PDAC is predicted to become the second commonest cause of cancer death in the western world by 2030. Aggressive invasion and early metastases are characteristic of the disease, and even the few patients eligible for potentially curative resection inevitably develop recurrent or metastatic disease. We now show that CXCR2 signalling is upregulated in human pancreatic cancer, predominantly in neutrophils at the tumour invasive edge. In mouse models, genetic ablation or inhibition of CXCR2 abrogated metastasis while inhibition also slowed tumorigenesis, particularly when combined with chemotherapy. Depletion of neutrophils also suppressed metastasis, suggesting a key role for CXCR2 in establishing and maintaining the metastatic niche. Indications from trials thus far suggest that immunotherapy will not work as a single agent strategy in pancreatic cancer patients. Importantly, we find that loss or inhibition of CXCR2 improved T-cell entry and combined inhibition of CXCR2 and PD1 in mice with established disease caused a significant extension of survival. Thus, our data highlight two novel therapeutic opportunities for PDAC: first the use of CXCR2 inhibitors in surgically-resected patients to prevent recurrence at distant sites, and second, the use of CXCR2 inhibition in combination with immunotherapy in surgically unresectable advanced disease. This abstract is also being presented as Poster B55 Citation Format: Colin Steele, Saadia Karim, Josh Leach, Peter Bailey, Andrew Biankin, Rob Nibbs, Simon Barry, Owen Sansom, Jen Morton.{Authors}. CXCR2 Inhibition Suppresses Metastasis and Improves the Response to Immunotherapy in Pancreatic Cancer. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Pancreatic Cancer: Advances in Science and Clinical Care; 2016 May 12-15; Orlando, FL. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(24 Suppl):Abstract nr PR10.


Parallel I/O plays a crucial role for most data-intensive applications running on massively parallel systems like Blue Gene/L that provides the promise of delivering enormous computational capability. We designed and implemented a highly scalable parallel file I/O architecture for Blue Gene/L, which leverages the benefit of the hierarchical and functional partitioning design of the system software with separate computational and I/O cores. The architecture exploits the scalability aspect of GPFS (General Parallel File System) at the backend, while using MPI I/O as an interface between the application I/O and the file system. We demonstrate the impact of our high performance I/O solution for Blue Gene/L with a comprehensive evaluation that consists of a number of widely used parallel I/O benchmarks and I/O intensive applications. Our design and implementation is not only able to deliver at least one order of magnitude speed up in terms of I/O bandwidth for a real-scale application HOMME (achieving aggregate bandwidth of 1.8 GB/Sec and 2.3 GB/Sec for write and read accesses, respectively), but also supports high-level parallel I/O data interfaces such as parallel HDF5 and parallel NetCDF scaling up to a large number of processors.


Objective: It has been well documented that traditional medicinal plants confer considerable antimicrobial activity against various microorganisms. Methods: The present study was designed to evaluate the antimicrobial properties of aqueous and ethanolic extracts of the leaves of Syzygium caryophyllatum against Staphylococcus coli, Salmonella typhi, Shigella flexneri, and Vibrio cholerae. The aqueous extract was prepared using cold percolation method, and ethanolic extract was prepared in Soxhlet apparatus using ethyl alcohol. Antimicrobial activity is being determined by time-kill assay and minimum inhibitory concentration. Results: From our study, it is found that all tested organisms were sensitive to both aqueous and ethanolic extract of leaves of S. caryophyllatum. The ethanolic extract showed better antibacterial activity against S. aureus and S. typhi when compare to aqueous extract. The phytochemical analysis confirmed the presence of flavonoids, alkaloids, glycosides, steroids, phenols, tannins, and saponins in the ethanolic and aqueous extract of S. caryophyllatum. Conclusion: We hypothesize that these active phytoconstitutents might be responsible for the antimicrobial activity of this plant.


ABSTRACT The increase of penicillin-resistant Streptococcus pneumoniae (PRSP) pneumonia results in a greater risk of antibiotic treatment failure. In vitro data are not sufficient predictors of clinical efficacy, and animal models may be insufficiently contributive, since they often use immunocompromised animals and do not always respect the human pharmacokinetics of antibiotics. We developed an experimental PRSP pneumonia model in immunocompetent rabbits, by using intrabronchial instillation of PRSP (MIC = 4 mg/liter), without any adjuvant. This reproducible model was used to assess amoxicillin efficacy by reproducing human serum pharmacokinetics following 1-g oral or intravenous administrations of amoxicillin every 8 h. Evaluation was performed by using clinical, CT scan, macroscopic, histopathologic, and microbiological criteria. Experimental pneumonia in untreated rabbits was similar to untreated severe human bacteremic untreated pneumonia; in both rabbits and humans, (i) cumulative survival was close to 50%, (ii) red or gray lung congestion and pleuritis were observed, and (iii) lung and spleen concentrations reached 5 and 4 log10 CFU/g. A 48-h treatment resulted in a significant bacterial clearance in the lungs (1.53 versus 5.07 log10 CFU/ml, P < 0.001) and spleen (1.00 versus 4.40 log10 CFU/ml,P < 10−6) and a significant decrease in mortality (0% versus 50%, P = 0.02) in treated versus untreated rabbits. No difference was observed on macroscopic and histopathologic lesions between treated and untreated rabbits (P = 0.36 and 0.78, respectively). Similar results were obtained by using a fully penicillin-susceptible S. pneumoniae strain (MIC = 0.01 mg/liter). Our findings suggest that (i) this new model can be contributive in the evaluation of antibacterial agents and (ii) 1 g of amoxicillin three times a day may be sufficient to treat PRSP pneumonia in immunocompetent humans.


One of the reasons given for the poor performance of the construction industry is the use of inappropriate procurement arrangements. Thus, the selection of an appropriate method is critical to construction projects' success. This paper therefore examined the procurement methods adopted by clients in Ogun state, Nigeria and determined the criteria influencing their adoption. Structural questionnaire were administered on 50 project participants out of which 40 copies were found to be suitably completed and used for data analysis. Statistical techniques like mean score, frequency counts and percentages were used to present and analyse the data. The results showed that Traditional Contract was still the preferred method in Nigeria by both public and private clients while Direct Labour was preferred by private individual clients. The major criteria desired by clients for selecting Traditional Contract method were clients' familiarity and ability of the method to offer competitive bids. Similarly, Design and Build was mostly desired when time is of the essence, when early start on site is required, for projects with high level of technicality and sensitivity and for risk avoidance. Management Contracting was mostly desired for quality assurance and to enhance responsibility of the building team.


Numerous studies have attempted to relate brain morphology to treatment outcome in schizophrenia in an attempt to define subtypes of schizophrenia that may respond well to antipsychotic treatment (Brown & Herz, 1989). This has potential clinical significance since, if we can predict outcome based on brain structure, it would then influence treatment.


We demonstrate a modified internal limiting membrane (ILM) inverted flap technique for closure of macular holes (MHs) concurrent with rhegmatogenous retinal detachment in myopic eyes. Multiple ILM flaps were created in a flower-petal configuration around the MH over the detached retina after shallowing the retina as much as possible. Traction was always in a direction that allowed the optic disc to act as an anchor to limit iatrogenic breaks and to bridge the hole with multiple, more secure flaps should one of the flaps revert or break away. The technique proved safe and efficient in MH closure in our series of eight cases. The modification described provides an effective approach for challenging myopic cases in which ILM flap creation is needed over a detached retina.


This paper introduces the fabrication and calibration of a soft shape memory alloy actuator with an integrated liquid metal sensor. The actuator is capable of transforming from an unactuated soft curled shape to an actuated rigid straight shape when it is electrically activated. The surface-bonded sensor is a capacitive strain gauge capable of tracking actuator curvature, which is composed of microfluidic channels of liquid metal alloy embedded in a soft silicone elastomer. The sensor has limited impact on the mechanical properties of the actuator due to being soft and lightweight. The fabrication procedure of the actuator is demonstrated in detail, and it is explained how the actuator can be easily fabricated using rapid prototyping techniques, such as laser cutting and stencil lithography. Then, the calibration procedure shows how the capacitance of the bonded strain gauge can be related to the actuator curvature by aligning capacitance data from the sensor with the actuator's curvature captured by a fast camera. Finally, we implemented a closed-loop control strategy to show the effectiveness of the integrated sensor in improving the actuator performance. The used control scheme provides a method for optimizing actuation in a way that maximizes actuation amplitude. For optimal control, we use a learning-based approach with a covariant matrix adaptive evolutionary strategy (CMA-ES). It is shown that small change in either applied voltage or actuation time will lead to a large difference on the actuation performance.


The advent of microprocessed "metabolic carts" and rapidly incremental protocols greatly expanded the clinical applications of cardiopulmonary exercise testing (CPET). The response normalcy to CPET is more commonly appreciated at discrete time points, for example, at the estimated lactate threshold and at peak exercise. Analysis of the response profiles of cardiopulmonary responses at submaximal exercise and recovery, however, might show abnormal physiologic functioning which would not be otherwise unraveled. Although this approach has long been advocated as a key element of the investigational strategy, it remains largely neglected in practice. The purpose of this paper, therefore, is to highlight the usefulness of selected submaximal metabolic, ventilatory, and cardiovascular variables in different clinical scenarios and patient populations. Special care is taken to physiologically justify their use to answer pertinent clinical questions and to the technical aspects that should be observed to improve responses' reproducibility and reliability. The most recent evidence in favor of (and against) these variables for diagnosis, impairment evaluation, and prognosis in systemic diseases is also critically discussed.


The internationally accepted method of acquiring allograft bone is to retrieve it in a sterile environment. In South Africa, we are limited by resources and funds, making it impossible to adhere to these standards of retrieval. The purpose of the study is to evaluate the safety of the surgically clean retrieval of allograft bone outside of a theatre set-up. The study population consisted of all the accepted donors from the beginning of 2003 to September 2008. The donors included in the study (n=749) were tested for microbial growths at various stages of retrieval and processing. An internal audit was done on the results and the safety of the processes was evaluated. The amount of bacterial contamination of the various samples was used to evaluate the safety of the process. We concluded that by following a strict protocol for processing and by using mandatory gamma irradiation our allograft is bacteria-free and extremely safe, making our method comparable with international standards.


