We describe an original method to reconstruct a 3D scene from a sequence of images. Our approach uses both the dense 3D point cloud extracted by multi-view stereovision and the calibrated images. It combines depth-maps construction in the image planes with surface reconstruction through restricted Delaunay triangulation. The method may handle very large scale outdoor scenes. Its accuracy has been tested on numerous scenes including the dense multi-view benchmark proposed by Strecha et al. Our results compare favorably with the current state of the art.


The antioxidative activity of a total of 92 phenolic extracts from edible and nonedible plant materials (berries, fruits, vegetables, herbs, cereals, tree materials, plant sprouts, and seeds) was examined by autoxidation of methyl linoleate. The content of total phenolics in the extracts was determined spectrometrically according to the Folin-Ciocalteu procedure and calculated as gallic acid equivalents (GAE). Among edible plant materials, remarkable high antioxidant activity and high total phenolic content (GAE > 20 mg/g) were found in berries, especially aronia and crowberry. Apple extracts (two varieties) showed also strong antioxidant activity even though the total phenolic contents were low (GAE < 12.1 mg/g). Among nonedible plant materials, high activities were found in tree materials, especially in willow bark, spruce needles, pine bark and cork, and birch phloem, and in some medicinal plants including heather, bog-rosemary, willow herb, and meadowsweet. In addition, potato peel and beetroot peel extracts showed strong antioxidant effects. To utilize these significant sources of natural antioxidants, further characterization of the phenolic composition is needed.


Biodesulfurization (BDS) is a process that selectively removes sulfur from dibenzothiophene and its derivatives. Several mesophilic natural biocatalysts have been isolated, harboring the highly conserved desulfurization operon dszABC. Even though the desulfurization phenotype is known to be significantly repressed by methionine, cysteine, and inorganic sulfate, the available information on the metabolic regulation of gene expression is still limited. In this study, scarless knockouts of the sulfur metabolism-related cbs and metB genes are constructed in the desulfurizing strain Rhodococcus sp. IGTS8. We provide sequence analyses for both enzymes of the reverse transsulfuration pathway and report their involvement in the sulfate- and methionine-dependent repression of the biodesulfurization phenotype, based on desulfurization assays in the presence of different sulfur sources. Additionally, the positive effect of cbs and metB gene deletions on dsz gene expression in the presence of both sulfate and methionine, but not cysteine, is uncovered and highlighted.


The role of advanced glycation end products (AGEs)-damaged immunoglobulin G (AGE-IgG) in type 1 diabe- tes has been investigated in the present study. IgG was isolated from the normal humans and was subjected to in vitro gly- cation with glucose. The AGEs caused extensive damaged to IgG. The AGE-IgG was found to be highly immunogenic in rabbits as compared to native IgG. The binding characteristics of circulating autoantibodies in type 1 diabetes mellitus (DM) patients against native and AGE-IgG were assessed. Type 1 DM patients (n=31) were examined by ELISA and their results were compared with healthy age-matched human controls (n=22). High degree of specific binding by 61.3 % of DM sera autoantibodies towards AGE-IgG was observed, in comparison to its native analog (p< 0.05). Sera from those type 1 DM patients having smoking history, high aging with high degree of disease showed substantially stronger binding to AGE-IgG over native IgG in particular. IgG from type 1 DM patients (DM-IgG) contained higher levels of carbonyls as compared to normal human subjects (normal-IgG) (p<0.001). Collectively, the AGEs modification of IgG causes pertur- bations, resulting in the generation of neo-epitopes, and making it a potential immunogen. The IgG modified with AGEs may be one of the factors for the induction of circulating type 1 diabetes autoantibodies.


Introduction. Nowadays a key element in the process of redistribution of capital is the bank crediting. It comes forward as an inalienable constituent of development of economic relations and keeps balance between temporally free money and volumes of resources. The bank crediting has the biggest influence on the dynamics of GDP, volumes of the realized commodities and services, cost-of-living-indexs, national currency exchange rate, and so on. In comparison to influence, that other than bank institutions subjects of financial activity carry out, the bank crediting substantially prevails in all aspects. Improvement of mechanisms of the bank crediting and its permanent development remain one of the basic ways for Ukraine to exit from the crisis state. Recent reduction of the bank activity in the field of crediting which is a result of world economic crisis and internal political crisis, has negatively influenced the economy of our state and the indexes of credit portfolio of the Ukrainian banks. Their dynamics of value and the structure are in the poor condition. Purpose. The aim is to eliminate the problems of effective redistribution of financial resources in the economy and develop the approaches that will assist balance of mechanisms of the bank crediting in Ukraine. Method (methodology). The tasks are solved by means of methods of estimation and analysis of risks and efficiency of financing, estimation of financial economic performance, model of optimal structure of credit portfolio, statistical method indicators. Results. It is offered the mechanism where in the operations of REPO instead of securities other assets are used, the transfer of property on which does not need the substantial expenses of time and money, or use of leasing agreement, as the veiled alternative to credit line is efficient and effective especially in the post-crisis period and in the time of recovery of the country's economy. Its use is perspective and needs further researches from the point of view of estimation of risks and profitability.


Regional land use planning provides opportunities for governments, land users, and stakeholders to consider multiple land and resource interests over large geographic areas and meaningful time periods. The broad and integrative nature of regional planning is therefore well suited to assessing the potential cumulative effects of current and future land use activity. For this reason, cumulative effects assessment models and management concepts are playing an increasingly important role in regional planning. We describe how the ALCES® landscape cumulative effects simulation model was used to explore possible outcomes of an oil and gas scenario in the Eagle Plain basin of the North Yukon Planning Region of Yukon Territory, Canada. Scenario modeling was conducted to facilitate informed discussion about key land use issues and practices, potential levels of landscape change, and possible socioeconomic benefits and environmental impacts. Modeling results supported the sustainable development and cumulative effects management recommendations of the North Yukon Regional Land Use Plan. Land use scenario modeling, as applied in this project, was found to be an effective approach for establishing sustainable development guidelines through a regional planning process.


Nearly every commercial database that covers natural sciences and engineering offers some type of current awareness (CA) service that provides regular updates to users on current literature in a selected field of interest. Current awareness services include e-mail alerts, tables of contents, and RSS feeds. This study was designed to find out what percentage of natural sciences and engineering faculty at Western Michigan University (WMU) uses online CA services, what types of CA tools they use, how useful they find these tools, and whether faculty would be interested in a library training session that covered such tools. We invited WMU natural sciences and engineering faculty to take a 13-question survey. We found that e-mail alerts were the most often-used CA service; few researchers used RSS feeds. Most researchers used the services to alert them to research in a specific subject area. Awareness of other researchers in specific areas was the most frequently cited contribution of CA services. A significant number of natural sciences and engineering faculty at WMU would be interested in library instruction about CA services, although whether they would take advantage of such instruction is uncertain. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]


Staphylococcus aureus (S. aureus) is one of the most commonly isolated foodborne pathogens, and is considered as a major cause of foodborne illnesses worldwide. However, the development of smart and accurate analytical methods for the simultaneous detection and elimination of S. aureus in matrices of food or drinks remains challenging. In the present work, a mussel-inspired material, ε-poly-l-lysine-3,4-dihydroxy benzaldehyde (EPD), was designed and fabricated based on its Schiff base structure. Owing to the robust ability of the material to adhere onto wet electrode surfaces and the pH-responsive properties of EPD, the prepared immunosensor exhibited an excellent detection limit and linear range with on-demand antibacterial activity. In real milk samples, the average values obtained from the immunosensor were approximate to the standard results obtained from the plate count method, and the relative standard deviation was 3.16–6.54%, suggesting the good accuracy of the developed method. Moreover, it exhibited good selectivity, reproducibility, and stability, thus demonstrating the potential significant applications of the electrochemical immunosensor in drinks safety monitoring.


The history of medical physics is reviewed, from which it is seen that it is better described as the applications of physics to medicine. The work done by a physicist employed in a hospital is discussed together with the qualities, other than ability as a physicist, that he requires. Methods whereby one can become a medical physicist are given, the conclusion being that the most essential thing is to be a good physicist before becoming a medical physicist.


VR systems were traditionally used for tasks relying on high-quality graphics rendering where virtual environments were entirely made of user-defined objects. We are foreseeing that serious breakthroughs will emerge, where 'augmented reality' environments will be created in a more dynamic fashion, using 2D and 3D data from computer vision sensors. Thus, virtual environments will not be made exclusively of user-defined objects, but also from real data. This data, after proper modeling to provide some behaviour and abstraction levels, will then be used to feed high-performance imaging systems. This paper deals with: 1) local surface modeling of the 3D data visible from each 2D viewpoint using a modified marching cubes algorithm; and 2) region matching of the local models (from neighboring views in the sequence) using color region clustering information from the 2D snapshots. Local models and the region matching information are used to build complete global models from a sequence of images.


Two steroidal saponins, tigogenin hexasaccharide-1 (TGHS-1, (25R)-5alpha-spirostan-3beta-yl 4-O-[2-0-[3-O-(alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-3-0-[4-0- (alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-3-D- galactopyranoside) and tigogenin hexasaccharide-2 (TGHS-2, (25R)-5alpha-spirostan-3beta-yl 4-O-[2-0-[3-0-(beta-D-glucopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-3-0-[4-0- (alpha-L-rhamnopyranosyl)-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]-beta-D-glucopyranosyl]beta-D-galactopyranoside), were isolated from the fresh bulbs of Camassia cusickii. In murine leukemic L1210 cells, both compounds showed cytotoxicity with an EC50 value of 0.06 microM. The morphological observation revealed that TGHS-1 and TGHS-2 induced shrinkage in cell soma and chromatin condensation, suggesting apoptotic cell death. The cell death was confirmed to be apoptosis by Annexin V binding to phosphatidylserine in the cell membrane and excluding propidium iodide. A typical apoptotic DNA ladder and the cleavage of caspase-3 were observed after treatment with TGHS-1 and TGHS-2. In the presence of both the compounds, cells with sub-G1 DNA content were detected by flow cytometric analysis, indicating that TGHS-1 and TGHS-2 (each EC50 value of 0.1 microM) are the most powerful apoptotic saponins known. These results suggest that TGHS-1 and TGHS-2 induce apoptotic cell death through caspase-3 activation.


