I draw on the case of colonial administration in the Portuguese colony of Timor during the second-half of the nineteenth century. I introduce the concept of "mimetic governmentality": the art of governing the Other through the productive inclusion of institutions, symbols, cultural materials, or social forms understood as other than one's own. In Timor, the imperial establishment was characterized by fragility and isolation, and a pragmatic style of colonial action thrived. In Europe, modern doctrines of colonial law rejected assimilationist policies and advocated "specialization." In this context, between 1860 and 1910, administrators on Timor devised a system of colonial justice that required the colonizers to slip into the indigenous world and govern others from the others' position and perspectives. To efficiently govern the "natives" and apply colonial justice in courts—the so-called justiças—Europeans had to release themselves from European principles and embrace indigenous law, as they understood it. The essay uses the case of Timor to assert the analytic importance and potential of mimesis for the comparative study of colonial administrations during the period of imperial expansion.


Throughout the 20th century, Russian children's literature in Latvia was a unique phenomenon. Against the background of the general trends of Soviet children's literature, Latvian children's literature (in both Latvian and Russian) developed in a space that was less constrained in respect of ideological censorship. 21st century children's literature in Latvia is developing both taking into account the previous history and current trends. The article is devoted to the specific features of children's literature in Russian, taking into account the general status of the Russian language as a foreign language and general trends in the socio-cultural space of Latvia. The study considers two main issues. First, it is a sociological analysis of the situation: an assortment of children's books, the specifics of the school programme, awareness of contemporary Latvian and Russian children's literature. On the other hand, the corpus of texts of contemporary children's literature is studied, and an overview of the oeuvre of contemporary Latvian authors is presented. The material for literary analysis was the book by Vladimir Novikov, "The Mischief of the Obedient Martins". In the course of the analysis, the specifics of the traditional children's story, the cultural and historical context of the cross-border identity of the author and his potential readers, the specifics of the contemporary narrative, the identification of the concept "one's own – other's" were revealed.


In his 1978 Chorley Lecture on 'The Political Constitution', John Griffith presented a critical appraisal of contemporary trends in British constitutional thinking from a functional perspective. This lecture has recently been revived by a new generation of public law scholars as the founding text of an emerging school of 'political constitutionalism'. In this paper, I argue that today's political constitutionalists have distorted Griffith's method and thereby misconstrued its significance. In doing so, they have also obscured the orientation of their movement.


The purpose of this research to find out how parents do parenting in the modern era of tarakan city.  The method of the research used in the study is a qualitative method by using design case study. The subject in this study consists of three parents in the modern era.  As of the subject matter of the research process was snowball sampling. The method of data collection was observation and interviews. The result showed that (1) Cendana's family is incline to the democratic parenting, it can be showed when the child asks something, the parents are, consider first the good and back side, the parents pay attention about  the hearty, the education, and the child's religion problem (2) Cemara's family is incline to the authoritative parenting, it can be showed to each parents' wishes should be do, the child is afraid and the effect rare to cry. Meanwhile the parents still pay attention the health of child. But to the education and religion, the parents incline neglectful parenting. The parents feel when the child in institute, the child is not beeded the guidance at home. The parents feel when they give the complee facilities, the duty of the parents are done (3) cempaka's family is incline to the authoritative parenting, it can be shower when the child make a mistake, the parents divectly give the punishument. Neanwhile the parents still the child's health, but in education and religion the parents is incline to negiectful parenting. The parents think handover to institute intentional becaous the parents do not have so much time for the child and the parents give the complete facilities for making happy their child.   The key words: parenting, parents, modern era.


Formation and development of small business is one of the priorities of the economy. To support and address the socio economic problems in the small business in the Russian Federation also has various programs, which is the strategic direction of the country as a whole, there is individual regions. The paper presents a new approach to the problem of distribution of subsidies for the development of small business, the example of the Kostroma region. On the basis of blocks allocated for the evaluation of small businesses and selected criteria, the authors formulated additive model for the calculation of the integral index. According to the established threshold values calculated by the integral index, small businesses Kostroma region, engaged in various types of economic activities, for the first time grouped into three associations «inefficient», «averageeffektivnye» and «highefficient». On the basis of established criteria and points on the calculated integral index, comparative characteristics of the distribution of subsidies, the authors in the article were ranked funds allocated from the regional budget for the support and development of small business. The calculated amount of the distribution of subsidies are significant differences on the score and integrated assessment of small businesses Kostroma region. Carried out in an article comparing estimates of small businesses, allowed the authors to reflect the multifaceted study of the socio economic phenomena.


In next-generation IP networks, there will be a mixture of traffic classes with different QoS requirements. Differentiated Services (DiffServ) has evolved from the IETF's earlier Integrated Services (IntServ) standard as a solution to the service quality challenges. In this paper, a novel buffer management scheme called CBQ priority buffer management (CPBM) is presented for IP routers, using the class based queueing (CBQ) scheduler, in a combined IntServ and DiffServ architecture. The objectives of the CPBM scheme are to cope with the various QoS requirements of the IP layer service classes, to utilize the buffer space as efficiently as possible and to successfully coordinate with the CBQ scheduling mechanism in order to improve packet loss performance. The proposed CPBM scheme has been compared with conventional buffer management schemes as complete partitioning (CP), push-out (PO) and push-out with threshold (POT), using OPNET release 5.1.D as a simulation platform.


7Æ00–8Æ00 pm Cultural Evening 16 September, 2008 10th Session 9Æ00–11Æ00 am Patient Management: Topicals, Systemic, Cosmetics, Innovation Acne as a chronic disease – H. P. M. Gollnick, Germany Topical acne treatment – B. Dréno, France Systemic acne treatment – A. Katsambas, Greece Isotretinoin – A. Layton, UK Organizing an acne practice – A. Massa, Portugal 11Æ00–11Æ30 pm Intermission and Poster Viewing Visit to the Industrial Exhibits 10th Session 11Æ30–1Æ00 pm Patient Management: Topicals, Systemic, Cosmetics, Innovation – Continued Antibiotic resistance – C. Oprica, Sweden New compounds in topical treatment – J. W. Fluhr, Germany Cosmetics and cleaners – H. Christian Korting, Germany (invited) Scientific cosmetics – L. F. Xiang, China Free communications 1Æ00–1Æ30 pm Closing Lecture Surprise Lecture: Molecular pharmacology of pilosebaceous unit 1Æ30–2Æ00 pm Award of Poster Prizes and End of the Conference Deadline for Abstracts Submission: 30 June 2008 Accommodation form, Registration form and Abstract form can be downloaded from the web site http:// www.acne-congress.org


Economic model predictive control (EMPC) is becoming increasingly popular within the control community owing to its combination of feedback control and dynamic economic optimization of the system/process dynamics. In this paper, we consider systems described by parabolic partial differential equations (PDEs), and apply Galerkin's method with adaptive proper orthogonal decomposition methodology (APOD) to construct reduced-order models on-line of varying accuracy which are used by an EMPC system to compute control actions for the PDE system. APOD is superior than using proper orthogonal decomposition methodology (POD) with off-line computed empirical eigenfunctions owing to the fact that the reduced-order model is updated on-line. A new EMPC scheme is proposed which can successfully improve the computational efficiency of EMPC while avoiding state constraint violation by integrating the APOD method with a high-order finite-difference method. The computational approaches presented are demonstrated using a tubular reactor example.


A rubella vaccine, prepared in dog kidney cell culture, was given to 4,734 primary school children in one California county in May, 1970. Adverse reactions of arthritis, arthralgia and paresthesia were reported two to eight weeks later. Paresthesia was a very prominent complaint and showed a peculiar diurnal pattern. Objective findings in a group of symptomatic children who came to medical attention were limited to tender, swollen, small joints. Rubella virus was isolated from throat swabs from two children with symptoms 38 and 43 days after immunization.A sample telephone survey of immunized and non-immunized children was conducted two to three months after the vaccination program to estimate the frequency, type, and distribution of reactions. Approximately 7 percent of inoculated children had symptoms subsequent to vaccination. Almost no reactions were found in the control group. There was a preponderance of girls affected, but symptoms appeared to be more severe in boys. The highest complication rate was found in the youngest age group. These reactions should be brought to the attention of medical groups and the public, but since these reactions are usually mild and self-limited, ongoing immunization programs need not be altered.


"What's in a Russian Word" works its way from a presentation of the sound structure of Russian, through an examination of the spelling system, the interface between sounds and forms, and the issue of the Church Slavonic and East Slavonic components of the Russian language, to an exploration of over sixty word families. The book should help one to make connections both between Russian words and those in numerous other European languages and between extensive groups of Russian words themselves, greatly facilitating learners at various stages in their acquisition of vocabulary and their ability to get the gist of texts without the constant and frustrating need to consult dictionaries, skill in the use of which none the less remains crucial.


