The collection lawsuit and the subrogation lawsuit of creditors are structurally similar in that they exercise the debtor's rights against the third debtor in the creditor's position. In particular, in the case of a so-called "direct payment" creditor subrogation lawsuit, which has a preferential repayment effect by directly receiving money from a third debtor and offsetting the debtor's return and preserved bonds, it functions similar to a collection lawsuit for the satisfaction of an executive creditor. In addition, if the debtor knows the fact in any circumstances when a lawsuit by subrogation of creditors is filed, the debtor cannot counter the disposition of his rights to the creditor under Article 405 (2) of the Civil Act, which is similar to the effect of the seizure order on the debtor.
However, the above two types of litigation reveal significant differences in the status of the legal system, origin of the system, purpose of the system, eligibility of parties, and prohibition of disposition, and considering these differences, attempts to easily apply or infer one legal principle to the other should be avoided.
The target judgment comprehensively reviewed the principle of relativity of res judicata under the Civil Procedure Act, the interpretation of provisions on collection lawsuits under the Civil Execution Act, and the degree of legal risk that third debtors can face.
As a result, the Supreme Court reached a different conclusion from the attitude of existing precedents on subrogation of creditors regarding the subjective scope of the final judgment of collection litigation, so it is reasonable and valid in terms of the discrimination between the collection litigation and subrogation litigation.
In resolving issues such as prohibition of double lawsuit, co-litigation, etc., related to the subjective scope of res judicata in the collection litigation revealed in the target judgment, it is necessary to distinguish from the existing legal principles on creditor subrogation litigation and seek an independent and appropriate interpretation consistent with collection litigation.


Solar steam generation provides a promising and low-cost solution for freshwater production in energy scarcity areas. However, in real-world applications, evaporators are easily affected by microorganism contamination in source water, causing surface corrosion, structural damage, or even invalidation. Developing anti-biofouling and antibacterial evaporators is significant for long-term stable freshwater production. Herein, a composite polyelectrolyte photothermal hydrogel consisting of sulfobetaine methacrylate (SBMA), [2-(methacryloyloxy)ethyl]trimethylammonium chloride (METAC), and polypyrrole (PPy) with anti-biofouling and antibacterial properties is developed. Crediting sufficient ammonium groups and zwitterionic segments, the optimized polyelectrolyte hydrogel exhibits an ∼90% antibacterial ratio against Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) and Escherichia coli (E. coli) and effectively controls biological contamination. Under 1.0 kW m-2 solar irradiation, a rapid water evaporation rate of ∼1.690 kg m-2 h-1 and a high solar-to-evaporation efficiency of ∼95.94% are achieved with the photothermal hydrogel. We show that a lab-made setup integrated with the hydrogel can realize ∼0.455 kg m-2 h-1 freshwater production from seawater under natural sunlight. Moreover, the hydrogel exhibits excellent durability with a stable evaporation rate of ∼1.617 kg m-2 h-1 in real seawater for over 6 weeks, making it fullhearted in the real-world application of solar steam generation.


Current Web technology has enabled the distribution of informative content through dynamic media platforms.
 In addition, the availability of the same content in the form of digital multimedia data has dramatically increased.
 Content-based, cross-media retrieval applications are needed to efficiently access desired information from this variety of data sources. This paper presents a novel approach for cross-media information aggregation, and describes a prototype system implementing this approach. The prototype adopts online newspaper articles and TV newscasts as information sources, to deliver a service made up of items including both contributions. Extensive experiments prove the effectiveness of the proposed approach in a real-world business context.


In this expanded four-volume set of the "Great Lives from History" series, the lives of important men and women in all areas of achievement who flourished between 1801 and 1900 are profiled in extended biographical essays. The lengthy essays provide in-depth coverage and annotated bibliographic resources with worldwide focus including strong coverage of non-Europeans and women. A total of 737 essays covering 757 major figures comprise the set, including 123 women. Among the 189 sidebars, quotations from primary source documents supplement the text throughout. Both the geographic and the occupational scope of the individuals covered in "Great Lives from History: The 19th Century, 1801-1900" are intentionally broad, with a view to including influential individuals worldwide. Coverage is broad in areas of achievement as well as geography, while at the same time including the recognized shapers of history essential in any liberal arts curriculum. Major world leaders appear here, as well as the giants of religious faith who were central to the century: monarchs, presidents, popes, philosophers, writers, social reformers, educators, artists, scientists, and military leaders who left their imprint on political, cultural, and spiritual institutions. Also, however, the set includes figures who have received little attention in the past, from American educator and science writer Elizabeth Cabot Agassiz to Chinese statesman and military leader Zeng Guofan. By category, the contents include figures whose achievements fall into one or more of the following areas: agriculture, architecture, art, astronomy, biology, business, chemistry, church government, communications, crime, diplomacy, economics, education, engineering, entertainment, exploration, geography, geology, government and politics, historiography, journalism, law, linguistics, literature, mathematics, medicine, military, music, patronage of the arts, philanthropy, philosophy, photography, physics, psychology, religion and theology, scholarship, science and technology, social reform, sociology, sports, theater, warfare and conquest, and women's rights. Each essay ranges from 1,500 to 3,000 words in length (roughly 3 to 5 pages) and displays standard ready-reference top matter offering easy access to biographical information. Several features distinguish this series as a whole from other biographical reference works. The front matter includes a complete list of contents; a key to pronunciation; a list of maps and sidebars. The front matter of each volume contains a section of maps displaying major regions of the world during the 19th century. There are 4 volumes; 2,944 pages; 189 sidebars, primary source quotes; 350 photographs; 737 biographies, 120 new; regional and world maps; rulers and heads of state list; pronunciation guide; cross-references; chronological list of entries; category index; geographical index; personages index; and, subject index.


Wind power, as an alternative to burning fossil fuels, is abundant and inexhaustible. To fully utilize wind power, wind farms are usually located in areas of high altitude and facing serious ice conditions, which can lead to serious consequences. Quick detection of blade ice accretion is crucial for the maintenance of wind farms. Unlike traditional methods of installing expensive physical detectors on wind blades, data-driven approaches are increasingly popular for inspecting the wind turbine failures. In this work, we propose a wavelet enhanced autoencoder model (WaveletAE) to identify wind turbine dysfunction by analyzing the multivariate time series monitored by the SCADA system. WaveletAE is enhanced with wavelet detail coefficients to enforce the autoencoder to capture information from multiple scales, and the CNN-LSTM architecture is applied to learn channel-wise and temporal-wise relations. The empirical study shows that the proposed model outperforms other state-of-the-art time series anomaly detection methods for real-world blade icing detection.


In this study, thermal models for subcritical and supercritical geothermal powered organic Rankine cycles are developed to compare the performance of these cycle configurations. Both of these models consist of a detailed model for the shell and tube heat exchanger integrating the geothermal and organic Rankine cycles sides and basic thermodynamic models for the rest of the components of the cycle. In the modeling of the heat exchanger, this component was divided into sever¬al zones and the outlet conditions of each zone were found applying logarithmic mean temperature difference method. Different Nusselt correlations according to the relevant phase (single, two-phase, and supercritical) were also included in this model. Using the system-level model, the effect of the source temperature on the performances of the heat exchanger and the organic Rankine cycle was assessed. These performance parameters are heat transfer surface area and pressure drop of tube side fluid for the heat exchanger, and electrical and exergetic efficiencies of the integrated organic Rankine cycles system. It was found that 44.12% more net power is generated when the supercritical organic Rankine cycle is used compared to subcritical organic Rankine cycle.


A total of 540 Lohmann Silver laying hens was used to investigate behaviour, use of the structural elements offered, as well as health and productive parameters in six units (45 hens each) of one furnished cage system (FC; Typ 715/725, Fa. Salmet, Berge, Germany, according to EU guideline 1999/74/EG [2003]) vs. three units (90 hens each) of one aviary housing system (AV; type natura, Big Dutchman, Vechta, Germany). There was no difference between the two systems in terms of animal health, egg quality, laying performance and nest acceptance Acceptance of the nests was high in both systems and resulted in relatively small proportions of mislaid eggs (median 0.28% AV vs. 0.33% FC). Perches in FC were used during the light phase by 15.6% of the hens compared with 73.3% at night. The dust bathing activity of the hens in AV corresponded to natural circadian behaviour patterns (P <0.003) and the complete behaviour chain was exhibited. In contrast, FC hens invariably exhibited incomplete dust bathing patterns on the mat and on the grid floor without any diurnal rhythm. Duration of dust bathing of hens in FC differed significantly from the AV hens (median value 4.77 minutes on mats and 4.62 on grid floors respectively vs. 14.87 minutes, P < 0.05). Even though comparison of laying performance, egg quality and health did not yield any serious disadvantage of one system over the other, it has to be taken into consideration that normal behaviour was highly restricted in FC.


Pond apple (Annona glabra L.) is classified as an obligate wetland species. This tree, which used to be prevalent in some wetland areas, has great potential for increased use in Florida wetland areas, mitigation sites, and home aquascapes. The goal of this experiment was to increase the body of information available regarding the effect of flooding and fertilizer types on growth of seedlings of pond apple. Two independent experiments, each 16 weeks in duration, were conducted with seedlings of pond apple cultured under flooded or non-flooded conditions. Fertilizer was supplied in one of three forms - prills (Sierra® 17N-2.57P-8.26K Plus), tablets (Woodace® 14N- 1.29P-2.48K), or briquettes (Agriform™ 20N-4.29P-4.13K). Plant height, dry mass, and stem diameter were greatest for seedlings of pond apple cultured under non-flooded conditions with fertilizer supplied in prill form.


