Objective: To describe the seasonal variations throughout the year (day length), as one of the main environmental cues used by ewes to determine the most favorable time for breeding.
Design/methodology/approach: A description of the main factors affecting ewe reproduction (photoperiod, suckling, postpartum period, nutrition, sociosexual effects) was assessed by a review of documentary information.
Results: The inhibition of reproductive activity during one time of the year is a common process in most animal species to prevent births from occurring at an unfavorable time for the survival of the offspring. The seasonality of reproduction (northern latitude) allows births to occur in late winter or early spring when climatic conditions are the most favorable for the offspring development.
Limitations/implications: The duration of the anestrus season (seasonal or postpartum) is influenced by the photoperiod and other factors. In Mexico, a small percentage of Criollo and Pelibuey ewes show a short duration of seasonal anestrus; that is, they show almost continuous annual reproductive activity. Therefore, to improve the reproductive efficiency of ewes, it is important to precisely determine the factors that affect their reproduction to improve management and increase the profits in the production units.
Findings/Conclusions: Photoperiod is the main environmental factor regulating the annual reproductive cycle of the ewes, it occurs through very complex and varied mechanisms that communicate the visual system with the gonads through nervous and endocrine pathways.


MOTIVATION
In this article, we consider the bicriteria pairwise sequence alignment problem and propose extensions of dynamic programming algorithms for several problem variants with a novel pruning technique that efficiently reduces the number of states to be processed. Moreover, we present a method for the construction of phylogenetic trees based on this bicriteria framework. Two exemplary cases are discussed.

RESULTS
Numerical results on a real dataset show that this approach is very fast in practice. The pruning technique saves up to 90% in memory usage and 80% in CPU time. Based on this method, phylogenetic trees are constructed from real-life data. In addition of providing complementary information, some of these trees match those obtained by the Maximum Likelihood method.

AVAILABILITY AND IMPLEMENTATION
Source code is freely available for download at URL http://eden.dei.uc.pt/paquete/MOSAL, implemented in C and supported on Linux, MAC OS and MS Windows.


Over the last several decades, globalisation and a growing concern over security issues, including transnational crime and terrorism, has shaped migration policies and the priorities of states. As migration rose to the top of many government agendas, a rapid tightening and regularisation of borders ensued in an attempt to keep undesirable, high-risk migrants out of potential destination countries. Concomitantly, transnational crimes, such as trafficking in persons and the smuggling of migrants, have been increasingly defined as border security problems. This article examines the extent to which border control is fundamental to anti-trafficking and anti-smuggling interventions, situating the debate within the wider nexus of globalisation and the securitisation of migration. Based upon their work with the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC) Regional Centre for Southeast Asia and the Pacific, the authors take the standpoint that given it is the sovereign right of each state to control its border and regulate migration, the human rights of migrants must be considered within this realpolitik. Clearly, though, this claim is highly political and contentious. In the article, we explore some of the tensions and contradictions that have emerged in this debate, and then develop an argument to suggest that it is possible for states to combine managed migration and strict border controls with the protection of human rights in the current context of globalisation.


Summary Four inoculation methods were investigated for assessing the clonal variation of eucalypts in susceptibility to bacterial wilt (Ralstonia solanacearum). The results showed that these inoculation methods obviously differed in the disease infection process, clonal variation and clonal mean repeatability in susceptibility of stock materials inoculated. For each inoculation method, the clonal effect was consistently significant over the assessment period. Root-collar suspension injection method (RSI) yielded the highest relative clonal variation (0.67±0.086) and clonal mean repeatability (0.92±0.038) in both disease infected incidence and severity at the end of assessment, attributable to the enhanced genetic variation or low environment effect. For a given inoculation method, an early assessment time might exist for maximizing relative clonal variation or repeatability. It is desirable in breeding to adopt an inoculation method and/or efficient assessment time with high clonal variance component, which would in turn improve the efficiency of clonal screening.


Composites 4.0 is the implementation of Industry 4.0 concepts to plastics and composites manufacturing with the goal to overcome the complexities associated with these materials. Due to very complex process-structure-property relationships associated with plastics and composites, a wide range of process parameters need to be tracked and monitored. Furthermore, these parameters are often affected by the tool and machinery, human intervention, and variability. They should thus, be monitored by integrating intelligence and connectivity in manufacturing systems. Retrofitting of legacy manufacturing systems with modern sensing and control systems is emerging as a cost-effective approach as it circumvents the substantial investments needed to replace legacy equipment with expensive modern systems to enhance productivity.
 The goal of the following study is to contribute to these retrofitting efforts by identifying the gap in the current state-of-the-art research, and the implementation level of Composites 4.0 capabilities in plastics and composites manufacturing. The study was conducted in two phases, first, a detailed review of the current state-of-the-art for Industry 4.0 in the manufacturing domain was conducted to understand the level of integration possible. It also helped gain insights into formulating the right questions for the composites manufacturing industry in South Carolina. Second, a survey of the plastics and composites manufacturing industries was performed based on these questions, which helped identify the needs of the industry and the gap in the implementation of Composites 4.0. The study focuses on three major composite manufacturing industries: injection molding, extrusion, and 3D printing of thermoplastic materials.
 Through the survey, it was possible to identify areas and desired functionalities being targeted by the surveyed industries and concentrate research efforts to develop targeted solutions. After analyzing the survey responses, it was found that updating old protocols using manufacturer support and customized integration of cost-effective solutions like retrofit kits, edge gateways, and smart sensors were the best-suited solutions to modernize the equipment. Composites 4.0 is already being implemented for Preventive Maintenance (PM), Manufacturing Execution System (MES), and Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) to some extent, and the focus is on process optimization and equipment downtime reduction. The inferences drawn from this study are being used to develop highly targeted, supplier-agnostic solutions to modernize legacy manufacturing assets.


A chaotic hybrid dynamical system is introduced and its analytic solution is derived. The system is described as an unstable first order filter subject to occasional switching of a set point according to a feedback rule. The system qualitatively differs from other recently studied solvable chaotic hybrid systems in that the timing of the switching is regulated by an external clock. The chaotic analytic solution is an optimal waveform for communications in noise when a resistor-capacitor-integrate-and-dump filter is used as a receiver. As such, these results provide evidence in support of a recent conjecture that the optimal communication waveform for any stable infinite-impulse response filter is chaotic.


Abstract Background Successful public practice relies on generation and use of high-quality data. A data surveillance system (the Disease Data Management System [DDMS]) in use for malaria was adapted for use in the Indian visceral leishmaniasis elimination programme. Methods A situational analysis identified the data flows in current use. Taxonomic trees for the vector of visceral leishmaniasis in India, Phlebotomus argentipes, were incorporated into the DDMS to allow entry of quality assurance and insecticide susceptibility data. A new quality assurance module was created to collate the concentration of DDT that was applied to walls during the indoor residual spraying (IRS) vector control programme. Results The DDMS was implemented in Bihar State and used to collate and manage data from sentinel sites in eight districts. Quality assurance data showed that DDT was under-applied to walls during IRS; this, combined with insecticide susceptibility data showing widespread vector resistance to DDT prompted a national policy change to using compression pumps and alpha-cypermethrin insecticide for IRS. Conclusions The adapted DDMS centralises programmatic data and enhances evidence-based decision making and active policy change. Moving forward, further modules of the system will be implemented, allowing extended data capture and streamlined transmission of key information to decision makers.


Receptors for CRH were identified in the pituitary gland of several primate species, and their binding characteristics were compared to the ability of CRH to elicit ACTH and cAMP responses in vitro. Autoradiographic analysis of the binding of [125I]Tyr-ovine CRH to frozen pituitary sections revealed CRH receptors in the intermediate and anterior lobes of human, marmoset, and cynomolgus monkey pituitaries. In the cynomolgus monkey, a high density of CRH receptors was present throughout the anterior and intermediate lobes. In the human pituitary, binding was concentrated in the anteromedial portion of the gland, whereas in the marmoset, binding was dense in the intermediate lobe and scattered as clusters throughout the anterior lobe. In membrane-rich fractions from the cynomolgus pituitary binding of [125I]Tyr-ovine CRH was time and temperature dependent, and was specific for CRH-related peptides; specific binding was increased by divalent cations and inhibited by guanyl nucleotides. Scatchard analyses of the binding data revealed a single class of high affinity sites [Kd, 1.93 +/- 0.23 (+/- SEM) nM], with a receptor concentration of 605 +/- 121 fmol/mg. In marmoset pituitary membranes, there were fewer receptors (200 +/- 15 fmol/mg), in agreement with the lower autoradiographic density of CRH binding. In anterior pituitary cell cultures from cynomolgus monkeys, CRH caused a dose-dependent stimulation of cAMP production and ACTH release, with half-maximum effective concentrations in the range of the CRH receptor affinity. Vasopressin and norepinephrine stimulated ACTH release to a much lesser extent, but both potentiated the stimulatory effect of CRH. Angiotensin II had no effect alone, but it also potentiated the effect of CRH. These data demonstrate the presence of CRH receptors in the primate pituitary, with characteristics similar to those in other species in their binding properties, coupling to adenylate cyclase, and functional interactions with other regulators of ACTH secretion that mediate the stimulatory effect of the peptide in the corticotroph.


Background : Meigs syndrome is defined as an ovarian tumor combined with ascites and hydrothorax. The underlying pathophysiology of ascites and pleural effusion in Meigs syndrome is not determined; however, these conditions will resolve after the resection of the ovarian tumor. Meigs syndrome with CA125 elevation is a rare benign condition, mimicking advanced ovarian cancer. Case presentation : We report the case of a 44-year-old woman who presented with severe dyspnea and distended abdomen. Her serum CA125 level was 948 IU/mL. Computed tomography scans revealed a large pelvic mass, ascites, and bilateral exudative pleural effusions. Considering the suspicion of ovarian cancer, the patient underwent total abdominal hysterectomy, bilateral salpingo-oophorectomy, and pelvic lymph node dissection. Accordingly, an adult granulosa cell tumor, stage IA, was confirmed. Ascites with pleural effusions completely resolved after surgery. Meigs syndrome was finally diagnosed based on spontaneous resolution of the accumulated fluids after the removal of the ovarian tumor. Further, the postoperative CA125 level dropped to the normal range. The patient has remained disease-free for 2 years and is receiving follow-up examinations regularly without adjuvant treatment. Conclusions : Meigs syndrome with elevated CA125 may lead to misdiagnosis of advanced ovarian cancer. If there is no evidence of malignant cells on cytology of the pleural effusion or ascites, Meigs syndrome should be considered.


