Psychomotricity is a broad term that encompasses different approaches to bodily action to support children and adolescents to reach their highest motor and cognitive potential. The aim of the study was to highlight gender differences in the manifestation of psychomotor behaviors in 8–9-year-old children who practice sports swimming. The subjects (N=52, 26 males, 26 females) are children aged 8.0-9.11 years (M = 8.80; SD = ±0.65) who practice swimming in one of the swimming pools of a city in Romania. They were tested, using specific instruments, to assess the level of manual dexterity, body schema, hand laterality, body balance, body balance on water/buoyancy, general coordination. For four of the variables (manual dexterity, body schema, hand laterality and spatial orientation) no statistically significant differences were found, while for the other three (body balance, body balance on water and general coordination) statistically significant differences were recorded. The results indicate differences between the two genders, girls in this age group who practice swimming having more developed psychomotor skills compared to boys.


: The effects of hydrogen charge on the defect formation behavior in austenitic stainless steels and nick-el-chromium alloys during slow strain rate tensile tests (SSRT) were investigated by positron lifetime spectroscopy. Vacancy clustering was significantly promoted by hydrogen charge, although there was no remarkable difference in the dislocation density and mono-vacancy equivalent vacancy density be-tween hydrogen-charged and uncharged samples under the same tensile strains. In various steels and nickel-chromium alloys, vacancy cluster sizes showed a good correlation with breaking elongations of hydrogen-charged samples, implying the vacancy clustering contributes to hydrogen embrittlement by affecting local plasticity.


What is the role of the entrepreneur in Carl Menger's account of the market process? Modern entrepreneurship theory is broadly divided into two types. The Schumpeterian account of entrepreneurship takes an equilibrium state of affairs as an analytic starting point from which the entrepreneur disrupts the existing equilibrium through technological innovation. The Kirznerian account of entrepreneurship begins from disequilibrium to illustrate the equilibrating role of the entrepreneur through arbitrage. While some working within the Austrian tradition have found Menger's account to be lacking in precisely the entrepreneurial role that would become a distinctive contribution of the school, we demonstrate that Menger implicitly accounts for entrepreneurship in his theory of price formation. In doing so, we argue that Carl Menger's account of entrepreneurship transcends the distinction between the Kirznerian and Schumpeterian entrepreneur by incorporating not only price adjusting behavior (i.e. arbitrage) but also non-price adjusting behavior (i.e. product differentiation; variations in quantity and quality; institutional innovation). To the extent that Schumpeterian and Kirznerian entrepreneurship are distinct categories in the history of economic thought, we show how both have roots in the pioneering efforts of Carl Menger, the founder of the Austrian School.


Calix[4]pyrroles are readily synthesized in one step from pyrroles and ketones. For several decades, these macrocycles have been exploited as powerful anion receptors or ligands for transition and rare-earth metals. In contrast, calix[4]pyrrolates as ligands for p-block elements were established only in 2018. The present feature article reviews these developments, together with the recent progress on s-, d-, and f-block element complexes of the calix[4]pyrroles. Particular focus is given on the calix[4]pyrrolato aluminate and the corresponding silane, both featuring square planar-coordinated p-block elements in their highest oxidation states. These unique "anti-van't-Hoff-Le-Bel" structures introduce valuable characteristics into main-group element chemistry, such as agostic interactions or ligand-to-metal charge transfer absorptions. The most vital reactivities are highlighted, which rely on properties ranging from amphoterism, redox-activity, and a small HOMO-LUMO gap up to the ability to provide a platform for additional external stimuli. Overall, these developments underscore the beneficial impact of structural constraint of p-block elements and element-ligand cooperativity to enhance the functionality of the most abundant elements in their native oxidation states.


The growth of X-in-the-Loop (XiL) testing has been accompanied by a rapid growth in tools tailored for testing. While this increases the accessibility of tools for various specific applications, using multiple model and testing softwares can introduce compatibility issues when performing tests in the integration stage. This article provides a demonstration framework of a flexible Hardware-in-the-Loop (HiL) interface utilizing both Typhoon HIL and SIEMENS Amesim software and hardware for full vehicle emulation. First demonstrations of these HiL interfaces for a Plug-in Hybrid Electric Vehicle (PHEV) are shown. Flexible HiL interfaces such as these represent a much easier way to integrate full vehicle models within existing vehicle development frameworks.


IMPORTANCE
It is uncertain whether children with bleeding disorders are at higher risk of posttonsillectomy hemorrhage compared with the general pediatric population.

OBJECTIVES
To estimate the national rate of posttonsillectomy hemorrhage in children previously diagnosed with von Willebrand disease (VWD) or hemophilia, and to analyze potential risk factors for postoperative bleeding in these children.

DESIGN
A cross-sectional analysis of the Healthcare Cost and Utilization Project Kids' Inpatient Database (KID) from the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality for 2000, 2003, 2006, and 2009.

SETTING
Academic and community-based nonrehabilitation hospitals from 44 states participating in the KID project.

PARTICIPANTS
An estimated 508 children with either VWD or hemophilia.

INTERVENTIONS
Tonsillectomy with and without adenoidectomy, and subsequent hospitalization.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Treatment for posttonsillectomy hemorrhage.

METHODS
We extracted all cases of tonsillectomy, adenotonsillectomy, and posttonsillectomy hemorrhage in patients with VWD or hemophilia using International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision diagnostic and procedure codes and applied national weights to estimate rates of posttonsillectomy hemorrhage. Using data regarding patient demographic characteristics, surgical indication, blood transfusion, hospital length of stay, and mortality, we conducted bivariate analyses to identify associations between possible risk factors and posttonsillectomy hemorrhage.

RESULTS
Mean age was 7 years, and most patients were male, white, urbanites who had private insurance and underwent tonsillectomy for airway obstruction. The hemorrhage rate within 1 day of tonsillectomy (immediate) was 1.6% while the hemorrhage rate at least 2 days after tonsillectomy (delayed) was estimated at 15%. Delayed hemorrhage was associated with older age (P < .001) and was as high as 35% in children at least 16 years old. The rate of blood transfusion was 2.4%. There were no fatalities.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
The frequency of immediate posttonsillectomy hemorrhage in children with VWD or hemophilia is similar to rates in the general healthy population. However, among children with VWD or hemophilia, the rate of delayed hemorrhage is substantially higher, especially in older children.


Starting from a denotational semantics of the eager untyped lambda-calculus with explicit runtime errors, the standard collecting semantics is defined as specifying the strongest program properties. By a first abstraction, a new sound type collecting semantics is derived in compositional fix-point form. Then by successive (semi-dual) Galois connection based abstractions, type systems and/or type inference algorithms are designed as abstract semantics or abstract interpreters approximating the type collecting semantics. This leads to a hierarchy of type systems, which is part of the lattice of abstract interpretations of the untyped lambda-calculus. This hierarchy includes two new à la Church/Curry polytype systems. Abstractions of this polytype semantics lead to classical Milner/Mycroft and Damas/Milner polymorphic type schemes, Church/Curry monotypes and Hindley principal typing algorithm. This shows that types are abstract interpretations.


We describe contemporary antifungal use in neonates, with point-prevalence survey data from the National Antimicrobial Prescribing Survey across Australian hospitals from 2014-2018. There were 247 antifungal prescriptions in 243 neonates in 20 hospitals, median age six days (range 0-27 days). In 219/247 prescriptions (89%) antifungals were prescribed as prophylaxis. Topical (oral) nystatin was the most frequently prescribed in 233/247 prescriptions (94%), followed by fluconazole 11/247 (4%), with substantial variation in dosing for both. Two of 243 neonates (0.8%) had invasive fungal infection. Nystatin use dominates current antifungal prescribing for Australian neonates, in contrast to other countries, and invasive fungal infection is rare.

LAY ABSTRACT
Novel nationwide surveillance found newborn infants in Australian hospitals commonly receive antifungal medications, mostly oral nystatin. This is given to prevent rather than treat infection, which is rare. There is substantial unexplained variation in dosing of antifungal drugs nationally.


Summary.  The study was conducted to evaluate the results of IUI treatment in a homogenous group with male factor infertility, and to assess the correlation of sperm variables, including sperm morphology by strict criteria, with pregnancy achievement after IUI. A total of 108 couples with no apparent female aetiology for infertility underwent 264 intrauterine insemination treatment cycles. A comparison was made between the sperm variables in two groups in which the achievement of pregnancy differed. The percentage of motile spermatozoa, degree of motility and normal morphology (by strict criteria) were significantly higher in the pregnant group compared with that of the nonpregnant group. A significant difference in pregnancy rates per couple after intrauterine insemination was demonstrated among three groups according to the percentage of sperm morphology, i.e. poor (< 4%), fair (4–14%) or good (> 14%) (11.1%; 36.1% and 50.0%, respectively). Intrauterine insemination is a valid mode of treatment in cases with male infertility, provided that normal morphology by strict criteria is higher than 4%.


Recent years have seen a drastic transformation in the organization of wholesale and retail markets. Where once clear distinctions between wholesale suppliers and retail competitors existed, now an era of blurring boundaries has emerged. This transformation has been marked by the introduction of online channels for suppliers to provide products directly to consumers while, at the same time, traditional retailers too persist. Thus, retailers are both wholesale customers and retail competitors of many manufacturers. The consequences of the rapid emergence of instances of such partial forward integration by suppliers are not yet fully known. To this end, we study how partial forward integration can affect competing firms' strategic investments. We find that integration shifts the environment from being one in which firms invest to undercut retail rivals to one in which firms invest more in boosting demand, even that of their competitors. A case in point is the tendency for a manufacturer to invest broadly in brand promotion (benefiting both itself and its retail competitor), rather than heavy promotion of its own sales channel. The shift in the nature of strategic investments arising from partial forward integration implies that such integration can benefit firms and consumers alike, even the firm which finds itself reliant on a competitor for supplies.