Multicultural education in this study is something that has a process of developing all of its potential where every problem that occurs in society will cause conflict. As a consequence of the diversity of culture, ethnicity, ethnicity and sect (religion). Multicultural education is often related to diversity which respects each other and lives together without distinguishing differences in terms of ethnicity, language, ethnicity and religion. Multicultural education originally from various views and ideas that emerged. There are many influences from very rapid global developments in the lives of people who are experiencing change. What is the value of awareness of the meaning of learning about multicultural education which is based on a principle and the concept of multiculturalism, namely a concept that recognizes diversity, accepts differences be it gender, race, and religion based on values and democratic understanding that builds the nation so that it is united. Which is very relevant to use today so as not to leave its cultural roots through multicultural education.


Background: Estrogen receptor (ER) is an important prognostic and predictive factor for breast cancer (BC) patients. For women with two primary breast cancers, however, estrogen receptor status measured at the two tumors is not always the same, either due to tumor heterogeneity, or because of limited reproducibility of receptor assays. For women with metachronous breast cancers, it is unclear if estrogen receptor status of previous cancer has prognostic value. For women with synchronous breast cancers, it is important to know if inconsistent receptor status predicts worse clinical outcome. Methods: Data on ER status of two primary breast cancers were obtained from the Surveillance, Epidemiology, and End Results program 1990–2009. We used piecewise proportional hazard Cox models to examine the joint effect of ER statuses of two tumors on overall survival or disease-free survival. Hazard ratio (HR) and 95% confidence interval (CI) were calculated, after adjusting for age, stage, race/ethnicity, histology, grade, and treatments in Cox models. Synchronous and metachronous cases were analyzed separately. Results: There are 12,285 patients with synchronous breast cancers; 81.2% had both tumors being ER positive, 10.2% had one tumor being ER positive but the other being ER negative, and 5.6% had both tumors being ER negative. As shown in the Table, patients with inconsistent ER status (heterogeneity) had worse short-term survival rate than patients with double ER positive tumors. Among the 14,470 patients with metachronous breast cancers, 60.2% had two ER+ tumors, 13.8% had two ER− tumors, 11.8% had ER status changing from negative to positive, and 14.1% had ER status changing from positive to negative. In addition to ER status of the index cancer, ER status of the first cancer has independent prognostic value in predicting both short-term and long-term outcome (p = 0.0002). Conclusions: Our study found that estrogen status of previous cancer has independent prognostic value for women with metachronous breast cancers. We also found that inconsistency in ER status between two tumors predicts worse survival for women with synchronous breast cancer. These findings suggest that heterogeneity or change in estrogen receptor expression in patients with two breast cancers should be considered during decision making on treatment or counseling on prognosis. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2012;72(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P2-10-21.


DFT(B3PW91) calculations of the mechanism of the intramolecular C(sp(3))-H arylation of 2-bromo-tert-butylbenzene to form benzocyclobutene catalysed by Pd(PR(3)) (R = Me, (t)Bu) and a base (acetate, bicarbonate, carbonate) show that the preferred mechanism is highly dependent on the nature of the phosphine and the base used in the calculations. With the experimental reagents (P(t)Bu(3) and carbonate) the rate-determining step is C-H activation with the base coordinated trans to the C-H bond. An agostic interaction of a geminal C-H bond with respect to the bond to be cleaved induces a lowering of the activation barrier.


Aim: To compare the hematological parameters associated with systemic inflammation between acute and subacute/chronic nonspecific low back pain and to evaluate their diagnostic roles in relation to chronicity in low back pain. Materials & methods: This retrospective case-control study included 150 participants aged 18-65 years with acute nonspecific low back pain, 150 with subacute/chronic nonspecific low back pain, 150 as the control group. Results: Red cell distribution width was significantly higher in the subacute/chronic pain group compared with the acute pain group (p = 0.003), and had a poor diagnostic value for chronicity (Cutoff: 11.95, p = 0.003). There were no significant differences in terms of other parameters (p > 0.05). Conclusion: Red cell distribution width has a poor diagnostic value for chronicity in nonspecific low back pain.


The study was carried out to determine the mean values of facial, nasal, maxillary, mandibular and oro-facial heights of adult Ibibios. Eight hundred (800) subjects purely of Ibibio ethnic group comprising 400 males and 400 females, aged between 18 and 80 years were used for the study. The facial height, nasal height, maxillary height, mandibular height and oro-facial height were measured using sliding caliper and the results obtained showed that the males had mean facial height of 11.14±0.77cm, nasal height of 4.15±0.34cm, maxillary height of 2.53±0.38cm, mandibular height of 4.46±0.43cm and oro-facial height of 6.99±0.59cm while the females had mean facial height of 10.55±0.74cm, nasal height of 3.93±0.35cm, maxillary height of 2.48±0.49cm, mandibular height of 4.14±0.33cm and oro-facial height of 6.63±0.60cm. Statistical analysis using the z-test showed that the males had significantly higher values than the females in all the facial parameters measured (p<0.05),hence parameters were sexually dimorphic. The data of this study is recommended to forensic scientists, craniofacial surgeons and in anthropological studies.


BACKGROUND
Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common skin malignancy and is most prevalent on the head and neck region, although BCC can occur in other sites, including the lower limbs.

OBJECTIVE
We report the case of an 85-year-old female patient who experienced recurrent BCCs in the lower limb with tibial invasion.

METHODS
Treatment consisted of wide skin excision, tibial osteotomy, intraoperative cryotherapy, and coverage with an internal gastrocnemius muscle flap.

RESULTS
The computed tomographic scan showed local bone control of the BCC, with no recurrence, so we avoided limb amputation.

CONCLUSION
The reported case is uncommon because of the site, the extent of bone infiltration, and local treatment with cryotherapy.


Following disclosures in the press, the Parquet de Paris (Prosecutor's Office, Paris, France) conducted an investigation which resulted in the launch of a judicial investigation in respect of Company X. That company is alleged to have deceived the purchasers of diesel engine vehicles as to the essential qualities of those vehicles and the controls carried out before they were placed on the market.


Remote sensing has been used to map river bathymetry for several decades. Non-contact methods are necessary in several cases: inaccessible rivers, large-scale depth mapping, very shallow rivers. The remote sensing techniques used for river bathymetry are reviewed. Frequently, these techniques have been developed for marine environment and have then been transposed to riverine environments. These techniques can be divided into two types: active remote sensing, such as ground penetrating radar and bathymetric lidar; or passive remote sensing, such as through-water photogrammetry and radiometric models. This last technique — which consists of finding a logarithmic relationship between river depth and image values — appears to be the most used. Fewer references exist for the other techniques, but lidar is an emerging technique. For each depth measurement method, we detail the physical principles and then a review of the results obtained in the field. This review shows a lack of data for very shallow rivers, where a very high spatial resolution is needed. Moreover, the cost related to aerial image acquisition is often huge. Hence we propose an application of two techniques, radiometric models and through-water photogrammetry, with very- high-resolution passive optical imagery, light platforms, and off-the-shelf cameras. We show that, in the case of the radiometric models, measurement is possible with a spatial filtering of about 1 m and a homogeneous river bottom. In contrast, with through-water photogrammetry, fine ground resolution and bottom textures are necessary.


The Advanced Microwave Sounding Unit (AMSU), launched on May 13, 1998, is a twenty-channel passive microwave radiometer designed to provide information on atmospheric temperature and humidity structure in clear and cloudy conditions, complementing existing infra-red radiometers which provide information only in clear areas. AMSU has some channels similar to those flown on existing missions and others which are new. Observed radiances from the Special Sensor Microwave Imager (SSM/I) and the Microwave Sounding Unit (MSU) are compared with radiances calculated from numerical weather prediction (NWP) model profiles, and the differences discussed. A processing method for ATOVS radiances is described, and differences from previous techniques are highlighted. An initial evaluation of AMSU data is given. Finally the impact of passive microwave observations on the skill of numerical weather forecasts is discussed.


Smart materials properties are altered using external stimuli such as temperature, pressure and magnetic field. Magnetorheological Elastomer (MRE) is a type of smart composite material consisting of a polymer matrix embedded with ferromagnetic particles. In the presence of an external magnetic field, its mechanical properties, such as stiffness, change due to the interaction between the magnetic particles, which have applications in vibration isolation. Unwanted vibration in machines can cause severe damage and machine breakdown. In this work, a semi-active vibration isolator using MRE is proposed for a potential application in a drilling system to isolate the torsional vibration. The MRE was fabricated with a 35% mass fraction (MF) consisted of silicon rubber and iron particles. It was fitted with aluminium couplers and attached to the shaft (drill string) to study its efficiency in vibration isolation under a magnetic field. Two tests were conducted on the drilling prototype setup used in this work; the first test was a hammer impact test. The torsional transfer function TTF analysis showed that the system's natural frequency has shifted from 13.9 Hz to 17.5 Hz by the influence of increasing magnetic field around the MRE. The results showed that the continuous rotational vibration amplitude of the prototype is attenuated by more than 40%.


Radio wave and optical experiments were conducted onboard a U.S. Air Force research aircraft in March 1977 and March 1978 at low magnetic latitudes to investigate the effects of F region electron density irregularities on transionospheric communications links. Imaging photometer, ionosonde, and satellite amplitude scintillation measurements were used to monitor the development and motion of F region 6300-A O I airglow depletions, spread F, and scintillation producing irregularities that are all associated with low-density bubbles in the postsunset equatorial ionosphere. The 6300-A airglow depletions are the bottomside signature of low plasma density within the bubbles. Examples of multiple airglow depletions and their relation to variations in the F layer virtual height (h′F) and to the occurrence of amplitude scintillations on 250-MHz satellite signals are described. Estimates of the average bottomside electron density, from simultaneous ionosonde measurements and 6300-A airglow intensities, show electron density decreases of ∼66% within the bubbles. These decreases are approximately the same for bubbles observed at the magnetic equator and near Ascension Island (18°S magnetic latitude). The measurements at Ascension Island show that airglow depletions extend away from the magnetic equator into the southern 6300-A intertropical arc. Variations in the maximum poleward extent of airglow depletions and of associated ionospheric irregularities that give rise to amplitude scintillations were observed. These latitudinal variations are interpreted, using field line mapping considerations, as variations in the maximum altitude of plasma bubbles over the magnetic equator. A north-south flight confirms that the overall pattern of airglow depletions and associated ionospheric irregularities extends continuously across the magnetic equator to ±15° magnetic latitude.


