India is a world leader in groundnut farming. It is major oilseed legume crop and meets 30 percent of edible oil requirements of the country. They rich in protein and vitamins A, B and minerals like Ca, Mg, etc. A multistage, purposively, proportionate and random sampling technique was selected for the study. The study was conducted in Saurashtra region of Gujarat state. Total 12 talukas were selected purposively in which maximum FLDs given under NMOOP and among them 16 villages were selected for the study. Total 160 respondents were selected in which 80 demonstrators and 80 non-demonstrator farmers were selected for this study. Ex-post facto research design was used and data were collected by personal contact. The result revealed that the majority of demonstrator (68.75 per cent) and non-demonstrator (58.75 per cent) farmers had medium level of knowledge about the recommended groundnut production technology, whereas 17.50 per cent of demonstrator and 13.75 per cent of non-demonstrator farmers had high levels knowledge about recommended groundnut production technology. While 13.75 per cent and 27.50 per cent of demonstrator and non-demonstrator farmers had low level of knowledge about recommended groundnut production technology.


Laboratory facilities employing high pulsed currents and voltages, and called generally "pulsed-power facilities", allow experimenters to produce a variety of hydrodynamical structures replicating, often in a scalable fashion, a broad range of dynamical astrophysical phenomena. Among these are: astrophysical jets and outflows, astrophysical blast waves, magnetized radiatively dominated flows and, more recently, aspects of simulated accretion disks. The magnetic field thought to play significant role in most of the aforementioned objects is naturally present and controllable in pulsed-power environments. The size of the objects produced in pulsed-power experiments ranges from a centimeter to tens of centimeters, thereby allowing the use of a variety of diagnostic techniques. In a number of situations astrophysical morphologies can be replicated down to the finest structures. The configurations and their parameters are highly reproducible; one can vary them to isolate the most important phenomena and thereby help in developing astrophysical models. This approach has emerged as a useful tool in the quest to better understand magnetohydrodynamical effects in astronomical environments. The present review summarizes the progress made during the last decade and is designed to help readers identify and, perhaps, implement new experiments in this growing research area. Techniques used for generation and characterization of the flows are described.


This paper considers the case of a 2-identical-unit redundant system with Erlang-failure and general repair distributions. Two cases are considered: 1) the failure of each unit is independent of the other; 2) when one unit fails, the failure distribution in the other unit changes. The Laplace transforms of the distribution of time to system failure and the explicit formula for the mean time to system failure are derived.


European castles are important and common components in the tour itineraries of Japanese tourists. There is, however, limited understanding of the way Japanese tourists view these heritage sites. The first aim of the study is to document the Japanese tourists' views. Secondly, the researchers seek to explain the Japanese perspectives, while the third aim attempts to draw out the implications of the findings for our conceptual understanding of key, largely western-derived, perspectives on authenticity. Three representative European castles were selected as case study sites. Japanese remarks on TripAdvisor were collected as rich sources of data. The text-mining software Leximancer was used to analyse the broad themes. Manual content analysis was then employed for identifying the unique Japanese views. The interpretation of the Japanese perspectives was built on an understanding of the cultural capital they bring to the site - especially the legacy of anime (the Japanese entertainment format), natsukashii (nostalgia), meisho (famous places), mujou (the beauty of the transitory), and "power spots". The study identified the value of internationalising the concepts of authenticity. Practical implications for marketing European castles to the Japanese are noted.


We describe Chemical Solution Deposition (CSD) processes by which Strontium Bismuth Tantalate (SBT) thin films can be prepared at temperatures as low as 550 C. In this paper, we will present strategies used to optimize the properties of the films including solution chemistry, film composition, the nature of the substrate (or bottom electrode) used, and the thermal processing cycle. Under suitable conditions, {approximately} 1700 {angstrom} films can be prepared which have a large switchable polarization (2P{sub r} > 10{micro}C/cm{sup 2}), and an operating voltage, defined as the voltage at which 0.80 x 2P{sub r} max is switched, 2.0V. We also describe an all-alkoxide route to SBT films from which SBT can be crystallized at 550 C.


The objective of this work was to evaluate strategies of simulated selection by optimum contribution for the genetic gain, with restriction on coancestry, for the weight trait of 84‑day old Santa Ines sheep. The analyses were performed using a differential evolution algorithm, which optimized an objective function accounting for average coancestry of the candidate animals for reproduction and genetic merit. The optimal selection strategy indicated the use of 19 rams, which would result in an expected average gain of 1.1259 units of standard deviation, and coancestry equal to 0.0249 (strategy 5). Compared to the selection based only on breeding values, the optimum strategy reduced the coancestry by 12%, and the genetic gain by only 3%. The selection of sheep by the optimum contribution offers different levels of genetic gain, which are achievable from restrictions on the coancestry. Therefore, it is possible to minimize the coancestry, or restrict it to a predefined value, and maximize the genetic gain while using the optimum contribution.


In this article, we present GEREV, a guidance and assessment system for voice rehabilitation, and in particular, a system for representation and structuring of manipulated knowledge. The first point that we develop concerns details of the knowledge domain. Indeed, contrary to many Intelligent Tutoring System (ITS), systems which allow acquisition of reasoning (for example in geometry or in declarative knowledge), we work on the acquisition of the norm of acoustic parameters; these can be defined as an ensemble of physical sizes, some of wich constitute the standard intervals of production for categories such male or female. In rehabilitation, the norms must needs be adapted to student's possibilities. Therefore, we have centred a part of our work on the style and structuring of knowledge, wich will permit us to adapt the norm. Next we present our choice of representations and their implications. We qualify the quantitatives values with the help of fuzzy sets, wich allow us on the one hand to pass from the quantitative to qualitative, and the other hand to obtain as exhaustive and precise a representation as possible. At the level of the knowledge unit itself -that is the ability, defined as the entirebody of information that allows to define an acoustic parameter representation- we use frames, wich precisely describe notions of knowledge prototypesin the domain. As for the global organisation of expertise, we choose to describe it with the help of a network of frames which express relations between abilities. These combinations of representation styles are necessary in order to express the totality of knowledge details. However, they entail modifications within modules of the expert and the student which we will describe, before presenting in conclusion, an outline of thoughts on the portability of our work on other systems; and finally, perspectives which are evoked by problems concerning implantation of such a system, student assessment, and correction and guidance in GEREV.


Anatomically and biophysically detailed data-driven neuronal models have become 23 widely used tools for understanding and predicting the behavior and function of neurons. Due 24 to the increasing availability of experimental data from anatomical and electrophysiological 25 measurements as well as the growing number of computational and software tools that enable 26 accurate neuronal modeling, there are now a large number of different models of many cell 27 types available in the literature. These models were usually built to capture a few important or 28 interesting properties of the given neuron type, and it is often unknown how they would 29 behave outside their original context. In addition, there is currently no simple way of 30 quantitatively comparing different models regarding how closely they match specific 31 experimental observations. This limits the evaluation, re-use and further development of the 32 existing models. Further, the development of new models could also be significantly 33 facilitated by the ability to rapidly test the behavior of model candidates against the relevant 34 collection of experimental data. We address these problems for the representative case of the 35 CA1 pyramidal cell of the rat hippocampus by developing an open-source Python test suite, 36 which makes it possible to automatically and systematically test multiple properties of models 37 by making quantitative comparisons between the models and electrophysiological data. The 38 tests cover various aspects of somatic behavior, and signal propagation and integration in 39 apical dendrites. To demonstrate the utility of our approach, we applied our tests to compare 40 the behavior of several different hippocampal CA1 pyramidal cell models from the ModelDB 41 database against electrophysiological data available in the literature, and concluded that each 42 of these models provides a good match to experimental results in some domains but not in 43 others. We also show how we employed the test suite to aid the development of models within 44


Rate of biogas production using cow manure as substrate was monitored in two laboratory scale batch reactors (13 liter and 108 liter capacities). Two empirical models based on the Gompertz and the modified logistic equations were used to fit the experimental data based on non-linear regression analysis using Solver tool in Microsoft Excel. The 13-liter reactor was used in Experiments1 & 2 and in Experiment 3 the 108-liter reactor was used. In all the three experiments, Gompertz model gave a better goodness of fit than the modified Logistic model. The cross correlation coefficients for experiment 3 are 0.9972 and 0.9965 for Gompertz and Modified Logistic models respectively. Atomic absorption spectroscopy (AAS) analysis of the biogas indicates that its methane content is above 70% in both reactors. Keywords : Empirical model, Non-linear regression, biogas production, cow manure.


In recent years, there has been increased interest in improving early mathematics curricula and instruction. Subsequently, there has also been a rise in demand for better early mathematics assessments, as most current measures are limited in their content and/or their sensitivity to detect differences in early mathematics development among young children. In this article, using data from two large samples of diverse populations of prekindergarten and kindergarten children, we provide evidence regarding the psychometric validity of a new theory-based early mathematics assessment. The new measure is the short form of a longer, validated measure. Our results suggest the short form assessment is valid for assessing prekindergarten and kindergarten children's numeracy and geometry skills and is sensitive to differences in early mathematics development among young children.


The dynamic behaviour of the molecular alignment strongly affects the rheological properties of nematic liquid crystals. The closed nonlinear relaxation equation for the five components of the alignment tensor which was derived within the framework of irreversible thermodynamics and also inferred from a generalized Fokker–Planck equation led to the prediction (Rienäcker et al 2002 Phys. Rev. E 66 040702(R); Physica A 315 537) that the rather complex orientational behaviour of tumbling nematics can even be chaotic in a certain range of the relevant control variables. Here the rheological consequences, in particular the shear stress and the normal stress differences, as well as the underlying dynamics of the alignment tensor are computed and discussed. For selected state points, long time averages are evaluated for imposed shear rates. Orientational and rheological properties are presented. The transitions between different dynamic states are detected and discussed. Representative examples of alignment orbits and rheological phase portraits give insight into the dynamic behaviour.