The goal of the present report was to determine if lentiviral vectors could mediate gene transfer into murine terminally differentiated macrophages and mature B lymphocytes as a new strategy of gene delivery into professional antigen-presenting cells (APC). We demonstrated that nondividing tissue resident macrophages were efficiently transduced in vitro by lentiviral vectors. Gene transfer efficiencies of up to 90% were demonstrated using a green fluorescent protein (GFP) reporter gene-containing vector and expression was stable for the length of cell culture. Transduced macrophages were functionally competent, preserving their phagocytic activity, accessory cell function, interleukin (IL)-12 secretion, and nitric oxide (NO) production similar to control untransduced macrophages. Lentiviral vector mediated transduction of CD19(+) B cell blasts was demonstrated to be in the range of 60%-70% GFP-positive cells. These transduced cells retain the ability to upregulate CD80 and CD86 similar to control B cell cultures. In addition, we show that the human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) accessory proteins Nef, Vpr, Vif, and Vpu are not required for the transduction of both resident macrophages and activated B lymphoblasts. We conclude that HIV-1-based lentiviral vectors can mediate efficient gene transfer into primary murine macrophages and mature B lymphocytes.


In molecular and computational biology, predicting the three-dimensional structure of a protein from its amino acid sequence has long been an outstanding goal. Soft computing techniques for solving protein structure prediction problems have been gaining the attention of researchers because of their capacity to accommodate imprecision and uncertainty in vast and complicated search spaces. This paper provides a comprehensive overview of recent protein structure prediction efforts and progress using various soft computing techniques. This paper summarises key research in the field of protein structure prediction that has been published in the recent decade. Despite significant research efforts in recent decades, there is still a lot of room for improvement in this field.


We report on the electronic structure, density of states and transmission properties of the periodic one-dimensional Tight-Binding (TB) lattice with a single orbital per site and nearest-neighbor interactions, with a generic unit cell of u sites. The determination of the eigenvalues is equivalent to the diagonalization of a real tridiagonal symmetric u-Toeplitz matrix with (cyclic boundaries) or without (fixed boundaries) perturbed upper right and lower left corners. We solve the TB equations via the Transfer Matrix Method, producing, analytical solutions and recursive relations for its eigenvalues, closely related to the Chebyshev polynomials. We examine the density of states and provide relevant analytical relations. We attach semi-infinite leads, determine and discuss the transmission coefficient at zero bias and investigate the peaks number and position, and the effect of the coupling strength and asymmetry as well as of the lead properties on the transmission profiles. We introduce a generic optimal coupling condition and demonstrate its physical meaning.


This paper proposes two novel contributions: a fast statistical method for scheduling gain calculation is introduced, and we show how it can be combined with queuing theory and real network measurements in order to calculate the flow-level performance of a cellular network that uses Proportional Fair (PF) scheduling. A statistical method to evaluate the scheduling gain is proposed and a proof of its convergence is given. This method is three orders of magnitude faster than full system simulation. Based on these results, a queuing theory analysis is performed and is applied to the pedestrian A 3km/h channel model and LMMSE receiver. The evaluation uses drive tests measurements to reflect the realistic distribution of radio conditions. The derived flow-level performance of PF scheduling, including blocking rate, outage rate and flow throughput, is of major interest for network operators.


ABSTRACT Chlamydia trachomatis is an obligate intracellular human pathogen responsible for ocular and genital infections. To establish its membrane-bound intracellular niche, the inclusion, C. trachomatis relies on a set of effector proteins that are injected into the host cells or inserted into the inclusion membrane. We previously proposed that insertion of the C. trachomatis effector protein IncD into the inclusion membrane contributes to the recruitment of the lipid transfer protein CERT to the inclusion. Due to the genetically intractable status of C. trachomatis at that time, this model of IncD-CERT interaction was inferred from ectopic expression of IncD and CERT in the host cell. In the present study, we investigated the impact of conditionally expressing a FLAG-tagged version of IncD in C. trachomatis. This genetic approach allowed us to establish that IncD-3×FLAG localized to the inclusion membrane and caused a massive recruitment of the lipid transfer protein CERT that relied on the PH domain of CERT. In addition, we showed that the massive IncD-dependent association of CERT with the inclusion led to an increased recruitment of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER)-resident protein VAPB, and we determined that, at the inclusion, CERT-VAPB interaction relied on the FFAT domain of CERT. Altogether, the data presented here show that expression of the C. trachomatis effector protein IncD mediates the recruitment of the lipid transfer protein CERT and the ER-resident protein VAPB to the inclusion.


Children who receive peritoneal dialysis (PD) are at increased risk for thyroid dysfunction. A rarely appreciated cause is iodine overload. We report 4 children who developed iodine overload and secondary hypothyroidism. All had kidney failure treated by PD. Each previously had normal thyroid function screening test results. At the time hypothyroidism was detected, the duration of PD ranged from 1 week to 27 months (median, 6 months). Three children had high thyrotropin values and all had high serum iodine levels. The sole source of iodine exposure in each child was a povidone-iodine-impregnated gauze in the sterile transfer set cap associated with PD. Iodine overload is a poorly appreciated problem associated with the provision of PD in infants and small children and can lead to thyroid dysfunction. Increased awareness among pediatric nephrologists should lead to the development of optimal monitoring and prevention recommendations.


Like world Pakistan is facing two major threats i.e. environment and energy. Rapid industrialization and urbanization have resulted in elevated emission of toxic heavy metals entering the biosphere. Activities such as mining and agriculture have polluted extensive areas throughout the world. The release of heavy metals in biologically available forms by human activities may damage or alter both natural and man-made ecosystems. Heavy metal ions such as Pb2+, Cr6+, Cd2+ Cu2+, Zn+2and Ni+2, are essential micronutrients for plant's and animal's metabolism but when present in excess, can become extremely toxic. Among the renewable energy technologies, solar energy, wind energy, biofuels and biomass conversion occupy the central stage. The current study belongs to biomass conversion to biofuels. It was focused on metal phytoremediation and biofuel production from water hyacinth by using Nanobiotechnology. Soil experiments show the phytoremoval of Pb2+, Cr6+, Cd2+ Cu2+, Zn+2+ and Ni2+ in A¬g/g of plant's dry weight. Increase or decrease in pH and fresh weight is also discussed. Lead, chromium, cadmium, copper, zinc and nickel showed phytoremoval of 27.91, 38.67, 1.915, 3.38, 13.11 and 24.23 A¬g/g of plant's dry weight respectively. Similarly phytoremoval of lead, chromium, cadmium, copper, zinc and nickel in kg/ha is 1582.45, 1053.38, 2852.75, 232.99, 1521.08 and 3449.76 respectively. Hoagland's hydroponic experiments show the phytoremoval of Pb2+, Cr6+, Cd2+ Cu2+, Zn+2+ and Ni2+ in A¬g/g of plant's dry weight. Increase or decrease in pH and fresh weight is also discussed. Lead, chromium, cadmium, copper, zinc and nickel showed phytoremoval 19.132, 2.369, 8.888, 4.085, 0.845 and 1.954 A¬g/g of plant's dry weight. Adsorption and desorption experiments show phytoremoval (adsorption) of Pb2+, Cr6+, Cd2+ Cu2+, Zn+2+ and Ni2+ in A¬g/g of plant's ash. While desorption (recovery for reuse) of lead, chromium, cadmium, copper, zinc and nickel in A¬g/g of plant's ash. Adsorption capacity is 29.83, 24, 28.41, 29.83, 29.94 and 29.79 A¬g/g of plant's ash respectively. The biosorptive capacity is highest with pH > 8.00. The desorption capacity of lead, chromium, cadmium, copper, zinc and nickel is 18.10, 9.99, 27.54, 21.09, 11.99, 3.71 A¬g/g of plant's ash respectively. Bioanalytical experiments were performed to assess the metallic concentrations of Taxilian water hyacinth. Some selected microbes from hyacinth's roots were isolated,identified by biochemical tests and purified by microbiological experiments. Our results show that Thiobacillus thiooxidans, Thiobacillus ferrooxidans, Azotobacter and A. niger are present in the roots of water hyacinth. Thiobacillus thiooxidans, Thiobacillus ferrooxidans and A. niger are commonly well known for metal's bioremediation. Their presence in the roots of water hyacinth show that these microbes may have some role in metal's phytoremediation by hyacinth. Azotobacter is generally nitrogen fixing bacteria its presence may shows relationship with nitrogen's phytoremoval by hyacinth. The presence of Mn, Mo, Fe, Cr and some other metals in nitrogenase enzymes of Azotobacter, is already documented. Therefore Azotobacter's presence may also be responsible for phytoremoval of these metals by water hyacinth. Three different studies were performed for the nanobiotechnological conversion of water hyacinth (Eichhornia crassipes) plant into biofuel. In the first study water hyacinth was saccharified with diluted sulfuric acid (1% v/v at 110oC for one hour) and fermented by yeast (Saccharomyces cerevisiae). The results show the formation of 55.20 % ethanol and 41.66 % acetic acid. In another experiment water hyacinth was gasified by using Ni and Co nano catalysts at 50-400ÂoC and atmospheric pressure. In catalytic gasification methane (2.41-6.67%), ethene (19.74-45.52%), propyne (21.04-45.52%), methanol (1.43- 24.67%), and propane/acetaldehyde (0.33-26.09%) products are obtained. In third study anatase form of titanium dioxide photocatalyst was used. The reaction was performed at room temperature which gives good percentage of methane (53.19%), methanol (37.23%) and ethanol (9.57%). This study reports an interesting finding that metal contaminated water hyacinth could be used for not only the production of biofuel but also hydrocarbons Present study gives solution of two major problems of the world i.e. environmental pollution and fuel. It also shows comparison of three different phytoremediation technologies and use of water hyacinth as a metal hyper accumulator and a source of hydrocarbon gases and bioethanol. These technologies are cheap and may be developed further for commercial use


With the development of Semantic Web, entity summarization has become an emerging task to generate concrete summaries for real world entities. To solve this problem, we propose an approach named MPSUM that extends a probabilistic topic model by integrating the idea of predicate-uniqueness and object-importance for ranking triples. The approach aims at generating brief but representative summaries for entities. We compare our approach with the state-of-the-art methods using DBpedia and LinkedMDB datasets.The experimental results show that our work improves the quality of entity summarization.