In this paper, we show, for the first time, the synthesis, structural characterization, phase diagram and physical properties of the ionic liquid, 1-ethyl-3-methyl imidazolium decyl sulfate [EMIm][DSO4]. At 25 °C it is either a crystalline solid or a liquid depending on the thermal history as its melting point is about 33 °C and its point of solidification is about 22 °C. The interest of this new IL lies in its ability to become a rigid hydrogel when mixed with water. As observed in many ILs, the as-prepared IL is hygroscopic and it adsorbs about 14 wt% of water at usual laboratory conditions and up to 27 wt% in a 100% saturated atmosphere. Due to the H-bonds between water and the amphiphilic [DSO4] anions, a lyotropic HI liquid crystalline phase is formed in the hydrated state, which can be observed in micrographs recorded using white polarized light. The moisture adsorption is a completely reversible process; thus, the rigid-gel sample loses all adsorbed water when it is left in a dry atmosphere for a few hours, transitioning to the liquid state. Phase diagrams of the temperature-water concentration is presented and compared with that of the parent compound [EMIm] octyl sulfate, [OSO4]. X-ray diffraction revels that below 15 °C the hydrated compound crystallizes into a P2/m monoclinic structure. The structure of the new compound was confirmed by NMR, FTIR and mass spectroscopy (MS). In addition, the temperature behavior of ionic conductivity was experimentally measured and analyzed for the pure compound and for two samples hydrated with 10 wt% and 39 wt% of water. Viscosity and density were also measured vs. temperature for the pure sample. The as-prepared IL shows great potential for numerous practical applications.


. This article critiques constructivist approaches to the international relations of the Middle East and sets out an alternative interpretation of the role of ideas based on political economy and the sociology of knowledge. It cautions against using constructivism as a way of 'building bridges' between IR and Middle East Studies and disputes the claim that the norms of 'Arabism' as a putative regional identity are in contradiction with those of sovereignty. The article shows that this assumption is based on the combined influences of modernisation theory and Orientalist assumptions about the power and continuity of regional culture that have persisted in Middle East IR. This is despite the fact that there is no reason to believe the Arabs constitute a more 'natural' nation than do the Syrians, Iraqis or Egyptians. The political role and resonance of ideas can be better established by viewing the modern history of the Middle East in terms of domestic structure and social change, and in particular emphasising the role of rising middle classes in revolutionary nationalist movements. The findings of this article raise questions for the utility of 'moderate' constructivist interpretations of International Relations as a whole.


A mass extinction at the end of the Devonian is thought to have had a major influence on the evolution of actinopterygians (ray-finned fishes), which comprise half of living vertebrates. This extinction appears to have acted as a bottleneck, paring the early diversity of the group to a handful of survivors. Coupled with increases in taxonomic and morphological diversity in the Carboniferous, this contributes to a model of explosive post-extinction radiation. However, most actinopterygians from within a ~20-million-year (Myr) window surrounding the extinction remain poorly known, contributing to uncertainty about these patterns. An exceptionally preserved fossil of a diminutive fish from 7 Myr before the extinction reveals unexpected anatomical features that suggest a very different story. This new fossil nests within a clade of post-Devonian species and, in an expanded phylogenetic analysis, draws multiple lineages of Carboniferous actinopterygians into the Devonian. This suggests cryptic but extensive lineage diversification in the latest Devonian, followed by more conspicuous feeding and locomotor structure diversification in the Carboniferous. Our revised model matches more complex patterns of divergence, survival, and diversification around the Devonian-Carboniferous boundary in other vertebrate clades. It also fundamentally recalibrates the onset of diversification early in the history of this major radiation.


The electrical property of micrometre-sized graphite particles was investigated under different particle concentration, particle size, fluid conductivity and pH conditions. Due to its large internal electronic conductivity and ability to polarize under external potential field, significant enhancement of its spectral induced polarization (SIP) responses is observed when graphite is included in sand mixtures. While a small amount of graphite inclusion significantly increases the SIP response of its mixtures with sand, further concentration increase does not necessarily lead to a proportional increase of the SIP response. This is shown to be related to the formation of graphite aggregates at higher concentrations. Changes of fluid salinity have a significant effect on graphite's SIP behaviour. This includes a positive impact on normalized chargeability and imaginary conductivity, but a negative impact on chargeability and relaxation time constant. The effect of pH on the SIP response of graphite is small but shows consistent trend, where pH increase leads to a decrease of both the chargeability and relaxation time constant. The underlying cause of this effect is not clear.


Completeness in abstract interpretation is an ideal situation where the abstract semantics is able to take full advantage of the power of representation of the underlying abstract domain. Thus, complete abstract interpretations can be rightfully considered as optimal. In this article , we develop a general theory of completeness in abstract interpretation, also dealing with the most frequent case of least xpoint semantics. We show that both completeness and least xpoint completeness are properties that only depend on the underlying abstract domain. In this context, we demonstrate that there always exist both the greatest complete and least xpoint complete restrictions of any abstract domain, and for continuous semantic functions, the least complete extension exists as well. Also, under certain hypotheses, a constructive characterization of the least complete extensions and restrictions of abstract domains is given as solutions of simple abstract domain equations. These methodologies provide advanced algebraic tools for manipulating and comparing abstract interpretations, which can be fruitfully used both in program analysis and in semantics design. A number of examples illustrating these techniques are given in the elds of integer variable and logic program analysis.


The authors report the first case of a poorly differentiated epidermoid oesophageal cancer with myocardial metastasis. The diagnosis of malignant invasion of the myocardium was made by transthoracic echocardiography with electrocardiographic changes of subepicardial ischaemia. The authors review the literature of metastasic cardiac disease after the study of this particular case and underline the value of Doppler tissue imaging for myocardial characterisation.


This paper reports the results of four experiments that investigated how readers determine the anchor for free reports in narratives, i.e. descriptions of someone's perceptions (Viewpoint Shifting) or thoughts (Free Indirect Discourse) that can be ascribed to the narrator or to a character. Readers tended to ascribe free reports to the locally prominent character, i.e. the one that was mentioned as the experiencer in the preceding sentence. Additionally, readers chose that character more strongly in third-person narratives compared to first-person ones. In first-person stories with a locally prominent narrator, a strong preference for the narrator was found instead. In third-person stories with two experiencers, free thought reports were more likely to trigger nonspeaker-oriented readings, compared to perception reports. These results provide further empirical evidence about the environments that favour speaker- and non-speaker-oriented interpretations in narrative discourse.


How does the relationship of the Holy Spirit to creation guide theology of nature? This paper will propose that, on a cosmological level, the Spirit, as the 'Giver of Life', produces kinship among creatures, that the Spirit suffers with creation's suffering and as his perfecting work is frustrated, and that the Spirit gifts certain aspects of technological culture. The presence of the Spirit in nature causes us to respect nature, nevertheless, the Spirit may guide people to shape nature in ways that are consonant with the Spirit's life-giving work.


PURPOSE
The Study of Tamoxifen and Raloxifene (STAR) demonstrated that raloxifene was as effective as tamoxifen in reducing the risk of invasive breast cancer (IBC) in postmenopausal women and had lower risks of thromboembolic events, endometrial cancer, and cataracts but had a nonstatistically significant higher risk of noninvasive breast cancer. There is a need to summarize the risks and benefits of these agents.

PATIENTS AND METHODS
Baseline incidence rates of IBC and other health outcomes, absent raloxifene and tamoxifen, were estimated from breast cancer chemoprevention trials; the Surveillance, Epidemiology and End Results Program; and the Women's Health Initiative. Effects of raloxifene and tamoxifen were estimated from STAR and the Breast Cancer Prevention Trial. We assigned weights to health outcomes to calculate the net benefit from raloxifene compared with placebo and tamoxifen compared with placebo.

RESULTS
Risks and benefits of treatment with raloxifene or tamoxifen depend on age, race, breast cancer risk, and history of hysterectomy. Over a 5-year period, postmenopausal women with an intact uterus had a better benefit/risk index for raloxifene than for tamoxifen. For postmenopausal women without a uterus, the benefit/risk ratio was similar. The benefits and risks of raloxifene and tamoxifen are described in tables that can help identify groups of women for whom the benefits outweigh the risks.

CONCLUSION
We developed a benefit/risk index to quantify benefits from chemoprevention with tamoxifen or raloxifene. This index can complement clinical evaluation in deciding whether to initiate chemoprevention and in comparing the benefits and risks of raloxifene versus tamoxifen.


Administration of pigment epithelium-derived factor (PEDF) inhibits advanced glycation end products-elicited retinal vascular hyperpermeability, as well as cold injury-induced brain oedema in rats. However, the underlying molecular mechanism by which PEDF blocks the hyperpermeability in vivo is not fully understood. This study investigated whether PEDF could inhibit vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF)-induced vascular hyperpermeability both in vitro and in vivo. The Miles assay revealed that, after intradermal injection of VEGF in nude mice, simultaneous administration of PEDF inhibited vascular hyperpermeability in a dose-dependent manner. The in vitro permeability assay also showed that PEDF blocked the VEGF-induced barrier dysfunction in endothelial cells. These results demonstrated that PEDF could inhibit the VEGF-induced vascular hyperpermeability both in vitro and in vivo, and suggest that PEGF may be suitable to be considered as a novel therapeutic agent for various vasopermeable disorders in which VEGF is involved.