The purpose of this study is reduction the vibration of the personal computer by developing the vibration absorber and damper. The eccentricity of the cooling fan causes the vibration of the computer. We designed the material properties of the vibration absorber and damper by FEM model within operation frequencies of the cooling fan. We experiment the overall analysis and system analysis by using a laser vibrometer. The result shows that the proposed dynamic absorber and damper reduce the vibration of the personal computer.


This review synthetizes the most important historical contributions in sleep anatomy and the pioneer discoveries in sleep medicine in the light of our clinical observations in Fatal Familial Insomnia (FFI), a genetic prion disease. Together with Morvan?s chorea and Delirium Tremens, FFI is characterized by inability to sleep with severeloss of sleep spindles and delta sleep, with preserved presleep behaviour and abnormal REM sleep, associated with motor and autonomic overactivation. We labelled this pattern as Agrypnia Excitata (AE). AE is due to dysfunction in thalamolimbic circuits, which emphasizes the key role of the thalamus in sleep physiology and indicates that the anatomo-functional substrate of stage 1 non-REM sleep differs from that generating slow-wave-sleep (SWS, spindle and delta activity). Accordingly, the sleep-wake cycle in man should be conceptualized as consisting of 5 different behavioural and electrophysiological distinct states: active wakefulness, quiet wakefulness, drowsiness (or stage 1 non-REM), SWS (which incorporates spindle and delta sleep) and REM sleep. An intricate neuronal network extending from the caudal brainstem to the forebrain controls these different wake and sleep behaviours with several, at least three distinct generators.


Tilapia fish skin has demonstrated promise as a stable and practical biological dressing to be used in wound and burn management. However, the appropriate sterilization technique of the Tilapia fish skin is crucial before its clinical application. The standard sterilization technique must eliminate harmful pathogens but maintain the structural and biochemical properties that could compromise the dressing function. This study investigated and compared the efficiency of three sterilizing agents; chlorhexidine gluconate 4% (CHG), povidone iodine 10% (PVP-I), and silver nanoparticles (25 μg/mL) (AgNPs), at three different times (5, 10, and 15 min) on Tilapia fish skin based on the microbial count, histological and collagen properties. Among the sterilization procedures, AgNPs showed rapid and complete antimicrobial activity, with a 100% reduction in microbial growth of the fish skin throughout the treated times. Furthermore, AgNPs did not impair the cellular structure or collagen fibers content of the fish skin. However, CHG and PVP-I caused alterations in the collagen content. This study demonstrated that the AgNPs treatment of Tilapia fish skin provided sterile skin while preserving the histological properties and structural integrity. These findings provide an efficient and quick sterilization method suitable for Tilapia fish skin that could be adopted as a biological dressing.


The aim of this study was to examine the influence of students' social skills on stress reduction, before they underwent nursing training. The subjects of the study were 88 nursing junior college second graders who agreed to participate in the study. I used "the social skill standard necessary for a student aiming to get a job that involves supporting other people"; this standard was developed by Higuchi/Hashimoto as an index of social skills. In addition, I measured stress, using the Profile of Mood States (POMS), which was the measurement standard of feelings. As a result of the analysis, some social skills and factors of POMS had a meaningful correlation. "Obedient self-expression," "another person's commission/another person's support skills," and "another person's reception skills" had meaningful correlations with stress. The results supported the hypothesis that a student's high social skills reduced stress before he/she underwent nursing training. It was suggested that the introduction of social skills could serve as a resource to reduce stress before students undergo nursing training.


Growing interest in digital design tools and generative systems in the architectural discourse, especially parametric systems and optimization algorithms, has the potential to be of greater value if capable of expanding their scope from form generation tools to a more ecological-conscious approach by coupling them with performance simulation tools within a collaborative methodology. The work presented in this paper is a part of a comprehensive study aim to compare between parametric simulations and Genetic Algorithms as a tool to optimize and analysis the effect of non-conventional solar screens on daylight, thermal and energy performance for south façades. This paper focused on the parametric simulation study of a non-conventional solar screen driven by daylight and thermal performance. It integrated simulation tool with parametric design using DIVA, and Grasshopper respectively. The simulations were conducted for a south-oriented office space s façade in Cairo, Egypt. The screen various parameters; sizes, rotation angles, scale ratios, and protrusion values were modelled parametrically and aligned to this façade. Daylight analysis was conducted using Daylight Dynamic Performance Metrics specifically; Spatial-Daylight-Autonomy (sDA300/50%) and Annual-Sunlight-Exposure (ASE1000/250hr), that comply with both LEED v4 and the new IES approved method, and Daylight Availability. While thermal analysis based on a comparison approach of the thermal performance results to a specific base case. Moreover, the screen shading coefficient was calculated to overcome the current limitations of thermal simulations in sufficiently recognizing the complex geometries such as the proposed screen. Finally, the simulations relied on parallel computing algorithm, which saved time by 8 times more than the default runs. Meanwhile, an algorithm inside Grasshopper was specially developed for this study to overcome current limitation of running parallel thermal runs. The paper presented a comprehensive analysis using an exhaustive search method for the effect of the screen parameters on daylight and thermal performance. SDBE, International Conference for Sustainable Design of the Built Environment, London, United Kingdom 2017, December Abstract


The toxemias of pregnancy are usually classified as (1) preeclampsia (toxemia grade 1, or grade 2 in some clinics) and (2) eclampsia, this term being reserved for the condition in which convulsions or coma develops in the presence of the toxemia. The cause of these toxemias is not known. Most authorities believe that they are etiologically similar, and therefore a single disease entity. 1 However, why one patient has convulsions as part of the syndrome and another remains free of seizures is not clear. It is with this aspect of the problem of the toxemias that this paper will be concerned. In recent years, with the aid of the electroencephalographic technic, a good deal of light has been shed on the problem of convulsive disorders. Many aspects of the clinical picture of the toxemic syndrome suggested the necessity of electroencephalographic studies. In a preliminary report we have briefly discussed our


We describe an easily comprehensible exercise involving the analysis of actual data from a high energy physics experiment. The exercise gives students insight into the history of tracking detectors, relativistic kinematics and Heisenberg's uncertainty principle.


Self Potential (SP) is a practical and simple geophysical method. Interpretation of the data of these methods can be done qualitatively and quantitatively. Quantitative interpretation can be done through inversion modeling, but inversion modeling often has problems with the solution of model parameters that are stuck at local minima. Therefore, in this study the MVDE (Multi Variant Differential Evolution) algorithm is used which is able to solve model parameter problems, by finding global model parameter solutions. Inversion modeling of observation Self Potential (SP) anomaly data is carried out using an algorithm that has been tested and produces a misfit of ≤10%, the test aims so that the algorithm can be used further to model observation data. The observation Self Potential (SP) anomaly modeling produces model parameter values K=609.3mV D=9.3 h=3.75m q=1.51 and x=1-16, with a subsurface anomaly model in the form of a spherical geometry at depth 3.75m.


The study of radon and its progeny in dwellings is important as exposure to radon (222 Rn) can result in to a significant inhalation risk to population particularly to those living in homes. Radon and its radioactive daughters present in the environment results into the largest contribution to the average effective natural radiation dose received by human beings. In the present study, the indoor radon activity has been calculated using LR-115 type II solid state nuclear tracks detectors (SSNTDs). The radon activity in the corresponding dwellings has been found to vary from (43.5 ± 12.0) to (334.7 ± 33.5) Bqm-3 with an average value (166.9 ± 23.0) Bqm-3 . The annual effective dose received due to radon and its progeny by the inhabitants in the dwellings under study has also been calculated which found to vary from (1.5 ± 0.4) to (11.3 ± 1.1) mSv y-1 with an average value of (5.6 ± 0.8) mSv y-1.


More than 15 years of field and laboratory investigations on samples from Terre Adelie to the western part of George V th Land (135 to 146°E) during the GEOLETA program allow a reassessment of the Terre Adelie Craton (TAC) geology. The TAC represents the largest exposed fragment of the East Antarctic Shield preserved from both Grenville and Ross tectono-metamorphic events. Therefore it corresponds to a well-preserved continental segment that developed from the Neoarchean to the Paleoproterozoic. Together with the Gawler Craton in South Australia, the TAC is considered as part of the Mawson continent, i.e. a striking piece of the Rodinia Supercontinent. However, this craton represents one of the less studied parts of the East Antarctic Shield. The three maps presented here clearly point out the extent of two distinct domains within the Terre Adelie Craton and suggest that the TAC was built up through a polyphased evolution during the Neoarchean-Siderian (c.a. 2.5Ga) and the Statherian (c.a. 1.7Ga) periods. These data support a complete re-assessment of the TAC geology and represent a valuable base for the understanding of global geodynamics changes during Paleoproterozoic times.


The Scandinavian TIPS project engineered an early detection of psychosis programme that sought to reduce the duration of untreated psychosis (DUP) through early detection teams and extensive information campaigns since 1997. In 1997–2000, DUP was reduced from 26 to 4.5 weeks median. The programme was continued beyond the initial project in modified forms for over 13 years. The aim of this study was to track the vicissitudes of DUP over an 18‐year period (1993–2010) with differing early detection efforts in a defined catchment area.


