The key feature of endogenous growth models is that they imply that perrnanent changes in government policy can have permanent effects on growth rates. In this paper we develop and implement an empirical framework to test this implication. In a regression of growth rates on current and lagged policy variables the sum of the slope coefficients for each policy variable should be nonzero (zero) for endogenous (exogenous) growth models. In our estimation we use time series data spanning up to 100 years for the United States and 160 years for the United Kingdom. We find that the implication for exogenous growth is usually rejected when both a tax variable and a public capital variable are included in the regression; failing to include both variables biases the results in favor of exogenous growth models. Our findings show that it is possible to have endogenous growth even when U.S. and U.K. GDP growth rates appear to be stable over time. We conclude that at the aggregate level, the production function appears to exhibit constant returns to scale in reproducible inputs.


For the past two years we have been treating a group of 200 patients with severe acne with triacetyloleandomycin. Most of these have now been observed for a period of six months or more. We have made an attempt to answer the following questions: Are we sure the results are due to the antibiotic rather than adjuvant topical measures, or the natural remissions of the disease? Are we encouraging the emergence of resistant organisms, especially staphylococci? Are there other possible sequelae to such long-term therapy with a broad-spectrum antibiotic? How will long-term oleandomycin therapy for acne influence the response to the same antibiotic when used later in the management of systemic infection or furunculosis? Will it influence the incidence of these conditions in the treated patients? We will try to answer these questions. Plan of Study The first 200 patients with severe acne, seen in a


ABSTRACT The purpose of study was to assess long-term clinical and radiographic aspects of dogs' stifle joints which had undergone a modified tibial tuberosity advancement technique (mTTA). A total of 15 stifles that had undergone mTTA for CCL disease of 11 patients were included in this study. Assessments involved patient's gait analysis, cranial drawer and tibial compression tests, stifle goniometry range of articular motion, thigh and leg girth and radiographic evidence of progression of osteoarthrosis. Variables were compared between operated and healthy limbs and among moments (M0) on the early postop; (M1) 120 days postop; and (M2) approximately 5 years following surgery. A questionnaire regarding owner's perceptions after approximately 5 years of surgery was assessed. Most dogs presented positive response to cranial drawer and tibial compression tests on operated knees. There was also decrease on goniometry and thigh girth and increase in leg girth. Radiographic evidence of progression of osteoarthritis was seen especially on the long-term follow-up (M2). On gait analysis, most animals presented some degree of lameness in different conditions, in contrast to owners' perceptions. Osteoarthritis still develops in dogs following mTTA surgery for CCL disease. However, owners were overall satisfied with their recovery and would be willing to accept indication of mTTA for dogs with ruptured CCL.


A dependence cluster is a maximal set of program components that all depend upon one another. Previous work has highlighted the prevalence of large dependence clusters in source code, presenting potential problems for comprehension, testing, and maintenance. This paper is concerned with source code analysis techniques for identifying the causes of large dependence clusters. The paper presents results of a study of low-level causes of dependence clusters, which reveals that a large cluster can be caused by the smallest atomic unit source code: a single vertex or edge of the program's dependence graph. These are termed the linchpin vertices and edges in this paper.


Halo mergers and shock waves play a crucial role in the process of hierarchical clustering. Hydrodynamical simulations are the principal investigation tool in this field for theoreticians, and predict that a by-product of cluster formation and virialisation is the injection of turbulence in the cosmic flow. Here I will summarise results from a series of recent works focused on the main stirring mechanisms acting on baryons: minor and major cluster mergers, and curved shocks. Unresolved turbulence has been treated with the implementation of a subgrid scale model. Recent simulations show that the production of turbulence differs significantly for the warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) and the intra-cluster medium (ICM), because of different stirring mechanisms acting in the two gas phases.


Background The pathogenesis and prognosis of multiple sclerosis (MS) is an area of active medical research. Dietary and biochemical parameters such as serum 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, magnesium, and potassium play a role in disease progression. This study aimed to compare the nutritional status and biochemical profile of patients with and without MS. Methodology This case-control study included a total of 112 participants (56 in the control group and 56 in the MS group). The participants' socioeconomic and demographic profiles, nutritional status, and biochemical details were all gathered using history, patient files, and records. The effect of these parameters on the presence of MS was evaluated using a decision tree model. Student's t-test and Mann-Whitney U test were performed to compare these parameters. Results A decision tree model was developed with an accuracy rate of 86.52%. The vitamin and mineral intake of the groups showed significant statistical differences (p = 0.001). The differences were important in terms of biochemical parameters, especially serum levels of 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol and potassium. Conclusions The key parameters that varied between MS patients and the control group, according to the constructed decision tree, were serum levels of 25-dihydroxycholecalciferol, magnesium, calcium, potassium, and carbohydrate intake. Nutritional measures against MS can be taken based on the decision tree.


The microstructure and phase stability of a CuAl-on-sapphire thin film material is examined using in-situ and ex-situ heating experiments and TEM, SAD, HREM, and EELS as analysis technique. An in-situ heating sequence has revealed formation and decomposition of the metastable tetragonal θ-alloy phase CuAl2 at two consecutive reaction temperatures. Pockets of unreacted Al remain at the interface to the substrate. The epitaxial orientation relationship of the θ <=> α-Al2O3 interface is examined by HREM, while composition mapping across the metal-alloy-oxide regions is demonstrated using plasmon (low-loss) spectrum imaging and EDX mapping. A 2nd derivative technique is shown to be powerful for enhancing phase changes which exhibit similar plasmon resonance energies.


A self-administered, expanded version of the Michigan Alcoholism Screening Test was completed by a group of hospitalized alcoholics and by their spouses and counselors, describing the patients. The data obtained from spouse responses was accurate in 90% of the cases; the spouse may be a more reliable source of information about drinking problems than the alcoholic.


Background and Aim: To determine the role of factors linked to the presence of perceived stress in students, after evaluating different aspects of mental health in college students. To evaluate and understand the psychological discomfort and reduce burden of it among young aged students. Methods: A total of 291 students fulfilling the inclusion criteria were recruited and Ethical approval was obtained from the institution. Written consent was obtained and all the participants were assured that their identity would be kept confidential. The study participants were asked to complete a questionnaire anonymously consisting of menstrual problems, socio-economic status, educational status and perceived stress scale. Results: Among 291 respondents of this study, 27.15% students are medical students and 31.62% are nursing students, 23.02% of the students are physiotherapy students and 18.21% are Art and science students. 53.26% are 1st and 2nd year students. 27.15% of the students have their family income between Rs. 20,000 – 49,999 and 24.4% of the students have their family income between Rs.10,000-19,999. 27.15% of the student's head of their families are graduates and majority of the head of their families (67.35%) are self-employed. Conclusion: This study reveals the relationship between socio-economic status (SES), Body Mass Index (BMI), menstrual problems and psychological stress, which can explain partly due to emotional eating as a coping strategy to overcome the psychological stress.


[1145881-09-9] C9H18Cl2LiNZn (MW 283.47)

InChI = 1S/C9H18N.2ClH.Li.Zn/c1-8(2)6-5-7-9(3,4)10-8;;;;/h5-7H2,1-4H3;2*1H;;/q-1;;;+1;+2/p-2

InChIKey = VSOHSDUAQKXCAF-UHFFFAOYSA-L

(reagent used in the preparation of various alkyl, vinyl, acetylenyl, benzyl, aryl, and heteroaryl zinc compounds via metalation reactions)

Alternate Name: 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinozinc chloride–lithium chloride complex.

Physical Data: solution in THF, similar to the solvent.

Solubility: solution in THF miscible with majority of organic solvents, neat compound insoluble in alkanes, soluble in coordinating solvents (ethers, amines, etc.)

Form Supplied in: THF solution (0.7–1.4 M).

Purification: not considered.

Handling, Storage, and Precautions: solution of the reagent decomposes in air, should be stored and handled under inert atmosphere. Reacts vigorously with water and aqueous solutions. Due to strong dehydrating ability, spills may cause serious damage to skin and eyes. Commercial solution in THF is a flammable liquid.

Analysis of Reagent Purity: the commercially supplied 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidinatozinc chloride–lithium chloride solution (TMPZnCl·LiCl) in THF (usually 0.7 M) is stable at ambient temperature, but readily reacts with moisture. Care should be taken in handling open bottles to prevent the entrance of air into the bottle.

The reagent solution can be prepared starting from n-BuLi and dry 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine in THF, followed by the addition of a ZnCl2 solution in THF. Evaporation of the solvents affords a yellowish solid, which can be dissolved in THF to afford TMPZnCl·LiCl (usually 1.4 M).1 An alternative route starts from zinc dust, lithium chloride, and 1-chloro-2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine (TMPCl) that is readily prepared by chlorination of 2,2,6,6-tetramethylpiperidine with an aqueous bleach solution (13% aqueous NaOCl).2

It is recommended to determine the actual concentration of the reagent in a newly opened bottle, and if the reagent was stored in an opened bottle for more than 1–2 months. A convenient titration method uses benzoic acid in the presence of 4-phenylazodiphenylamine as indicator.


Optimization of hole-making operations plays a crucial role in which tool travel and tool switch scheduling are the two major issues. Industrial products such as moulds, dies, engine block etc. consists of large number of holes having different diameters, depths and surface finish. This requiers large number of machining operations like drilling, reaming or tapping to achieve the final size of individual hole. This gives rise to large number of possible sequences to achieve final size of the hole. Optimal sequence of operations which reduces the overall processing cost of these hole-making operations are essential. Hence it is necessary to use non-traditional optimization techniques which are strong enough to handle these complex problems as well which gives optimal results. This paper reviews about the various non-traditional optimization techniques which are already implemented to solve optimization of hole-making operation problems.


