The standard partial molar volumes, V(∞)(i,T), of 12 univalent ions (alkali metal, ammonium, halide, nitrate, and perchlorate) and five divalent ions (alkaline earth and sulfate) in water at 125, 150, 175, and 200 °C and at 2 MPa were derived from the data of Ellis. Similar data for NH(4)(+) and NO(3)(-) at 0-100 °C, not included in Part 4, were added, derived from his data too. The (negative) electrostrictive volumes, ΔV(elstr)(i,T), of these ions at infinite dilution were obtained from the shell-by-shell calculation of the electrostriction according to Marcus and Hefter that takes into account the mutual dependence of the relative permittivity of the water around the ion and the electrical field strength at it. The expanded volumes of the ions, defined as V(Expan)(i,T) = V(∞)(i,T) - ΔV(elstr)(i,T), were then derived and compared with their intrinsic volumes, calculated according to Glueckauf. The calculation yields also the spatial extension of the dielectrically saturated region around the ions. The numbers of water molecules, the molar volume of which is affected by the ions at infinite dilution, were estimated from the ratio of ΔV(elstr)(i,T) and V(Wel)(T), the latter being the average molar electrostriction of the water in the vicinity of the ions.


Tunable Fano-like resonances are demonstrated numerically in a single Fabry-Perot resonator made of a bent single-mode waveguide. The resonances are shown to arise from the strong coupling between the fundamental mode of the core and a whispering gallery mode of the cladding. The tuning is realized by changing the bend radius of the waveguide. The influence of all major parameters of the resonator on its transmission and reflection spectra is illustrated and discussed. We believe that the presented results open up a new degree of freedom in designing bent waveguide-based refractometers, as well as other photonics elements utilizing cladding modes in bent single-mode waveguides.


The last years have been an exciting period for the field of the Cosmic Microwave Background (CMB) research. With recent CMB balloon-borne and ground-based experiments we are entering a new era of 'precision' cosmology that enables us to use the CMB anisotropy measurements to constrain the cosmological parameters and test new theoretical scenarios.


Ebola virus (EBOV) has caused outbreaks of severe viral hemorrhagic fever in regions of Central Africa where medical facilities are ill equipped and diagnostic capabilities are limited. To obtain a reliable test that can be implemented easily under these conditions, monoclonal antibodies to the EBOV matrix protein (VP40), which previously had been found to work in a conventional enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay, were used to develop an immunofiltration assay for the detection of EBOV antigen in chemically inactivated clinical specimens. The assay was evaluated by use of defined virus stocks and specimens from experimentally infected animals. Its field application was tested during an outbreak of Ebola hemorrhagic fever in 2003. Although the original goal was to develop an assay that would detect all EBOV species, only the Zaire and Sudan species were detected in practice. The assay represents a first-generation rapid field test for the detection of EBOV antigen that can be performed in 30 min without electrical power or expensive or sensitive equipment.


Increasing interest in the use of the deep subsurface for disposal of industrial waste requires that both the practitioner and the governmental regulatory body be assured that injection is not harming the environment. There are three principal areas of interest in monitoring subsurface injection systems: (1) the well, (2) the surface equipment, and (3) the subsurface. Minimum monitoring function for the well requires measurement of wellhead injection pressure and of injection tube-casing annulus pressure; definition of corrosive effects of the waste on the well materials; in some cases, bottomhole monitoring of injection pressure; and the location of a conductor-insulator interface. Monitoring of the surface equipment should include records of the injection-pump discharge pressure, the rate and cumulative measurement of injected volume, injecta temperature and quality, and the corrosive-erosive effects of the injected stream upon the materials of construction. Because the real purpose of the monitoring process is to establish that the waste is going where it is intended to go--and remaining there--an examination of the subsurface takes on special importance. The requirements will vary depending on the geographic location, the properties of the waste, the subsurface geology, and the design and construction of the disposal well itself. An occasional monitoring requirement is the drilling of one or more wells to the disposal formation to obtain pressure data and, perhaps, fluid samples. Although there is some purpose for monitor wells of this type where relatively shallow formations are used for disposal, the use of such wells to obtain measurements in deep aquifers may not serve a purpose commensurate with the expense and possible hazards tha may result.


The techniques for measuring the bulking factor of rock mass in subsidence area have never been well known all over the world. The volumetric expansion ratios obtained from blasting operation were the only way of acquiring the bulking factor of rock mass. The bulking factor of rock mass obtained from blasting operation, however, has been seldom classified in a certain criterion. Also the bulking factor of rock mass can be very dependent upon rock types. In order to overcome this limitation obtained from these reasons, the authors studied the experimental bulking factor of rock mass according to the stacking shapes as well as the overburden stresses. Gneiss, limestone and shale were chosen for testing specimens, and each bulking factor has been measured with laboratory test of applying a constant load on the fragmented rock specimens.


In Japan, the attitudes of the public and the medical profession have created problems with regard to the management of pain, especially the use of opioid analgesics. Japan Partners Against Pain (JPAP®) was formed in 2003 by a small group of concerned physicians who wanted to change the attitudes of the medical profession and the general public by providing education and information. JPAP® has grown rapidly from its initial 11 members to over 1,700 members in 2007, almost half of whom are doctors, while most of the remainder are nurses or pharmacists. Under the title of 'Pain Academy', JPAP® provides lectures and seminars for the health care professions based on a special slide kit that was developed for education about pain management. JPAP® also provides information and seminars for patients, their families, and the general public, as well as media briefings. It publishes booklets for patients and a quarterly newsletter for members, and runs two popular websites (one for members only and one for the public). Furthermore, JPAP® sets up information booths at conferences on pain management, and has established a special support network for palliative care teams. Over the next 5 years, JPAP® hopes to continue and expand such activities, so that eventually all Japanese realize that pain can, and should, be treated effectively.


Formation fluids from the San Joaquin basin can be divided into three geographic provinces based on {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr ratios and Sr concentrations. Connate marine fluids from the central basin have {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr ratios between 0.7070 and 0.7080, and Sr concentrations between 15 and 200 mg/l. These results are interpreted in terms of the mixing of Tertiary seawater Sr with Sr derived from Sierra Nevada plagioclase by dissolution and albitization reactions. Fluids from albitized reservoirs can be further distinguished by both elevated Sr concentrations and strongly modified Ca/Na ratios. Meteoric fluids from the eastern flank of the basin have {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr rations between 0.7061 and 0.7077, and Sr concentrations less than 2 mg/1. The isotopic ratios suggest that plagioclase dissolution is the dominant source of Sr in these fluids. Fluids from the southern basin have anomalously high {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr ratios (>0.7080), although Sr concentrations are comparable to fluids from the central basin. Stable isotopic and chemical data show that the southern basin fluids are of marine or mixed marine-meteoric origin. The elevated {sup 87}Sr/{sup 86}Sr ratios suggest that an Sr source more radiogenic than Sierran plagioclase is involved in the evolution of these waters to a muchmore » larger extent than elsewhere in the basin. Possible Sr sources include Tertiary marine carbonate, detrital smectite, and K-feldspar. The fluid provinces outlined here limit the scale of lateral fluid communication to distances less than 10 km. Isotopic variations also occur within individual fields; in these cases, the scale of fluid communication may be much smaller.« less


The usual goal of particle accelerators is to deliver high luminosity to experiments. The information from BLMs helps in the tuning of the machines for the high beam currents and long lifetimes necessary for improved luminosity. Beam loss may result in damage to accelerator components or the experimental detectors. A task of the BLM system is to avoid such damage; in some accelerators it is an integral part of the protection system, signaling a beam abort system to fire if a certain loss rate is exceed (Ref. 1, 2, 3). This is of vital importance to the Generation of superconducting accelerators, for which beam losses in the superconducting components may lead to a quench, resulting in a shut-down of accelerator operation during the quench recovery procedure, as well as possible damage to the components. Another task of BLM systems is to identify of the position (and time) of unacceptable losses. This often indicates the source of the problem in the machine. A BLM system provides a fast way to determine the position of aperture restrictions and semitransparent obstacles in the accelerator, and helps to keep the radiation level in the accelerator and its surroundings as low as possible.


This policy note analyses the evidence on the various equity issues relating to the participation and completion of elementary school education in India is based on the data collected by the national sample survey (NSS) and national family health surveys (NFHS), the latest year being looked at is 1998-99. this documentation of state-wise regional, community, gender and income inequities therefore do not take into account the progress made by states in reducing the inequities under the district primary education program (DPEP) program for the last 8 years. in fact, some of the issues which comes out of this study and needs attention is probably already addressed under some of the new programs already being undertaken by the MHRD, such as the sarva shiksha abhiyan (SSA). however, by filing these issues in a systematic manner, we hope to draw continued attention to the status of these issues in the programs.


Feature selection often involves two conflicting objectives of minimizing the feature subset size and the maximizing the classification accuracy. In this paper, a multi-objective artificial bee colony (MOABC) framework is developed for feature selection in classification, and a new fuzzy mutual information based criterion is proposed to evaluate the relevance of feature subsets. Three new multi-objective feature selection approaches are proposed by integrating MOABC with three filter fitness evaluation criteria, which are mutual information, fuzzy mutual information and the proposed fuzzy mutual information. The proposed multi-objective feature selection approaches are examined by comparing them with three single-objective ABC-based feature selection approaches on six commonly used datasets. The results show that the proposed approaches are able to achieve better performance than the original feature set in terms of the classification accuracy and the number of features. By using the same evaluation criterion, the proposed multi-objective algorithms generally perform better than the single-objective methods, especially in terms of reducing the number of features. Furthermore, the proposed fuzzy mutual information criterion outperforms mutual information and the original fuzzy mutual information in both single-objective and multi-objective manners. This work is the first study on multi-objective ABC for filter feature selection in classification, which shows that multi-objective ABC can be effectively used to address feature selection problems.