This research investigates solid waste management in Al-Kut City. It included the collection of medical and general solid waste generated in five hospitals different in their specialization and capacity through one week, starting from 03/02/2012. Samples were  collected and analyzed periodically to find their generation rate, composition, and physical properties. Analysis results indicated that generation rate ranged between (1102 – 212) kg / bed / day, moisture content and density were (19.0 % - 197 kg/ m3) respectively for medical waste and (41%-255 kg/ m3) respectively for general waste. Theoretically, medical solid waste generated in Al-Kut City (like any other city), affected by capacity, number of patients in a day, and hospital specialty The research exposed the incorrect ways used in collecting, storing, waste transport, and inefficient incinerators processing .Laboratory test for six ash collected samples indicated high concentration of heavy metals (Pb, Cd, Cr) , having the rang of (51.0 – 62.0) mg / l of lead, (3.0 – 8.5) mg / l for cadmium, and (43.0 -69.0) mg / l for chrome. In comparison with the US Environmental Protection Agency standards, these samples are higher than the recommended levels that may threat groundwater. A comprehensive and integrated solution there must be to manage medical waste, with the participation of all parties concerned, especially, the Ministry of Health, environment authorities concerned, and the participation of civil society organizations. A color-code trash bags and containers are recommended by the World Health Organization and the Environmental Protection Agency to be used in hospitals that propose red bags for collecting medical waste while black bags for general waste provided that they are resistant to tearing seeping and should be provided in sufficient numbers.


AIM OF THE STUDY
To determine the morphological features distinguishing small unruptured saccular intracranial aneurysms (sIAs) with high and low wall strength (WS) in post mortem subjects.

CLINICAL RATIONALE FOR THE STUDY
Subarachnoid haemorrhage caused by sIA rupture is associated with increased mortality and morbidity. Analysis of the morphology and biomechanical properties of sIAs might facilitate the identification of clinically relevant risk factors for sIA rupture.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Eight single unruptured sIAs were found among eight subjects during 184 post mortem examinations. After assessment of the dimensions, aspect ratio (AR), size ratio (SR), height/width ratio (HW), bottleneck factor (BNF), and shape, sIAs with adjacent cerebral arteries were subjected to quasi-static increasing pressure until the wall of the cerebral artery or sIA ruptured.

RESULTS
In three specimens, the sIA ruptured at a significantly lower average pressure than the other cases, in which the rupture occurred within the wall of the adjacent cerebral artery (769 vs. 1,259 mmHg; p = 0.035). The sIAs with low WS, i.e. sIAs that ruptured during experiments, were characterised by significantly increased dome dimensions compared to sIAs with high WS (p < 0.05). At the same time, no significant differences were observed between high and low WS categories regarding AR, SR, HW, and BNF, or the presence of an irregular dome shape.

CONCLUSIONS AND CLINICAL IMPLICATIONS
Dome dimension was the only feature that distinguished unruptured sIAs as having low or high WS, and this supports observations that sIAs with increased dome dimensions are characterised by an increased risk of rupture. Thus, dome dimension may be more useful than other morphometric parameters, such as AR, SR, HW and BNF, in assessing the rupture risk assessment of small unruptured sIAs.


The design of effective energy systems is crucial for the development of flexible and wearable electronics. Regarding the direct conversion of heat into electricity, thermoelectrochemical cells (TECs) are particularly suitable for low-grade heat harvesting to enable flexible and wearable applications, despite the fact that the electrolyte leakage and complex packaging issues of conventional liquid-based TECs await to be further addressed. Herein, a quasi-solid-state TEC is assembled using the polyacrylamide/acidified-single-walled carbon nanotube (PAAm/a-SWCNT) composite hydrogel, developed via a facile in situ free-radical polymerization route with tin(IV) chloride/tin(II) chloride (Sn4+/Sn2+) as the redox couple. The as-fabricated TEC with a 0.6 wt% a-SWCNT content presents a large thermoelectrochemical Seebeck coefficient of 1.59 ± 0.07 mV K-1 and exhibits excellent stability in thermoelectrochemical performance against large mechanical stretching and deformation. Owing to this superior stretchability, the as-fabricated TEC is further assembled into an energy-autonomous strain sensor, which shows high sensitivity. The strategy of utilizing a quasi-solid-state TEC for energy-autonomous strain sensing unveils the great potential of heat-to-electricity conversion in flexible and wearable electronics.


Developmental Plasticity and Evolution. by Mary Jane West-Eberhard. Oxford University Press, New York, 2003. 814 pp. $100, £79.50. ISBN 0-19-512234-8. Paper, $49.95, £31.99. ISBN 0-19-512235-6. Discussing a wide range of ideas and empirical studies that support them, West-Eberhard focuses on showing what recent findings in development, physiology, and behavior suggest about the origins of evolutionary novelties.


This study was conducted to evaluate phosphorus (P) equivalency of phytase with various evaluation indicators of ducks in starter (0-14 days). Three hundred and twenty 1-day-old Cherry Valley ducks were randomly assigned to eight groups. The dietary treatments were four levels of available phosphorus (aP) with 0.25%, 0.32%, 0.39%, and 0.46% (treatments I-IV) and four levels of phytase added to low-aP basal diet (treatment I) with 300, 600, 900, and 1200 units (U) per kg (treatments V-VIII). The results were that compared to treatment I, increasing aP and supplementary phytase significantly (p < 0.05) improved body weight (BW), BW gain (BWG), feed intake (FI), live BW, carcass weight, semieviscerated weight, eviscerated weight, leg muscle weight, and decreased feed conversion ratio (FCR). Treatments V and VI did not significantly increase tibia ash, tibia calcium, and tibia P of 14-day-old ducks (p > 0.05). Following the increase of aP level (treatments I-IV), apparent utilization of Ca and P of ducks increased with varying degrees. With the increase of dietary phytase level (treatments V-VIII), the apparent utilization of Ca and P showed no significant difference (p > 0.05) but an increasing trend. Serum P reached the highest level when adding 600 U/kg phytase (treatment VI). Serum Ca and serum alkaline phosphatase activity showed no significant difference among treatments V-VIII (p > 0.05). Based on corn-soybean-rapeseed meal diet, with the evaluation indexes of FI, BWG, tibia ash, tibia Ca, tibia P, and apparent utilization of Ca and P, the addition of 500 U/kg phytase could release aP of 0.03%, 0.04%, 0.02%, 0.01%, 0.02%, 0.08%, and 0.07%, respectively. On the same way, the addition of 1000 U/kg phytase could release aP of 0.07%, 0.09%, 0.06%, 0.02%, 0.07%, 0.09%, and 0.09%, respectively.


Our experiments were conducted to determine whether substance P (SP) would elicit an itch sensation mediated by mast cells in mice. An intradermal injection of SP (10-135 microgram site-1) into the rostral back of the ICR mouse dose-dependently produced scratching of the injected site. The SP- (135 microgram site-1 = 100 nmol site-1) induced scratching was inhibited by capsaicin (repeated administration) and naloxone; features being similar to itch in humans. SP elicited scratching in mast cell-deficient (WBB6F1 W/Wv) mice as well as control (+/+) mice. Pretreatment with compound 48/80 produced similar degrees of inhibition of SP-induced scratching in mast cell-deficient mice as well as control +/+ and ICR mice. Intradermal injections of the NK1 receptor agonist GR73632 produced dose-dependent scratching, while the NK2 agonist GR64349 and the NK3 agonist senktide were without effects. SP-induced scratching was inhibited by the NK1 receptor antagonists spantide and L-668,169, but not by the NK2 antagonist L-659,877. The results suggest that scratching of the mouse induced by an i.d. injection of SP is itch-associated response. The SP action may be mediated at least partly by cutaneous NK1 receptors, and mast cells may not be key factors in SP-induced itching.


Superoxide dismutase (SOD) is a radical-scavenging enzyme. We determined Cu, Zn-SOD concentrations and activities in platelets from subjects with migraine and tension-type headaches. Thirty migraine without aura (MWoA) patients, 9 migraine with aura (MWA) patients, and 53 tension-type headache patients were selected for study. Thirty healthy volunteers composed the control group. Concentrations of platelet SOD were determined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay techniques. The activity of platelet SOD was determined by measuring reductivity of nitroblue tetrazolium. Low concentrations of platelet SOD were found in patients with MWA and MWoA. Platelet SOD activity decreased in MWA patients but not in patients with MWoA or tension-type headaches. These findings suggest vulnerability to oxidative stress in patients with migraine. It is suggested that low platelet SOD levels may play an important role in the etiology of migraine.