Theories of attention hypothesize the existence of an attentional template that contains target features in working or long-term memory. It is frequently assumed that the template contains a veridical copy of the target, but recent studies suggest that this is not true when the distractors are linearly separable from the target. In such cases, target representations shift "off-veridical" in response to the distractor context, presumably because doing so is adaptive and increases the representational distinctiveness of targets from distractors. However, some have argued that the shifts may be entirely explained by perceptual biases created by simultaneous color contrast. Here we address this debate and test the more general hypothesis that the target template is adaptively shaped by elements of the distractor context needed to distinguish targets from distractors. We used a two-dimensional target and separately manipulated the linear separability of one dimension (color) and the visual similarity of the other (orientation). We found that target shifting along the linearly separable color dimension was dependent on the similarity of targets-to-distractors along the other dimension. The target representations were consistent with a postexperiment strategy questionnaire in which participants reported using color more when orientation was hard to use, and orientation more when it was easier to use. We conclude that the target template is task-adaptive and exploit features in the distractor context that most predictably distinguish targets from distractors to increase visual search efficiency. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).


Previous report suggested the beneficial effects of an adaptation of the Flexyx Neurotherapy System (FNS) for the amelioration of mixed traumatic brain injury/post-traumatic stress symptoms in veterans of the Afghanistan and Iraq wars. As a novel variant of electroencephalograph biofeedback, FNS falls within the bioenergy domain of complementary and alternative medicine. Rather than learning voluntary control over the production/inhibition of brain wave patterns, FNS involves offsetting stimulation of brain wave activity by means of an external energy source, specifically, the conduction of electromagnetic energy stimulation via the connecting electroencephalograph cables. Essentially, these procedures subliminally induce strategic distortion of ongoing brain wave activity to presumably facilitate resetting of more adaptive patterns of activity. Reported herein are two cases of Vietnam veterans with mixed traumatic brain injury/post-traumatic stress symptoms, each treated with FNS for 25 sessions. Comparisons of pre- and post-treatment questionnaire assessments revealed notable decreases for all symptoms, suggesting improvements across the broad domains of cognition, pain, sleep, fatigue, and mood/emotion, including post-traumatic stress symptoms, as well as for overall activity levels. Findings suggest FNS treatment may be of potential benefit for the partial amelioration of symptoms, even in some individuals for whom symptoms have been present for decades.


Many models have been proposed to explain the opinion formation in a group of individuals; most of these models study the opinion propagation as the interaction between nodes/agents in a social network. Opinion formation is a very complex process and a realistic model should also take into account the important feedbacks that the opinions of the agents have on the structure of the social networks and on the characteristics of the opinion dynamics. In this paper we will show that associating to different agents different kind of interconnections and different interacting behaviour can lead to interesting scenarios, like the co-existence of several opinion clusters, namely pluralism. In our model agents have opinions uniformly and continuously distributed between two extremes. The social network is formed through a social aggregation mechanism including the segregation process of the extremists that results in many real communities. We show how this process affects opinion dynamics in the whole society. In the opinion evolution we consider the different predisposition of single individuals to interact and to to modify each other's opinions; we associate to each individual a different tolerance threshold, depending on its own opinion: extremists are less willing to interact with individuals with strongly different opinions and to change significantly their ideas. A general result is obtained: when there is no interaction restriction, the opinion always converges to uniformity, but the same is happening whenever a strong segregation process of the extremists occurs. Only when extremists are forming clusters but these clusters keep interacting with the rest of the society, the survival of a wide opinion range is guaranteed.


Examination of the tongue condition is a standard diagnostic method in Traditional Chinese Medicine (TCM) and takes account of a wide variety of features including shape, texture, and color. The terms "warm", "neutral", and "cool" are used to refer to a kind of chromatics characteristic of the tongue color and are associated with various health states. In this paper, we propose a semi-supervised (cluster and label) scheme for tongue color analysis on "warm or cool". In the training part, the proposed scheme makes use of a classical clustering algorithm, Expectation Maximization, to divide all pixels in tongue gamut into 150 clusters. Then we construct two auxiliary images for each cluster and manual labeling endows these clusters with category labels of "warm or cool". Finally, each trained category on "warm or cool" is set up by sum some clusters approximately. In the testing part, we use a lookup table to divide all pixels in an input image into three distinct categories of "warm or cool". In experiments conducted on a total of 392 tongue samples, our system achieved an accuracy of 91.1%.


This paper analyzes the determinants of bond flows, now the dominant source of capital inflows, into the United States, as a means of establishing conditions affecting the financing of the U.S. current account deficit. To test the hypothesis that capital flows have become more responsive to changes in relative interest rates and other conditions across borders, a panel data set, showing bond flows from 12 separate jurisdictions into the United States, is constructed for the period 1994-2006 using adjusted U.S. Treasury International Capital Flow (TIC) data. Panel vector autoregression and instrumental variables approaches are used to estimate the impact of changes in interest rate differentials and other fundamentals on capital flows into the U.S. The paper finds evidence for an impact from interest rate differentials to bond inflows that has increased over time. Under one plausible set of theoretical assumptions, the increased sensitivity can be interpreted as resulting from a reduction in home bias on the part of non-US investors.


Scissor-like element has a number of applications in deployable structures such as planar deployable structure (PDS) and ring deployable structure(RDS). However, the mobility analysis of the multi-loop deployable structures is made more difficulty by the traditional mobility formula, because the deployable structure is a very complex structure with multi-loop. Therefore, On the basis of screw theory, the calculation method of mobility of deployable structures of SLE is thoroughly discussed. In order to investigate the mobility, decomposing and composing structures(DCS) are developed, and the basic units are able to be obtained. On the basis of the deployable structures' geometrical characteristics, there exists a closed-loop quadrilateral structure and some non-closed-loop quadrilateral structures in PDS. Also, a six legs parallel structure is present in RDS. The basic units' mobility can be solved by both the methods of screw theory and topology constraint graphs. Then, composing the related basic units, the formula of planar deployable structures' mobility can be built and solves the mobility of ring deployable structure. The analysis method solves the mobility analysis of the multi-loop deployable structures which is difficulty by the traditional method, and plays an important role in further research about the mobility of other complex deployable structures.


What are the market conditions for woodworkers involved in construction-based sectors and what investments are planned to improve capabilities in the current business environment? For a fifth straight year, construction-based markets continued their growth trends in 2016, as U.S. spending on single family housing, multi-family housing, and nonresidential construction all increased, with repair and remodeling increasing for a fourth straight year, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Total value of construction put in place in these sectors was $877 billion in 2016. It's against this backdrop that the eighth annual housing market study was conducted in early 2017 as a joint effort by Virginia Tech, the U.S. Forest Service and Woodworking Network/FDMC.


ABSTRACT Recent research on motivation to learn science shows that science teaching usually supports students' systemising, but not their empathising cognition. In this paper we argue that empathy, with due caution, should be emphasised in science learning more seriously and consistently, particularly in a Science|Environment|Health pedagogy that aims at fostering the mutual benefit between the three interlinked educational fields. After briefly recapitulating research results about the empathising-systemising (E-S) theory and motivation to learn science, the paper describes the science of empathy and then reflects on the opportunities and challenges of introducing empathy into science teaching. Many studies of effective science learning can be found that involve empathising, though this usually is not made explicit. Thus, bringing empathy into play sheds another light on successful science learning and helps in unfolding its full potential. Moreover, considerations about the role of values in science education entail the insight that, when it comes to complex socio-scientific issues, including empathy is not only useful, but actually vital. The concept of reflective equilibrium, taken from applied ethics, provides a framework for the consideration of both systematic and empathic aspects in science teaching. This undervalued approach promises to involve all students and is therefore a genuine science for all approach.


Focal cortical dysplasia (FCD), a malformation of cortical development, is an important cause of intractable epilepsy. On magnetic resonance images (MRI), FCD lesions are difficult to distinguish from healthy cortex and defining their spatial extent is challenging. We previously introduced a method to segment FCD lesions on MRI, relying on a 3D deformable model driven by MR features of FCD. In the present paper, we propose to improve our approach by adding a second evolution step which expands the result towards the cortical boundaries. A quantitative evaluation was performed in 18 FCD patients by comparison with manually traced lesion labels. The proposed approach achieved a strong agreement with the manual labels and substantially improved the results obtained with our previous method


The design of a high combining-efficiency spatial power-combined array is described in this paper. A multilayered stacked stripline architecture enables a compact stable design. An array incorporating antenna active impedance and proper amplifier matching is measured with a combining efficiency of 87%, radiating 6.8 W of an available 7.8 W into the ideal uniformly illuminated array directivity at 10.1 GHz.


Introduction: India is leading in the burden of Tuberculosis (TB) according to the new report of the World Health Organisation (WHO) on the disease. Multi-Drug Resistant TB (MDR-TB) cases have been increasing in India. About half of the world's MDR-TB cases are present in India. Aim: To assess the incidence of drug resistant TB in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh, India, in the second quarter of the year 2019 and to determine the risk factors that are responsible to develop drug resistance to anti-tubercular drugs in the study population. Materials and Methods: A Community based cross-sectional study was conducted from April 1st to June 30th in Prakasam district, Andhra Pradesh. All the registered drug resistant TB cases in Prakasam district who gave consent during the study period were taken as sample. The diagnosed drug resistant TB patients were interviewed and proportions of different variables were calculated and chi-square test was used to test significance of results. Results: Out of 209 TB patients, 88 patients were having drug resistant TB in Prakasam district. Prevalence of Drug resistant TB in Prakasam district was calculated as 5.64 per one lac population. In the second quarter of the year 2019-2020, i.e., from April 1st to June 30th, 88 new cases were identified. Incidence of Drug resistant TB in Prakasam district was calculated as 2.38 per one lac population. Male persons (76%), having the age 20-40 years (42%), 40-60 (38.7%) belonging to middle class (45.5%) and migrating for work (85%) are at more risk of developing drug resistant TB. Most of the patients are developing drug resistant TB directly (70.5%) which is an alarming signal. The rifampicin resistant patients were also developing psychological complications (22). Drug toxicity was observed in 55% of the cases. Conclusion: Incidence of drug resistant TB was more in male persons, above 20 years of age, belonging to middle class socio-economic status and migrating for work. Most of the patients developed drug resistant TB directly without previous history of TB. Drug toxicity was observed in half of the cases. Psychological complications were observed in rifampicin resistant patients. Surveillance activity should be addressed properly to combat the risk factors.