Lahore Abstract The understanding of contemporary Islamic activism has become one of the most important challenges for international academia since the 1980s. Late 1970s and early 1980s, witnessed a chain of unexpected but significant happenings in the heart of the Muslim world, - which brought Islamic activism at the centre of academia world over. Islamic revolution of Iran, the assassination of Egyptian President Sadat of Egypt, initiation of the the process of Islamization in Pakistan, Islamist resistance to USSR"s invasion of Afghanistan, and occupation of the Holy Mosque of Mecca by Muslim extremists were among some of those unprecedented incidents. the end of Cold War, the appearance of Al-Qaeda at the world stage, the unfortunate occurrence 9/11 and the consequent initiation of of the war of terror to eliminate terrorism exacerbated this situation. The invasion of Afghanistan but no end in sight to wind up. This invasion despite tremendous efforts to explain and understand the causes, goals, effects and future direction of this rupture, furthure intensified the gravity of the situation .Many questions remain unanswered and much work is needed to develop theory which can be generalized to make satisfactory predictions about this particular scenario. The purpose of this paper is to look into the theoretical approaches adopted for the study of this phenomenon, the trajectories of these approaches, their current status and future


This article explores how medical and lay discourses make themselves intelligible by using figures of speech and jointly constructing a socially homogeneous idea of children with Down syndrome, based on an ethnographic study performed at the Down Syndrome Out-Patient Clinic in the Jos Carlos Cabral de Almeida Center for Clinical Genetics, part of the Department of Genetics at the Fernandes Figueira Institute, a Federal reference hospital for maternal and child health belonging to the Oswaldo Cruz Foundation.


The effect of using headphone versus telephone handsets is characterized for degradation mean opinion score (DMOS) assessments. From this, it is derived that differences in opinion scores are dependent on the type of listening instrument employed. Further, in the middle of the quality range, opinion scores derived from tests employing telephone handsets are higher than those derived from tests employing headphones. >


E-Wom, as a form of marketing communication, makes many contributions to marketing activities. E-Wom, in several previous studies, showed a contribution to consumer behavior. This study links the concept of E-Wom with green products and looks at its effect on Green Purchase Behavior. Green product is currently a much-discussed issue, given the increasingly felt impact of global warming. Global warming has finally forced corporates and consumers to be wise in choosing products. The method used in this research is an explanatory quantitative method, with a data collection tool in the form of a questionnaire. Respondents in this study were late adolescents and early adults in Surabaya and its surroundings. The results of this study indicate that E-Wom about green products has a significant influence on green purchase behavior. The influence of E-Wom as a single factor is not that strong. Another finding recorded in this study is the high value of the share information product that occurs. Most of the respondents were reluctant to start a chat about product reviews, they would provide arguments if they had started, and the E-Wom in this study was more on a personal level.


This paper offers a management model to create an open access office at the Universidad Nacional de Cordoba. This office intends to provide instruction and training to the members of the different open access projects being developed at the University. It aims at improving the scientific communication system and giving visibility to the academic production, as well as the historic resources that belong to the libraries, museums and archives of the University. A detailed description of the mission, vision, objectives, structure and main functions of the open access office are described


Fractal groups (also called self-similar groups) is the class of groups discovered by the first author in the 1980s with the purpose of solving some famous problems in mathematics, including the question of raising to von Neumann about non-elementary amenability (in the association with studies around the Banach-Tarski Paradox) and John Milnor's question on the existence of groups of intermediate growth between polynomial and exponential. Fractal groups arise in various fields of mathematics, including the theory of random walks, holomorphic dynamics, automata theory, operator algebras, etc. They have relations to the theory of chaos, quasi-crystals, fractals, and random Schrödinger operators. One important development is the relation of fractal groups to multi-dimensional dynamics, the theory of joint spectrum of pencil of operators, and the spectral theory of Laplace operator on graphs. This paper gives a quick access to these topics, provides calculation and analysis of multi-dimensional rational maps arising via the Schur complement in some important examples, including the first group of intermediate growth and its overgroup, contains a discussion of the dichotomy "integrable-chaotic" in the considered model, and suggests a possible probabilistic approach to studying the discussed problems.


Background: This study was aim to identify the specific words and to develop the scale for the public health center (PHC) image.Methods: We collected 824 words from the previous studies and by open questions and reduced them by 77 words, then which were rated properly by 355 citizens of Seoul. We examined explanatory factor analysis for 69 words, and examined content validity test and confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) for the image structures (4 factors and 16 words). And then we developed the image questionnaire using them through council. We conducted a survey and retested the PHC image scales as the measuring tool target-ing 2,000 persons, and compared the inexperience and experience persons for PHC usage.Results: The image structures were consisted of 4 factors and 16 words such as 'trustworthiness' (warm, exemplary, faithful, service-mindedness, beneficial to health), 'fairness' (honesty, clear, consistent, ruled), 'development possibility' (changing, goal-directed, de-velopmental, propulsive), and 'flexibility' (not authoritative, not perfunctory, not rigid) in total. Cronbach's α values of all factors were above 0.7. As a result of CFA, model fit indexes yielded satisfactory results (root mean square error of approximation [RMSEA] 0.049, goodness of fit index [GFI] 0.937, and adjusted goodness of fit index [AGFI] 0.912). According to the result of retest for measuring tool by using other samples, Cronbach's α values were above 0.8, and model fit indexes yielded satisfactory results (RMSEA 0.059, GFI 0.952, AGFI 0.933). RMSEAs of the inexperiences and the experiences were each 0.59, 0.68.Conclusion: A reliable, valid, and generalizable scale was created for PHC image.Keywords: PHC image; Image scale; Image construct; Image characteristic word


Heterogeneous nuclear ribonucleoprotein (hnRNP A1) is involved in pre‐mRNA splicing in the nucleus and translational regulation in the cytoplasm. In the present study, we demonstrate that hnRNP A1 also participates in the transcription and replication of a cytoplasmic RNA virus, mouse hepatitis virus (MHV). Overexpression of hnRNP A1 accelerated the kinetics of viral RNA synthesis, whereas the expression in the cytoplasm of a dominant‐negative hnRNP A1 mutant that lacks the nuclear transport domain significantly delayed it. The hnRNP A1 mutant caused a global inhibition of viral mRNA transcription and genomic replication, and also a preferential inhibition of the replication of defective‐interfering RNAs. Similar to the wild‐type hnRNP A1, the hnRNP A1 mutant complexed with an MHV polymerase gene product, the nucleocapsid protein and the viral RNA. However, in contrast to the wild‐type hnRNP A1, the mutant protein failed to bind a 250 kDa cellular protein, suggesting that the recruitment of cellular proteins by hnRNP A1 is important for MHV RNA synthesis. Our findings establish the importance of cellular factors in viral RNA‐dependent RNA synthesis.


Introduction: Breast augmentation is one of the most frequently performed aesthetic surgical procedures in the world. The most important preoperative decisions which influence the final appearance of the augmented breast are the breast implant pocket choice and selection of the most appropriate implant. Described pocket locations are subglandular, subfascial, partially retropectoral, totally submuscular and dual plane. Aim: We have introduced a new method of pocket forming for implant placement, which is combination of Tebbett's dual-plane 2 or 3 and Graf's subfascial. We named it as dual plane subfascial. Methods: Between January 2016 and April 2018, total of 27 patients were operated using dual plane subfascial breast augmentation. The pinch test in the medial pole less than 2,0 cm and in upper pole less than 2,5 cm are indications for this technique. In our modification, in primary cases a dissected flap in front of muscle is fasciocutaneous (not cutaneous as in Tebbett's technique). It will be finally located caudally of pectoral muscle and in front of the lower pole of implant. Fasciocutaneous flap in primary cases and two independent levels of soft tissue coverage (fascial and cutaneous) in secondary cases (subglandular to dual plane subfascial conversion) in front of the lower pole of implants provide better coverage than cutaneous flap alone. Results: Hematoma and infection did not occur in any patient in our study. A capsular contracture grade I/II without the need for reoperation occurred in two patients. In one patient with secondary augmentation minimal bottoming out was noticed (before reoperation patient had significant bottoming out deformity). Minimal palpability of implants is recorded in three patients. Conclusion: Dual plane subfascial is a good option in primary breast augmentation with a well set indication especially in the breasts with the upper pinch test less than 25 mm and medial pinch test less than 20 mm. The idea can be followed even in secondary breast augmentation (subglandular to dual plane subfascial conversion). There is additional soft tissue in front of the implant which led to a less implant palpability, especially in thin patient with smaller amount of subcutaneous fat.


Mutational studies indicate that the superantigen staphylococcal enterotoxin A (SEA) has two separate binding sites for major histocompatibility complex (MHC) class II molecules. Direct evidence is provided here for the formation of SEA-MHC class II trimers in solution. Isoelectric focusing separated SEA-HLA-DR1 complexes into both dimers and HLA-DR1.SEA2 trimers. The molar ratio of components was determined by dual isotope labeling. The SEA mutant SEA-F47S, L48S, Y92A, which is deficient in MHC class II alpha-chain binding, formed only dimers with HLA-DR1, whereas a second SEA mutant, SEA-H225A, which lacks high-affinity MHC class II beta-chain binding was incapable of forming any complexes. Thus SEA binding to its MHC receptor is a two-step process involving initial beta-chain binding followed by cooperative binding of a second SEA molecule to the class II alpha chain.


The author described the definition of forecast risk of supply chain and the principal-agent relationship in supply chain. Additionally, the author established a managerial incentive model of information sharing. Finally, the author pointed out that the critical solution of forecast risk control is to design and establish a set of managerial incentive institution arrangements and operation framework which will play an important role on encouraging the members of the supply chain to share their information actively and sufficiently.


OBJECTIVE
To determine if repeated collection of nipple aspirate fluid (NAF) can improve the diagnostic sensitivity for cytologic atypia, a marker of increased risk of breast cancer.