Phosphate chemical conversion (PCC) ceramic coatings on the surface of 2A12 aluminum alloy substrate have been fabricated by a simple and inexpensive chemical conversion process in CrO3–NaF–H3PO4 solution. Microstructure characterization showed that the average diameter of micro-pores and the thickness of the PCC ceramic coating were about 50 nm and 4 μm, respectively, and the ceramic coating was compact and uniform when the conversion time was 60 min. Meanwhile, we found that the PCC ceramic coating mainly consisted of AlPO4, AlOOH, AlF3, and a few amorphous phases (CrPO4 and CrOOH) via EDS, XRD, XPS analyses. TG-DSC results indicated that the PCC ceramic coatings had excellent thermal stability. Significantly, the adhesion strength (178.55 N) between the PCC ceramic coatings and 2A12 Al substrate was remarkably improved owing to the strong chemical bond between the PCC ceramic coating and 2A12 Al substrate and the increase of surface roughness. Furthermore, a lower corrosion current density (1.382 × 10−7 A cm−2) and a higher corrosion inhibition efficiency (99.91%) confirmed that PCC ceramic coatings had fantastic corrosion resistance because of the presence of crystalline AlPO4/AlF3/AlOOH and amorphous CrPO4/CrOOH as a barrier layer. Additionally, a possible film-forming mechanism of the PCC ceramic coating was proposed during the chemical conversion process, which could be divided into four stages: dissolution of 2A12 aluminum substrate and hydrogen evolution; crystallization of insoluble phosphates and formation of an amorphous phase; growth of insoluble phosphates and dissolution of PCC ceramic coatings; growth and dissolution of PCC coatings to dynamic equilibrium.


We consider a two-component Bose-Einstein condensate with and without synthetic "spin-orbit" interactions in two dimensions. Density- and phase-fluctuations of the condensate are included, allowing us to study the impact of thermal fluctuations and density-density interactions on the physics originating with spin-orbit interactions. In the absence of spin-orbit interactions, we find that inter-component density interactions deplete the minority condensate. The thermally driven phase transition is driven by coupled density and phase-fluctuations, but is nevertheless shown to be a phase-transition in the Kosterlitz-Thouless universality class with close to universal amplitude ratios irrespective of whether both the minority- and majority condensates exist in the ground state, or only one condensate exists. In the presence of spin-orbit interactions we observe three separate phases, depending on the strength of the spin-orbit coupling and inter-component density-density interactions: a phase-modulated phase with uniform amplitudes for small intercomponent interactions, a completely imbalanced, effectively single-component, condensate for intermediate spin-orbit coupling strength and suficciently large inter-component interactions, and a phase-modulated \textit{and} amplitude-modulated phase for sufficiently large values of both the spin-orbit coupling and the inter-component density-density interactions. The phase which is modulated by a single $\bv q$-vector only is observed to transition into an isoptropic liquid through a strong de-pinning transition with periodic boundary conditions, which weakens with open boundaries.


Sindhi is one of the historical languages which is widely used in all over the world, but especially in the province of Sindh Pakistan. Sindhi language has its own script and written by the right-handed. Nowadays the use of different Sindhi platforms is increasing especially for communication. The majority of the people of Sindh province read, write and speak very well, but they face the problem in text communication while using different communication platforms. However, the users of computer and mobile phone feel trouble/difficulty during the use of the Sindhi script in typing of text messages, tweets and comments while using different platforms in computer and mobile phone. Natural Language Processing (NLP) is one of the better options for the solution of these problems of text communication on different platforms. For the proper solution of text communication issues, Romanized Sindhi text is used instead of Sindhi text. Romanized text writing is easier than the Sindhi text writing because Sindhi text writing needs the special type of keyboard while writing of Romanized text does not need any special type of keyboard. For the writing of Romanized Sindhi text, rules are defined in this paper which provide easiness during writing and understanding of the text. Romanized Sindhi Rules (RSR) are simple and easy to understand the meaning of the text and provide fast communication (text). This study is also helpful for further research in the Romanized Sindhi text by using different approaches and provides easiness in communication.


Two types of correlated wavefunctions are considered for the ground state of helium iso-electronic systems in the forms in a.u.: (a) Ψ = ∑ ci r1li r2mi r12ni exp[-(Ar1 + Br2 + μir12)] + (1 2), and (b) Ψ = ∑ ci r1li r2mi r12ni exp[-A(r1 + r2)]/(a + br12)m0 + (1 2), where l + m + n ≤ ω(integer), and m0 = 1/2, 3/2, ... . Several wavefunctions, starting from the smallest number of terms, are reported in this work.The sets of the exponential correlation parameter μi and the inverse correlation parameter b are optimized by the Monte-Carlo method along with the other nonlinear variation parameters A, B to obtain quite accurate eigenenergies. At most a total number of 14 terms of type (a) and 25 terms of type (b) are required to obtain results in close agreement with the non-relativistic limits for all the systems. These values are compared with the results available in the literature.


The gain achieved by a superdirective beamformer operating in a diffuse noise-field is significantly higher than the gain attainable with conventional delay-and-sum weights. A classical result states that for a compact linear array consisting of $N$ sensors which receives a plane-wave signal from the end-fire direction, the optimal superdirective gain approaches $N^2$. It has been noted that in the near-field regime higher gains can be attained. The gain can increase, in theory, without bound for increasing wavelength or decreasing source-receiver distance. We aim to address the phenomenon of near-field superdirectivity in a comprehensive manner. We derive the optimal performance for the limiting case of an infinitesimal-aperture array receiving a spherical-wave signal. This is done with the aid of a sequence of linear transformations. The resulting gain expression is a polynomial, which depends on the number of sensors employed, the wavelength, and the source-receiver distance. The resulting gain curves are optimal and outperform weights corresponding to other superdirectivity methods. The practical case of a finite-aperture array is discussed. We present conditions for which the gain of such an array would approach that predicted by the theory of the infinitesimal case. The white noise gain (WNG) metric of robustness is shown to increase in the near-field regime.


Combating time and frequency selectivity in wireless channels is one of the most challenging tasks in next generation wireless networks. In this paper, we propose an adaptive estimation algorithm to estimate Doppler shifts in a direct sequence code division multiple access (DS-CDMA) radio system with multiple Doppler subpaths. By modeling doubly selective channels using a basis expansion model (BEM), an expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm based adaptive estimation method is developed to extract accurate Doppler shift information. The Cramer-Rao lower bound (CRLB) analysis is conducted to study the performance bound of the proposed estimation algorithm. Based on the estimated Doppler shift results, a frequency domain equalizer (FDE) based receiver architecture is developed to exploit Doppler diversity in the frequency domain. Our analysis and simulation results demonstrate that this receiver architecture features a low complexity while still achieving a good performance compared with traditional CDMA receivers.


Field theories of the continuum mechanics and physics based on the least action principle are considered in a unified framework. Variation of the action integral in the least action principle corresponds variations of physical fields while space – time coordinates are not varied. However notion of the action invariance, theory of variational symmetries of action and conservation laws require a wider variation procedure including variations of the space–time coordinates. A similar situation is concerned to variational problems with strong discontinuities of field variables or other a priori unknown free boundaries which variations are not prohibited from the beginning. A form of the first variation of the action integral corresponding variations of space – time coordinates and field variables under one-parametrical transformations groups is obtained. This form is attributed to 4-dimensional covariant formulations of field theories of the continuum mechanics and physics. The first variation of the action integral over a varied domain is given for problems with constraints. The latter are formulated on unknown free boundaries.


The experiment was performed using the Environmental Research Institute of Michigan's (ERIM) dual-frequency and dual-polarization side-looking SAR system on board a C-46 aircraft. For each frequency, horizontally polarized pulses were transmitted and both horizontally and vertically polarized return signals were recorded on the signal film simultaneously. The test sites were located in St. Charles, Missouri; Centralia, Missouri; and Lafayette, Indiana. Each test site was a 4.83 km by 8.05 km (3 mile by 5 mile) rectangular strip of terrain. Concurrent with SAR overflight, ground soil samples of 0-to-2.5 cm and 0-to-15 cm layers were collected for soil moisture estimation. The surface features were also noted. Hard-copy image films and the digital data produced via optical processing of the signal films are analyzed in this report to study the relationship of radar backscatter to the moisture content and the surface roughness. Many difficulties associated with processing and analysis of the SAR imagery are noted. In particular, major uncertainty in the quantitative analysis appeared due to the difficulty of quality reproduction of digital data from the signal films.