When (X1, ¿1),..., (Xn, ¿n) are independent identically distributed random vectors from IRd X {0, 1} distributed as (X, ¿), and when ¿ is estimated by its nearest neighbor estimate ¿(1), then Cover and Hart have shown that P{¿(1) ¿ ¿}n ¿ ¿ ¿ 2E {¿ (X) (1 - ¿(X))} ¿ 2R*(1 - R*) where R* is the Bayes probability of error and ¿(x) = P{¿ = 1 | X = x}. They have conditions on the distribution of (X, ¿). We give two proofs, one due to Stone and a short original one, of the same result for all distributions of (X, ¿). If ties are carefully taken care of, we also show that P{¿(1) ¿ ¿|X1, ¿1, ..., Xn, ¿n} converges in probability to a constant for all distributions of (X, ¿), thereby strengthening results of Wagner and Fritz.


In neuroimaging studies, the human cortex is commonly modeled as a sphere to preserve the topological structure of the cortical surface. Cortical neuroimaging measures hence can be modeled in spherical representation. In this work, we explore analyzing the human cortex using spherical CNNs in an Alzheimer's disease (AD) classification task using cortical morphometric measures derived from structural MRI. Our results show superior performance in classifying AD versus cognitively normal and in predicting MCI progression within two years, using structural MRI information only. This work demonstrates for the first time the potential of the spherical CNNs framework in the discriminative analysis of the human cortex and could be extended to other modalities and other neurological diseases.


Brain parcellation is one of the most important issues in functional MRI (fMRI) data analysis. This parcellation allows establishing homogeneous territories that share the same functional properties. This paper presents a model-based approach to perform a subject-level parcellation into hemodynamic territories with similar hemodynamic features which are known to vary between brain regions. We specifically investigate the use of the Joint Parcellation-Detection-Estimation (JPDE) model initially proposed in [1] to separate brain regions that match different hemodynamic response function (HRF) profiles. A hierarchical Bayesian model is built and a variational expectation maximiza-tion (VEM) algorithm is deployed to perform inference. A more complete version of the JPDE model is detailed. Validation on synthetic data shows the robustness of this model to varying signal-to-noise ratio (SNR) as well as to different initializations. Our results also demonstrate that good parcellation performance is achieved even though the parcels do not involve the same amount of activation. On real fMRI data acquired in children during a language paradigm, we retrieved a parcellation along the superior temporal sulcus of the left hemisphere that matches the gradient of activation dynamics already reported in the literature.


Abstract A total of 21 species of Cyathostominae was found in the lumen of the large intestine of 86 mature horses of various ages and breeds killed in south-west England during 1972–1974. Cylicostephanus longibursatus, C. goldi, C. calicatus, Cyathostomum catinatum, C. coronatum and Cylicocylus nassatus were found in over 80% of the horses, while 12 of the remaining species were detected in less than 30%. Quantitative studies on 55 horses showed the adult cyathostome burdens to rise to a sharp peak (average over 400,000/horse) in April-June and a lower one in November-December. Parallel fluctuations occurred in the lumen populations of 4thstage larvae. The most numerous cyathostomes were generally those species with the highest prevalence. The five most plentiful (C. nassatus, Cyathostomum catinatum, Cylicostephanus longibursatus, C. minutus and C. goldi) comprised over 90% of the total number of adult cyathostomes recovered. The three regions of the large intestine had adult cyathostome faunas of different composition. That of the dorsal colon was dominated by C. longibursatus and C. goldi, the ventral colon by Cylicocyxlus nassatus and Cyathostomum catinatum, while the sparsely inhabited caecum accommodated several equally numerous species. Each species showed a characteristic site distribution, 11 occurring predominantly in the ventral colon, eight in the dorsal colon and two in the caecum. Seasonal changes in the site distributions of C. catinatum and Cylicocyclus nassatus and in the size of the cyathostome burdens are discussed in relation to the epidemiology of cyathostome infections.


The interwoven relationship between the use of indoors and outdoors in the tropics as means of thermal adaptation has long been recognized. In the case of outdoors, this is achieved by green intervention of shading trees as adaptive mechanisms through behavioural thermoregulation. Unfortunately, the indoor academic spaces of LAUTECH campus was not provided with necessary outdoor academic learning environment in the general site planning of the campus for use at peak indoor thermal dissatisfaction period considering the tropical climatic setting of the university. The students' departmental and faculty associations tried to provide parks for themselves as alternatives which on casual observation are of substandard quality and poorly maintained because of lack of institutional coordination and low funding. This study examined the quality and use of these parks for thermal comfort through behavioral adjustment from subjective field evidence with the goal of improvement. To achieve this, twelve parks were selected within the campus. Questionnaires containing use and quality variables were administered randomly upon 160 users of these parks. The data obtained was subjected to descriptive statistical analysis. Results show that the quality of the parks, weather condition, period of the day, and personal psychological reasons of users has great influence on the use of the parks. The study concludes with policy recommendations on improvement of the quality of the parks and the campus outdoors and greenery in general.


In this research, CO2 gas was used as carbon and oxygen source to prepare carbon-doped TiO2 (C-TiO2) films on stainless steel by reactive magnetron sputtering. In order to grasp the relationship between sputtering process, microstructure and mechanical and photocatalysis properties of C-TiO2 thin film, a orthogonal experiment design validated by following mechanical analysis and photo-degradation experiments was employed to determine the optimal reactive sputtering parameters, including substrate temperature, sputtering power and CO2 gas flow rate. nanoindentation and nanoscratch tests were employed to analyze the hardness, modules and adhesion strength of as-deposited C-TiO2 films, respectively. Taking the hardness, modules and adhesion between the film and the substrate as a reference of integrated mechanical properties, range analysis of as-prepared C:Ti-O films were done to search the optimal combination of sputtering parameters. The photocatalytic activities of as-prepared C-TiO2 films using methyl orange (MO) as colored dye indicator were also evaluated by measuring absorbance and calculating the MO's decolorization rate under different UV light irradiation time. The results of photocatalysis experiment compared with a blank group proved that C-TiO2 films sputtered at the optimized reactive sputtering parameters can achieve both superior photocatalysis and mechanical properties.


Here we describe 2 patients with acute leukemia in whom human herpesvirus-6 (HHV-6) encephalitis developed after cord blood transplantation. In patients 1 and 2, generalized seizure and coma developed on day 62 and day 15, respectively, after cord blood transplantation, which failed to engraft in patient 1. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of patient 1's brain showed low-intensity signals at the gyri of the bilateral lateral lobes on T1-weighted images and high-intensity signals on T2-weighted images. MRI of patient 2's brain showed high-intensity signals in bilateral white matter on T2-weighted images and on fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) images. Cerebrospinal fluid examination revealed an increased protein level with pleocytosis in patient 1 and a normal protein level without pleocytosis in patient 2. Polymerase chain reaction analysis detected HHV-6 DNA in the cerebrospinal fluid of both patients. Patient 1 recovered after administration of gancyclovir for 3 weeks. However, she again suffered from encephalitis after discontinuation of gancyclovir, and died of sepsis. Patient 2 died from an anoxic brain caused by generalized seizure. When neurological symptoms and signs appear in hematopoietic stem cell transplantation recipients, we should consider HHV-6 encephalitis and promptly and empirically treat them with gancyclovir or foscarnet.


In the current study, an acidic polysaccharide from the in vitro suspension culture of Fumaria officinalis L. was obtained by extraction with 0.8% (w/v) aqueous ammonium oxalate. The polysaccharide fraction mainly consisted of galacturonic acid (41.0%), followed by galactose (7.3%) and arabinose (5.6%). This suggests the presence of arabinogalactan side chains in the rhamnogalacturonan-I segment of the studied pectin, which was mainly built up by homogalacturonan segments. The pectin was evaluated as low-methyl-esterified (45.0%) with degree of acetylation 3.4%. The polymer fraction was consisted of different molecular weight populations in the range of 6–600 kDa. The high amount of 4-L-hydroxyproline (11.7% of total protein) and the specific positive reaction to Yariv's phenylglycoside reagent indicated the presence of an arabinogalactan protein in the cell walls. The functional properties of the polysaccharide fraction were evaluated, as it possessed better water-holding capacity than oil-holding capacity. The studied pectin demonstrated significant foaming ability and promising emulsifying properties in a concentration 1%. Therefore, the isolated polysaccharide fraction could be successfully used as emulsifier and foaming agent in food products and pharmaceutical supplements.


Low-power near-infrared (NIR)-to-visible (vis) photon upconversion (UC) systems are in demand for biomedical, photovoltaic and photocatalytic applications; however, the practical utilization is still hampered by low UC efficiency. Aiming to identify efficiency-limiting factors, particularly in metallophthalocyanine-sensitized rubrene systems operational in the NIR-vis range, we thoroughly assessed subsequent energy transfer steps in the TTA-mediated UC scheme. A key limiting factor in the optimized UC systems was found to be rubrene's low statistical probability (f = 15.5 ± 3%) to obtain a singlet from two triplets via TTA. The f estimated under the dominance of TTA attained by continuous-wave excitation, i.e. the regime frequently encountered (or desired) in practical applications, was determined to be 4 times lower as compared to that obtained under femtosecond pulsed-laser excitation conditions. The results also demonstrate that the benefit of achieving larger emitter concentrations by introducing solubility increasing alkyl groups into the emitter in anticipation of enhanced triplet energy transfer cannot outcompete the severely reduced statistical probability factor (f = 5.3 ± 1%) of t-butyl-substituted rubrene. The maximum UC quantum yield (ΦUC = 5.6 ± 1.2%) estimated and verified by two independent methods in the optimized Pd-phthalocyanine–rubrene system is among the largest reported for NIR-to-vis UC systems absorbing at >730 nm. ΦUC is defined here as the number of UC photons emitted per number of absorbed ones, implying a theoretical limit of 50% for TTA-mediated UC.