In vivo cocktail pathway phenotyping (ICPP) is routinely used to assess the metabolic drug–drug interaction (mDDI) potential of new drug candidates (NDC) during drug development. However, there are a number of potential limitations to this approach and the use of validated drug cocktails and study protocols is essential. Typically ICPP mDDI studies assess only the impact of interactions following multiple postulated perpetrator doses and hence the emphasis in terms of validation of these studies has been ensuring that there are no interactions between probe substrates. Studies assessing the comparative impact of single and multiple doses of the postulated perpetrator have the potential to provide richer information regarding both the clinical impact and mechanism of mDDIs. Using modafinil as a model compound, we sought to develop an optimized ICPP mDDI study protocol to evaluate the potential magnitude and clinical relevance of mDDIs using a physiologically based pharmacokinetic modeling approach.


Special FDTD update equations are developed that modify the high-order M24 FDTD algorithm to seamlessly integrate it within Berenger's PML absorbing boundary layers. The formulation is based on the integral form analog of Maxwell's equations splitting for PML purposes. It is demonstrated experimentally that the proposed formulation is capable of closely matching the excellent performance of the PML ABCs when applied with the standard Yee algorithm. This achievement, coupled with the recent success in modeling PEC boundaries within high-order extended-stencil FDTD schemes without the need for subgridding paves the way for wider adoption of high-order FDTD schemes for modeling electrically large structures within the resource limits of today's desk-top PCs.


Abstract Is the poor aggregate employment growth of the manufacturing sector in Sub-Saharan African countries the outcome of inadequate job creation or rival forces of job creation and job destruction acting in opposite direction? Using a unique dataset from the Kenyan manufacturing sector, we examine this question using ordinary least squares method and feasible generalized least squares technique. We find simultaneous high rates of job creation and job destruction. In most cases, job creation in the manufacturing sector was not adequate to offset the rapid destruction of jobs. Second, we find that the presence of simultaneously high rates of job creation and job destruction cut across firm size and age. Third, we find that young firms account for almost all of the net job creation rates implying that the firm's age is important in shaping its contribution to net job creation rates. Our findings have practical implications. First, job creation policies alone without policies that mitigate the destruction of jobs created might not be successful. For job creation to be successful in the manufacturing sector, effort should be made towards developing strategies that mitigate the destruction of jobs created. This is because job creation and destruction rates simultaneously follow each other. Second, to expand employment growth, effort should be dedicated to supporting young firms (6–10 years), through possibly, tax relief, providing technology of production or any possible government subsidy that can help these firms grow and survive in the turbulent business environment.


Carbamazepine (CBZ) and oxcarbazepine (OXC) are widely used anticonvulsants that are extensively metabolized in the human body. The pharmaceuticals and their human metabolites are present in influents and effluents of wastewater treatment plants (WWTPs), in rivers and streams, and in drinking water. In this study, the biodegradation of OXC and its main human metabolite, 10-hydroxy-CBZ (10OHCBZ), and the main human metabolite of CBZ, 10,11-dihydro-10,11-dihydroxy-CBZ (DiOHCBZ), was investigated in contact with activated sludge from a wastewater treatment plant (WWTP) and sand filter material from a waterworks. The transformation of DiOHCBZ, 10OHCBZ, and OXC led to the formation of the following main TPs: 1-(2-benzoic acid)-(1H,3H)-quinazoline-2,4-dione (BaQD), 1-(2-benzoic acid)-(1H,3H)-quinazoline-2-one (BaQM), 9-aldehyde-acridine, 9-carboxylic acid-acridine (9-CA-ADIN), hydroxyl 9-CA-ADIN, acridone (ADON), 11-keto-OXC, and 2,2'-(carbamoylazanediyl)dibenzoic acid. TP formation could be explained by three proposed transformation pathways, including reactions such as oxidation, α-ketol rearrangement, or benzylic acid rearrangement. The results highlight the fact that the TP abundances strongly depend on the concentrations spiked in the lab-scale experiments. BaQD, 9-CA-ADIN, and ADON were detected in WWTP effluents, rivers, and streams. 9-CA-ADIN was found at maximum concentrations in WWTP effluent and rivers up to 920 ± 50 ng L(-1) and 304 ± 26 ng L(-1), respectively. Even in drinking water, BaQD and 9-CA-ADIN were present at concentrations of 26 ± 2 ng L(-1) and 189 ± 3 ng L(-1), respectively.


Abstract Objectives It is unknown whether the satiety quotient (SQ) differs across the menopausal transition, and whether changes in SQ are related to changes in anthropometric/body composition variables. The objective of this study was to evaluate the changes in SQ and its association with energy intake and changes in anthropometric/body composition variables across the menopausal transition. Methods At baseline, 102 premenopausal women (aged 49.9 ± 1.9 years, body mass index 23.3 ± 2.2 kg/m2) took part in a 5-year observational, longitudinal study. Body composition (DXA), appetite (visual analog scales), energy and macronutrient intakes (ad libitum lunch and 7-day food diary) were assessed annually. The SQ (mm/100 kcal) was calculated at 60 and 180 min post-breakfast consumption. Results Overall, the SQ increased at years 3 and 4 (p = 0.01–0.0001), despite no significant differences between menopausal status groups. Lower fullness, prospective food consumption and mean SQ values predicted overall increases in lunch energy and macronutrient intakes (p = 0.04–0.01), whereas only prospective food consumption and fullness SQ predicted energy intake and carbohydrate intake, respectively, when assessed with food diaries (p = 0.01). Delta SQs were negatively correlated with changes in waist circumference (p = 0.03–0.02), whereas delta SQs were positively (p = 0.04) and negatively (p = 0.02) associated with delta fat mass between years 1 and 5, and years 4 and 5, respectively. Conclusion These results suggest that variations in SQ across the menopausal transition are related to energy and macronutrient intakes and coincide with changes in body composition and waist circumference.


ABSTRACT: In a randomized, double‐blind, parallel comparative study of 80 patients, impetigo and ecthyma were treated effectively by sulconazole nitrate 1% cream and miconazole nitrate 2% cream applied to lesions twice daily for 14 days. When treatment began, bacterial cultures from all pyodermal lesions yielded Croup A β‐hemolytic streptococci or pathogenic staphylocoed. Among the 32 sulconazole‐treated impetigo patients, bacterial cultures from 26 (69%) were negative by treatment day 4, and those from all 32 (700%) were negative by treatment day 7; among the 34 miconazole‐treated impetigo patients, cultures from 17 (50%) were negative by treatment day 4, cultures from 32 (94.1%) were negative by treatment day 7, and cultures from 29 (97%) were negative by treatment day 14. Each treatment promptly relieved the pyodermal signs (crusts, vesicles, pustules, bullae, and exudate). Both agents were considered to be safe and effective medications for treating impetigo and ecthyma.


report presents the operation and results of a vegetable market information and consultation system (MICS), set up between 2002 and 2005 in Hanoi, to address marketing problems faced by vegetable farmers. A MICS is a market information system (MIS) combined with debates organised among farmers, traders, and development agents to reach common visions and strategies on marketing. Information collected in the first years relating to indicators of origin and supply deficits was disseminated to farmers and extension agents through newsletters and consultation meetings. The process then focused on making daily prices available, as requested by the farmers. The system was based on a network of contact traders and dissemination was by television. The workshops made it possible to reach a consensus for market opportunities arising from periods of supply deficit for some vegetables and how to take advantage of this situation, especially for tomatoes and cabbage imported from China during the rainy season, which presented some quality differences compared to the local products. With regards to price information, the majority of farmers and traders, surveyed by a quick-impact appraisal, stated they had access through television on a regular basis and that they used price information mostly to bargain with traders. Back up for a permanent ''safe'' vegetable producer and trader association was one of the outputs of the MICS. Our experience shows that price dissemination was easier to sustain (with the involvement of the public sector) than the consultation workshops, generally due to low local capacity in terms of meeting facilitation and the present weakness of extension services and sector organisations.


Decomposable triangulated graphs have been shown to be efficient and effective for modeling the probabilistic spatio-temporal structure of brief stretches of human motion. In previous work such model structure was handcrafted by expert human observers and labeled data were needed for parameter learning. We present a method to build automatically the structure of the decomposable triangulated graph from unlabeled data. It is based on maximum-likelihood. Taking the labeling of the data as hidden variables, a variant of the EM algorithm can be applied. A greedy algorithm is developed to search for the optimal structure of the decomposable model based on the (conditional) differential entropy of variables. Our algorithm is demonstrated by learning models of human motion completely automatically from unlabeled real image sequences with clutter and occlusion. Experiments on both motion captured data and grayscale image sequences show that the resulting models perform better than the hand-constructed models.


This paper documents the effects of the 2010 earthquake on Chile's infrastructure and economy, for the purpose of future policy recommendations. The assessments and recommendations in this report are preliminary, and need further analysis and development in order to substantiate a basis for policy decisions. The evaluation is based on discussions with expert seismologists and earthquake engineers. The report summarizes the performance of most classes of buildings and infrastructure, and makes specific recommendations regarding further data that need to be collected and analyzed in order to understand what can be done to improve future performance and future codes; the analyses that need to be conducted to evaluate the risks due to the action of earthquakes and tsunami in Chile; and the earthquake risk-reduction projects that can be undertaken to eliminate or reduce future risks in Chile to acceptable levels. The earthquake affected 82 percent of the country's population. The final official casualty count includes 577 deaths. According to press reports at the time of this report's preparation, the overall damage to infrastructure is estimated at 30 billion US dollars. If building interior damage and business interruptions were also included, the overall economic loss would increase substantially, reaching 50 to 60 billion US dollars. The recommendations provided throughout this report include the establishment of a national program for earthquake risk reduction; establishment of specific programs for damage prevention; revision and improvement of the Chilean seismic code; creation of new research programs, and improvement of existing ones; creation of a national seismic network; and construction of a monument from a collapsed historical bridge.