Nearly every philosopher, at some point, reflects upon the concept of beauty. In the European tradition, the first serious and systematic formulations of a theory of beauty was tackled by Plato and Plotinus in the fourth century BCE and second century CE, respectively. In the Eastern tradition, it was the towering figure of the tenth-century Indian philosopher Abhinavagupta who provided an extensive theory of beauty and aesthetics. In more recent times, plenty of thought has been given to cultural discourses on the perception of beauty, where the most notable among them include Edward Said's work Orientalism, and John Urry's The Tourist Gaze. In The Tourist Gaze, Urry fleetingly mentions the "minimal characteristics" of travel, such as "the intense pleasures" of fantasy and dreaming, but leaves them largely untouched. Even in his afterthoughts on the "tourist gaze," Urry comments on the importance of visual experience and how its interpretation depends mostly on the viewer's perspective, but stresses that this is contingent on the "various social practices" of organised tourism, rather than the internal experiences of individuals. Indeed, very little has been written on the interiority of travel, and even less on beauty as a numinous, inner experience enriched by the act of travelling.


It is more than 30 years since the foundation of organo-transition metal chemistry and its useful applications. The names of Nobel Laureates E. O. Fischer and G. Wilkinson, K .Ziegler and G. Natta are associated with the earliest years of the development of this field. Indeed, the early chemistry of hydrocarbon derivatives of transition metals was largely developed by inorganic chemists whose primary interest focused on the transition metal chemistry rather than on transformations of organic compounds. Apart from a few, academic organic chemists were rather slow to appreciate the potential of organo-transition metal compounds as synthetic intermediates. What were the reasons for this delay? It was perhaps because in the early days of the development of organo-transition metal chemistry it was difficult to perceive pattern and order in the abundant complexity of new structural types and reactivities. Indeed, in the early days the fragmentary knowledge and understanding mitigated against much pretence of deeply argued strategies for research. Also, new techniques such as the need to work under an inert atmosphere with a vacuum/nitrogen line were unfamiliar to organic chemists


Fracture stresses have been determined on specimens of float glass, the fractures being produced by subjecting a steel ball bearing, which is in contact with the glass surface, to two forces, one acting normal and the other parallel to the surface. Contrary to other recently reported results, it has been found that the fracture stress with combined loading is significantly greater than with normal loading alone. The difference can be accounted for quantitatively by making use of the methods of flaw statistics.


Placental expression of the alpha subunit gene of the human glycoprotein hormones requires a multicomponent enhancer composed of tandem cAMP-response elements and an adjacent upstream regulatory element. Based on recent studies indicating that the upstream regulatory element includes binding sites for more than one protein, we investigated how functional activity correlated with these binding sites. Through extensive replacement mutagenesis of the native promoter regulatory region, we provide the first functional map of the upstream regulatory element. Within this region, we find that distinct proteins interact with three overlapping binding sites. While each site is functionally significant, no single site is essential or displays clear dominance. This is surprising since one of the sites binds a placenta-specific protein that heretofore has been regarded as essential for activity of the human alpha subunit placenta-specific enhancer. Consequently, our refined functional map of the upstream regulatory element reveals a complex combinatorial code that directs expression of the human alpha subunit gene to placenta.


We are writing to express our concern about the future plans for the United States geomagnetic observatories. It is our understanding that negotiations are presently under way between NOAA (in the Department of Commerce) and the U.S. Geological Survey (in the Department of the Interior) to transfer the jurisdiction of the observatories from NOAA to USGS. Our concern primarily arises because of the great usefulness of a number of the present observatories in solar-terrestrial research and the importance of the recognition of this usefulness by a department concerned with topics of solid-earth studies.

We would like to stress that a number of the United States observatories, as presently established, contribute importantly to national and international programs in studying and monitoring solar-terrestrial phenomena. Measurements at the observatories at San Juan and Honolulu are among those from worldwide nearequatorial stations that are used to compile the extensively used geomagnetic index Dst. The observatories at Fredericksburg and Sitka are included in the worldwide network from which the Kp index is derived. The observatories at College and Barrow in Alaska are the only U.S. stations in the auroral zone. Records from these observatories are extensively used for studies, and monitoring, of magnetic storms and provide data for the auroral electrojet (AE) index.


The different types of sleep related breathing and cardiovascular disorders are well known and defined nowadays. Thereby it is possible to present a configuration by which a cardiorespiratory sleep laboratory is enabled to perform a complete differential diagnosis. This configuration consists of the function sleep with EEG, EOG and EMG, the function respiration with respiratory effort, respiratory flow and oxygen saturation, and the cardiovascular function with ECG and blood pressure if indicated. Continuous monitoring by videocamera and a patient call system with a technician present during the entire recording time must be assured. Recording and evaluation of all signals can be done with chart polygraphs or with computer systems if they provide a high-resolution graphic monitor. Automatic sleep analysis systems support evaluation of polysomnograms. But automatic analysis of sleep stages as well as automatic analysis of respiratory disorders needs visual counterchecking before results can be accepted. On the basis of today's knowledge recommendation for the setting of a sleep laboratory were set and new sleep labs are controlled on a voluntary basis by a commission of the German society for sleep research and sleep medicine. This first step of quality control is introduced to establish a procedure to keep quality of diagnosis and treatment on a high level in this medical specialty.


In 2005, Florida implemented an internet-based service delivery system for eligibility determination in public assistance programs, including the Food Stamp, Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), and the Medicaid programs. At the same time, Florida switched from a caseworker model to a technology-driven model and decreased staffing levels of employees involved in social service delivery. We conduct an evaluative case study of the effects of these policy changes on the Food Stamp caseload. In particular, we consider the impact on applications and the flows onto and off of the program. To answer these questions, we use administrative data from the Florida Department of Children and Families for the period from 2003 to 2008 to understand the policy impacts on caseload dynamics. Results suggest that modernization may have resulted in decreases in application and inflows to the Food Stamp program but with important differences for specific demographic groups. Simulations suggest that the strongest negative effects of modernization were observed among the elderly and African Americans. High earners, while still negatively affected by the staffing reductions, were observed to have gained modestly from modernization.


Cardiac dysfunction is common in patients with thalassaemia and is the leading cause of mortality in adult patients. Transfusional iron overload can affect heart function by directly damaging tissue through iron deposition or via iron- mediated effects at other sites. The main cardiac abnormalities reported in patients with thalassaemia and iron overload are left ventricular systolic and diastolic dysfunction, pulmonary hypertension, valvulopathies, arrhythmias and pericarditis. Prevalence varies according to the type of thalassaemia. However, even though patients with thalassaemia intermedia require fewer transfusions than those with thalassaemia major, they are still at high risk for cardiac complications. With the introduction of new technologies such as cardiac magnetic resonance T2*, the early detection of cardiac iron overload and associated cardiac dysfunction is now possible, allowing time for reversal through iron chelation therapy. Although chelation therapy can reverse iron-mediated cardiac disease by removing iron from iron-loaded cardiomyocytes and by alleviating the systemic iron overload contributing to heart failure, the challenges of deferoxamine infusions can significantly impact on compliance and, therefore, prognosis. The introduction of new oral iron chelators, together with improved understanding of the mechanisms and consequences of transfusional iron overload, should allow the continued improvement in cardiac outcomes for patients with thalassaemia and other transfusion-dependent anaemias.


Executive Summary: New Zealand's housing market needs urgent reform. For too long, the rate of building has fallen below what is needed to keep up with household formation and demographics. It is difficult, costly, and time consuming to build a new house or dwelling. Rather than tinkering with demand-side stop-gap solutions, nominal subsidies, and bit-part changes to the Resource Management Act, even if some of them are desirable, long-term supply-side solutions are needed to fix New Zealand's housing crisis. The central government's new policies seek to reflect this reality but do not go far enough. The New Zealand Initiative's three-part series on housing offers solutions to restore some of the freedoms that have been stripped from property owners over the years, such as the ability to do what they like with their own property, provided they adhere to basic building regulations. This third report draws on the Initiative's previous two housing reports: Priced Out and Different Places, Different Means. Those reports examined the ways in which government and council regulation has become more centralised and the effect, combined with higher expectations, this has had on the housing market. With many councils complaining about the high costs of new development, incentives to local government also need to be improved. The three reforms suggested in this report can help free up the housing market and augment the supply of new homes.


We construct a new family of curvature homogeneous pseudoRiemannian manifolds modeled on R for integers k ≥ 1. In contrast to previously known examples, the signature may be chosen to be (k+1+a, k+1+b) where a, b ∈ N S {0} and a+ b = k. The structure group of the 0-model of this family is studied, and is shown to be indecomposable. Several invariants that are not of Weyl type are found which will show that, in general, the members of this family are not locally homogeneous.