A chimeric protein (rscu-PA-40-kDa/Hir), consisting of the C-terminal amino acids 53-65 of hirudin (Hir), fused via a 14-amino-acid linker sequence to the C-terminal of a 40-kDa fragment (Ser47-Leu411) of recombinant (r) single-chain (sc) urokinase-type plasminogen activator (rscu-PA), was produced by expression of the corresponding chimeric cDNA in Escherichia coli cells. The thrombin inhibitory potential of purified rscu-PA-40-kDa/Hir was confirmed by complete inhibition of the coagulant activity of thrombin at 20-30-fold molar excess of the chimera, and by the resistance of rscu-PA-40-kDa/Hir to proteolytic cleavage by thrombin, rscu-PA-40-kDa/Hir prolonged the thrombin time of normal human plasma in a dose-dependent way (reduction of the apparent thrombin concentration to 50% with 95 nM chimeric protein as compared to 4.7 nM hirudin), and inhibited thrombin-mediated platelet aggregation (reduction of the apparent thrombin concentration to 50% with 40 nM chimeric protein). The chimera had a specific activity on fibrin films of 57,000 IU/mg as compared to 95,000 IU/mg for rscu-PA. The urokinase-like amidolytic activity of the single-chain protein was only 220 IU/mg but increased to 169,000 IU/mg after treatment with plasmin, which resulted in quantitative conversion to a two-chain (tc) derivative (rtcu-PA-40-kDa/Hir). Corresponding values for rscu-PA were 270 and 226,000 IU/mg. The catalytic efficiencies for plasmin-mediated conversion to two-chain molecules were comparable for rscu-PA-40-kDa/Hir and rscu-PA (0.63 and 0.65 microM-1.s-1, respectively). The plasminogen-activating potential of the single-chain chimera was comparable to that of rscu-PA; the catalytic efficiencies for plasminogen activation by their two-chain counterparts were also similar (0.55 and 0.73 microM-1.s-1, respectively). In 2 h, 50% lysis of 125I-fibrin-labeled clots prepared from platelet-poor human plasma and immersed in normal plasma was obtained with 1.3 micrograms/ml rscu-PA-40-kDa/Hir and with 0.67 micrograms/ml rscu-PA, with corresponding residual fibrinogen levels of 74% and 87%, respectively. In the absence of fibrin, 50% fibrinogenolysis in 2 h in normal human plasma required 2.1 micrograms/ml rscu-PA, but 7.9 micrograms/ml rscu-PA-40-kDa/Hir. Thus, the chimera rscu-PA-40-kDa/Hir has maintained the specific fibrinolytic and plasminogen activating activity of rscu-PA as well as its fibrinolytic potency in plasma, whereas it displayed a similar or somewhat better fibrin specificity.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


We present an inversion methodology for defect characterization using the data from magnetic flux leakage (MFL) measurements. We use a single tangential component of the leakage field as the MFL response. The inversion procedure employs the space mapping methodology. Space mapping is an efficient technique that shifts the optimization burden from a computationally expensive accurate (fine) model to a less accurate (coarse) but fast model. Here the fine model is a finite-element method (FEM) simulation, while the coarse model is based on analytical formulas. We achieve good estimation of the defect parameters using just a few FEM simulations, which leads to substantial savings in computational cost as compared to other optimization approaches. We examine the efficiency of the proposed inversion technique in estimating the shape parameters of rectangular and cylindrical defects in steel pipes. Our results show good agreement between the actual and estimated defect parameters.


AgBiS2 nanocrystals are emerging optoelectronic materials due to their solution-processability, earth abundance and non-toxic properties. We report a facile method to prepare AgBiS2 nanocrystals in ambient conditions. The nanocrystals are of high crystallinity and without byproducts, which make them suitable for solution processable optoelectronic devices. They were incorporated into graphene transistors for their near infrared detection application. Photodetectors with a high photo-responsivity of 105 A W−1 for 895 nm wavelength at a low operation voltage of 0.1 V were demonstrated.


1Division of Pediatric Surgery, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; 2Ramathibodi Excellent Center for Organ Transplantation, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; 3Division of Vascular Surgery and Transplantation, Department of Surgery, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; 4Department of Anesthesiology, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand; 5Division of Gastroenterology, Department of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine Ramathibodi Hospital, Mahidol University, Bangkok, Thailand Background: Pediatric liver transplantation (LT) has been accepted as a definitive treatment for end-stage liver disease. Pleural effusion is a common pulmonary complication following LT in children. The objectives of the study were to identify prevalence of post-LT pleural effusion, risk factors, and the impact on patients' outcomes. Methods: A retrospective study was conducted in 107 pediatric patients who underwent LT at our center between March 2001 and June 2018. They were categorized into pleural effusion and non-pleural effusion groups. Preoperative and perioperative data, intraoperative findings, liver graft characteristics, and perioperative outcomes were compared between the two groups. Results: Post-LT pleural effusion occurred in 64 (59.8%) patients. There were more patients with PELD score ≥ 18 in the pleural effusion group (68.8 vs 48.8%, P=0.039). Other preoperative and perioperative data were not significantly different. The pleural effusion group had a higher rate of reoperation than non-pleural effusion group (55.6 vs 30.9%, P=0.013). Median oxygen dependence time, length of ICU and hospital stay were significantly longer in the pleural effusion group (18.5 vs 7.0, 10 vs 7 and 48 vs 34 days, respectively, P <0.05). However, mortality was not significantly different. Among the patients with pleural effusion, median time to extubation, oxygen dependence time, length of ICU and hospital stay were significantly longer in those who required therapeutic interventions than those without interventions (12 vs 3, 31 vs 10, 17 vs 8, and 60 vs 43 days, respectively, P <0.05). Conclusion: Pleural effusion following pediatric LT is common and its potential risk factor is PELD score at LT ≥ 18. Post-LT pleural effusion is associated with prolonged oxygen dependence time, ICU stay and hospital stay, particularly those who required therapeutic interventions.


This study examined some basic motoric features of elite Turkish kickboxers according to their weight categories (light, middle and heavy-weight) and sporting success. The study included 37 kickboxers in the camping period prior to the European Kickboxing Championship, and the participants were divided into three categories: Group A=Lightweight (60 kg and less, n=8); Group B=Middle-weight (between 61 and 74 kg, n=16); and Group C=Heavy-weight (75 kg and more, n=13). Participants were also divided into two groups: medalists (n=14; 22.07±3.17 years, 175.35±8.30cm, 68.92±15.77kg) and non-medalists athletes (n=23; 23.04±4.80 years, 179.96±7.09cm, 75.01±14.78kg). The participants completed a 20-meter sprint and tests of flexibility, handgrip strength, back and leg strength, balance and reaction. In conclusion, a significant difference was observed only in the parameters of absolute and relative strength between the weight categories, whereas no significant difference was found in the parameters of reaction, flexibility, balance and sprint. In addition, the basic motoric features of medalist athletes, which were different from others, were found to be relative strengths relative right hand grip strength (0.71±0.11, 0.63±0.08 kg), relative left hand grip strength (0.71±0.11, 0.63±0.08 kg), relative leg strength (1.86±0.39, 1.60±0.26 kg), relative back strength (1.98±0.52, 1.62±0.32 kg) and speed (2.82±0.26, 3.18±0.47 sec) p<0.05.


Pressure-driven analysis of water distribution networks (WDNs) can realistically reproduce the actual behavior of the hydraulic system, especially with reference to leakages, which are not under human control, and, sometimes to demands in pressure-deficient conditions. Classical WDN models represent the demand and leakage outflows in terms of either prior fixed nodal discharges, in classical demand-driven analysis, or dependent on actual nodal pressures, in pressure-driven analysis. This work presents a WDN pressure-driven algorithm that allows accounting for actual leakage and demand patterns along pipes or, as a complementary feature, for network topological simplification. It is on the basis of the enhanced global gradient algorithm (EGGA) and has been introduced and discussed in comparison to classical pressure-driven GGA. Three test networks have been used to study the convergence issue of the newly proposed algorithm, and the largest network has been used to discuss its computational efficiency.


OBJECTIVE
To examine whether Massachusetts (MA) health reform affected substance (alcohol or drug) use disorder (SUD)-related hospitalizations in acute care hospitals.

DATA/STUDY SETTING
2004-2010 MA inpatient discharge data.

DESIGN
Difference-in-differences analysis to identify pre- to postreform changes in age- and sex-standardized population-based rates of SUD-related medical and surgical hospitalizations, adjusting for secular trends.

DATA EXTRACTION METHODS
We identified 373,751 discharges where a SUD-related diagnosis was a primary or secondary discharge diagnosis.

FINDINGS
Adjusted for age and sex, the rates of drug use-related and alcohol use-related hospitalizations prereform were 7.21 and 8.87 (per 1,000 population), respectively, in high-uninsurance counties, and 8.58 and 9.63, respectively, in low-uninsurance counties. Both SUD-related rates increased after health reform in high- and low-uninsurance counties. Adjusting for secular trends in the high- and low-uninsurance counties, health reform was associated with no change in drug- or alcohol-related hospitalizations.

CONCLUSIONS
Massachusetts health reform was not associated with any changes in substance use disorder-related hospitalizations. Further research is needed to determine how to reduce substance use disorder-related hospitalizations, beyond expanding insurance coverage.


The conjecture that one way function exists is an open problem, the resolution of which holds the key for the solution of many unsolved problems in mathematics and cryptography. This paper presents the introduction of one way functions from complexity & modern cryptography theory viewpoint and their significance in cryptographic applications and research. This paper presents the features and limitations of proposed candidate functions, and the implications of proof of one way functions conjecture.