Lantana camara provides a huge amount of bioconstituents that is interest to exploit for natural products in medical field. Pentacyclic triterpenes/lantadenes and other triterpenoids from lantana exhibited a wide array of pharmacological activities having potential for the development of antitumor therapeutic agents. Leaves of Lantana demonstrated its activity in aqueous, organic solvents and solvents ratio. Bioactivity of pentacyclic triterpenoids was exhibited with hydrovaccum distillation followed by gel chromatography and its enriched fractions of Lantadene analysed by spectroscopic, chromatographic methods and by surface morphology technique. This study may exploit for rational therapy of life.


Although organic nitrates have been used in the treatment of patients with angina pectoris for more than 100 years, their mechanism of action was only disclosed during the last years. In the seventies it became already clear that nitrates act via the intracellular messenger cyclic 3,5'-guanosine-monophosphate (cGMP). Later on, S-nitrosothiols were suggested as possible intermediary messengers arising during metabolism of the nitrates. In parallel with the discovery of the endothelium-derived relaxing factor (EDRF) and its biochemical identification as nitric oxide (NO), it became clear that organic nitrates act via the release of NO in the vascular wall and thus by using metabolic pathways identical to those of endogenous EDRF. The target-enzyme for nitrates or for the NO released by them, respectively, thus is the soluble guanylylcyclase. The rate of enzymic stimulation induced by a given nitrate correlates closely with the rate of measured NO production from the nitrate molecule. The highest NO production was detected with nitroglycerin, followed by the group of dinitrates and mononitrates. In the vessel wall both endothelial cells as well as vascular smooth muscle cells can transform nitrates into NO. This might explain, why the antiaggregatory effect of nitrates is more pronounced in the presence of these cells or in vivo than it is in the absence of vascular cells in vitro. In spite of some differences in metabolism, nitrates are thus closely related by their end-product to the endothelium-derived relaxing factor and represent, therefore, an adequate substitution for NO missing in diseased blood vessels.


In this paper we propose a test compaction method for path delay faults in a logic circuit. The method generates a compact set of two-pattern tests for faults on long paths selected with a criterion. While the proposed method generates each two-pattern test for more than one fault in the target fault list as well as ordinary test compaction methods, secondary target faults are selected from the fault list such that many other faults, which may not be included in the fault list, are detected by the test pattern. Even if faults on long paths in a manufactured circuit are not included in the fault list due to a process variation or noise, the compact test set would detect the longer untargeted faults, i.e., the test set has a noise or variation tolerant nature. Experimental results show that the proposed method can generate a compact test set and it detects longer untargeted path delay faults efficiently.


A distributionally exact confidence region is derived for a relative potency estimated from several parallel line assays. This is compared with the approximate confidence region derived from the likelihood ratio statistic.


Rainfall and temperature trends detection is vital for water resources management and decision support systems in agro-hydrology. This study assessed the historical (1983–2005) and future (2026–2100) rainfall, maximum temperature (Tmax), and minimum temperature (Tmin) trends of the Ziway Lake Basin (Ethiopia). The daily observed rainfall and temperature data at eleven stations were obtained from the National Meteorological Agency (NMA) of Ethiopia, while simulated historical and future climate data were obtained from the Coupled Model Intercomparison Project 5 (CMIP5) datasets under Representative Concentration Pathways (RCP) of 4.5 and 8.5. The CMIP5 datasets were statistically downscaled by using the climate model data for hydrologic modeling (CMhyd) tool and bias corrected using the distribution mapping method available in the CMhyd tool. The performance of simulated rainfall, Tmax, and Tmin of the CMIP5 models were statistically evaluated using observation datasets at eleven stations. The results showed that the selected CMIP5 models can reasonably simulate the monthly rainfall, Tmax, and Tmin at the majority of the stations. Modified Mann–Kendall trend test were applied to estimate the trends of annual rainfall, Tmax, and Tmin in the historical and future periods. We found that rainfall experienced no clear trends, while Tmax, and Tmin showed consistently significant increasing trends under both RCP 4.5 and 8.5 scenarios. However, the warming is expected to be greater under RCP 8.5 than RCP 4.5 by the end of the 21st century, resulting in an increasing trend of Tmax and Tmin at all stations. The greatest warming occurred in the central part of the basin, with statistically significant increases largely seen by the end of the 21st century, which is expected to exacerbate the evapotranspiration demand of the area that could negatively affect the freshwater availability within the basin. This study increases our understanding of historic trends and projected future change effects on rainfall- and evapotranspiration-related climate variables, which can be used to inform adaptive water resource management strategies.


The near-wall physics and turbulence structure of a planar shear-driven three-dimensional turbulent boundary layer (3DTBL) with varying strengths of crossflow are examined in a specialized facility. Spanwise shear modifies the near-wall turbulence structure. Flow visualization reveals a reduction of mean streak length by as much as 50%, while streak spanwise spacing remains constant. Power spectra of velocity confirm this shift towards higher temporal frequencies, corresponding to decreased streamwise length scales. Particle image velocimetry (PIV) measurements indicate that the spanwise shear increases the number and strength of flow structures that interact in the inner region of the boundary layer. This leads to increased momentum transfer between low- and high-speed fluids, resulting in a thickening of the inner region of the boundary layer. In addition, the organized two-dimensional boundary layer spanwise vorticity layer along the wall surface is disrupted and forms strong vortical structures that are lifted off the wall surface and diffuse into the boundary layer with streamwise distance. The transverse vorticity experiences a similar alteration. Streamwise velocity profiles exhibit an increasing velocity deficit with increased crossflow, consistent with the thickening of the inner region of the boundary layer. Increases in the normal Reynolds stresses are associated with interaction of the secondary flow structures and modifications to vortical structures with increasing three-dimensionality and higher relative wall speed. Significant increases are observed for the most highly sheared cases with translating wall velocities 2.0 and 2.75 times the free-stream velocity. This increase in the normal stresses leads to an increase in the turbulent kinetic energy over the belt surface, which diffuses into the inner region of the boundary layer with streamwise distance. The Reynolds shear stresses also exhibit a significant increase in magnitude over the belt surface owing to enhanced turbulence production over the translating wall section. In general, three-dimensional effects are confined to the area close to the wall and the crossflow increases the interaction of secondary flow structures leading to modifications of the vorticity in the inner region of the boundary layer. These flow distortions disrupt the near-wall streak structure and result in increased levels of turbulent kinetic energy and Reynolds stresses, particularly over the translating wall section.


BACKGROUND
Optimal timing and treatment of patients with concomitant head, thoracic, or abdominal injury and femoral shaft fracture remain controversial. This study examines acute patient outcomes associated with early total care with intramedullary nailing (ETC group) versus damage control external fixation (DCO group) for multiple-injured patients with femoral shaft fractures. We propose DCO as a safe initial treatment for the multiple-injured patient with femur shaft fractures.

METHODS
This study was a retrospective review of the trauma registry and multisystem organ failure registry data at a Level I trauma center. Two cohorts were identified to compare multiple-injured patients with femoral shaft fractures treated with early total care and damage control orthopaedic surgery. Primary outcome measures included mortality, pulmonary complications (adult respiratory distress syndrome [ARDS] score), transfusion requirements, and multiple organ failure (MOF score). Operative time, estimated blood loss, intensive care unit length of stay (LOS), and hospital length of stay (LOS) were also compared.

RESULTS
During the study period, 462 patients with 481 femoral shaft fractures were identified. Of 462 patients with femoral shaft fractures, 97 met the inclusion criteria (42 ETC and 55 DCO). The DCO group had a significantly shorter operative time (22 minutes vs. 125 minutes) and less estimated blood loss from their operative procedure (37 mL vs. 330 mL). There was no significant difference between the groups for ARDS, lung scores, MOF, MOF score, intensive care unit LOS, or hospital LOS.

CONCLUSION
Fracture fixation method did not have an impact on the incidence of systemic complications in multiple-injured patients with femoral shaft fractures. Although minimal differences were noted between DCO and ETC groups regarding systemic complications, DCO is a safer initial approach, significantly decreasing the initial operative exposure and blood loss.


Along with the development of industry and economy all around the world, the traditional materials have made great achievements. But traditional materials have many disadvantages such as high cost, difficult con-struction, etc. Besides, we have to face the following problems such as air pollution, water pollution, depletion of natural resources, etc., so new materials which have better functions will play an important role in the field of civil engineering. This article is through the introduction to new materials for civil engineering to do an overview.


Understanding the uptake of nanoparticles (NPs) by different types of cellular membranes plays a pivotal role in the design of NPs for medical applications and in avoiding adverse effects that result in nanotoxicity. Yet, the role of key design parameters, such as the bare NP material, NP size and surface reactivity, and the nature of NP coatings, in membrane remodelling and uptake mechanisms is still very poorly understood, particularly towards the lower range of NP dimensions that are beyond the experimental imaging resolution. The same can be said about the role of a particular membrane composition. Here, we systematically employ biased and unbiased molecular dynamics simulations to calculate the binding energy for three bare materials (Ag/SiO2/TiO2) and three NP sizes (1/3/5 nm diameter) with a representative lung surfactant membrane, and to study their binding kinetics. The calculated binding energies show that irrespective of size, Ag nanoparticles bind very strongly to the bilayer, while the NPs made of SiO2 or TiO2 experience very low to no binding. The unbiased simulations provide insight into how the NPs and membrane affect each other in terms of the solvent-accessible surface area (SASA) of the NPs and the defect types and fluidity of the membrane. Using these systematic fine-grained results in coarsening procedures will pave the way for simulations considering NP sizes that are well beyond the membrane thickness, i.e. closer to experimental dimensions, for which different binding characteristics and more significant membrane remodelling are expected.