Recent research suggests that circulating β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) levels may be a meaningful indicator of grain intake and rumen development in pre-ruminant calves. As such, BHB levels may be a surrogate measure of rumen function to contribute to minimal weaning stress during the transition from liquid to solid feed. The primary objective of this study was to determine the optimal cut-point of circulating BHB levels that would be predictive of sufficient grain intake and rumen development for a successful transition from liquid to solid feed at the time of weaning. An additional objective was to validate the Precision Xtra (Abbott Diabetes Care, Abingdon, UK) calf-side test for determination of BHB in whole blood in calves around weaning, as compared with the gold standard laboratory method. A total of 20 Holstein female calves were randomly assigned at birth to be weaned at 6 wk (n=10) or 8 wk (n=10) of age. Milk replacer (mixed at 150 g/L) was offered at 1.2kg/calf per d in 2 meals until a 1-wk step down, when milk meals were reduced by 50% 1 wk before weaning. Daily measurements included the intakes of starter grain, chopped straw, and water. Weekly measurements included body weight and blood BHB, until 70 d of life. To assess digestive tract development, rumen fluid samples were taken before and after weaning (d 35, 49, and 63) and analyzed for ruminal short-chain fatty acids. Whole blood was collected by jugular venipuncture, and BHB was determined by the Precision Xtra test at calf-side. In addition, serum was separated from a clotted sample, frozen, and stored until laboratory analysis was performed. Laboratory BHB results were correlated with both the Precision Xtra test (r=0.95) and starter intake over 1 d (r=0.89), a 3-d average (r=0.90), and a 7-d average (r=0.90). Additionally, laboratory BHB results were associated with total ruminal volatile fatty acids (r=0.82), ruminal butyrate (r=0.77), and body weight (r=0.69). A receiver operating characteristic curve was created to plot the true positive rate against the false positive rate at 10μmol/L BHB intervals to determine the optimal cut-point of circulating BHB that is predictive of an average starter intake of 1,000 g/d over a 3-d period. The optimal combination of sensitivity (95.7%) and specificity (96.1%) was at 100µmol of BHB/L of blood. A value of 0.2 mmol/L on the Precision Xtra test yielded a sensitivity and specificity of 84.0 and 97.2%, respectively, over the 3-d average period of starter intake. These results show considerable promise for use of the Precision Xtra whole blood BHB test in the decision-making process of determining sufficient starter grain intake and rumen development for a successful transition from liquid to solid feed, and indicate that this test conducted at calf-side is highly accurate.


We used the scanning electron microscope to examine the cardiac tissue of a cow (Bos taurus), a pig (Sus scrofa), and a human (Homo sapiens). 1mm3 blocks of left ventricular tissue were prepared for SEM scanning by fixing in 96% ethanol followed by critical point drying (cryofixation), then sputter-coating with gold. The typical ridged structure of the myofibrils was observed for all the species. In addition crystal like structures were found in one of the samples of the heart tissue of the pig. These structures were investigated further using an EDVAC x-ray analysis attachment to the SEM. Elemental x-ray analysis showed highest peaks occurred for gold, followed by carbon, oxygen, magnesium and potassium. As the samples were coated with gold for conductivity, this highest peak is expected. Much lower peaks at carbon, oxygen, magnesium and potassium suggest that a cystallized salt such as a carbonate was present in the tissue before sacrifice.


Introduction: In the present study, the effect of an inducible NO synthase (iNOS) inhibitor, aminoguanidine (AG) on lipopolysaccharide (LPS)-induced memory impairment and oxidative stress and inflammation parameters was evaluated. Materials and Methods: The rats were divided into 5 groups and treated: 1) Control (Saline), 2) LPS (1 mg/kg), 3-5) AG 50, 100 and 150mg/kg 30 min before LPS injection. The treatment was started 5 weeks before the behavioral experiments and continued during the behavioral tests (LPS injection two h before each behavioral experiment). Finally, brain tissue was removed for biochemical measurements. Results: the escape latency in Morris water maze (MWM) test and the latency to enter the dark compartment in Passive avoidance (PA ) test in LPS group were significantly higher than in control (P<0.001) whereas, in AG100-LPS and AG150-LPS groups they were shorter than LPS group (P<0.001). Malondialdehyde (MDA) concentration in the hippocampus of LPS group were higher than control group (P<0.001) while, in AG100- LPS and AG150-LPS groups it was lower than LPS group (P<0.001). The thiol content in the hippocampus of LPS group reduced compared to control group (P<0.001) while, in AG100 - LPS and AG150-LPS groups it enhanced compared to LPS (P< 0.01). Conclusion: It is suggested that LPS induced neuroinflammation, brain tissues oxidative damage and learning and memory impairments are preventable by aminoguanidine as an iNOS inhibitor.


A laminated veneer product (LVP) consists of veneers bonded together with adhesive under pressure into a predetermined shape and, in general, under increased temperature to shorten the curing time of the adhesive. The process is commonly used in furniture design to manufacture complex forms such as thin shells. In the industrial production of LVP and when the ready-for-use components are exposed to climate variations, rejection due to distortion of the laminates is a major problem. The shape stability depends on a variety of material and process parameters, and this study has focused on the influence of fibre deviation in a single veneer. Recent research on the shape stability of LVP and how distortion is influenced by various material and production parameters is presented. A finite-element model for LVP is introduced and the use of this model is exemplified by predicting the shape of a LVP with fibre distortion in a single veneer. The results show that it is possible to improve the shape stability of LVP if knowledge of various material and process parameters is implemented in the manufacturing process, and that a simulation based on a model of the wood material can be helpful in estimating the risk of an undesired deformation of the product.


Geographical areas where two species come into contact and hybridize serve as natural laboratories for assessing mechanisms that limit gene flow between species. The ranges of about half of all closely related Drosophila species overlap, and the genomes of several pairs reveal signatures of past introgression. However, only two contemporary hybrid zones have been characterized in the genus, and both are recently diverged sister species (D. simulans-D. sechellia, Ks = 0.05; D. yakuba-D. santomea, Ks = 0.048). Here we present evidence of a new hybrid zone, and the ecological mechanisms that maintain it, between two highly divergent Drosophila species (Ks = 0.11). On the island of Bioko in west Africa, D. teissieri occupies mostly forests, D. yakuba occupies mostly open agricultural areas, and recently, we discovered that hybrids between these species occur near the interface of these habitats. Genome sequencing revealed that all field-sampled hybrids are F1 progeny of D. yakuba females and D. teissieri males. We found no evidence for either advanced-generation hybrids or F1 hybrids produced by D. teissieri females and D.yakuba males. The lack of advanced-generation hybrids on Bioko is consistent with mark-recapture and laboratory experiments that we conducted, which indicate hybrids have a maladaptive combination of traits. Like D. yakuba, hybrids behaviorally prefer open habitat that is relatively warm and dry, but like D. teissieri, hybrids have low desiccation tolerance, which we predict leaves them physiologically ill-equipped to cope with their preferred habitat. These observations are consistent with recent findings of limited introgression in the D. yakuba clade and identify an ecological mechanism for limiting gene flow between D. yakuba and D. teissieri; namely, selection against hybrids that we have documented, in combination with hybrid male sterility, contributes to the maintenance of this narrow (~30m), stable hybrid zone centered on the forest-open habitat ecotone. Our results show how a deleterious combination of parental traits can result in unfit or maladapted hybrids.


According to the cost-of-capital hypothesis, increased voluntary disclosure should reduce information asymmetries, lower the cost of capital, and increase firm value. The optimal-disclosure hypothesis, however, predicts that costs related to voluntary disclosure lead to the existence of an interior optimum of disclosure that maximizes firm value. These hypotheses are empirically tested using a previously unexplored database that covers disclosure rankings for listed Swedish firms between 2007 and 2012 (rendering around 1000 firm-years). The evidence is consistent with the optimal-disclosure hypothesis. I find a robust quadratic relationship between Tobin's Q and the level of disclosure in annual reports. I find no significant relationship, however, between Tobin's Q and disclosure in quarterly reports or web-based reporting.


We examined educators' sense of efficacy and burnout within comprehensive, integrated, three-tiered (Ci3T) models of prevention implemented in four middle and two high schools. At the time of this study, schools had completed 2 years of implementing Ci3T models as part of a larger district initiative. We examined how educators were faring with a specific interest in their well-being. We explored four sets of educator-reported variables: Ci3T treatment integrity, Ci3T social validity, sense of efficacy, and feelings related to burnout. Results indicated educators experienced emotional exhaustion nearly identical to a national sample; however, depersonalization and personal accomplishment scores revealed positive and moderate-to-large-magnitude differences compared with a national sample. Moreover, educators reported higher levels of efficacy related to instructional strategies and classroom management than a national sample. Higher self-reported levels of Ci3T treatment integrity were associated with increased levels of efficacy related to the efficacy subscales of Student Engagement, Instructional Strategies, and Classroom Management. We conclude with a discussion of limitations and directions for future inquiry.


The next generation of neutrino oscillation experiments aims to answer many interesting questions, such as whether there is CP violation in the neutrino sector and whether sterile neutrinos exist. These experiments will require high precision cross-section measurements of various neutrino and anti-neutrino interaction channels. We review results and prospects for such measurements from the MiniBooNE, T2K, MINERνA and ArgoNeuT collaborations.


In the traditional water planning, the models of river network and the pipe network were run separately. There weren't any relations between them. In order to reflect each model running more actually, an ideal of the interactive mechanism of multiply models is proposed. In this work, the overall design of the interactive system between different models is presented at first, and then the key technologies from data describing, data transmitting and interactive forms are introduced in detail. Finally, the instance of the tidal river network and the pipe network confirmed that, interactive computing among different models can implement dynamically, which improves the calculation accuracy of the hydraulic models and can simulate the mutual relations correctly between them, all that comes closer to the real environments.


It is well known that California experiences dramatic swings in precipitation that are difficult to predict and challenging to agriculture. In times of drought, groundwater serves as a crucial savings account that is heavily relied upon. However, few tools exist to proactively refill this crucial reserve in wet years. We explored the idea of intentional winter flooding of agricultural land to promote on-farm recharge of the underlying groundwater. Field experiments were conducted on two established alfalfa stands to determine the feasibility of groundwater recharge and test realistic water application amounts and timings and potential crop damage. We studied soils with relatively high percolation rates and found that most of the applied water percolated to the groundwater table, resulting in short-lived saturated conditions in the root zone and minimal yield loss. While caution is appropriate to prevent crop injury, winter recharge in alfalfa fields with highly permeable soils appears to be a viable practice.