Background Neuroinflammation, which is mainly mediated by excessive microglia activation, plays a major role in ischemic stroke. Overactivated microglia secrete numerous inflammatory cytokines, causing excessive inflammatory responses and ultimately exacerbating ischemic brain injury. Hence, compounds that attenuate neuroinflammation could become promising drug candidates for ischemic stroke. Fraxetin has an anti-inflammatory effect in many inflammatory diseases. However, whether it possesses an anti-inflammatory capacity in microglia-mediated neuroinflammation after ischemic brain injury is unknown. Our study aimed to investigate the suppression effect of fraxetin on neuroinflammation in lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-activated microglia and establish whether fraxetin could alleviate ischemic brain injury in a rodent model of ischemic stroke. Methods For the in vitro experiment, primary microglia were obtained from 1-day-old C57/BL6J mice. The cells were activated with LPS and treated with fraxetin at a non-cytotoxic concentration. Real-time PCR, enzyme-linked immunosorbent assays, and immunofluorescence staining were used to evaluate the anti-inflammatory effects of fraxetin. The potential molecular mechanisms were explored and verified through RNA-sequencing analysis, western blotting and real-time PCR. For the in vivo experiment, focal ischemia was induced by middle cerebral artery occlusion (MCAO) in 8-week-old male C57/BL6J mice. Fraxetin (5 mg/kg) or an equal volume of saline was injected into mice intraperitoneally after MCAO, and 2% 2,3,5-triphenyltetrazolium chloride staining was applied to measure infarct volume. Behavioral tests were conducted to measure neurological deficits in the mice. Real-time PCR, western blotting, and immunofluorescence staining were used to examine the expression of inflammatory cytokines and microglia activation in the ischemic penumbra. Results Fraxetin effectively inhibited the expression of proinflammatory cytokines including inducible nitric oxide synthase, tumor necrosis factor-α, interleukin-1 beta, and interleukin-6 in LPS-activated microglia. Fraxetin also suppressed the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway in activated microglia, which contributed to its anti-inflammatory effects. Furthermore, the administration of fraxetin attenuated ischemic brain injury and behavioral deficits after stroke. Finally, fraxetin was found to attenuate the activation of microglia both in vitro and in vivo. Conclusions Our results suggest that fraxetin has a suppression effect on microglia-mediated neuroinflammation, and this effect is associated with the PI3K/Akt/NF-κB signaling pathway. Fraxetin may therefore have potential neuroprotective properties for ischemic stroke.


ABSTRACT: There are a number of ways that deodorant products control malodor: a) by suppressing sweat, b) by inhibiting bacterial activity, and c) by covering malodor. The paper focuses on the Givaudan Roure methodology used to develop fragrances that effectively cover malodor. Several steps are involved in the development of a successful deodorant fragrance. First, we test for substantivity of the deodorant fragrance material in the axilla, using odor value technology. Second, using an in vitro test with reconstituted axilla odor, we determine the effectiveness of the substantive fragrance material with carefully screened panelists. Third, using a multichannel olfactive blender, the perfumer creates a fragrance heart with effective deodorant fragrance materials that cover malodor in the vapor phase. Finally, the hedonically pleasing heart is used to create the final fragrance, which is then optimized using our in vitro test method.


Film: /6 mm. sound, in colour. Running time: 50 minutes. •To Janet a Son' is the story of a pregnancy and is a film that was designed for showing to women whether they be pregnant or not and whether they had ever been pregnant or not. Its main object was the destruction of fear of the unknown "hich so often accompanies pregnancy, since few women are pver told what to expect when the time of the birth of their baby arrives. With this in mind, and believing in the principle that everything that may cause pain should be shown, セィ・ film tells a story of the first pregnancy and confinement seen through the eyes of a girl who is going into labour. It is believed that this film gives the medical pro· fession, and especially the Maternity-5Cl:vices, a public relations service which has sorely been needed. The producers feel that not only should lay audiences be shown this film but the medical profession as a whole, since it provides a lesson in human i セ ャ 。 エ ゥ ッ ョ ウ ィ ゥ ー ウ which is becoming increasingly important smce the advent of the National Health Scheme. 'To Janet a Son' has been produced by Eothen Films (Medical) Limited on behalf of Messrs. Farley's Infant Foods Ltd., for the Royal College of Midwives, for whom it was made as their 80th anniversary film. The film is available on free loan from Farley's Infant Foods LId., R Galleymead Road, Colnbrook, Bucks.


Yannis Kokkonas, "A Playful Opuscule". The History of a Pamphlet written by Panagiotakis Kodrikas (1817) In the second half of the 1810's, with the Greek national movement heading towards its peak, two members of the Greek intelligentsia, both living and working in Paris, namely Adamantios Korais and Panagiotakis Kodrikas, engaged in keen controversy. It started as a dispute on the correct written form of the Modern Greek language and on the valuation of persons and matters of the present and the past. This dispute, however, evolved in a mutual effort of moral annihilation, in which the two opponents' friends also participated. Due to the fact that the two sides circulated their ideas mainly through pamphlets, the conflict is known as the «battle of the pamphlets». This article attempts at first to define the actual dimensions of the dispute at its emergence, and to illustrate the circumstances and the manner in which it was publicly conducted and perceived; the article mainly examines, though, all matters touching the publication of one of Kodrika's pamphlets, written and published in 1817. This pamphlet's unique feature lies in that: it was being printed in Vienna in expense of the writer's friends, while the author himself —unaware of it— had a reviewed form of the pamphlet printed in Paris. The edition of Vienna was released in October 1817 and that of Paris the following month of the same year. The text was originally untitled; the Viennese editor misunderstood some data and took the initiative in adding a title attributing the text to the Greek students of Pisa. That allowed Korais' friends to accuse Kodrikas of immorally using a pseudonym and to claim that the reviewed Parisian edition was released after the passed-round denial of the students of Pisa, which means after January 1818. The manner in which the author's opponents took advantage of the misunderstanding was expected. What draws the attention though, lies in the fact that until today historians and bibliographers adopt Korais' friends' view concerning the particular matter, and consider Kodrikas as the responsible person for both editions, who was supposedly forced to release a reviewed and false-dated second edition in 1818 in order to ease the strong feeling with which his conscious attempt to attribute his text to the students of Pisa was met. The study is accompanied with an appendix featuring extracts of unpublished letters sent by Alexandras Patrinos from Livorno to his son in law Demetrios Postolakas in Vienna (they both were Kodrikas' friends and sponsors), as well as two —also unpublished— letters sent by Kodrikas to Postolakas, concerning the controversial pamphlet and his preparatory work on his main project titled Μeλέτη της Κοινής Eλληνικής Διαλέκτου, the first volume of whic hwas published in Paris in the year 1818.


Fresh-cut fruit requires an edible and water-resistant coating to remain fresh. This article investigated the effects of transglutaminase (TGase) and sunflower oil on the water-resistant characteristics, mechanical properties, and microstructure of a whey protein-based film. The whey protein-based emulsion coating's preservation effect on fresh-cut apples was confirmed. According to the findings, sunflower oil (added at 1.5% w/w) could interact with β-lactoglobulin, α-lactoglobulin dimer, and β-lactoglobulin dimer to form emulsion droplets that are evenly dispersed throughout the protein film. This effect, combined with the covalent cross-linking of TGase, significantly improves the films' microstructure, mechanical properties, and water resistance. However, too much and unevenly distributed sunflower oil (add 3% w/w) partially prevented the covalent cross-linking of TGase, reducing the elongation at the break of the composite film. In the fresh-cut apple storage experiment, the whey protein-based emulsion coating treatment significantly reduced the weight loss rate and browning index of fresh-cut apples by 26.55% and 46.39%, respectively. This was accomplished by the coating treatment significantly inhibiting the respiration rate increase, PPO and CAT activity enhancement, H2O2 production, and MDA accumulation. This research provides practical, technical, and theoretical guidance for the preservation of fresh-cut fruit.


In order to provide upper-layer applications with continuous message delivery and updated information on membership changes - due to process failures, leaves and joins -, group communication protocols must exchange messages and continuously monitor all group members, which in certain load conditions may incur unacceptable message overhead to the underlying communication system. Therefore, the design of such protocols must deal with the trade-off between performance requirements such as speed (e.g., delivery latency) and cost (e.g., message overhead). However, when the behavior of the computing environment is unknown and can change over time, or when the application requirements can dynamically change, self-configuring is a basic issue that is usually ignored in existing implementations. In this paper we present the design, implementation and evaluation of a novel self-manageable group communication protocol based on the feedback control theory, which is capable of self-configuring its operation parameters at run-time from previously specified requirements such as resource consumption.


A 55-year-old woman presented with massive refractory ascites in the course of idiopathic myelofibrosis. The ascites was exudative, and a cytological examination revealed granulocytes of varying maturity, erythroblasts, and megakaryocytes with trisomy 8. The ascites was assumed to have developed from peritoneal extramedullary hematopoiesis. An abnormal karyotype in the cells in the ascitic fluid, which was the same abnormality as in peripheral blood, helped to prove extramedulary hematopoiesis in this case, which can be an aid in making a differential diagnosis in cases of ascites associated with myelofibrosis.


This research study, which, because of its small numbers should be regarded as more of a pilot study, investigated the effect that therapeutic touch may have on measurable physical signs of the subjects involved. It also looked at any change this complementary therapy may have made in health perception immediately following the experiment and 1 week later. The design is modelled on that of Quinn (1984), eminent researcher in the field of energy exchange. Therapeutic touch is a misnomer because physical touch is not necessary--it is the energy field that is touched.


In cancer cells, decreased histone acetylation leads to gene expression patterns that drive oncogenic processes. Histone deacetylase (HDAC) inhibitors are therefore used as therapeutics to selectively kill cancer cells. The complex processes by which these chromatin‐remodeling agents affect gene expression and ultimately cell fate are still not entirely understood. The Liu group seeks to characterize the mechanisms of the HDAC inhibitor largazole by using epigenomic and transcriptomic studies to compare its effects on transformed and non‐transformed cells at different doses. From broad chromatin immunoprecipitation sequencing and RNA sequencing, we observed that largazole has a striking effect on super‐enhancer regions and the genes associated with them. Largazole decreases the accumulation of RNA polymerase II at super‐enhancer elements and limits the transcription of genes under the regulation of those super‐enhancers. Largazole also alters the expression of many genes by decreasing the histone acetylation of poised distal enhancers in a dose‐dependent manner. Many of these genes are transcriptionally upregulated after treatment, as is canonically associated with an increased histone acetylation profile, but some transcripts are repressed. These insights into the epigenetic reprogramming that drives oncogenic processes provide fundamental information about tumorigenesis and could potentially serve as a foundation for the development of further oncology therapies.