Fossils are a non-renewable natural resource that is not only important to science but also has immense value for education, tourism and commercial trade. Although the importance of sustainably managing exceptionally rich fossil localities is widely acknowledged, it is not universal and irreplaceable scientific information and socioeconomic benefits are being lost. This study provides an overview of the economic, social and environmental factors affecting 10 contrasting fossil localities in Germany, China, Brazil, the United Kingdom, Canada, Australia and France that are significant for preserving the remains of Mesozoic vertebrates; these are amongst the most spectacular extinct animals and readily capture the public imagination. A discussion in the context of sustainable development is carried out. Non-extractive and scientific/educational (e.g. museums, geotourism) usage of fossil deposits are fully sustainable and benefit communities both economically and socially. Conversely, extractive uses (commercial collecting, quarrying) effect resource depletion but can be managed through scientific involvement, regulation and reinvestment of profits. Ultimately, implementation of an integrated approach embracing both profitable development and appropriate protection measures may ensure optimal usage of fossils for the future.


OBJECTIVE
The aim of this study was to examine the association between symptoms of reproductive tract infections (RTIs) and mental distress among women residing in three low-income urban neighborhoods in Greater Beirut.

METHODS
A cross-sectional survey of currently married women aged 15-49 years (n = 1506) from the 2003 Urban Health Study was undertaken. The dependent variables were complaining of vaginal discharge, pelvic pain, and pain during intercourse. The main independent variable was mental distress, measured using the General Health Questionnaire-12 (GHQ). Other variables included decision-making power, "comfort" with husband, age, education, income, household wealth, employment, community of residence, displacement by war, presence of chronic disease, reported reproductive health problem, membership in any group, receipt of favor last month, and smoking. Analysis was conducted using logistic regression models on the complaint of any symptom of RTIs and on individual complaints.

RESULTS
Forty-two percent of the interviewed women reported at least one symptom of RTIs. Vaginal discharge was the most commonly reported symptom, with 33% of currently married women complaining from it. Mental distress was significantly associated with any reported RTI symptom (odds ratio [OR] = 1.41; 95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.09-1.83), pelvic pain (OR = 2.38; CI = 1.71-3.30), vaginal discharge (OR = 1.35; CI = 1.03-1.77), and pain during intercourse (OR = 2.37; CI = 1.66-3.40) after adjusting for demographic, socioeconomic, and health risk factors.

CONCLUSIONS
A significant association between mental distress and reported RTI symptoms was established by this study. A new approach to gynecological morbidity is needed, one that integrates biomedical and psychosocial factors into a unified framework.


The transition to university is one of the ecological transition in which an individual experience
a change in the environment due to the shift of role, location, or both. Looking at the importance of
demographic factors to the academic adjustment, the current study aimed to investigate the predictive factor of
demographic characteristics of gender, ethnicity, pre-university academic preparation, parental educational
level, perceived adult status, and Grade Point Average (GPA) on academic adjustment among freshman in
Malaysia. Data were gathered from one of the public universities in East Malaysia namely, Sabah. The findings
show that only gender, ethnicity, and perceived adult status show a significant predictor on academic
adjustment. Specifically, female students have higher academic achievement than male students; Chinese
students have a higher academic achievement than Sabahan Native students; and emerging adult students have
a higher academic achievement than self-perceived adult students. Theoretical and practical implications
towards academic adjustment literature are further discussed.


Background Welsh Ambulance Service NHS Trust (WAST) and Betsi Cadwaladr University Health Board (BCUHB) were jointly awarded Welsh Government Pacesetter funding to assess the viability of a rotational approach to the delivery of care. The three part rotation incorporates the WAST Clinical Contact Centre, solo responding and shifts in BCUHB primary care settings. Nine WAST Advanced Paramedic Practitioners (APPs) started their rotation in north Wales in June 2019, a further eight joined in September 2020. The Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ) was one of a number of data collection items undertaken as part of a service evaluation to evaluate the impact of this Pacesetter project. Methods APP Satisfaction was measured using the Minnesota Satisfaction Questionnaire (MSQ), a standardised tool designed to measure an employee's satisfaction with work and aspects of the workplace environment. It comprises a 100-item questionnaire, with each question aligned to one of 20 scales. The MSQ was completed by the first cohort of APPs nine months into their rotation, and by the second Cohort in their third month. APPs were asked to consider all aspects of the rotation. Results Overall, both cohorts demonstrated a high level of satisfaction, in particular questions associated with intrinsic satisfaction scored better than ones linked to extrinsic satisfaction. For both Cohorts, Social Service, Working Conditions and Activity were all in the top five scoring scales. Whereas, Authority and Supervision (Human Relations) were lower scoring scales for both Cohorts. The individual raw scores were slightly higher for Cohort II than I. Cohort II also demonstrated a wider range in standard deviation scores across the scales. Conclusion The MSQ is a simple yet effective measure of assessing workplace satisfaction. For the current Cohorts of Pacesetter APPs, scores indicated a high level of satisfaction across all aspects of the rotation.


Phytochemical and biological screening of stem extracts of Zanthoxylum armatum of Nepal were carried out. Presence of sterols, triterpenes, volatile oils, coumarins, alkaloids, flavonoids, flavonic glycosides, saponins and tannins were detected in phytochemical screening. β-sitosterol and lupeol were isolated from the hexane fraction and β-sitosterol glucoside was isolated from the ethyl acetate fraction. Lupeol was identified by comparison of melting point, Co-TLC and 1 H-NMR spectrum with authentic sample. β-sitosterol and β-sitosterol glucoside were characterized by their melting points and Co-TLC with authentic samples. In brine-shrimp bioassay, hexane and methanol fractions exhibited bioactivity, whereas ethyl acetate and methanol fractions showed proper bioactivity in antimicrobial bioassay. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3126/jncs.v30i0.9339 Journal of Nepal Chemical Society Vol. 30, 2012 Page:  71-77 Uploaded date : 12/16/2013


ABSTRACT Background: A cohort of older black South African women, forcibly relocated during apartheid, has grown old in these places. Even after 50 years, residents in a rural township expressed no connection to place and ruptured intergenerational relations. Their sense of community was based almost exclusively on their links with others who shared their history of relocation. Objective: This article seeks to understand loneliness of a group of older women who have been rendered vulnerable by longstanding exclusion from community, services and material resources. We use loneliness as a metric for exclusion from social relations. Methods: Sixteen Setswana-speaking women in Ikageng, a township in North West Province of South Africa (age 61–73), participated in the Mmogo-method® and open-ended interviews. Textual data were analyzed using thematic analysis, visual data analysis of elements and symbolic representations of loneliness. Results: Loneliness is a powerfully unpleasant experience of not being able to interact with other people in general, or more specifically as a result of the loss of particular people (including spouses, parents and children) and isolation provoked by the impact of relational interactions and group dynamics. Loneliness was mitigated by socializing and gathering for traditional activities, performing spiritual rituals, and keeping busy individually or with others, thus reinforcing a core theme that any social interaction alleviates loneliness. Conclusions: Even though loneliness is powerfully unpleasant, it is an expression of the importance of social interactions formed in a particular context. In the face of longstanding societal exclusion and disconnection from community, social connections are central to identity and to survival.


During his long and varied career, Robert Tribble has made important contributions in many areas of nuclear physics. He has set new limits on the existence of second‐class currents, lepton‐flavor violation, and right‐handed interactions. He optimized the use of the (4He,8He) reaction to determine nuclear masses and study charge‐dependent effects in nuclei. He has developed a new indirect procedure to determine astrophysical reaction rates and applied it to study important nuclear reactions that occur in our sun, in massive stars, and in novae. He has explored anti‐quark distributions in nucleons and nuclei, and the polarization of gluons in the nucleon. A brief overview of Bob Tribble's many accomplishments is presented.


Research has indicated that social and emotional learning (SEL) programs can offer benefits to students and school environments. However, students' experiences of participation in such programs have not received as much attention. This focus group study describes elementary students' (N = 23) experiences of and beliefs about participation in a school-based SEL program commonly used in Sweden, Life Skills Training. The results suggest questionable acceptability of the program by the students, indicating a clear belief that the school's implementation of the program was due to their problematic behavior. Although students experienced the program content as predictable, consistent, and structured, there was great variation in their attitudes toward the program: Both strong negative and positive attitudes were revealed. The students also expressed discomfort with the personal nature of the discussions promoted by the program and uncertainty about its place in the school setting. These findings can inform SEL program implementation.