The local wind systems in the Pohang region were categorized into wind sectors. Still, thorough knowledge of wind resource assessment, wind environment analysis, and atmospheric environmental impact assessment was required since the region has outstanding wind resources, it is located on the path of typhoon, and it has large-scale atmospheric pollution sources. To overcome the resolution limitation of meteorological dataset and problems of categorization criteria of the preceding studies, the high-resolution wind resource map of the Korea Institute of Energy Research was used as time-series meteorological data; the 2-step method of determining the clustering coefficient through hierarchical clustering analysis and subsequently categorizing the wind sectors through non-hierarchical K-means clustering analysis was adopted. The similarity of normalized time-series wind vector was proposed as the Euclidean distance. The meteor-statistical characteristics of the mean vector wind distribution and meteorological variables of each wind sector were compared. The comparison confirmed significant differences among wind sectors according to the terrain elevation, mean wind speed, Weibull shape parameter, etc.


The uncertain modes of production in a colonially disturbed society result into toxic anxieties, far-reaching frustrations, and consequential transgressions. Irrespective of local cultural values, the western imperialism has cultivated its ends by politically prioritizing the western modes of production as the avant-garde alternatives for the people of traditional economic conditions. It is also through a high-yielding relationship between seduction and appropriation that the imperial powers make the modern market inevitable and indispensable for the subjugated public at large. Correspondingly, the neophytes—the subjects of modern markets—too accept the contractually transfiguring enterprises publicized through newly established discursive practices. This metamorphosing but a culturally vital process has been intimated by an Egyptian novelist Naguib Mahfouz in his novel Midaq Alley published in 1947. The characters of this novel experience certain paradoxes of appropriation and transfiguration for the colonially syllabized market fetishes. Above all, the metaphor of crippling in this fiction signifies the repercussions of (atrophying) modernity in Cairo. The research, therefore, critically evaluates the intersubjective modes of production in Midaq Alley which (tend to) cripple and appropriate the masses in accordance with the norms of modernity in market.


This chapter reports on the Reconstructionist Rabbinical College (rrc)'s bold experimentation in the field of inter religious education as integral to its mission. It chronicles how, with the support of the Henry Luce Foundation, over the last decade and a half, rrc has responded to developments in the American and Jewish environment with an-ever evolving approach to the training of clergy. The chapter details two signature programs, one to build solidarity between Jews and Muslims, the other to create a novel entry point for education in interreligious literacy and co-spiritual formation across multiple traditions.


The integrated circuit and photomask images processing technology is proposed. This technology allows to perform the restoration of the integrated-circuit metallization layout and the mask artwork from the images of IC metallization layers or photomask set correspondingly. It can be applied for the tasks of integrated circuits redesign and automated visual inspection of integrated circuits and photomask production.


Defoliant spraying is an important aspect of mechanized cotton harvesting. Fully and uniformly spraying defoliant could improve the quality of defoliation and reduce the impurity content in cotton. Improving the coverage of defoliant droplets in the middle and lower layers of cotton and ensuring the full and even dispersion of droplets in the cotton canopy are essentially in increasing the defoliation effect. In this study, we assessed the effect of aviation spray adjuvants on droplet deposition, defoliation, boll opening and defoliant retention in cotton leaves sprayed by an unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV). The results showed that adding aviation spray adjuvants could significantly improve the defoliant droplet deposition. Fifteen days after spraying, the defoliation rate was 80.31% and the boll opening was 90.61%. The defoliation rate increased by 3.12–34.62% and the boll opening rate increased by 6.67–29.56% after the addition of aviation spray adjuvants. Using a vegetable oil adjuvant could significantly increase the droplet coverage rate and the retention of defoliants in cotton leaves.


We have used a novel bolometric technique and a resonant technique to obtain accurate submillimeter and microwave residual loss data for epitaxial thin films of YBa2Cu3O7, Tl2Ca2Ba2Cu3O10, and Tl2CaBa2Cu2O8. For all films we obtain good agreement between the submillimeter and microwave data, with the residual losses in both the Y-Ba-Cu-O and Tl-Ca-Ba-Cu-O films scaling approximately as frequency squared below ∼1 THz. We are able to fit the losses in the Y-Ba-Cu-O films to a weakly coupled grain model for thea-b plane conductivity, in good agreement with results from a Kramers-Kronig analysis of the loss data. We observe strong phonon structure in the Tl-Ca-Ba-Cu-O films for frequencies between 2 and 21 THz, and are unable to fit these losses to the simple weakly coupled grain model. This is in strong contrast to the case for other high-Tc superconductors such as YBa2Cu3O7, where phonon structure observed in ceramic samples is absent in epitaxial oriented films and crystals because of the electronic screening due to the high conductivity of thea-b planes.


Modified Leishman stain is a newly discovered stain which is composed of Leishman powder, absolute methanol and phenol. It is not ususual sometimes in diagnostic haematology laboratories to have improperly stained thin blood films, without any clear-cut reason, leading to misdiagnosis of disease. Notably due to lack of published data on the shelf-lives of modified Leishman stain, we hypothesize that misidentification of cells may be due to expiration of the stain. Four modified Leishman staining solutions were prepared using phenol crystals and liquefied phenols as the sole modifying component ingredient. Thin blood smears were made in multiples of four from each of the patients requiring peripheral blood film review especially those with high eosinophil counts. The Original Research Article smears were stained with the prepared dyes for a total of 75.0 seconds or 4.0 minutes and examined for cellular elements of the blood by the researchers. At expiration, while other cellular elements of the blood stained normally, eosinophil granular content altered from orange-red to orange/reddish-brown and shades of brown and that was used to estimate modified Leishman stains' shelf-lives. Estimated shelf-lives of the modified Leishman stain were 25 days (21-29 days), ≤ 28 days, up to 52 days and ≤ 18 days when the first, second, third and fourth methods of preparation respectively were used. Modified stain prepared by initial dissolution of phenol in absolute methanol before using resultant mixture to dissolve Leishman powder has the longest shelf-life- up to 52 days. It was ≤28 days when liquid phenol was used in similar pattern to conventional technique.When phenol crystals were used, the average shelf-life were 25 days (21-29 days) and ≤ 18 days respectively. Conclusively, modified Leishman stain should be prepared and used with the consciousness of the expiry dates. This mystery unfolded prevents misclassification of eosinophils during differential leukocyte counts, thus enhancing disease diagnosis.


Gold nanocages (AuNCs) have been invented and developed over two decades as biomaterial in clinical medicine with great application potential. AuNCs have a characteristic structure of porous walls with hollow interior and a compact size. This makes it possible for them to transport biomolecules or drugs with the advantages of their photothermal effects that could help further destroy germs or tumors while also regulating the release of drugs inside. Furthermore, their bioactivity and application can be broadened by using cell-membrane display technology. AuNCs have shown tremendous potential in antibacterial activity, inflammation modulation, and tissue regeneration, which is required in periodontitis and peri-implantitis treatment. Thus, this article provides an overview of AuNCs synthesis, characteristics, surface modifications, and clinical applications, aiming to serve as a reference for the design and fabrication of AuNCs-based smart materials for periodontal or peri-implant application.


This paper considers the problem of distributively verifying and ensuring strong connectivity of directed networks. Strong connectivity of a directed graph associated with the communication network topology is crucial in ensuring the convergence of many distributed algorithms. Specifically, inspired by maximum consensus algorithm, we first propose a distributed algorithm that enables nodes in a networked system to verify strong connectivity of a directed graph. Then, given an arbitrary weakly connected directed graph, we develop a distributed algorithm to augment additional links to ensure the directed graph's strong connectivity. Both algorithms are implemented without requiring information of the overall network topology and are scalable (linearly with the number of nodes) as they only require finite storage and converge in finite number of steps. Finally, the proposed distributed algorithms are demonstrated via several examples.


Background and Objectives: Nitrate contamination of surface and groundwater is considered as one of the more serious problems in throughout the world. High nitrate concentration in water (higher than standards) is very dangerous, consuming such polluted water can lead to Methemoglobinemia disease in children and the formation of the carcinogenic nitrosamines in adults. . The aim of this study was to investigate the possibility using of Modified clinoptilolite Zeolite by Cationic Surfactants adsorbent in nitrate removal from aqueous solutions. Materials and Methods: In this empirical study, the effects of different independent variables including adsorbent dose (1-3 g/l), initial concentration of nitrate (50-150 mg/l), pH (4-10) and contact time (15-120 min) on elimination of nitrate was investigated. Also, adsorption kinetic along with Langmuir and Freundlich isotherms was studied. Results: The obtained results showed that the maximum removal efficiency of NO3 was in the initial nitrate concentration of 50 mg/L, pH of 4, adsorbent dose of 3 g/l, and contact time of 90 min. Also, the results indicate that the nitrate adsorption by modified Clinoptilolite zeolite was fitted well with Freundlich isotherm (R2=0.9951), and second- order kinetics (R2=0.9998). Conclusion: According to the attained results, the Clinoptilolite zeolite can be considered as an appropriate and economical adsorbent for elimination of nitrate from aqueous solutions. Concerning its simple modification method and low cost, it can be applied as an adsorbent for other anionic pollutions. .