STUDY DESIGN
Two hundred sixty-seven women without known breast disease volunteered for NAF cytology at 5 6-month intervals over 2 years. NAF samples were prepared on Millipore filters (Millipore Filter Corp., Bedford, Massachusetts, U.S.A.) and stained with a modified Papanicolaou method. Fluid availability and cellular abnormalities were evaluated for each collection attempt. Cellular findings were classified as benign, hyperplasia or atypia.

RESULTS
NAF was obtained from 178 women (66.6%) at the first visit and from an additional 15, 10, 2 and 4 women at visits 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively, for a cumulative total of 78.2% by visit 5. The number of women yielding NAF containing hyperplastic or atypical epithelial cells was determined at each visit. Hyperplastic cells were found in 34 (19.1%) at visit 1 and in an additional 20, 10, 5 and 4 women at visits 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively. Atypical epithelial cells were present in 12 (6.7%) women at the initial visit and in an additional 11, 7, 5 and 1 women at visits 2, 3, 4 and 5, respectively, for a cumulative percent of 18.2 at visit 5. NAF could not be obtained from 58 women at any visit.

CONCLUSION
These findings suggest that an optimum collection method for NAF cytology should consist of at least 3 or 4 separate fluid aspiration attempts. Reviewing repeated multiple samples instead of 1 increases the number of women who can be evaluated and the likelihood of detecting cytologic atypia.


This encyclopedia provides a concise introduction to the mental health topics of greatest concern to adolescents. It offers young readers the information they need to better understand mental disorders and the importance of psychological well-being. Addressing mental illness and prioritizing psychological well-being are important at any age, but the teen years present unique challenges. Hormonal changes, peer pressure, and the demands of school and a busy social life combined with many other factors put adolescents at high risk for mental health problems. Certain disorders, such as depression and anxiety, are particularly prevalent in this age group, as are risky behaviors like substance abuse, self-harm, and distracted driving. Today's teens also face uniquely modern threats to their psychological well-being, such as Internet addiction and social media–induced fear of missing out (FOMO). Yet there are also ample opportunities for adolescents to strengthen their mental health and resiliency through such practices as meditation, activism, and youth leadership. Teen Mental Health: An Encyclopedia of Issues and Solutions is a ready-reference guide to the mental health topics that most affect the lives of American teens in the 21st century. Entries are accessibly written and feature extensive cross-referencing and helpful further reading lists. This volume also offers a collection of recommended resources, including a number of hotlines for teens in crisis.


This study aims to determine the Effect of Cash Turnover and Accounts Receivable Turnover on Return on Assets at PT. Fubrika Lestari in Jakarta. The method used was explanatory research with a sample of 85 respondents. The analysis technique uses statistical analysis with regression testing, correlation, determination and hypothesis testing. The results of this study Cash Turnover has no significant effect on Return on Assets of 5.0%, the hypothesis test obtained significance of 0.593> 0.05. Accounts Receivable Turnover did not significantly influence the Return on Assets of 62.9%, the hypothesis test obtained a significance of 0.019 <0.05. Cash Turnover and Receivable Turnover simultaneously have a significant effect on Return on Assets of 85.5%, the hypothesis test obtained significance of 0.008 <0.05.


The band gap controlled photocatalyst (Zn0.74Cu0.13In2S3.805) was prepared via a simple one-step solvothermal method. The effects of doping of Cu+ and excess In on the photocatalytic activity of ZnIn2S4 photocatalyst were investigated. In addition, optical properties, surface morphology and crystal structure were evaluated. The maximum H2 evolution rate (2370 μmol h−1 g−1) was achieved with Zn0.74Cu0.13In2S3.805, which was about five times higher than that of untreated ZnIn2S4 under visible light (λ ≥ 420 nm). The band gap of Zn0.74Cu0.13In2S3.805 decreased to 1.98 eV by raising the maximum position of the valence band, compared to ZnIn2S4. Furthermore, the recombination of electron hole pairs was effectively reduced. This research contributes to the development of highly active photocatalysts under visible light.


Highway engineers, urban designers, decison-makers, and the general public will be interested in the research findings of this two-part report. A wealth of information has been drawn from interviews and discussions with planning and design practitioners, recent research, and 28 case studies of pedestrian facilities from around the United States. The first part of the report presents guidelines and principles that can be used by practitioners in planning, designing, and implementing pedestrian facilities, with emphasis on planning and implementation. The second part of the report presents detailed supporting information and examples of both good and bad planning and design practice. Together, the reports (NCHRP Report 294A and NCHRP Report 294B) present a methodology for providing convenient and safe pedestrian movement for suburban and developing rural areas.


N-continuous orthogonal frequency division multiplexing is a precoding technique that achieves a lower-sidelobe transmission signal. However, the precoding method requires a wide dynamic range arithmetic. This study proposes a novel decomposition of the precoder matrix of Ncontinuous OFDM for a low-end field-programmable gate array (FPGA) without DSP blocks. Results of numerical experiments and a test design confirm that the singular value decomposition is suitable for FPGA implementation.


Proceedings: AACR 102nd Annual Meeting 2011‐‐ Apr 2‐6, 2011; Orlando, FL

A disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) superfamily, has been demonstrated involved in tumor progression and metastasis. Previously, Fritzsche et al., performed the clinic evaluation of ADAM9 expression and indicated the correlation between ADAM9 expression and poor prognosis of prostate cancer patients. Josson et al., further demonstrated the increased of therapeutic effect by combination of ADAM9 knockdown and radiation/chemotherapy of prostate cancer cells. Preliminary study by us revealed decreased of cancer extravasation and metastasis in ADAM9 knockdown strain by in vivo intra-cardiac injection. These data suggests dual biological role of ADAM9 in cancer cells, i.e., increased stress resistance and involved in metastasis regulation. To further elucidate the role of ADAM9 in cancer metastasis and stress response, cross-linking and pull-down assay was performed. LC-MS/MS analyses of proteins demonstrated highly interaction of ADAM9 with plectin, which can be confirmed by immunoprecipitation analyses. Plectin is a scaffold protein which bind to intergin beta4 and maintain the structure of hemidesmosome to regulate cell adhesion and migration. We sugess that ADAM9 involve in hemidesmosome turnover and cancer cell metastasis potential. This make cancer cell to adapt the environment change and escape from adverse circumstances. To further evaluate the role of ADAM9 in cell migration and invasion that may associated with plectin, 3D culture of cells in collagen or matrigel and time-lapse microscopic analyses of cell invasion ability was performed. Interestingly, we observed faster but shorter movement and amoebae-like structure during our 36 hours monitoring invasion behavior in cancer cell knockdown of ADAM9. In contrast, parental cells showed long distance extrusion and migration and long spindle like structure during the invasion. This may reflect the difference during cancer metastasis behaviors, in which parental cells showed mesenchymal-like invasion and switched to amoebae-like invasion after knockdown of ADAM9. It has been showed the mesenchymal invasion involved integrin and release of MMPs in order to digest the matrices. Therefore, 3D matrigel mixed with proteinase inhibitors and invasion assay was performed. We noticed the parental cell switching to amoebae-like activities and shorter movement just like our ADAM9 knockdown strain in protease inhibitor matrigel. In conclusions, we observed the switching between mesenchymal-like invasion and amoebae-like activities in prostate cancer cells. We further noticed that interaction of ADAM9 with hemidesmosome compartment, plectin, play the critical role in this processing. This interaction with plectin and integrin beta4 may indicated that ADAM9 play a role in maintain cancer mesenchyma-like activities during metastasis.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 102nd Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2011 Apr 2-6; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2011;71(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1402. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2011-1402


Introduction: It is well-known that pressure from orthodontic appliance can provoke root resorption in dentitions with short roots. The purpose of this case report is to demonstrate two clinical cases with focus on root length in dentitions exposed due to pressure from erupting teeth. This is a pilot study aimed to improve diagnostics for avoiding the resorption of lateral maxillary incisors by pressure from erupting canines. Case Report: The first reported case is of a girl who was 11 years and 7 months old when radiographs showed severe resorption of the lateral incisors, along with malformed central incisors and short roots. The intraoral photos demonstrated light crowding in the maxilla. The orthopantomogram of the girl's mother demonstrated several short roots. The second reported case is of a girl who was 9 years and 5 months old when radiographs demonstrated nearly complete resorption on her lateral incisor roots, extremely short roots in the central incisors, and short roots. The intraoral photos demonstrated light crowding in the maxilla. The orthopantomogram of the girl's mother demonstrated extremely short roots in general. Conclusion: This pilot study indicates that short root length in general and abnormal incisor morphology are phenotypic traits that were characteristic for both girls who presented with severe lateral incisor resorption due to erupting canines. Furthermore, short roots were also demonstrated in the mothers. Accordingly, short root length in general could be a phenotypic trait, which should be diagnosed early for preventing severe resorption of lateral incisors during canine eruption.


Only limited data are available on the effects of radiation-therapy on the mineral content of the bone of children treated for malignancy. The incidence of osteopenia varies between 8 and 23%, but confounding factors were the use of chemotherapy and the effects of prophylactic cranial irradiation. The factors influencing bone atrophy are no more clearly defined in adults treated for cancer by high dose local radiation-therapy. Pathological observed in patient tissues, indicates a clear role for vascular changes in the development of osteopenia, although there remains some uncertainty as to the effects of osteoblast cell loss. Reduced blood flow in bone is clearly dose-related in experimental animal studies and after single doses of >20 Gy changes in bone mineral content have been found. However, this was only at late times (>/=30 weeks) after irradiation. The relationship between these changes and bone strength remains unproven because of the limited nature of many of the animal studies. Radiation dose fractionation data for rib-fracture in breast cancer patients suggests an alpha/beta ratio is in the range 1.8-2.8 Gy, comparable to values obtained for other late responding normal human tissues.