ABSTRACT Discussions on the relationship between urban form and social capital have garnered attention for a long time as they are well documented in the literature. However, the empirical analysis regarding these two issues is still limited. This study proposes a new perspective on the link between the 3Ds (Density, Diversity, and Design) element of urban form and social capital in the global south using the Indonesian context. Using the linear multilevel regression, this study consistently revealed a contradicting result according to which greater residential density is negatively associated with several social capital factors. Surprisingly, more retail areas in cities are adversely associated with some social capital indicators. High connectivity did not necessarily encourage the development of social capital for small-medium cities. This study showed varied associations between density and social capital in small-medium, and large cities, with consistent results regarding land use mix.


Abstract: This article outlines problems that pertain to the dubbing of the film Taxi Driver (Scorsese, 1976) into Italian. Aside from the various constraints of audiovisual translation, such as lip synchronization, it focuses on the extensive omission of vulgarity and on the problem of allocution. Despite the importance of the link between vulgarity and violence in Taxi Driver , much of the vulgarity of the original has been completely suppressed in the Italian. At the same time, in the Italian dubbed version there is frequent inappropriate use of the Italian formal mode of address "lei", but no lexical items that would justify this use are present in the original. Consequently, the Italian audience's perception of the main character and ultimately of the entire film is completely different from that of the Anglophone audience.


Human civilization is powered by fossil fuels. Over the past 100-200 years, the vast increases in material standards of living in the West were made possible by the efficient utilization of energy and the dramatic falls in the cost of energy services. Unfortunately for those seeking to shift the balance in the global energy system towards low carbon sources, there is considerable inertia and 'lock-in' in this system. Because energy sector assets, such as power stations, often have a lifetime of several decades, the major opportunity to shift the energy mix is found in those countries with growing energy demand. These countries are adding the power stations now that will still be operating in 2050 and, the large majority of this new capacity has been and, indeed, will be fossil-fuel powered. The aspect of the global energy mix that has been extremely important over recent years is the developments in gas, particularly unconventional gas. These have been much discussed in the popular media and indeed in various notorious films


Soil salinity and
sodicity are major factors limiting agricultural productivity in irrigation
schemes located in semi-arid areas. A study was conducted to assess the quality
of irrigation water used in Mutema Irrigation Scheme located in south-east
Zimbabwe to understand how irrigation water quality is related to the chemical
quality of soils in the scheme. Irrigation water samples were collected from
groundwater and surface sources in 2012 and their hydrochemistry determined
while soil samples were collected from irrigated and non-irrigated parts of the
scheme in 2006 and 2012 and analysed for selected chemical properties. The
results indicated that the groundwater had high concentrations of Na+ (4.35 mg/l), Mg2+ (4.75 mg/l), Cl- (3.6 mg/l) and Electrical Conductivity (EC) (1729 Msm/cm) compared to the surface
irrigation water source which had 0.72 mg/l Na+, 2.25 mg/l Mg2+, 0.78 mg/l Cl- and 594 Msm/cm EC. The soils in the scheme had
higher levels of pH, Sodium Adsorption Ratio
(SAR), Exchangeable Sodium Percentage (ESP) and EC which in some blocks exceeded
the threshold requirements for cropping. It was found that pH, SAR and ESP were
significantly higher (p ) in
irrigated blocks compared to non-irrigated areas of the scheme, indicating an
influence of irrigation water on soils characteristics in irrigated plots. Mg2+ and Ca2+ in the soils positively correlated with Na+ (r2 = 0.67 and r2 = 0.57 respectively). The results indicated that the
groundwater presents a chloride hazard to the soils in the scheme which are
becoming saline and therefore require proper management and choice of crops to
sustain crop production.


Tissues and organs are soft composite systems made of collagen fibers embedded within an extracellular matrix. These soft composite systems exhibit directional and regional material anisotropy due to varying fiber distributions and orientations. To date, anisotropic material properties of soft composite systems have been characterized using simplified isotropic and transversely isotropic hyperelastic material models in various computational and experimental studies. These simplifications may not only lead to inaccurate results from analyses, but also inhibit the study of the effect of important tissue modifications due to disease. In this work, a novel composite based hyperelastic model was developed which can characterize tissue anisotropy. This model considers both the soft fibers and matrix to be hyperelastic materials, which interact through shear deformation. The effect of the individual contribution of the fibers and matrix were introduced into the numerical framework for a single soft composite layer and the changes due to variations in the fiber orientation were incorporated into the strain energy functions. Also, strain energy formulations were developed for multiple soft composite layers with varying fiber orientations and contributions, which can describe the biomechanical behavior of organs consisting of multiple tissue layers. Stress versus strain relationships were derived from the strain energy equations for a uniaxial mechanical test condition. To validate the model parameters, experimental models of soft composites tested under uniaxial loads in literature were characterized using the novel anisotropic hyperelastic model. An average R2 correlation index of 0.983 was estimated for the developed model. To date, such a robust anisotropic hyperelastic model has not been developed to the best of our knowledge, which would be indispensable for experimental characterization of tissues and for improving the fidelity of computational models of organ systems in future.


Objectives: Few data are available on the prevalence of sexually transmitted diseases (STDs) in men who have sex with men (MSM), making it difficult to develop STD screening guidelines for this population. The objective of the study was to determine the prevalence of urethral infections caused by Chlamydia trachomatis and Neisseria gonorrhoeae within a large, community based population of MSM, and to assess the feasibility of rectal screening in this population. Methods: This was a cross sectional study of 566 MSM, who were predominantly middle aged, white, asymptomatic, and engaged in sex with multiple partners. All provided a urine sample to screen for chlamydial and gonorrhoea infections using a PCR assay; rectal screening was performed on 48 participants. Results: Urethral C trachomatis infections were detected in 1/566 participants (prevalence 0.2%, 95% CI 0.004% to 1.0%), and rectal C trachomatis infections were detected in 2/48 men (prevalence 4.2%, 95% CI 0.5% to 14.2%). No gonorrhoea infections were detected, and none of the 117 HIV positive men had either infection. Conclusions: Chlamydial and gonorrhoea infections were uncommon in this sample of MSM, even among those with multiple sexual partners or HIV infection. These data call into question recommendations to screen all MSM based on their individual sexual behaviours or HIV. Additional data are needed on the prevalence of these infections in MSM from different settings.


In text-based computer-mediated communication (CMC), people's language use and task performance can be affected by whether explicit coordination devices (e.g., a turn marker) are available. Analyses of 37 dialogues that emerged in text-based, CMC environments support Clark's (1996, 1997) proposal that a communication setting that disrupts the regulation of turn-taking will both undermine higher level language processes (i.e., the construal of meaning) and increase the frequency of metacommunicative signals required to coordinate the speaker's action with the listener's attention. The results indicate that the availability of a simple, explicit turn marker in a task-oriented, text-based exchange facilitates the construal of meaning and reduces the number of verbal coordination devices required to ground communication. Measures examining alternative interpretations indicate that these effects are not easily explained by differences in volubility or speed-accuracy trade-off across the 2 conditions.


Often described as a fruitless endeavour, the translation of poetry can only really be understood within the realms of hermeneutics. Major formal obstacles such as rhyme and metre as much as the difficulties of style and rhetoric that are innate in this genre have to be confronted when translating poetry. Many of the decisions taken during translation are conditioned by the connotation and denotation contained in the message and can only be successfully overcome by the use of semantic constructs. Finally, an awareness of the textures of symbolism and meaning which configure the metapoetical universe of the poet and his work is essential, if a satisfactory translation is to be created.


Insufficient data exist relating to surgical asepsis; relying solely on data collection to determine practices limits patient care. Until clinical data are available that support or disclaim established traditions, it may be wise to hold customs that we believe have kept the patient safe. Rituals define and maintain sterility and provide freedom; certain traditions become part of the OR team's practice so that attention can be focused on the surgical procedure. As professional nurses, it is our responsibility to question dogma and to change our rituals when studies indicate the need for change.


The paper proposes and validates a constitutive model simulating the change of resistance along clay slip surfaces under both undrained and drained conditions. The proposed model is based on (a) the critical state theory and (b) the assumption that the critical state changes once failure is reached, in terms of the further shear displacement. Under undrained conditions, the proposed model simulates the excess pore pressure generation and subsequently the continuous change of clay resistance along the slip surface from its initial value to the peak strength and then at large displacement the residual value measured in constant-volume ring shear tests. Under drained conditions, the model simulates the normal displacement change and subsequently the change of clay resistance along the slip surface in clays as measured in drained ring shear tests.


This study presents four cases of bone-anchored implants for hearing aid amplification and reviews indications and results. The study concludes that bone implanted hearing aids are superior to the classic hearing aids. They are also indicated in a larger number of cases of mixed hearing loss and with an average bone conduction as high as 45 dB.


The enzymatic and plasmid-encoded resistance towards oxyimino-beta-lactams has been recently reported as related to the production of an extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (e.g. SHV-2, CTX-1 or TEM-3), in particular in our hospital since 1984. The prevalence of that resistance has been examined from January 1984 to December 1988 in function of specimen, unit and type of enzyme among 8,421 isolates of Klebsiella spp., E. coli, Salmonella spp. Each isolate showing a diameter of inhibition zone size inferior or equal to 25 mm for cefotaxime, the double disk synergy test was performed between a disk of amoxicillin and a clavulanic acid disk of cefotaxime, ceftriaxone, ceftazidime and aztreonam. In case of synergy, sonicated extracts have been prepared and examined by isoelectrofocusing with the detection of beta-lactamase activity by ceftriaxone and nitrocefin. 56 isolates (K. pneumoniae, K. oxytoca, E. coli, S. wien, S. typhimurium scored positive including 27 in pediatrics, 18 in surgery, and 8 in medicine. 41% of isolates have been obtained from blood cultures and 26.8% from urines. A majority of isolates (49/56) produced the SHV-2 type, but other types mediating the resistance phenotype CTX have been individualized initially by their isoelectric points e.g. 5.4 (TEM-20 in K. pneumoniae in July 1986), 6.4 (TEM-21 in E. coli, 1 K. pneumoniae in July 1988). The prevalence of resistance to cefotaxime from 1984 to 1988 has increased (from 0.3 to 1.4%), the highest rate being observed in pediatrics (5.6% in 1984 and 22.1% in 1988).