The global mean defect (GM) is probably the most useful visual field index for glaucoma follow-up. We compared 50 regional subsets of test locations to estimate the GM. Using the data on 424 automated fields of 257 patients with either primary open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension, we calculated the partial sample error of the regional mean defect as compared with the GM. In many regions, the measured sample error was greater than expected for a representative sample of points. Some sample errors were up to 5 times larger (regions "upper hemifield" and "lower hemifield"). Only a few subsets proved to be representative of the whole field, namely, regions "ring 3" (10 degrees-15 degrees), "ring 4" (15 degrees-20 degrees) and "ring 5" (20 degrees-25 degrees). The use of such programs for follow-up is very accurate for staging. Moreover, theoretical calculations reveal that trend analysis is even more significant if the reduction in examination time is combined with a proportional increase in examination frequency.


Hall effect was studied on the single crystals of antiferromagnets PrB$_6$ and NdB$_6$ at temperatures 2K$<$T$<300$K in magnetic fields up to 8T using the sample rotation technique. At low magnetic fields $\mu_0$H$\leq1$T Hall coefficient R$_\mathrm{H}$, which is practically temperature independent in paramagnetic state at 8K$\leq$T$\leq70$K, is characterized by the values of R$_H$(PrB$_6$)$\sim-(4.2\pm0.1)\cdot10^{-4}$ cm$^3$/C and R$_H$(NdB$_6$)$\sim-(4.1\pm0.1)\cdot10^{-4}$ cm$^3$/C. Rather different behaviour of R$_H$ is observed in antiferromagnetic (AF) phases of these hexaborides. For PrB$_6$ the decrease of temperature below T$_N\approx6.7$K is accompanied by a noticeable ($\Delta R_H/R_H\sim10%$) elevation of R$_H$($\mu_0$H$=1$T) to the values of $-(3.8\pm0.1)\cdot10^{-4}$ cm$^3$/C. On the contrary, the low field Hall coefficient in NdB$_6$ diminishes by about 15% reaching the value R$_H\approx-(4.7\pm0.1)\cdot10^{-4}$ cm$^3$/C in AF state at 2.5K. The increase of magnetic field inducing magnetic transition in the commensurate magnetic phase of PrB$_6$ results in essential R$_H$ changes (up to 10%) at liquid helium temperatures. The anomalous behaviour of the charge transport parameters for RB$_6$ (R=Pr, Nd) found in vicinity of Neel temperature suggests the possible effect of $5d$-states spin density polarization of both in AF and paramagnetic states of the compounds under investigation.


This study is aimed at analyzing the elements of visual and verbal communication and the messages of the song lyrics of millionaires. The data of this study collected intensively through watching the music video clip and note-taking. In analyzing the data this study uses the main theory of principle visual communication elements by Dyer (1993), theory of sign by Goodwin (1992), and theory of meaning proposed by Leech (1974). The findings showed that the use of visuals was found 13 elements are appearance, manner, activity, props, and setting, visual or images. As for verbal communication elements, the finding showed 4 meanings representation: conceptual meaning, connotative meaning, affective meaning, and thematic meaning. Furthermore, there is a correlation between visual signs and verbal representation in the video clip as well as the meaning of the song lyrics.


The global economic growth has triggered a dramatic increase in the demand for resources over the last few years, resulting in steady price increases for energy and raw materials. In the gas turbine manufacturing sector, process optimizations of cost-intensive production steps involve a heightened savings potential and form the basis for securing future competitive advantages in the market economy. In this context, the atmospheric plasma spraying (APS) process for thermal barrier coatings (TBC) has been optimized. A constraint for the APS coating process optimization is the use of the existing coating equipment. Furthermore, the current coating quality and characteristics are not allowed to change in order to avoid new qualification and testing. Using experience in atmospheric plasma spraying and empirically gained data, the process optimization plan included the variation of e.g. the plasma gas composition and flow rate, the electrical power, the arrangement and angle of the powder injectors to the plasma jet, the grain size distribution of the spray powder and the plasma torch movement procedure like spray distance, offset and iteration. In particular, plasma properties (enthalpy, velocity, temperature), powder injection conditions (injection point, injection speed, grain size distribution,) as well as the coating lamination (coating pattern, spraying distance) are examined. The optimized process and resulting coating was compared to the current situation by several diagnostics methods. The improved process provides significantly lower costs by achieving the requirement of comparable coating quality. Furthermore, a contribution was made to a better comprehension of the atmospheric plasma spraying of ceramics and a method for future process developments was defined.


Summary Tissue factor, a 47 kDa membrane glycoprotein, lies at the basis of the extrinsic pathway of the coagulation cascade. Interaction of TF with factor VIIa results in the formation of fibrin from fibrinogen, thereby inducing the formation of a blood clot. In addition to this well-established role in blood coagulation, TF is associated with various other physiological processes such as sepsis, inflammation, angiogenesis, metastasis and atherosclerosis. The molecular basis of the latter events is slowly emerging. It has become clear that TF-FVIIa interaction elicits a variety of intracellular signalling events that may be implicated in these actions. These events include the sequential activation of Src-like kinases, MAP kinases, small GTPases and calcium signalling. How this progress in the understanding of TF associated signal transduction may generate answers as to the mechanism through which TF exerts it pleiotropic effects will be focus of this review.


For effective management and processing for civil affairs, online public services are in operation in every administrative organizations. However, due to the lack of links in each government departmental business processes on e-Government system, the satisfaction of the civil petitioners has not improved. In this paper, we propose an improved business process for the implementation of one-stop integrated civil affairs and suggestions services on e-Government system to reduce the time and cost for processing civil affairs and to improve the efficiency of the public services by cutting down the cost and time. This paper also suggests the ways to improve the quality of public service through redesigning civil affairs processing in the light of integrated system for the civil affairs and its suggestion.


ABSTRACT  The widely held assumption that it is harmful to allow students to read from the beginning what they are expected to master orally was tested experimentally with the result that reading appears to facilitate rather than obstruct language acquisition without significant negative effects on pronunciation. Evidence from experiments reported by others gives further support for this conclusion. Tests of language skills (aural perception, pronunciation, control of vocabulary) conducted among students of various languages and ages at the beginning level show significantly superior results among the students exposed to written as well as auditory stimuli as opposed to those exposed to the purely auditory. On the basis of the evidence it is concluded that reading should be given an expanded role in language teaching from the beginning. Specifically, although it is possible to learn to speak without reading, it seems a more effective strategy to learn to read simultaneously with learning to speak. The evidence is against a completely oral prereading period.


6-Hydroxypyrimidines substituted at positions 2 and 4 by hydrogen, methyl, amino, cyclopropylamino, dimethylamino, methylsulfanyl, or hydroxyl group afford by the reaction with diisopropyl 2-(chloroethoxy)methylphosphonate in the presence of NaH, Cs(2)CO(3), or DBU a mixture of N(1)- and O(6)-[2-(diisopropylphosphorylmethoxy)ethyl] isomers which were converted to the free phosphonic acids by treatment with bromotrimethylsilane followed by hydrolysis. Analogously, 2,4-diamino-6-hydroxypyrimidine gave on reaction with [(R)- and (S)-2-(diisopropylphosphorylmethoxy)propyl] tosylate, followed by deprotection, the enantiomeric 6-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)propoxy]pyrimidines. 2,4-Diamino-6-sulfanylpyrimidine gave, on treatment with diisopropyl 2-(chloroethoxy)methylphosphonate in the presence of NaH and subsequent deprotection, 2,4-diamino-6-[[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]sulfanyl]pyrimidine. 2-Amino-4-hydroxy-6-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]pyrimidine was obtained from the appropriate 2-amino-4-chloropyrimidine derivative by alkaline hydrolysis and ester cleavage. Direct alkylation of 2-amino-4,6-dihydroxypyrimidine afforded a mixture of 2-amino-4,6-bis[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]- and 2-amino-1,4-bis[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl]pyrimidine. None of the N(1)-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethyl] isomers exhibited any antiviral activity against DNA viruses or RNA viruses tested in vitro. On the contrary, the O(6)-isomers, namely the compounds derived from 2,4-diamino-, 2-amino-4-hydroxy-, or 2-amino-4-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethoxy]-6-hydroxypyrimidine, inhibited the replication of herpes viruses [herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1) and type 2 (HSV-2), varicella-zoster virus (VZV), and cytomegalovirus (CMV)] and retroviruses [Moloney sarcoma virus (MSV) and human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) and type 2 (HIV-2)], their activity being most pronounced against the latter. The antiviral activity was lower if the oxygen at the position 6 was replaced by a sulfur atom, as in 2,4-diamino-6-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)ethylsulfanyl]pyrimidine. In analogy to N(9)-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)propyl]-2,6-diaminopurine (PMPDAP), solely the (R)-2,4-diamino-6-[2-(phosphonomethoxy)propoxy]pyrimidine exerted antiviral activity, whereas its (S)-enantiomer was essentially inactive.


Spray cooling of a heated solid surface using water spray was investigated. In this experiment, uniform heat flux condition was assumed, and the liquid flow rates and nozzle orifice diameter were selected as main variables. Two water spray temperatures were used for the tests. Saturated water spray was used to measure the wall superheat temperature. Subcooled water was used to measure the effect of water spray in the single-phase regime. Tests using the saturated water showed that the heat transfer rate was a function of Weber number and the superheat temperature. The surface temperature was related to the characteristic velocity and the droplet diameter. On the other hand, tests using the subcooled water spray showed little dependence on the liquid flow rate and the nozzle orifice diameter in the single-phase regime. A correlation was obtained in terms of Reynolds number and Prandtl number. Test results indicated that the spray cooling was more effective during the evaporation of the thin liquid film above the saturation temperature.


Local infection at the puncture site following percutaneous angiography has been reported as exceedingly rare. We describe the first patient with documented septic arthritis of the hip following percutaneous transfemoral arteriography. Radiologists should be aware of this potentially serious complication.