Although intermittent hypoxia training (IHT) has proven effective against various clinical disorders, its impact on mild cognitive impairment (MCI) is unknown. This pilot study examined IHT's safety and therapeutic efficacy in elderly patients with amnestic MCI (aMCI). Seven patients with aMCI (age 69 ± 3 years) alternately breathed 10% O2 and room-air, each 5 minutes, for 8 cycles/session, 3 sessions/wk for 8 weeks. The patients' resting arterial pressures fell by 5 to 7 mm Hg (P < .05) and cerebral tissue oxygenation increased (P < .05) following IHT. Intermittent hypoxia training enhanced hypoxemia-induced cerebral vasodilation (P < .05) and improved mini-mental state examination and digit span scores from 25.7 ± 0.4 to 27.7 ± 0.6 (P = .038) and from 24.7 ± 1.2 to 26.1 ± 1.3 (P = .047), respectively. California verbal learning test score tended to increase (P = .102), but trail making test-B and controlled oral word association test scores were unchanged. Adaptation to moderate IHT may enhance cerebral oxygenation and hypoxia-induced cerebrovasodilation while improving short-term memory and attention in elderly patients with aMCI.


Interaction between gene duplication and natural selection in molecular evolution was investigated utilizing a phylogenetic tree constructed by the parsimony procedure from amino acid sequences of 50 calmodulin-family protein members. The 50 sequences, belonging to seven protein lineages related by gene duplication (calmodulin itself, troponin-C, alkali and regulatory light chains of myosin, parvalbumin, intestinal calcium-binding protein, and glial S-100 phenylalanine-rich protein), came from a wide range of eukaryotic taxa and yielded a denser tree (more branch points within each lineage) than in earlier studies. Evidence obtained from the reconstructed pattern of base substitutions and deletions in these ancestral loci suggests that, during the early history of the family, selection acted as a transforming force on expressed genes among the duplicates to encode molecular sites with new or modified functions. In later stages of descent, however, selection was a conserving force that preserved the structures of many coadapted functional sites. Each branch of the family was found to have a unique average tempo of evolutionary change, apparently regulated through functional constraints. Proteins whose functions dictate multiple interaction with several other macromolecules evolved more slowly than those which display fewer protein-protein and protein-ion interactions, e.g., calmodulin and next troponin-C evolved at the slowest average rates, whereas parvalbumin evolved at the fastest. The history of all lineages, however, appears to be characterized by rapid rates of evolutionary change in earlier periods, followed by slower rates in more recent periods. A particularly sharp contrast between such fast and slow rates is found in the evolution of calmodulin, whose rate of change in earlier eukaryotes was manyfold faster than the average rate over the past 1 billion years. In fact, the amino acid replacements in the nascent calmodulin lineage occurred at residue positions that in extant metazoans are largely invariable, lending further support to the Darwinian hypothesis that natural selection is both a creative and a conserving force in molecular evolution.


Tipranavir is a new nonpeptidic protease inhibitor and belongs to the class of 4-hydroxy-5, 6-dihydro-2-pyrones. Chemically, tipranavir is based on coumarin and sulfonamide compounds, amongst others. It exhibits potent and specific activity against both HIV-1 and -2. Tipranavir 500 mg in combination with ritonavir 200 mg twice daily results in optimum viral load reduction and suppresses both wild-type and protease inhibitor-resistant virus. It is metabolized by the cytochrome P450 3A4 enzyme and its pharmacokinetic parameters are enhanced when combined with ritonavir. Tipranavir is excreted primarily in the feces, with minimal excretion in urine. In early trials, tipranavir/ritonavir was demonstrated to be safe and well tolerated, with mild gastrointestinal side effects. Preliminary data indicate pharmacokinetic interaction with nucleotide reverse transcriptase inhibitors; however, no dose adjustments are recommended at this time. Virologic response is not adequate when combined with other ritonavir-boosted protease inhibitors, and is currently not recommended. As with other protease inhibitors, tipranavir interacts with fluconazole, atorvastatin, clarithromycin and rifabutin and absorption is reduced when taken with antacids and didanosine (enteric coated formulation). Phase III trials are underway to compare the efficacy of tipranavir/ritonavir with other antiretroviral agents.


Temperature‐gradient gel electrophoresis (TGGE) has been used to study the thermal unfolding of ferricytochrome c in low and high concentrations of acetic acid. It has been observed that the mobility of cytochrome c is a linear function of temperature when the system is characterized by a homogeneous population of conformation‐state, single molecular species. Within the transition temperature range, the mobility clearly displays the characteristic sigmoidal shape describing the transitions of protein unfolding. The data obtained by TGGE were used to estimate the apparent thermodynamic parameters (enthalpy change ΔHvh and transition temperature Tm), associated with the transition of unfolding. The accuracy of the apparent thermodynamic parameters obtained by this method agrees within error limits with the values obtained by direct calorimetric measurements using differential scanning calorimetry (DSC).


Dairy farming in Odisha employed more than 60 percent of total work force in agriculture and allied activity. The milk production status is increasing each year in Odisha. The milk production was 2.20 million ton in 2010-11 with per capita availability of milk 136 gms. There is total of 14.3 million of milch cattle up to 2007. Majority of dairy farmers are small and marginal farmers. Although OMFED is operating for more than three decades, new players have come. Among all the new players in milk processing area, Milk Mantra is growing at a high pace. Odisha dairy farmers are lagging behind the use of modern capital inputs due to lack of investment. Credit supply to odisha agriculture is not demand oriented rather it is supply driven. The specific need of the farmers are not considered and analysed. In this paper, the dairy farmer in Odisha has been classified according to the herd size, land holding, way of marketing and use of technology. The present scenario of Odisha dairy farmers has been clearly described from their challenges to a profit making case study. The green fodder cultivation is the important cost effective technique which is not used by farmers of Odisha.


Title of Document: ACTIVE FEMALE SAMPLING OF MALE DISPLAY PREDICTS FEMALE UNCERTAINTY IN MATE CHOICE Linda Marie Cendes, M.S., 2009 Directed By: Professor G. Borgia, Department of Biology Information on how females use male display elements can be critical in understanding mate choice. Females often passively sample male displays, therefore female use of an element can be difficult to quantify. In satin bowerbirds, female tasting associated with male paint offers an opportunity to study how females actively assess of male display. In a preliminary study, I found that tasting was less common by females during courtships ending in copulation. This suggested that females with a greater proportion of tastes are less certain in their mate choice. I tested this hypothesis in several ways, and each indicated that a greater proportion of tasting was associated with measures suggesting mate choice uncertainty: visiting more times and more males, mating with multiple males, and switching among males. This active sampling behavior allows for examination of female assessment of a single component of male display and to predict certain female characteristics. ACTIVE FEMALE SAMPLING OF MALE DISPLAY PREDICTS FEMALE UNCERTAINTY IN MATE CHOICE


Using unique linked data, we examine income inequality and mobility across racial and ethnic groups in the United States. Our data encompass the universe of tax filers in the U.S. for the period 2000 to 2014, matched with individual-level race and ethnicity information from multiple censuses and American Community Survey data. We document both income inequality and mobility trends over the period. We find significant stratification in terms of average incomes by race and ethnic group and distinct differences in within-group income inequality. The groups with the highest incomes - Whites and Asians - also have the highest levels of within-group inequality and the lowest levels of within-group mobility. The reverse is true for the lowest-income groups: Blacks, American Indians, and Hispanics have lower within-group inequality and immobility. On the other hand, our low-income groups are also highly immobile when looking at overall, rather than within-group, mobility. These same groups also have a higher probability of experiencing downward mobility compared with Whites and Asians. We also find that within-group income inequality increased for all groups between 2000 and 2014, and the increase was especially large for Whites. In regression analyses using individual-level panel data, we find persistent differences by race and ethnicity in incomes over time. We also examine young tax filers (ages 25-35) and investigate the long-term effects of local economic and racial residential segregation conditions at the start of their careers. We find persistent long-run effects of racial residential segregation at career entry on the incomes of certain groups. The picture that emerges from our analysis is of a rigid income structure, with mainly Whites and Asians confined to the top and Blacks, American Indians, and Hispanics confined to the bottom.


Coupling of temperature-controlled ionic liquid-based dispersive liquid phase microextraction (TCIL-DLPME) with reflection scanometry for quantitative determination of colored species in solution is introduced for the first time. To evaluate the performance and applicability of the methodology, the ferrous ion which forms a red complex with 2,2′-bipyridyl (bipy) was used as the model analyte. The ionic liquid (IL) 1-hexyl-3-methylimidazolium hexafluorophosphate was used for extracting the complex by TCIL-DLPME after diluting the IL phase with dimethylformamide, which was injected into the detection chamber in a Plexiglas® sheet. It was scanned with a conventional flatbed-scanner. The color of the image was analyzed for its R (red), G (green), and B (blue) components using Adobe Photoshop software. Optimization of the parameters affecting the extraction process as well as the calibration curve was based on the G (green) color value as the analytical signal. Some essential parameters including the IL chemical structure, volume of IL, bipy concentration, pH, temperature, centrifugation time, and aqueous phase volume have been studied in detail. Under optimum experimental conditions the method was successfully applied for the determination of Fe(II) in iron supplement oral drop (IroVit) and boiler water samples.


One hundred and five patients with superficial bladder cancer (60 primary and 45 recurrent tumors) entered a prospective chemoprophylaxis trial after transurethral resection of the tumor. The drug for chemoprophylaxis was chosen by a computer which received the tumor data and analyzed them through a previous program of recurrence risk factors (multivariant analysis). In comparison with the aleatory selection of the drug, this statistical computerized choice has diminished the recurrence index (from 8 to 3) and increased the interval free of disease (from 70 to 83.5 months) in this group of patients.


Fresh scraped coconut is highly susceptible to rancidity and microbial spoilage. Consumer acceptability of frozen scraped coconut in terms of chemical, microbiological and sensorial quality for three months of storage period was aimed in this study. Scraped coconut was taken and steam blanched for 5, 10 and 15 minutes using steamer. Half of blanched coconut was mixed with Vitamin E at 500 ppm. Then it was packed in LLDPE/PET/Al pouches (200 g/pouch) and sealed and stored under frozen condition at -18°C using a domestic freezer for 3 months. Control treatment was carried out by keeping the untreated grated coconut at frozen condition. Total plate count (TPC), free fatty acid (FFA) and peroxide values (PV) were measured in two week intervals for 3 months. Sensory properties of frozen coconut samples were tested in monthly intervals. Results revealed that significantly low FFA values in all the treated samples compared to control. The concentrations were below the detectable levels of rancidity (1% as lauric acid). There was no peroxide value detected throughout the study period in both the control and treated samples. It was evident that an inverse relationship occurred between TPC values and blanching time. No differences were seen in sensory attributes in all frozen coconut and were within acceptable range. Application of steam blanching for 15 minutes with/without addition of vitamin E on fresh scraped coconut has the best advantages to extend the shelf life for minimum of three months to preserve the organoleptic properties at domestic frozen conditions.