Abstract:  Crop rotation has been a valuable technique for control of Diabrotica virgifera virgifera for almost a century. However, during the last two decades, crop rotation has ceased to be effective in an expanding area of the US corn belt. This failure appears to be due to a change in the insect's oviposition behaviour, which, in all probability, has an underlying genetic basis. A preliminary genome scan using 253 amplified fragment‐length polymorphism (AFLP) markers sought to identify genetic variation associated with the circumvention of crop rotation. Samples of D. v. virgifera from east‐central Illinois, where crop rotation is ineffective, were compared with samples from Iowa at locations that the behavioural variant has yet to reach. A single AFLP marker showed signs of having been influenced by selection for the circumvention of crop rotation. However, this marker was not diagnostic. The lack of markers strongly associated with the trait may be due to an insufficient density of marker coverage throughout the genome. A weak but significant general heterogeneity was observed between the Illinois and Iowa samples at microsatellite loci and AFLP markers. This has not been detected in previous population genetic studies of D. v. virgifera and may indicate a reduction in gene flow between variant and wild‐type beetles.


AIM
In the treatment of the critically ill patients an adequate fluid therapy appears to be essential to optimize hemodynamics and to get a suitable tissue perfusion. In this study we have evaluated the effects of volume replacement, carried out with 2 different solutions: hydroxyethyl starch 6% (HAES) and albumin 20% (HA).

METHODS
Twenty patients suffering from sepsis were recruited and randomized into 2 groups. The first group was treated with hydroxyethyl starch 6% ( HAES treated group), and the second with albumin 20% (HA treated group). The volume of colloids was given to maintain pulmonary capillary wedge pressure (PCWP) between 15 and 18 mmHg. Daily, both hemodynamic parameters and blood gas analyses were monitored.

RESULTS
Groups were homogeneous for age, sex and pathology. During the treatment we observed that cardiac index (CI), right ventricular ejection fraction (RVEF), oxygen consumption index (VO(2)I), oxygen delivery index (DO(2)I), and rate between arterial oxygen pressure and fraction of inspired oxygen (PaO(2)/FiO(2)) were increased significantly only in HAES treated group (P<0.05). APACHE II score decreased significantly only in HAES treated group (P<0.05), contrarily to the HA treated group, in which we observed a non significant increase.

CONCLUSIONS
Since hydroxyethyl starch induced a hemodynamic and clinical improvement, these effects translated into an improvement of sensorium and a reduction of APACHE II score, without causing pulmonary edema, we can conclude that hydroxyethyl starch 6% ws 130,000 dalton ms 0.4 (Voluven) is an effective fluid for resuscitation of hypovolemic patients and represent an attractive alternative to albumin.


Background Recent studies of panniculectomy outcomes have reported variable complication rates ranging from 8.65% to 56%. Meanwhile, reported abdominoplasty complication rates are considerably lower (~4%). This discrepancy may be attributable to inaccurate inclusion of abdominoplasty patients in panniculectomy cohorts. We performed the current study to better characterize panniculectomy complication rates at a large tertiary care center. Methods We performed a retrospective review of patients who underwent abdominoplasty or panniculectomy at the Johns Hopkins Hospitals between 2010 and 2017. Patients were identified by Common Procedural Terminology codes (15847/17999, 15830) confirmed via the operative note. We examined postoperative complication rates including surgical site infection, seroma formation, wound dehiscence, readmission/reoperation, and postoperative length of stay (LOS). We used parametric and nonparametric methods to determine differences between abdominoplasty and panniculectomy outcomes, as well as logistic regression analysis to evaluate factors associated with patient outcomes following panniculectomy. Results Of the 306 patients included, 103 underwent abdominoplasty while 203 underwent panniculectomy. Initial complication rates following abdominoplasty and panniculectomy were 1.94% and 12.8%, respectively (P = 0.002). Thirty-day complication rates were 9.7% for abdominoplasty and 21.2% for panniculectomy (P = 0.012). The median LOS was 1 day (interquartile range, 0–1 day) for abdominoplasty and 2 days (interquartile range, 1–4 days) for panniculectomy (P = 0.002). No statistically significant differences in complication rates at 6 months and 1 year were observed. Conclusions Panniculectomy offers many functional benefits including improved hygiene and enhanced mobility. However, this study demonstrates that panniculectomy patients may have significantly higher complication rates initially and 30 days postoperatively and longer LOS than individuals undergoing abdominoplasty.


False recognition of semantic associates can be reduced when older adults also study pictures representing each associate. D. L. Schacter, L. Israel, and C. Racine (1999) attributed this reduction to the operation of a distinctiveness heuristic: a response mode in which participants demand access to detailed recollections to support a positive recognition decision. The authors examined patients with probable Alzheimer's disease (AD) and older adults with this paradigm. Half of the participants studied pictures and auditory words; the other half studied visual and auditory words. Older adults who studied pictures were able to reduce their false alarms compared with those who studied words only. AD patients who studied pictures were unable to reduce their false alarms compared with those who studied words only and, in fact, exhibited trends toward greater false recognition. Implications for understanding semantic memory in AD patients are discussed.


A classification is given of fermion representations of grand unified gauge groups for which gauge-invariant mass terms are forbidden. An explicit global invariance which requires neutrinos to be massless is found for models based on the grand unified groups SU(5) and E6.


Gemella morbillorum, a commensal of the oropharynx, upper respiratory, urogenital and gastrointestinal tract is rarely associated with infections in humans. However, an increasing number of infectious processes in different locations have been reported. Cerebral abscesses caused by these bacteria are extremely uncommon with only four cases previously described in the literature. We present the case of a cerebellar abscess by Gemella morbillorum in a 50 year-old man with inter-atrial communication dealt by surgical excision and antimicrobial therapy.


¤ehulka J . : Aeromonas Causes Severe Skin Lesions in Rainbow Trout (Oncorhynchus mykiss): Clinical Pathology, Haematology and Biochemistry. Acta Vet. Brno 2002, 71: 351-360. Aeromonas infection caused mass death of rainbow trout, Oncorhynchus mykiss (Walbaum) weighing 394 ± 69 g, at a water temperature of 4 oC in April. In a bioassay, the disease was induced by an Aeromonas strain whose biochemical characteristics most closely resembled Aeromonas sobria and Aeromonas caviae. The development of the skin lesions started as depigmented spots surrounded by a hyperaemic zone with the formation of ulcers, or the changes on the skin resembled furunculosis, taking the form of very large prominent bulges filled with clear exudate which, when broken, revealed haemorrhagically altered muscle. Some fish showed exophthalmus; inflammation around pectoral fins; hyperaemia of the wall of the swim-bladder and petechial haemorrhages on the liver were found inside the abdominal cavity. Severe anaemia was characterized by a reduced erythrocyte count and lower haematocrit and haemoglobin levels. Clinical chemistry analyses in the diseased fish indicated reduced levels of total protein, cholesterol, triacylglycerol and total calcium and an increase in the urea level. Among the five enzymes and isoenzymes analyzed, catalytic concentration reaching multiples of the normal level was found in alanine aminotransferase, lactate dehydrogenase, α-hydroxybutyryl dehydrogenase and γ-glutamyl transferase. Electrophoretic analysis indicated a reduced level of albumin in the diseased fish. These results point out the importance of mesophilic motile Aeromonas as causal agents of severe skin affections in salmonids. The findings encourage efforts to extend the knowledge of clinical haematology for the identification of health disorders and specific responses typical of the individual diseases. Aeromonas caviae, Aeromonas sobria, histopathology, red blood count, biochemical indices, blood plasma, electrophoresis The care of the health of fish stocks in intensive salmonid culture necessitates the participation of qualified veterinary supervision. Among the suite of methods for examination of the physiological health of the fish, an increased awareness of the usefulness of clinical chemistry is materializing among first pathologists and veterinarians. Appropriate haematological and biochemical assays may identify changes in organ function, find anomalies in the metabolism, determine additional laboratory procedures and make prognoses. Synthesis and analysis of the figures obtained for the individual diseases may provide valuable information on the specific response or the range and nature of the pathological process. For salmonids this is confirmed by the analyses performed by Mulcahy (1969, 1971), Foda (1973), Shieh and MacLean (1976), Harbel l et al. (1979), Hoffmann and Lommel (1984), Bruno (1986), Waagbo et al. (1988) and Moyner (1993). Skin affections frequently occur in intensive salmonid culture. If they are identified in time, the development of the pathological process can be very effectively prevented. This applies, in particular, to cases in which the epizootic breaks out at a low water temperature when the voracity of the fish is low and the diseased fish are less willing to ACTA VET. BRNO 2002, 71: 351–360 Address for correspondence: Ing. J. ¤ehulka, CSc. Research Institute of Fish Culture and Hydrobiology NadraIni okruh 33 746 01 Opava, Czech Republic Phone: +42 653 628 660 E-mail: email@example.com http://www.vfu.cz/acta-vet/actavet.htm take medicated food so that the effectiveness of targeted therapeutic intervention is poor. In addition to flavobacterial infections, microbiologists have good reasons also to focus their interest on the motile mesophilic Aeromonas species as causative agents responsible for septicaemia, local inflammations and necroses on the skin, muscles and soft tissues. Apart from Aeromonas hydrophila, the aetiology of Aeromonas-related lesions may also involve certain species identified in recent years, including for example Aeromonas allosaccharophila, described in conger eel by Martinez–Murcia et al. (1992), or also described by us in the clinical material of isolated Aeromonas sobria and Aeromonas caviae. The authors of widely recognized identification systems (Ardu ino et al. 1988; Carnahan et al. 1991) assert that the identification of the individual species is difficult; others prefer identification of pathogenic factors together with biochemical traits rather than giving a strain a specific name (Agger et al. 1985; Burke et al. 1982). The purpose of this report is to describe changes in the peripheral blood of rainbow trout in mass occurrence of Aeromonas natural infection. The basic characteristics of erythrocytes, certain metabolites of the blood plasma (including activities of the various enzymes) and changes in the plasma protein spectrum were examined. The findings extend, enhance and refine the knowledge learned from the given case, as described in a contribution to the V. International Ichthyohaematology Conference (¤ehulka 1998). Materials and Methods Fish The infection occurred early in April on a trout farm where the fish was kept in flow-through concrete tanks, were fed for the market (average weight was 370 g and standard length 300 mm). The water temperature was 4 oC, dissolved oxygen content 11.8 O2· l -1, oxygen saturation 88%, water hardness 3.4 o N and CODMn 0.8 mg .· l -1. The disease took a chronic course, mortality reached 50%. Selected for the investigation were fish with lesions of the same nature as shown in Figs 1 and 2 (Plate XII), manifested in 90% of the affected fish. Sampling procedure for his topathology Tissue samples from 8 moribund fish, including muscle, heart, kidney, liver, spleen and intestine, were fixed in a 10% neutral buffered formalin solution. Histologic sections were stained by haematoxylin-eosin and Gram. Bacter iology Bacteriological procedures consisted of the preparation and Gram staining of tissue smears, inoculation of growth media and evaluation of microbial cultures. Tissues from the edges of the skin lesions, exudate from the lesions, and tissues of the internal organs were subjected to these bacteriologic procedures. Blood agar (Columbia Agar Base MERCK), cytophaga agar (Pacha and Ordal 1967), tryptone soya agar (TSA, Oxoid), KDM2 (Evelyn 1977) and sweet wort agar (Fassat iova 1979) served as the culture. Experimental infect ion of the f ish Infection trials were performed to identify the causative agent of the disease. Infection assays were conducted using 5 fish held in 200-litre flow-through tanks. Rainbow trout weighing about 200 g (some transferred from a tank free of the diseases, some from a laboratory where they had been kept for experimental purposes) were used as the experimental fish. Fish in one of the experimental groups were infected intramuscularly (0.4 ml) and intraperitoneally (0.8 ml) using exudate from the skin lesion (see Plate xx, Fig. 3). Other experimental groups were infected by the same route, using individual bacterial isolates propagated for 24 h in 10 ml of a meat-peptone bouillon six days after isolation from the affected fish. The fish in the control group were inoculated with a liquid medium free of the bacteria. The fish were examined daily for 14 days, and dead and moribund fish were examined bacteriologically, as described above. The trials were performed at a water temperature of 7-9 oC, water hardness 3.4 oN and dissolved oxygen level of 11 mg · l-1. Preparat ion of the blood samples Blood was sampled from the 8 fish with clinical signs of the disease and from another 8 clinical healthy fish with a negative bacterial finding coming from the site where the affected fish occurred. The sampling was performed 20 h after the last feeding.The fish were anesthetized with Menocaine /3-ethoxycarbonylfenyl/ ammonium natrium hydrogensulfuricum in concentration 0.1 g · l-1 and then the blood sample was taken by puncturing the caudal veins between 08.00 and 11.00 h. EDTA and sodium heparin (5000 IU in 1 ml injection) were used as anticoagulants, the former being used for the haematological examination and the latter for the biochemical analyses of the blood 352