Objective: To present a rare case of breast cancer associated with both inflammatory muscle disease and liver disease as a paraneoplastic syndrome. Clinical Presentation and Intervention: A woman with breast cancer presented with elevated liver enzymes and progressive proximal muscle weakness. Liver biopsy was consistent with hepatitis and muscle biopsy revealed myositis. The start of corticosteroid therapy was followed by relief of the myopathic symptoms and regression of hepatitis histopathologically. Conclusion: A case of polymyositis and hepatitis associated with breast cancer and their flare-up with recurrence of malignancy is presented. In this case, the temporal relation with malignancy following its concurrent remission and relapse suggests a paraneoplastic mechanism.


Action researchers and for instance the democratic dialogue of Bjorn Gustavsen have previously used Habermasian theory. As will be shown there are major problems with connecting Habermas to action research and critique will especially be put on the democratic dialogue of Bjorn Gustavsen. However, interactive research has not before been discussed from a Habermasian perspective. I will argue for interactive research as well suited for a connection to Habermasian theory. Interactive research is discussed primarily in accordance to the following themes in Habermas theory of communicative action: system and lifeworld, the idea of an ideal speech situation through validity claims and the concept of a virtual actor. The result shows that Habermasian thinking and interactive research can be a successful combination. With a Habermasian perspective interactive research can still be conducted with and not on participants in research. The Habermasian inspired interactive researcher becomes a virtual actor both observing and taking part in language processes. Further, the virtual actor has to obey the same validity claims as the participants in the research process. The only difference between the virtual actor and the participant is that the virtual actor will not engage in the goal-oriented actions of the group. This is however confirmed in interactive research were the goal-oriented actions of the research is put in the background and focus instead lies on the joint learning process. Mutual analyze seminars, observations and focus groups are tools which can be used in Habermasian inspired interactive research. Finally, an interactive research through lifeworld integration appears.


A simple, rapid, sensitive and precise High Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) method has been developed for the estimation of cefetamet in bulk and tablet dosage form. In this method, RP-C18 column (150 mm x 4.6 mm I.D., 5 7m particle size) with mobile phase consisting of acetonitrile, methanol and phosphate buffer (pH 3.60) in the ratio of 50 : 20 : 30 v/v/v in isocratic mode was used. The detection wavelength is 236 nm and the flow rate was 0.8 mL/min. In the range of 5-25 7g/mL, the linearity of cefetamet shows a correlation coefficient of 0.9995. The proposed method was validated by determining sensitivity, accuracy, precision and system suitability parameters. The method is simple, fast, accurate and precise and hence, it can be applied for routine analysis of cefetamet in bulk drug and its tablet dosage form.


ABSTRACT Purpose: to verify whether students screened with altered auditory temporal processing are more likely to present altered visual processing. Methods: the sample consisted of 68 children, aged from 9 to 12 years, 53% males, from the 5th and 6th grades of a public school. All children with alterations in the audiological or ophthalmological evaluation were excluded. The Duration Pattern Test (screening for auditory temporal skill), the Reading Perceptual Scale (visual stress symptom questionnaire and colored overlays selection) and the Rate of Reading Test (number of words correctly read per minute) were used. Appropriate statistical tests were applied adopting the significance level lower than 0.05. Results: participants screened with abnormal auditory processing had higher visual stress symptoms and lower reading rate, with a significant and moderate effect (p< 0.05; d< 0.71), when compared to their peers with normal auditory processing. Among the children with altered Duration Pattern Test, 58% improved the reading rate with the use of colored overlays, whereas 29% did so in the control group (Odds Ratio = 3.4, p = 0.017). Conclusion: children screened with altered auditory temporal processing presented a three times higher possibility of association with visual processing alterations, due to shared magnocellular system.


This paper provides a novel combination of methods to preprocess and extract features from retinal images, in order to get structures such as the vessel tree and the optic disc, and diagnose retinopathy. A model based approach was developed, making extensive use of LBG vector quantization and elements provided by mathematical morphology as investigation tools. The proposed algorithm was tested against the DRIVE database hand-labeled ground-truth, scoring an overall 93.2% correspondence on vessel tree search algorithm, 81.3% on the optic disc localization, 85% specificity and 78% correspondence on the disease detection.


Millions of children and adults tell themselves or are told by others to stop procrastinating, start concentrating, sit still, finish what they started, and get organized. But what appears to be a matter of self-discipline is for many a neurological problem. Now two doctors reveal the impact precise diagnosis and treatment can have.


The authors report a case of pure macular oedema. After ruling out all other etiologies, the diagnosis of schistosomiasis due to Schistosoma mansoni was established, with parasitologic and serologic proofs. The specific treatment was followed up by a progressive restoration associated with an acute increase of eosinophila. The question of ocular damages in schistosomiasis is exposed according to the existant litterature: 1) Presence of schistosoma eggs in the ocular area. 2) Presence of adult schistosome in the eyeball. 3) Ocular troubles assumed to be in relation with the presence of adult worm or to larva.


ABSTRACTSubject description representing the contents of library materials is one of the key processes that support the retrieval of materials. Quality of the latter relies on the quality of the subject description of library materials. If they are represented poorly or inadequately, the quality of the searching will likewise be poor. Inappropriate assignment of indexing terms can lead to unsuccessful retrieval – users cannot find relevant materials. The quality of subject description can be improved by studying numerous factors that could affect it. The author raises a question: Can the quality of subject description be affected by the library management, which is not directly connected to the process of subject description? In the article the connection between the quality of subject description and the management is studied. The concept of quality is represented, the quality of subject description is defined and factors that affect it quality are analyzed. The author analyzes the quality of subject description and its factors from the point of view of four basic managerial functions: planning, organizing, personnel management and controlling. On the basis of the analysis and logical connections between the quality of subject description and the management the author concludes that quality of subject description depends on the management, too.


Purpose:To evaluate the type and cause of orbital blowout fractures in Korea. Design:Retrospective, observational case series. Methods:Patients who underwent reconstruction for blowout fracture from March 2004 to April 2013 at Korea University Guro and Ansan Hospitals were included in this study. Patient demographics and orbital computed tomography (CT) scans were reviewed. On CT, ethmoid air cell septa, blowout fracture type, and other combined fractures were analyzed. Blowout fracture was classified as affecting up to 4 areas: the floor lateral to the infraorbital canal, the floor medial to the canal, the maxilla-ethmoidal strut ("inferomedial" strut), and the medial wall. Furthermore, trauma type and associated injury were reviewed. The results of adolescent patients and adult patients were compared, as were those of males and females. Results:The study included 659 eyes of 659 patients; mean patient age was 31.01 ± 14.27 years. In total, 513 (77.85%) patients were male and 146 (22.15%) were female. The most common blowout fracture type was medial wall fracture, followed by floor wall, floor and medial wall without inferomedial strut, and floor and medial wall fracture with inferomedial strut, in that order. Interestingly, patients with floor wall blowout fracture were younger (26.87 ± 12.90 y) than other groups: medial wall fracture (32.35 ± 14.64 y, P < 0.0001), floor and medial wall fracture (35.22 ± 14.49 y, P < 0.0001), and floor and medial wall fracture involving the maxillaethmoidal strut (32.62 ± 13.75 y, P = 0.002). The number of ethmoidal air cell septa was lowest in the medial wall fracture group (3.62 ± 0.67): floor wall fracture (4.07 ± 0.69, P < 0.0001), floor and medial wall fracture (3.90 ± 0.78, P < 0.0001), and floor and medial wall fracture involving the maxilla-ethmoidal strut (4.05 ± 0.72, P = 0.001). Conclusions:Our study demonstrated that the blowout fracture type distribution in Korea varied from the results of many other studies. Medial wall fracture is the most common among the 4 types, and anatomic variance, such as number of ethmoid air cell septa, could influence blowout fracture type, especially in medial wall fracture.


Glutathione S-transferases, a family of enzymes that catalyze the conjugation of glutathione to a variety of substrates, are present in rat epididymis. In order to study the hormonal regulation of these enzymes in this tissue, adult rats were orchidectomized and implanted with empty or androgen-filled polydimethylsiloxane capsules. Orchidectomy alone significantly decreased caput-corpus epididymal glutathione S-transferase activity toward 2 substrates, 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and trans-4-phenylbut-3-en-2-one, but had no effect on transferase activity toward the third substrate, 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene. In contrast to these results, orchidectomy did not alter glutathione S-transferase activity towards these substrates in the cauda epididymidis. Androgen replacement with testosterone prevented the orchidectomy-induced decrease in caput-corpus glutathione S-transferase activity toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene and trans-4-phenylbut-3-en-2-one and had no effect on transferase activity toward 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene. The effects of 5 alpha-reduced metabolites of testosterone were also studied. Both dihydrotestosterone and 5 alpha-androstan-3 alpha, 17 beta-diol maintained caput-corpus glutathione S-transferase activity toward 1-chloro-2,4-dinitrobenzene, although a lower dose of dihydrotestosterone was sufficient; these 1 androgens were unable to maintain activity toward trans-4-phenylbut-3-en-2-one and caused a suprastimulation of activity toward 1,2-dichloro-4-nitrobenzene above control values. The third 5 alpha-reduced androgen studied, 5 alpha-androstan-3 beta, 17 beta-diol had no effect on the transferase activity toward any of the 3 substrates. These results demonstrate that the epididymal glutathione S-transferases are under separate control and are differentially regulated by testosterone and its 5 alpha-reduced metabolites.