Background: On the one hand, hypertension is an independent risk factor for glaucoma; on the other hand, hypertension is protective by increasing mean ocular perfusion pressure (MOPP). Reduction in ocular perfusion pressure results in decreased blood flow to the optic nerve head hence plays a role in the pathogenesis of glaucoma. Low MOPP would result from reduction in mean blood pressure (MBP) and increase in intraocular pressure (IOP).

Aim and Objective: The aim of the study was to find out the association between MBP, IOP, and MOPP in normal healthy adults.

Materials and Methods: The study included 300 healthy young individuals. The BP was recorded using Mercury Sphygmomanometer and IOP recording was done using Slit lamp mounted Goldman Applanation tonometer. MBP was calculated by the formula MBP = DBP+1/3 pulse pressure. The MOPP was calculated by formula: MOPP=MBP–IOP. The subjects were divided into five groups based on the value of MBP: Group 1: 71–80 mm of Hg, Group 2: 81–90 mm of Hg, Group 3: 91–100 mm of Hg, Group 4: 100–110 mm of Hg, and Group 5: >110 mm of Hg.

Results: IOP increased linearly with increase in MBP. (P < 0.001) MOPP was positively correlated with MBP in both males (r = 0.985, P < 0.001) and females (r = 0.986, P < 0.001). The MBP is positively correlated with IOP in both males (r = 0.615, P < 0.001) and females (r = 0.668, P < 0.001).

Conclusion: Increased MBP is a risk factor for raised IOP as well as raised MOPP. Whether raised MOPP is protective against primary open angle glaucoma or not is still question of debate and needs further evaluation.


Design and Craft Educators at the Open University After dipping into the mysteries of the Open University computer recently, I was surprised to discover that there are some 500 craft and design teacher s currently registered for courses which will lead to the award of a degree. Most of these teachers are working in the Faculty of Educational Studies or in the Faculty of Technology. It is hardly surprising then that a new course entitled 'Technology for Teachers' emerged from a realization on the part of the Deans of these two faculties that the Open University system might be a useful tool in helping those teachers who wish to make their curriculum more 'technological' in content. The story goes that this inspired thought came during a discussion over a pint of beer, but the reality of the situation is that the Deans were sensitive to the national concern for the development of technological literacy amongst youngsters .


This study presents a vivid assessment of the socio-economic determinants of cocoa production, which remains the mainstay of the economic life of Meme Division. A systematic random sample of 200 households out of 153,568 was chosen in the three subdivisions that make up Meme Division. In addition, secondary information on cocoa output for 33 years (1980-2012) was obtained. The data were analyzed with the use of the Generalized Method of Moments (GMM) and Trend analyses for cocoa output show that unusual variations were experienced in some years. Based on the regression analysis on the socio-economic determinants of cocoa production, capital, labour and price, they all show a positive effect on the output of cocoa. The dummy variables (political influence and gender) have both a positive and negative influence on cocoa output respectively; however, their influences on output are insignificant. In addition, more than 61% of variations in the output of cocoa were observed to be the result of variations in these variables in our regression equation taking into consideration the number of years and the number of variables included in the analyses. Based on the findings, the study concluded that the observed socio-economic variables affect cocoa production in Meme Division but the degree and direction to which each variable affect output varies. The study recommends, among others, the need to improve on the storage facilities of farmers so as to avoid price fluctuations while the institution of an Economic Pricing Policy that will continuously stabilize cocoa prices and hence farmers' income is imperative.


This unit provides information to aid in the selection and proper use of a laboratory balance. Laboratory balances are used for measuring the mass of an object and come in two main types: mechanical and electronic. Electronic balances generally come with a computer interface to facilitate the collection, storage, and manipulation of the data. In addition to weighing objects, electronic balances also perform a range of computations, including counting objects, measuring density, statistics, and pipet volume calibration. Balances vary widely in terms of their capacity (how heavy an object they can accurately weigh), precision, accuracy, repeatability, and robustness. Understanding the various characteristics of a laboratory balance is necessary in order to be sure that the balance is well suited for your particular scientific or industrial needs. This unit also discusses the proper use and maintenance of a laboratory balance. In general, laboratory balances are relatively easy to use and require little maintenance. © 2015 by John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


The emission spectra of superluminescent diodes (SLDs) based on a multilayer quantum-well (InGa)PAs heterostructure are studied in the wavelength range from 1450 to 1650 nm. The FWHM of these spectra exceeds 120 nm in certain operating regimes. The experimental samples of light-emitting modules with output single-mode fibres are fabricated based on the SLDs studied, which produce the output power spectral density above -45 dBm nm-1 within the band over 200 nm. The spectrum of such an emitter covers the main bands (S, C, and L) of WDM telecommunication systems. The possibilities of a further broadening and flattening of the emission band of these SLDs are considered.


The increased presence of Europeans in Safavid Persia and especially in the capital city of Isfahan during the seventeenth century would imply the production of a kaleidoscope of observations of the foreigners. The scarcity of written Persian views on their European guests in contrast to the abundance of European chronicles about Safavid society has further fueled the expectation of 'oriental' apathy in modern historiography. In contrast to the discursive sources, Persian pictorial evidence of the European presence in Persia is surprisingly rich. This article focuses on a genre of Persian painting in which figural subject matter alludes to a sexual peculiarity of Europeans as observed by the people of Isfahan. The social agency of such pictures and their efficacy as historical sources allow us to tease out the different ways Safavid urban society observed the Europeans and lodged a cultural critique on aspects of their sexual behavior even before the emergence of Persian polemics on the Christian practice of celibacy.


The following case is of interest for two reasons. First, there was present the clinical picture of adhesive arachnoiditis of obscure origin. Second, the paucity of pathologic studies on Boeck's sarcoid in the central nervous system makes the observations on this patient of especial importance. REPORT OF CASE History. —A French Canadian aged 31, the operator of a small printing press, was admitted with the chief complaint of diminished visual acuity, beginning in June 1940, recurring attacks of dizziness of increasing frequency and suboccipital headaches, radiating to the frontal region. He stated that before the onset of these symptoms he had considered himself in good health, but added that he had had a nodular lesion on his upper lip (fig. 1) since February 1940. Further questioning revealed that he had had diminution of auditory acuity and tinnitus in the left ear for three months, projectile vomiting, inability to think clearly


This research discussed about The Use of Total Physical Resonse (TPR) method in teaching pronunciation of command words. The objectives of this research were (1) To find out the students' pronunciation of command words by using TPR method (2) To find out the students' pronunciation of command words by using conventional method (3) To find out the significant difference between students' pronunciation of command words by using TPR method and conventional method. This research employed quasi-experimental method with two groups pre-test and post-test design. There were two variables in this research; they were independent variable and dependent variable, while independent variable was Total Physical Response (TPR) method and dependent variable was students' pronunciation of command words. The population of this research was the second year students of MTsN 408 Binamu Jeneponto Regency academic year 2016/2017 consisting of 320 students. The sample of the research consisted of 60 students which were taken by using Cluster Sampling technique, there were 30 students from VIII A as experimental class and 30 students from VIII B as controlled class. The instrument of this research, it was English pronunciation test. Instrument test was used in pre-test and post-test. Both of the result of the data indicated that there was a significant difference between students' post-test in experimental class and controlled class. The mean score of post-test (3.53) in experimental class was greater than the mean score of post-test (2.40) in controlled class. From t-test, the researcher found that the value of t-test (4.47) was greater than t-table (2.00). Therefore, the researcher suggested that Total Physical Response (TPR) method is effective in teaching pronunciation of command words. According to Asher, TPR is effective not only because it is in accordance with the natural sequence and mode of language learning, but also because it enables learners to feel relaxed, because they are not forced to produce utterances in an unfamiliar target language.


Simultaneous ACCESS to and DISSEMINATION of electronically available PROFESSIONAL KNOWLEDGE, in a productive, Cost-of-Ownership effective, and affordable manner are now achievable. Emerging MANAGEMENT-OF-INFORMATION and SYSTEMS-INTEGRATION disciplines are essential contributing factors to devising and implementing NEW STRATEGIES for ONLINE REFERENCE LIBRARIES. Bringing integrated information closer to the ultimate user and RESHAPING the electronic databases and full-text management systems MARKETPLACE are the most significant outcomes. Key technology attributes are advancements in CD-ROM, Networking, and office automation. We have proven this concept by developing an INTERFACE between MEDLINE from COMPACT CAMBRIDGE and ALL-IN-1 from DIGITAL EQUIPMENT CORPORATION. Saved search results are automatically routed to the individual's ALL-IN-1 account where further DOCUMENT MANAGEMENT and electronic mail functions may be performed. A 486Ware system from Logicraft and a five-members VAX-Cluster (respectively), are linked in a DECNet environment that is the foundation of Children's Integrated Hospital Information System. In phase one of the project up to 8 SIMULTANEOUS USERS may access the 8 RECENT YEARS, from any one of 1500 ACCESS POINTS (local and remote), and utilize any one of 150 NETWORKED PRINTERS. Opportunities are now within reach to expand the electronic library services while utilizing progressive methods and taking advantage of the best available technologies.