Trees are resources that provide multiple benefits, such as the conservation of fauna, both terrestrial and marine, a source of food and raw material, and offering protection in storms, which makes it practical to understand their behavior against different phenomena. Such understanding may be possible through process modeling. Studies confirm that mangrove forests can store more carbon than other forests, influencing the fight against global warming. Thus, a critical and systematic review was carried out regarding studies focusing on mangroves to collect information on the models that have been applied and the most influential variables highlighted by other authors. Applying a systematic search for the most relevant topics related to mangroves (basic as well as recent information), it is possible to group models and methods carried out by other authors to respond to certain behaviors presented by mangroves. Moreover, possible structuring of a mathematical model applied to a species of interest thanks to the analyzed references could provide justified information to the authorities on the importance of these forests and the benefits of their preservation and regeneration-recovery.


Thermally stimulated current (TSC) spectra and photocurrent (Ipc) measurements are used for determination and evaluation of deep levels, as well as for the comparison of their distributional uniformity in undoped semi-insulating (SI) GaAs crystals. Liquid-encapsulated Czochralski-grown (LEC) GaAs wafers from various sources were analysed. It was found that crystal growth and post-growth treatment of samples from each producer give characteristic and distinctive TSC spectra. The samples from different positions at wafers show good uniformity of deep-level distribution for some producers, whereas the uniformity is quite poor for the others. Some characteristic peaks appear in spectra of all crystals, suggesting either the presence of native defects or some of the most common contaminants. The results obtained are compared with those in previous reports. Furthermore, a considerable difference in photocurrent values after 100 s illumination has been found, indicating large free carrier lifetime scattering for samples of different origins. This study shows how, by using quick and simple TSC and Ipc measurements, the quality of the material and uniformity of the distribution of defects with deep levels in the forbidden energy gap can be assessed.


Halloysite (tubular), montmorillonite (platy), and wollastonite (acicular) type clay silicate morphologies based magnesium oxide (MgO) filled compression molded hybrid friction composites were fabricated followed by their mechanical (compressive), thermal (onset of degradation), thermo-mechanical (loss modulus), and tribological performance (CoF, fade, recovery, wear) evaluation. The friction- fade and friction- recovery due to braking induced heating and cooling cycles vis-a-vis the instantaneous braking performances were evaluated following SAEJ661, on a Chase type friction tester. The combination of halloysite- MgO in the friction composite led to minimum fade (∼ 2.2%), whereas that of wollastonite- MgO showed maximum friction coefficient (∼ 0.47) with enhanced rotor friendliness as indicated from optical surface profilometry. Montmorillonite-MgO based composites showed maximum wear resistance along with greater extent of friction stabilization as supported by ID/IG data from Raman spectra. The performance attributes remained governed by the compressive stiffness of the friction composites, hardness, thermal stability, and morphological aspects of the clay type silicates, and their induced contact dynamics as evident from SEM-EDX studies. The heat dissipation mechanism, the disc temperature rise and friction coefficient under instantaneous braking condition were found to be controlled by MgO in the composites. The study demonstrates that clay- type silicate morphologies in combination with MgO as a mild abrasive may lead to synergistic fade- recovery performance without compromising the compressive stiffness response of the braking surface, enabling increased wear resistance.


OBJECTIVE
Pregnancy and its outcome in a woman with systemic lupus erythematosus.

SUBJECT
Case report.

SETTING
Obstetrics and Gynecology Department, Charles University, 2nd Medical Faculty and Faculty Hospital Motol, Prague, Cardiocentrum, University Hospital Motol, Prague.

SUBJECT
Patient with systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) was admitted to our department at 31 weeks of gestation with diagnosed fetal bradycardia. Detailed prenatal echocardiography revealed complete atrioventricular block (AVB III) with atrial rate of 140 b.p.m. and ventricular rate of 70 b.p.m., fetoplacental failure was not present at initial examination. Patient was hospitalised for the remainder of the pregnancy, which continued to full-term without complications. During delivery, fetal pulse oxymetry was utilized to monitor fetal state saturation levels. Labour proceeded without complications with an Apgar score of 9-9-9. The newborn was observed at the ICU and the Cardiac center and deemed to be in stable condition with AVB III without any signs of heart failure and without the necessity for pacemaker implantation.

CONCLUSION
In cases of diagnosed fetal bradycardia, it is beneficial to expand the methods of fetal monitoring during labour. Pre-, peri-, and postnatal observation of pregnant women diagnosed with SLE and fetal bradycardia should be done in specialised facilities that are able to provide the appropriate level of care for mother and infant.


Background
                  Vitamin D may have a role in immune responses to viral infections. However, data on the association between vitamin D and severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) infection and coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) severity have been limited and inconsistent.

                  Objective
                  We examined the associations of predicted vitamin D status and intake with risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection and COVID-19 severity.

                  Methods
                  We used data from periodic surveys (May 2020 to March 2021) within the Nurses' Health Study II. Among 39,315 participants, 1768 reported a positive test for SARS-CoV-2 infection. Usual vitamin D intake from foods and supplements were measured using a semiquantitative, pre-pandemic food-frequency questionnaire in 2015. Predicted 25-hydroxyvitamin D [25(OH)D] concentration were calculated based on a previously validated model including dietary and supplementary vitamin D intake, UV-B, and other behavioral predictors of vitamin D status.

                  Results
                  Higher predicted 25(OH)D concentrations, but not vitamin D intake, were associated with a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Comparing participants in the highest quintile of predicted 25(OH)D concentrations with the lowest, the multivariable-adjusted OR was 0.76 (95% CI: 0.58, 0.99; P-trend = 0.04). Participants in the highest quartile of UV-B (OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.87; P-trend = 0.002) and UV-A (OR: 0.76; 95% CI: 0.66, 0.88; P-trend < 0.001) also had a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection compared with the lowest. High intake of vitamin D from supplements (≥400 IU/d) was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization (OR: 0.51; 95% CI: 0.29, 0.91; P-trend = 0.04).

                  Conclusions
                  Our study provides suggestive evidence on the association between higher predicted circulating 25(OH)D concentrations and a lower risk of SARS-CoV-2 infection. Greater intake of vitamin D supplements was associated with a lower risk of hospitalization. Our data also support an association between exposure to UV-B or UV-A, independently of vitamin D and SARS-CoV-2 infection, so results for predicted 25(OH)D need to be interpreted cautiously.


Budget gap is the percentage increase or decrease in revenue expenditures during budget preparation to achieve balanced revenues. This gap is significant in public accounting sector to easily obtain predetermined budgets. This study aims to examine the effect of procedural, interactional and distributive justice on budgetary slack by regional financial managers. Data were obtained from 4 villages in Skouw Mabo, Skouw Yambe, Skouw Sae, and Mosso in Muara Tami District, Jayapura City, which are the border regions of Indonesia and Papua New Guinea. The purposive sampling method was used to obtain data from the regional financial management. The results showed that procedural justice affected budgetary slack, as opposed to interactional and distributive justice. Furthermore, procedural justice is important and needs to be considered in budgeting for regional financial management. The higher the perception of justice towards the procedures carried out in the regional financial budgeting process, the lower the budgetary slack of the management apparatus.


Abstract Background The term 'Giant' coronary aneurysm is usually defined as any coronary aneurysm more than 8 mm in maximum diameter. The form of familial retinal arterial macroaneurysms (FRAMs) is a rare autosomal recessive disease that is described by arterial aneurysm formation in the retina. Here, we report an association of coronary artery aneurysms with FRAM in a young male who presented with the acute coronary syndrome. Case summary A 31-year-old male smoker presented to the emergency department with atypical chest pain for 5 days. Blood investigations showed raised troponin enzymes. Review of his past medical history revealed decreased vision in the left eye, starting at the age of 10 years which progressed to blindness. He was diagnosed to have IGFBP7 mutation which causes eye manifestations in the form of FRAM. Fundoscopy showed bleeding retinal artery macroaneurysms in the right retina and sub-retinal gliosis suggesting laser treatment for the prior retinal arterial aneurysm. Coronary angiogram revealed a large aneurysm in the proximal segment of the left anterior descending (LAD) artery. Cardiac computed tomography scan with contrast was done which showed a 2.28 × 1.64 cm coronary aneurysm at the proximal segment of the LAD artery with peripheral calcification with a narrow neck of about 0.6 cm. After the heart team discussion, he underwent surgical ligation of the LAD and coronary aneurysm with implantation of the saphenous venous graft to distal LAD. Discussion Coronary artery aneurysms can be a part of multisystem diseases like FRAM. The management should be individualized based on symptoms at presentation, size of coronary aneurysms, and local expertise.


ABSTRACT
 This article analyzes populism utilizing the semiotic theory of A.J. Greimas. This structural linguist offers a tool for uncovering links between manifestations of populism and the language structure that makes these manifestations possible in the first place. The (post-)structural analysis in this article brings together different approaches to populism, through revealing one shared underlying structure. This core-structure of populism connects three framings of populism that all come with different populist features. The core structure also sheds light on the dispute regarding whether or not a homogeneous people is integral to populism. The underlying structure precisely depicts the logical steps from individualism to populism that Laclau describes in his definition of populism as an act. Whereas Laclau's definition does not include a homogeneous people, the structure reveals a short-cut to populism, which does comprise a homogeneous people. Hence, the deep structure of language facilitates two versions of populism, one with a homogeneous people, and one with a not-heterogeneous, unified people.


Various preforms of carbon nanotubes (CNTs), such as fibers, yarns, or buckypapers (BP), have been developed over the last few years in order to fabricate advanced nanocomposites containing a high volume fraction of the reinforcing phase. However, a homogeneous dispersion and an even isolation of CNTs during the fabrication process of many preforms such as BP is often challenging, while the poor interaction between CNTs and the matrix also limits the final performance of the nanocomposites. Herein, a new route to overcome these two challenges simultaneously has been demonstrated based on an active dispersant (noted as Py-PEI) developed through the quaternization reaction of pyrene derivatives (Py-Br) and polyethylenimine (PEI). The existence of pyrene groups leads to the formation of π–π stacking with CNTs, successfully hindering the re-aggregation of dispersed CNTs. Meanwhile, the amine groups of Py-PEI can establish covalent bonds with epoxy, leading to an enhanced load transfer efficiency between CNTs and epoxy in the composites. Systematic characterization of both fabricated BP and BP-reinforced nanocomposites have been performed, with significantly enhanced CNT dispersion stability in water together with improved mechanical performance of the as-obtained BP/epoxy nanocomposites. This study provides a new strategy in fabricating high performance nanocomposites with the ease of nanofiller dispersion and enhanced reinforcing efficiency.