Deep fracture zones in Finnish crystalline bedrock have been isolated for long, the oldest fluids being tens of millions of years old. To accurately measure the native microbial diversity in fracture-zone fluids, water samples were obtained by isolating the borehole fraction spanning a deep subsurface aquifer fracture zone with inflatable packers (500 and 967 m) or by pumping fluids directly from the fracture zone. Sampling frequency was examined to establish the time required for the space between packers to be flushed and replaced by indigenous fracture fluids. Chemical parameters of the fluid were monitored continuously, and samples were taken at three points during the flushing process. Microbial communities were characterized by comparison of 16S ribosomal genes and transcripts and quantification of dsrB (dissimilatory sulfate reduction) gene. Results suggest that fracture-zones host microbial communities with fewer cells and lower diversity than those in the drill hole prior to flushing. In addition, each fracture zone showed a community composition distinct from that inhabiting the drill hole at corresponding depth. The highest diversity was detected from the 967-m fracture zone. We conclude that the applied packer method can successfully isolate and sample authentic microbial fracture-zone communities of deep bedrock environments.


Antigius jinpingi , new species, is described from Taiwan, which Theclini fauna has been investigated extensively. The sister species of the new taxon is presumed to be A. butleri , a species distributed in the Asiatic continent and Japan. The larval host plant of A. jinpingi is unknown, but the most likely candidate is Quercus dentata , a deciduous oak with a rel-ictual distribution in Taiwan.


At optical frequencies, the features of a zone plate are electrically large, so geometrical and scalar theories are adequate for their analysis. At microwave and millimeter-wave frequencies, however, this is often no longer true, and a full electromagnetic analysis is required to obtain accurate results. In this paper, the body-of-revolution finite-difference time-domain (BOR-FDTD) method is used to study the performance of the grooved-dielectric, phase-correcting Fresnel zone plate antenna. Graphs are presented that examine the effect of various parameters on the focusing ability of these antennas, such as the focal length F, the diameter D, the number of full-wave zones N, and the number of subzones per full-wave zone P. This information should be useful to the designers of these antennas.


Two properties that delimit the useful temperature range of synthetic lubricating oils are the vapor pressure and viscosity. This study investigates the ability of fluid theory to model these two properties for diesters with different diacid chain length and alcohol branching, triesters consisting of triglycerides and a trimethylol propane ester, and nonpolar oils including aromatic hydrocarbons, a polyalphaolefin, and two branched alkanes. Within each type of oil there are structural isomers. Isomerism influences the vapor pressure and viscosity, in addition to the well-known dependence on molecular weight. The expressions for the vapor pressure and viscosity are combined using the absolute rate theory of Eyring and equilibrium thermodynamics. A modification of the rate theory allowing for a rotational contribution to the flow-activation entropy was needed to simultaneously fit the vapor pressure and viscosity data between −20 and 100°C. The flow-activation rotational entropy, calculated from the combined vapor pressure and viscosity data, is a significant contribution to the viscosity. This analysis provides the background for molecular dynamics simulation to assist in designing new low viscosity and vapor pressure synthetic oils. Presented at the 55th Annual Meeting Nashville, Tennessee May 7–11, 2000


Abstract The fairly new VIX ETPs have been promoted for providing effective and easily accessible diversification, while at the same time having large negative returns. We examine the economic value of using VIX ETPs for diversification of stock–bond portfolios. Our analysis begins in 2009, when the first VIX ETPs are introduced, and therefore only considers the period after the recent financial crisis. For investors with a constant allocation strategy, the diversification benefits of the VIX ETPs do not offset their negative returns. This implies negative economic value of a constant allocation. For a dynamic allocation strategy, including short VIX ETPs in the investment opportunity set can have substantial positive economic value.


Background/Aims: Hyperbaric oxygen (HBO) therapy is used in the treatment of several disorders. Little is known about the effects of HBO treatment on corneal thickness. The aim of this study was to investigate the effect of HBO treatment on central corneal thickness. Methods: Thirty-two subjects (18 males and 14 females, mean age 57.3 ± 16.7 years) undergoing HBO treatment were consecutively enrolled. The subjects were assigned into diabetic (n = 16) and nondiabetic groups (n = 16). Best-corrected visual acuity was recorded before HBO treatment, and anterior and posterior segment examinations were performed on a slit lamp biomicrosope. Central corneal thickness was measured with an ultrasonic pachymeter before and immediately after HBO treatment, which lasted 120 min at 2.4 atmospheres absolute with three 30-min oxygen and two 5-min air breathing periods. Results: HBO treatment did not change the central corneal thickness in diabetic subjects (547.6 ± 34.5 vs. 548.6 ± 34.6 µm; p = 0.606). In nondiabetic subjects, however, the central corneal thickness was significantly reduced after HBO treatment (576.5 ± 34.8 vs. 569.0 ± 34.8 µm; p < 0.001). Conclusion: A single exposure to HBO treatment reduced the central corneal thickness in nondiabetic subjects but not in diabetic subjects. However, the change in central corneal thickness was minor.


We consider the complexity of the sphere decoding (SD) algorithm when decoding a class of full rate space-time block codes that are optimal, over the quasi-static MIMO channel, with respect to the diversity-multiplexing tradeoff (DMT). Towards this we introduce the SD complexity exponent which represents the high signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) exponent of the tightest run-time complexity constraints that can be imposed on the SD algorithm while maintaining arbitrarily close to maximum likelihood (ML) performance. Similar to the DMT exposition, our approach naturally captures the dependence of the SD algorithm's computational complexity on the codeword density, code size and channel randomness, and provides simple closed form solutions in terms of the system dimensions and the multiplexing gain.


In contemporary colleges and universities, the economics major plays an important role in higher education teaching. Teachers of economics major use various and diversified teaching methods to educate and guide students under the direction of rigorous and scientific teaching principles, which is not only conducive to the creation of a new ecology and a new model of contemporary higher education, but also the promotion of an all-round development of the modernization of contemporary higher education.


Background and objectives: Iran is one of the major date-producing countries and not only has a long history in this field, but also it currently has the second grade of Date production in the world. Therefore, the cultivation and production of Dates in Iran is of particular importance both nationally and for the inhabitants of the producing provinces. In this regard, planning for optimal utilization of production resources such as soil and lands for development of the yield in the country has a special place. Consequently, evaluation of land suitability and utilization of lands in proportion to their potential and capacity for specific land use seems an important solution. However, one of the necessities of land suitability assessment is to determine the crop requirements of the plants such as the status of the soil as a production bed. The objective of this study was to investigate the effect of soil characteristics on Date yield and their rating for use in land suitability evaluation studies. Materials and methods: First, 91 palm Date orchards were selected with diversity of soil and yield in Kerman, Fars, Khuzestan, Hormozgan and Bushehr provinces, in each garden, a soil profile was studied and a land use questionnaire completed. Physicochemical and fertility analyses were carried out on the collected soil samples. Multivariate regression was investigated between yield as dependent variable and independent variables including salinity, percentage of exchangeable sodium, pH, gypsum, calcium carbonate equivalent, clay, sand, silt, gravel, available potassium and phosphorus by stepwise method. Then, by checking the relations of simple regression between the important and effective characteristics with yield, related equations and diagrams were drawn and the rating of land characteristics set. The proposed crop requirement table was evaluated and validated using soil and yield data of 20 orchards. Results: Results showed that potassium, sand percentage, soil salinity, ESP and CaCO3 had the highest and soil organic carbon content and pH had the least variation. Maximum amount of lime and gypsum was 74 and 17% and soil texture varied from sandy to clay, respectively. Regression results showed that independent variables including soil salinity, ESP, CaCO3, gypsum, gravel, available potassium and phosphorus were effective on yield, respectively. The determination coefficient of multivariate regression indicated that the variables entered into the model can determine 79% of the variance related to the dependent variable. In simple regression equations, soil salinity, ESP, gypsum, CaCO3 and gravel had a decreasing effect and organic carbon, available phosphorus and potassium had increasing effect on yield. The highest contribution to the decline in Date yields was related to soil salinity, gravel, ESP and calcium carbonate. Conclusion: The coefficient of determination between yield and soil index obtained from the proposed soil and landscape requirements table for the Date was about 0.79 which showed acceptable accuracy of the prepared table. Soil salinity, ESP, gypsum and calcium carbonate limit for Date palm were determined 8 dS/m, 12, 8 and 38 percent, respectively.


ABSTRACT The therapeutic efficacy of KP-103, a novel topical triazole, in a guinea pig tinea unguium model was investigated. Experimental tinea unguium and tinea pedis were produced by inoculation of Trichophyton mentagrophytes SM-110 between the toes of the hind paw of guinea pigs. One percent solution (0.1 ml) of KP-103, amorolfine, or terbinafine was topically applied to the nails and whole sole of an infected foot once daily for 30 consecutive days, and terbinafine was also orally administered at a daily dose of 40 mg/kg of body weight for 30 consecutive days, starting on day 60 postinfection. The fungal burdens of nails and plantar skin were assessed using a new method, which makes it possible to recover infecting fungi by removing a carryover of the drug remaining in the treated tissues into the culture medium. Topically applied KP-103 inhibited the development of nail collapse, significantly reduced the fungal burden of the nails, and sterilized the infected plantar skin. On the other hand, topical amorolfine and topical or oral terbinafine were ineffective for tinea unguium, although these drugs eradicated or reduced the fungal burden of plantar skin. The in vitro activities of amorolfine and terbinafine against T. mentagrophytes SM-110 were 8- and 32-fold, respectively, decreased by the addition of 5% keratin to Sabouraud dextrose broth medium. In contrast, the activity of KP-103 was not affected by keratin because its keratin affinity is lower than those of the reference drugs, suggesting that KP-103 largely exists in the nails as an active form that was not bound to keratin and diffuses in the nail without being trapped by keratin. The effectiveness of KP-103 against tinea unguium is probably due to its favorable pharmacokinetic properties in the nails together with its potent antifungal activity.