Microfluidic droplet reactors have many potential uses, from analytical to synthesis. Stable operation requires preferential wetting of the channel surface by the continuous phase which is often not fulfilled by materials commonly used for lab-on-chip devices. Here we show that a silica nanoparticle (SiNP) layer coated onto a Poly(methyl methacrylate) (PMMA) and other thermoplastics surface enhances its wetting properties by creating nanoroughness, and allows simple grafting of hydrocarbon chains through silane chemistry. Using the unusual stability of silica sols at their isoelectric point, a dense SiNP layer is adsorbed onto PMMA and renders the surface superhydrophilic. Subsequently, a self-assembled dodecyltrichlorosilane (DTS) monolayer yields a superhydrophobic surface that allows the repeatable generation of aqueous droplets in a hexadecane continuous phase without surfactant addition. A SiNP-DTS modified chip has been used to monitor bacterial viability with a resazurin assay. The whole process involving sequential reagents injection, and multiplexed droplet fluorescence intensity monitoring is carried out on chip. Metabolic inhibition of the anaerobe Enterococcus faecalis by 30 mg L-1 of NiCl2 was detected in 5 min.


How do member states agree on the common tariff policy in a Customs Union? While a large theoretical literature studies the incentives faced by governments when negotiating the common external tariff (CET), empirical evidence is so far scant. This paper studies a large panel of applied tariffs in the recently created Eurasian Customs Union to understand the bargaining behind the common tariff. The results identify and highlight the importance of mutual protectionism: member states bargain to expand to their partners the protection of goods that were protected nationally. Moreover, there is no evidence of exercising bargaining power to keep the CET down for the goods where a member would see large tariff increases from partners. Thus countries bargain for mutual protection, rather than mutual liberalisation concessions. I develop a political economy model where governments can be lobbied by industries with imperfect competition to derive the empirical model. I test the prediction that the weight of each country's tariff in the determination of the CET is highest for goods that it protected more than the partners. The results confirm the prediction and show the emergence of mutual protectionism with several empirical models. These are OLS regressions, analysis of variance that determines unique explanatory power of each country tariffs in the CET and determining the Shapley value of each country's tariff in the CET.


BACKGROUND : The Problem-based learning (PBL) approach is a common teaching technique in medical education, but its use in the field of respiratory therapy is somewhat controversial. Therefore, it is important to determine if this teaching model makes any difference in learning outcomes when compared to traditional teaching approaches. This study compared the cognitive abilities of students in mechanical ventilation in PBL and lecture-based programs. METHODS : Two universities with BS programs in respiratory therapy were chosen—one used PBL (15 participants) and one used a lecture-based method (24 participants). All 39 participants were given pre and post-tests containing 10 multiple-choice questions related to mechanical ventilation derived from the NBRC RRT written exam forms (C & D). RESULTS : The dependent t-test showed a significant difference between the pre and post-test of both the lecture-based and PBL groups, with p values of 0.006 and 0.025, respectively. The independent t-test showed a significant difference on the pre-test, favoring the lecture-based group (p = 0.039). However, the independent t-test showed no significant difference in the post-test (p=0.085). CONCLUSIONS : PBL is increasing in popularity despite the fact that studies of its efficacy have been thus far inconclusive. This study has shown PBL to be effective, but not significantly more effective than traditional lecture-based methods in improving student outcomes as measured by objective test scores.


We consider a specific class of events of the SUSY particle production at the LHC without missing p_T. Namely, we discuss the chargino pair production with a further decay into the W-boson and the neutralino when the masses of the chargino and neutralino differ by 80-90 GeV. In this case, in the final state one has two Ws and missing E_T but no missing P_T. The produced neutralinos are just boosted along Ws. For a demonstration we consider the MSSM with non-universal gaugino masses. In this case, such events are quite probable in the region of parameter space where the lightest chargino and neutralino are mostly gauginos. The excess in the W production cross-section reach about 10 % over the Standard Model background. We demonstrate that the LHC experiments, which presently measure the WW production cross section at the 8 % level can probe chargino mass around 110 GeV within the suggested scenario, which is not accessible via other searches. If the precision of WW cross section measurement at the LHC will achieve the 3 % level, then it would probe chargino masses up to about 150 GeV within the no missing P_T scenario.


Background Septic shock may be associated with myocardial damage; however, the prognostic value of cardiac enzymes in cancer patients with septic shock is unknown. In this study, we evaluated the prognostic significance of cardiac enzymes in combination with established prognostic factors in predicting the 7-day mortality rate of patients with septic shock, and we constructed a new scoring system, Septic Oncologic Patients in Emergency Department (SOPED), which includes cardiac enzymes, to predict 7-day mortality rates. Methods and Findings We performed a retrospective cohort study of 375 adult cancer patients with septic shock who visited the emergency department of a comprehensive cancer center between 01/01/2004 and 12/31/2013. The 7-day and 28-day mortality rates were 19.7% and 37.6%, respectively. The creatine kinase myocardial band fraction and troponin-I were significantly higher in patients who died in ≤7 days and ≤28 days than in those who did not. In Cox regression models, troponin-I >0.05 ng/mL plus Predisposition, Infection, Response, and Organ Failure (PIRO2011) or Mortality in Emergency Department Sepsis (MEDS) score was a significant predictor of survival for ≤7 days. With our new SOPED scoring system, the receiver operating characteristic area under the curve was 0.836, higher than those for PIRO2011 and MEDS. Conclusions Troponin-I >0.05 ng/mL was an important predictor of short-term mortality (≤7 days). The SOPED scoring system, which incorporated troponin-I, was more prognostically accurate than were other scores for 7-day mortality. Large multicenter studies are needed to verify our results and prospectively validate the prognostic performance of the SOPED score.


Improving biosensing performance is mandatory for biomolecular recognition and disease identification. Gold nanoparticle (GNP)‐based colorimetric assay is the easy and cost‐effective identification method by a naked eye detection. In this research, osteosarcoma biomarker (miRNA‐195) was identified by citrate‐capped GNP‐colorimetric assay. As salt‐induced aggregation was used to observe the color changes of GNP, sodium chloride (NaCl) and capture DNA were optimized as 50 mM and ∼20 pmol, respectively. The capture DNA only on GNP could not stabilize under high NaCl, and the color of GNP turned into purple. At the same time, when capture DNA was hybridized with target, the condition can stabilize the GNP under higher NaCl, which retains the GNP color as red. This simple assay reaches the limit of detection of target miRNA‐195 as ∼40 fmol. Control experiments with noncomplementary DNA turned the solution into purple, indicating the specific detection of target. The mixture of target in diluted serum retains the color of the GNP solution to be red, indicating the selective detection of target DNA. This simple assay helps to quantify the level of miRNA‐195 target DNA and to diagnose the osteosarcoma.


Abstract In the reconstruction of German cities after the Second World War, public administrations attempted to find solutions for essential urban situations through targeted competitions. In the city of Goch on the Lower Rhine the area around the medieval Steintor (Stone Gate) had to be adapted to modern traffic requirements. In the course of the urban planning the private interests of the residents who were willing to build up clashed with the planned construction as a concern of the common good, which was represented by the district government of Düsseldorf. The solution was to be found through an urban design competition among selected experts, from whose proposals the City Planning Office drew up an alignment plan. The exemplary recapitulation of this urban planning process illustrates aspects of the history of planning, monument preservation and reconstruction competitions


Background Obese subjects with chronic hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection have more rapidly progressive liver disease. Objective In this study, we aimed to compare the hepatic cytokine and chemokine profiles in obese and lean subjects with chronic HCV infection using qRT-PCR and immunohistochemistry. Methods Liver biopsies from 55 subjects were studied, including 20 with chronic hepatitis C, 25 with non-alcoholic fatty liver disease and 10 subjects with non-diseased liver. Results Compared to the control groups, the liver injury in chronic hepatitis C was characterised by increased expression of several T-helper-1 cytokines including interferon-γ and tumour necrosis factor-α, and chemokines such as RANTES, IP-10 and MCP-1. In particular, in comparison with lean (BMI ≤25 kg/m2) HCV infected subjects, obese (BMI≥30 kg/m2) HCV infected subjects had increased hepatic expression of interferon-γ (p=0.004) and tumour necrosis factor-α (p<0.001), as well as increased expression of IP-10 (p=0.009) and MCP-1 (p<0.001). Localisation of these inflammatory chemokines revealed that in comparison to lean-HCV subjects, HCV infected liver from obese subjects exhibited significantly increased expression of IP-10 (p<0.001) and MCP-1 (p=0.02) in the inflammatory infiltrate of the portal tracts. In parallel, there was increased CD3 infiltration in the liver of obese-HCV subjects. Conclusions The data provide important mechanistic information on the cause of hepatic injury in obese-HCV subjects including: (1) enhanced T helper-1 cytokine response patterns—to promote hepatocellular injury; (2) increased expression of the chemokines IP-10 and MCP-1 at both the mRNA and protein levels—to enhance inflammatory cell recruitment; (3) differing localisation of these chemokines within the liver of obese-HCV versus lean-HCV subjects—implying different inducing stimuli and; (4) increased CD3 expression in the liver of obese-HCV subjects—concordant with the increased expression of T cell chemoattractants.


Pakistan is prone to geological and hydro meteorological hazard events-earthquakes, floods, droughts, cyclones. Combined with rapid population growth, urbanization, environmental degradation, and a high concentration of people and assets in exposed areas, this hazard profile has raised population and infrastructure vulnerability, especially in urban areas. Losses from disasters have increased over the past 40 years, a trend that can be changed only through targeted interventions that boost resilience. Fortunately, the country is well endowed with capacity in government, academia, the private sector, and nongovernmental institutions. Greater resilience can be achieved through a holistic approach to disaster risk management: strengthening capacity and clarifying responsibilities of institutions engaged in disaster risk management at all levels of government; improving understanding of disaster risk among policy makers and disaster risk management practitioners, including the physical, human, and financial elements; investing in structural and nonstructural risk reduction measures; developing robust financial tools to reduce the fiscal impact of disasters on the state; and increasing awareness of and coping mechanisms for disaster risk among vulnerable populations.