Advances in the engineering of peptides, adjuvants and delivery systems have renewed the enthusiasm for peptide-based vaccination regimens in the setting of cancer, and there are a variety of clinical trials being conducted by pharmaceutical companies based on the use of peptides. The challenges to successful cancer immunotherapy are common to all immunotherapeutic strategies and not unique to peptide-based vaccination regimens. This review will describe the advances in the identification, design and delivery of peptides, the challenges to successful immunotherapy and will discuss potential options for the future.


Visual SLAM approaches typically depend on loop closure detection to correct the inconsistencies that may arise during the map and camera trajectory calculations, typically making use of point features for detecting and closing the existing loops. In low-textured scenarios, however, it is difficult to find enough point features and, hence, the performance of these solutions drops drastically. An alternative for human-made scenarios, due to their structural regularity, is the use of geometrical cues such as straight segments, frequently present within these environments. Under this context, in this paper we introduce LiPo-LCD, a novel appearance-based loop closure detection method that integrates lines and points. Adopting the idea of incremental Bag-of-Binary-Words schemes, we build separate BoW models for each feature, and use them to retrieve previously seen images using a late fusion strategy. Additionally, a simple but effective mechanism, based on the concept of island, groups similar images close in time to reduce the image candidate search effort. A final step validates geometrically the loop candidates by incorporating the detected lines by means of a process comprising a line feature matching stage, followed by a robust spatial verification stage, now combining both lines and points. As it is reported in the paper, LiPo-LCD compares well with several state-of-the-art solutions for a number of datasets involving different environmental conditions.


Additional delay is an unavoidable drawback of conventional filters used frequently in industrial electronics. This delay is particularly harmful if the filtered primary signal is to be used for time-critical feedback or synchronization purposes. Therefore, predictive signal processing methods can offer significant advantages for these real-time applications. Polynomial predictive filters are specified without explicit passbands and stopbands, and they are behaving delaylessly or predictively for smoothly varying signal components. The degree of smoothness of the incoming signal sets the requirements for the applied filtering scheme and its parameters. Smoothness of a signal is a fuzzy and application-specific concept: the degree of smoothness depends on the ratio of the bandwidth of the primary signal and the applied sampling rate, as well as the noise component. In this paper, the authors review the most important polynomial predictive filtering methods and algorithms, their design and implementation techniques, and a collection of successful applications.


Abstract A quality-made dental impression is a prerequisite for successful fixed-prosthodontic fabrication and is directly dependent on the dimensional stability, accuracy and flexibility of the elastomeric impression materials, as well as on the appropriately used impression techniques. The purpose of this paper is to provide a literature review of relevant scientific papers which discuss the use of various silicone impression materials, different impression techniques and to evaluate their impact on the dimensional stability and accuracy of the obtained impressions. Scientific papers and studies were selected according to the materials used, the sample size, impression technique, storage time, type of measurements and use of spacer for the period between 2002 and 2016. In the reviewed literature several factors that influence the dimensional stability and accuracy of silicone impression molds, including the choice of the type of viscosity, impression material thickness, impression technique, retention of the impression material on the tray, storage time before the casting, number of castings, hydrophilicity of the material, release of byproducts, contraction after polymerization, thermal contraction and incomplete elastic recovery were presented. The literature review confirmed the lack of standardization of methodologies applied in the research and their great diversity. All findings point to the superiority of the addition silicone compared to the condensation silicone.


Insight into dietary trends is important for the development and evaluation of dietary policies. The aim of this study is to describe changes in dietary intakes of Dutch adults and to evaluate these changes by age, gender, and education. In 2007–2010 and 2012–2016, two national food consumption surveys were conducted including 2106 and 1540 adults, respectively. Data collection included two non-consecutive 24 h dietary recalls. Mean habitual intakes of foods and nutrients relevant for a healthy diet of both surveys were estimated. Between the two periods the mean consumption of red or processed meat, dairy, sodium and alcohol and the ratio of whole-grain to cereal products decreased by 4–30% and the consumption of fibre and unsaturated fatty acids increased by about 3% and 6%, respectively. For most food groups, changes in consumption were comparable for both sexes and in all age groups. A healthier consumption pattern and several favorable changes were observed among higher-educated people. Most, but not all, changes in food consumption are favorable from a public health point of view. However, there is still a large potential for further improvements. A healthier consumption pattern was observed in adults with a higher educational level which calls for attention to social disparities when developing dietary policies.


The Worker Protection Standard (WPS) is a set of regulations issued by the U. S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA). These regulations are designed to protect agricultural workers and pesitcide handlers from exposure to pesticides used in the production of agricultural plants on farms, forests, nurseries, and greenhouses. This document is P119, Horticultural Sciences Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Published November 2006.


AIM AND OBJECTIVES
To explore challenges in everyday life for people with long-term cognitive effects of COVID-19 and whether a rehabilitation programme contributed to the remedy thereof.

BACKGROUND
Healthcare systems around the world need knowledge about acute COVID-19 treatment, long-term effects exerting an impact on peoples' everyday lives, and how to remedy these.

DESIGN
This is a qualitative study with a phenomenological approach.

METHODS
Twelve people with long-term cognitive effects of COVID-19 participated in a multidisciplinary rehabilitation programme. Individual semi-structured interviews were made. Data were analysed thematically.

RESULTS
Three themes and eight sub-themes emerged with respect to everyday life challenges and experiences of the rehabilitation programme. The themes were (1) Personal insight and knowledge, (2) Changed daily routines at home and (3) Coping with working life.

CONCLUSION
Participants experienced long-term effects of COVID-19 as cognitive challenges, fatigue and headaches, which affected their everyday lives, that is inability to overcome daily tasks at home and at work, maintaining family roles and relations with relatives. The rehabilitation programme contributed to a vocabulary and insights related to the long-term effects of COVID-19 and the experience of being a different person. The programme contributed to changes in daily routines, organising breaks in everyday life and explaining challenges to family/relatives and the way in which they affected daily routines and their role in the family. In addition, the programme supported several of the participants in finding the right workload and working hours.

RELEVANCE TO CLINICAL PRACTICE
We recommend multidisciplinary rehabilitation programmes inspired by cognitive remediation of long-term COVID-19 cognitive effects. Municipalities and organisations could collaborate in the development and completion of such programmes, possibly comprising both virtual and physical elements. This could facilitate access and reduce costs.

PATIENT OR PUBLIC CONTRIBUTION
Patients contributed to the conduct of the study by participating in the data collection via interviews.

CLINICAL TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER
Data collection and processing of data are approved by the Region of Southern Denmark (journal number: 20/46585).


Cd1-xMnxTe(x = 0, 0.1, 0.2) nanocrystals (NCs) have been synthesized by mechanical alloying Cd, Mn, and Se elemental powders for 40 h. Pure CdTe as well as Cd1-xMnxTe NCs shows strong ferromagnetism at room temperature, the saturation magnetization, and magnetic hysteresis loops increase with the content of substituting Mn ions within the Cd1-xMnxTe NCs. The magnetization of as-milled Cd0.8Mn0.2Te NCs has been much more improved in comparison with that of the bulk counterpart due to the quantum confinement effect.


A series of primary alcohols and aldehydes were treated with iodine in ammonia water under microwave irradiation to give the intermediate nitriles, which without isolation underwent [2+3] cycloadditions with dicyandiamide and sodium azide to afford high yields of the corresponding triazines and tetrazoles, including the alpha-amino- and dipeptidyl tetrazoles in high optical purity.


Irrespective of the type of legal liability, the right to legal aid is common and should cover administrativeviolations cases. Citizens should have a real opportunity to resort to legal aid irrespective of theirmaterial status. Increasingly, citizens cannot take advantage of the aid of defender due to the lack offunds to pay fee. The author proposes to amend Art. 25.2 of the Russian Federation AdministrativeViolations Code and the Federal Law of November 21, 2011 No 324-FZ On Free Legal Aid in theRussian Federation. The responsibility on financing measures targeting rendering free legal aid as tothe cases of administrative violations under the Russian Federation Administrative Violations Codeshould be taken by the RF, and as to the cases where administrative liability is regulated by the laws ofthe RF Constituent territories, such assistance should be ensured by the RF Constituent territories. Theauthor states that an important role in ensuring constitutional right to obtain qualified legal aid is givento judge. In the author's opinion, the Administrative Violations Code should provide the mandatoryinvolvement of a defendant in the proceedings on administrative violations. As the issue presentedrequires serious examination, legislators should develop an efficient tool of compensating expenseson paying for legal aid by claiming funds from the state or municipal body (official) which initiated theproceeding if the case terminated due to the absence of act or corpus delicti. In the author's opinion,the absence of norms in the Administrative Violations Code makes the implementation of the common principles of justice void and deprives citizens of resorting to the constitutional right of obtainingqualified legal aid. A pivotal task of Russian legislators under such circumstances is adding provisionsto Art 25 of the Russian Federation Administrative Violations Code to determine the cases of obligatoryparticipation of defender in administrative proceedings and involvement in court hearings.


Dibenzo[a,l]pyrene (DB[a,l]P), an environmental hydrocarbon and very potent carcinogen in rodent bioassays, could be activated to DNA-binding intermediates in cells through formation of three different regioisomeric bay- or fjord-region diol-epoxides or other more highly oxidized metabolites. The mechanism of metabolic activation of DB[a,l]P in the human mammary carcinoma cell line MCF-7 was elucidated by analyzing the DB[a,l]P-DNA adducts formed by [35S]phosphorothioate postlabeling, immobilized boronate chromatography, and high-performance liquid chromatography. Six DB[a,l]P-DNA adducts were detected. Comparison with those formed in cells by DB[a,l]P-11,12-diol and by reaction of DNA with syn- and anti-(benzylic hydroxyl and epoxide oxygen cis and trans, respectively) DB[a,l]P-11,12-diol-13,14-epoxide (DB[a,l]PDE) demonstrated that all DB[a,l]P-DNA adducts in MCF-7 cells were formed by these diol-epoxide isomers. Cellular DNA contained large amounts of two syn- and one anti-DB[a,l]PDE-DNA adducts and small amounts of one syn- and two anti-DB[a,l]PDE-DNA adducts. The ability of human cells to activate DB-[a,l]P to its fjord-region 11,12-diol 13,14-epoxides suggests that environmental exposure to DB[a,l]P could pose a risk for humans.