This work deals with energy efficient indoor climate control in office buildings, with an emphasis on implementability. More specifically, the aim is to suggest and evaluate improvements to building automation systems that are sufficiently simple and efficient to be realistic alternatives to commonly-used systems. The approach is focused on a technology that generates control signals by anticipating the influence of measured indoor climate disturbances, and this principle was evaluated for automating heating, cooling and ventilation on central as well as local building levels.

The work was conducted through a combination of simulations in Simulink® and experiments in a laboratory environment. Each part has its own purpose in the whole, and the procedure follows a systematic and holistic structure. While some studies deal with technologies for measuring disturbances using few standard-type sensors, other focus on finding relevant ways for transforming this information into control signals without involving extensive algorithms or many parameters. Altogether, most practical aspects and relevant applications are addressed in order to provide an as complete picture of the research topic as possible.

The general methodology was to re-create typical working days through office-like activities in office-like environments, and to repeat the same period with a suggested and conventional indoor climate control system. As both control systems were constrained to fulfill a desirable indoor climate, their performances were measured by the associated energy usages of the heating, ventilation and air-conditioning (HVAC) system. Furthermore, the influences of several conditions such as building structure, office room type, working activity and ambient climate are considered in the work. The investigated variants appear in pairs and were selected to cover most relevant configurations regarding some specific aspect. Using this approach, the aim is to spread the investigation so that most real scenarios can be found within the range of results.

The combined results show that realizable technologies are sufficient to reduce the HVAC energy usage considerably, at the same time as a desirable indoor climate is achieved. It was moreover found that the largest potential benefits are allocated to ventilation system automation. Even a simple supply air temperature control strategy has the ability of reducing total energy usage with up to 30 % compared to a conventional outdoor temperature-compensated approach. Further, a single parameter controller for ventilation rate automation on room level can result in that up to 50 % less air is required for maintaining a desirable indoor climate.


Postoperative delirium is a major problem in elderly patients undergoing surgical repair of hip fracture. It is imperative to identify potentially treatable preoperative factors associated with the onset of postoperative delirium to optimize outcome. We sought to determine what preoperative variables are associated with postoperative delirium in geriatric patients undergoing surgical repair of hip fracture. In a prospective, IRB-approved study, patients admitted to the geriatric hip fracture service were examined daily in the hospital for the occurrence of postoperative delirium. All patients with a preoperative diagnosis of dementia or delirium were eliminated. A positive confusion assessment method score ([+]CAM) was used to determine the presence of postoperative delirium during the acute hospital stay. To determine the association between preoperative variables (demographics, laboratory values, and comorbidities) and postoperative (+)CAM scores, &khgr;2 and logistic regression analysis were performed with calculation for the odds ratios (OR). One-hundred-sixty-eight patients (72% women) were included in the analysis. Twenty-eight percent (n = 47) of patients had a (+)CAM score. Three variables were significant predictors of a (+)CAM score: (a) normal white blood cell count (OR, 2.2), (b) abnormal serum sodium (OR, 2.4); and (c) ASA physical status >II (OR, 11.3). The results suggest that preoperative medical conditions (abnormal serum sodium and ASA physical status >II) and an inability to mount a stress response (normal white blood cell count) may influence the patient's postoperative mental status. In particular, two of the risk factors we identified may be amenable to therapy and are abnormal serum sodium and lack of an increase in white blood cell count during the stress of trauma and surgery.


Blindness is a major problem in the society which made difficult for the person to lead his/her day-to-day life. The proposed system will detect, track and analyze the approaching objects and alert them to avoid collision. The PI camera and the Ultrasonic sensor sense the type and distance between the person and the object. The contactless temperature sensor senses the temperature of the object contactless manner using infrared rays. The GPS sensor tracks the route and location of the blind and the ESP8266 connects with the cloud for Realtime monitoring of the blind. The Vibrating motor and the buzzer alert the person when the safety limit is exceeded. The proposed system uses Raspberry Pi and Arduino Uno microcontroller. The beeping and the vibration are varied according to the distance and temperature of the object. This proposed system will make the life of blind less difficult.


We study the two-dimensional multiphase Muskat problem describing the motion of three immiscible fluids with equal viscosities in a vertical homogeneous porous medium identified with $\mathbb{R}^2$ under the effect of gravity. We first formulate the governing equations as a strongly coupled evolution problem for the functions that parameterize the sharp interfaces between the fluids. Afterwards we prove that the problem is of parabolic type and establish its well-posedness together with two parabolic smoothing properties. For solutions that are not global we exclude, in a certain regime, that the interfaces come into contact along a curve segment.


A charging system for a mobile robot includes the mobile robot that is battery-driven and moves in a self-controlled way within a work space, and a charging station for accommodating the mobile robot for a battery charging operation. The charging system includes visible recognition data arranged in a predetermined location of the charging station, an image pickup unit mounted on the mobile robot, a calculating unit for calculating a range and a bearing from the mobile robot to the charging station, based on an image picked up by the image pickup unit, and a searching unit for causing the mobile robot to search for the charging station, based on the calculation result provided by the calculating unit. Since the mobile robot searches for the charging station using a camera for recognizing the visible recognition data, a charging operation is automated.


Abstract This manuscript aims to research the thermal buckling of saturated thick (Timoshenko) nanobeams under different boundary conditions using Fourier sine and cosine series for the first time. The equation of motion and related boundary conditions are derived by using the kinematic relations of shear deformation (Timoshenko beam) theory to contain the shear effect. Consequently, the rotary inertia and transverse shear strain are considered through the mathematical analysis. Fourier sine and cosine series are used to compute the critical buckling temperature of the thick saturated nanobeam with deformable boundaries. To check the validity of the presented method, the developed Fourier series method with Stokes' transformation is applied to validate the thermal buckling of rigidly supported thick nanobeam by giving the proper values to spring parameters. In particular, the presented analytical procedure can also be degenerated to the thin Euler-Bernoulli nanobeam by assigning proper value to shear correction factor. Influence of the deformable boundary conditions, small scale parameter and the saturated parameter (porosity coefficient) on the thermal buckling temperature are discussed in detail. The theoretical models and eigen-value formulation presented herein should also be served to solve the thermal stability response of different micro sized-structures with various temperature effects and supporting conditions.


The Regional Medium-Term Development Plan (RPJMD) as a mandatory document in the planning process carried out by local governments is one of the vital documents that determines the future development direction of an area. The purpose of this study was to determine the policy evaluation strategy aimed at the Regional Medium Term Development Plan (RPJMD) for the 2011-2016 period, with the locus of Cianjur Regency. The strategy that can be carried out by the Cianjur Regency government refers to the Priority scale pattern which is based on the calculation results of the Analitycal Hierarchy Process (AHP), which essentially follows the pattern; (1) dimension of perception equation, (2) dimension of accuracy, (3) dimension of equalization, (4) dimension of responsiveness. (5) the dimension of adequacy, (6) the dimension of efficiency, (7) the dimension of effectiveness. The results showed that in order to increase people's purchasing power and create a prosperous South Cianjur community, the Regional Government and DPRD of Cianjur Regency are expected to be able to increase synergy, both in the form of coordination and collaboration, especially in relation to the preparation of the Regional Medium-Term Development Plan in the coming period by making road infrastructure development one of the Cianjur Regency Development Missions. This is very important to do, so that road infrastructure development gets serious attention from various stakeholders.


In this paper, air-coupled impact-echo is successfully applied for nondestructive evaluation of concrete. The air-coupled sensor is a small (6.3 mm diameter) measurement microphone located several centimeters above the top surface of the concrete being evaluated. Unwanted ambient acoustic noise is attenuated by a specially designed sound insulation enclosure. Test results show that air-coupled sensors are effective for impact-echo when appropriate impactors are used. Impact-echo data obtained by air-coupled sensors are equivalent to those obtained by conventional contact sensors. Test results from concrete slabs containing artificial delaminations and voids are reported, where an air-coupled impact-echo scan is conducted over the entire slab area. Defects are located in the generated two-dimensional contour image. The areal size of defects are accurately determined when the measurement point spacing in the scan is smaller than half of the expected defect size. Test results from air-coupled impact-echo scans carried out over internal metal and plastic ducts within another concrete slab are also reported. The goal of the experiment is to investigate the grouting condition inside the ducts. Impact-echo line scan images differentiate poorly grouted sections from the well-grouted sections within the metal duct.


The degradation of transconductance (G) of a gate-modulated generation current IGD in a LDD nMOSFET is investigated. The G curve shifts rightward under the single electron-injection-stress (EIS). The trapped electrons located in the gate oxide over the LDD region (QL) makes the effective drain voltage diminish. Accordingly, the G peak in depletion (GMD) and that in weak inversion (GMW) decrease. It is found that ΔGMD and ΔGMW each have a linear relationship with the n-th power of stress time (tn) in a dual-log coordinate: ΔGMD ∝ tn, ΔGMD ∝ tn (n = 0.25). During the alternate stress, the injected holes neutralize QL induced by the previous EIS. This neutralization makes the effective VD restore to the initial value and then the IGD peak recovers completely. Yet the threshold voltage recovery is incomplete due to the trapped electron located over the channel (QC). As a result, GMW only recovers to circa 50% of the initial value after the hole-injection-stress (HIS). Instead, GMD almost recovers. The relevant mechanisms are given in detail.