Sex (men) 50% 44% 47% Age in years (mean) 27 32 30 From ethnic/cultural minority 63% 63% 63% Education in years (mean) 9 9 9 Receiving government benefits 94% 19% 56% Homeless 25% 75% 50% Heroin use in years (mean) 9 11 10 Incarcerated in past year 44% 50% 47% Shared syringe use in past year 69% 81% 75% Unprotected sex in past year 81% 63% 72% Tested positive for HIV on entry 0 44% 22% Comorbidity Sexually transmitted diseases 26% 44% 34% Tuberculosis 0 19% 9% Abscesses 6% 38% 22% Vascular damage 44% 63% 53% Tested positive for cocaine 13% 50% 32% Using needle exchange program 94% 38% 66%


The concept of decolonization has been used in numerous disciplines and settings, including education, psychology, governance, justice, transitional justice, restorative justice as well as research methods. Fanon (1963) saw decolonization as a process of both unlearning and undoing the harms of colonization. For Monchalin (2016), decolonization is both a goal and process to bring about a fundamental shift in colonial structures, ideologies and discourses. According to Alfred (2009, p. 185), decolonization requires "nation-to-nation partnership" for "justice and peace". In the context of Restorative Justice (RJ), decolonization entails a) addressing historical harms of colonization, b) recognizing grievances of Indigenous and marginalized communities about the justice system as genuine, and c) acknowledging that stateor INGO-funded RJ practices may do more harm than good. This paper begins with a brief overview of decolonization discourses from both micro and macro perspectives to then locate decolonization in justice settings, arguing against 'copying and pasting' Eurocentric models of RJ practices. Grounded in the findings of RJ visionaries and practitioners in Bangladesh and the work of Cunneen (2002), and Tauri and Morris (1997), this study proposes a decolonizing framework for RJ practices.


This study was carried out to investigate the effects of Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder on plasma lipid profiles in elderly volunteers with hyperlipidemia, hypertension, diabetes or heart disease. 32 elderly people, 11 males and 21 females aged 60~77 years, were given Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder 15 g twice daily for 6 months. We investigated the antheropometric data, general characteristics and dietary habit by using questionnaires. Fasting blood samples were collected from the subjects before and after this 6 months intervention study. Blood pressure, glucose, hemoglobin and lipid levels of plasma, atherogenic index (AI) and cardiac risk factors (CRF, LHR, HTR) were determined before and after consumption of Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder. The mean body mass index (BMI) of the male and female subjects were 22.4 and 23.6, respectively. The percent of ideal body weight (PIBW) of males and females were 105.6% and 122.3%, respectively. The subjects had decreased intake frequency of fish and meat in their dietary habit. After consumption of Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder, there were no significant differences in blood pressure; however, the blood glucose significantly decreasedwith Gastrodiae Rhizoma intake in the males. In the subjects, the levels of plasma total cholesterol, triglyceride, and LDL-cholesterol were decreased by the consumption of Gastrodiae Rhizoma powder; while the levels of plasma LDL-cholesterol was significantly decreased in female. Blood pressure and biochemical assessment (blood glucose, hemoglobin, triglyceride, total cholesterol, LDL and HDL-cholesterol) of the subjects were within the normal range. It was found that AI, CRF and LHR were significantly decreased by Gastrodiae Rhizoma intake. The present results indicate that dietary supplementation of Gastrodiae Rhizoma improved lipid metabolism and cardiac risk factor in cardiovascular disease.


Spontaneous neuronal activity occurs at the onset of the synaptogenesis in the central Nervous System and plays a major role in shaping developing neural networks. How intrinsic properties of neurons evolve during this critical developmental period remains largely unknown. We studied the Renshaw cells because they participate to the early-synchronized neuronal activity in the embryonic spinal cord. We found that these interneurons are subdivided into several functional clusters at the onset of the synaptogenesis and then display a transitory involution process during which they lose their ability to sustain tonic firing. This complex developmental trajectory results from the synergy between a persistent sodium inward current and a delayed rectifier potassium outward current, which are present in most neurons during development and in the adult. Taken together, our results reveal a core mechanism producing functional hetereogeneity in embryonic neurons and likely shaping the ongoing of early spontaneous neuronal activity.


Abstract Nitrification, the chemoautotrophic process by which NH4-N is converted to NO3-N, is an integral biogeochemical transformation in stream ecosystems. Previous research has shown that experimental addition of dissolved organic C inhibits rates of nitrification, and that NH4-N addition stimulates rates of nitrification. In many streams, large amounts of C and N may be present in particulate and sorbed forms. Hugh White Creek, a headwater stream located in the southern Appalachian mountains of North Carolina, USA, has very low concentrations of dissolved N and receives large inputs of allochthonous particulate organic matter (POM) each autumn. We conducted a seasonal survey of organic matter (OM) standing stocks and nitrification rates, and we experimentally manipulated dissolved C and N supplies in stream-sediment microcosms to determine: 1) how rates of nitrification compare across seasons, and 2) to what extent nitrification rates are influenced by seasonal changes in standing stocks and relative abundances of particulate, sorbed, and dissolved forms of C and N. Rates of nitrification were closely and positively related to rates of ammonification which, in turn, were negatively related to C:N ratios of fine benthic organic matter (FBOM). Uniform additions of dissolved C and N had varying effects on sediment N-transformation rates during different seasons. Variable responses to experimental additions probably reflected the changing relative importance of C and N as sediment OM stocks were depleted and underwent changes in quality. Slow rates of nitrification for much of the year may be attributed to colder temperatures and large quantities of particulate C relative to N. To the extent that changes in POM stocks dictate changes in C and N availability, seasonal OM dynamics are closely linked to rates of nitrification.


This study explores the preliminary lessons in the use of mobile phones to promote access to health care information in Uganda. The project under study is the AppLab Uganda Project which operates a Health Tips application, educating users on sexual and reproductive health. Data was collected through in-depth interviews with project developers, partners, medical practitioners and IT journalists and a survey of 149 people randomly selected from two tertiary educational institutions in Uganda. Findings tend to suggest that the need to access health information via mobile text messages is mediated by cost incentives, misconceptions of brand name 'Google SMS', and content relevance. There are questions concerning the appropriateness of text messaging as compared to using voice calls to access health information. These issues have implications on the objectives of the health care project and the individual strategies of project partners. Preliminary conclusions emphasize the need to integrate a referral system to registered health professionals and facilities and the need for education and/or a marketing strategy with an indigenous branding to address the misconception of the brand name 'Google SMS'. Implications for research, policy, and practice are outlined.


Quantitative analysis models are used for various medical imaging tasks such as registration, classification, object detection, and segmentation which all benefit from high-quality imaging. We propose PixelMiner, a convolution-based deep-learning model which interpolates computed tomography (CT) imaging slices while better preserving quantitative imaging features than standard interpolation methods. PixelMiner was designed to produce texture-accurate slice interpolations by trading off pixel accuracy for texture accuracy using a novel architecture. PixelMiner was trained on a large dataset consisting of 7092 lung CT scans and validated using external lung CT datasets. We demonstrated the model's effectiveness by using edge preservation ratio (EPR), compared texture features commonly used in radiomics, and performed a qualitative assessment by human trial. PixelMiner had the highest EPR 82% (p<.01) of the time compared to the closest competing method. It had the lowest texture error, using a normalized root mean squared error (NRMSE) of 0.11 (p<.01), with the highest reproducibility of concordance correlation coefficient (CCC) ≥ 0.85 (p<.01). PixelMiner was chosen 72% of the time by human evaluation (p<.01). PixelMiner was not only demonstrated quantitatively to have improved structural and textural constructions but also shown to be preferable qualitatively.


The most promising lead‐free options for producing perovskite solar cells are tin halide perovskite materials. Herein, while in situ monitoring the optical evolution of the material in humid air, spectroscopic ellipsometry is used to investigate the dielectric function of FASnI3 layers (with and without additives) within the range of 1–5 eV. According to calculations based on the density functional theory that shows oxygen diffusion on FASnI3 surfaces, the steady decrease in absorption coefficient in the band gap region (1.47 eV) and simultaneous increase in absorption in the 3–4.5 eV region suggest the production of amorphous tin oxide. Concurrently, X‐ray diffraction reveals a clear degradation of FASnI3. With the addition of sodium borohydride and dipropylammonium iodide, the optically active area of about 1.47 eV is preserved for a longer period while SnO2 production is prevented. Last but not least, FASnI3's stability is investigated in dry N2 environment and shown that it is optically durable for thermal operations up to 100 °C, particularly when additives are used.


Dealing with previously unseen slots is a challenging problem in a real-world multi-domain dialogue state tracking task. Other approaches rely on predefined mappings to generate candidate slot keys, as well as their associated values. This, however, may fail when the key, the value, or both, are not seen during training. To address this problem we introduce a neural network that leverages external knowledge bases (KBs) to better classify out-of-vocabulary slot keys and values. This network projects the slot into an attribute space derived from the KB, and, by leveraging similarities in this space, we propose candidate slot keys and values to the dialogue state tracker. We provide extensive experiments that demonstrate that our stratagem can improve upon a previous approach, which relies on predefined candidate mappings. In particular, we evaluate this approach by training a state-of-the-art model with candidates generated from our network, and obtained relative increases of 57.7% and 82.7% in F1 score and accuracy, respectively, for the aforementioned model, when compared to the current candidate generation strategy.