In this research, Lysolecithin - a substance made with 100% natural ingredients - was given to ICR mice as medication to measure its periodic effect on the noradrenalin (NA), dopamine (DA), and serotonin (5-HT) levels of the brain. Both ICR and SAM mice were separated into two groups - control group and Lysolecithin (K. Lysolecithin: hydrolytic lysolecithin) medicated group, and given 1-week preparation period. The K. Lysolecithin group was given 500 mg/kg of K. Lysolecithin at 0.2 mL per dosage for 4 weeks, and the control group was given the same amount of dosage of water during the same period. NA, DA and 5-HT concentrations were measured from the blood before medication and 8 weeks/12 weeks/16 weeks after the first medication. For the SAM mice, 8 weeks after they were medicated with K .Lysolecithin, Morris Water Maze Test was conducted for 7 consecutive days and then the concentrations were measured by drawing blood from the heart. The K. Lysolecithin medicated group showed a tendency to have a statistically significant higher concentrations of 5-HT and NA in the blood. Also, periodic examination showed that the monoamine levels were highest in the 12th week and declined thereafter.


Recently, there has been a major source of concern for the science and engineering community, and, by analogy, for the nation's technical base, in the findings of the joint Department of Education-National Science Foundation Report to the President: 'Science and Engineering Education in the 1980's and Beyond.' The study was initiated by Frank Press because of several disturbing reports that raised alarm about shortages in the technical field and about the decline in science and mathematics training of students today. The concern is thus twofold: graduate engineers, in particular, and other personnel with a high level of technical training, will be in short supply in the next decades, and there will be an inadequate supply of university professors, again particularly at the Ph.D. level in engineering and computer sciences, even if there were a supply of students. The report has a serious shortcoming in that it is a collection of previously published reports, many of which are out-of-date. The employment market for chemists, physicists, and earth scientists is changing rapidly. Employment within the petroleum industry research and development and exploration fields is now unique. The table shows supply/demand balances from the report (after Chemical & Engineering News, Nov. 10, 1980).


This paper examines in humans the proposition emanating from studies in beagles that initial retention of radium varies in proportion to the calcium addition rate at the time of intake. Human calcium addition rates were scaled from those in beagles, the relative calcium accretion rates in the two species at equivalent stages of skeletal growth providing the scaling factor. The variation of radium retention with age was determined by fitting a modified power function to data on the retention of radium from about 30 to 15000 days following a series of therapeutic injections of 226Ra in humans ranging in age from 18 to 63 yr. The fractional retention R at t days following a single injection of 226Ra was described by R = (1 + t/d)-0.44. The age-dependent parameter d in the retention function was found to be proportional to the calcium addition rate at the time of injection in subjects receiving less than 200 micrograms 226Ra.


Changes in the amount of sulphated and unsulphated glycosaminoglycans in the spleen and the bone marrow of lethally irradiated mice were followed up to 11 days after irradiation. One day after irradiation, a sharp decrease in the amount of glycosaminoglycans was observed. In the absence of hemopoietic cells, the remaining stromal elements of spleen and bone marrow underwent subsequently marked changes in the amount of the sulphated and unsulphated components of the glycosaminoglycans in both organs. Reconstitution of irradiated mice with bone marrow cells affected the pattern of changes in the amount of glycosaminoglycans. Although no linear correlation could be observed between the amount of glycosaminoglycans and the number of hemopoietic cells present in the hemopoietic organs, these results suggest an interaction between hemopoietic cells and stromal cells in the hemopoietic organs with regard to the glycosaminoglycan metabolism.


Aim: Sudden sensorineural hearing loss (SSNHL) may have a negative impact on the language and psychological development of children, especially if it is not diagnosed early and treated promptly. This study were aimed to determine and compare the etiological factors, treatment outcomes and prognostic factors in the pediatric patients who were followed up with the diagnosis of SSNHL.
Materials and Methods: The files of 28 children were analyzed retrospectively. In pure tone audiometry, the average of pure tone thresholds of 500 Hz, 1000 Hz, 2000 Hz and 4000 Hz were accepted as pure tone averages (PTAV). Patients' recovery status was determined according to Siegel criteria. Audiometric curve types were evaluated as ascending, descending, and flat.
Results: The ages of patients with SSNHL was mean ± SD 14.89 ± 3.24 (min-max: 7 and 18). The pre-treatment PTAV was mean ± SD 55.27 ± 12.39 dB HL (min-max: 38.5 and 85.25 dB HL) and the PTAV after treatment was mean ± SD 23.13 ± 18.22 dB HL (min-max: 5 and 72.5 dB HL). Audiometric curve types were detected as descending curve (n: 11, 39.2%), ascending curve (n: 5, 17.9%), flat curve (n: 12, 44.9%). Eighteen (64.3%) patients had complete recovery, 8 (28.6%) patients had partial recovery, and 2 (7.1%) patients had no recovery after the treatment.
Conclusion: The response to treatment was found to be high. Descending audiometric curve type was found as a positive prognostic factor. Although the presence of tinnitus was a better prognostic factor than the presence of vertigo.


Under the goal of a "new development pattern", it is of great practical significance to accurately identify the economic growth effect of fiscal and tax policies. This paper constructs a TVP-FAVAR model to measure the economic effects of China's fiscal and tax policies at the aggregate and structural levels. The results show that the reduction in total tax has a positive effect on real variables such as output and consumption; especially at the present stage, the promotion effect of total tax reduction on economic growth is relatively strong, but the stimulation effect on price is relatively weak. Further, the tax structure in which the ratio of direct tax to total tax increases and the ratio of indirect tax to total tax decreases is more conducive to the increase in output and consumption, and will not strongly stimulate the rise of price level. Therefore, at this stage, China should continue to vigorously implement the tax reduction policy and ensure the continuity of the tax reduction policy. At the same time, we should continue to optimize the tax structure and give better play to the regulatory role of fiscal and tax policies in income redistribution, so as to achieve the goal that fiscal and tax policies help build a "new development pattern" and promote high-quality economic development.


Two simple techniques are described for preparing sections from soft agar colony cultures of tumor cells. Tumor cells grown in soft agar can be frozen, sectioned, and stained and/or fixed in formalin, embedded in paraffin, sectioned, mounted on glass slides, and stained. The methods are simple and reproducible. These cells can be stained with various stains and the staining quality is excellent. The paraffin blocks and microscope slides can be stored for permanent record. The use of these techniques should provide better understanding of the histomorphologic characteristics of neoplastic cells which grow in soft agar and should expand and refine prognosis and diagnosis of malignant tumors.


An 18 module Cerenkov detector with a total sensitive area of 2.3 m2 having silica aerogel as radiator is being tested in a particle beam at CERN PS. The modules having a sensitive area of 23 × 55 cm2 give typically a Cerenkov signal for β = 1 particles of 12 photoelectrons for silica aerogel of refractive index 1.03 and a thickness of 15 cm.


A binding protein for gamma-butyrobetaine was purified from osmotic shock fluid of an Agrobacterium sp. It was a monomeric protein with an apparent molecular weight of 52,000 or 53,000 as determined by sodium dodecyl sulfate-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and gel filtration, respectively. The isoelectric point was 4.3, as determined by isoelectric focusing. Amino acid analysis of the protein showed that Asx and Glx were predominant components and that the protein contained no cysteine. The dissociation constant of this protein for gamma-butyrobetaine was found to be 0.7 microM by equilibrium dialysis. Attempts to sequence the amino-terminal end with the Edman method failed, suggesting that this region of the protein is blocked.


ABSTRACT Phytosterols (PS) are plant origin sterols naturally found in many foods and added as food additives. Since 1950, PS have attracted considerable attention due to their ability to lower serum cholesterol and inhibit cardiovascular disease (CVD). However, recent studies have found that PS act as endocrine‐disrupting chemicals in laboratory animals. Therefore, this study was aimed at finding the mechanism(s) for PS effects on the sexual behaviors and reproductive functions in male Japanese quails (Coturnix coturnix japonica). At 15 d of age, 30 male Japanese quails were randomly assigned to 3 groups for the chronic in‐vivo experiment. Animals were gavaged daily with single dose of PS suspension (PS dissolved in medium chain triglyceride [MCT]) into the crop sac from 15‐100 d of age. Following maturation, a sexual behavior test, semen collection, and test of fertilization ability were performed. Blood was collected by cervical dislocation at 100 day of age for hormones analysis. To observe the direct effects of PS on the testis, interstitial cells of the normal testes were cultured for 24 h. Ovine‐LH (O‐LH) was used for half of each group to stimulate interstitial cells for testosterone production. The results showed that chronic doses of PS reduced (P < 0.01) mount and copulation behavior in male quails (primarily in the group receiving 800 mg/kg BW). Both acute in vitro and chronic in vivo experiments revealed a reduction in testosterone (P < 0.05) after PS treatments; concomitantly, Leydig cell numbers were also low (P < 0.05) at a dose of 800 mg/kg BW. Real‐time PCR results showed lower expression of 17&bgr;‐hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase (17&bgr;‐HSD) at the same dose. The results suggested that feeding large amounts of PS reduced testosterone levels and sexual behavior by affecting Leydig cell proliferation, and cholesterol trafficking, 17&bgr;‐HSD expression in the testes of male Japanese quail.


Thermal application has been widely used for pathogen inactivation in various fields. The purpose of this research was to develop a model of pathogen inactivation in septic tanks operating at various temperatures. Four laboratory-scale septic tanks fed with septage were operated at temperatures of 30, 40, 50 and 60 °C and Escherichia coli ( E. coli ) was selected as the pathogenic indicator. The efficiencies of E. coli inactivation were found to increase with increasing temperatures, while the opposites were observed for chemical oxygen demand (COD) reduction. At 60 °C, the E. coli concentrations were reduced from 9.6 × 106 to about 10 most probable number (MPN)/100 mL or 6 log reduction. The kinetics of E. coli reduction followed a modified Weibull model which could be applied to septic tank design and operation. The percentage COD removal was found to be 93, 94, 89 and 84 at temperatures of 32, 40, 50 and 60 °C, respectively. The results of this study suggested that pathogenic microorganisms in septic tanks could be inactivated to be at a safe level with thermal application.