Biofilms, ubiquitous in nature, are three-dimensional complex microbial communities sheathed in a self-secreted extracellular polymeric matrix. Infections caused by these communities have sprouted as serious threats to global healthcare systems due to their intrinsic tolerance toward conventional antibiotics. There is a huge demand for alternative "cutting-edge" materials featuring strong antibiofilm abilities to mitigate and/or exterminate pre-matured biofilms. Natural or synthetic macromolecule-based compounds have evolved as one of the most sought-after materials because of their unique stimulus-directed selective targeting efficiency to the bacterial cell, antibiotic-encapsulation ability endowing them with a synergistic effect, and highly dense embedded cationic functionalities that promote accumulation within the biofilm. In this comprehensive review, we aim to highlight the progress made in inhibiting or eradicating bacterial biofilms using various forms of polymeric material including cationic and charge-switchable macromolecules, conjugated polymers, polymeric metal nanocomposites, hydrogels, and supramolecular polymers. We particularly emphasize understanding the underlying antibiofilm mechanisms of each presented example ushered in by state-of-the-art synthetic strategies. Lastly, focusing on bench-to-bedside, the review is concluded by providing some forthcoming aspects and possible future development directions to expand polymer-based antibiofilm research, keeping their clinical translations in mind.


This research is intended to understand the impacts of ethnocentrism and stereotypes on the ICRs among students of higher education. Qualitative research method was used in data collection and analyses. The instruments were observation, interview, and FGD. 43 research participants were purposefully selected. The findings reveal that ethnic, cultural and religious dislikes on campuses are manifested in acts ranging from hateful speeches to physical violence. Besides, both verbal disputes and physical confrontations are the results of wrong perception, misunderstanding on certain issues, criticism, misbehavior, defamation, inflammatory words, wrong attributions, indirect domination, undermining cultures of other, humor, disrespect, ideological differences, lack of unity among students etc. Ignorance of the others" cultures, religions and identities, ethnocentric attitudes, bias, supporting political parties along ethnic lines and exaggerated group differences are, thus, the major causes of ICRs problems among the students. On top of these, the disturbing counterattacks consisting of incidents of bigotry and intergroup strife are also prevalent. Hence, these affect the integrity and performance of the students that will affect the society at large.


This study investigated the mediating and moderating effects of teacher preference on the relationship between behavior problems and peer victimization. The subjects were 520 children in the fifth and sixth grades. Children completed peer nominations that assessed peer victimization. Teachers rated children's internalizing, externalizing problems and teacher preference. The full mediating effect of teacher preference was found in externalizing problems and the partial mediating effect was found in internalizing problems. Moreover, the moderating effect of teacher preference was found only in internalizing problems, which suggests that high teacher preference protects internalizing problems from peer victimization.


The expression of Kit, the receptor for stem cell factor (SCF), on bovine peripheral blood cells (PBCs) was examined by using monoclonal antibodies against the bovine Kit protein. Flow cytometric analysis showed that approximately 1.5% of PBCs expressed Kit. In cytospin preparations, the morphology of most Kit+ PBCs was similar to that of large lymphocytes. Subsets of Kit+ PBCs coexpressed CD3, IgM, and/or CD11b but not CD14 or G1. SCF did not induce the proliferation of Kit+ PBCs in vitro. These results indicate that Kit is expressed on subsets of lymphocytes in bovine peripheral blood, but the ligand of Kit, SCF, does not directly induce the proliferation of this cell population.


In this paper, a tuned controller of variable reactors is developed to realize a reliable tieline reconnection of microgrids. It is very useful to solve the problem caused by synchronization issue during tieline reconnection, especially in absence of large-area communication network to cover all microgrids. The theoretical fundamental of this method is analyzed, based on which a set of tuning process of variable reactors' controller are derived. The feasibility and effectiveness of this tieline reconnection method with tuned controller is analyzed and verified by simulations. This method can greatly improve the transient stability of non-conventional grid, which consists of multiple microgrids and require an ability of frequent reliable reconnections, and limit system oscillation to less than 50%. The tieline reconnection controller can be easily integrated with power flow control into existing variable reactor devices at low cost. And the tuning process of the controller is simple and suitable for industrial applications.


The paper consists of two parts: (1) A brief history of the manner in which the treatment arose and a description of the methods now used. (2) An analysis of the cases treated from 1921 until the present time. The treatment of pelvic inflammations by heating by the diathermy current arose out of the method of treating gonococcal infections of the cervix and urethra by this current. An essential part of the treatment is in many cases the treatment of the cervical infection. Diathermy treatment of gonococcal infection was founded upon the fact that the gonococcus is vulnerable to small rises of temperature above the normal. Before the war Dr. E. P. Cumberbatch found that recovery of gonorrhœal arthritis could be procured by heating the affected joints by diathermy. During 1919 the method of heating the cervix and urethra by means of metal electrodes introduced into them to rid them of gonococcus was arrived at. The maximum temperature to which cervix and urethra are heated is 115° F. The duration of the application is ten minutes and the number of repetitions is generally from three to eight. It was found that in cases of gonococcal arthritis it was necessary to treat the cervix only, recovery from the arthritis then taking place. Recovery from arthritis due to infection of the cervix by other organisms than gonococcus, was found to occur and in such cases there was recovery from cervicitis and erosion. When salpingitis was present in cases of gonococcal and other infections of the cervix, a method of producing a milder and more general heating of the pelvic contents was introduced. This was to some extent founded upon the known effects of heating the infected prostate. The temperature produced in the neighbourhood of the electrode is 106° F. The applications last twenty minutes. Tables summarizing the clinical results are attached.


Depression is a common psychiatric comorbidity in patients with epilepsy, especially those with temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE). The aim of this study was to assess changes in high mobility group box protein 1 (HMGB1) expression in epileptic patients with and without comorbid depression. Sixty patients with drug-resistant TLE who underwent anterior temporal lobectomy were enrolled. Anterior hippocampal samples were collected after surgery and analyzed by immunofluorescence (n = 7/group). We also evaluated the expression of HMGB1 in TLE patients with hippocampal sclerosis and measured the level of plasma HMGB1 by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. The results showed that 28.3% of the patients (17/60) had comorbid depression. HMGB1 was ubiquitously expressed in all subregions of the anterior hippocampus. The ratio of HMGB1-immunoreactive neurons and astrocytes was significantly increased in both TLE patients with hippocampal sclerosis and TLE patients with comorbid depression compared to patients with TLE only. The ratio of cytoplasmic to nuclear HMGB1-positive neurons in the hippocampus was higher in depressed patients with TLE than in nondepressed patients, which suggested that more HMGB1 translocated from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in the depressed group. There was no significant difference in the plasma level of HMGB1 among patients with TLE alone, TLE with hippocampal sclerosis, and TLE with comorbid depression. The results of the study revealed that the translocation of HMGB1 from the nucleus to the cytoplasm in hippocampal neurons may play a previously unrecognized role in the initiation and amplification of epilepsy and comorbid depression. The direct targeting of neural HMGB1 is a promising approach for anti-inflammatory therapy.


To describe the mechanical behavior of a soft pneumatic actuator, we present a nonlinear rod theory, which recognizes the chamber pressurization as contribution to the resultant contact forces and couples. Accordingly, the pressure actuation can be considered as part of the rod's constitutive laws, which relate the contact interactions with the rod's kinematics and the chamber pressures. The theory allows for nonlinear constitutive laws, which are capable of describing strengthening or softening behavior of largely deformable materials. The theory was applied to a three-chamber actuator to predict its centerline as well as the cross-section orientations in static equilibrium. The resulting governing equations were spatially discretized using beam finite elements. We evaluated four different actuator models that are contained in the presented theory regarding describability and predictability of the end effector position. Existing rod models with linear elastic material laws can describe the tip-displacement with an averaged deviation of 9.1 mm in the training set and 11.4 mm in the test set. With a deviation of 2.8 mm and 4.9 mm in the training and test set, respectively, the most enhanced model, for which the pressure chamber radii increase with increasing pressure, is more than 2 times more accurate.


The present study aimed to define the concept and goals of coexistence between religions, and to clarify the most important factors affecting the achievement of coexistence between religions, and define the role Education in promoting the values of coexistence between religions. And offer some proposals to enhance the role of education in promoting the values of coexistence between religions. The results indicated that education has a major role in promoting the values of inter-religious coexistence among members of society. And that coexistence between religions has become necessary today. And that the teacher plays a great role in consolidating the values of coexistence and acceptance of others who differ with us in thought or belief. And that coexistence between people is a universal year that God Almighty wanted for His servants of different colors, religions, thoughts, and beliefs.


Introduction: The concept of Empowerment in nursing has been increasingly used and analyzed in academic literature. It is a concept that nurses, leaders and managers of healthcare institutions should be interested in and should greatly explore. The perception that nurses have of Empowerment plays a decisive role in the organizational results, in the increase in professional autonomy, in collective and individual power increment and in patients' healthcare providing. Objectives: To evaluate nurses' perception of Empowerment (Psychological and Structural); to identify the factors that will influence this kind of perception and to reflect on the consequences of that perception.Methods: Quantitative study, based on a sample composed of 269 nurses, mainly female (76,6%), aged between 21 and 59, with a 40,36 years old average age. 68.8% of the participants have a college degree and are working in a hospital in the Beira Alta region, in Portugal.Results: In nurses, the perception of Psychological Empowerment is associated with the perception of Structural Empowerment. Older nurses and nurses who have a longer nursing career show higher competence and lower opportunity. Nurses who have spent a longer period of time in their current services show higher competence but less opportunity, information, support and, globally, a lower Structural Empowerment. In this professional category, specialist nurses' opinion about information, resources and informal power is quite different from the one felt by the other nurses.Conclusion: Nurses show high levels of Psychological Empowerment and low levels of Structural Empowerment.


Herpes zoster ophthalmicus (HZO) is a viral condition that presents as a painful vesicular rash in the trigeminal nerve dermatome. In some cases, self-limiting extraocular muscle palsies may occur several weeks after the onset of HZO and last for weeks to months. A 71-year-old man developed a debilitating binocular horizontal diplopia and ptosis about four weeks after the onset of HZO symptoms. He had no uveitis, keratitis, or changes in visual acuity. Examination revealed left abducens palsy and ptosis. Symptoms resolved within eight weeks without any intervention.