This paper presents a graphical explanation on the damping torque analysis (DTA) method. The explanation is established based on small-signal equal-area criterion of power system stability analysis. From the graphical explanation, a generalized approach for the analysis of damping effectiveness of power system control is proposed. An example is given in the paper to demonstrate how the generalized approach can be used to study the influence of STATCOM (static synchronous compensator) voltage control on the damping of power system oscillation in a multi-machine power system.


Purpose To describe the clinicopathological features, and subtypes of metaplastic breast cancer (MpBC) in Pakistan and further to understand its response to treatment, including region-specific survival outcomes. Patients and Methods This retrospective cohort study was conducted at two private tertiary care hospitals in Karachi, Pakistan. Our selection criteria included a total of 215 patients who were diagnosed with MpBC at an age older than 18 years from 1994 to 2021. Data regarding clinicopathological features, staging, receptor status, treatment modalities, recurrence, and survival was obtained. Death was scored as an event, and patients who were alive were censored at the time of the last follow-up. Results The incidence of MpBC at our study centers is 3.21%. The median age of diagnosis was 50 years (range 22 to 80 years) and most patients presented at Stages II (45.1%) and III (44.2%). Among patients who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy, 31.7% achieved complete pathological response. The 3-year survival of those who received neoadjuvant chemotherapy was 96%. During our study, 19.1% of patients died and the median survival duration was 9 years 7 months 9 days. Survival of patients was significantly lower in patients who had metastasis (p-value = 0.042) and those who had tumor recurrence (p-value = 0.001). Conclusion Metaplastic breast cancer is an extremely rare variant of breast cancer with features that exist as a spectrum. Our study demonstrated considerable success with the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The pathological complete response achieved in our study is one of the highest ever reported. Our success, though limited, warrants further research in the use of neoadjuvant chemotherapy in MpBC.


The conformation of linear polymer chains trapped in a matrix of cross-linked polymer has been measured by neutron scattering. Three regimes were found depending on the length of the linear chain, Nl, with respect to the mesh size of the network, Nc. When Nc > Nl, the radius of gyration, Rg, of the linear chain is the same as that observed in the uncrosslinked melt. When Nc < Nl, Rg shrinks according to the scaling relation Rg–1 ∼ Nc–1 that has been predicted for isolated polymer chains trapped in a field of random obstacles. When Nc << Nl the linear chains are observed to segregate.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the inhibitive role of lentivirus mediated MMP-9 gene silence in the growth of laryngeal cancer xenografts.

METHOD
The nude mouse model of laryngeal squamous carcinoma was established and RNA interference (RNAi) technic was used. Recombinant MMP-9-RNAi-Lentivirus was intratumoral injected while the empty vector lentivirus was taken as control. After the treatment, tumor inhibitive effect was observed and western-blot was used to test the expression of MMP-9 in the xenografts. Finally, the PCNA expression in xenografts were examined with immunohistochemistry to evaluate proliferation change of the Hep-2 cells.

RESULT
The average tumor weight was (1.484 +/- 0.391) g in group treated with MMP-9-RNAi-Lentivirus which was significantly lower than that (2.618 +/- 0.465) g in the control group (P < 0.05). The average tumor volume was (1.177 +/- 0.270) cm3 in group treated with MMP-9-RNAi-Lentivirus which was significantly lower than that (2.034 +/- 0.366) cm3 in the control group (P < 0.05) and the tumor inhibitive rate was 43.32%. Western-blot showed there were 7 cases of xenografts with MMP-9 protein negative expression and the other 3 cases were tested with weak positive expression in the treated group xenografts. Whereas all the 10 cases of xenografts were tested with MMP-9 positive expression in the control group. Immunohistochemistry showed PCNA index in treated group was (55.41 +/- 8.77)% which was obviously lower than that (77.04 +/- 6.91)% in control group (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSION
The growth and proliferation of laryngeal cancer could be inhibited by recombinant MMP-9-RNAi-Lentivirus.


This paper studies the strategic planning
process of an electronic business project. In
today's fast growing demand of electronic
transactions, with more people accessing the
internet worldwide, online shopping
becomes an increasingly profitable but risky
business. Selling online becomes a very
competitive business and time is a critical
factor in launching a web site for business.
This paper identifies how risks can be
minimized by proper planning and how
planning is implemented. It also describes
how to detect any changes in the marketplace
so that effective measures can be made to
avoid dropping out from competition. The
emphasis is on the planning tactics,
particularly in ensuring accurate tracking that
is specific to the e-business start up process.


The inhibitory effect of some phenothiazine neuroleptics (chlorpromazine, levomepromazine, thioridazine, promethazine and trifluoperazine) on the ability of rat peritoneal macrophages to produce O2- during phagocytosis was investigated. The superoxide radical release was estimated by measuring the luminol-dependent chemiluminescence (CL). The effect of drugs was studied in the concentration range of 0.1-100 mumol/l. Additional experiments to determine the ability of the drugs to scavenge O2- were carried out. They included measuring the effect of phenothiazines on the luminol-dependent CL in systems with enzymatically (xanthine-xanthine oxidase) and non-enzymatically (KO2) generated O2-. The ability of phenothiazines to scavenge O2- was additionally tested by a "non-luminescence" method in which the superoxide concentration was determined spectrophotometrically by the reduction of nitro blue tetrazolium to formazan. All drugs tested decreased significantly CL of stimulated macrophages at concentrations greater than 1 mumol/l. The C50 values were between 0.45 and 1.74 mumol/l. Also phenothiazines were found to act as scavengers of O2-. However, this effect occurred at significantly higher drug concentrations. The C50 values for 50% scavenging of O2- in systems with different sources of O2- were in the concentration range of 5-160 mumol/l. These results suggested that phenothiazines predominantly affected the ability of macrophages to produce O2- during phagocytosis. The findings may provide some insight into the untoward effects of the drugs tested.


Background: Dimensional changes of acrylic denture bases after polymerization results in need for further adjustments or even ends with technical failure of the finished dentures. The purpose of this study was to estimate the linear dimensional changes for different palatal depths when using multiple investment materials and polymerization techniques.
Materials and methods: Ninety upper complete denture bases were constructed for this study. They were divided into two main groups according to the polymerization methods: conventional water bath and experimental autoclave (short and long cycles). Each main group was further subdivided into three subgroups according to the palatal depth (shallow, medium and deep). Furthermore, for each palatal depth; complete denture bases were invested either with dental stone or laboratory silicone. For each upper complete denture, measurements of linear dimensional changes were done by fixation of metallic screws on the tissue surface of the denture base. The distances were measured by using travelling microscope with an accuracy of 0.001 %. The data were statistically analyzed using three way analysis of variance (ANOVA) for three variables, which were (palatal depth, investments and polymerization techniques), LSD test and student T test for comparisons between groups.
Results: There were significant improvements in the dimensional accuracy of denture bases cured with autoclave compared with water bath. Also, silicone investments were a successful alternative to stone, study data shows that short autoclave processing with silicone reduces the magnitude of the linear dimensional changes. On the other hand, long autoclave processing and stone investments were better than silicone in reducing dimensional changes.
Conclusion: The findings of this study indicates that the use of autoclave processing in acrylic curing is a promising alternative to the conventional water bath and leads to better dimensional stability for the finished dentures in all oral configurations and palatal depths. Also, Silicone is more preferable than stone, although it's not as strong investing materials when compared with stone.


Abstract Information on the extent of bushmeat hunting is needed to assess the likely impact on hunted species, to provide information on the opportunity cost to local people of conservation, and to judge the efficacy of interventions at reducing pressure. However, where hunting is illegal, or socially unacceptable, respondents may not answer honestly to direct questions about hunting or consumption of bushmeat. We adapted a specialized method for investigating sensitive behaviours (the randomized response technique, RRT) and questioned 1,851 people in Madagascar about their consumption of six species, using either RRT or direct questions. For most species at most sites RRT and direct questions returned similar estimates of the proportion of the population who had consumed bushmeat in the previous year. However, RRT resulted in significantly higher estimates of bushmeat consumption in communities surrounding a protected area, where conservation activities made such questions sensitive. RRT has been predominately used in Europe and the USA; we demonstrate that it can provide a valuable approach for studying rule-breaking among people with poor literacy in low income countries. Between 12 and 33% of people across our sites had eaten brown lemur (Eulemur spp.), and 12–29% had eaten sifaka (Propithecus spp.) in the previous year. These results add to the growing body of evidence that hunting of protected species in Madagascar is a serious problem requiring urgent action. Conservation interventions to tackle bushmeat hunting will make questions about hunting or consumption more sensitive, increasing the need for researchers to use appropriate approaches for asking sensitive questions.


OBJECTIVE
To test the hypothesis that there are significant differences in skeletal and/or dental changes between Class II subjects treated with headgear (HG) compared with those treated with HG plus maxillary acrylic biteplate (BP) discluding teeth.