The intellectual and social foundations of three overlapping enterprises—fisheries science, fisheries management, and sport fishing—are incredibly complex. Practitioners of each of the three confront vexing, yet stimulating, instances of this complexity as they attempt to interact with practitioners of the other two. Historically, comparatively little scholarly attention has been paid to coming to terms with the character of these essential interactions. This paper reinforces the urgency of advancing such scholarly attention. The paper will invoke C.P. Snow's provocative "two cultures" lecture (1959) on the persistence and power of such "incomprehensibility gaps" as now often exist among the "three cultures" of science, management, and sport fishers. The paper will also critique H. Jones' contemporaneous and controversial Maxim on Field Research (1957) as a way of proposing at least some means for a better understanding among the three cultures—and countless subcultures—of human/fish endeavors. Results will include a fast-and-loose overview of random but helpful if not inspiring cases that indicate possible directions for improvement of this difficult situation. The talk's tone will not be anything like this abstract.


To investigate cardiorespiratory effects of an experimental 5-hydroxytryptamine receptor antagonist (R51703) with sedative properties, intramuscular doses of the drug were studied in 6 awake dogs of mixed breed, and in 6 anesthetized beagles. Two doses (0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg) of R51703 and a saline control were studied in the awake dogs using a randomized crossover trial. Subsequently, the higher dose of R51703 was included as a component of halothane anesthesia to determine whether the halothane sparing effect of R51703 produced a beneficial alteration of hemodynamic function. Data were obtained at equipotent halothane/R51703 (H/R) and halothane/saline (H/S) doses equivalent to 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0 MAC. In awake dogs, heart rates tended to be lower in dogs sedated with R51703, significantly so at 30 min for both doses, and at 90 and 120 min for the 0.2 and 0.4 mg/kg doses, respectively (P < 0.05). The cardiac index (CI) was lower at 60 min with both doses compared to the saline control group. Both doses of R51703 reduced mean blood pressure at 30, 90 and 120 min, and diastolic pressure at 30 and 90 min after administration; however, systolic blood pressure (SBP) was not altered. Overall, the cardiovascular alterations were minimal in conscious dogs and there was no evidence of respiratory depression. In the anesthetized dogs, at equipotent MAC, CI tended to be lower with H/R than with H/S, though the difference was not significant. Heart rate and stroke volume index also tended to be lower in the dogs treated with R51703, while systemic vascular resistance tended to be higher: these changes were not significant. Mean and SBP were higher at each MAC multiple in the H/R group. It was concluded that the halothane sparing effect of R51703 did not substantially improve hemodynamic function compared to the use of halothane alone at equipotent doses.


SUMMARY To evaluate the impact of trash management on sugarcane production and N fertiliser requirements in environmental conditions of Brazilian coastal tablelands, a simulation was conducted with APSIM-Sugar cropping systems model. The model was parameterised for, and validated against results from a long term (over 23 years) experiment comparing the system-burnt trash and green cane trash blanketing (GCTB), in Linhares-ES. Simulations were conducted over two crop cycles (14 years) with different management (100%, 75%, 50%, 25% GCTB and burnt trash), and N fertiliser rates from 0 to 240 kg ha−1 (in 40 kg ha−1 increments) on the ratoon crops, and 75% of these rates on the plant crops. Measured cane yields and soil carbon were simulated well by the model. The RMSE (root mean square error) of predictions in burnt and GCTB treatments were 14.02 Mg ha−1 and 13.45 Mg ha−1 for yield, and 0.09 and 0.13% for soil carbon. In the simulation, the cane yield responded positively to the GCTB systems. Optimum N rates were higher in the 100%, 75% and 50% GCTB than with burnt trash and 25% GCTB reflecting the greater yields under GCTB systems. The response to trash retention was dependent on N fertiliser, and it was smaller or even negative at lower N rates. With adequate N, the positive responses were predicted to occur in all crops after the imposition of GCTB system. The removal of any proportion of the trash reduced the potential sugarcane yield. The simulations showed that average environmental losses of N are likely to be greater from trash-retained systems at all N fertiliser rates.


Literary translation is one of the most widely discussed topics in Translation Studies. There are different opinions and approaches to literary translation. On the one hand, some theorists and translators suggest that linguistic aspects such as syntax, lexis, etc., are of great importance to literary translation; one must keep to the rules of the target language without digression from the original meaning, after all. On the other hand, some scholars believe these factors are insignificant, because turning translation into a linguistic exercise undermines the more important textual, cultural, and situational factors (Leonardi 2000). However, the application of Grice's Cooperative Principle to literary translation allows the mixture of both the linguistic aspects and all that is left beyond the meaning. The study was inspired by Kirsten Malmkjaer, Gideon Toury and Kristina Shaffner's debate on Norms, Maxims and Conventions in Translation Studies and Pragmatics (Shaffner 1999). The aim of the article is to analyse the Lithuanian translation of D. Brown's The Da Vinci Code within the framework of Grice's Cooperative Principle and the strategy of domestication by reviewing domestication and foreignization and introducing Grice's Cooperative Principle. The research proves that even though it is virtually impossible for a translator to convey the meaning of the source text exactly as it is given, the insufficient use of domestication in the Lithuanian translation of The Da Vinci Code emphasises the presence of the translator and disrupts the ease of reading.


Ornamentation is hypothesized to signal the capacity of an individual to cope with environmental challenges. At the molecular level, organisms respond to their environments largely by altering gene transcription, but the transcriptional responses linking ornamentation and disease resistance are virtually unstudied. In the house finch (Haemorhous mexicanus), carotenoid coloration displayed by males is important in female choice, and plumage redness predicts a male's ability to recover from bacterial infection with Mycoplasma gallisepticum. To investigate the molecular mechanisms underlying links between ornamentation and disease response, we experimentally infected wild finches and used microarrays to identify genes that were differentially expressed in males with redder and yellower plumage coloration. Sixteen candidate genes were then investigated across individuals. Principal components analysis revealed that infection induced a marginally significant decrease in 11 genes, several with primary immune functions. The treatment by plumage color interaction effect was largely driven by greater disease-induced changes in expression of heat shock protein 90 and ubiquitin c (the second principal component) by red birds than by yellow birds. In a direct comparison of disease severity between infected birds, plumage color on its own did not significantly predict disease symptoms. However, in multivariate models, expression of genes loading on the second principal component, plumage color, and their interaction were significant predictors of the severity of disease symptoms. Our observations demonstrate links between ornamentation and expression of genes related to disease resistance; we suggest that male plumage color may reflect functionally associated differences in inducibility or plasticity of gene expression in this species.


BACKGROUND:Colonoscopes with short bending sections facilitate retroflexion but their effect on other aspects of colonoscope insertion are unknown. We sought to determine the impact of short bending on cecal insertion, terminal ileal intubation, and proximal colon retroflexion.METHODS:Two studies were performed. In study 1, we randomized 104 adult patients with intact colons to undergo colonoscopy with a standard pediatric colonoscope (Olympus PCF-160), a prototype pediatric colonoscope with short bending in four directions (PCF-AYL), or a prototype pediatric colonoscope with short bending in two directions, and normal bending in two directions (PCF-AY3L). In study 2, we randomized 70 patients with intact colons to undergo colonoscopy with a prototype 170° wide angle colonoscope (CFQ160-WL) with a standard bending section length or to a prototype 170° colonoscope with a short bending section (CFQ160-W2L).RESULTS:In study 1, the cecum was reached in all patients. Using the AYL, the cecal intubation time (4.08 min) was significantly longer when compared to both the PCF-160 (2.62 min; p= 0.0001) and the AY3L (3.25 min; p= 0.02). The AYL required the application of abdominal pressure (79%) and activation of the variable stiffness device (70%) more frequently when compared to both the PCF-160 (32%; p= 0.0001 and 41%; p= 0.02, respectively) and the AY3L (34%; p= 0.0003 and 41%; p= 0.02, respectively). Successful cecal retroflexion was possible less often with the PCF-160 (57%) when compared to either the AYL (94%; p= 0.005) or AY3L (91%; p= 0.001). The ability to intubate the terminal ileum was similar in all three groups (PCF-160 and AY3L 100%; AYL 94%) as was the time needed to intubate (p= 0.73). Depth of ti intubation was deeper for the PCF-160 when compared to the AYL (p= 0.0002) or AY3L (p= 0.02). There was a trend toward deeper ileal intubation with the AY3L compared to AYL (p= 0.09).In study 2, no difference was noted in cecal intubation time (p= 0.1) or in frequency of application of abdominal pressure (p= 0.28), position change (p= 0.15), or activation of the stiffening device (p= 0.46). Cecal retroflexion was successful more often when using the W2L when compared to the WL (p= 0.00001).CONCLUSIONS:Short bending sections facilitate proximal colon retroflexion for both pediatric and adult colonoscopes, but can negatively impact cecal insertion and terminal ileal intubation in pediatric colonoscopes. A pediatric colonoscope with short bending in only two directions had good function for both cecal insertion and proximal colon retroflexion.