Objectives: The diagnostic utility of mucosal biopsies taken during colonoscopy-guided colonic manometry catheter placement is unknown. The aims of our study were to determine the frequency and histopathology results of mucosal biopsies during these procedures and to assess whether there were any associations between the histology or gross findings with manometry results. Methods: We performed a retrospective chart review of children who had a colonic manometry study completed between 2008 and 2020 at a quaternary children's hospital. We captured patient demographics, biopsy locations, histopathology results, gross endoscopy findings, and manometry results. The chi-squared test and when appropriate Fisher exact test was used to evaluate categorical associations. Results: One hundred forty-eight patients were included. One hundred eighteen (80%) had colonic biopsy and 63 (43%) had ileal biopsy. Colonic histology findings, which patients could have multiple, included lymphonodular hyperplasia (34%), normal (27%), chronic inflammation (24%), melanosis coli (21%), colonic eosinophilia (10%), and acute inflammation (8%). Ileal histology findings included increased Peyer patches (44%), normal (44%), acute inflammation (11%), chronic inflammation (3%), eosinophilia (5%), and eosinophilic ileitis (3%). The majority of acute and chronic inflammation was graded as mild. There were no statistically significant associations of histology to gross endoscopy or manometry findings. Conclusions: Colonic biopsies are obtained in the majority of patients presenting for colonic manometry evaluation with ileal biopsies obtained less frequently. Histopathology findings are noted frequently, but the majority are the result of or did not impact clinical care. There were no associations between abnormal histopathology or abnormal gross endoscopy findings with colonic manometry results.


A comparative cytogenetic observation of a group from Chernobyl NPP personnel has been carried out using conventional and G-banding staining. Detection rate of stable aberration by conventional staining to G-banding was 0.20.


PD1+CXCR5+ T follicular helper (Tfh) cells are essential for generating high-affinity antibodies and B cell memory. But aberrant Tfh activity can drive autoimmune disease such as systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) which is characterized by high levels of auto-antibodies and increased frequencies of IL-21+ T cells. Rho-associated kinase (ROCK) 2 was recently shown to be critical in regulating IL-21 secretion in both mice and humans. Here, we show that the PD1+CXCR5+ subset is a major source of IL-21 in human CD4+ T cells stimulated in vitro. By using KD025, a Kadmon orally available, selective ROCK2 inhibitor, we attenuated the development of PD1+CXCR5+ T cells by over 60% and the perpetuation of existing Tfh cells in a dose dependent manner. Targeting of ROCK2 concurrently regulates STAT3/STAT5 phosphorylation and transcription activity followed by a reduction of Bcl6 and up-regulation of Blimp1 protein levels in human T cells. Oral administration of KD025 reduced the percent of both Tfh and plasma B cells in spleens by more than 2 fold as well as germinal center size in the Mrl/lpr murine model of SLE. KD025 treated animals had a substantial improvement in both histological and clinical scores complimented by a reduction in pSTAT3 and BCL6 expression in addition to an increase in STAT5 phosphorylation. This data suggests that ROCK2 controls the function of Tfh cells and underscores the therapeutic potential of targeted ROCK2 inhibition in the clinic.


This article focuses on a neglected issue in debates about the "creative city," the migration dynamics of the so-called creative class. The work of Richard Florida on the importance of the "creative class" for urban development continues to influence urban policymakers worldwide, despite the lack of empirical evidence supporting the key assumptions made about the migration dynamics of those in apparently "creative" occupations. This article evaluates the usefulness of adopting the approach of analyzing the migration dynamics of one "creative" occupation, artists. We consider the migration experiences of a group of artists who have moved to Stockholm, Sweden, exploring their mobility and their motivations for moving, the factors influencing their choice of location, and the influence of their occupational dynamics on their mobility. The analysis advances earlier studies of creative migration by considering the impact on their mobility of life-cycle effects and their reliance on professional networks and queries the purported link between openness and tolerance in cities with low entry barriers for those in "creative" occupations.


Abstract The microsurgical anastomosis is integral to the success of autologous-free tissue transfer. Successful performance of this procedure relies strongly on operator dexterity, which can be made more challenging when blood and edematous fluids obscure the field of view. Workflow is impeded by intermittent irrigation and suctioning, necessitating presence of an assistant, with risk of arterial thrombosis, from vessels being drawn into suction drains. To negate these current disadvantages and minimize the barrier of entry to microvascular operations, we designed, manufactured, and patented a novel three-dimensional printed microsurgical background device with microfluidic capabilities that allow continuous suction and irrigation as well as provide platforms that enable multiangle retraction to facilitate operator autonomy. This was validated in an ex vivo model, with the device found to be superior to the current standard. We believe that this will have major applicability to the improvement of microsurgeon


The train transportation has a lot of advantages-energy efficiency is high, it is eco-friendly, safety is better than normal roads and it is possible for people to arrive on time. In these days, the valuation of ride comfort, which is only limited to road transportation, is newly recognized in order to having competitiveness from other transportation. Especially, in the development of the Korean high-speed railroad business, the ride comfort enhancement of train is very important problem to be solved. Currently, there are international standards of ride comfort such as UIC13, ISO2631. In Korea case, although it has own standard like KS R9216, it mainly depends on the physical parameter such as vibration and noise. So recently, in the valuation of ride comfort, the movements of living parameter technique introduction are increasing on the base of Japan and many developed countries of Europe techniques. Presently, the method of train ride comfort is mainly based of vibration, that is, mechanical parameter adding selection of variable acceleration and noise. This paper would like to show biological parameter; heart rate and blood pressure variation. This method is more direct, based on human body response, than mechanical parameter method. In this experiment, the variability of heart rate and blood pressure of passengers according to tilting angle change of Train, the Korean tilting train, we are supposed to know that the extent of tilting on the simulation has influence on variability of heart rate and blood pressure, which are living parameter of heart`s blood.


Goal modelling usually takes place during the early information systems development phase known as requirements engineering (RE). RE is a key factor for project success where a good tool support is necessary. Several goal-modelling tools exist and several approaches can be used to evaluate them. In this paper, we report on an experiment to evaluate two goal-modelling tools - KAOS/Objectiver and i*/OME. We use an RE-tool evaluation approach (R-TEA) in order to determine which of the tools is better at supporting the creation of goal models. It turns out that KAOS/Objectiver apparently offers better model creation support but the quality of the resulting models is more dependent on situational language characteristics such as the focus on early (vs late) requirements.


Penetrating orbitocranial trauma is an infrequent episode, which may be caused by penetration of the most diverse foreign bodies such as knife, pencil and scissors that tend to take a direction into the orbital apex, with access to the cranial cavity and potential risk of cerebral lesion and mortality. It is essential to evaluate the tomographic images in order to establish the exact location of the foreign body, making it possible to check the entire trajectory of the object; also the possibility of performing an angiography should be considered for the initial analysis. The attempt to remove penetrating objects outside the operating room compromises patient's safety; it may cause profuse hemorrhage since in most cases the object itself stops the hemorrhage. if there is no intracranial emergency, the orbital injury must be prioritized. This article reports the case of a patient submitted to facial injury by a motorcycle handlebar, in which the foreign body penetrated the orbital region into the cranial middle fossa.


The current tempo of climate change strategies puts the notion of sustainability in question. In this philosophy, mitigation and adaptation strategies ought to be appropriate to the sectors and communities that are targeted. There is a growing realisation that the effectiveness of both strategies hinges on climate governance, which also informs their sustainability. The application of the climate governance concept by the technocratic divide (policymakers and climate practitioners) to communities facing climate change impacts, however, is still a poorly developed field, despite extensive treatment by academia. By drawing heavily from conceptual and analytical review of scholarship on the utility of indigenous knowledge (IK) in climate science, these authors argue that IK can be deployed in the practice of climate governance. It reveals that the merits of such a deployment lie in the understanding that the tenets of IK and climate governance overlap and are complementary. This is exhibited by examining the conceptual, empirical and sustainability strands of the climate governance-IK nexus. In the milieu of climate change problems, it is argued that the basic elements of climate governance, where actions are informed by the principles of decentralisation and autonomy; accountability and transparency; responsiveness and flexibility; and participation and inclusion, can be pragmatic particularly to communities who have been religiously observing changes in their environment. Therefore, it becomes necessary to invigorate the participation of communities, with their IK, in designing climate change interventions, which in this view can be a means to attain the objectives of climate governance.


INTRODUCTION : Neck pain is the common problem in all over the countries. It occurs any age group Individuals due to many causes like trauma, poor posture, pathological and ergogenic problems. Levator scapulae muscles trigger points also produce neck pain and shoulder pain.Levator scapulae located on each side of the neck situated posteriorly. It named for its action in" Elevating" or "lifting" the scapulae. In Greek word , Levator means "To lift". Levatorscapulae muscle arise from posterior tubercle of transverse process of first four cervical vertebrae. It is inserted into the medial border of superior angle of scapulae. Levator scapulae muscle is blood supplied by dorsal scapular artery and nerve supply is third, fourth cervical nerve and Dorsal scapular nerve(C5). Levator muscles act along with trapezius to shrug the shoulder by its raising of the Scapula. If the scapula fixed the muscle assist in cervical extension and used alone flex the neck Laterally to one side.
OBJECTIVE : To find out the effectiveness of ischemic compression and taping technique to reduce pain in levator scapulae trigger point related neck pain.
CONCLUSION : An experimental study was conducted to investigate the effectiveness of
Ischemic compression and taping technique to reduce pain in levator scapulae related neck pain patients. 20 patients were selected in this study consecutive manner. The levator scapulae trigger point pain assessed by Visual Analogue Scale. The limited Range of Motion of cervical pain assessed by goniometer. The statistical result shows that the ischemic compression and taping technique is effective for the reduction of pain in levator scapulae trigger point related neck pain patients.


Abstract This paper is part of my research into psychotic transference and is also related to the psychotic aspect of any adult or infantile patient in analysis. In my research, I studied the origin of the concept of transference in Charcot's time before Freud, and the transformation of this concept in psychoanalysis. Freud thought that psychotic patients were not able to establish a transference relationship, but some of his early papers show the opposite. In fact, Freud himself and then several other analysts were able to develop a personal experience regarding the possibility of contact and transferring feelings and delusional experiences in a therapeutic context – individual, group, or institution. I provide some clinical examples in this paper, as well as some theoretical, personal views regarding intrapersonal and interpersonal transference. Like Freud and Melanie Klein, I believe that transference starts with life, but that in psychoanalysis it has a particular meaning.