Work relationship between entrepreneur and worker constitutes a priority in the industrial relationship. Company's smooth operation will be only determined from the maintenance of favorable relationship between both parties. Work relationship must be based on the fundamental guides or principles of agreement in binding both parties. The position and function of work agreement between worker and entrepreneur plays an important role in this case, which in the employment system of Indonesia, the term of "Cooperation Working Agreement" seems famously recognized. Such work agreement underlines favorable work relationship built through an attachment regulating the rights and obligations of each party. Therefore, the understanding over the position, function and the role of cooperation covenant in the work relationship should be important to realize harmonic and equal industrial relationship.


The method of ordinary differential equations in the context of calculating the special functions of wave catastrophes is considered. Complementary numerical methods and algorithms are described. The paper shows approaches to accelerate such calculations using capabilities of modern computing systems. Methods for calculating the special functions of wave catastrophes are considered in the framework of parallel computing and distributed systems. The paper covers the development process of special software for calculating of special functions, questions of portability, extensibility and interoperability.


The rapid iteration of artificial intelligence (AI) technology has driven the development of intelligent ophthalmology, with enormous potential for application in the regional screening, precise diagnosis, and disease progression prediction of intractable blinding diseases, particularly glaucoma. Aiming to encourage collaborative discussions among ophthalmologists, this article elucidates the application potential and direction of AI in the prevention and treatment of glaucoma from the aspects of enhancing glaucoma screening and diagnosis levels through AI, promoting initiatives for the application of AI, and exploring the prospects of AI.


Work stress is related to the perception of parental skills in working parents, it is a cross-sectional, associative study with correlational predictive design (Ato, López & Benavente, 2013), 177 parents participated (55.7% women), who worked at least 30 hours per week and who have children between 3 and 12 years old. The instruments used were the Inventory of the demands-control-support model (Rosario-Hernández & Rovira, 2016) and the Perceived Parental Competence Scale (Vera-Vásquez, Zaragoza-Tafur & Musayón-Oblitas, 2014). The results found show significant and positive correlations between the dimension of support with assumption of the role and shared leisure (.27). In the same way, the support dimension is positively related to school involvement (.28); as well as the dimension of control with assumption of the role and shared leisure (.22). A positive and moderate correlation was also found between work demands and hours worked (.34). It has been possible to compare the results with previous studies that reaffirm the idea that due to the amount of work commitments, the parents' stay at home is more difficult. In conclusion, people who perceive stress in their work will have a lower perception of parental competences, since they do not find a balance between the functions of both roles.


In the coming years electric vehicles will become a part of the transportation system in Europe. This contribution considers the impact of a penetration of electric cars on a distribution grid. For computations load profiles of electric cars (EC) are used by means of real battery measurements. A real low voltage grid data is used to show that security of supply could be ensured when there is a high penetration of electric cars. To forecast a certain charging demand reasonable scenarios are defined. Some conclusions and final remarks summarize the investigation presented in this paper.


Studies on sand flies are important because of their ability to transmit pathogens that cause leishmaniasis, bartonellosis, and arboviruses in the New World (Silva et al. 2007). The leishmaniases are among the neglected diseases that have undergone resurgence since the 1970s, and their incidence has increased year after year in 88 countries, where 350 million people live in risk areas. In Brazil, cutaneous leishmaniasis (CL) has been reported in all states. The presence of sand flies and wild mammals (reservoirs of


This paper presents a new circuit technique to reduce temperature-induced delay uncertainty. Programmable temperature compensation devices (PTCDs) are used to tune logic gate pull-up and pull-down networks to their respective temperature-insensitive operating points, dramatically improving thermal resilience. Over a -55°C to 125°C temperature range, the proposed technique is shown to decrease temperature-induced delay uncertainty by up to 91% compared to other temperature resilient methods. We explore the limitations of using multi-VT and adaptive body biasing approaches to achieve temperature insensitivity; the proposed method achieves insensitive operation at larger supply voltages than prior methods, providing temperature insensitivity at nominal voltage for the first time. We explain how to integrate PTCDs into a variety of logic gates as well as larger structures such as a 1-bit mirror adder. Applying the proposed method to a clock tree is shown to reduce temperature-induced clock skew by up to 98%. Process variations degrade the temperature resilience; however, the proposed approach still improves temperature resilience by ~50% over prior methods when these variations are considered. Furthermore, we propose a process variation-compensation system to maintain our PTCD method's temperature resilience.


Co-management is increasingly recognized as an effective model for managing fisheries, but little information exists on whether co-management can produce effects in species other than the target species. Fishery co-management in the tropics, where fish diversity is high and fish catches tend to be multispecies, is prone to produce assemblage-wide effects via alterations in the food web and changes in the overall capture of non-target species. Here, we assessed the effects of co-management for the species Arapaima sp. in relation to the structure and composition of the overall fish assemblage in floodplain lakes of the central Amazon Basin. These floodplain lakes are managed under a system of zoning of fishing activities. We used data from surveys of six floodplain lakes, including two lakes of each of three categories (lakes where fishing is prohibited, limited-access lakes, and open fishing lakes). The surveys were carried out before and after implementation of co-management, through gillnet fishing. The study area was the lower Solimões River, in the Amazon Basin, Brazil. Statistical models showed significant changes in the composition and structure of the fish assemblages after the implementation of the co-management, regardless of the zoning category. Through regulation of gear use and fishing practices, co-management allowed the colonization of species that had not been present before, which lead to higher richness and consequently increased fish sizes, abundance and biomass. Species of sedentary habits, migrants of short and medium distances, with commercial importance benefited the most from co-management. In the results presented in temporal scale, it was possible to observe a potential spillover effect being provided by the lakes where fishing is prohibited (no-take zones) and those of limited access that benefited those open to fishing. Thus, co-management had positive effects in the structure and composition of fish assemblages in all lakes, regardless of zoning category.


PUFA from oil extracted from Nile perch viscera were enriched by selective enzymatic esterification of the free fatty acids (FFA) or by hydrolysis of ethyl esters of the fatty acids from the oil (FA-EE). Quantitative analysis was performed using RP-HPLC coupled to an evaporative light scattering detector (RP-HPLC-ELSD). The lipase from Thermomyces lanuginosus discriminated against docosahexaenoic acid (DHA) most, resulting in the highest DHA/DHA-EE enrichment while lipase from Pseudomonas cepacia discriminated against eicosapentaenoic acid (EPA) most, resulting in the highest EPA/EPA-EE enrichment. The lipases discriminated between DHA and EPA with a higher selectivity when present as ethyl esters (EE) than when in FFA form. Thus when DHA/EPA were enriched to the same level during esterification and hydrolysis reactions, the DHA-EE/EPA-EE recoveries were higher than those of DHA/EPA-FFA. In reactions catalysed by lipase from T. lanuginosus, at 26 mol% DHA/DHA-EE, DHA recovery was 76% while that of DHA-EE was 84%. In reactions catalysed by lipase from P. cepacia, at 11 mol% EPA/EPA-EE, EPA recovery was 79% while that of EPA-EE was 92%. Both esterification of FFA and hydrolysis of FA-EE were more effective for enriching PUFA compared to hydrolysis of the natural oil and are thus attractive process alternatives for the production of products highly enriched in DHA and/or EPA. When there is only one fatty acid residue in each substrate molecule, the full fatty acid selectivity of the lipase can be expressed, which is not the case with triglycerides as substrates.


Study Design. Prospective clinical trial. Objective. The purpose of this study was to determine if an upright positional magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) protocol could produce reliable spinal curvature images and measurements compared with traditional radiograph. Summary of Background Data. Concerns about the oncological potential from cumulative doses of ionizing radiation in children and adolescents being monitored for adolescent idiopathic scoliosis (AIS) initiated a search for radiation-free diagnostic imaging modalities, including MRI. We submit that upright, positional MRI (uMRI) produces reliable spinal curvature images compared with traditional radiograph. Methods. Twenty-five consecutive patients (16 female; 9 male; average age, 14.6 yr; range, 12–18 yr) with a diagnosis of AIS were enrolled. Average major curve magnitude was 30° (range, 6°–70°). Subjects received anterior-posterior and lateral plain radiographical scoliosis imaging followed within 1 week by uMRI. MRI data acquisition was performed in less than 7 minutes. Two independent observers performed all Cobb angle, T5–T12 kyphosis, and vertebral rotation measurements for comparison. The Pearson correlation method was performed to compare radiograph to uMRI measurements, while inter-rater and intrarater correlations were performed to assess reliability. Results. We found outstanding correlation between all plain film radiography and uMRI measurements (P = 0.01); major Cobb angles (R = 0.901), minor Cobb angles (R = 0.838), and kyphosis (R = 0.943). Inter-rater reliability for both radiographical and MRI measurements of major Cobb angles (R = 0.959, 0.896, respectively), minor Cobb angles (R = 0.951, 0.857, respectively), and vertebral rotation (R = 0.945) were outstanding. Intrarater reliability for both radiographical and MRI measurements of major Cobb angles (R = 0.966, 0.966, respectively) and minor Cobb angles (R = 0.945, 0.943, respectively) were also outstanding. Conclusion. Our results show that uMRI is capable of producing coronal and sagittal plane measurements that highly correlate with traditional plain film radiographical measurements. This, in addition to reliable vertebral rotation measurements, makes uMRI a valuable, radiation-free alternative/substitute for diagnostic evaluation in AIS.