Introduction. Under the influence of anthropogenic pressures, as well as natural conditions, tourist facilities are gradually losing valuable recreational properties. To preserve and restore them requires a set of measures, which, in our opinion, is hardly possible without identifying the recreational opportunities of individual resources. The main numerical indicator of such opportunities is considered to be the recreational resource potential (RRP) of a separate territory. The purpose of this work is to determine the degree of anthropogenic impact on the recreational and resource potential of a particular area (upper reaches of the Prut River), taking into account the results of field and laboratory surveys. Methods. The method of RRP detection is based on detailed field studies. Precipitation samples were taken in the form of rain and snow. A set of hydrochemical studies was also conducted to assess the anthropogenic load on the selected area. Research results. For one of the most popular hiking trails (route to Hoverla) in the comfortable period of the year the number of vacationers increases significantly and is, respectively: May 83.5 people / day, June 124.4 people / day, July 206 , 8 people / day, August 132.4 people / day and September 40.5 people / day. Although in the park precipitation is formed in conditions relatively clean of anthropogenic pollution, there is a noticeable tendency to their acidification. In 2018, precipitation belonging to acidic and weakly acidic accounted for 30% of the samples taken, and in 2019 33.3%. The pH ranged from 3.9 to 5.6 units. Almost all hydrochemical parameters of the Prut River in the study area are within acceptable limits. However, ТЕХНОГЕННА ТА ЕКОЛОГІЧНА БЕЗПЕКА


Increasing evidence supports targeting the adenosine pathway in immuno-oncology with several clinical programs directed at adenosine A2 receptor (A2AR, A2BR), CD73 and CD39 in development. Through a cyclic-AMP-mediated intracellular cascade, adenosine shifts the cytokine and cellular profile of the tumor microenvironment away from cytotoxic T cell inflammation toward one of immune tolerance. A perpetuating cycle of tumor cell proliferation, tissue injury, dysregulated angiogenesis, and hypoxia promote adenosine accumulation via ATP catabolism. Adenosine receptor (eg, A2AR, A2BR) stimulation of both the innate and adaptive cellular precursors lead to immunosuppressive phenotypic differentiation. Preclinical work in various tumor models with adenosine receptor inhibition has demonstrated restoration of immune cell function and tumor regression. Given the broad activity but known limitations of anti-programmed cell death protein (PD1) therapy and other checkpoint inhibitors, ongoing studies have sought to augment the successful outcomes of anti-PD1 therapy with combinatorial approaches, particularly adenosine signaling blockade. Preliminary data have demonstrated an optimal safety profile and enhanced overall response rates in several early phase clinical trials with A2AR and more recently CD73 inhibitors. However, beneficial outcomes for both monotherapy and combinations have been mostly lower than expected based on preclinical studies, indicating a need for more nuanced patient selection or biomarker integration that might predict and optimize patient outcomes. In the context of known immuno-oncology biomarkers such as tumor mutational burden and interferon-associated gene expression, a comparison of adenosine-related gene signatures associated with clinical response indicates an underlying biology related to immunosuppression, angiogenesis, and T cell inflammation. Importantly, though, adenosine associated gene expression may point to a unique intratumoral phenotype independent from IFN-γ related pathways. Here, we discuss the cellular and molecular mechanisms of adenosine-mediated immunosuppression, preclinical investigation of adenosine signaling blockade, recent response data from clinical trials with A2AR, CD73, CD39 and PD1/L1 inhibitors, and ongoing development of predictive gene signatures to enhance combinatorial immune-based therapies.


This research analyzes the way in which preteens (tweens) in the cities of Zaragoza (Spain) and Pau (France) use tablets, as the first device they make their own in the digital world and how it influences their socialization with their peers. To get to that goal, through a qualitative methodology (in-depth interviews) a total of 22 young people from both cities were investigated. The results show that despite the cultural differences between both countries and cities, the preteens of Zaragoza and Pau express a very similar way to relate and use the tablets, being the level of penetration of this technology very similar in all the cases investigated. However, there are important differences when interpreting the leisure spaces in which they meet their friends.


As Cornelius Mayer wrote recently, the massive output of literature on Augustine (c. 50,000 extant titles) cannot hide the fact that 'much scholarly work remains to be done on the enormous variety and scope of Augustine's influence'. One area of which this is particularly true is Augustine's impact on Byzantine theology. While Augustine's own use of Greek patristic literature and contacts with the Greek patristic world have been investigated for some time and in some detail, his influence on Greek authors – especially during the later Byzantine era – has been sadly neglected. However, recent research on such authors as Maximos Planudes (c. 1255–1305), Gregory Palamas (1296–1359) and Prochoros Kydones (c. 1333–c. 1370) has done something to remedy that situation. This paper seeks to present a summary of that development and provide a context for further study.


Research on infestation rate of the digestive fluke on Bali cattle in the Sukoharjo Sub-district , Pringsewu District, Lampung Province held in December 2014 and January 2015. The purpose of this research was to determine the infestation rate of the digestive fluke in Sukoharjo sub-district, Pringsewu District, Lampung Province. The method used is a survey with proportional random sampling, the stool samples obtained 131 Bali cattle. Analysis of the data used in the study is descriptive. The parameters observed were gastrointestinal worm eggs that Paramphistomum sp., Haemonchus sp., Oesophagustomum sp., Mecistocirrus sp., Cooperia sp., Ascaris sp., Trichostrongylus sp., and Nematodirus sp .. The results of this study showed that the prevalence of Bali Cattle that infected Paramphistomum sp. is 74.05%, Haemonchus sp. is 4.58%, Oesophagustomum sp. is 18.32%, Mecistocirrus sp. is 2.29%, Cooperia sp. is 0.76%, Ascaris sp. is 0.76%, Trichostrongylus sp. is 1.53%, and Nematodirus sp. is 0.76%.


In this paper, a framework for smoothing gridlike digital terrain elevation data, which achieves a fair shape by means of minimizing an energy functional, is presented. The minimization is performed under the side condition of hard constraints, which comes from available horizontal and vertical accuracy bounds in the standard elevation specification. In this paper, the framework is introduced, and the suitability of this method for the tasks of accuracy-constrained smoothing, feature-preserving smoothing, and filling of data voids is demonstrated


First–generation cathodes for commercial lithium–ion batteries are based on layered transition-metal oxides. Research on ternary compounds, such as LiCoO 2 , evolved into mixed–metal systems, notably Li(Ni,Mn,Co)O 2 (NMC), which allows significant tuning of the physical properties. Despite widespread application in commercial devices, the fundamental understanding of NMC is incomplete. Here, we review the latest insights from multiscale modelling, bridging between the redox phenomena that occur at an atomistic level to the transport of ions and electrons across an operating device. We discuss changes in the electronic and vibrational structure through the NMC compositional space and how these link to continuum models of electrochemical charge/discharge cycling. Finally, we outline the remaining challenges for predictive models of high–performance batteries, including capturing the relevant device bottle-necks and chemical degradation processes, such as oxygen evolution.


1. The amount of marching by 4th-instar hoppers of Locusta migratoria migratorioides (R. & F.) which have been reared in crowds, was studied in relation to the total number of individuals and to the size of the cage.

2. Below 50 hoppers per cage, marching depended partly on the total number of hoppers present and partly on the number in relation to the area of the cage floor. Above 50 hoppers per cage, marching probably depended on the total number present, rather than the area of the cage floor.

3. In all cages, marching was greatly reduced with fewer than 30 hoppers, although even single individuals marched for part of the time.

4. An investigation of the hopper interactions which lead to an increase in marching activity in groups showed that the two most important were visual and mechanical ones.

5. Test hoppers followed moving hopper bodies alive or dead, but only gave a partial response to moving vertical stripes.

6. Mechanical interactions between hoppers greatly increased the proportion of reacting hoppers, but did not increase the distance travelled by the active individuals, beyond those travelled in response to optical stimuli alone.

7. Maximal marching activity, by the maximal proportion of hoppers in a band, depended on an opto-motor response to a moving background of hopper shapes and to the physical contact between hoppers.

8. Air and floor vibrations from other marching hoppers played only a small part in marching, whilst stimuli received via the antennae tended to inhibit marching when total activity was low.

9. The importance of the experimental results in explaining the behaviour of locust hoppers in the field was discussed.


Manually grading structural changes with the modified Stoke Ankylosing Spondylitis Spinal Score (mSASSS) on spinal X-ray imaging is costly and time-consuming due to bone shape complexity and image quality variations. In this study, we address this challenge by prototyping a 2-step auto-grading pipeline, called VertXGradeNet, to automatically predict mSASSS scores for the cervical and lumbar vertebral units (VUs) in X-ray spinal imaging. The VertXGradeNet utilizes VUs generated by our previously developed VU extraction pipeline (VertXNet) as input and predicts mSASSS based on those VUs. VertXGradeNet was evaluated on an in-house dataset of lateral cervical and lumbar X-ray images for axial spondylarthritis patients. Our results show that VertXGradeNet can predict the mSASSS score for each VU when the data is limited in quantity and imbalanced. Overall, it can achieve a balanced accuracy of 0.56 and 0.51 for 4 different mSASSS scores (i.e., a score of 0, 1, 2, 3) on two test datasets. The accuracy of the presented method shows the potential to streamline the spinal radiograph readings and therefore reduce the cost of future clinical trials.


A hub to find resources on where one can become proficient at coding and digital design - for beginners and those looking to expand their digital portfolio


The author describes the rate and characteristics of stillbirths in the Netherlands in 1992 with a focus on the impact of changes in the definition of the term implemented in 1991. (SUMMARY IN ENG) (ANNOTATION)


Data taken on the temperature dependence of A150 and graphite ionization chambers show a temperature dependence consistent with the volume coefficient of expansion of the chamber materials. For graphite chambers this effect is negligible, but for A150 the T dependence is some 20% less than expected from the ideal gas law. In cases when the highest accuracy is required this effect should be taken into account.


Wastewaters originated from textile industry contain various pollutants including a high content of organic matter and color problem depending on forms of dyes, surface-active materials. Azo dyes are difficult to degrade by the current conventional treatment processes. They are characterized by the presence of the nitrogen-nitrogen bond (-N=N) in the center and hence they are highly electron deficient. Several biological, chemical methods for degradation of textile effluents are being followed, but real challenge is to find a method that is effective, comparatively fast and cost effective. Advanced oxidation is an emerging field that uses oxidants producing hydroxyl radicals to oxidize toxic compounds into non-harmful by-products. The effectiveness of photo-oxidation on reactive black 5, a widely used complex structured azo dye, was evaluated. Dye concentrations in the range of 50-500mg/L were treated with UV alone and H2O2 /UV under 12 different residence time (5.2-60 min). The best combination was selected for Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) analysis to determine the amount of chemicals retained in the effluent after treatment. The textile industry produces effluents with a pH of 10-11 and hence, the dye pH was adjusted to 10-11. The effects of UV radiation, UV/ 10 ml H2O2 and UV/ 20 ml H2O2 were evaluated and the results were compared to select the best oxidation method. The maximum degradation obtained after 60 min exposure to UV alone was 27.01% and 0.33% for 50 mg/L dye concentration and 500 mg/L dye concentration, respectively. The degradation obtained after exposure to UV/10 ml/L H2O2 was 99.70% after 25.4 min for the 50 mg/L concentration and 99.70% after 60 min for the 500 mg/L concentration. Exposure to UV/ 20 ml/L H2O2 resulted in the degradation of 99.96% after 20 min for the 50 mg/L dye concentration and 99.95% degradation after 60 min for the 500 mg/L dye concentration. Increasing the H2O2 from 10 mg/L to 20 mg/L, (UV/20 ml/L H2O2) improved the oxidation efficiency and reduced the treatment time. The Chemical Oxygen Demand (COD) analysis performed on UV/20 ml/L H2O2 treated samples showed the COD of the effluent (after treatment) was 416 mg/L after 20 min for the 50 mg/L dye concentration and 256 mg/L after 60 min for the 500 mg/L dye RESEARCH ARTICLE OPEN ACCESS International Journal of Scientific Research and Engineering Development-– Volume 4 Issue 1, Jan-Feb 2021 Available at www.ijsred.com ISSN : 2581-7175 ©IJSRED: All Rights are Reserved Page 62 concentrations which are higher than the COD discharge limit of 250 mg/L. The COD discharge limit of 250 mg/L could be achieved with UV/ 20 ml/L treatment by increasing the exposure time (longer than 60 min). The pH of the treated effluent is within the discharge-accepted limit of 6-9. Treatment of the dye effluent under alkaline condition was slower but it does not justify at the acidic condition due to the cost of chemicals addition to adjust the pH and the further treatment to remove the chemicals before disposal. The temperature after treatment was always found to be increased from 22oC to 41oC after 60 min of exposure to UV.