Production of functional products using local raw materials with a high content of biologically active substances is the main trend in the production of non-alcoholic beverages. In this regard, creation of a technological line that ensures not only the quality of the finished product, but also the safety of the functional properties of the feedstock is of great interest. A computer model of a functional soft drink production line, developed using the MasterSCADA 4D software created by a leading domestic company has been. The model emulates the entire production process including the stage of filling the finished product. It is possible to control a real production line provided that communication with an industrial controller, sensors and actuators is installed and configured. A set of technological equipment has been selected for each production stage, from processing raw materials and on down to functional soft drink packaging. Recommendations have been given for water treatment, including a number of technological processes, such as rough water purification and disinfection. There are instructions for preparing sugar syrup using hot method. The characteristics of the recommended plant for hydrodynamic extraction from plant raw materials has been presented. A factor intensifying the extraction process, in the pulsating action of the extractant between the solid and liquid phases. Production of a functional drink implies using of water as an extractant, so additional methods of intensifying mass transfer processes have been considered in order to increase the percentage of extraction of target components. The use of the effect of ultrasonic, electric, pulse and discrete-pulse fields on raw materials is considered to be the most promising method for the extraction process intensification.


Background Joint Protection Behavior Assessment was developed to evaluate the patient's use of behaviors in daily activities with hand using in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. A short version of the JPBA (JPBA-S) consisting of 10 tasks for the activity of preparing instant coffee has been found to be reliable compare with the full-length JPBA. Objectives To adapt the original JPBA-S to a Turkish version (TUR-JPBA-S) and to develop assessment manual and to investigate the reliability of assessment in patients with RA. Methods 15 participants with RA were videotaped while they were doing tasks in original version for manual development and face validity (phase 1). The video recordings were analyzed by two therapists. TUR-JPBA-S was developed with the consensus of four therapists who were working on occupational therapy. 22 participants with RA and 21 healthy people were videotaped while doing TUR-JPBA-S for the second part of the study (phase 2). Two raters were analyzed the records and gave a rate to strictly follow the manual (inter-reliability). One rater were re-analyzed the recordings at different time point (intra-rater reliability). Participants with RA were re-recorded after three to four weeks period. One rater analyzed the re-records (test-retest reliability). The evaluators' composite results were compared between and within raters using the kappa coefficient and ICC's for categorical scoring respectively. Results There were some differences in TUR-JPBA-S. For example; (i) therapists decided with consensus to videotape the participants while they were making tea in Turkish style teapot with using cattle for heating up the water; (ii) the task "holding milk" were changed as "carrying tray". Internal consistency (Cronbach α value) was found to be high (0.89) for participants with RA. There was a significant difference in JPBA scores between patients with RA and healthy participants (p<0,001). Our results demonstrated excellent intra-rater (ICC: 0.99, SEM: 1.2) inter-rater (ICC: 0.99, SEM: 1.7) reliability. Also excellent test retest reliability was found (ICC2:1, 0.96). There was a 100% agreement in 5 tasks in intra-rater agreement while there was 100% agreement in 4 tasks in inter-rater agreement. Conclusions The TUR-JPBA-S provides valid and reliable instrument for assessing JP behavior of patients with RA in Turkey. References Hammond A and Lincoln N. Development of the Joint Protection Behavior Assessment. Arthritis Care Res. 1999 Jun;12(3):200-7. Niedermann et. al. Development and validation of a German version of the joint protection behavior assessment in patients with rheumatoid arthritis. Arthritis Rheum. 2007 Mar 15;57(2):249-55 Niedermann et. al. Effectiveness of individual resource-oriented joint protection education in people with rheumatoid arthritis. A randomized controlled trial Patient Education and Counseling 82 (2011) 42–48. Acknowledgements We want to thank to Prof. Alison Hammond to give permission for using assessment and support our research. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Aim: To assess the effects of semi-refined carrageenan (E407a) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced reactive oxygen species (ROS) generation in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) and LPS-mediated cell membrane alterations in leukocytes.

Methods: Blood samples collected from 8 intact rats were incubated with E407a (10 mg/ml), E407a (50 mg/ml), LPS (1 µg/ml), E407a (10 mg/ml) + LPS (1 µg/ml), E407a (50 mg/ml) + LPS (1 µg/ml) and without those compounds (controls) for 2 h in RPMI 1640 medium enriched with 5% fetal bovine serum. ROS generation in PBMCs obtained from the incubated samples was estimated by flow cytometry using 2',7'-dichlorodihydrofluorescein diacetate (H2DCFDA) staining. The impact of E407a, LPS and their mixture on leukocyte cell membranes was evaluated spectrofluorimetrically using the fluorescent probe 2-(2¢-hydroxy-phenyl)-5-phenyl-1,3-oxazole.

Results: Expectedly, incubation with LPS induced ROS generation in PBMCs and decreased the lipid order of cell membranes in leukocytes. E407a alone was found to alter neither ROS production in PBMCs, nor membrane lipid order in leukocytes. Semi-refined carrageenan partially reduced LPS-mediated ROS overproduction in PBMCs and cell membrane alterations in leukocytes.
Conclusion: E407a attenuates LPS-induced alterations of redox homeostasis in rat PBMCs and LPS-mediated modifications of cell membrane lipid order in leukocytes.


Purpose: To test and measure the refractive index (RI) and to estimate the equivalent percentage of water content (%WC) of the anterior layers of the human cornea before and after excimer laser photoablation using a novel contact device, the VCH-1. Methods: (1) Repeatability was estimated by sequential measurement of the RI of 4 separate hydrogel contact lenses on 2 occasions, 5 and 10 minutes after insertion. (2) Patients preselected for photorefractive keratectomy, laser assisted sub-epithelial keratomileusis, laser assisted in situ keratomileusis, and laser assisted in situ keratomileusis with epithelial flap were enrolled. RI was measured for (a) corneal epithelium after topical anesthesia, (b) Bowman layer where appropriate after either removing epithelium or lifting the epithelial flap and remeasured immediately after excimer laser photoablation, and (c) midstroma after lifting the flap (created using mechanical microkeratome) and immediately after photoablation. Results: (1) Average repeatability of RI measurement was ±0.001 (range 0.000 to ±0.002). (2) Mean RI (±SD) and estimated mean %WC of (a) epithelium were 1.382 (0.006) and 75% (n = 8, age 28-63 years), (b) Bowman layer 1.380 (0.011) and 77% changing to 1.392 (0.010) and 69% after photoablation (n = 11, age 26-40 years, P = 0.005), and (c) midstroma 1.369 (0.007) and 83% changing to 1.385 (0.006) and 74% after photoablation (n = 30, age 22-56 years, P < 0.0001). RI of corneal epithelium and Bowman layer was significantly greater than that of midstroma before photoablation (P < 0.001). Conclusions: (1) VCH-1 can reliably measure RI to within ±0.001 units. This is equivalent to an error in water content estimation of ±0.6%. (2) RI and %WC of the human cornea are not uniform. Intersubject and intracorneal variations in RI and %WC should be considered because these factors will affect optical performance of the eye and photoablation increases RI, presumably by way of tissue dehydration.


PURPOSE
The aim of the present study is to compare the functional scores and complications of intramedullary fixation versus plate osteosynthesis of distal fibular fractures in adults.

METHODS
Study was performed in accordance with Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic reviews and Meta-Analyses format from MEDLINE, Embase, Ovid, and Cochrane databases. The included articles were assessed according to the risk of bias assessment tool by Cochrane collaboration.

RESULTS
A total of 5 randomized control trials were included for quantitative review. Random sequence generation and allocation concealment of the study subjects were the strengths of all the included studies. There was high heterogeneity among the included studies (I2 > 75%). There was no significant difference between the Olerud-Molander scores in both the groups but the trend favored the intramedullary nailing of distal fibula (mean difference of 3.42, 95% confidence interval [CI] of 8.90). Complications were significantly lesser in the intramedullary group across the studies (odds ratio 0.26, 95% CI of 0.81).

CONCLUSION
Intramedullary nailing of fibula with the use of modern locking fibular nails is an alternative to fibular plating for unstable distal fibular fractures in properly selected cases. There remains the need for standardizing the method of operative treatment of distal fibular fractures which can be done by a well-planned large-scale prospective study design.

LEVEL OF EVIDENCE
Level 1.


This study compares levels of bullying others, victimization, and aggressiveness in native Norwegian and immigrant adolescents living in Norway and shows how bullying is related to proactive and reactive aggressiveness. The sample consists of 2,938 native Norwegians (1,521 girls, 1,417 boys) and 189 immigrant adolescents (97 girls, 92 boys) in school grades 8, 9, and 10. Data were collected via self-assessments. Structural equation models were conducted separately for girls and boys in both groups. The levels of victimization, reactive and proactive aggressiveness were the same for both native Norwegians and immigrant adolescents but there was a significant difference in the levels of bullying others. Compared with the native Norwegians, immigrant adolescents were found to be at higher risk of bullying others. Structural models revealed significantly stronger relations between affiliation-related proactive aggressiveness and bullying others in immigrant boys compared with the other groups. This indicates that the wish for affiliation is an important mechanism of bullying others in immigrant boys. We also suggest further research and the practical importance of the findings for prevention of targeting immigrant adolescents.