BACKGROUND
Despite the important advances in pregnancy and newborn follow-up, hypoxic-ischemic encephalopathy is still one of the prominent causes of newborn mortality and disability worldwide, and there is no sufficiently effective treatment for it yet. This study aimed to investigate whether the ozone injection, administered in a single-dose as a preconditioning agent before the hypoxia and in single and repeated doses on different days following the hypoxia, would affect the spatial memory performance of the rats in the Morris water maze test or on their apoptotic cell numbers.

METHODS
The study consisted of 102 seven-day-old male Wistar baby rats randomly divided into five groups. Rats in all groups were induced with hypoxic-ischemic brain injury (HIBI) except for the Sham group, and 1.2 mg/kg ozone was administered intraperitoneally. For the apoptosis evaluation, eight rats from each of the first four groups were decapitated by cervical dislocation. Terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase-mediated dUTP nick end-labeling (TUNEL) assay was used for immunohistochemical quantification of apoptosis in the excised brains. Blood malondialdehyde (MDA) and superoxide dismutase (SOD) levels were measured in the blood samples collected through cardiac puncture. Fourteen-week-old rats underwent the Morris water maze test to test their long-term spatial memory.

RESULTS
On apoptotic quantification in the right hemisphere using the TUNEL assay, the numbers of apoptotic neurons in the ozone preconditioning group (Group 3) and the group given ozone on the day of hypoxia (Group 4) were found to be significantly higher than the Sham group (Group 1), but significantly lower than the non-treatment group (Group 2) (p <0.001; p <0.001, respectively). Group 3 rats had the highest mean MDA level and SOD activity. Considering the platform finding times in the first four days of the tests, Group 4 had the shortest times after Group 1; and on Day 4, Group 4 found the platforms significantly sooner than Groups 2, 3, and 5 (p <0.001). Comparison of Groups 1 and 4 revealed significantly shorter times for Group 1 for each day except for Day 2.

CONCLUSIONS
Other studies have shown that controlled application of ozone would result in oxidative preconditioning and reduce the damage induced by reactive oxygen species through enabling adaptation to oxidative stress. Our study obtained remarkable and encouraging findings for ozone administration in HIBI by examining Group 4's performance in the first four days and the difference in its platform finding times between Day 1 and Day 4. HIPPOKRATIA 2021, 25 (2):56-62.


The extent and kinds of occupational diseas among California's 389,000 construction wor for the year 1965, are surveyed in this report. tions at risk by occupation within the indu are estimated based on a census of 1960. T of occupational injury and disease was ob doctors' reports. The Californian Workmer sation Act requires each doctor, who atten for an occupational injury or disease caus from work of one day or more, to furnish a the Division of Labour Statistics. It is probal is some under-reporting. There were 4-2 fat 7-7 disabling and nondisabling occupati( reports, and 76-1 disabling industrial injury 1,000 workers per annum. The occupationa] ranged from 3 reports per 1,000 workers and wood flooring to 16-4 reports per 1,000 i and foundation workers. Of the 2,497 repori tional disease, 56% were due to skin condit conditions of the eye due to noxious mater due to chemical bums. There were a small to respiratory conditions, the effects of to and the effects of heat and infectious a disease but they tended to be more serious c Nearly 35% of the re,ported cases of disease were attributed to the handling of and 16% to cements, plaster or mortar. A paints, petroleum fractions, plastics, solven are also mentioned as causes of disease. Tk data are set out in detail in various tables. It is considered that pneumoconiosis noise-induced hearing loss, and malignan related to occupational exposure are much ur in the data. There were 51 deaths of construction w decade 1956/65, excluding those attributed coniosis. Of these deaths, 16 were blamed [sic], 11 to toxic materials, and 5 to infeci Most of these deaths could have been prevei This report underlines the hazards of the the great difficulty in reducing the hazards.


With the rapid growth of the amount of information available in the Web, webpage classification technologies are widely employed by many search engines in order to formulate user queries and make users' search tasks easier. Knowledge Grid is a new form of Web environment, in which a Resource Space Model is employed in order to classify available semantic documents within the Web environment. However, it is well known that the semantic documents are proportionally small in relation to the whole Web documents, and the Resource Space Model cannot process these Web documents without semantic supports. In order to solve the above issue, in this paper, we present a novel ontology-based webpage classification method for the Knowledge Grid environment, which utilizes generated metadata from webpages as the intermedium to classify the webpages by ontology concepts. We design a conceptual model of a Webpage Classification Agent and build the prototype in a chosen domain. A series of experiments have been conducted using the prototype in order to evaluate the conceptual model. Conclusions about the evaluation are drawn in the final section.


In 2002, the University of Minnesota School of Public Health (UMNSPH) adopted an approach that supports basic, advanced, and continuing education curricula to train current and future public health workers. This model for lifelong learning for public health practice education allows for the integration of competency domains from the Council on Linkages Between Academia and Public Health Practice's core public health workforce competency levels and the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention's Bioterrorism and Emergency Readiness Competencies. This article describes how UMNSPH has implemented the model through coordination with state planning efforts and needs assessments in the tristate region of Minnesota, North Dakota, and Wisconsin. In addition, we discuss methods used for credentialing practitioners who have achieved competency at various levels of performance to enhance the capacity of the public health preparedness systems.


Characteristic of Land degradation in Riau Province in the study can be viewed as any change or disturbance to the land perceived to be deleterious or undesirable area, loss of the biological and loss of natural vegetation, local economic productivity and complexity of rain-fed cropland, urban sprawl, irrigated cropland, forest and commercial development combination of processes arising from company/human activities. The conclusion was based on peat in Riau severe damage as a result of the drying system with the creation of canalization that followed the burning of forests and massive land over the last 17 years. As a result, a decline in Riau land of which 90% is the deepest tropical peat swamp in the world. Data analysis based on the results of the observation that has been going on for one year found severe damage to turf conditions Riau has been uneven in some areas. Damage to peat mainland Riau impact on the soil surface as is the case in Kalimantan, which is about 2 centimeters (cm) per year. Result and discussion revealed some of solutions to address the threat of damage due to the sinking of Riau burning peat. 1). "Rewetting" technique. 2) Back to traditional ecological knowledge management from the indigenous people. Whatever, this research refer for government to rseformation policy mindset; from the economic (oil palm plantation) oriented to promote the balance of nature and sustainability development.


Introduction
Australia's mandatory offshore processing practices are directly harmful to health and breach international treaties on human rights.[1] Article 12 of the International Covenant on Economics, Social and Cultural Rights (ICESCR) states that everyone is entitled to the "enjoyment of the highest possible standard of physical and mental health" and has been ratified and in force in Australia since 1976.[2] Underlying these practices, the policy in question is the 2013 Regional Resettlement Arrangement (The PNG Solution), in the context of Section 189 of the 1958 Migration Act which, when amended in 1992, established mandatory detention of unauthorised maritime arrivals in Australia.[3] The PNG Solution ascertains that any person arriving in Australia by boat to seek asylum, will not ever be eligible to enter or apply for asylum in Australia and will be removed and held in mandatory offshore detention centres for processing.[3] This practice is well out of step with the policies of other comparable countries.[3]
Since offshore processing in Australia resumed in 2012, 4,177 people have been held on Nauru and Manus Island (Papua New Guinea), after attempting to seek asylum in Australia.[4] In July 2013, The PNG Solution was announced and since then 3,127 people, with no pathway for settlement in Australia, have been detained.[4] The numbers of detainees peaked in 2014 and have since dwindled.[4] This is as more than 800 people have been returned to their country of origin with others transferred to The United States (U.S.) in a deal struck under the Obama Administration, or settled in the local community in Papua New Guinea (PNG) or Nauru.[4,5] Manus Island Regional Processing Centre was forcibly closed in 2017 after the PNG government ruled it to be unconstitutional.[6] This left 690 men on Manus Island to fend for themselves in highly hostile conditions.[7] They now live in the community or in transit centres and await transfer to Nauru, The U.S. or removal to their country of origin.[4,7] Nauru Regional Processing centre remains open. Approximately 359 people remain on Nauru, with fewer than ten held in the processing centre and notably all children have been resettled, primarily to the U.S.[4] Those remaining in Nauru live in the community.
Of the 3,127 people denied the opportunity to apply for asylum in Australia more than 80% are recognised as refugees and have this important legal status.[6,8] Thus, for the remainder of this review the group of people discussed are these adults remaining on Nauru or Manus Island requiring of refugee status, not other groups of people who remain in legal "limbo" after not being recognised as refugees for local settlement, but the UN not deeming it safe and therefore allowable for them to go home.[9] Despite the current reduction in numbers, it remains that refugees arriving in Australia by boat will be subject to mandatory detention. Mandatory offshore processing is illegal under Australia's party to Article 9 of the International Covenant on Civil and Political Rights (ICCPR), despite this it persists at extreme financial cost to Australian taxpayers and does not fulfil the claimed political agenda of stopping boat arrivals.[1,10] As of May 2019, 14 people have died while being detained under this policy.[11] Of paramount importance are the direct harms to health, the lack of appropriate services and inability of refugees to achieve basic health, and the prevention of flourishing in good health that directly results from detaining refugees in detention.


Satellite-derived land surface temperature (LST) has commonly been used to monitor global temperature changes. The MODIS MYD11A2 product is the most common coarse-resolution product used for this purpose. An updated MODIS product (MYD21A2) and new VIIRS (VNP21A2) product have also recently become available. This study analyses eight-day, quality-controlled, LST imagery over Western Australia (WA) for the three products for an urban and a non-urban area for the years 2013, 2016, and 2019. An analysis of the data indicates that (i) the averaged daytime LST difference between the three products for Perth city over the three years was 1.32 °C, while at night it was 0.89 °C; (ii) the averaged daytime difference over the Kimberley region was 7.02 °C with a night average difference of 2.39 °C; and (iii) both the MYD21A2 and VNP21A2 products still appear to record anomalous monthly LST values, particularly in the humid Kimberley monsoonal months. The overall objective of the National Aeronautics and Space Administration (NASA) is to ensure that the LST values of the two satellite system products are comparable, so evidence of LST value differences will require further investigation, especially if the older product is to be replaced by the newer systems.