Effective treatment of traumatic subcutaneous hematomas is important to avoid complications, including skin necrosis, infection, scarring, hyperpigmentation, tissue edema, and prolonged recovery. Hematoma treatment may include evacuation followed by application of a skin substitute. Given the challenges associated with conventional skin substitutes, a fully-synthetic, resorbable, electrospun matrix composed of hybrid-scale fibers may offer a new option for treating hematomas. The present study reports on two clinical case reports assessing the use of the synthetic hybrid-scale fiber matrix for the treatment of hematomas. The hematomas located on the pretibial leg and dorsal foot were debrided in the operating room with evacuation of the hematomas, and the synthetic matrix was applied to the wounds. Following treatment, the wounds were observed for healing progress, including measuring and photographing the wounds and documenting clinical observations. The synthetic hybrid-scale fiber matrix was re-applied as needed based on clinician discretion. In both cases, treatment following the use of the synthetic hybrid-scale fiber matrix resulted in complete healing. Complete closure of all wounds was observed after two to three applications of the synthetic matrix within six to 16 weeks, and no adverse events were noted. In this study, hematomas of the foot and the leg demonstrated successful healing following treatment with the synthetic hybrid-scale fiber matrix. The successful clinical outcomes suggest that this biomaterial may offer benefits as part of a new treatment paradigm for hematomas and warrants further investigation.


Abstract Intertidal wood and decaying Rhizophora mucronata prop roots were collected from five mangrove stands in Mauritius. The higher marine fungi on the samples were identified and their percentage occurrence noted. Sixty-seven fungi were recorded from the intertidal wood samples. Lulworthia species were the dominant fungi on wood at all of the study sites. Forty-eight fungi were identified from dead parts of Rhizophora mucronata prop roots. The dominant fungus on the prop roots at each study site differed. The fungal communities on prop roots were slightly different from those on intertidal wood. The ascomycetes were the dominant group at all study sites. The diversity and occurrence of fungi at each of the study sites are compared and discussed in relation to the prevailing environmental conditions. Most of the taxa reported in this study are new records for Mauritius.


s Objectives: We assessed whether combination of summed stress scores (SSS) using exercise myocardial perfusion SPECT (Ex-SPECT) and a maximal heart rate accurately predicts cardiac events as a sub-analysis of J-ACCESS (Japanese Assessment of Cardiac Events and Survival Study by Quantitative Gated SPECT) which was conducted to evaluate the prognosis in Japanese patients with suspected ischemic heart diseases. Methods: In J-ACCESS, 2,373 patients with suspected coronary artery disease without beta-blockers treatment underwent Ex-SPECT. These patients were categorized as following 4 A target and We evaluated the incidence rate of cardiac events including cardiac myocardial infarction, and heart for Results: In patients with group A, B, C, and D, 9 of 631 (1.4%), 15 of 612 Conclusions: The combination of SSS using Ex-SPECT and the maximal heart rate is the useful predictor of cardiac events in patients with suspected coronary artery


OBJECTIVE We examined trends in diabetic ketoacidosis (DKA) at diagnosis of type 1 diabetes at a large pediatric diabetes center between 2010 and 2017, overlapping with the Affordable Care Act's overhaul of U.S. health care. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Colorado residents <18 years old who were diagnosed with type 1 diabetes from 2010 to 2017 and subsequently followed at the Barbara Davis Center for Diabetes were included. Logistic regression models were used to test associations among age, sex, race/ethnicity, insurance, language, year of diagnosis, and rural/nonrural residence and DKA at diagnosis. Linear regression models were used to test the association of each predictor with HbA1c at diagnosis. RESULTS There were 2,429 subjects who met the inclusion criteria. From 2010 to 2017, the rate of DKA increased from 41 to 58%. It increased from 35.3 to 59.6% among patients with private insurance (odds ratio 1.10 [95% CI 1.05–1.15]; P < 0.0001) but remained unchanged (52.2–58.8%) among children with public insurance (1.03 [0.97–1.09]; P = 0.36). In the multivariable model, public insurance (1.33 [1.08–1.64]; P = 0.007), rural address (1.42 [1.08–1.86]; P = 0.013), and HbA1c (1.32 [1.26–1.38]; P < 0.0001) were positively associated with DKA, whereas age, race/ethnicity, sex, and primary language were not. CONCLUSIONS The increase in the rate of DKA in patients with newly diagnosed type 1 diabetes was driven by patients with private insurance. This paradoxically occurred during a time of increasing health insurance coverage. More study is needed to understand the factors driving these changes.


As brand is increasingly important as a competitive source and information and communication technology based on Internet is rapidly advanced, many companies have paid attention to online brand community that is expected to help strengthen the customer's awareness on their products and services. This study suggests four factors-interaction, purpose, playfulness, reward-that facilitate online brand community commitment, and examines the effect of online brand community commitment on brand loyalty from the perspective of social identity theory. For this purpose, 243 sample data were collected from three online brand community sites and the proposed research model was empirically tested using LISREL 8.7 based on structural equation model. In conclusion, this study proposed theoretical and practical implications along with its limitations and future studies.


This study examined the equivalence of the Child Behavior Checklist/1 1/2-5 (CBCL/1 1/2-5) in 682 parents of 2- to 4-year-old children stratified by parent race/ethnicity (African American, Latino, and non-Latino White), family income (low vs. middle-upper), and language version (Spanish vs. English). Externalizing Scale means differed by income and child gender. Internalizing Scale means differed by income and parent race/ethnicity. Differential item analyses showed that few items functioned differently by racial/ethnic, language, and income group. A confirmatory factor analysis demonstrated that the Externalizing Scale provided a good fit with the data across racial/ethnic and income groups. However, model fit was improved for the Internalizing Scale when factor weights were allowed to vary. Findings support the equivalence of the CBCL/1 1/2-5 when used with parents of low-income preschool children from African American and Latino backgrounds, although further study of the factor structure for the Internalizing Scale is recommended.


Our paper investigates the extent of capital market co-movements between three emerging markets– Czech Republic, Hungary and Poland – and three developed markets from the European Union - Austria, France and Germany. We test whether an increase in correlations between the six markets took place in recent years, as revealing higher integration of capital markets in the region. We find a statistically significant positive trend in cross-market correlations between 1999 and 2008, before the emergence of the global financial crisis. Movements in national stock markets are not fully synchronized, but increases in market volatilities lead to increases in cross-country correlations. There is a long-term relationship between some of these countries' capital markets, and information is transmitted from one market to the other. Our findings confirm previous studies and lead to the conclusion that stock markets from Central and Eastern Europe became more integrated with the developed markets in European Union.


Study design and objective: This is an in vitro experimental study. It was performed to show the effect of gamma radiation on human peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) compared with that of ordinary light. Method: First of all, PBMCs were separated and incubated in specialized culture medium to form a cell pool. Tow sample groups were prepared; one containing phytohemaggluttinin (PHA) from which three subgroups; A, B and C each with 30 samples were prepared. The effect of gamma radiation on PBMCs (group A samples) was tested against that of ordinary light (group B) and a control (group C). Another set of samples was prepared similarly, but without PHA. These two groups were incubated under standardized conditions (37°C and 5% CO2). Wet film for direct cell counting 24 hourly and Gemsa staining technique examined by inverted microscope to predict the growth curve, cell count and structural changes induced by irradiation. Results: There was a significant reduction in PBMCs counts in group A, compared to group B and C samples. Furthermore, the growth curve showed prolonged lag phase and delayed and shortened log phase in group A samples. In addition, there were more PBMCs structural changes including anisocytosis, ghost cells and abnormal mitotic figures. These finding were restricted to PHA-containing samples rather than the PHA-free set. Conclusion: The effect of gamma irradiation, represented by reduction in cell count and structural abnormalities, in vitro, was shown to be specific for activated PBMCs (i.e) exhibited on the actively dividing mononuclear cells.


Although technological proliferation is a reality in a 4IR world, and has immense potential to increase the efficiency and quality of work, it is accompanied by workplace practices that there is no benchmark for. These practices have the potential to unsettle traditional work routines, traditional work/non-work boundaries, and to disturb peoples' work life balance irreparably. Against this backdrop, this paper explores the parameters of morally acceptable organisational practices in terms of usage and expectations of ICT's. Through adopting a Critical scholarly stance, this paper dialectically investigates the nature of work and the importance people associate with it, the ways in which technology impacts work and peoples' lives, and uncovers how technology enables control over labour in a capitalist society. The effect the current technological explosion has been far reaching and is effecting every sphere of life. As we try to make sense of 4IR, we are also redefining our different contexts and the role technology and ICT play in each of these. We are noticing a definite blurring of spaces that, not too long ago, had distinct parameters.


An historical overview of experimental economics points out significant analogies between its origins and the contemporary emergence of game theory. In both cases, their effective introduction in economics was postponed until the 1960s. Such a delay cannot be ascribed to the supposed division between empirical and theoretical work but to the fact that in the 1950s experimental methodologies, such as game theory, were mainly developed by scholars of other social sciences which forced a re-examination of the prevailing postulates of economic theory. This interdisciplinary community gave rise to two different approaches: the socio-psychological one represented by experimental games, and the economic-managerial one represented by business games. Although both approaches were an outgrowth of game theory, the prevalence of the first had important consequences on subsequent developments.