The purpose of this paper is a theoretical one. It does not enter the debate of evidencebased medicine (EBM) about the validity of meta-analyses including pooled data from placebo-controlled clinical trials of homeopathy and the result of epidemiological clinical studies about the success of homoeopathic treatments. The paper tries to answer the question why extremely high diluted substances may be able to result in a medical reaction of a patient even if no single molecule of the used substance may be present in the medicament. This paper describes the Model of Pragmatic Information (MPI) and the Generalized Quantum Theory (GQT) and how they can be applied as a model to describe properties of homoeopathic treatment. From the point of view of the MPI and GQT, homoeopathic treatment and medicaments are "Pseudo-Machines" (PM). The Model of PM (MPM) includes sociological, psychological, physical, and causal- as well as non-causal (entanglement) processes which are relevant for the (homoeopathic) treatment. This means that the properties of PM can clearly be distinguished from placebos. In terms of MPM placebos can be considered as a specific form of PM. On the other hand, MPM is able to explain the limitation of double-blind placebo-controlled studies in medicine, Complementary Medicine (CM), and elsewhere. Finally, the paper describes an experimental method (Correlation Matrix Method, CMM) how the operation of PM can be tested empirically. Furthermore, this method allows distinguishing causal- and non-causal processes in medical treatments in general and is not limited to homoeopathy but could serve as a new approach in EBM. Keywords: Evidence based medicine (EBM), Complementary Medicine (CM), Homeopathy, Model of Pragmatic Information (MPI), Generalized Quantum Theory (GQT), Macroscopic Entanglement (ME), NT-axiom, Pseudo-Signals, Pseudo-Machines (PM), Correlation Matrix Method (CMM), Complementarity, Entanglement, Self-organization, Organizational Closure (OC)


Proposed is a new electro-optic microwave-lightwave converter using an optical waveguide and a quasi-phase-matching (QPM) array of patch antennas embedded with a gap. A wireless microwave signal can be received and directly converted to a lightwave signal with low microwave distortion through optical modulation by use of the proposed device. Furthermore, by adopting the QPM structures, the transit-time effect is compensated for and conversion efficiency can be improved. In the experiment using a fabricated device, the conversion efficiency was improved by 10 dB.


Culturally and spiritually important landscapes in the Arctic region express the interconnectedness of Indigenous Peoples with the natural and spiritual environment, and their preservation has been, and continues to be, essential to Indigenous People's identity and traditional livelihoods. During the last decade, the importance of cultural landscapes for the conservation of biological and cultural diversity has received increasing legal attention. One of the international legal instruments developed are the Akwe:Kon Voluntary Guidelines, under the Convention of Biological Diversity (CBD). This paper elaborates on the worldwide first implementation process of the Akwe:Kon Guidelines in Finland, and draws on first experiences made during the testing case of these guidelines in the management process of the Hammastunturi Wilderness Area, in order to investigate to what extent culturally and spiritually important landscapes of Arctic Indigenous Peoples are recognized internationally, especially under the CBD and related international agreements and jurisprudence, and in the national context of Finland, in particular at the local level of the Hammastunturi Wilderness Area.


We describe a new monothalamous species, Psammophaga sapela , collected from salt marshes and mudflats along the coast of Georgia, U.S.A. Partial small subunit ribosomal DNA (SSU rDNA) phylogenetic analyses assign this species to Clade E, one of a series of clades of monothalamous foraminifera. Psammophaga sapela joins three previously described species in this genus: P. simplora Arnold, the type species, P. magnetica Pawlowski and Majewski, and the reassigned Allogromia crystallifera Dahlgren. This new species is of moderate size (≤500 μm in length), is generally pyriform in shape, and has a single, flexible aperture, which may occur at the end of a very short neck. The flexible test is composed of a relatively thick (10–15 μm), smooth, outer agglutinated layer of fine clay particles arranged loosely parallel to the plasma membrane of the cell body. The agglutinated layer is underlain by a moderately thick (2–5 μm), inner organic lining (IOL), which is in direct contact with the cell membrane. The IOL contains numerous electron-dense particles with elongated fine fibers similar to other previously reported Clade E taxa. Small vesicles lie just beneath the cell membrane and merge with the plasma membrane to release test construction materials at the base of the IOL. This species is gametogamous, where gamonts release biflagellated gametes either through the aperture or within membrane-bound packets that open following release. Budding was also observed. True to its generic name Psammophaga (sand-eating), this taxon avidly ingests and maintains sediment grains of orthoclase, pyrrhotite, basaluminite, pseudobrookite, anatase, and ilmenite, the latter rendering it magnetic.


Several binary systems that contain a massive star have been detected in both the radio band and at very high energies. In the dense stellar photon field of these sources, gamma-ray absorption and pair creation are expected to occur, and the radiation from these pairs may contribute significantly to the observed radio emission. We aim at going deeper in the study of the properties, and in particular the morphology, of the pair radio emission in gamma-ray binaries. We apply a Monte-Carlo code that computes the creation location, the spatial trajectory and the energy evolution of the pairs produced in the binary system and its surroundings. The radio emission produced by these pairs, with its spectral, variability and spatial characteristics, is calculated as it would be seen from a certain direction. A generic case is studied first, and then the specific case of LS 5039 is also considered. We find that, confirming previous results, the secondary radio emission should appear as an extended radio structure of a few milliarcseconds size. This radiation would be relatively hard, with fluxes up to ~ 10 mJy. Modulation is expected depending on the gamma-ray production luminosity, system eccentricity, and wind ionization fraction, and to a lesser extent on the magnetic field structure. In gamma-ray binaries in general, the pairs created due to photon-photon interactions can contribute significantly to the core, and generate an extended structure. In the case of LS 5039, the secondary radio emission is likely to be a significant fraction of the detected core flux, with a marginal extension.


Using Simulink© tool, the Complementary MOS (CMOS) modeling of Pulse-Coupled Neural Network is demonstrated. Compact architectures for computing XOR and Parity functions without the need for weight learning are explained. Any N-bit parity function can be simulated with N hidden layer neuron, by the conventional method. As N increases, the network size grows and becomes complex for Very Large Scale of Integration realization. So, the fully connected networks are tried, which needs only N/2 neurons in the hidden layer. The architectures are claimed to be suitable for hardware implementation, since the majority of weights are equal to +1 that obviates the need for multiplier. Finally the network is configured to solve Character Recognition application. It also exhibited a satisfactory performance accepting 10% noisy patterns.


We present a method for manipulation planning derived from a systematic approach to constrained motion planning. We call it a method of progressive constraints. It replaces an original problem by a series of progressively constrained ones, and makes a solution of the current problem converge toward a solution of the original problem. The manipulation constraints are analyzed and it is shown how they can be introduced progressively. The progressive constraints framework can thus be used for solving manipulation planning problems. The general algorithm proposed for constrained motion planning can be derived from a standard geometric path planner. We use the variational dynamic programming path planner, in which at every iteration a current path is used to generate a submanifold that is searched for a better path.


Networks broaden the space for sourcing knowledge and skills for innovation in tourism beyond traditional actors and provide the framework for interactions, cooperation and knowledge sharing among them. The research focuses on complex relationships between the actors linked via web platform in generating ideas and implementing innovation in tourism. It assesses the dynamics of web platform evolution towards sectoral innovation eco-system in tourism. Applying case study methodology and unique data set we analyse the Bank of Tourism Potentials in Slovenia (BTPS), a web platform for the promotion of innovation in tourism. BTPS is considered an organizational innovation that leverages innovation in tourism and results in a number of new services, processes and business models. The originality of the paper derives from an in-depth analysis of actors' networking, collaboration and mutual learning in implementing innovation. The characteristics of interactions between actors translate into the emerging patterns of BTPS development and suggest that the web platform is assuming the characteristics of the innovation eco-system in tourism that can be transferred to other environments as well. Finally, areas of future research are proposed.


The response of canine trachea to exogenous dopamine was studied in vivo. Pentobarbital-anesthetized dogs were treated with dopamine through i.v. injection and i.v. infusion. The dopamine-induced constriction of the trachea was evaluated from changes in the intraluminal pressure of a semi-isolated section. The respiratory flow was monitored with a pneumotachograph. Dopamine administered through i.v. infusion (4-12 micrograms/kg/min) increased the blood pressure but decreased the respiratory rate and flow. At infusion rate of 8 micrograms/kg/min or higher, the intraluminal pressure went up gradually and recovered at the end of infusion. Bolus i.v., injection of dopamine (10-100 micrograms/kg) increased the blood pressure and the intraluminal pressure of trachea, but decreased the respiratory rate and flow. The pressure change in the tracheal tube lasted 2 to 3 minutes. These results demonstrate that, in addition to its well known effect on raising blood pressure, exogenous dopamine can induce transient constriction of the trachea in living animals. The constriction is accompanied by changes of respiratory pattern.