Abstract 1279 Poster Board I-301 The MLL (mixed-lineage leukemia) gene at chromosome band 11q23 is rearranged frequently in AML and ALL, and associated with poor prognosis. The consequence of these translocations is the formation of a chimeric oncogenic transcription factor that specifies a unique expression signature distinct from other subtypes of acute leukemia. However, it is poorly understood, which changes in gene expression in leukemic cells are under the direct control of MLL fusion proteins (fusion), nor is it clear what is the potential overlap between MLL wild type (WT) and fusion target genes. In the present study, we used genome-wide location analysis to determine the genomic loci that are specifically bound by MLL fusion proteins. Combining the binding analysis with expression profiling, we further defined the subset of MLL fusion-bound genes whose expression is regulated by the presence of MLL fusion proteins. Using ChIP-chip (Chromatin Immunoprecipitation coupled with micro-array), we determined the MLL-bound regions in 5 myeloid leukemic cell lines using a custom array containing the entire genomic region of 200 genes previously found to have altered expression in MLL-rearranged leukemias. Examination of these 200 genomic loci revealed a largely overlapping set of genes bound by MLL (wild type and/or fusion proteins) in WT/WT (U937: 110 genes, HL60: 79 genes) and WT/Fusion cells (MV4;11: 62 genes, THP-1: 89 genes). Surprisingly, the MLL-bound genes in fusion/fusion (ML-2) cells (25 genes) are a small subset of that found in each of the other 4 cell lines, despite comparable levels of detected MLL binding signal across all lines examined. These data suggest that the MLL fusion protein is likely only localized to a limited portion of genomic loci occupied by the MLL wild type protein. To test this hypothesis in a more systematic way, we examined an inducible MLL-ENL–ER transformed cell line (Slany et al, MCB 2004), which grow as myeloblastic cells in the presence of MLL-ENL, and differentiate into neutrophils upon inactivation of the fusion protein. As MLL-ENL promotes histone H3 lysine 79 (H3K79) methylation, we determined both MLL binding and H3K79 methylation using a genome-wide location analysis. We anticipated that MLL-fusion bound genomic regions would exhibit a significant drop in either MLL and/or K79 signal upon inactivation of MLL-ENL. Unexpectedly, among thousands of genes that are bound by MLL, only 10% of them (222 genes) showed a pattern of binding increase between MLL-ENL induced and un-induced conditions. To explore the impact of MLL fusion protein on gene activation, we performed whole genome expression profiling in the presence or absence of MLL-ENL. Increased levels of either MLL binding or H3K79 methylation are significantly associated with differential gene expression. Among 222 MLL fusion target genes, 12 of them are differentially up-regulated in the presence of MLL-ENL, indicating that a large fraction of MLL fusion bound genes do not exhibit significant changes in mRNA expression. The identified 12 genes include key regulators in cellular differentiation and cell cycle regulation, as well as Meis1, Hoxa9 which are known to be essential for the development of MLL leukemia. To explore the apparent discrepancy between the massive expression changes in MLL rearranged leukemia and the small number of direct fusion target genes we identified, we tested the hypothesis that a significant portion of the MLL fusion protein expression signature was derived from its direct fusion target genes Meis1 and Hoxa9. Using publicly available data, we compared the MLL leukemia associated expression profile with the set of genes that were down-regulated upon knock-down of Meis1 and Hoxa9. We found significant enrichment of Hoxa9/Meis1 downstream targets in the expression profile defined by MLL fusion proteins. Altogether, our data suggest that MLL fusion proteins are likely to contribute to the development of acute leukemia through direct activation of a very small set of genes. The results have important implications in understanding the mechanisms of target gene specificity involving oncogenic transcription factors. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


A link between the Atlantic Multidecadal Oscillation (AMO) and multidecadal variability of the Indian summer monsoon rainfall is unraveled and a long sought physical mechanism linking Atlantic climate and monsoon has been identified. The AMO produces persistent weakening (strengthening) of the meridional gradient of tropospheric temperature (TT) by setting up negative (positive) TT anomaly over Eurasia during northern late summer/autumn resulting in early (late) withdrawal of the south west monsoon and persistent decrease (increase) of seasonal monsoon rainfall. On inter–annual time scales, strong North Atlantic Oscillation (NAO) or North Annular mode (NAM) influences the monsoon by producing similar TT anomaly over Eurasia. The AMO achieves the interdecadal modulation of the monsoon by modulating the frequency of occurrence of strong NAO/NAM events. This mechanism also provides a basis for explaining the observed teleconnection between North Atlantic temperature and the Asian monsoon in paleoclimatic proxies.


Amongst the multiple ways to diagnose coronavirus disease-2019 (COVID-19), reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) remains the reference gold standard, providing fast and accurate results. This study evaluated and compared the performance of three commercially available COVID-19 RT-PCR kits-Aridia® COVID-19 Real-Time PCR Test (CTK Biotech, Inc., Poway, CA, USA), Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Nucleic Acid Detection Kit (Sansure Biotech Inc., Changsha, China) and AllplexTM 2019-nCoV assay (Seegene Inc., Seoul, Republic of Korea) for the detection of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2). A total of 326 clinically suspected patients were enrolled for the study, and among them, 209 were diagnosed as positive and 117 as negative when tested with the reference method, US CDC 2019-Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Real Time RT-PCR Diagnostic Panel. The Aridia® kit showed total agreement with the reference test, with a sensitivity of 100% (95% CI: 98.25% to 100.0%) and a specificity of 100% (96.90% to 100.00%). The AllplexTM kit also showed 100% specificity (95% CI: 96.90% to 100.00%), but a lower sensitivity (98.09%, 95% CI: 95.17% to 99.48%). Among the three kits, the Novel Coronavirus (2019-nCoV) Nucleic Acid Detection Kit showed the worst performance, with a sensitivity of 98.6% (95% CI: 95.9% to 99.7%) and a specificity of 95.73, 95% (CI: 90.31% to 98.60%). While all these kits conform to the requirement for routine molecular diagnosis with high performances, the Aridia® COVID-19 Real-Time PCR Test showed the best performance among the three kits.


A monopolist who originally charges a uniform price across all markets may switch to discriminatory pricing upon the entry of a competitor. As a result, intensified competition may lead to more dispersed prices as well as higher prices for some or all consumers.