Immediate neurological deficits as a complication of aortic surgery occur as the direct result of hypoxia, related to the acute deprivation of spinal cord blood supply inflicted by prolonged aortic cross-clamping (AXC). The etiology of spinal cord ischemia constitutes a series of progressive interdependent events which include proximal hypertension, increase in cerebrospinal fluid pressure, perioperative hypoten sion, inadequate perfusion to critical intercostal or lumbar vessels, extent of aortic pathology and duration of AXC. Several intraoperative interventions and strategies, which address the multifactorial nature of cord injury, are presented by the authors. Of critical importance is the role of adequate distal aortic perfusion, with either left atrium-femoral artery (LA-FA) bypass or arterial-arterial passive shunts, to control both central hypertension, through proximal unloading, and hypotension distal to AXC. Equally crucial is the increase in CSF pressure, secondary to proximal hypertension, which acts antagonistically to distal aortic pressure in regulating spinal cord perfusion pressure (SCPPI. Cerebrospi nal fluid drainage (CSFDI reduces CSF pressure to offset SCPP to favor cord perfusion. Pharmacological agents, such as papaverine and steroids in combination with CSFD, produce a synergistic benefit of extending the time interval of safe AXC. Encouraging results have also been realized with circulatory arrest and profound hypothermia which reduce oxygen demand of neural tissues and extend the safe duration ofAXC interval. The use of distal bypass is most effective with CSFD as an integral component of a multimodality approach, which also incorporates the intraoperative monitoring of somatosensory evoked potentials (SSEPI, to detect the onset of spinal cord ischemia and assess the adequacy of distal aortic perfusion and disposition of critical segmental vessels.


Looking for an early immune defect assay in non metastatic (MO) squamous cell lung carcinoma, 48 untreated patients were tested at the time of diagnosis for peripheral blood "active" rosette-forming T lymphocytes, delayed cutaneous hypersensitivity to recall antigens and skin reactivity to phytohemagglutinin (PHA). 32 patients had a resectable tumour (group 1) and 16 patients had a loco-regional extension which made the tumour inoperable (group 2). No significant difference (p greater than 0.05) was observed between any of the two groups of patients and normal controls nor between group 1 and 2 for "active" rosettes and skin tests to recall antigens. However, skin reaction to PHA was significantly impaired in patients of both groups compared to normal age-matched controls whatever the dose of PHA (4 microgram and 10 microgram). The number of unreactive patients in group 2 was higher than in group 1, but the difference was not significant (p greater than 0.05). It is concluded that skin reactivity to PHA is an useful and easy assay for cell-mediated immunity deficiency in early squamous cell lung carcinoma, whereas "active" rosettes are not altered.


The tea-oil tree Camellia oleifera is native to China and is cultivated in many parts of southern China. This plant has been grown for over 2,000 years, mainly for its high-quality cooking oil. Anthracnose is the main disease of tea-oil tree and results in a huge loss annually. Colletotrichum fructicola is a major pathogen causing anthracnose on tea-oil tree. In a previous study, we characterized that the bZIP transcription factor CfHac1 controlled the development and pathogenicity of C. fructicola. Here, we identified and characterized the function of CfVAM7 gene, which was significantly downregulated at the transcriptional level in the ΔCfhac1 strain under dithiothreitol stress. Targeted gene deletion revealed that CfVam7 is important in growth, pathogenicity, and responses to endoplasmic reticulum-related stresses. Further analysis revealed that CfVam7 is required for appressorium formation and homotypic vacuole fusion, which are important for fungal pathogen invasion. Cytological examinations revealed that CfVam7 is localized to vacuole membranes in the hyphal stage. The Phox homology (PX) and SNARE domains of CfVam7 were indispensable for normal cellular localization and biological function. Taken together, our results suggested that CfVam7-mediated vacuole membrane fusion promotes growth, stress response, and pathogenicity of C. fructicola.


The authors report on stabilizing the carrier-envelope phase of mode-locked Ti:sapphire lasers. Optimization of the construction of the lasers for ease of phase stabilization is discussed. Results demonstrating long-term phase coherence of the generated pulse train are presented, yielding a phase coherence time of at least 326 s, measurement time limited. The conversion of amplitude noise to phase noise in the microstructured fiber, which is used to obtain an octave spanning spectrum, is measured. The resulting phase noise is found to be sufficiently small so as to not corrupt the phase stabilization. Shift of carrier-envelope phase external to the laser cavity due to propagation through a dispersive material is measured.


s, 46 IPS, Mangalore, 15-18 Nov 2018 S82 The Journal of Indian Prosthodontic Society | Volume 18 | Supplement 2 | November 2018 of the main deterring factors for implant placement in children is the impending growth. Growth in the maxilla and mandible does not happen uniformly in one plane. It is multidirectional, occurring in sagittal, vertical, and transverse planes. The design and type of implant system used in paediatric patients is also responsible for successful treatment outcome. The aim of this presentation is to discuss the use of dental implants in normal growing patients and the influence of maxillary and mandibular skeletal and dental growth on the stability of those implants. DOI: 10.4103/0972-4052.246695 24. Radiographic evaluation of abutment for fpd Rajesh Shetty Yenepoya Dental College, Mangalore Radiographic evaluation is most widely used technique in clinical practice for assessing bone level around teeth. Successful treatment of fixed partial dentures depends on the appropriate selection of the abutment teeth and the number of missing teeth. Radiographs are used to evaluate the number of missing teeth, bone quality and quantity, pulpal health, any endodontic treatment, caries, periodontal diseases, crown root ratio and various tooth morphologies. The success of fpd is further enhanced by maintaining oral hygiene. . Here is the paper on radiographic evaluation of abutment teeth for the success of fixed partial denture. DOI: 10.4103/0972-4052.246696 25. Computer aided production streams in prosthodontics: a review of current techniques Saumil Sampat Mumbai Computer-aided design and computer-aided manufacturing (cad/cam) have revolutionized dentistry. With the continuous development of computerized engineering technology, digitized medical treatment modalities are becoming an integral approach for prosthodontics, orthodontics, and oral and maxillofacial surgery. This paper will review the existing computer-aided manufacturing streams for oral and maxillofacial prosthodontic treatment. Currently, subtractive milling is the most widely implemented computer-aided manufacturing protocol in dentistry and it has been shown to be a suitable method for fabricating intraoral prostheses. Additive manufacturing is currently an exponentially growing fabrication method and will most likely be used more frequently in dentistry in the future as its accuracy and range of applications develop. In terms of material processing, both techniques introduce material defects. The subtractive methods, however, currently produce more homogenous objects making this method more suitable for the production of intraoral prosthesis that can withstand higher occlusal loads. Additive methods have the advantage of producing large objects, with surface irregularities, undercuts, voids, and hollow morphology that makes them suitable for manufacturing facial prostheses and metal removable partial denture frameworks. Computer-aided manufacturing procedures will indisputably change many aspects of dentistry in the future, particularly in relation to treatment simplicity and production time. It is therefore critical for clinicians and technicians to be familiar with the advantages and disadvantages of computer-aided manufacturing as these procedures continue to develop and become an integrated part of dentistry. DOI: 10.4103/0972-4052.246697 26. Treatment strategies for few complex situations Saumya Kapoor Faculty of Dental Sciences, King George's Medical University, Lucknow Dental implants underwent numerous alterations and advancements in the design. Despite this, failures at implant or prosthesis level are common; of the implant ones, loss of integration, soft tissue defects, positional failures, and biomechanical failures are reported to be the major categories. Among the biomechanical complications, screw loosening and fracture are most commonly encountered. Soft tissue management of anterior region is also of utmost importance for proper aesthetic results. This paper discusses the management techniques in such scenarios to provide a more refined and precise treatment outcome. DOI: 10.4103/0972-4052.246698 27. Well informed, well maintained


Presents an analysis of patterns and features innovative development factors and elements of innovation infrastructure in developed and developing economies of the world, including Russian. A set of mathematical economic models assessing the potential of innovative development of the economic entity. The technique of small enterprises transition to innovative development. For professionals in the field of innovation management, researchers, graduate students and doctoral candidates


ABSTRACT The increasing prevalence of carbapenem-resistant Acinetobacter baumannii (CRAB) strains in intensive care units has caused major problems in public health worldwide. Our aim was to determine whether this phage could be used as an alternative therapeutic agent against multidrug-resistant bacterial strains, specifically CRAB clinical isolates, using a mouse model. Ten bacteriophages that caused lysis in CRAB strains, including bla OXA-66-like genes, were isolated. YMC13/01/C62 ABA BP (phage Bϕ-C62), which showed the strongest lysis activity, was chosen for further study by transmission electron microscopy (TEM), host range test, one-step growth and phage adsorption rate, thermal and pH stability, bacteriolytic activity test, genome sequencing and bioinformatics analysis, and therapeutic effect of phage using a mouse intranasal infection model. The phage Bϕ-C62 displayed high stability at various temperatures and pH values and strong cell lysis activity in vitro. The phage Bϕ-C62 genome has a double-stranded linear DNA with a length of 44,844 bp, and known virulence genes were not identified in silico. In vivo study showed that all mice treated with phage Bϕ-C62 survived after intranasal bacterial challenge. Bacterial clearance in the lung was observed within 3 days after bacterial challenge, and histologic damage also improved significantly; moreover, no side effects were observed. IMPORTANCE In our study, the novel A. baumannii phage Bϕ-C62 was characterized and evaluated in vitro, in silico, and in vivo. These results, including strong lytic activities and the improvement of survival rates, showed the therapeutic potential of the phage Bϕ-C62 as an antimicrobial agent. This study reports the potential of a novel phage as a therapeutic candidate or nontoxic disinfectant against CRAB clinical isolates in vitro and in vivo.


Since their first discovery in 1959, natural products containing the piperazic acid motif have been isolated from a variety of sources and exhibit diverse biological activity profiles. This review provides information about their isolation and biological activities, and presents an overview of recent total syntheses of these molecules.