Introduction: Pilates is a physical exercise method that uses the resistance of springs to modulate the overload from exercises. Objective: To characterize the force versus time curve of the foot work exercise; verify and compare the force applied by the same limb during the foot work exercise against the resistance of two types of springs with different elastic constants, and verify and compare the asymmetry of force applied by right and left lower limbs during the foot work exercise against the resistance of the same type of spring. Methods: Twenty healthy adult individuals familiarized with Pilates were evaluated. Two extensometric force plates adapted to the Reformer apparatus were used. Each participant performed 10 repetitions of the exercise against the resistance of two pairs of springs with different elastic constants. Descriptive and inferential statistics were used with significance levels of p < 0.05. Results: The exercise´s standard curve showed that the peak force is reached in the point of maximum hip and knee extension during the execution of the exercise. There were differences between force production by the same limb for different springs (p < 0.001) and between left and right limb when spring with lower elastic constant was used (p = 0.006). No differences were found between right and left limb when spring with higher elastic constant was used (p = 0.108). Conclusion: The knowledge of the force versus time curve and the quantification of unilateral force are important elements in the evaluation and prescription of exercises.


The air breakdown times of second spark formation, geometrically in series with trigatron switching, are studied and compared to that of a triggered spark gap. Despite a large breakdown jitter of >or=1 mu s in the trigatron, the latter is not observed to affect the electrical closure times of the series-connected second spark gap, which is triggered largely as a result of their direct electrical and optical coupling. While most of the multistage spark gaps are designed for fast and precision switching of high voltages, the air breakdown times of the second spark formation find a number of useful applications, particularly in achieving uniform glow discharge in pulsed gas lasers. >


1-, 3-, and 5-substituted pyrazolo[3,4-d]pyrimidines and pyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridines related to allopurinol were synthesized and evaluated as xanthine oxidase inhibitors. Among these compounds, 4-hydroxypyrazolo[3,4-b]pyridine-5-carboxylic acids 12 were found to possess potency in the same order of allopurinol. The influence of the substitutions on the enzyme inhibitory effect and the bulk tolerance of the enzyme-inhibitor complex are discussed.


Abstract The Internet has opened up new virtual communal spaces for consumers to congregate and address issues of mutual interest. Such virtual communities of interest offer consumers the opportunity to exchange experiential and technical information relating to their shared field of interest. Of the sectors in which virtual communities of interest have emerged, health care has witnessed a proliferation of condition-related communities. Providing health care consumers with the opportunity to share experience and expertise, these communities provide a range of new value propositions offering health care consumers opportunities to undertake self-service activities independent of health care professionals. Utilising the concept of the service encounter as a framework, this paper explores patterns of consumer participation in and utilisation of virtual communities in supporting service consumption. It examines the way in which these permissible spaces act as a virtual parallel service influencing consumer practice in the formal service encounter. For health care consumers and professionals, the utilisation of such space has significant implications for the shape of the service encounter in the information society.


Teachers are expected to address a broad range of diverse pupil needs but do not always feel capable or lack the skills to meet these high expectations. The professional development approach Lesson Study may address this. Therefore, this study examines whether participating in Lesson Study influences teachers' beliefs of self-efficacy and (adaptive) teaching behaviour. A quasi-experimental mixed methods design was used to compare pretest and posttest data of intervention and comparison group teachers (N = 48). Significantly different results between the two groups arise in terms of efficacy in pupil engagement as well as in classroom management and instructional behaviour. Immediate stimulated recall interviews provide insight in these outcomes and illustrate to what extent teachers addressed pupils' educational needs.


The postdeposition of silver corresponding to one monolayer at 40 K on a "smooth" silver film, covered by one monolayer of pyridine leads to an 87-fold enhancement (error factor 2) of the Raman intensity of the symmetric C-C ring breathing mode, but to a much weaker enhancement for the C-H stretch modes.


Postmortem investigations in autism have identified anomalies in neural cytoarchitecture across limbic, cerebellar, and neocortical networks. These anomalies include narrow cell mini-columns and variable neuron density. However, difficulty obtaining sufficient post-mortem samples has often prevented investigations from converging on reproducible measures. Recent advances in processing magnetic resonance diffusion weighted images (DWI) make in vivo characterization of neuronal cytoarchitecture a potential alternative to post-mortem studies. Using extensive DWI data from the Adolescent Brain Cognitive Developmentsm (ABCD®) study 142 individuals with an Autism diagnosis were compared with 8971 controls using a restriction spectrum imaging (RSI) framework that characterized total neurite density (TND), its component restricted normalized directional diffusion (RND), and restricted normalized isotropic diffusion (RNI). A significant decrease in TND was observed in Autism in the right cerebellar cortex (β=-0.005, SE =0.0015, p=0.0267), with significant decreases in RNI and significant increases in RND found diffusely throughout posterior and anterior aspects of the brain, respectively. Furthermore, these regions remained significant in post-hoc analysis when the ASD sample was compared against a subset of 1404 individuals with other psychiatric conditions (pulled from the original 8971). These findings highlight the importance of characterizing neuron cytoarchitecture in Autism and the significance of their incorporation as physiological covariates in future studies. Lay abstract Children with autism have differences in neuron structure unique from the general population and populations with attention, anxiety, and depression disorders. Brain imaging data on over 11,000 children was acquired at ages 9 and 11 years-of-age. Estimates of neuron density were derived from brain imaging data using recently validated techniques and comparative groups were composed using parent reported diagnosis of autism and other common psychiatric disorders. Consistent macro-structural changes in brain have been difficult to replicate and micro-structural changes have been historically difficult to acquire with other methodologies. We identified regional differences in the density of neuron cell bodies, neuron branching, and total neuron density in those with a reported diagnosis of ASD. Findings were consistent when compared against those with other psychiatric disorders in post-hoc analysis. These findings demonstrate the viability and importance of investigating in vivo changes to neurons in those with autism to advance our current understanding of related physiology.


The antagonistic activities of Bacillus subtilis fmbj against the Rhizopus stolonifer pathogen causing peach soft rot disease were studied in this paper. Bacillus subtilis fmbj exhibited a high antifungal effect on the mycelium growth, sportulation, and germ tube elongation of R. stolonifer with the inhibition rate of 86.5% and 97.42%, respectively, spore germination rate of 20% under antagonist strain concentration of 10⁸ CFU/mL. By using of scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscope (TEM), it was observed that B. subtilis fmbj strain strongly induced morphological abnormalities of R. stolonifer and destroyed structure of hypha and spore. When hypha cell wall of R. stolonifer was damaged, the organelles and cytoplasms inside cell would exude, which led to cell death.


In order to obtain reliable information about time-domain ECG parameters in Russian children and to analyse their links with physiological changes the Project "ECG screening of children and adolescents of the Russian Federation" was carried out in 2003-2008. Time domain ECG parameters were studied in the representative sample of 5387 healthy individuals aged 0 to 18 years. In each age group, lower and upper limits of the norm for heart rate (HR), P wave, PQ and QRS intervals were defined as 2nd and 98th percentiles of their distribution. The equivalent limits of QT interval duration were defined as its 5th and 95th percentiles. Relationship between time domain parameters of pediatric ECG and HR was analyzed as well as relationship of these parameters with sex and age. The most important differences from prior pediatric studies completed 30 years ago were obtained for the heart rate limits. Among children aged 0 to 3, there was a tendency toward lowering of age-specific lower limits and elevation of age-specific upper limits. At ages older than 3 years, there was a tendency toward lowering of both the upper and the lower limits of HR. The newly obtained 2nd percentiles of the heart rate were lower than the known lower limits in nearly all ages. This indicates the necessity for revision of criteria of bradicardia in children. The present study showed that 5th and 95th percentiles of QTc interval (Bazett's formula) varied between 340 ms and 465 ms and were not significantly dependent on children's age and only for ages under 13 also on sex. Results of the study allowed to build age-specific ranges of norm for the time domain ECG parameters presented in a tabular form.