Abutment material selection may have an effect on the color of the peri-implant soft tissue, especially in thin mucosa. The objective of this in vitro study was to investigate the effect of titanium, zirconia, and dyed fluorescent zirconia on the color of 1.5-mm-thick mucosa. Ten pig maxillae were used to simulate thin mucosa according to a previously published setup. Three different abutment materials were placed under the mucosa, and the color of the soft tissue was evaluated using a spectrophotometer. The test area without underlying material was used as a control. Whereas titanium induced visible color change values of ΔE7.3, significantly above the threshold level of ΔE3.7 (P < .05, Student t test), the changes after insertion of zirconia ( ΔE3.7) and dyed fluorescent zirconia (3.5) were not statistically different from the visible threshold of ΔE3.7 (P < .05, Student t test). The difference between the two zirconia specimens was not statistically significant, although the dyed zirconia material was darker; the color difference was ΔE10.35 between the two. In contrast to titanium, neither nondyed zirconia nor dyed fluorescent zirconia changed the gingival coloration. Moreover, shading of white zirconia with a fluorescent dye leads to an all-ceramic abutment material that mimics the optical properties of natural teeth.


This paper presents a conception of corruption informed by epistemic democratic theory. I first explain the view of corruption as a disease of the political body. Following this view, we have to consider the type of actions that debase a political entity of its constitutive principal in order to assess corruption. Accordingly, we need to consider what the constitutive principle of democracy is. This is the task I undertake in the second section where I explicate democratic legitimacy. I present democracy as a procedure of social inquiry about what ought to be done that includes epistemic and practical considerations. In the third section, I argue that the problem of corruption for a procedural conception of democracy is that the epistemic value of the procedure is diminished by corrupted agents' lack of concern for truth. Corruption, according to this view, consists in two deformities of truth: lying and bullshit. These deformities corrupt since they conceal private interests under the guise of a concern for truth. In the fourth section, I discuss the difficulties a procedural account may face in formulating solutions to the problem of corruption.


This paper examines the effect of corruption on quality of public health services. Corruption, in Tanzania, is a national concern that upsets public health services. There is a public outcry that corruption is increasing in the public health sector while the government's effort to combat the phenomenon is unimpressive. This poses worries on the quality of public health services. The current study adopted cross-sectional research design, and a total of 180 respondents were involved in the survey. The Mann Whitney U Test was used to compare differences between perceived quality of health services and respondents' characteristics. Overall, 87.2% of the respondents perceived low quality of health services, and corruption affected quality of health services to a greater extent. Based on age, employment and wealth status, there was significant difference on reporting perceived quality of health services at 5% and 1% level of significance. In addition, respondents' sex and employment status showed significant difference in reporting the extent to which corruption affected quality of health services at 5% level of significance. The paper draws out two conclusions: first, the quality of health services was low. Second, corruption exacerbated poor quality of health services. To that effect, interventions to combat corruption in the public health sector are needed so as to improve quality of health services.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the effects of different doses of dopamine, norepinephrine, and epinephrine on the splanchnic circulation in patients with septic shock.

DESIGN
Prospective, randomized, open-label study.

SETTING
A 31-bed, medicosurgical intensive care unit of a university hospital.

PATIENTS
Convenience sample of 20 patients with septic shock, separated into two groups according to whether (moderate shock group, n = 10) or not (severe shock, n = 10) dopamine alone was able maintain mean arterial pressure >65 mm Hg.

INTERVENTIONS
Dopamine was progressively withdrawn and replaced successively by norepinephrine and then epinephrine (the order of the two agents was randomly determined) to maintain mean arterial pressure constant (moderate shock) or to increase mean arterial pressure above 65 mm Hg (severe shock).

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
Systemic circulation (pulmonary artery catheter) and splanchnic circulation (indocyanine green dilution and hepatic vein catheter) and gastric mucosal Pco(2) (gas tonometry) were measured during dopamine (moderate shock only), norepinephrine, and epinephrine administration (both groups). Data were analyzed with nonparametric tests and are presented as median [percentiles 25-75]. In moderate shock, cardiac index was similar to dopamine and norepinephrine (3.1 [2.7-3.8] vs. 2.9 [2.7-4.1] L/min.m2, p = nonsignificant) but greater with epinephrine (4.1 [3.5-4.4] p <.01 vs. dopamine and norepinephrine). Splanchnic blood flow was similar with the three agents (732 [413-1483] vs. 746 [470-1401] vs. 653 [476-1832] mL/min.m, p = nonsignificant). The gradient between mixed-venous and hepatic venous oxygen saturations was lower with dopamine than with norepinephrine and epinephrine, but the Pco(2) gap was similar with the three agents. In severe shock, cardiac index was higher, but splanchnic blood flow was lower, with epinephrine than with norepinephrine (4.6 [3.7-5.3] vs. 3.4 [3.0-4.1] L/min.m2, p <.01 and 860 [684-1334] vs. 977 [806-1802] mL/min.m2, p <.05, respectively). Epinephrine increased the mixed-venous and hepatic venous oxygen saturation gradient but did not alter Pco(2) gap.

CONCLUSIONS
Dopamine and norepinephrine have similar hemodynamic effects, but epinephrine can impair splanchnic circulation in severe septic shock.


We consider the CEO problem for non-regular source distributions (such as uniform or truncated Gaussian). A group of agents observe independently corrupted versions of data and transmit coded versions over rate-limited links to a CEO. The CEO then estimates the underlying data based on the received coded observations. Agents are not allowed to convene before transmitting their observations. This formulation is motivated by the practical problem of a firm's CEO estimating (non-regular) beliefs about a sequence of events, before acting on them. Agents' observations are modeled as jointly distributed with the underlying data through a given conditional probability density function. We study the asymptotic behavior of the minimum achievable mean squared error distortion at the CEO in the limit when the number of agents L and the sum rate R tend to infinity. We establish a 1/R2 convergence of the distortion, an intermediate regime of performance between the exponential behavior in discrete CEO problems [Berger, Zhang, and Viswanathan (1996)], and the 1/R behavior in Gaussian CEO problems [Viswanathan and Berger (1997)]. Achievability is proved by a layered architecture with scalar quantization, distributed entropy coding, and midrange estimation. The converse is proved using the Bayesian Chazan-Zakai-Ziv bound.


The relationships of change in body mass index (BMI) on blood pressure, blood and serum tests, and of life style, working posture and job category on change in BMI after age twenty were investigated in a cross sectional study. A total of 771 male employees aged 21 or older (mean age 29.9 +/- 9.1 years) of a semiconductor factory were examined in December 1993. BMI change of each subject was expressed as percent increase after age twenty. BMI value at age twenty was calculated from self-reported body weight at twenty and height measured at the 1993 health examination. Prevalences of high blood pressure (systolic blood pressure > or = 160 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure > or = 95 mmHg), high blood pressure including borderline hypertension (systolic blood pressure > or = 140 mmHg or diastolic blood pressure > or = 90 mmHg) and abnormal values of serum GOT, GPT, gamma-GPT, total cholesterol, triglyceride, HDL-cholesterol, uric acid and fasting blood glucose were greater in the high BMI change group than in the low BMI change group (Chi-square test, P < 0.1). With the exception of hypertension, these associations remained virtually unchanged after adjusting for age, alcoholic consumption, smoking habits and BMI at 20 years of age by multiple logistic regression analysis. After adjustment for age by the Mantel-Henszael method, increases in BMI after 20 years of age were positively associated with the following eight items (p < 0.05): shorter standing time, shorter walking time, lower meal skipping frequency, shorter meal time, longer sitting time during work, larger meal size, greater frequency of salad consumption, and sedentary work such as clerk and engineer. Greater rice consumption and higher frequency of instant foods consumption were weakly associated with the increase in BMI (0.05 < p < 0.1). Job categories such as clerk and engineer were significantly associated with longer sitting time and shorter meal time, resulting in greater BMI increase after 20 years of age. Multiple logistic regression analysis revealed that shorter standing time, shorter meal time, larger meal size, greater frequency of instant foods consumption and greater frequency of salad consumption were independently correlated with the increase in BMI (p < 0.05). Larger rice consumption was slightly correlated with increasing BMI (0.05 < p < 0.1). This study showed that job category, working posture and food intake patterns were strongly associated with BMI change after age 20 in young male workers. This study provides useful information for health care and health promotion programs in young male workers.


Aberrant adrenocortical tissue in spermatic cord is rare in adult population. We report an unusual case of a 52-year-old male patient with an aberrant adrenocortical tissue which is incidentally resected within lipoma of spermatic cord and identified on microscopic examination. Although he was diagnosed with right inguinal hernia, there was no significant hernia orifice intraoperatively. When the 2nd operation by anterior open approach was undergone, there was a fat-like tissue adhered to the spermatic cord. It was removed and the histopathological finding first revealed aberrant adrenocortical tissue in the resected lipoma of spermatic cord (Figure 1). This abnormal tissue is usually found incidentally during inguinal operation. In general, most of the aberrant adrenal tissue becomes atrophic by adult life. Moreover, it is not clinically significant and also not associated with endocrine abnormalities.


The Patos Lagoon estuary has one of the most important harbor complexes in Brazil. The increasing navigational activities observed in the last decade enhanced the dredging demand in the access channel of the lagoon. Developments have been proposed for the area, which include an extension of the jetties at the entrance of the estuary, as well as deepening the existing access channel. The objective of this study is to investigate the effect of the proposed developments on the circulation pattern of the estuary. Three scenarios are the focus of this study: a) original channel geometry and jetties length; b) original channel depth and extension of the jetties; c) modification of the channel depth and extension of the jetties. The TELEMAC flow model, based on the finite elements method, was used to carry out two-dimensional depthaveraged simulations to investigate the effect of such alterations on the hydrodynamics of the area. Results showed that the extension of the jetties would reduce flood and enhance ebb fluxes in the estuary. The scenario with the extension of the jetties without dredging, however, would lead to stronger velocities at the access channel causing stronger shear stresses over the bottom and potentially reducing the demand for dredging. The scenario considering the extention of the jetties with dredging would lead to weaker velocities, which could promote the siltation of the access channel. Moreover, the extension of the jetties seems to reduce salt-water intrusion, which could affect the entrance of commercial fish and shrimp species, harming the local fishery production.