Almost 20 years ago, the gene underlying fatal familial insomnia was discovered, and first suggested the concept that a single gene can regulate sleep. In the two decades since, there have been many advances in the field of behavioral genetics, but it is only in the past 10 years that the genetic analysis of sleep has emerged as an important discipline. Major findings include the discovery of a single gene underlying the sleep disorder narcolepsy, and identification of loci that make quantitative contributions to sleep characteristics. The sleep field has also expanded its focus from mammalian model organisms to Drosophila, zebrafish, and worms, which is allowing the application of novel genetic approaches. Researchers have undertaken large-scale screens to identify new genes that regulate sleep, and are also probing questions of sleep circuitry and sleep function on a molecular level. As genetic tools continue to be refined in each model organism, the genes that support a specific function in sleep will become more apparent. Thus, while our understanding of sleep still remains rudimentary, rapid progress is expected from these recently initiated studies.


Abstract Two methods of solving the balance equation are outlined. Both methods have been used successfully on a daily operational basis at the Joint Numerical Weather Prediction Unit for a period of more than a year. Solutions were on the operational grid of 30 × 34 points spaced at 381-km. intervals.


The aim of this study was to compare the effects of two levels of Crude Protein (CP) using Poultry by-Product Meal (PBPM) fed during late gestation on the performance, blood metabolites and colostrum composition of Holstein cows. Twenty multiparous cows 26 +/- 6 days before expected calving were assigned randomly to two treatments containing 1) 140 g kg(-1) DM CP (34 g kg(-1) DM PBPM) 2) 160 g kg(-1) DM CP (75 g kg(-1) DM PBPM). The cow's BCS was 3.56 +/- 0.5 on average, at the beginning of the trial. Yields of milk, protein, lactose and fat were not affected by prepartum dietary CP level. Colostrum composition (fat, CP and total solids percents), blood metabolites (Ca, glucose, total protein, albumin, globulin, urea N and cholesterol) and metabolic diseases incidence were not influenced by prepartum dietary CP level. There was no significant difference between treatments in body weight and BCS changes. As expected, blood urea N before calving was higher in the cows fed 160 g kg(-1) DM CP diets (p < 0.002). Serum cholesterol during prepartum (p < 0.03) and postpartum (p < 0.01) periods was significantly lower in 160 g kg(-1) DM CP treatment. In general, although postpartum glucose level increased in cows which received 160 g kg(-1) DM CP in the diet, it seems that there is no other obvious advantages over feeding the 140 g kg(-1) DM CP diet. So feeding this level of CP diet to close up cows is recommended.


Agriculture is the most important economic activity and employment opportunity in Ethiopia. Globally, the country is the largest producer of Khat. The producers and consumers of Khat are increasing combined with earning for the national exports. Despite several controversies have continued on Khat practice, the legal stance of the Ethiopian government and studies on environmental impact are minimal. The review results reveal that agro-climates in different parts of Ethiopia are suitable for Khat production. The plant cultivation has come to common and expanded from southeastern to northwestern part of the country since the 1990s. Various anthropogenic and edaphic factors have contributed for the expansion of Khat production. Khat has substantial economic advantages though it has adverse implications on livestock production, cereal crops and water resource. Khat has undesirable effects on health, social, and environment followed by less empowering the economic capacity of women. Nervous problems, extra marital affairs, sexual abuse, HIV/AIDS, corruption, suicide, addiction, and car accidents are among the detrimental effects of Khat practice on health and social relations. Thus, researchers, policy makers, scholars, and higher learning institutions need to come together to minimize the controversies, alleviate heated debates and disclose public discourses on Khat practice in Ethiopia.

 Key words: Agriculture, Ethiopia, Khat, origin, prevalence, public discourse.


This paper offers a critique to the present-day biomedical health care system in Equatorial Guinea. It argues that biomedical care represents a failure to meet its people's needs. A preliminary research study and the collection of published work and data drawn from observations during 2017 and 2018 concluded that the current Equatoguinean dictatorship has negatively influenced the development and success of biomedicine as a model of equitable and accessible medicine, and quality health care for all. Despite the investments of global health organizations and the government's commitments, the rates of maternal, child, and infant mortality remain high while the prevalence of endemic and epidemic diseases, such as malaria and HIV/AIDS, continues to rise. In addition, biomedical infrastructures lack committed and caring medical personnel, efficient technological environments, accessible and affordable health care programs, and awareness campaigns that reach out to the population. This paper highlights the reasons why biomedical care in Equatorial Guinea fails to meet its people's needs. Biomedicine was rooted and developed within a social, political, and economic terrain dominated by colonialism and two consecutive dictatorships. All of the institutional mechanisms that sustain the country are controlled by the head of state. Under the reigns of the head of state, international agencies and non-independent medical institutions lead the practice and development of biomedical care. There is real lack of incentive for Equatoguineans to participate in educational and practical enterprises that may lead to a better understanding of the roles that biomedicine can play in daily life. Health care programs and awareness campaigns fail to reach the population due to a lack of full commitment to involve communities. Biomedical care in Equatorial Guinea constitutes a failure on the part of international agencies and non-independent medical institutions to meet people's needs, due, first and foremost, to the marginalization of the civil society and other healing systems, as well as to unlawful tendencies to fulfill obligations, limited investment, control over non-independent institutional spheres, disparity in care, and medical and educational maldistribution. This paper intends to foment further investigation into the social, economic, and political contexts of the diseases, endemic illnesses, and epidemics that are currently impacting bodies in Equatorial Guinea. This paper encourages further inquiry into the ways in which learning about perceptions, healthcare-seeking trajectories, and health care systems can support solving health and healthcare problems. The goal is to open debate over possible ways in which medical anthropologists can support rising mechanisms for quality health care, inclusivity, community, and freedom of expression.


Objective:To compare the incidence and severity of biliary complications due to liver transplantation after choledochocholedochostomy with or without a T-tube in a single-center, prospective, randomized trial. Summary Background Data:The usefulness of the T-tube for end-to-end biliary anastomosis to reduce the incidence of biliary complications in patients undergoing liver transplantation has been controversial. Methods:A per-protocol analysis was designed for liver recipients, who were randomly assigned to choledochocholedochostomy with (n = 95) or without (n = 92) a T-tube. Results:The overall biliary complication rate was 22.5% (n = 42), with no difference between groups (P = 0.35). The majority (66.7%) of complications in the T-tube group were types I and II, whereas 50% were type IIIa and 44% were type IIIb in the non–T-tube group (P < 0.0001). Fewer anastomotic strictures were found in the T-tube group (n = 2, 2.1%) than in the non–T-tube group (n = 13, 14.1%; P = 0.002). No difference in anastomotic biliary leakage was observed between groups. Biliary complication–free survival rates showed that complications appeared earlier in the T-tube group. Graft and patient survival rates were similar in both groups. Conclusions:Complications in the T-tube group were less severe and required less aggressive treatment. The incidence of anastomotic strictures was higher in patients with no T-tube. We recommend conducting choledochocholedochostomy with a rubber T-tube during liver transplantation in risky anastomosis and when the bile duct diameter is less than 7 mm.This study is registered at http://www.clinicaltrials.gov: Clinical trial ID# NCT01546064.


In spite of recent advances in our knowledge of hepatobiliary disease, a significant proportion of patients with jaundice still present a baffling problem in differential diagnosis. The importance of this problem is accentuated by the necessity of a decision in a large majority of such cases as to whether surgical intervention is indicated. For this reason we have analyzed 100 recent cases of jaundice which presented problems in differential diagnosis and in which the diagnosis was definitely established by operative intervention, autopsy or clinical course (table 1). Data from the history, physical examination and laboratory study of these patients which proved of practical diagnostic value will be contrasted with data which are usually considered pertinent but which contributed little to the solution of the problem in our patients. Finally, since a certain number of cases defy all attempts at clinical differentiation, we shall outline a program for the effective handling


The association between gut microbiota and the lung immune system has been attracting increasing interest. Here, we report a case of pancreatic cancer in which the dipeptidyl peptidase‐4 inhibitor vildagliptin induced unusual manifestations of interstitial pneumonia, possibly under the influence of Lactobacillus paraplantarum probiotic supplementation. Chest computed tomography and positron emission tomography showed multiple ground‐glass nodules (GGNs) mimicking metastatic lung cancer. Transbronchial biopsy specimens showed mild fibrosis and infiltration of lymphocytes consisting of more CD4+ than CD8+ cells. The CD4+ cells did not include FOXP3+ regulatory T cells. Bronchoalveolar lavage confirmed lymphocytosis with a markedly increased CD4+/CD8+ ratio of 7.4. The nodules disappeared shortly after vildagliptin and probiotics were withheld. If unusual interstitial pneumonia is observed in some cancer patients, physicians should pay careful attention to their medication history, including probiotic supplements.


A general obstacle for clinical cell preparations is limited purity, which causes variability in the quality and potency of cell products and might be responsible for negative side effects due to unwanted contaminants. Highly pure populations can be obtained best using positive selection techniques. However, in many cases target cell populations need to be segregated from other cells by combinations of multiple markers, which is still difficult to achieve – especially for clinical cell products. Therefore, we have generated low-affinity antibody-derived Fab-fragments, which stain like parental antibodies when multimerized via Strep-tag and Strep-Tactin, but can subsequently be removed entirely from the target cell population. Such reagents can be generated for virtually any antigen and can be used for sequential positive enrichment steps via paramagnetic beads. First protocols for multiparameter enrichment of two clinically relevant cell populations, CD4high/CD25high/CD45RAhigh 'regulatory T cells' and CD8high/CD62Lhigh/CD45RAneg 'central memory T cells', have been established to determine quality and efficacy parameters of this novel technology, which should have broad applicability for clinical cell sorting as well as basic research.