Acoustic wave phenomena in porous media containing multiphase fluids have received considerable attention in recent years because of an increasing scientific awareness of poroelastic behavior in groundwater aquifers. To improve quantitative understanding of these phenomena, a general set of coupled partial differential equations was derived to describe dilatational wave propagation through an elastic porous medium permeated by two immiscible fluids. These equations, from which previous models of dilatational wave propagation can be recovered as special cases, incorporate both inertial coupling and viscous drag in an Eulerian frame of reference. Two important poroelasticity concepts, the linearized increment of fluid content and the closure relation for porosity change, originally defined for an elastic porous medium containing a single fluid, also are generalized for a two‐fluid system. To examine the impact of relative fluid saturation and wave excitation frequency (50, 100, 150, and 200 Hz) on free dilatational wave behavior in unconsolidated porous media, numerical simulations of the three possible modes of wave motion were conducted for Columbia fine sandy loam containing either an air‐water or oil‐water mixture. The results showed that the propagating (P1) mode, which results from in‐phase motions of the solid framework and the two pore fluids, moves with a speed equal to the square root of the ratio of an effective bulk modulus to an effective density of the fluid‐containing porous medium, regardless of fluid saturation and for both fluid mixtures. The nature of the pore fluids exerts a significant influence on the attenuation of the P1 wave. In the air‐water system, attenuation was controlled by material density differences and the relative mobilities of the pore fluids, whereas in the oil‐water system an effective kinematic shear viscosity of the pore fluids was the controlling parameter. On the other hand, the speed and attenuation of the two diffusive modes (P2, resulting from out‐of‐phase motions of the solid framework and the fluids, and P3, the result of capillary pressure fluctuations) were closely associated with an effective dynamic shear viscosity of the pore fluids. The P2 and P3 waves also had the same constant value of the quality factor, and by comparison of our results with previous research on these two dilatational wave modes in sandstones, both were found to be sensitive to the state of consolidation of the porous medium.


Generally, this study aims to find out the true picture regarding the quality of infrastructure services to the satisfaction of students in SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Palembang. The method used in this research is descriptive method with quantitative approach. The technique of collecting data using questionnaires that were distributed to 275 students as the study sample. The result of the calculation using the general trend show that student satisfaction in the high category with an average score of 4.24 and quality of services in environmental infrastructure SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Palembang included in the high category with an average score of 3.53. The correlation analysis using Pearson Product Moment, the correlation coefficient between variables X and Y is equal to 0.786 which shows that the correlation between the two variables are at high-level relations. The results of the significance test that is 5.264 g 1,968692, it means that the correlation coefficient between variables X and Y are significant with linear regression analysis equation Ŷ = 50,022 + 0,493X1, this means that any change in one unit variable X will be followed by a change of variable Y for 0,493. It is concluded that there is a positive and significant relationship of quality service infrastructures on students' satisfaction in SMA Muhammadiyah 1 Palembang.


Airborne mass balance experiments were conducted around the Washington, D.C.‐Baltimore area using research aircraft from Purdue University and the University of Maryland to quantify emissions of nitrogen oxides (NOx = NO + NO2) and carbon monoxide (CO). The airborne mass balance experiments supported the Wintertime INvestigation of Transport, Emissions, and Reactivity (WINTER) campaign, an intensive airborne study of anthropogenic emissions along the Northeastern United States in February–March 2015, and the Fluxes of Atmospheric Greenhouse Gases in Maryland project which seeks to provide best estimates of anthropogenic emissions from the Washington, D.C.‐Baltimore area. Top‐down emission rates of NOx and CO estimated from the mass balance flights are compared with the Environmental Protection Agency's 2011 and 2014 National Emissions Inventory (NEI‐11 and NEI‐14). Inventory and observation‐derived NOx emission rates are consistent within the measurement uncertainty. Observed CO emission rates are a factor of 2 lower than reported by the NEI. The NEI's accuracy has been evaluated for decades by studies of anthropogenic emissions, yet despite continuous inventory updates, observation‐inventory discrepancies persist. WINTER NOx/CO2 enhancement ratios are consistent with inventories, but WINTER CO/NOx and CO/CO2 enhancement ratios are lower than those reported by other urban summertime studies, suggesting a strong influence of CO seasonal trends and/or nationwide CO reductions. There is a need for reliable observation‐based criterion pollutant emission rate measurements independent of the NEI. Such determinations could be supplied by the community's reporting of sector‐specific criteria pollutant/CO2 enhancement ratios and subsequent multiplication with currently available and forthcoming high‐resolution CO2 inventories.


This article presents a new and previously unchartered dataset on roll call votes for all 28 member states in the Council of the EU between 2010 and 2019 and studies the effects of politicisation on governments' oppositional voting in the different policy areas. We contribute to the literature with two main findings. First, our study provides strong evidence for bottom-up politicisation, where Euroscepticism and the left-right positions of national political parties strongly affect governments' voting in the Council. Second, we provide new evidence for a form of differentiated politicisation where ideological standpoints of political parties in government and opposition have different effects on oppositional voting in the various policy areas.


The authors perform calculations in order to predict the equivalence in producing coherent (Rayleigh) and incoherent (Compton) scattering, within a reasonable range of the variables, between biological tissues considered as standards and some substitutes largely accepted by the literature or hypothesised in the light of practical needs. A simple parametrisation is presented for the evaluation of coherent scattering for the main tissues involved in bone examinations.


Spontaneous receptor-free membrane fusion with pure lipid systems, used as a cell membrane model, is demonstrated with easy-to-handle lactose-derived catanionic vesicles. This fusion, mediated and controlled by phospholipids, emphasizes the great value of these nanovesicles for enhanced direct cytosolic drug delivery without the shortcomings linked with endocytic pathways.


This paper proposes an active filter (AF) topology to reduce the torque ripple and harmonic noises in a permanent-magnet synchronous motor. The topology consists of an insulated-gate bipolar transistor AF and two resistance-inductance-capacitance high-pass electromagnetic interference (EMI) noise filters, i.e., one in the primary and the other in the secondary circuit of the coupling 1:1 transformer. The AF is characterized by detecting the harmonics in the motor phase voltages by comparing the measured phase values with the reference voltages generated as a function of the motor parameters and control setting values under field-oriented control. The AF uses the hysteresis voltage control method, while the motor main circuit uses the hysteresis current control method; thus, the two control methods independently work together to provide an almost sinusoidal voltage to the motor windings. The simulation results show total harmonic distortion drops of greater than 13% with EMI noise damping down to ~-10 dB as well as considerable reduction in torque ripple.


Background: Based on promising efficacy in a single-arm study, a randomized phase II trial was designed to compare the efficacy and safety of adding rh-endostatin (Endostar) to first-line standard etoposide and carboplatin (EC) chemotherapy for treatment of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer. Methods: One hundred forty Chinese patients with pathologically confirmed, extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer were randomly assigned to EC alone or rh-endostatin + EC for 4–6 cycles, followed by single-agent rh-endostatin until progression or unacceptable toxicity. The primary endpoint was progression-free survival (PFS). The secondary endpoints included overall survival, Objective response rate (ORR), and quality of life. Results: Median PFS was 6.4 months with rh-endostatin + EC (n = 69) and 5.9 months with EC (n = 69) (hazard ratio 0.8 [95% confidence interval 0.6–1.1]). PFS was significantly higher with rh-endostatin + EC than with EC (hazard ratio 0.4 [0.2–0.9; p = 0.020]) in female. Median overall survival was similar in both groups (12.1 versus 12.4 months, respectively [p = 0.82]). ORR was higher in the rh-endostatin + EC group (75.4%) than in the EC group (66.7%) (p = 0.348). The efficacy of rh-endostatin + EC relative to that of EC was reflected by greater improvements in patient-assessed quality of life scores after 4 and 6 weeks of treatment. There was no difference between each regimen in the incidence of nonhematological or Grade III–IV hematological toxicities. Conclusions: Addition of rh-endostatin to EC for the treatment of extensive-stage small-cell lung cancer had an acceptable toxicity profile, but did not improve overall survival, PFS, and ORR.


A hydrophobic, electromagnetic shielding and corrosion-resistant wood-based composite was prepared via electroless deposition of a Ni–Mo–P ternary alloy on birch veneers. The effect of MoO42− concentration on the structure and properties of plated veneers was studied. Samples were characterized by scanning electron microscopy-energy dispersive spectroscopy, X-ray diffractometry and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy. The water contact angles, surface resistivity, electromagnetic shielding effectiveness, corrosion resistance and adhesive strength were measured. Scanning electron microscopy images showed that the birch veneer surfaces were covered with dense, continuous and uniform coatings, and the special wood structure still existed. X-ray diffractometry, energy-dispersive spectroscopy and X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy results showed that the coatings obtained from this experiment were crystalline, and consisted mainly of Ni, Mo and P. Birch veneers plated with crystalline Ni91.71–Mo7.07–P1.22 films exhibited good hydrophobic properties with a water contact angle of 144°, high electrical conductivity with surface resistivity of 208 mΩ cm−2 and electromagnetic shielding effectiveness above 45 dB from 9 kHz to 1.5 GHz and excellent corrosion resistance with a polarization resistance of 8244 Ω cm−2. Adhesion test results showed that the Ni–Mo–P films adhered firmly to the wood surface. This study offers a new pathway for fabricating multifunctional wood-based composites.