Abstract The purpose of this research was to determine the influence Swedish massage therapy to quality of sleep for elderly. The design of this research was "Pre experimental design one group only" designed by "One group pre test-post test". The research has been conducted in the Panti Sosial Tresna Werdha Khusnul Khotimah at Pekanbaru. The sample were 34 respondents who fit the inclusion criteria and chosen by purposive sampling technique. Measuring instrument that using questionnaire of Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI). Implementation of Swedish massage theraphy has been did in thirty minutes and during three days in a row. The analysis has been used univariate and bivariate by using Wilcoxon test. The result showed that there was a significant variance of sleep quality in elderly which has given Swedish massage with p value (0.000) < α (0.05). It can be concluded that the Swedish massage therapy was influence to improve the quality of sleep for elderly. Based on this research the Swedish massage therapy can be used as a non pharmacological therapy to increase sleep quality of elderly. Keyword : Elderly , Swedish massage , quality of sleep


Sandwich structured (Bi, La)4Ti3O12/Pb(Zr, Ti)O3/(Bi, La)4Ti3O12 thin films were fabricated on Pt/Ti/SiO2/Si substrates, with the intention of simultaneously utilizing the advantages of both (Bi, La)4Ti3O12 (BLT) and Pb(Zr, Ti)O3 (PZT) thin films such as non-fatigue behaviours of BLT and good ferroelectric properties of PZT. Both BLT and PZT layers were prepared by a chemical solution deposition technique. The experiments demonstrated that the sandwich structure showed fatigue-free characteristics at least up to 1010 switching bipolar pulse cycles under 8 V and excellent retention properties. The sandwich structured thin films also exhibited well-defined hysteresis loops with a remanent polarization (2Pr) of 8.8 µC cm-2 and a coercive field (Ec) of 47 kV cm-1. The room-temperature dielectric constant and dissipation factor were 210 and 0.031, respectively, at a frequency of 100 kHz. These results suggest that this sandwich structure is a promising material combination for ferroelectric memory applications.


The unfavoured signature of the rotation-aligned band associated with the prolate h 9/2 structure in 187 T1 has been identified. The deformation-aligned 11/2 − [505] band is also confirmed and extended. While the alignment properties of the 11/2 − [505] band seem to indicate that it has a similar magnitude of deformation as the prolate 186 Hg core, the signature splitting at low spin, taken together with new self-consistent calculations, suggest that it may actually be triaxial with γ ≈ −18 0 near the bandhead.


A phosphatase-responsive supramolecular amphiphilic assembly was fabricated as an operationally targeted drug delivery carrier based on the host–guest complexation of amphiphilic calixarene with adenosine triphosphate (ATP). Remarkably, the complexation of calixarene with ATP lowers its critical aggregation concentration pronouncedly to form hollow spherical nanoparticles, which are identified by the combination of atomic force microscopy, high-resolution transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy. Moreover, the spherical assembly is efficiently responsive to phosphatase that is overexpressed in many tumor cells, and therefore the present system may have potential application in drug delivery systems.


A large number of blockchain consensus protocols 7 use the Proof of Work (PoW) principle, which relies on miners who exchange computation for newly minted currency. Their) task is to support consensus, safeguarding the immutability of the chain's history. For the sake of regular income, a vast majority of miners team-up in large independent pools. These pools distribute among all their members the rewards gathered from individual miners, thus guaranteeing a stable income for each miner in the pool. The monetary compensation follows a specific reward system enforced by the pool administrator. Pay Per Last N Shares (PPLNS) is one of the most popular reward systems in PoW pools. Despite many desirable properties, in this paper, we show that composition of PPLNS pools may be unstable. To better understand the incentives of miners, we explore the effect of time preferences in the mining decisions of miners. Using a) game-theoretical model we study conditions for equilibrium in a) game with two different PPLNS pools. We find that the range of parameters that support equilibria between the pools with large number of miners is minuscule. This implies that in many cases, miners may have incentives to migrate towards larger pools, harming decentralization in the process. I


BACKGROUND A study was undertaken to evaluate the diagnostic value of pleural fluid concentrations of interferon gamma (IFN-γ) as a marker of tuberculosis. METHODS Patients admitted to King Chulalongkorn Memorial Hospital between April 1997 and January 1998 with a lymphocytic exudative pleural effusion were enrolled into the study. The pleural fluids were examined for cytology, staining for acid fast bacilli, and mycobacterial culture. Pathological examination and mycobacterial culture were performed on each pleural biopsy specimen. The diagnosis of tuberculosis was made when one of the following criteria was met: (1) Mycobacterium tuberculosis was isolated from either the pleural fluid or pleural tissue; (2) granulomas were demonstrated in the pleural tissue which stained positive for acid fast bacilli (AFB); or (3) in the presence of granulomas negative on staining for AFB in pleural tissue there was a response to antituberculous treatment on follow up. All pleural fluid samples were stored at –70°C and the IFN-γ level was measured by immunoassay. Analysis was made using sensitivity, specificity, and likelihood ratio for a positive test result. The best cut off point was determined by the highest likelihood ratio and receiver operating characteristic curve. RESULTS A total of 66 patients were enrolled and tuberculosis was confirmed in 39 of them. The diagnoses in the non-tuberculous group included malignancy (15), paramalignancy (11), and chronic pleuritis secondary to infective endocarditis (1). The mean (SE) IFN-γ level in the pleural fluid was significantly higher in the tuberculous group than in the non-tuberculous group (1493.3 (131.3) pg/ml versus 80.1 (50.4) pg/ml, p<0.001). The overlap between the two groups was minimal. At the cut off value of 240 pg/ml the sensitivity was 94.9% (95% CI 86.6 to 100), the specificity was 96.3% (95% CI 89.2 to 100), and the likelihood ratio for a positive test result was 25.6. CONCLUSIONS The pleural fluid concentration of IFN-γ is a good and useful diagnostic marker of tuberculosis presenting as a lymphocytic exudative pleural effusion.


We explore how college reputation affects the \"big sort,\" the process by which students choose colleges and find their first jobs. We incorporate a simple definition of college reputation—graduates' mean admission scores—into a competitive labor market model. This generates a clear prediction: if employers use reputation to set wages, then the introduction of a new measure of individual skill will decrease the return to reputation. Administrative data and a natural experiment from the country of Colombia confirm this. Finally, we show that college reputation is positively correlated with graduates' earnings growth, suggesting that reputation matters beyond signaling individual skill.


A model for artificial evolution in native x86 Windows systems has been developed at the end of 2010. In this text, further improvements and additional analogies to natural microbiologic processes are presented. Several experiments indicate the capability of the system - and raise the question of possible countermeasures.


This is a page proof of chapter one of Free Market Criminal Justice (Oxford Univ. Press 2016), which makes the case that faith in democratic politics and free markets has undermined the rule of law in U.S. criminal process. America's unique political development, characterized by skepticism of government power, has restrained the state's role not only in the economic realm but also in key parts of its criminal justice systems. From charging decisions through trials or guilty pleas and appeals, legal safeguards against bias, wrongful convictions, and excessive punishment rely more on politics and laissez-faire economic ideas than on enforceable rules and duties. Prosecutorial discretion is checked not by legal standards but by popular elections, and plea bargaining law is wholly built on a faith in unregulated markets — in contrast to the systems in other common law countries that also have neoliberal economies, adversarial process, and high guilty plea rates. This book argues that democratic and market ideas have led to more partisan prosecutors, narrower duties of evidence disclosure, and to a right to defense counsel that carefully accommodates preexisting wealth inequalities. Most important, democratic and market values have diminished the responsibility of judges — and of the state itself — for the accuracy and integrity of court judgments. Paradoxically, skepticism of government has expanded state power, reduced checks on executive officials, marginalized juries, and contributed to record incarceration rates. In contrast to recent arguments for re-invigorating democracy in criminal process, Free Market Criminal Justice argues that, to strengthen the rule of law, US criminal justice needs less democracy, fewer market mechanisms, and more law. Chapter one includes brief summaries of subsequent chapters.


ABSTRACT An unusual phenomenon occurred in new display cases at the Rijksmuseum four months after their installation in April 2013. White deposits were visible on glass windows, silicone door gaskets, black structural adhesive seals, and on works of art. The works of art most affected by these deposits were bronze sculptures, wooden and waxed objects, tempera, and oil paintings. In this study the deposits were chemically characterised using (pyrolysis-)gas chromatography-mass spectrometry ((Py-)GC-MS), µ-Raman spectroscopy (µ-Raman), ion chromatography (IC), and scanning electron microscopy combined with energy dispersive X-ray spectroscopy (SEM-EDX). Five chemically different crystalline deposits were found. They were identified as organic salts of the base 2,2,6,6-tetramethyl-4-piperidinol (TMP-ol), a secondary amine, and five different carboxylic acids. It was found that TMP-ol, which is part of the UV-light stabiliser Tinuvin-770, emitted from the structural adhesive Terostat-9220. Terostat-9220 was used in large quantities in the display cases to adhere glass windows to metal parts. The carboxylic acids derived from both construction materials used to build the cases and from conservation materials present on the exhibited works of art. The carboxylic acids involved were 2,4-dichlorobenzoic acid, formic acid, methacrylic acid, palmitic acid, and an unknown carboxylic acid, respectively emitted from peroxide-cured silicone gaskets, panels of medium-density fibreboard (MDF), UV-adhesive, beeswax containing products, and from an unknown acidic conservation product or binding medium. The identification of the crystalline deposits was supported by their syntheses in the laboratory. Since 2013, similar deposits have been observed in a number of museum collections worldwide. A treatment for preventing further growth of the deposits was developed and applied in the Rijksmuseum showcases.


The performance of the automatic speaker recognition system is becoming more and more accurate, with the advancement in deep learning methods. However, current speaker recognition system performances are subjective to the training conditions, thereby decreasing the performance drastically even on slightly varied test data. A lot of methods such as using various data augmentation structures, various loss functions, and integrating multiple features systems have been proposed and shown a performance improvement. This work focuses on integrating multiple features to improve speaker verification performance. Speaker information is commonly represented in the different kinds of features, where the redundant and irrelevant information such as noise and channel information will affect the dimensions of different features in a different manner. In this work, we intend to maximize the speaker information by reconstructing the extracted speaker information in one feature from the other features while at the same time minimizing the irrelevant information. The experiments with the multi-feature integration model demonstrate improved performance than the stand-alone models by significant margins. Also, the extracted speaker embeddings are found to be noise-robust.