Sport is important for health, for both, adults and children. Children are receptive to habits
and patterns, first from their family and then from the environment. It is therefore important
that we, as responsible adults, show them the positive aspects of sports activities in the first
years of school. However, to be able to appropriately introduce different physical/sports
activities, teachers must have appropriate competences. Some sports elements also require
specific pedagogical approaches, and each teacher must be familiar with the curriculum for
sports education and implement it in their teaching hours. Gymnastics is one of the sports
content that requires a lot of special knowledge. Also, gymnastics in the first three years is
crucial for children as it involves many movement patterns that are important for the child's
development. Children learn gymnastics through methodical procedures, which the teacher
must be well aware of, as not knowing them can lead to incorrect performance and, in severe
cases, even injury. Most gymnastic elements require from a teacher, in addition to knowledge
of methodical procedures, a good knowledge of providing assistance and protection. The
questionnaire will try to find out for which gymnastics content the class teachers feel most
qualified for, where they feel the most fear, and how are they familiar with assistance.
The conducted research will, with its findings, contribute to the awareness of the importance
of knowledge of gymnastics content, proper implementation of methodical procedures, and
ensuring the proper assistance.
The basic idea of the research was to find out how the teachers evaluate their competence for
teaching gymnastics, which are the areas for which the teachers feel more qualified for and
which are the ones for which they feel less competent.
The survey was conducted on a sample of 57 classroom teachers from 24 elementary schools
across Slovenia, who taught in the 2017/2018 school year in the first three years of primary
school. All of the teachers surveyed have taught Sports at the time of the research or in the
past. Research data was obtained through an online questionnaire.
The theoretical part of the master thesis covers a comprehensive overview of the subject
Sport, the fields of gymnastics and quality indicators for teaching. Teachers to work properly
and successfully need appropriate competencies. We presented different views on
competences and their development in general.
We hypothesized that teachers do not pay enough attention to develop their competences in
the field of gymnastics, or that they were under-educated in this field and do not feel
sufficiently qualified for the work itself. Surveyed teachers were on average 41.3 years old
with an average working age of 17.2 years. Most of the respondents believe that sport is good
for their health and they are raising awareness of it among their students. The teachers rate
their competence for teaching the subject Sport pretty high (average grade 3.85).
The results of the survey showed that, when teaching gymnastics, teachers prefer to teach
narrow-surface exercises and rhythmic gymnastics. In methodical procedures knowledge, the
highest score was attributed to the teaching of balance exercises on a narrower surface. This
content was also awarded with the highest score for knowledge of proper assistance.


This study examines the educational budget allocations to federal secondary schools in Nigeria. The study uses macro level data obtained from the Nigerian Ministry of Education. A total of 104 federal secondary schools were studied in relation to budget allocation from the federal government. Descriptive and multiple regression statistical tools were used to analyze whether the financial allocation to schools differ by ethnicity, school type, school composition, region, and location. The study reveals that none of these variables determine the distribution of allocation to federal secondary schools. However, it is questionable whether the same funding allocation without taking into consideration factors such as ethnicity and location is equitable.


The objectives of this study were to assess the effects of season, breeding activity, age and latitude on fecal testosterone metabolite concentrations in captive, adult male polar bears (Ursus maritimus). Fourteen polar bears from 13 North American zoos were monitored for 12-36 months, producing 25-year-long testosterone profiles. Results indicated that testosterone was significantly higher during the breeding season (early January through the end of May) compared with the non-breeding season with the highest concentrations excreted from early January through late March. Variations in excretion patterns were observed among individuals and also between years within an individual, with testosterone peaks closely associated with breeding activity. Results indicate that fecal testosterone concentrations are influenced by season, breeding activity and age, but not by latitude. This is the first report describing longitudinal fecal testosterone metabolite concentrations in individual adult male polar bears.


Background eHealth literacy refers to the ability of individuals to seek, find, understand, and appraise health information from electronic resources and apply such knowledge to addressing or solving a health problem. While the current generation of college students has access to a multitude of health information on the Internet, access alone does not ensure that students are skilled at conducting Internet searches for health information. Ensuring that college students have the knowledge and skills necessary to conduct advanced eHealth searches is an important responsibility particularly for the medical education community. It is unclear if college students, especially those in the medical and health professions, need customized eHealth literacy training for finding, interpreting, and evaluating health- and medical-related information available on the Internet. Objective The objective of our review was to summarize and critically evaluate the evidence from existing research on eHealth literacy levels among college students between the ages of 17 and 26 years attending various 4-year colleges and universities located around the world. Methods We conducted a systematic literature review on numerous scholarly databases using various combinations of relevant search terms and Boolean operators. The records were screened and assessed for inclusion in the review based on preestablished criteria. Findings from each study that met inclusion criteria were synthesized and summarized into emergent themes. Results In the final review we analyzed 6 peer-reviewed articles and 1 doctoral dissertation that satisfied the inclusion criteria. The number of participants in each reviewed study varied widely (from 34 to 5030). The representativeness of the results from smaller studies is questionable. All studies measured knowledge and/or behaviors related to college student ability to locate, use, and evaluate eHealth information. These studies indicated that many college students lack eHealth literacy skills, suggesting that there is significant room for improvement in college students' ability to obtain and evaluate eHealth information. Conclusion Although college students are highly connected to, and feel comfortable with, using the Internet to find health information, their eHealth literacy skills are generally sub par. College students, especially in the health and medical professions, would be well served to receive more customized college-level instruction that improves general eHealth literacy.


In this paper, an interactively recurrent functional neural fuzzy network (IRFNFN) with fuzzy differential evolution (FDE) learning method was proposed for solving the control and the prediction problems. The traditional differential evolution (DE) method easily gets trapped in a local optimum during the learning process, but the proposed fuzzy differential evolution algorithm can overcome this shortcoming. Through the information sharing of nodes in the interactive layer, the proposed IRFNFN can effectively reduce the number of required rule nodes and improve the overall performance of the network. Finally, the IRFNFN model and associated FDE learning algorithm were applied to the control system of the water bath temperature and the forecast of the sunspot number. The experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed method.


A sensing element for true RMS meter was realized in thick film technology. The temperature gradient along a substrate was measured by thick film thermocouples, based on a combination of Pt/Ag-Pd/Ag, Pt/Au-Au and Ni-Cr. A voltage response of the element was measured as a function of the current through the heating resistor at different ambient temperatures. The transfer function K(T) of the RMS meter was found to be relatively independent of ambient temperature, which means that the voltage response is usably linear.


A computer simulation of the soil reaction force was very helpful to develop the new rotary tilling system of a walking tractor which uses coaxial simultaneously counterrotating blades to stabilize the tractor while tilling. The simulation revealed that the fluctuation of the soil reaction force generated by the new tilling system retaining a conventional blade arrangement is great compared with the ordinary tilling system, and that the system with an appropriate blade arrangement improves this fluctuation. The walking tractor developed using this computer simulation tool demonstrates the capability of being operated stably up to its maximum output of rotary shafts.


One of the more attractive attributes of calixarenes is their wide variety of possible conformations and hence cavity shapes. However, the flexibility that allows this long-range benefit gives rise to major synthetic challenges when working with the larger members of the family. O-alkylations have proven to be the most widely employed synthetic routes to "functionalization" of the calixarenes, and these have shown a dependence upon both solvent and the metal ions present. Surprisingly, there have been no structural data presented concerning the complexes between the simple unsubstituted calix[6]arenes and the metal ions of groups 1 and 2. The structures of four complexes, containing cesium, rubidium, and calcium are reported as determined by X-ray crystallography. The solution behavior of the complexes for both representative groups is also discussed, in particular with regard to conformational stabilization of the calix[6]arenes and the role of solvent upon this stabilization. These complexes are also investigated as starting materials for the selective functionalization of the calix[6]arenes.


ESKA-Ceram is a new material for use in hip endoprostheses, and comprises two-thirds polyurethane and one-third Al2O3 ceramic powder. Its wear rates are of a similar low order of magnitude as those reported for metal-metal and ceramic-ceramic combinations. A great advantage of the material is that it permits the production of asymmetrical inserts for acetabular cups.


In this paper, we examine new trends in Yoruba personal names that are first names among Yoruba Christians. The data used include data drawn from previous studies on Yoruba personal names, the lists of names of the candidates of the Joint Admissions and Matriculation Board of Nigeria the lists of staff of three Nigerian universities, some attendance registers of pupils in nursery, primary and secondary schools as well as participant observation. We show that the European or established Churches and the newly founded autochthonous Nigerian Churches have different influences on Yoruba naming system and tradition-based Yoruba personal or first names. We also indicate that, at present, there is a complete cultural shift from the use of tradition-based Yoruba personal names as first names to the use of biblical or Christian names and that this new dimension is as a result of the influence of western culture or civilization and the newly founded churches in Nigeria. We further show that the activities that are shrouded in fanaticism, flavours, modernisation and especially names that endear the Nigerian believers to one another are meant to prove that the newly founded autochthonous Nigerian churches understand the Bible teachings better than the European churches and that name modification or name change is inevitable when there is acculturation.


A group of medical students was shown a series of instructional videotapes while taking a required neurology clerkship. Overall, this study group was more accurate (p less than 0.01) in diagnosing illustrated conditions than a control group that did not see the videotapes. Videotape instruction produced better performance in identification in only certain areas: neuropsychologic phenomena, disorders with subtle or unique movements, and seizures. The choice and cost of equipment and some professional assurances are discussed. Costs and professional expectations, as well as the limited usefulness of videotapes, must be acknowledged by clinical departments before embarking on videotape instruction.


This paper considers the problem of distributed detection for massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) wireless sensor networks (WSNs). Neyman–Pearson criterion based fusion rules are developed at the fusion center (FC) that also incorporate the local probabilities of detection and false alarm of the constituent sensor nodes. Closed-form expressions are obtained for the probabilities of detection and false alarm at the FC for various signaling schemes employed by the sensors. The fusion rules and analysis are extended to the scenario with imperfect channel state information (CSI). Furthermore, signaling matrices are determined for the massive MIMO WSN to enhance detection performance. The asymptotic detection performance of the WSN is analyzed for the large antenna regime, which yields pertinent power scaling laws with respect to the number of antennas at the FC. Simulation results demonstrate the improved performance of the proposed schemes and also validate the theoretical findings.