Forecasting pedestrian trajectories in dynamic scenes remains a critical problem with various applications, such as autonomous driving and socially aware robots. Such forecasting is challenging due to human-human and human-object interactions and future uncertainties caused by human randomness. Generative model-based methods handle future uncertainties by sampling a latent variable. However, few previous studies carefully explored the generation of the latent variable. In this work, we propose the Trajectory Predictor with Pseudo Oracle (TPPO), which is a generative model-based trajectory predictor. The first pseudo oracle is pedestrians' moving directions, and the second one is the latent variable estimated from observed trajectories. A social attention module is used to aggregate neighbors' interactions on the basis of the correlation between pedestrians' moving directions and their future trajectories. This correlation is inspired by the fact that a pedestrian's future trajectory is often influenced by pedestrians in front. A latent variable predictor is proposed to estimate latent variable distributions from observed and ground-truth trajectories. Moreover, the gap between these two distributions is minimized during training. Therefore, the latent variable predictor can estimate the latent variable from observed trajectories to approximate that estimated from ground-truth trajectories. We compare the performance of TPPO with related methods on several public datasets. Results demonstrate that TPPO outperforms state-of-the-art methods with low average and final displacement errors. Besides, the ablation study shows that the prediction performance will not dramatically decrease as sampling times decline during tests.


Al-free active diode laser emitting near 970 nm wavelength has been optimized for high electricalto-optical power conversion efficiency. There are numerous key contributors such as scattering and absorption losses, band alignment, Joule heating, carrier leakage and below-threshold losses that contribute to power loss mechanisms. We report on improvement from 50% to a record high 70% power conversion efficiency on a 1 cm bar at 25C resulting from multipronged approach that has been taken to minimize each of the loss mechanisms to improve the overall power conversion efficiency.


Background Physical distancing as a non-pharmaceutical intervention (NPI) to prevent SARS-CoV-2 transmission aims to reduce interactions between people, including between different households. We explored whether sexual intimacy needs impacted on compliance with physical distancing at a population level in Britain following the initial national lockdown on 23 March 2020. Methods We undertook the Natsal-COVID web-panel survey between 29 July-10 August 2020. Quota-based sampling and weighting were used to obtain a quasi-representative sample of the British population. We estimated reporting of physical contact outside of the household (PCOH) with a romantic/sexual partner in the four weeks prior to interview, described the type of contact, identified demographic and behavioural factors associated with PCOH and present age-adjusted odds ratios (aORs). Results Of the 6,654 participants aged 18–59 years, 9.9% (95%CI:9.9–10.6%) reported PCOH. Of these, 86.1% reported oral/anal/vaginal sex or genital contact, while the remaining reported kissing (10.4%) or only holding hands/hugging/cuddling (3.4%). PCOH varied by age and gender and was highest in those aged 18–24 (20.6% of women and 15.6% of men). PCOH was more likely in participants identifying as gay/lesbian (aOR 2.5; 1.82–3.45) or bisexual (aOR 1.52; 1.12–2.05) and those reporting >1 partner (aOR 1.71; 3.77–5.88) or condomless sex with a new partner (OR 5.03; 1.07–6.21) in the past year. PCOH was less likely in those reporting a steady or cohabiting relationship (aOR 0.66; 0.55–0.79 and aOR 0.11; 0.08–0.14 respectively), and in those reporting bad/very bad health (aOR 0.54; 0.32–0.93). Conclusion The intimate nature of sexual contact is high-risk for SARS-CoV-2 transmission and PCOH may expand transmission networks by connecting households. Mathematical models of NPIs might consider age- and gender-specific PCOH in the context of other mixing patterns. Public health messaging needs to recognise the importance of sexual and romantic contact in people's decision-making and adherence to control measures.


abstract:Popular religion in late medieval and early modern Europe posited an invisible world densely populated with both personal spirits and impersonal forces that interacted constantly with the natural and social realms in ambiguous and unpredictable ways. This represented a stark contrast to elite theological discourse, which insisted on dividing the spirit world into a strict moral dichotomy of good and evil spirits, operating within a rigid causal taxonomy of natural, preternatural, and supernatural. During this period, deviations from this elite theological consensus were increasingly labeled "superstitious." The cognitive science of religion postulates that beliefs about demons and spirits are constrained by the evolved cognitive architecture of our species, and in this article I show that the patterns of religious belief and practice targeted by the critics of superstition are compatible wth key hypotheses in the cognitive science of religion.


Few subjects in all medicine have received such thorough study in our time as tuberculosis. Current methods in the treatment of its pulmonary form average better than those of old. Results show this fact. The tuberculosis mortality has been reduced in less than three decades by probably 29 per cent. of the former figure, or from 14.25 to 10 per cent. of all deaths. These results are not accidental, but are clearly due more to the better management of the pulmonary form than to any other influence. The disease is still one of the most appalling of the list. It attacks probably half of all the people at some time in their lives, and it destroys a tenth of them finally, and it deserves the best thought of all physicians. If the best methods of treatment now are better than those of the last century, we should logically


A primary statistical model based on the crossings between the different detection ranges of a set of five bioluminescent bacterial strains was developed to identify and quantify four metals which were at several concentrations in different mixtures: cadmium, arsenic III, mercury, and copper. Four specific decision trees based on the CHAID algorithm (CHi-squared Automatic Interaction Detector type) which compose this model were designed from a database of 576 experiments (192 different mixture conditions). A specific software, 'Metalsoft', helped us choose the best decision tree and a user-friendly way to identify the metal. To validate this innovative approach, 18 environmental samples containing a mixture of these metals were submitted to a bioassay and to standardized chemical methods. The results show on average a high correlation of 98.6% for the qualitative metal identification and 94.2% for the quantification. The results are particularly encouraging, and our model is able to provide semiquantitative information after only 60 min without pretreatments of samples.


We investigate two dimensions of investment in general human capital on-the-job: the number of workers trained and the intensity of training for each worker. In the benchmark case, we consider wage and training decisions made by firms in an imperfectly competitive labour market. The benchmark case generates two types of market failure: too few workers are trained, and the workers who are hired receive too little training. This is caused by the firms' discount rate exceeding the social discount rate, due to a 'quitting externality'. We show that the presence of labour unions can increase social welfare by increasing training intensity, while reducing welfare by lowering the number of workers trained. Using the British Household Panel Survey, we confirm the predictions of the model.


(PhysOrg.com) -By greatly amplifying one photon from an entangled photon pair, physicists have theoretically shown that human eyes can be used as detectors to observe quantum effects. Usually, detecting quantum phenomena requires sensitive photon detectors or similar technology, keeping the quantum world far removed from our everyday experience. By showing that it's possible to perform quantum optics experiments with human eyes as detectors, the physicists can bring quantum phenomena closer to the macroscopic level and to everyday life.


OBJECTIVE
Emerging research indicates that the ongoing conflict in Ukraine has led to an increased prevalence of war-related posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in children and adolescents. The current study sought to test the psychometric properties of a Ukrainian-translated measure of PTSD for children and adolescents; the Child and Adolescent Trauma Screen (CATS; Sachser et al., 2017).

METHOD
Participants were an opportunistic sample of N = 2,004 parents living in Ukraine who provided data on themselves and one target child in their household as part of The Mental Health of Parents and Children in Ukraine Study. The latent structure of the parent-reported CATS was tested using confirmatory factor analysis, composite reliability estimates were estimated, and criterion validity was assessed.

RESULTS
The latent structure of the parent-reported CATS was best reflected by a three-factor model and a four-factor model in the preschool and child and adolescent samples, respectively. Estimates of internal reliability were high for both samples. Criterion validity was supported through associations with external measures of internalizing, externalizing, and attention problems. Parent-report child milestone development delays and prior psychological or pharmacological support were associated with higher average scores on the CATS symptom scales. The prevalence of probable PTSD for the preschool sample was 15.4% (n = 77) and the prevalence of probable PTSD for the child and adolescent sample was 14.4% (n = 217).

DISCUSSION
This study supports the psychometric properties of the Ukrainian parent-reported CATS which can be used routinely in clinical practice for the caregiver-rated assessment of PTSD. (PsycInfo Database Record (c) 2023 APA, all rights reserved).


The well controllable selective growth of carbon nanotubes (CNTs) on the desired area is an important issue for their future applications. In this study, a novel method for selective growth of CNTs was proposed by using the technology of self assembly monolayers (SAMs) and the Fe-assisted CNTs growth. The Si wafers with the a Si/Si3N4 layer patterns were first prepared by low pressure chemical vapor deposition (LPCVD)and lithography techniques to act as the substrates for selective deposition of SAMs. The selectivity of SAMs from APTMS solution (N-(2-aminoethyl)3-aminopropyltrimethoxsilane) is based on its greater reactivity of head group on a-Si than Si3N4 films. The areas of pattern with SAMs will first chelate the Fe(superscript 3+) ions by their diamine-terminated group. The Fe(superscript 3+) ions were then consolidated to become Fe-hydroxides in sodium boron hydride solution to form the Fe-hydroxides pattern. Finally, the Fe-hydroxides pattern was pretreated in H plasma to become a well-distributed Fe nano-particles on the surface, and followed by CNTs deposition using Fe as catalyst in a microwave plasma-chemical vapor deposition (MP-CVD) system to become the CNTs pattern. The products in each processing step, including microstructures and lattice images of CNTs, were characterized by contact angle measurements, scanning electron microscopy (SEM), XPS, Auger spectroscopy, transmission electron microscopy (TEM) and high resolution TEM (HRTEM) deposition. The results show that the main process parameters include the surface activation process and its atmosphere, consolidation time and temperature. H plasma pretreatment. The function of each processing step will be discussed.


Betel quid consists of a betel nut (Areca catechu) and other additives. It is chewed throughout Asia and is the fourth most commonly used addictive substance in the world. Its stimulant properties are mediated by arecoline and other toxins. The neurological effects of betel quid use have not been studied extensively. To assess tremor, 100 residents of Araihazar, Bangladesh, were asked to draw spirals, which were rated by a blinded neurologist. The average tremor rating was 50% higher in exposed versus unexposed individuals. Betel quid use can produce clinically evident tremor. Population‐based epidemiological studies of tremor in Asia should begin to take the effect of this stimulant into account. © 2005 Movement Disorder Society


Complete "Geisha" traditional Japanese women's ensemble, of the Kyoto style. The complete ensemble includes various under garments and accessories not seen in images, as well as primary components: Kimono - Salmon colored polyester outer garment with woven geometric design ground decorated with cherry blossoms, mums, and other flowers. Applique of flowers across back of neck/right shoulders. Hand sewn, this is a "Spring" kimono.; Obi of white, silver, and orange brocade; Sash of pink and white shibori; Obi Jimi braided orange cord belt to tie around obi; Tabi socks; Geta sandals (not in images); Fan, and traditional wig, embellished with artificial flowers.