We study the problem of gravitational capture in the framework of the Sun-Uranus-particle system. Part of the space of initial conditions is systematically explored, and the duration of temporary gravitational capture is measured. The location and size of different capture-time regions are given in terms of diagrams of initial semimajor axis versus eccentricity. The other initial orbital elements—inclination (i), longitude of the node (Ω), argument of pericenter (ω), and time of pericenter passage (τ)—are first taken to be zero. Then we investigate the cases with ω = 90°, 180°, and 270°. We also present a sample of results for Ω = 90°, considering the cases i = 60°, 120°, 150°, and 180°. Special attention is given to the influence of the initial orbital inclination, taking orbits initially in opposition at pericenter. In this case, the initial inclination is varied from 0° to 180° in steps of 10°. The success of the final stage of the capture problem, which involves the transformation of temporary captures into permanent ones, is highly dependent on the initial conditions associated with the longest capture times. The largest regions of the initial-conditions space with the longest capture times occur at inclinations of 60°–70° and 160°. The regions of possible stability as a function of initial inclination are also delimited. These regions include not only a known set of retrograde orbits, but also a new sort of prograde orbit with inclinations greater than zero.


Immunotherapy approaches using checkpoint blockade, alone, or in combination with tumor antigen vaccination, or adoptive cell transfer, are emerging as promising approaches for the treatment of non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). In preparation for upcoming combined immunotherapy approaches in NSCLC, here, we have assessed spontaneous immune responses to XAGE-1b, a tumor specific antigen of the Cancer Testis Antigen group that has been previously reported to be spontaneously immunogenic in the Japanese population, in a cohort of Caucasian patients with NSCLC. We found spontaneous serological responses to XAGE-1b in 9% of the patients. Importantly, these responses were limited to, and represented 13% of, patients with adenocarcinoma tumors, the most frequent histological subtype, for which immunotherapy approaches are under development. Using a set of overlapping peptides spanning the entire XAGE-1b protein, and in support of the serological data, we detected significant XAGE-1b specific CD4+ T cell responses in all XAGE-1b seropositive patients and identified several CD4+ T cell epitopes. Altogether, our results support the relevance of the XAGE-1b antigen in Caucasians NSCLC patients with adenocarcinoma, and the implementation of future immunotherapies exploiting the high immunogenicity of the antigen in this patient population.


The risk of poisoning bees by sprayed pesticides depends on the attractiveness of plants and environmental and climatic factors. Thus, to protect bees from pesticide intoxication, an usual exemption to pesticide regulations allows for spraying on blooming flowers with insecticides or acaricides when no bees are foraging on crops. Nevertheless, decision-making criteria for farmers to assess the absence of bees on their crops remain under debate. To fill this gap, we present here a review of the literature and an analysis of weather conditions and environmental factors that affect the presence of bees on flowering crops that may be treated with pesticides, with the objective of proposing to farmers a series of decision-making criteria on how and when to treat. We conclude that the criteria commonly considered, such as ambient temperature, crop attractiveness, or distance from field edges, cannot guarantee the absence of forager exposure during pesticide sprays. Nocturnal sprays of pesticides on crops would be the most effective action to help farmers avoid unintentional acute poisoning of bees.


The great gerbil (Rhombomys opimus), a social rodent that lives in family groups, emits three different alarm vocalizations in the presence of predators: a rhythmic call; a faster more intense call; and a single whistle. We tested the hypothesis that the alarm calls communicate risk of predation. We quantified the relationship between predator distance and type of alarm call via human approaches to gerbils. We also tested responses of focal adults in family groups to playback broadcasts of the different calls and controls of bird song and tape noise. Results showed that alarm calls were related to distance from a predator. Gerbils gave the rhythmic call when the predator was farthest away, the more intense call as the predator moved closer; and a short whistle when startled by a close approach of the predator. Gerbils stopped feeding and stood vigilant in a frozen alert posture in response to playbacks of all three alarm calls. They decreased non-vigilant behavior to the alarm vocalizations more than to the controls and decreased non-vigilant behavior significantly more in response to the intense alarm and whistle compared with the rhythmic alarm. We conclude that one function of gerbil alarm calls is to communicate response urgency to family members. The rhythmic alarm communicates danger at a distance, whereas the intense alarm and whistle signal the close approach of a predator.


Short-term effects of bilateral castration, cyproterone acetate and unilateral efferent duct ligation on intraluminal pressures and spontaneous contractions in different regions of the epididymis were studied in the rat. Ligation of the efferent ducts for 5 days did not alter pressures or spontaneous contractions in any region of the epididymis. However, bilateral castration produced time-dependent changes in pressures and contractions in different segments. In the caput, the amplitude, but not the basal pressure or the frequency, of spontaneous contractions increased by Day 1 after operation. In the corpus, increments in the basal pressure and the amplitude of contractions occurred by Day 5 whilst the frequency of contractions was not changed. Similar effects were observed in the cauda by 3 days after castration. Changes in all regions of the epididymis were also mimicked by cyproterone acetate treatment (10 mg/rat per day, s.c. for 21 days). In addition, this drug increased the amplitude of contractions in the cauda. The effect of castration was abolished by testosterone propionate (0.2 mg/kg per day, i.m. for 5 days). The results support the suggestion that an enhancement of sperm transport through the rat epididymis occurs shortly after castration. The results also suggest that, in normal rats, androgens suppress the contractility of the epididymal tubule to ensure an optimal rate of sperm transport.


It is demonstrated that in some cases it is possible to reconstruct images of fields whose local values are not scalars but are instead anisotropic. The approach taken relies upon Fourier analysis of the angular dependence and separation of scalar and non-scalar contributions by symmetry, and is applicable to anisotropies that do not have even symmetry. Although there are only a limited number of cases in which the problem can be analytically solved, there appears to be a variety of applications for which good approximations are available. The proposed algorithm, a hybrid of well known image reconstruction techniques, has been applied to calculated projections of test patterns, local regions of which having been assigned either scalar or vector behavior or both.


Summary: The paper deals with the possibility of employing the Custom Power Static Series Compensator (SSC), whose primary aim is to compensate voltage sags, also as a reactive Power Compensator. The idea arises from the observation that such device does not work for the majority of time and can therefore be usefully employed for other purposes, such as power factor corrections. To this aim, an "ad hoc" control algorithm is developed and thoroughly discussed in the paper. The effectiveness of such control scheme is then tested by applying the SSC to a load represented by an induction motor in order to improve its power factor. The whole system is modelled with the aid of the electromagnetic code PSCad-emTdC, which allows to describe with high detail all its components. The results of the simulations show the good response of the device, which enables to rapidly increase the power factor of the motor and maintains the Total harmonic distortion (Thd) of the injected phase voltages under the threshold value of 8%, as prescribed by Cei en 50160 3.11.


It is found that classical Yang-Mills equations with external four-vector current densities are equivalent, under a particular ansatz, to the equation Square Operator phi + mu 2 phi 3eK=0 with mu an arbitrary constant and K an arbitrary differentiable function. Kink, sine-Gordon and Liouville equations for radially (spherically) symmetric ansatz functions are obtained with different parametrisations of K.


There has recently been an increasing research interest in network management infrastructures that autonomously adapt to the dynamics of the environment. In this paper, we present an information management platform, called the Information Management Overlay (IMO), which is an infrastructure that regulates information flow based on the properties and the state of the network environment. We discuss the design, implementation and optimization issues of this platform and we investigate experimentally how the IMO can adapt to different settings and optimization requirements.


Foster children are at disproportionate risk of adverse outcomes throughout the life course. Public policy prioritizes permanency (exiting foster care through reunification with birth parents, adoption, or legal guardianship) to promote foster youths' healthy development and well-being, but little empirical evidence indicates that permanency, including its most preferred form—reunification—promotes positive outcomes. Using multi-system, statewide longitudinal administrative data, we employed logistic and mixed-effects regression to examine educational attainment and earnings among former foster youth in early adulthood. We found that youth who aged out of care had significantly higher odds of graduating high school and enrolling in college than did reunified youth and youth who exited to guardianship, and they had similar odds as adopted youth. Earnings were similar across groups. Among aged-out (but not reunified) youth, odds of high school graduation and average earnings were higher for youth who spent more time in foster care prior to age 18. Overall, results suggest that permanency alone is insufficient to promote foster youths' educational and economic attainment.


The environmental influence on the electronic character of two O-H...O hydrogen bonds in a beta-diketone, 2-acetyl-1,8-dihydroxy-3,6-dimethylnaphthalene, is studied by low-temperature synchrotron X-ray diffraction and high-level density functional theory (DFT) calculations. It is revealed that one of the hydrogen bonds is very strong, yet partial localization is found. This result is analyzed by atoms in molecules (AIM) theory and applying the source function. Model compounds, with less steric strain, reveal that the strong hydrogen bond is not merely a result of steric compression.


Technopreneurship / entreprenology is a relatively new term and is receiving increasing recognition from the scholars of various streams of business and science and technology disciplines, as well as from the industry players and business men practically. Technopreneurship is, indeed, becoming vital in the current globalization and liberalization economy, as it provides greater opportunities and enables effective optimization of resources to attain high profit margins. This article presents a summary of research on entrepreneurs and discusses the trends in the development of entrepreneurship to present day technopreneurship. It begins by introducing the pioneers of the domain, Cantillon, Say and Schumpeter. The contribution of economists such as Knight, Hayek, Penrose, Kirzner and Casson are mentioned. A second section presents the contributions of the behavioral scientists and the characteristics most commonly ascribed to entrepreneurs. From the 1980s onwards, the field of entrepreneurship detonated and was absorbed into almost every soft science discipline. Two separate trends one applied, the other theory-based began to emerge. Thus, the article necessitates that the field is in the process of dividing into two separate entities: entrepreneurship, the applied aspect, and technopreneurship, the theoretical aspect.