SETTING AND SAMPLE POPULATION
Secondary analysis performed in Department of Orthodontics at the University of Washington. Fifty pre-adolescent Class II subjects were treated with HG as part of a randomized clinical trial (RCT) at the University of North Carolina/Chapel Hill, and 81 similar subjects were treated with HG plus a flatplane maxillary anterior BP for occlusal separation and anterior labial bow at the University of Florida as part of a separate RCT.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
This retrospective cohort study examined anteroposterior (AP) and vertical cephalometric changes in two cohorts of Class II subjects. Pre- and post-treatment cephalometric radiographs for each group were obtained from the two centers and measured for dental and skeletal changes. These data were adjusted for differences in magnification and compared using ancova, controlling for important cohort and protocol differences between the two centers.

RESULTS
Overbite and maxillary incisor inclinations were reduced significantly more in the HG/BP group. All other vertical and AP changes were not statistically significantly different between the groups.

CONCLUSION
The maxillary anterior BP with labial bow is an effective appliance for reducing overbite and retracting incisors but provides no additional AP dental or skeletal benefit over HG treatment.


Using matched data on product-level prices and the producing firm's unit labor cost, we find a moderate pass-through of current idiosyncratic marginal-cost changes. Also, the response does not vary across firms facing very different idiosyncratic shock variances, but identical aggregate conditions. These results do not fit the predictions of Mackowiak and Wiederholt (2009). Neither do firms react strongly to predictable marginal-cost changes, as expected from Mankiw and Reis (2002). We find that firms consider both current and expected future marginal cost when setting prices. This points toward impediments to continuous price adjustments as a key driver of monetary non-neutrality.


In this paper, the correlation between Japanese learning strategies and oral proficiency is examined through investigation on the oral proficiency of Japanese learners as well as current situation of their application of various learning strategies by means of a variety of statistical methods such as SPSS frequency statistics, correlation analysis and independent sample T test in order to provide empirical evidence for learners to effectively grasp and apply such oral Japanese learning strategies. Besides, Investigations are made on the differences in the application of oral language learning strategies between good and poor learners and various key learning strategies significantly correlated to Japanese oral proficiency are analyzed to help learners broaden horizons for learning strategies and adopt effective strategies to improve their oral proficiency as well as provide inspirations for learners' self-learning and classroom teaching practices.


A novel tunable optical filter with a tuning speed of 2 microsecond(s) , a tuning range of approximately 60 nm at 1.55 micrometers , and a resolution of 0.5 angstrom (6.3 GHz) has been proposed and demonstrated for application in wavelength division multiaccess computer network. The principle of operation is by positioning an optical beam emitting from an optical fiber that carries all wavelengths onto two crossed wedge etalons. Depending on the location of the optical beam incident on the etalon assembly, only a certain wavelength that matches the thickness of the etalons at that location is transmitted. The optical beam positioning is achieved by two single-axis acousto-optical deflectors. The number of channels supported by the filter is estimated to be approximately 600.


Natural ways of input greatly enhance the entertainment experience for emerging gaming systems represented by the Sony Playstation 2 EyeToy and the Nintendo Wii Console. In this paper we present a novel method of using human body gestures depth image as gaming application input. Depth images have natural advantages over grayscale or color images in terms of robustness against illumination change, texture complexity, and background interference. Our proposed method consists of three major components: depth image acquisition, mean shift based preprocessing, and HMM-based gesture recognition. We validate our method by applying it to a boxing game scenario to distinguish boxing gestures such as dodge, jab, hook, and uppercut. The experiment results indicate that our method can efficiently distinguish the subtle differences among these gestures and yield excellent accuracy (up to about 98%). The potential usage of the proposed method on gaming applications and generic human computer interaction is very promising.


Fast closed-loop-power-control (CLPC) plays a key role in direct-sequence (DS) code division multiple access (CDMA) systems, aiming at achieving acceptable carrier-to-interference (C/I) ratios in all active links. Assuming a terrestrial mobile access, where the round-trip delay may be smaller than the channel time-coherence, fast CLPC can compensate for fading and reduce the error burstiness, as well. This paper provides analytical expressions for the bit error probability given: the CLPC algorithm specified in terms of loop delay and updating rate, the propagation power delay-profile and the terminal speed. A binary PSK DS spread spectrum radio interface, with RAKE processing of multipath or diversity, is considered. Our link-level analysis, being conditioned to a specified average value of C/I, is focused on the inverse update algorithm, which is aimed at keeping the received power at a constant level. Applications of the derived method, aimed at getting insight about CLPC performance in 3rd generation radio interfaces, is also provided and discussed.


Road network connecting the various parts of the country defines the economy of the nation. This lead to vast development of road infrastructure. Intersections form a major unit of the road network. It is of utmost importance to design these intersections safely as they are the areas where maximum conflict points exist, which could otherwise lead to fatal. One such implication can be introducing roundabouts at intersections, which reduces the conflict points, thus providing greater safety and efficient traffic flow. The drivers' behavior is one of the prime factors which influence the performance of these roundabouts. No such procedure of analysis is available in Indian context to identify the performance of roundabouts. To develop such a model, initially, the parameter defining driver behavior, i.e. Gap acceptance parameters had been estimated for heterogeneity in traffic. For this purpose, data was collected from 10 sites from different regions of India, giving priority to variations in traffic and driver behavior. The critical headway was then determined using three methods, namely, Raff, Ning Wu and Maximum Likelihood, for determining the appropriate one for the model. These parameters were then utilized in deriving an equation for entry capacity in Indian context. The equation obtained satisfied the sites with high circulating flow. When compared with other existing gap acceptance models, the German model mostly over predicted the capacity as compared to developed model, while the HCM model underestimated the same.


This work aims to verify the impact of voltage dips propagated from the transmission grid on EV charging stations. Previous works in this topic have applied voltage dips directly to the terminals of the EV chargers, i.e. neglecting the transfer between the source of the dip and the EV chargers stations. Moreover, some works limited their analysis by considering only the magnitude and duration of voltage dips. This work aims to verify if the impact of dips on EV charging stations is distinct when considering the propagation and detailed characteristics of the dips. This work shows that the non-consideration of the propagation and detailed characteristics of the voltage dips might underestimate the impact on the EV charging station.


This paper discusses appropriate approaches for the investigation of classroom-based team teaching. Two studies are selected: one of them is a study about team teaching between Japanese Teachers of English (JTEs) and Assistant Language Teachers (ALTs) in English classrooms in Japan based on Quantitative approach conducted by Scholefield(1996); the other isa study about team teaching between claSs teachers and bilingual assistants in primary schools in Britain based on a Qualitative approach conducted by Martin-Jones and Saxena (1996). Although Scholefield's statistical data was gathered by means of Questionnaires returned from more than 80 JTEs, her conclusion became too generalized and did not focus on specific issues. In contrast, Martin-Jones and Saxena analysed only two classroom observations. They carefully investigated not only the classrooms themselves but also the surroundingS. As a consequence, the issue of the relationship between the class teachers and the bilingual assistants was clearly identified As a result of investigating these two studies, I have concluded that the Qualitative approach seems to be a much more appropriate means to explore the complexities of classroom-based studies.


Condition-specific competition, wherein competitive superiority varies with the abiotic environment, can determine species' distributions in a spatially heterogeneous environment. We investigated this phenomenon with two competing container-dwelling mosquitoes. We tested the hypothesis that habitat drying alters the outcome of interspecific competition, predicting that the competitive impact of Aedes albopictus on Aedes aegypti would be severe in wetter environments, but greatly reduced in drier environments. We tested these predictions in a laboratory experiment within cages, with aquatic larvae residing in water-filled cups within the cage, and adults emerging within the cage and ovipositing on the cups. We raised each species alone or with the competitor. Environmental treatments were fluctuating (water in cups evaporated to 50% of the original volume and then cups were refilled), and drying (water in cups evaporated completely and cups remained dry for two weeks before refilling). There was a significant interaction between treatment and species combination for adult populations of both species. Interspecific competition was highly asymmetrical. In the wetter fluctuating environment, interspecific competition had a large negative effect on A. aegypti, but in the drying environment, interspecific competition had a large negative effect on A. albopictus, and relatively little impact on A. aegypti. The main cause of the shift in competitive advantage appeared to be a greater increase in egg mortality for A. albopictus under dry conditions, compared to A. aegypti. Thus, mortality impinging on noncompeting life cycle stages can alter the population level impact of interspecific competition. The hypothesis that dry conditions shift competitive advantage away from A. albopictus is supported in this experiment.


The essay deals with the problem of relationship between philosophy and ritual in late antiquity and attempts at showing that their close connections in Neoplatonism were determined not only by their common anagogic and mystic aim (homoiosis theo ideal), but also by distant origins of philosophy (in the form of traditional wisdom and hermeneutics: explanations of oracles, omens, riddles, rites, and events) from the integral unit of the cosmogonical and 'seasonal' (or rather metaphysical) ritual-and-myth complexes. Philosophy in her most ancient sense and under different names can be regarded as a semitheurgic activity (framed by the particular world-model and the archaic conception of language) inseparable from the 'divinely sanctioned' law-making, ruling, healing and fighting. Even the much later syllogistic procedures and dialectical operations in some formal respect resembled ritualistic activities as if imitating certain 'rhythmical' patterns of proper behaviour in the context of the harmonious whole governed by the cosmic order or divine intelligence. Despite the welf-known prejudices of the one-sided post-Enlightenment scholars against rites and liturgies, their own zealous pedantry and strive for classifications, rules, and systems could be interpreted in the light of ancient rituals (always strict and dogmatic in every detail) and sacrifices. The integration of some religious cults, symbols, and mysteries into the body of the post-Iamblichean Neoplatonism cannot be regarded as an artificial undertaking directed against the supposed 'rationalist purity', itself partly invented by the Modern Western scholars. Rather it should be understood as the peacefulf sumphonia of the maximalfy employed human reason and ineffable divine mysteries, including all practical and contemplative (or aesthetic) sides of life.