Texture mapping is a standard feature of 3D graphics systems. To avoid aliasing artifacts, proper filtering is mandatory. We have developed a novel algorithm for texture mapping and filtering that is suited for hardware implementation. To eliminate texture aliasing artifacts, our algorithm uses higher order FIR filters that are know from digital signal processing. Compared to current state-of-the-art "anisotropic level 8 filtering", that can be found in commercially available advanced graphics accelerators, our method produces higher image quality at equal costs.


The success of an emergency response is often measured in minutes or even seconds. Small delays to fire, paramedic, and police en-route to emergencies can be catastrophic and even fatal. Train crossing delays can represent a significant source of delay and can frequently last more than several minutes. Although the number of emergency vehicles being delayed by a train compared to the total number of emergency calls may be perceived as small, anecdotal evidence from dispatchers and prior research indicate that emergency vehicles can be stopped by trains on a weekly and nearly daily basis. Given that real-time data are available to determine the location, speed, and direction of a train, it is concerning that this information is not being used to inform emergency responders and prevent unnecessary delays at rail crossings. Meanwhile, however, dispatchers have insufficient information to make real-time decisions that best support responses to emergencies. This paper describes the development of an at-grade rail crossing information system (RCIS) prototype that can detect a blockage and communicate the information in real-time. Specifically, this paper provides preliminary data analysis results from the prototype concerning the accuracy of the system, challenges and limitations, lessons learned, key considerations, and feasibility for implementation. The paper describes various applications for the RCIS, including integration with traffic management centres and providing traveler information directly to road users via smartphone apps or media outlets.


Contact dermatitis affects 0.5-1.9 cases per 1,000 full-time workers annually, with 80% of cases accounted for by irritant contact dermatitis. The mechanisms underlying irritant contact dermatitis are incompletely understood and there is also a large need in industry for screening tools to identify the irritant potential of novel chemical compounds. The aim of this thesis was to investigate whether disruption of the stratum corneum barrier by irritants induces epidermal serine proteases such as KLKs which act through the PAR2 receptor to cause a pro-inflammatory response. Croton oil (3%) and SDS (5%) were applied to ex vivo human skin and expression of KLK5, KLK7 and PAR2 analysed. Both croton oil and SDS increased KLK5 (p=0.0001 and 0.0002 respectively), KLK7 (p=0.0027 and 0.0009 respectively), and PAR2 (p=0.0057 and p=0.0215 respectively). In addition, protease activity within the epidermis was concomitantly increased (p=0.0094 for croton oil and p=0.0185 for SDS). Although these findings help to provide mechanistic insight, and could have some use as a screening tool, the availability of human skin is a limiting factor in an industrial setting. Using Rho kinase-inhibition to increase the proliferative capacity of adult human keratinocytes to generate 3D epidermal equivalents, it was noted that the resulting stratum corneum was insufficiently resilient to withstand application of SDS, even at reduced concentrations. However, in monolayer cultures it was noted that, following initial screening using qPCR arrays, croton oil and dithranol caused upregulation of IL6, IL36A, CCL5 and CSF2 in Rho kinase-inhibited keratinocytes, and that CCL5 and CSF2 were similarly upregulated in normal human keratinocytes exposed to these compounds. Thus, in Rho kinase-inhibited keratinocytes, CCL5 and CSF2 (and possibly IL6 and IL36A) may form a useful screening tool for potential irritants generated in industry, although further work will be required to test sensitivity and specificity of this approach.


The beginnings of the creation of the MER Model of Integral Management date back to the years 1992 and 1993. A year ago the decision was made to start thoroughly renewing the MER Model due to changes in economic and other social conditions in Slovenia and in many other post socialist countries. In this "new" model many changes have been introduced, especially some new success factors have been added. In this contribution the renewed MER Model is presented with special focus on the success factors.


Abstract Two new polyketides, namely lucentides A (1) and B (2), together with 19-hydroxyprotylonolide (3) were isolated from Nocardiopsis lucentensis DSM 44048. Their structures were elucidated by analysis of their high-resolution mass spectrometry (HR-MS) and 1D, 2D nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) spectroscopic data. The antibacterial activities of compounds 1–3 were evaluated. Graphical abstract


Postoperative monitoring of free tissue transfer has proven to be crucial in enhancing the flap salvage rate in the event of thrombosis of the anastomosed vessels. Unfortunately, for buried flaps in the head and neck, direct monitoring of the flap can be extremely difficult, if not impossible. Utilizing various methods of flap exposure in a series of 55 buried free flaps of the head and neck, we demonstrate that we were able to provide a reliable means of direct postoperative assessment of the free flaps. Exteriorized components (indicator flaps) were established for 52 cases. An incision to create a skin window in the neck for monitoring was used for 3 cases. For the exteriorized flaps, in addition to clinical observation, adjunctive continuous monitoring using laser Doppler flowmetry was employed for 4–5 days. One free flap developed vascular thrombosis, which was re-explored and salvaged, giving a flap success rate of 100%. Fifty of 52 (96.2%) external components remained viable and therefore reliable for monitoring the main body of the flap. Two indicator flaps were unreliable after postoperative day 1 due to poor skin perfusion, while the subcutaneous component clinically remained viable. There was no return to the operating room for false-positive reexploration. This series reinforces the feasibility and reliability of direct monitoring of buried free flaps using the laser Doppler in practically all cases when modification is added to the flap design and inset.


Abstract On the occasion of the commemoration of 500 years since the Reformation, this article, entitled "Reformation and Orthodoxy", calls attention to the personality of Johannes Honterus (1497-1549), the Lutheran reformer of the Evangelical Church of the Augsburg Confession in Transylvania, and reviews his relationship to Orthodoxy, a relationship which may be referred to as "Early Ecumenism". Johannes Honterus, one of the most important personalities of the Transylvanian Saxons, was an outstanding scholar who had studied in Vienna, Krakow, Regensburg and Basel. He became the founder of the first school and the first publishing house in Brasov (Kronstadt), and – as Senior Pastor – was the reformer of his native town and eventually all of Transylvania (1547). Honterus had close contacts to Christian-Orthodox Romanians from surrounding areas, and in his publishing house not only Latin, Greek and German textbooks were published, as well as the two most important works about the Reformation in Brasov and the whole of Transylvania, but also – about 1540 –, among others, the so called Christian-Orthodox "Edition of Nilus", with extracts from the Greek Patristic Literature by Evaragius Ponticus, Gregory of Nazianz and Thalassus. His dialogue with Orthodox visitors to his town inspired his work for the Lutheran Reformation among the Transylvanian Saxons. From 1556 to 1583, Honterus had in his publishing house the most important Orthodox publisher of the 16th century, Deacon Coresi. This "early ecumenism" became the basis for the well-known tradition of religious tolerance in Transylvania.


This study examines the performance of the entire population of Indonesian listed firms for years 2005 and 2006. The results show that Indonesian listed companies have a very low level of profit (as measured by ROA) of 3.73% and 20.70% of firms had losses with a larger percentage in the manufacturing sector. However, 58.48% of firms reported increase in profits from year 2005 to year 2006. This partly illustrates that these firms are still recovering from the Asian currency crisis. Regression analysis reveals that size of firm and level of ownership concentration help predict performance. Larger firms with high ownership concentrated have higher profit levels. Interestingly, firm corporate governance attributes such as percentage of independent directors and independent of the audit committee were not significant predictors. This has significant implications for Indonesian companies since globally companies are moving towards a more regimented corporate governance structure to enhance firm productivity. Indonesian, similar to that of other developing countries seems to have a less effective system of corporate governance prompting calls for more direct government intervention especially between majority andminority shareholders.


Palm vein authentication is one of the modern biometric techniques, which employs the vein pattern in the human palm to verify the person. The merits of palm vein on classical biometric (e.g. fingerprint, iris, face) are a low risk of falsification, difficulty of duplicated and stability. This paper presents two new approaches to improve the performance of palm-vein-based identification systems using the Gabor filter. The proposed approach attempts to more effectively accommodate the potential deformations, rotational and translational changes by encoding the orientation preserving features and utilizing a novel region-based matching scheme. We systematically compare the previously proposed palmvein identification approaches with our proposed ones on two different databases that are acquired with the contactless and touch-based imaging setup. We evaluate the performance improvement in both verification and recognition scenarios and analyze the influence of enrollment size on the performance. In this context, the proposed approaches are also compared for its superiority using single image enrollment on two different databases. For the implementation of this proposed work we use the Image Processing Toolbox under Matlab software.


A major challenge of state-of-the-art supercapacitors as promising energy storage devices lies in their relatively low capacitances and low specific energies. Herein, we report a strategic assembly of two excellent pseudocapacitive materials. Heterogeneous NiCo2O4–MnO2 arrays consisting of a mesoporous NiCo2O4 nanowire core and a cross-linked MnO2 nanosheet shell are grown on a freestanding graphene foam (GF) for ultrahigh-performance supercapacitors. The electrode exhibits a remarkable gravimetric specific capacitance of 2577 F g−1 at 1 A g−1 and areal capacitance of 5.15 F cm−2 at 2 mA cm−2, as well as exceptional capacitance retention of 94.3% after 5000 cycles. An asymmetric supercapacitor assembled with NiCo2O4–MnO2/GF and CNT/GF composites as the positive and negative electrodes, respectively, delivers a maximum specific energy of 55.1 W h kg−1 at a specific power of 187.5 W kg−1. The core/shell strategy adopted here to deposit two active materials on a 3D conductive matrix offers a new insight into assembling ternary hybrids for high-performance electrodes in real-world applications.