Damage and dysfunction of vascular endothelial cells plays a critical role in the initiation and progression of atherosclerosis, with inflammation implicated as a key mediator of endothelial dysfunc-tion and early structural arterial disease in childhood. 1 However, the specific molecular triggers of local vascular inflammation are less clear. One potential mediator relevant to endothelial dysfunction and atherogenesis is heat-shock protein 60 (HSP60). 2 HSP60 may act as an intercellular signaling molecule that can activate a variety of cells and has been identified in human atheroma. 3,4 Intracellular soluble HSP60 (sHSP60) has also been identified in the blood of healthy adults, 5,6 sHSP60 levels correlate with measures of psychosocial stress 5 and are elevated in early carotid disease implicating HSP60 in atherogenesis. 7 To explore a potential role for HSP60 in early atherogenesis we determined whether sHSP60 was detectable in the blood of healthy adolescents and examined the relationship with clinical measures of vascular function and structural arterial pathophysiology. Young study populations minimize potentially confounding influences of long-term modest risk factor exposure, increasing the ability to evaluate the clinical impact of novel putative atherogenic determinants. We studied 294 healthy adolescents (aged 13 to 16 years). All subjects were nonsmokers and free from hypertension, dyslipidemia, and diabetes mellitus. Anthropometric, demographic, and metabolic characteristics of this cohort have been published previously. 8 All subjects underwent noninvasive assessment of flow-mediated vaso-dilatation (FMD) and distensibility of the brachial artery using high resolution ultrasound to determine endothelial function and arterial stiffness, respectively. 8 Serum sHSP60 was assayed using a highly specific ELISA according to the method described by Lewthwaite. 5 Primary comparisons were made between adolescents with and without detectable sHsp60. Multiple linear regression analysis was used to assess associations between vascular measures and sHSP60 expression with adjustment for potential confounding factors (age, sex, BMI, arterial diameter, CRP, and lipids). Serum from 256 subjects was available for analysis. sHSP60 was detectable in 60 subjects over a wide range of values (Figure, a). HDL cholesterol (1.27 versus 1.16 mmol/L, Pϭ0.03) levels were slightly higher, but other variables (total cholesterol CRP, blood pressure, BMI, age, and gender) were similar in subjects with and without detectable sHSP60. There was no association between age and log e [sHSP60] in those with detectable levels (rϭ0.07, Pϭ0.3), and expression of sHSP60 was similar in subjects born at term versus preterm (Pϭ0.9); levels in those born at term and preterm with detectable sHSP60 …


The dissipation of electromagnetic energy from an ultrawideband plane wave pulse that is propagating through a causally dispersive, attenuative dielectric is described. Because the precursor fields, which are a characteristic of the dispersive medium, propagate with the least attenuation in the medium, the peak in the Brillouin precursor decaying only as z−1/2, they carry a significant fraction of the input electromagnetic energy much deeper into the lossy material. These precursor fields then generate heat at propagation depths where virtually none is generated by the main signal at the input carrier frequency. The implications of this ultrawideband phenomenon to bioelectromagnetics and radiation dosimetry may be significant.


Distributed denial of service (DDoS) attacks pose a significant threat to the smooth operations of today's online critical services and applications. Existing mechanisms to detect these attacks have had limited success. With the rapid growth in size and bandwidth of contemporary computer networks, an efficient and effective distributed solution is needed for detecting DDoS attacks. In this study, the authors propose a multiagent pattern recognition mechanism for detecting DDoS attacks, in adistributed fashion. Our proposed solution is very effective in detecting such attacks launched against victim servers residing inside a production network which has multiple gateways to the Internet. Using simulation, the authors show that our proposed mechanism achieves a high degree of accuracy in detecting DDoS attacks, with low false alarm rates, using a reasonable numbers of attack detection agents collaboratively operating in a typical production network. The authors also study the relationship of the number of agents participating in the attack detection process and the false alarm rate of the detection scheme.


This thesis explores the pedagogical incorporation of authentic texts in the teaching of Modern Greek as a second language, specifically to adults of lower level study, with regard to established practice in Modern Greek as L2 textbooks. It aims to, critically, approach all theoretical and didactic aspects of authenticity and to review the effectiveness of integrating authentic texts into language courses, by analysing the conditions which ensure their authentic usage. For these purposes, it makes a synthetic overview of the literature on the concept of authenticity in language teaching and it examines the use of authentic texts in the light of modern theories on second language acquisition and the responding teaching methodologies. In addition, it investigates the implementation of authenticity in eight Modern Greek as L2 textbooks. Finally, it proposes a threefold teaching model, whereby an authentic text is moved from the margins of language teaching to the forefront and is integrated in the main teaching body, as a referential and interactive framework, on a communicative, linguistic and cultural level.


A theory is developed to account for the influence of flocculation on the ultrasonic attenuation spectra of emulsions. The theory assumes that flocculated emulsions contain `particles' which have effective properties determined by the size and volume fraction of the individual droplets within the flocs. The theory predicts that the attenuation spectra of emulsions depends on the size of the droplets, the size of the flocs, the packing of the droplets within the flocs and the fraction of droplets which are flocculated.


This essay provides a commentary on one of the less celebrated novels of Najīb Mahfū z,al-Sarāb (The Mirage), one of a series of tragic melodramas he wrote in the 1940s. Uniquely in Mahfūz's oeuvre, this novel explores an "Oedipal" relationship between the narrator/protagonist and his mother; it is a relationship that blights the man's married life. What Aristotle identified as anagnorisis—a movement towards startling disclosure—is a common feature of Oedipal narratives; the anagnorisis in Sophocles's Oedipus Rex being the most famous example (and Aristotle's favorite instance of tragic disclosure). In general, and across genres, anagnorisis provides narratives with familiar, sometimes comforting, shape; it can also provide an interpretive portal onto the meaning and values revealed by a narrative. It tends to provide closure, especially in melodrama, and often purveys a sense of certainty (though in contemporary or experimental fiction that complacency is often misplaced: incertitude, ambiguity and difficult knowledge are just as often revealed). The commentary below concentrates on three aspects of al-Sarāb alluded to and the relationship between them: recognition, psychoanalysis and melodrama.


Motivation of staff in everyday life is considered to be the payment of wages, which the employee receives monthly for properly performed functional duties. However, we should not forget that motivation can change not only the approaches to payment of wages, but also the worldview of employees, their approaches to work. How the employer motivates the employee, such a result will be obtained.This article describes the gradual creation of a motivation system, the successful experience of the implementation of which allowed several times to increase the productivity of a particular enterprise of the military-industrial complex.


The paper overviews the model of subjective well-being proposed by E. Diener and the existing Russian-language instruments tapping into different aspects of well-being. The authors present two studies aimed at Russian-language validation of popular well-being measures. The first study analyzes the psychometric properties of Subjective Happiness Scale by S. Lyubomirsky and Satisfaction with Life Scale by E. Diener in a large sample of adults representing various social groups (N = 7091). The Russian-language versions of both instruments show theoretically predicted structure, high internal consistency and predictable link with a range of other measures of subjective well-being, constructive thinking, and positive functioning. The second study involving respondents from an online panel (N = 1021) stratified across Russian federal districts is focused on validation of the Mental Health Continuum questionnaire by C. Keyes which measures emotional, social, and psychological well-being. The authors study the relationship between its scales and other indicators of subjective well-being and life quality. The results support the structural validity and indicate high reliability of scales. The authors present the stimulus materials for all three measures which can be used in well-being research in Russian-language samples.
Acknowledgments. The paper is supported by Russian Science Foundation, project no. 18-18-00341.


The article considers the peculiarities of the reforms of the territorial organization of power at the municipal level in Northern European countries. The reforms are aimed at developing the local self-government system, as well as increasing the efficiency and improving the coordination of services provided by local communities. In this regard, the article studies the content of the two main directions of local territorial reforms in European countries, which began in the twentieth century and continue today. These directions are based on encouraging local communities to collaborate through a network of organizations for inter-communal cooperation and/or community consolidation through mergers to properly fulfil municipal and administrative functions.The approaches used in Denmark, Norway and Finland to ensure greater efficiency of the local government system and to create capable local communities, which can more effectively perform the tasks of local self-government, have been analysed. The peculiarities of municipal reforming in Norway, characterized by consistency and the clear definition of the steps of its implementation, have been revealed; the results of reducing the number of municipalities have been shown. The specifics and stages of municipal transformations in Finland, during which measures were taken to encourage municipalities to merge freely, have been analysed; the reasons that negatively affected the implementation of local self-government reform at the local level have been highlighted. It has been concluded that there is a common trend for these countries to create larger municipalities through mergers, which is more effective applying coercive measures and state incentives to amalgamate local communities.


Suction caissons and anchors are widely used for the foundation of both bottom-fixed and floating offshore structures. They are installed by means of self-weight and underpressure applied to the inside of the skirt compartment. The penetration resistance during installation is the sum of the tip resistance and wall friction of the skirt, both of which are functions of the foundation geometry, soil properties, soil-state and boundary conditions.
 Several authors have proposed methods to predict the penetration resistance during installation. In general, high estimates of soil strength parameters are used to predict the installation resistance for design purposes. In addition, safety factors may be applied when predicting the achievable penetration depth and the corresponding loads acting on the structural components. However, current standards and guidelines lack a consistent approach for evaluating these loads and safety factors.
 In order to apply a consistent safety concept in the structural caisson design, two methods for assessing the penetration resistance and hence required suction pressure are investigated; a simplified CPT-based method and a more advanced bearing-capacity-based method. For that purpose, a probability-based analysis has been performed, assuming statistical distributions of the corresponding input parameters, and a representative target failure probability. The performance of the two methods methods is investigated using the example of a generic sand and a generic clay profile. Based on these analysis, partial safety factors for the use in a deterministic design are proposed.