Multiple applications that execute concurrently on heterogeneous platforms compete for CPU and network resources. In this paper, we consider the problem of scheduling applications to ensure fair and efficient execution on a distributed network of processors. We limit our study to the case where communication is restricted to a tree embedded in the network, and the applications consist of a large number of independent tasks that originate at the tree's root. The tasks of a given application all have the same computation and communication requirements, but these requirements can vary for different applications. Each application is given a weight that quantifies its relative value. The goal of scheduling is to maximize throughput while executing tasks from each application in the same ratio as their weights. We can find the optimal asymptotic rates by solving a linear program that expresses all necessary problem constraints, and we show how to construct a periodic schedule. For single-level trees, the solution is characterized by processing tasks with larger communication-to-computation ratios at children with larger bandwidths. For multi-level trees, this approach requires global knowledge of all application and platform parameters. For large-scale platforms, such global coordination by a centralized scheduler may be unrealistic. Thus, we also investigate decentralized schedulers that use only local information at each participating resource. We assess their performance via simulation, and compare to a centralized solution obtained via linear programming. The best of our decentralized heuristics achieves the same performance on about two-thirds of our test cases, but is far worse in a few cases. While our results are based on simplistic assumptions and do not explore all parameters (such as buffer size), they provide insight into the important question of fairly and optimally co-scheduling heterogeneous applications on heterogeneous grids


Perrewe and Zellars (this issue) present a highly ambitious and interesting paper. They argue forcefully that Lazarus' stress theory can be extended by incorporating causal attribution theory and, thereby, they suggest to develop a more adequate theory of emotion and coping in the workplace. Having been involved in making emotion research useful to work psychology (Pekrun and Frese, 1992; Temme and Zapf, 1997) we sympathize with their emphasis on emotion. We think highly of the speculation that guilt, shame, anger, and frustration are a result of primary appraisal of stress and causal attributions. Since this answer is supposed to be a `counterpoint', and a short one at that, we would like to concentrate on two issues that we disagree with. First, the role of causal attribution theory. Second, the issue of objective stressors versus relying on individual appraisals. Causal attribution research is without a doubt important for emotional processing (Ortony, Clore and Collins, 1988; Pekrun and Frese, 1992). However, there is one important ®nding that has persuaded us to be a bit more cautious about using causal attribution as a mediator in the stress±emotion relationship: Diener and Dweck (1978) found that helpless children were more likely to engage in an attribution process after failure. In contrast, mastery oriented children were less interested in attributions than in being action oriented and getting the problem solved. In the words of Diener and Dweck (1978, p. 461): `Individuals have been considered to di€er only in the particular attribution they make. The present research, however, suggests that . . . the very occurrence of attribution may be a critical individual di€erence.' The second issue is even more important. Perrewe and Zellars (this issue) have to receive credit for being very explicit in their statements on the importance of the cognitive world instead of the world `out there': `Research suggests that the existence of stress may be less important to an individual's well-being than how the individual appraises and copes with stress' (p. 739). `Although the examination of the objective work stressors may be useful to broadly predict employee strain, the focus is entirely too limiting. In order to truly understand the components of the stress process, the primary focus should be on how individuals interpret objective conditions rather than simply relating stressors to strains,' (p. 740). It is this part of the paper, that we want


In psoriatic arthritis, it is important to understand the joint activity (represented by swelling and pain) and damage processes because both are related to severe physical disability. The paper aims to provide a comprehensive investigation into both processes occurring over time, in particular their relationship, by specifying a joint multistate model at the individual hand joint level, which also accounts for many of their important features. As there are multiple hand joints, such an analysis will be based on the use of clustered multistate models. Here we consider an observation level random‐effects structure with dynamic covariates and allow for the possibility that a subpopulation of patients is at minimal risk of damage. Such an analysis is found to provide further understanding of the activity–damage relationship beyond that provided by previous analyses. Consideration is also given to the modelling of mean sojourn times and jump probabilities. In particular, a novel model parameterization which allows easily interpretable covariate effects to act on these quantities is proposed.


The bioavailability of toxic metals in the soils is increasingly an important issue as soil always becomes  contaminated from various anthropogenic activities. Total concentrations of metals in the soils are generally  poor indicators of metal toxicity because they exit in different solution and solid phase forms that can differ in  terms of their bioavailability. As such, regulators are looking at bioavailability as an indicator of risk  associated with metal contamination in soils. Since the bioavailability of metals, their biological uptake and  eco-toxicological effect on soil biota can be understood better in terms of their biogeochemical forms, the  study assessed the effect of crude oil applied at rates, 0, 2, 5, and 10% on the fractional chemical forms and  availability of some metals in soils from Usen, Edo State, with no known crude oil contamination and soil from  a crude oil spill site in Ubeji, Delta State, Nigeria, using several techniques as a basis for predicting metal uptake by plants. Bean seeds were grown in the contaminated soil for 21days and the metal concentrations in the seedlings were compared with the total soil metal concentrations, bioavailable metal concentrations and EDTA-extractable metal concentrations. Keywords : bioavailability, chemical forms, crude oil-contaminated soil, EDTA, metal concentrations,


We describe a proposal for the development of multiagent systems composed by knowledge intensive and nonintensive agents. A software process framework is proposed that integrates a methodology oriented to the development of knowledge based systems, CommonKADS, with some software engineering techniques, those of the rational unified process-UML. The proposal takes into account the characteristics of each specific agent, integrating in a single description the whole system, from the analysis of the system context to its implementation. This approach facilitates implementing the software agents and the integration process.


Abstract. Continuous multiyear records of sediment trap-gained microorganism fluxes are scarce. Such studies are important to identify and to understand the main forcings behind seasonal and multiannual evolution of microorganism flux dynamics. Here, we assess the long-term flux variations and population dynamics of diatoms, coccolithophores, calcareous and organic dinoflagellates, foraminifera and pteropods in the Eastern Boundary Upwelling Ecosystem (EBUE) of the Canary Current. A multiannual, continuous sediment trap experiment was conducted at the mooring site CBeu (Cape Blanc eutrophic, ∼ 20° N, 18° W; trap depth = ca. 1,300 m) off Cape Blanc, Mauritania (northwest Africa), between June 2003 and March 2008. Throughout the study, the reasonably consistent good match of fluxes of microorganisms and bulk mass reflects the seasonal occurrence of the main upwelling season and the contribution of microorganisms to mass flux off Mauritania. A clear successional pattern of microorganisms, i.e. primary producers followed by secondary producers, is not observed. High fluxes of diatoms, coccolithophores, organic dinoflagellates cysts, and planktonic foraminifera occur simultaneously. Peaks of calcareous dinoflagellate cysts and pteropods mostly occurred during intervals of upwelling relaxation. A striking feature of the temporal variability of populations' occurrence is the persistent pattern of seasonal groups' contribution. Species of planktonic foraminifera, diatom, and organic dinoflagellate cysts typical of coastal upwelling as well as cooler water planktonic foraminifera and the coccolithophore Gephyrocapsa oceanica are abundant at times of intense upwelling (late winter through early summer). Planktonic foraminifera and calcareous dinoflagellate cysts dominant in warm pelagic surface waters and all pteropod groups are more abundant in fall and winter, when the mixed layer deepens. Similarly, coccolithophores of the upper- and lower photic zone, together with Emiliania huxleyi, and organic dinoflagellate cysts dominate the assemblage during phases of upwelling relaxation and deeper layer mixing. A significant shift in the regular seasonal pattern of species relative contributions is observed between 2004 and 2006. Benthic diatoms strongly increased after fall 2005 and dominated the diatom assemblage during main upwelling season. Additional evidence for a change in population dynamics are the short dominance of the coccolithophore Umbilicosphaera annulus, the occurrence of the pteropod Limacina bulimoides, and the strong increase in the flux of calcareous dinoflagellate cysts, abundant in tropical, warm oligotrophic waters south of the research area after fall 2005. Altogether, this suggests that pulses of southern waters were transported to the sampling site via the northward Mauritania Current. Our multiannual trap experiment provides a unique opportunity to characterize temporal patterns of variability that can be extrapolated to other EBUEs, which are experiencing or might experience similar future changes in the plankton community.


The characterization of self-assembling molecules presents significant experimental challenges, especially when associated with phase separation or precipitation. Transparent window infrared (IR) spectroscopy leverages site-specific probes that absorb in the "transparent window" region of the biomolecular IR spectrum. Carbon–deuterium (C–D) bonds are especially compelling transparent window probes since they are non-perturbative, can be readily introduced site selectively into peptides and proteins, and their stretch frequencies are sensitive to changes in the local molecular environment. Importantly, IR spectroscopy can be applied to a wide range of molecular samples regardless of solubility or physical state, making it an ideal technique for addressing the solubility challenges presented by self-assembling molecules. Here, we present the first continuous observation of transparent window probes following stopped-flow initiation. To demonstrate utility in a self-assembling system, we selected the MAX1 peptide hydrogel, a biocompatible material that has significant promise for use in drug delivery and medical applications. C–D labeled valine was synthetically introduced into five distinct positions of the twenty-residue MAX1 β-hairpin peptide. Consistent with current structural models, steady-state IR absorption frequencies and linewidths of C–D bonds at all labeled positions indicate that these side chains occupy a hydrophobic region of the hydrogel and that the motion of side chains located in the middle of the hairpin is more restricted than those located on the hairpin ends. Following a rapid change in ionic strength to initiate self-assembly, the peptide absorption spectra were monitored as function of time, allowing determination of site-specific time constants. We find that within the experimental resolution, MAX1 self-assembly occurs as a cooperative process. These studies suggest that stopped-flow transparent window FTIR can be extended to other time-resolved applications, such as protein folding and enzyme kinetics.


Gian-Carlo Rota suggested in one of his last articles the problem of developing a theory around the notion of integration algebras, complementary to the already existing theory of differential algebras. This idea was mainly motivated by Rota's deep appreciation for Kuo-Tsai Chen's seminal work on iterated integrals. As a starting point for such a theory of integration algebras Rota proposed to consider a particular operator identity first introduced by the mathematician Glen Baxter. Later it was coined Rota-Baxter identity. In this article we briefly recall basic properties of Rota--Baxter algebras, and present a concise review of recent work with a particular emphasis of noncommutative aspects.


OBJECTIVE
Few studies have examined hand osteoarthritis (OA) pathology using sensitive imaging techniques. The aim of this study was to determine the extent of ultrasound (US)-detected pathology and investigate its relationship with symptoms in hand OA.