In this paper, we present an extension of the bi-dimensional grammar called LCD-CMG (Layered Context Driven Constraint Multiset Grammar), a generic formalism able to model and analyse different types of structured documents. We place ourselves in the context of eager interpretation of the user's strokes, on pen-based tablets. The main constraint is therefore the real-time user interaction. LCD-CMG context sensitiveness reduces the combinatory associated to the analysis of the document structure (spacial/geometric relations between elements, e.g. the relation between a door and its associated wall). However, when we introduce complex semantic notions in the document (rooms in the architecture domain, polygons, quadrilaterals, etc in geometry), we are confronted with a combinatorial explosion. To deal with this issue, we extend the grammar parser with a semantic context analyser. This analyser models a global vision of the document, i.e. high-level relations between the elements, whereas the LCD-CMG parser models a more local vision of the document structure. The coupling of this semantic context analyser with the CD-CMG parser considerably reduces the analysis complexity, enhances the expressiveness of the formalism, and can be generalized to different types of structured documents. Experiments on two application domains, the creation of architecture plans and that of geometric shapes, show the relevance and the improvement of the extension.


The generation of electric energy by the sugarcane sector stands much below its potential. Using five case studies with Sao Paulo plants, this article aims to identify the obstacles to the expansion of the electric energy commercialization by the sugarcane sector. High costs associated to the commercialization of electric energy - in commercialization of excesses, and in the acquisition for proper consumption – are the most reasonable explanation for the self-sufficiency in the production of electric power by the sugarcane sector, an allied energy to the small generation of excesses of energy for commercialization. Out of the five plants studied, three plants that commercialize energy excesses make it as part of a strategy of anticipation of the future need of self-sufficiency. Having associated costs for sale of excesses of electric energy, they do not have incentives to the use of technologies of higher energy efficiency. The public policy directed to the expansion of energy excesses must turn toward the reduction of the costs associated to the commercialization thereof. Particularly interesting it would be to increase the volume of free consumers and to support the commercialization between these and the co-generators of energy.


As the seventeenth century opens, a band of venturers forms the Honourable Company of Merchants trading from England to the East Indies. In France, the siege of La Rochelle ends with the massacre of thirty thousand men, women and children. Almost two centuries later, in 1788, John Lempriere published his classical dictionary. This much is fact. Lawrence Norfolk tells us how the first two events led, inescapably, to the third. This amazing tale encompasses the Great Voyages of Discovery and multinational financial conspiracies, and leads a motley cast of scholars and eccentrics, drunk aristocrats and whores, assassins and octogenarian pirates through two centuries and three continents to the brink of French Revolution. John Lempriere reluctantly enters this world as an introverted scholar, obsessed by the myths of antiquity. At the end of this astonishing story he understands that it takes far more than learning to lay the ghosts of the past to rest.


Anti-Wolbachia therapy has been identified as a viable treatment for combating filarial diseases. Phenotypic screening revealed a series of pyrazolopyrimidine hits with potent anti-Wolbachia activity. This paper focuses on the exploration of the SAR for this chemotype, with improvement of metabolic stability and solubility profiles using medicinal chemistry approaches. Organic synthesis has enabled functionalization of the pyrazolopyrimidine core at multiple positions, generating a library of compounds of which many analogues possess nanomolar activity against Wolbachia in vitro with improved DMPK parameters. A lead compound, 15f, was selected for in vivo pharmacokinetics (PK) profiling in mice. The combination of potent anti-Wolbachia activity in two in vitro assessments plus the exceptional oral PK profiles in mice puts this lead compound in a strong position for in vivo proof-of-concept pharmacodynamics studies and demonstrates the strong potential for further optimization and development of this series for treatment of filariasis in the future.


This experiment was carried out to study the effect of gender on anatomy of vomeronasal organ (VNO) and their correlations with some external body measurements in Lori sheep. Six external body characteristics were measured on 21 Lori sheep (10 ewes and 11 rams). Heads of the animals were collected and several transverse sections were made through the rostral region of incisive tubercle and repeated at every 1.5 cm up to the point that macroscopic signs of the VNO disappeared. The mean length of VNO was not differ between males and females (p<0.05). The average width of VNO in the middle and rostral third parts, the mean height of the organ in the middle third part and the mean distance between left and right VNO cartilaginous capsule in the middle third part were significantly greater in males compared with females. The width of the tubercle on incisive was significantly greater in males than females (9.99 vs. 8.42 mm). Average width of VNO in rostral third was significantly correlated with trunk length (p>0.05). The mean height of VNO lumen in middle and rostral third was negatively correlated with chest height (r = -0.476) and testis circumference (r = -0.731), respectively (p>0.05). The average width of the distance between left and right VNO lumen in middle third segment was significantly correlated with external nose circumference (p>0.05). Width and length of the tubercle on incisive were both significantly related with trunk length, and the former showed also a significant positive association with heart girdle (p>0.05). In conclusion, minor macroscopically differences exist especially in the middle third segment of VNO in Lori ram and ewe. The VNO anatomical parameters show significant correlations with common external body measures which their physiological interpretation needs further investigation.


There remains a need to develop improved VTOL techniques that are cost-effective and with minimum compromise on cruising flight performance for fixed-wing aircraft. This work proposes an elegant VTOL control method known as PTVC-M (pitch-axis thrust vector control with moment arms) for tailsitters. The hallmark of the approach is the complete elimination of control surfaces such as elevators and rudder. Computer simulations with a 1580 mm wing span airplane reveal that the proposed technique results in authoritative control and unique maneuverability such as inverted vertical hover and stall-spin with positive climb rate. Zero-surface requirement of the PTVC-M virtually eliminates performance tradeoffs between VTOL and high-speed flight. In this proof-of-concept study, the VTOL-capable aircraft achieves a VH of 360 km·h-1 at near sea-level. The proposed technique will benefit a broad range of applications including high-performance spinsonde that can directly measure 10-m surface wind, tropical cyclone research, and possibly serving as the cornerstone for the next-generation sport aerobatics.


The crack tip opening angle (CTOA) has been used as a reliable fracture toughness to characterize stable crack growth for thin-wall structures in low-constraint conditions. Recently, it has been found that CTOA can be also utilized as a robust fracture parameter to describe arrest fracture toughness for gas transmission pipelines in modern ductile steels. This is a great improvement of the traditional fracture control technology for gas pipelines, where a Charpy-vee notch (CVN) impact energy based two curve model developed at Battelle (BTCM) was used to determine the arrest toughness. While the CVN-based BCTM is not applicable to modern pipeline steels with grades X70 and above, the CTOA-based BTCM works well for these high grades, but requires constant CTOA. This work develops four methods to determine constant CTOA using the single edge notched bend (SENB) specimens, including a load-displacement linear fit method, a logarithmic load-displacement linear fit method, a stable tearing energy method, and a J-differentiation method. The test results for A285 carbon steel show that these CTOA methods can determine nearly identical critical CTOA values over stable ductile crack growth using the SENB specimens.


A high performance Layer-4 load balancer (LB) is one of the most important components of a cloud service infrastructure. Such an LB uses network and transport layer information for deciding how to distribute client requests across a group of servers. A crucial requirement for a stateful LB is per connection consistency (PCC); namely, that all the packets of the same connection will be forwarded to the same server, as long as the server is alive, even if the pool of servers or the assignment function changes. The challenge is in designing a high throughput, low latency solution that is also scalable. This paper proposes a highly scalable LB, called Prism, implemented using a programmable switch ASIC. As far as we know, Prism is the first reported stateful LB that can process millions of connections per second and hundreds of millions connections in total, while ensuring PCC. This is due to the fact that Prism forwards all the packets in hardware, even during server pool changes, while avoiding the need to maintain a hardware state per every active connection. We implemented a prototype of the proposed architecture and showed that Prism can scale to 100 million simultaneous connections, and can accommodate more than one pool update per second.


The interaction between day/night temperature (DT/NT) and irradiance during the photoperiod prior to the inductive night on Pharbitis nil (L.) cv. Violet flower induction was studied. Plants exposed to 12 or 18 °C NT did not flower regardless of DT. When NT was 24 or 30 °C, percent flowering plants increased progressively as DT increased from 12 to 30 °C. Percent flowering plants and total flower bud number per plant was greatest when seedlings were induced with a 24 or 30 °C DT/30 °C NT regime. DT/NT did not affect the node number to first flower. Irradiance did not affect flowering. Temperature effects on P. nil flowering could be described as a function of average daily temperature, where flowering increased as temperature rose from 22 to 30 °C.


In the 21st century, we observe an increasingly aware of a series of global, technological and scientific advancement that create a need of good performance in science education at all levels of schooling. These challenges, among them rapid science and technological changes, a rise of information technology use, and continuing movement towards a knowledge-based society all highlight the need for deep education in science including biology, chemistry, environmental science, physics, and sustainability. In fact, the impact of teacher characteristics of self-efficacy level is important for science education and students' learning outcomes in science. In an effort to highlight this, this study investigated the impacts of teacher efficacy and motivation on students' academic achievement in science education in secondary and high schools located in Iran and Russia using motivation for academic performance scale (α = 0.89) and teacher self-efficacy scale (α = 0.91) as measuring instruments and achievement test in science education. Two hypotheses were tested using the statistical programme. For evaluating the demographical differences of the students in terms of their academic achievement, comparative analyses were performed using t-test. Results showed that gender difference was not significant but nationality difference was significant in terms of students' academic achievement in science education. Also other findings reported significant impact of teacher self-efficacy and motivation on academic achievement in science education. Implications, suggestions and recommendations for students, teachers, school administrators, parents, government, education counselors, etc. were discussed and presented.