Because research programs investigating IT-related phenomena are hindered by limitations in the availability of archival data, researchers have used a variety of data collection strategies including the gathering of firms' IT signaling via press releases to the media. Little is known, however, about firms' IT signaling propensities. Here, contents of firms' press releases and annual reports are coded to test a model explaining a firm's propensity to signal stakeholders about its IT-related activities. Results demonstrate that firms transmitting greater numbers of IT signals tend to be low performers in their industries, tend to reside in industries characterized by a transform industry IT strategic role and tend to be larger. Implications of these findings for research design are provided.


Background Measurement of right ventricular (RV) systolic function is important for patients with acute pulmonary embolism (PE). However, assessment of RV function is a challenge due to its complex anatomy. We measured RV systolic function with analysis of tricuspid annular motion in acute PE patients. Methods From August 2007 to May 2011, all consecutive PE patients were prospectively included. Tricuspid annular motion was analyzed with tricuspid annular plane systolic excursion (TAPSE) and tricuspid annular systolic velocity (TASV). Results We analyzed total 50 patients (38 females, 68 ± 14 years). Mean RV fractional area change (RVFAC) was 26.2 ± 10.8%; RV Tei index 0.78 ± 0.35; TR Vmax 3.8 ± 0.5 m/sec; pulmonary vascular resistance (PVR) 3.5 ± 1.2 WU. TAPSE was 16 ± 4 mm and TASV was 11.7 ± 4.0 cm/sec. TAPSE showed significant correlations with RVFAC (r = 0.841, p < 0.001), RV Tei index (r = -0.347, p = 0.018), Log B-type natriuretic peptide (BNP) (r = -0.634, p < 0.001) and PVR (r = -0.635, p < 0.001). TASV also revealed significant correlations with RVFAC (r = 0.605, p < 0.001), RV Tei index (r = -0.380, p = 0.009), LogBNP (r = -0.477, p = 0.001) and PVR (r = -0.483, p = 0.001). The best cutoff of TAPSE for detection of RV systolic dysfunction (defined as RVFAC < 35%) was 1.75 cm [Areas under the curve (AUC) = 0.96, p < 0.001] with a sensitivity of 87% and specificity 91%. The best cutoff for TASV was 13.8 cm/sec (AUC = 0.90, p < 0.001), sensitivity 86% and specificity 78%. However, there was no statistical significance in the detection of RV dysfunction (difference = 0.07, 95% CI = -0.21-0.17, p = 0.130) between TAPSE and TASV. Conclusion TAPSE and TASV showed significant correlations with conventional echocardiographic parameters of RV function and LogBNP value. These values can be used to detect RV systolic dysfunction more easily in patients with acute PE.


Discrimination of protein coding regions called exons from noncoding regions called introns or junk DNA in eukaryotic cell is a computationally intensive task. But the dimension of the DNA string is huge; hence it requires large computation time. Further the DNA sequences are inherently random and have vast redundancy, hidden regularities, long repeats and complementary palindromes and therefore cannot be compressed efficiently. The objective of this study is to present an integrated signal processing algorithm that considerably reduces the computational load by compressing the DNA sequence effectively and aids the problem of searching for coding regions in DNA sequences. The presented algorithm is based on the Discrete Wavelet Transform (DWT), a very fast and effective method used for data compression and followed by comb filter for effective prediction of protein coding period-3 regions in DNA sequences. This algorithm is validated using standard dataset such as HMR195, Burset and Guigo and KEGG.


Warm, salty Circumpolar Deep Water (CDW) is recognized as the primary driver for Antarctic glacial melt, but the mechanism by which it reaches the continental shelves remains highly uncertain from an observational standpoint. With the scarcity of eddy flux estimation in the Antarctic margin, we quantify the isopycnal diffusivity of CDW using hydrographic variability and satellite altimetry under the mixing length framework. For comparison, the spiciness and thickness are used as isopycnal tracers, and the two tracers yield qualitatively similar estimates. Over the Antarctic Circumpolar Current (ACC), spatial variation of mixing length is generally aligned with the jet-induced mixing suppression theory, including its exception in the lee of the topography. In contrast, the mixing length does not depend on the mean flow in the subpolar zone, likely reflecting the relatively quiescent flow regime. The estimated isopycnal diffusivity ranges from 100 to 500 m2 s-1 south of the ACC. The eddy diffusivity tends to be enhanced where the gradient of isopycnal thickness becomes small and CDW intrudes onshore. The cross-slope eddy CDW flux is estimated, and the associated onshore heat flux across is calculated as  ̃3.6 TW in the eastern Indian sector. The eddy heat flux and coastal solar heating are generally balanced with cryospheric heat sinks including glacial melting and surface freezing, suggesting that the eddy advection is substantial for the onshore CDW flux. The thickness field is essential for determining mixing length and eddy fluxes in the subpolar zone, whereas the situation does not hold for the ACC


We use the first systematic data sets of CO molecular line emission in z∼ 1–3 normal star-forming galaxies (SFGs) for a comparison of the dependence of galaxy-averaged star formation rates on molecular gas masses at low and high redshifts, and in different galactic environments. Although the current high-z samples are still small and biased towards the luminous and massive tail of the actively star-forming 'main-sequence', a fairly clear picture is emerging. Independent of whether galaxy-integrated quantities or surface densities are considered, low- and high-z SFG populations appear to follow similar molecular gas–star formation relations with slopes 1.1 to 1.2, over three orders of magnitude in gas mass or surface density. The gas-depletion time-scale in these SFGs grows from 0.5 Gyr at z∼ 2 to 1.5 Gyr at z∼ 0. The average corresponds to a fairly low star formation efficiency of 2 per cent per dynamical time. Because star formation depletion times are significantly smaller than the Hubble time at all redshifts sampled, star formation rates and gas fractions are set by the balance between gas accretion from the halo and stellar feedback.

In contrast, very luminous and ultraluminous, gas-rich major mergers at both low and high z produce on average four to 10 times more far-infrared luminosity per unit gas mass. We show that only some fraction of this difference can be explained by uncertainties in gas mass or luminosity estimators; much of it must be intrinsic. A possible explanation is a top-heavy stellar mass function in the merging systems but the most likely interpretation is that the star formation relation is driven by global dynamical effects. For a given mass, the more compact merger systems produce stars more rapidly because their gas clouds are more compressed with shorter dynamical times, so that they churn more quickly through the available gas reservoir than the typical normal disc galaxies. When the dependence on galactic dynamical time-scale is explicitly included, disc galaxies and mergers appear to follow similar gas-to-star formation relations. The mergers may be forming stars at slightly higher efficiencies than the discs.


Freshwater input into nearshore continental shelf waters from coastal river-estuarine plumes can greatly alter the physical and trophic environments experienced by fish larvae. However, the biological consequences of plume encounter on larval fish survival remain equivocal, largely due to the extreme variability of these systems but also because traditional sampling techniques alone are too coarse to effectively characterize the dynamic biophysical environment at spatiotemporal scales relevant to individual larvae. Using a multidimensional approach, we simultaneously collected in situ imagery and net samples of larval fishes and zooplankton from the Mobile Bay plume (Alabama, USA) and ambient continental shelf waters during a high discharge event (8−11 April 2016). We measured the effects of plume encounter on growth and condition of larval striped anchovy Anchoa hepsetus and sand seatrout Cynoscion arenarius, 2 prominent nearshore species in the northern Gulf of Mexico. Size-frequency distributions of both species indicated that larger individuals were present in shelf waters but absent from plume waters. Otolith microstructure analysis revealed that recent growth of both focal species was significantly lower for plume-collected larvae during the last few days prior to capture. Furthermore, plume larvae were in poorer morphometric condition (skinnier at length) than their shelf counterparts, despite the fact that there were higher concentrations of zooplankton prey in plume water masses. Taken together, these results suggest that elevated prey concentrations do not necessarily translate to higher growth and condition. High turbulence and turbidity within the plume may physically inhibit the prey capture ability and feeding success of fish larvae.


Based on rhoentgenocephalometric study of 207 patients (82 men and 135 women) aged from 16 to 43 years (average age 24,5 years) with deep bite (119 patients) and deep incisor overbite (88 patients) some peculiarities of face structure were determined in case of such abnormalities as well as pathogenetic mechanism of their formation was specified.


Many hosts are infected by several parasite genotypes at a time. In these co-infected hosts, parasites can interact in various ways thus creating diverse within-host dynamics, making it difficult to predict the expression and the evolution of virulence. Moreover, multiple infections generate a combinatorial diversity of cotransmission routes at the host population level, which complicates the epidemiology and may lead to non-trivial outcomes. We introduce a new model for multiple infections, which allows any number of parasite genotypes to infect hosts and potentially coexist in the population. In our model, parasites affect one another's within-host growth through density-dependent interactions and by means of public goods and spite. These within-host interactions determine virulence, recovery and transmission rates, which are then integrated in a transmission network. We use analytical solutions and numerical simulations to investigate epidemiological feedbacks in host populations infected by several parasite genotypes. Finally, we discuss general perspectives on multiple infections.


We report a case of a 4-year-old female with Sotos syndrome (cerebral gigantism) whose initial clinical, pathologic, and imaging presentation was considered suspicious for a vascular malformation of her left thigh. Following 17 months of attempted treatment, excision of the supposed vascular malformation was performed. Pathology tests revealed high-grade sarcoma. The delay of diagnosis resulted in an above-the-knee amputation for definitive treatment. If this etiology had been considered earlier in this patient's clinical course, her treatment could have commenced sooner, and amputation of her leg may have been avoided. While soft-tissue sarcoma arising in childhood is rare, malignancy should be given consideration when evaluating a mass in a young child with characteristic physical examination findings of Sotos syndrome, since these children have an elevated risk of malignancy over the general population.