METHODS
Subjects with symptomatic hand OA and controls were recruited. All underwent clinical and US examination of the small joints of both hands and completed a range of measures of hand pain, stiffness, and function.

RESULTS
Thirty-six subjects with symptomatic OA and 19 control subjects with similar demographics were recruited. US-detected pathology (osteophytes, joint space narrowing, gray-scale synovitis, and power Doppler signal) occurred frequently in symptomatic hand OA (41%, 40%, 46%, and 7% of joints, respectively), and significantly less often in controls (P < 0.001 for all comparisons). Symptomatic joints were more likely to demonstrate US-detected changes of gray-scale synovitis, power Doppler signal, or osteophytes (P < 0.001, P = 0.002, and P < 0.001, respectively). Neither the number of affected joints per individual nor the summative semiquantitative scores for synovitis per individual correlated with symptoms (pain visual analog scale [VAS], global VAS, or Australian/Canadian Osteoarthritis Hand Index).

CONCLUSION
This study demonstrated extensive synovitis changes as well as the traditional structural radiographic findings of hand OA. Symptomatic joints were significantly more likely to demonstrate US-detected structural changes or inflammation in symptomatic hand OA; however, the extent of changes in individual joints or in individuals did not correlate with the degree of symptoms, which may relate to both the assessment tools and the complex nature of pain.


Uterine curettage was done on 60 patients aged 16-40, mostly with parity over 6. Indications were incomplete abortion, and 1 case of hydatiform mole. The procedure was performed with a new plastic cannula, very flexible and with a blunt tip, and with a diameter going from 4 to 10 mm. With such a tool, uterine perforations are reduced to a minimum, and the possibility of choosing among different sizes makes dilatation of the cervix easy and painless. Bleeding was minimal and hospitalization necessary only in a few cases; anesthesia was used on 50 patients. It is imperative that, to avoid complciatiics, the procedure be performed by a skilled physician.


The accuracy levels achieved by state-of-the-art Speaker Verification systems are high enough for the technology to be used in real-life applications. Unfortunately, the transfer from the lab to the field is not as straight-forward as could be: the best performing systems can be computationally expensive to run and need large speaker model footprints. In this paper, we compare two speaker verification algorithms (GMM-SVM Supervectors and Kharroubi's GMM-SVM vectors) and propose an improvement of Kharroubi's system that: (a) achieves up to 17% relative performance improvement when compared to the Supervectors algorithm; (b) is 24% faster in run time and (c) makes use of speaker models that are 94% smaller than those needed by the Supervectors algorithm.


Abstract We explored how the duration, size, and number of virus transmission clusters, defined as country-specific monophyletic groups in a severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) phylogenetic tree, differed among the Nordic countries of Norway, Sweden, Denmark, Finland, and Iceland. Our results suggest that although geographical connectivity, population density, and openness influence the spread and the size of SARS-CoV-2 transmission clusters, the different country-specific intervention strategies had the largest impact. We also found a significant positive association between the size and duration of transmission clusters in the Nordic countries, suggesting that the rapid deployment of contact tracing is a key response measure in reducing virus transmission.


Background: The introduction of effective highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART) in the mid 1990s lead to the marked reduction in the morbidity and mortality from human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) infection. Increasing life expectancy, an  aging  population, and  high  rates of  smoking  have  lead  to concerns of the  health  of  HIV  infected individuals in the long  run. Metabolic effects of HIV infection such as hypertriglyceridemia are well defined and side effects of HAART such as dyslipidemia and were described soon after its introduction. Aim: To study the lipid profile of HIV/AIDS patients on antiretroviral therapy. Materials and Methods: The present study was carried out in department of Medicine, Shri B. M. Patil Hospital and Research Centre, Vijayapur, Karnataka. This study was conducted between December 2013 and June 2015. Results: 120 patients are studied for period of 18 months. 66.7% patients have Hypercholesterolemia and 33.3% have in the normal range. 80% of the patients have HDL below the normal range and 20% have in the normal range. 70% of the patients have hypertriglyceridemia and 30% have within the normal range. 60% of patients have LDL in the abnormal range and 40% in the normal range. 5.8% of the patients have VLDL within abnormal range and 94.2% have it within the normal range. Males are more affected than females. The patients in the young age group are more affected than patients in the older group.


A dot blot hybridization procedure was developed to detect human blood meals in engorged mosquitoes. A biotinylated DNA probe allowed the detection of 10-100 ng of human DNA, discriminated well between human and nonhuman sources of blood, and cross-reacted only with monkey DNA. Results showed that this method was a specific and sensitive technique for the identification of blood meals up to 100 h after ingestion. The nonisotopic label offers easy handling without the problems inherent in the use of radioisotopes, and it can be adapted for use in routine field tests.


Background : Thyroid lesions are commonly encountered in clinical practice and it  is mandatory to know and record the nature of pathology prior to definitive therapy.  Fine needle aspiration cytology (FNAC) is a time tested, cheap, reliable and safe  method to establish a cytological diagnosis of the nature of the disease. Ultrasound  guided FNAC has the potential to reduce inadequacy rates and is regarded as  the optimal cytological method for diagnosis. Objective : To compare the results  of free-hand and ultrasound-guided FNAC of thyroid swellings and to find out  the diagnostic reliability of free-hand FNAC and ultrasound-guided FNAC using  histological diagnosis as the gold standard. Methods : Fifty-five patients with thyroid  swelling who were subjected to free-hand and ultrasound-guided FNACs and who  subsequently underwent surgery over one year were studied. Results : Ultrasound  guided FNAC results revealed 72.75 % benign lesions and 25.45 % of malignant  lesions, and free hand FNAC revealed 52.73 % benign and 16.36% malignant cases.  A 14.55 % inadequacy rate was seen in the free hand group. Histological gold  standard diagnosis comprised of 60 % benign and 40 % malignant cases. Sensitivity  and specificity of free-hand and ultrasound guided FNAC in diagnosing malignancy  of the thyroid were 56.25% and 100%; and 63.64% and 96.97% respectively.  Conclusion : Free hand FNAC of thyroid swellings is more convenient and cost  effective as compared to ultrasound guided FNAC. However, the diagnostic yield  in ultrasound guided FNAC is significantly more in terms of accuracy especially in  cystic and tiny lesions. Health Renaissance 2014;12(2): pp. 78-86


Abstract In this research, we attempted to explain the effect and the related molecular mechanisms of ABIN1 in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced septic mice or RAW264.7 macrophages. LPS was adopted to treat RAW264.7 macrophages for 4 h, and the levels of inflammatory factors were assessed by ELISA. Besides, ABIN1 expression was measured by quantitative reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction. Apparently, LPS enhanced immunoreaction, suggested by increased expression of IL-1β, tumor necrosis factor (TNF)-α, and IL-6. ABIN1 levels were obviously reduced compared to the control. Furthermore, we evaluated the roles of ABIN1-plasmid in immunoreaction and nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) pathway. We found that ABIN1-plasmid significantly reduced the expression of IL-1β, TNF-α, and IL-6 in LPS-treated cells and inhibited NF-κB pathway activation. Meanwhile, a septic mouse mode was conducted to validate the role of ABIN1 in inflammatory response and organ damage in vivo. These data suggested that ABIN1-plasmid significantly inhibited the secretion of inflammatory cytokines and Cr, BUN, AST, and ALT levels in the serum of LPS-stimulated mice compared to LPS + control-plasmid group, reflecting the relieved inflammation and organ injury. In summary, the present findings indicated that ABIN1 alleviated sepsis by repressing inflammatory response through NF-κB signaling pathway, emphasizing the potential value of ABIN1 as therapeutic strategy for sepsis.


Parkinson's disease (PD) is a neuro-degenerative pathology affecting the basal ganglia, a set of small subcortical nervous system nuclei. It induces a progressive necrosis of dopaminergic (i.e., releasing dopamine, a neurotransmitter) cells and, as a consequence, produces altered information patterns along movement-related ganglia-mediated pathways in the brain, thus inducing motor disorders like tremor at rest and postural instability. While pharmacological and electrical therapies are currently available for PD treatment, the mechanisms according to which such disease operates are still partly unclear, due to the lack of knowledge about the basal ganglia role in motor tasks execution. For that reason, in order to shed some light on the inner dynamics of the basal ganglia and investigate how PD alters their electric patterns, we develop a two-stages modeling study: in the present paper we focus on those nuclei involved in the genesis of PD motor symptoms and, for them, develop a conductance-based electrical model able to mimic quantitative data from different in vitro physiological analyses. Such models show how several highly nonlinear electrical behaviors can stem from the interaction between specific ionic currents as particular parameters change. In (S. Santaniello et al., 2007), then, cellular models are inserted in a network scheme to reproduce the main actual anatomical connections and the resulting macroscopic behaviors reported in literature for normal and Parkinsonian conditions.


Seven experiments explore the role of bottlenecks in selective attention and access to visual short-term memory (VSTM) in the failure of observers to identify clearly visible changes in otherwise stable visual displays. Experiment 1 shows that observers fail to register a colour change in an object even if they are cued to the location of the object by a transient at that location as the change is occurring. Experiment 2 shows the same for orientation change. In Experiments 3 and 4, attention is directed to specific objects prior to making changes in those objects. Observers have only a very limited memory for the status of recently attended items. Experiment 5 reveals that observers have no ability to detect changes that happen after attention has been directed to an object and before attention returns to that object. In Experiment 6, attention is cued at rates that more closely resemble natural rates and Experiment 7 uses natural images. Memory capacity remains very small (<4 items).


This qualitative and exploratory study analyzed the perception of users of the Home Care Program (SSS-GHC) in Porto Alegre, Rio Grande do Sul state regarding the assistance provided by its interdisciplinary team and caretakers. Among the 17 clients interviewed, there was a prevalence of women, elderly people and chronic degenerative disease patients. As a result of the analysis it was possible to identify five categories which were related to family, professional care and experiences of the subjects in relation to life circumstances. Results showed that, according to the client's point of view, the care received was viewed as humanized and favorable to the evaluative strategy of the Program.