Goa has been attracting migrants from all over the country on account of its rapid growth and prosperity. The high demand for labour and the high wage rates in Goa have resulted in an influx of migrants in the casual labour market. One of the sectors that absorbed a significant number of migrants is the construction industry. This paper traces the social networks among migrant construction workers showing different phases of the labour market, including the flow of labour market related information, entry into the labour force, allocation of work at the construction sites, friendly relations among them and the flow of credit among the migrant workers in order to meet their financial requirements. Introduction Goa was a Portuguese colony for 451 years before its liberation by the Indian Army in December, 1961. Before liberation, there was hardly any movement of people in and out of Goa. However, after its liberation and integration into the Indian Union, there has been a large inflow of migrants from other parts of India on account of its rapid economic growth. One of the sectors that have absorbed a significant number of migrants in its work force is the construction industry. This paper traces the social networks among migrant construction workers showing different phases of the labour market, including the flow of information regarding the labour market, entry into the labour force, allocation of work at the construction sites, friendly relations among them and the flow of credit among the migrant workers in order to meet their financial requirements. After the migrant worker decides to move out of his/her place of origin he/ she invariably enters the labour market with the help of social networks of the migrant labour force. These networks consist of contractors, agents, former migrants, friends, relatives and acquaintances who have already been working in Goa. Migrant networks facilitate a constant flow of migrant labour into the construction labour market. Migrant workers not only need networks to enter the labour market, but they also require networks with the locals or earlier migrants in order to have a social support system in the place of destination, in addition to the links they maintain with friends and family in their places of origin. The analysis of migrant networks will provide crucial insights into the nature of the highly unorganized construction labour market. Theoretical Understanding of Migrant Networks Migration is not just seen as an economic phenomenon but is viewed as a social one, involving collective processes and networks. Migration could also be a result of cumulative causation, it alters the social context within which subsequent migration decisions are made, typically in ways that make additional migration more likely. For example, migration changes the social definition of work. Once migrants are recruited into particular occupations in significant numbers, these jobs become culturally labelled as "migrant" jobs and native workers are reluctant to fill them, reinforcing a structural demand for migrants for these jobs (Piore 1979). The migrant workers' entry into the construction labour market is assisted by the phenomenon of cumulative causation. There are two processes of cumulative causation at work in the construction labour market in Goa. In the first, entry of migrant labour into the construction sector makes the native workers label the job as "migrant" job. Natives look down on this job and feel that it is culturally unacceptable to join the construction labour force. The withdrawal of native labourers only increases the demand for migrant labour in the construction labour market. Yet another process of cumulative causation is that the availability of surplus migrant labour brings down the wage rate (NCEUS 2007). The native labourers are not ready to work for a low wage rate and they move out of the construction labour force. …


To evaluate the effects in adults rats submitted of a low-protein, high-carbohydrate (LPHC; 6% protein, 74% carbohydrate) diet and reversion (R) to a balanced diet introduced after weaning. Research methods & procedures: Male rats weigting approximately 100g (30 to 32 d old) were treated with control (C; 17% protein, 63% carbohydrate) or LPHC diets for 120 days. The reverse group (R) was treated with the LPHC diet for 15 days, and changed to C diet for another 105 days. Results: The LPHC group showed an increase in serum fasting triglycerides (TAG). Serum adiponectin was increased only in the LPHC group. Lipoprotein lipase (LPL) activity was decreased in the extensor digitorum longus (EDL) and cardiac muscles. The adiponectin receptor 1 content is the same among groups in the cardiac muscle, but it is lower in the EDL muscle in the LPHC group. In animals from the R group, these parameters are the same as the LPHC group. Thus, the LPHC diet administered for a long period, it promotes an increase in TAG. It is possible that there is adiponectin resistance in the EDL muscle, due to the lower LPL activity. The reversal of the LPHC diet did not normalize these parameters.


This article studies simulation optimization methods for the stochastic economic lot scheduling problem. In contrast with prior research, the focus of this work is on methods that treat this problem as a black box. Based on a large-scale numerical study, approximate dynamic programming is compared with a global search for parameters of simple control policies. Two value function approximation schemes are proposed that are based on linear combinations of piecewise-constant functions as well as control policies that can be described by a small set of parameters. While approximate value iteration worked well for small problems with three products, it was clearly outperformed by the global policy search as soon as problem size increased. The most reliable choice in this study was a globally optimized fixed-cycle policy. An additional analysis of the response surface of model parameters on optimal average cost revealed that the cost effect of product diversity was negligible.


The effect of quercetin (QUER) binding on bovine serum albumin (BSA) thermal denaturation was systematically investigated by means of differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Additional information concerning thermodynamic and structural binding parameters was provided by isothermal titration calorimetry (ITC) and molecular docking. The most relevant effect of QUER is manifested in the modification of the two-step thermal fingerprint of protein denaturation. Higher QUER concentrations result in a single-step denaturation thermogram, ascribed to the interplay between specific and nonspecific binding and enhancement of the solvent unfolding action. Analysis of ITC data indicate sequential binding of two molecules of QUER occurring spontaneously at different binding sites of BSA involving hydrophobic, electrostatic and hydrogen binding forces. Identification of QUER binding sites was possible through corroboration of DSC runs in the presence of site markers and molecular docking. Modeling of ligand-protein interaction confirmed the experimental data. On one hand, a neutral form of QUER binds in a nonplanar conformation to Sudlow's site I, a large hydrophobic cavity of subdomain IIA of BSA and decreases its thermal stability. On the other hand, a second molecule of QUER, the anionic form, is bound in planar conformation to Sudlow's site II, situated in the subdomain IIIA of the folded protein, and increases the thermal stability of the corresponding structural domain of the protein.


The Faddeev-Popov gauge fixing in Yang-Mills theory is interpreted as equivariant localization. It is shown that the Faddeev-Popov procedure amounts to a construction of a symplectic manifold with a Hamiltonian group action. The BRST cohomology is shown to be equivalent to the equivariant cohomology based on this symplectic manifold with Hamiltonian group action. The ghost operator is interpreted as a (pre)symplectic form and the gauge condition as the moment map corresponding to the Hamiltonian group action. This results in the identification of the gauge fixing action as a closed equivariant form, the sum of an equivariant symplectic form and a certain closed equivariant 4-form which ensures convergence. An almost complex structure compatible with the symplectic form is constructed. The equivariant localization principle is used to localize the path integrals onto the gauge slice. The Gribov problem is also discussed in the context of equivariant localization principle. As a simple illustration of the methods developed in the paper, the partition function of N=2 supersymmetric quantum mechanics is calculated by equivariant localization E-mail: email@example.com


In the present work, we investigated the alternating current (AC) etching of aluminum wires with the aim of fabricating catalyst supports. This support material was found to possess a spongy surface layer that could be subsequently filled with γ-alumina by a combination of hydration and calcination. These support wires are easily fabricated at low cost, and could be mass produced continuously. The integrated structure of the catalyst produces a strong interconnection between the wire substrate and a thick catalyst layer on the wire. This work also demonstrated that the diffusion inside the catalyst layer can be controlled by varying the etched structure of the support layer. A micro-structured catalytic wall reactor concept was developed using these wires, situated parallel to one another within a tubular device, such that microchannels were present between the wires. The steam-reforming of methanol was assessed in this type of microreactor. [doi:10.2320/jinstmet.J2018001]


The recent development in pretrained language models that are trained in a self-supervised fashion, such as BERT, is driving rapid progress in natural language processing. However, their brilliant performance is based on leveraging syntactic artefacts of the training data rather than fully understanding the intrinsic meaning of language. The excessive exploitation of spurious artefacts is a problematic issue: the distribution collapse problem, which is the phenomenon that the model fine-tuned on downstream tasks is unable to distinguish out-of-distribution sentences while producing a high-confidence score. In this paper, we argue that the distribution collapse is a prevalent issue in pretrained language models and propose noise entropy regularisation (NoiER) as an efficient learning paradigm that solves the problem without auxiliary models and additional data. The proposed approach improved traditional out-of-distribution detection evaluation metrics by 55% on average compared to the original fine-tuned models.


ing spectrum with increasing of the pumping current. Within the limits of the free-running cw generation regime (I, = 120 mA), no evidence of chirping in the spectrum is observed. The modal chirp appears when passing to the mode-locking regime (I, = 130 mA), and its value increases with pumping current. As mode-locking develops, the laser spectrum becomes markedly asymmetric (I, = 150 mA). This effect can be explained by the fact that the dispersion of the laser active medium decreases with wavelength. At I, = 150 mA, the minimal value of time-bandwidth product ATAV = 0.52 was registrated. It should be noted that the optical pulses obtained are not transform-limited ones due to the chirp effect and it is possible to compress them in a medium with a proper dispersion. With further increase in pumping current (I, = 170 mA), the lasing spectrum broadens (with the corresponding increase in the time-bandwidth product) and becomes symmetric again, which is supposedly due to gain saturation for longer wavelength modes. An important advantage of the lasers investigated is that their entire spectrum lies in the amplification band of erbiumdoped fibers. Being combined with fiber amplifiers, these lasers could serve as a source of soliton pulses with a very high repetition rate. It should be also noted that the measurement of laser characteristics was being carried out during approximately 50 hours of operation under cw pumping and no degradation of spectra or pulse parameters was observed. CW passive mode-locking was observed for the first time in InGaAsP laser diodes with saturable absorber regions created by the ion implantation. Optical pulses of 650 fs width at 110-GHz repetition rate were obtained in the spectral range of 1.53-1.54 pm. No changes in spectra and autocorrelation traces were observed after 50 hours of cw operation. *Institute of Physics and Technology, Russian Academy of Sciences, 26 Politekhnicheskaya str., St. Petersburx 194021