Zirconium and hafnium complexes bearing new 1,2-ethanediyl- or 1,3-propanediyl-linked bis(beta-diketiminate) ligands, [{C(n)H(2n)-(BDI(Ar))(2)}MCl(2)] (Ar = 2,6-Me(2)-C(6)H(3), 2,6-Cl(2)-C(6)H(3), 2,6-(i)Pr(2)-C(6)H(3); M = Zr, n = 2 (4a-c), n = 3 (5a-c); M = Hf, n = 2 (6b)), were synthesized via the reaction of MCl(4).2THF and one equivalent of dilithium salt of the corresponding ligand. Distorted trigonal prismatic and octahedral coordination geometries as well as C(1)-symmetric structures are found for zirconium complexes and in the solid state. Variable temperature (1)H NMR spectra indicated the fluxional nature of and in solution. Upon activation with methylaluminoxane (MAO), all these complexes except hafnium complex displayed moderate catalytic activities for ethylene polymerization. 1,2-Ethanediyl-linked complexes and are generally more active than their 1,3-propanediyl-linked analogues. The substituents at the ortho-positions of the phenyl rings have different effect on the catalytic activities of 1,2-ethanediyl-linked series or 1,3-propanediyl-linked series. It is noteworthy that even at a low Al/Zr molar ratio of 500, the catalytic activities of these zirconium complexes could be retained. Polyethylenes with broad molecular weight distributions (MWD = 15.3-20.3) were produced, which might result from the fluxional character of the zirconium complexes. The linear structure of obtained polyethylenes was further determined by (13)C NMR spectroscopy and DSC analysis.


The opening chapter traces the history of the term 'problem plays' as applied to Shakespeare and defines it more clearly and precisely than has been done in the past. Julius Caesar, Measure for Measure, Antony and Cleopatra are then discussed in separate chapters, not only as problem plays but from various points of view: such matters as themes, structural pattern, character-problems, the play's relation to its sources as well as to other plays in the canon, are all touched upon.


Background: Female genital cutting/mutilation (FGC/M) is deeply rooted and widely practiced in Sudan. Although the trend is slowly decreasing, the magnitude is still very high as the procedure has no known benefit but has many consequences. The aim of this study was to identify the causes and the risk factors associated with FGC/M among reproductive-age women in the country.Methods: A community based cross-sectional survey was conducted among 902 women in the reproductive age (15-49) years in Khartoum State-Sudan, sampled proportionate to size using multistage clustering and participants were drawn using systematic probability sampling technique. Data were collected using a standardized administered questionnaire. Statistical analysis was done using bivariate and multivariate logistic regression. Results: Among 902 women who participated in the study, 89% of were married and 48% of them got married for the first time at age less than 20 years. The commonest age for such practice was 6-7 years as stated by about 48% of them. There is a significant association between educational level of participants and practicing FGC/M among their daughters (P value=.0001) with a tendency of the participants who attained a higher educational levels to less subject their daughters to any form of FGC/M. There is a significant association between the type of FGC/M of participants and the type of FGC/M of their daughters (P value=.001) with a tendency of the participants' daughters to be subjected to clitorectomy rather than pharaonic. 39% of the participants stated that they themselves influenced the decision to subject their daughters to FGC/M while 32% of them stated that the grandmothers influence such a decision. The study revealed 45% of the participants believed in customs and traditions as the main reason for the conduct of FGC/M.Conclusion: The FGC/M was widely practiced by the participants' families indicating the deeply rooted practice as a social norm. Parental education is inversely associated with practicing FGC/M to their daughters. The socio-cultural reason was the main cause of practicing FGC/M among participants. Therefore, a significant change in factors such as education, and social development might cause a gradual decline in FGC/M.


All biomass contains a significant quantity of metallic constituents, and mineralization in living and dead biodebris may contribute to element transport from the hydrosphere into sediments. The anionic cell walls of bacteria are remarkable in their ability to fix metals and provide sites for nucleation and growth of minerals. Results presented show the types of cell wall polymers that are responsible for metal binding in walls of Gram-positive and Gram-negative bacteria.


Many variations in the electrospinning process have emerged to control pore size needed in tissue scaffolds including introducing voids in the collector plate. However, the effect of different shapes and sizes of voids on fiber and pore sizes is not well understood. In this study, we evaluated the effect of void size and shapes in the collector plate on polycaprolactone (PCL) fiber size and pore size. First, we performed experiments using three different sizes of circular voids (0.9, 1.4, and 1.9 cm). Also, we evaluated the effect of triangular and rectangular voids. Further, changes in the electrical field within the voids were evaluated using computational fluid dynamic software COMSOL. Fibers using mixtures of PCL (high, medium, and low molecular weight) formed using void collector plate and performed degradation characteristics for 30 days in physiological conditions (37°C and 7.4 pH). These results showed that the size and the morphology of fibers are not affected by the geometrical patterns of the voids. However, fiber alignment is affected by the void shape due to favorable rearrangement in the electrical field. Fibers can be formed by mixing PCL of different molecular weight, and degradation of PCL fiber was accelerated by the mixture with low molecular weight. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J. Appl. Polym. Sci., 2013


This article studies machine learning paradigms from the point of view of human cognition. Indeed, conceptions in both machine learning and human learning evolved from a passive to an active conception of learning. Our objective is to provide an interaction protocol suited to both humans and machines to enable assisting human discoveries by learning machines. We identify the limitations of common machine learning paradigms in the context of scientific discovery, and we propose an extension inspired by game theory and multiagent systems. We present individual cognitive aspects of this protocol as well as social considerations, and we relate encouraging results concerning a game implementing it.


Although the exposure to PM2.5 has serious health implications, indoor PM2.5 monitoring is not a widely applied practice. Regulations on the indoor PM2.5 level and measurement schemes are not well established. Compared to other indoor settings, PM2.5 prediction models for large office buildings are particularly lacking. In response to these challenges, statistical models were developed in this paper to predict the PM2.5 concentration in well-mixed indoor air in a commercial office building. The performances of different modeling methods, including multiple linear regression (MLR), partial least squares regression (PLS), distributed lag model (DLM), least absolute shrinkage selector operator (LASSO), simple artificial neural networks (ANN), and long-short term memory (LSTM), were compared. Various combinations of environmental and meteorological parameters were used as predictors. The root-mean-square error (RMSE) of the predicted hourly PM2.5 was 1.73 μg/m3 for the LSTM model and in the range of 2.20-4.71 μg/m3 for the other models when regulatory ambient PM2.5 data were used as predictors. The LSTM models outperformed other modeling approaches across the performance metrics used by learning the predictors' temporal patterns. Even without any ambient PM2.5 information, the developed models still demonstrated relatively high skill in predicting the PM2.5 levels in well-mixed indoor air.


Online auctions are a rapidly growing platform to exchange items of just about anything, from common to collectors' items in different region around the world. Researchers continue their efforts to understand further the real behaviour and bidding patterns of buyers and sellers, the fraudulent traits and even devise countermeasures to prevent auction fraud. Most often, the researchers' noble work ends with frustration due to unavailability of real auction data. Online auction sources are unwilling to provide the real auction data and often cite "commercial, security and privacy" as reasons. This paper presents an application tool that collects real auction data from an ongoing auction for a given criteria, and automatically returns later to collect the data from a recently completed auction. From the knowledge of the authors, the work presented here is the first serious attempt to create an openly available application tool that will be free for use by other researchers.


Background. Both dialysis dose and residual kidney function (RKF) contribute to solute clearance and are associated with outcomes in hemodialysis patients. We hypothesized that the association between dialysis dose and mortality is attenuated with greater RKF. Methods. Among 32 251 incident hemodialysis patients in a large US dialysis organization (2007–11), we examined the interaction between single-pool Kt / V (sp Kt / V ) and renal urea clearance (rCL urea ) levels in survival analyses using multivariable Cox proportional hazards regression model. Results. The median rCL urea and mean baseline sp Kt / V were 3.06 [interquartile range (IQR) 1.74–4.85] mL/min/1.73 m 2 and 1.32 6 0.28, respectively. A total of 7444 (23%) patients died during the median follow-up of 1.2 years (IQR 0.5– 2.2 years) with an incidence of 15.4 deaths per 100 patient-years. The Cox model with adjustment for case-mix and laboratory variables showed that rCL urea modified the association between sp Kt / V and mortality (P interaction ¼ 0.03); lower sp Kt / V was associated with higher mortality among patients with low rCL urea (i.e. < 3 mL/min/1.73 m 2 ) but not among those with higher rCL urea . The adjusted mortality hazard ratios (aHRs) and 95% confidence intervals of the low ( < 1.2) versus high ( (cid:2) 1.2) sp Kt / V were 1.40 (1.12–1.74), 1.21 (1.10–1.33), 1.06 (0.98–1.14), and 1.00 (0.93–1.08) for patients with rCL urea of 0.0, 1.0, 3.0 and 6.0 mL/min/1.73 m 2 , respectively. Conclusions. Incident hemodialysis patients with substantial RKF do not exhibit the expected better survival at higher hemodialysis doses. RKF levels should be taken into account when deciding on the dose of dialysis treatment among incident hemodialysis patients.


Abstract The paper focuses on the main temperature adjectives in Russian and Swedish, which are analysed and compared to each other on the basis of their combinability with nouns. Each of the two linguistic systems is strongly rooted in human experience of temperature. First, temperature attributes are chosen relatively to several temperature values or parameters, that are important and salient for humans and have only very approximate physical correlates. Second, physical objects differ considerably as to whether their temperature properties are ever registered by humans, or considered as important and worth mentioning, primarily depending on their function in the human life.