Organ culture systems are useful for elucidating the process of testicular differentiation from mammalian undifferentiated genetically male gonads, as they permit various experiments, including experiments involving the control of gene expression. However, without addition of testicular differentiation-related factors, it is difficult to induce the formation of testis cord from immature gonads by a time point earlier 12 tail somites (ts) that corresponding to 11.0 days post coitum (dpc). In this study, we attempted to establish an organ culture system that induces testis formation from immature gonads (around 8 ts: 10.5 dpc) just before Sry (sex-determining region of the Y chromosome) expression. A paired gonad-mesonephros complex of around 8 ts was placed in the groove of an agarose gel block and put the semi-cylindrical piece of agarose gel to maintain the gonad morphology. The gonads were cultured in the gas phase for 96 hr. As a result, testis cord-like structures appeared in many genetically male gonads. Cells expressing the Sertoli cell markers Sox9 (SRY-box 9) and Amh (anti-Müllerian hormone) were observed, while granulosa cell marker Foxl2 (forkhead box L2) was not detected. In addition, Sox9- and Amh-expressing cells were observed throughout the entire gonad in many individuals. Amh mRNA expression was also upregulated. Surprisingly, formation of a partial testicular structure was observed from more immature gonads (6 ts). These results show that our gonadal organ culture system is useful for elucidating the regulation mechanism of Sry expression in undifferentiated bipotential gonads.


Our institutional experience with high-grade pediatric spinal cord tumors includes 11 children treated during the period of 1981-1997. All patients underwent a biopsy or an attempt at resection and received postoperative radiation therapy. Three patients had a gross-total resection of their primary tumor, 6 patients had a subtotal resection and the remaining 2 were biopsied. Histologically, these tumors were characterized as anaplastic astrocytoma (n = 6), glioblastoma multiforme (n = 3) or anaplastic oligodendroglioma (n = 2). Three patients were treated with craniospinal irradiation (38-48 Gy) in addition to a boost to the residual tumor. The median dose to the primary site for all patients was 48.6 Gy (range 38-55 Gy). The median overall survival was 13 months (range 8-149 months). Only 2 patients were alive at 138 and 149 months following radiation therapy. The median progression-free survival following radiation therapy was 10 months (range 2-80 months). There was no difference in progression-free or overall survival for those diagnosed with glioblastoma multiforme when compared to patients diagnosed with anaplastic astrocytoma or anaplastic oligodendroglioma. The pattern of failure was either diffuse or local. For the patients who failed diffusely (n = 6), the median progression-free survival was 2 months compared to 23 months for those whose failure was entirely local (p < 0.01). The median overall survival was significantly shorter for those who failed diffusely compared to those who failed locally (10 vs. 37 months, p < 0.01). High-grade spinal cord tumors in children have a poor prognosis based on this report. It is important to document the extent of disease accurately prior to the initiation of radiation therapy, since a subset of these patients progress rapidly outside of the field of irradiation.


The research conduct through the official website of the company whichis engaged in energy and oil gas drilling (mudflow incident). The purpose of this research to frame of the company from their official website to reveal the CSR program, especially incorporate governance, environmental, and social. The research focus on three main areas : corporate governance and reporting, environmental policy, and social policy. Measurement of the quantity of information presented using the indexas an indicator of Publicity. Data will analyzed, with frame analysis. The data obtained and processed using qualitative software called Nvivo11. The results of this research will inform Publicity of CSR by the company that involved mudflow incident.


Total body opacification with high doses of a urographic contrast agent demonstrated dilated intrahepatic biliary ducts as branching or rounded lucencies in all of 18 patients with obstructive jaundice. Dilated extrahepatic ducts were seen as tubular lucencies in 11 of 16 patients with distal common bile duct obstruction. In seven patients with nonobstructive jaundice and in a control group of 25, the biliary ducts were either normal or not seen. Gallbladder size was also evaluated. The site of obstruction could be predicted by the size of the gallbladder and visualization of the biliary ducts.


The evaporation cooling phenomenon of a droplet containing a surfactant on a heated surface has been studied experimentally. The two kinds of heater modules made of brass and Teflon™ were tested to investigate the cooling characteristics of droplet. Solutions of water containing Sodium Lauryl Sulfate(0 ppm. 100 ppm. 1000 ppm) were tested in the experiments. The results showed that the contact angle decrease as the concentration of surfactant increases. The tendency did not very with different heated solid materials. As initial temperature of the heated surface becomes high, time averaged heat flux increases and evaporation time decreases with the denser concentration of surfactant. Therefore, water with denser concentration of surfactant could be effective to cool flammable materials. However, the effect of surfactant becomes low as the material temperature is higher than the boiling temperature of water.


High intensity sexual violence of children in Indonesia, especially pedophilia has taken a lot of attention among academics and society. The aim of this research was to provide insights and thoughts about education character for pedophile actors as a strategy in dealing with immoral problems, and expected to be a reference as society and academics in implementing character education among pedophiles. This reserach was a literature review that sees pedophiles as serious issues that need to be resolved quickly through the concept of education character. Where educators in carrying out character education need to use some strategies such as moral feeling and loving, moral acting, moral modeling and repentance (back) to our God.


This report presents overview information on hybrid propulsion technologies (also called dual propulsion) in order to increase the transit community's awareness and understanding of bus-propulsion designs that offer extended-use capability for trolley-emergency, short-range, and back-up propulsion for trolley buses or offer some overall energy or fuel savings. Technical material is provided to a greater extent on systems that are novel or appear to offer the greatest potential for future commercial development. This information is provided to make the transit community aware of advancements in hybrid technology that could help them better utilize their existing equipment or help them in decisions regarding the procurement of new vehicles.


RedisGraph is a Redis module developed by Redis Labs to add graph database functionality to the Redis database. RedisGraph represents connected data as adjacency matrices. By representing the data as sparse matrices and employing the power of GraphBLAS (a highly optimized library for sparse matrix operations), RedisGraph delivers a fast and efficient way to store, manage and process graphs. Initial benchmarks indicate that RedisGraph is significantly faster than comparable graph databases.


Objective: To determine what influences the satisfaction of rehabilitation inpatients and their relatives with physiotherapy after severe traumatic brain injury. Design: A prospective purpose-designed survey of consecutive eligible patients discharged from a metropolitan brain injury unit. Participants: A total of 65 patients with severe traumatic brain injury and 32 relatives. Results: The vast majority of patients (99%) and relatives (97%) reported being "satisfied" or "highly satisfied" with the service. Patients' overall satisfaction was influenced by the extent of actual and perceived improvement, satisfaction with certain aspects of service delivery, and quality of interaction with physiotherapy staff. Satisfaction with the amount of therapy was the key determinant for patients' overall satisfaction, whereas relatives' overall satisfaction was influenced primarily by how well they felt they were listened to by physiotherapy staff. Conclusion: The high satisfaction of the patients and relatives suggests that our brain injury unit provides physiotherapy that meets their expectations. Promoting recovery, providing high-quality care, and ensuring good interaction are ways to maintain high satisfaction of patients and relatives with the service. In addition, staff may have to pay particular attention to patients' satisfaction with the amount of therapy and ensure that relatives' needs are listened to.


The difference in absorption rate of right or left circularly polarized x-rays by magnetic materials is known as magnetic dichroism and is a well established method of investigating the magnetic properties of materials on a microscopic level. In this paper we illustrate this effect with a study of magnetic dichroism in the one-electron atom. The standard relativistic one-electron atom is solved. First-order perturbation theory is used to calculate eigenfunctions in an applied constant magnetic field. These eigenfunctions are used in a golden rule calculation of the absorption rate for right and left circularly polarized light as a function of applied field. All calculations have been done analytically. The difference in absorption rates for right and left circularly polarized light for 1s to 2p1/2 is of opposite sign to the difference for 1s to 2p3/2. We comment on the significance of these results in the interpretation of dichroism experiments on magnetic materials.


A society that believes wealth to be determined by random "luck" rather than by merit, demands more redistribution. The theoretical literature shows that any increase in the volatility of income caused by unpredictable adverse shocks implies a higher support for redistribution. We present evidence of this behavior by exploiting a natural experiment provided by the L'Aquila earthquake in 2009, which hit a large area of Central Italy through a series of destructive shakes over eight days. Matching detailed information on the ground acceleration registered during each shock with survey data about individual opinions on redistribution we show that the average intensity of the shakes is associated with subsequent stronger beliefs that, for a society to be fair, income inequalities should be levelled by redistribution. The shocks, however, are not all alike. We find that only the last three shakes occurred on the fourth and the eighth day of the earthquake have a statistically significant impact. Overall, we find that the timing and repetition of the shock play a role in shaping redistributive preferences.


Nurse education is undergoing a process of transition. Nurses worldwide are working towards achievement of higher levels of education and training through an improved education system. Current trends and innovations in nursing education are emerging to prepare more nurses and to deliver education to students across geographical boundaries while taking into consideration their work and family responsibilities. The current trends and innovations in nursing education range from full time face-to-face interactions to distance education programmes. Teaching approaches such as blended learning, online or e-Learning have provided nurses with an avenue for continuing education for development and progression in their career pathways. Every nurse aspires to reach her highest potential. While the current trends and innovations in nursing education provides the flexibility for nurses to continue learning and upgrade their professional qualifications, there are issues to be considered in catering to the needs of the bottom billion nurses. An exploration of related issues will include views from different perspectives, such as that of the institution/provider, instructor/facilitator and student/learner involved in the development and implementation of the related education programmes.