This study assessed changes in left ventricular texture on two-dimensional (2-D) echocardiography after experimental myocardial infarction. In 13 dogs, the left anterior descending coronary artery (LAD) was occluded for 3 h, followed by 1 h of reperfusion and sacrifice. Two-dimensional echocardiography was performed pre-LAD occlusion, 3 h post occlusion and 1 h after reperfusion by placing a 5 MHz transducer on the chest wall. After sacrifice, triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining was performed on 1 cm thick left ventricular cross-sectional slices. Five dogs served as controls (shams). Two-dimensional echocardiograms were digitized and in the region of left ventricular asynergy (area of myocardial infarction), and adjacent normal area, the mean pixel intensities (+/- SD) were calculated. There was no significant change in the mean pixel intensity from 0 through 4 h in the lateral (22.8 +/- 1.3 and 23.4 +/- 1.8) and anteroseptal (23.2 +/- 1.9 and 22.6 +/- 1.9) regions in sham operated dogs. In dogs undergoing LAD occlusion, the mean pixel intensity from the pre- to post occlusion period showed no significant change in the lateral (normal) area, 24.4 +/- 2.7 versus 24.7 +/- 2.9. In the area of wall motion abnormality (area of myocardial infarction) the mean pixel intensity increased from 25.4 +/- 2.7 to 33.7 +/- 4.5, P less than 0.01. There was no significant change in the mean pixel intensity between the 3 h post occlusion and post reperfusion period in either the lateral (normal) or anteroseptal areas of the left ventricle. The area of left ventricular asynergy corresponded to the area of myocardial infarction on triphenyltetrazolium chloride stain.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


In this thesis I explore how compound processing can be used to improve phrase-based statistical machine translation (PBSMT) between English and German/Swedish. Both German and Swedish generally use closed compounds, which are written as one word without spaces or other indicators of word boundaries. Compounding is both common and productive, which makes it problematic for PBSMT, mainly due to sparse data problems. The adopted strategy for compound processing is to split compounds into their component parts before training and translation. For translation into Swedish and German the parts are merged after translation. I investigate the effect of different splitting algorithms for translation between English and German, and of different merging algorithms for German. I also apply these methods to a different language pair, English--Swedish. Overall the studies show that compound processing is useful, especially for translation from English into German or Swedish. But there are improvements for translation into English as well, such as a reduction of unknown words. I show that for translation between English and German different splitting algorithms work best for different translation directions. I also design and evaluate a novel merging algorithm based on part-of-speech matching, which outperforms previous methods for compound merging, showing the need for information that is carried through the translation process, rather than only external knowledge sources such as word lists. Most of the methods for compound processing were originally developed for German. I show that these methods can be applied to Swedish as well, with similar results.


This paper aims to develop a model of location preference of manufacturing industry companies in response to the change in level of service of travel time caused by highway construction. Two types of location choice model are proposed: One is a Logit type model directly incorporating a function decreased by distance. The other is a Dogit type model that represents the area-specific component determined by this distance function. The results show that the estimated parameters for both of two models are statistically significant, while hit ratios are not enough. They also suggest that, as the correlation coefficients between land price and the estimated area attractiveness are not insignificant, the area attractiveness have relations with the potential of the areas.


Based on the first-principles method, the structural stability and the contribution of point defects such as O, Sr or Ti vacancies on two-dimensional electron gas of n- and p-type LaAlO3/SrTiO3 interfaces are investigated. The results show that O vacancies at p-type interfaces have much lower formation energies, and Sr or Ti vacancies at n-type interfaces are more stable than the ones at p-type interfaces under O-rich conditions. The calculated densities of states indicate that O vacancies act as donors and give a significant compensation to hole carriers, resulting in insulating behavior at p-type interfaces. In contrast, Sr or Ti vacancies tend to trap electrons and behave as acceptors. Sr vacancies are the most stable defects at high oxygen partial pressures, and the Sr vacancies rather than Ti vacancies are responsible for the insulator-metal transition of n-type interface. The calculated results can be helpful to understand the tuned electronic properties of LaAlO3/SrTiO3 heterointerfaces.


Background: Pain is one of the patients' common problems, and usual morbidity after coronary artery bypass graft (CABG). This study aimed to assess the effect of Paracetamol and fentanyl in reducing post-CABG pain.
Methods: This double-blind randomized clinical trial was conducted on 160 patients undergoing elective CABG (80 in group F (Fentanyl) and 80 in group P (Paracetamol)), at the cardiac surgery department of hospitals affiliated with Zahedan University of Medical Sciences. In group F, 50μg of Fentanyl (intravenous (IV)) was injected followed by a solution of 10 μg/cc at a rate of 4 cc/hr. For patients in group P, 15 mg/kg of Paracetamol (IV) was administered followed by a solution of 25 μg/cc at a rate of 4 cc/hr. Patients have been infused with the named drugs within the first 24 hours after the operation. Pain severity was assessed by the visual pain score (VAS) tool at baseline, and two, four, eight, twelve, and twenty-four hours after the surgery.
Results: The mean of pain score in 12 (P-value=0.002) and 24 (P-value<0.0001) hours after surgery in group P was significantly less than that of group F. The mean heart rate in patients receiving Paracetamol was significantly (P-value = 0.005) less than that of patients receiving Fentanyl for 4 hours after surgery. The mean of increasing creatinine postoperatively in two groups was significant. The mean of increasing AST and ALT postoperatively in group P was significant with no case of liver function impairment.
Conclusion: It seems Paracetamol is a good choice for reducing post-CABG pain with no significant complication, although further and more comprehensive research is needed.


A reaction-diffusion system with nonlinear time-dependent boundary conditions is developed to model the uptake and release of neural transmitter a t an invertebrate neuromuscular junction. The system of differential equations is transformed into an equivalent normalized, nonlinear integrodifferential equation problem which is solved using standard techniques for nonlinear Volterra integral equations. A statistical procedure for estimating the model parameters by fitting the model to specific experimental data is described and the goodness of fit of the model to the data in the presence of correlated errors is assessed.


We purified the R1 alpha-1-protease inhibitor from rat serum and developed a convenient assay for its detection during purification procedures. Purification was accomplished by desalting, DEAE-Sephacel, zinc chelate, and reactive green-agarose columns. The resultant antiprotease had a molecular weight of 54,000 and inhibited elastase, chymotrypsin, and trypsin. By isoelectric focusing, five bands were produced with pI values from 4.3 to 4.7. Functional assays utilizing protease substrates imbedded in agarose plates were evaluated for the ability to distinguish the R1 alpha-1-protease inhibitor from the other serum antiproteases eluted in column chromatography fractions. This technique of screening for anti-protease activity was compared to conventional spectrophotometric methods and was found to correlate well when quantifying inhibition of elastase and chymotrypsin, but not trypsin. The presence of alpha-1-protease inhibitor was most reliably detected by testing for anti-elastase activity. Technician time and expense were saved by employing protease substrate plates to test chromatogrpahy fractions. This technique may facilitate purification of other protease inhibitors.


Maintenance cost for managing the whole network of Expressway system in Korea increases rapidly with the increase of the total length of the system. Implementation of the Pavement Management System(PMS) is essential for efficient management of the Expressway with a limited budget. The purpose of this study is to develop the main algorithm of PMS for Korea Expressway System and to associate the algorithm with database and the Highway Geographic Information System(HGIS) recently developed. Emphasis is laid on developing the algorithm as easy as possible, so that the users can use the PMS without practical difficulty. PMS is not the decision maker, but just a supporting system for the user. The algorithm is designed in such a way that the users can modify the decision criteria if necessary. The user is the one who makes the final decision of the priority and the maintenance alternatives. The users can also inquire the current condition of the whole Expressway network in detail by association of the database and the algorithm with HGIS.


Reading Bialik's "Be'ir hahareigah" in 2004 involves confronting the reader's experience of Holocaust literature. To deal with this problem, I compare Bialik's great poem with Primo Levi's If This Is a Man (Survival in Auschwitz), since each work represents significant features in the literary articulation of traumatic events. While both are generically travelogues, Bialik leads us through a knowable scene of destruction, and Levi must guide us through a hitherto unknown locale of dehumanization, the Lager. The specific modality of each work determines its emplotment and its language.


In this paper, we discuss the role that gesture plays for an embodied intelligent virtual agent (IVA) in the context of multimodal taskoriented dialogues with a human. We have developed a simulation platform, VoxWorld, for modeling and building Embodied HumanComputer Interactions (EHCI), where communication is facilitated through language, gesture, action, facial expressions, and gaze tracking. We believe that EHCI is a fruitful approach for studying and enabling robust interaction and communication between humans and intelligent agents and robots. Gesture, language, and action are generated and interpreted by an IVA in a situated meaning context, which facilitates grounded and contextualized interpretations of communicative expressions in a dialogue. The framework enables multiple methods for performing evaluation of gesture generation and recognition. We discuss four separate scenarios involving the generation of non-verbal behavior in dialogue: (1) deixis (pointing) gestures, generated to request information regarding an object, a location, or a direction when performing a specific action; (2) iconic action gestures, generated to clarify how (what manner of action) to perform a specific task; (3) affordance-denoting gestures, generated to describe how the IVA can interact with an object, even when it does not know what it is or what it might be used for; and (4) direct situated actions, where the IVA responds to a command or request by acting in the environment directly.


This article describes a software environment called the Exchange Center that helps digital librarians manage the workflow of sourcing documents and metadata from various repositories. The software is built on Greenstone but does not require its use as the final digital library server. After describing the software architecture we provide two scenarios of its use: a private library of recipes, which ultimately involves collaboration with other cooks; and a digital library that aggregates the collections of various host institutions that use different repository software.


The main object of this paper is to design and implement an intelligent traffic light system. The system is able to sense the presence or absence of vehicles within certain range, by setting the appropriate duration for the traffic signals to react accordingly. The simulation of the intelligent traffic signal system is done using Electronic Work Bench Package (EWB). The new timing scheme promises an improvement in the current traffic light system. This system is feasible, affordable and ready to be implemented especially during peak hours.