The history of sawdust is woven into the earliest records of man's use of wood as a protection from the vicissitudes of life. The particles of wood (sawdust) accumulated wherever man was working with wood. The greatest amounts accumulated near the sawmills. Men with imagination found ways to put these waste particles of wood to a worthwhile use, such as insulation for ice houses, a covering for floors in meat shops, and a ground cover in animal shows. The manufacture and sale of sawdust is now an industry that uses all of the sawdust which is a by-product of sawmills, and in addition, great quantities of wood are shipped from the forest sawmills to the sawdust grinding mills. The grinding mills prepare sawdust in any size particle a buyer desires. The material is loaded into railroad cars by means of blowers and is shipped throughout the country. The sawdust particle as examined under a low power microscope has a roughened surface. Mold spores have many projections which enable them to stick to rough*ened surfaces. Therefore, there is evidence that sawdust is an ideal place for mold spores to collect until they are exposed to optimum conditions for growth. It has been known since the early 1920's that sawdust provides a harborage for mold spores. The large surfaces of the innumerable fine particles of sawdust provide an extensive reservoir of spores. Mold spores can remain viable on sawdust, and all that is needed to start their growth is moisture. Sawdust has a very low moisture content, about 6 to 15 per cent, and the moisture absorbed from the air or from condensates on products usually is inadequate to support mold growth, especially as it evaporates rapidly from the large area presented by the sawdust particles. Nevertheless, sufficient water often is derived from individual sources, such as leaks in plumbing connections, or high air humidities to keep the sawdust wet long enough for the spores to germinate. In a packing plant, the raw products such as beef, pork, and sheep carcasses, furnish nutrients in the form of carbohydrates,


An evaluation of chitosan gelling fibre dressing (KytoCel, Aspen Medical) was undertaken by tissue viability nurses in a large acute trust from December 2014--May 2015. The aim of this evaluation was to examine whether the gelling-fibre dressing can improve healing outcomes--reduction of bioburden and promotion of wound healing in both acute and chronic wounds that are infected or critically colonised. A total of 20 patients were recruited with acute and other complex wounds where wound infection was already established, or an excessive wound bioburden was delaying healing. Wound swabs were taken before and after dressing application between days 1, 3, 5 and 11 when clinically indicated, or at the surgical and medical teams' request. No more than two sets of swabs were taken in all patients. The evaluation incorporated three main criteria: patient baseline data, dressing performance, and patient perspective. Key findings were a significant reduction in wound size; rapid improvement of the quality of granulation tissue in 11 patients (55%), the reduction of the wound bioburden, and malodour combined with effective exudate management. The investigators also wanted to establish if there was a significant reduction in the identified bacteria from the initial wound swab results. Some patients were on systemic antibiotic therapy, their reduction in bacteria species may also be related to secondary dressings used. More robust investigation may be required to establish if the bacterial reduction was a result of the primary dressing.


ABSTRACT TOPMODEL was applied to simulate runoff hydrograph in Bagmati River Basin. Digital Elevation Model (DEM), soil, land-use and other spatial data were analyzed using Geographic Information System (GIS). To account for spatial variability of precipitation, climate and land-use, the entire basin was divided into sub-basins and the model was run separately. Other additional computer codes have been developed for computing evapotranspiration and channel routing so as to apply TOPMODEL as a complete hydrological model for medium to large basin. Less sensitive or physically based parameters were directly measured from topographic and soil maps using looked up table, where as more sensitive parameters such as saturated transmissivity [ln(T0)] and exponential decay coefficient (m) to each sub-basin were calibrated by manual iterative method. However, subjective and objective methods were applied to test the goodness of fit of simulated hydro- graphs to observed hydrographs. The results are satisfactory with Nash efficiency as much as 84.8% in calibration and 82.5% in validation. The results showed annual peak, runoff volume, annual average wet and dry seasons flows simulation using the model were relatively reasonable. Most of the river basins of Nepal are steep to moderately steep sloped, densely vegetated and receives appreciable amount of frequent precipitation and hence TOPMODEL assumptions are valid. The limited available resources used to achieve these results showed that TOPMODEL will be applicable in medium to large spring fed catchments of Nepal.


The present study investigates the way infants express their emotions in relation to parental feelings between maternal and paternal questions and direct requests. We therefore compared interpersonal engagement accompanying parental questions and direct requests between infant–mother and infant–father interactions. We video-recorded spontaneous communication between 11 infant–mother and 11 infant–father dyads—from the 2nd to the 6th month—in their home. The main results of this study are summarized as follows: (a) there are similarities in the way preverbal infants use their affections in spontaneous interactions with their mothers and fathers to express signs of sensitivity in sharing knowledge through questions and direct requests; and (b) the developmental trajectories of face-to-face emotional coordination in the course of parental questions descend in a similar way for both parents across the age range of this study. Regarding the developmental trajectories of emotional non-coordination, there is evidence of a linear trend in terms of age difference between the parents' gender with fathers showing the steeper slope. The results are discussed in relation to the theory of intersubjectivity.


Horizontal conflicts involving religious issues in Indonesia is still very dominant. The conflict between Sunni and Shia in Sampang Madura is the one case of the large impact. the case that occurred on August 26, 2012 has caused in one person died, dozens of people were injured, dozens of homes burned and hundreds of Shias were evacuated. This phenomenon has encouraged me to analyze the psychosocial and social impacts experienced by refugees. This research was focused to the background of horizontal conflict that occured between Sunni and Shia in Sampang, Madura; Conflict resolution efforts, the psychosocial and social impacts for Refugees Shi'ites in Rusun Puspa Agro Jemundo Sidoarjo? This study has used descriptive qualitative. The subject of the research was focused on Shiites who has been evacuating in Jemundo Sidoarjo. The results of this study showed that the conflict was influenced by many factors: ideological, family conflict, economic motive, and local politics. The conflict resolution has been conducted in several stages: stages of de-escalation; stages of humanitarian intervention and political negotiations; stages of problem solving approach; and the last, Peace of building stages; which includes the transition, reconciliation, and consolidation. The social impacts of refugees in Jemundo Sidoarjo were Loss of residence; Loss of livelihood sources; created a dependency with others; For children, they can not access a proper education as well as have been experiencing disorders of psychological development; The refugees have not have basic freedoms: Limited access to health social services; Moreover, there will be impoverishment in the long term.


Binary codes have been widely used in vision problems as a compact feature representation to achieve both space and time advantages. Various methods have been proposed to learn data-dependent hash functions which map a feature vector to a binary code. However, considerable data information is inevitably lost during the binarization step which also causes ambiguity in measuring sample similarity using Hamming distance. Besides, the learned hash functions cannot be changed after training, which makes them incapable of adapting to new data outside the training data set. To address both issues, in this paper we propose a flexible bitwise weight learning framework based on the binary codes obtained by state-of-the-art hashing methods, and incorporate the learned weights into the weighted Hamming distance computation. We then formulate the proposed framework as a ranking problem and leverage the Ranking SVM model to offline tackle the weight learning. The framework is further extended to an online mode which updates the weights at each time new data comes, thereby making it scalable to large and dynamic data sets. Extensive experimental results demonstrate significant performance gains of using binary codes with bitwise weighting in image retrieval tasks. It is appealing that the online weight learning leads to comparable accuracy with its offline counterpart, which thus makes our approach practical for realistic applications.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the expression and regulatory effect of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1) in acute lung injury (ALI) induced by endotoxin.

METHODS
ALI model was induced by intravenous lipopolysaccharide (LPS). Wistar rats were randomly divided into three groups, the control group, LPS group, dexamethasone (DEX) group. Each group was subdivided into five subgroups according to the time after administration of endotoxin (1, 2, 4, 8 and 16 hours), except the control group. Rats were given normal saline by gavage in control group and LPS group, and 0.135 mg/kg DEX in DEX group for 5 days. Six rats were sacrificed at different time points after normal saline or LPS injection. The lungs were harvested for microscopic examination. Western blotting was used to examine protein expression of STAT1 in lung tissue.

RESULTS
In LPS group the levels of STAT1 began to increase at 1 hour, reaching the peak value at 4 hours, then declined gradually. There was a significant difference at 2, 4, 8 hours (all P<0.01). The expression trend for STAT1 was similar between DEX and LPS groups, but the levels of STAT1 were significantly decreased in DEX group at 2, 4, 8 hours compared with the LPS group (all P<0.05).

CONCLUSION
There is abnormal expression of STAT1 in the lung tissue of ALI. The abnormal STAT1 expression takes part in the inflammatory formation of lung tissue in ALI.