Background: Despite increasing evidence of the benefits of early access to palliative care, many patients do not receive palliative care in a timely manner. A systematic approach in primary care can facilitate earlier identification of patients with potential palliative care needs and prompt further assessment. Aim: To identify existing screening tools for identification of patients with advanced progressive diseases who are likely to have palliative care needs in primary healthcare and evaluate their accuracy. Design: Systematic review (PROSPERO registration number CRD42019111568). Data sources: Cochrane, MEDLINE, Embase and CINAHL were searched from inception to March 2019 Results: From 4,127 unique articles screened, 25 reported the use or development of 10 screening tools. Most tools use prediction of death and/or deterioration as a proxy for the identification of people with potential palliative care needs. The tools are based on a wide range of general and disease-specific indicators. The accuracy of five tools was assessed in eight studies; these tools differed significantly in their ability to identify patients with potential palliative care needs with sensitivity ranging from 3% to 94% and specificity ranging from 26% to 99%. Conclusion: The ability of current screening tools to identify patients with advanced progressive diseases who are likely to have palliative care needs in primary care is limited. Further research is needed to identify standardised screening processes that are based not only on predicting mortality and deterioration but also on anticipating the palliative care needs and predicting the rate and course of functional decline. This would prompt a comprehensive assessment to identify and meet their needs on time.


The area of three-dimensional (3D) underwater acoustic sensor networks (UW-ASNs) have attracted significant attention recently from both academia and industry due to its applications in detecting and observing phenomena that cannot be adequately observed by means of two-dimensional ocean bottom underwater acoustic sensor nodes. Many problems arise with 3D UW-ASNs that need to be solved in order to enable underwater monitoring in the new environment. Among them, providing efficient routing is very challenging due to the unique characteristics of 3D UW-ASNs. In this paper, we present a Fault Tolerant Routing (FTR) protocol that addresses some of the major requirements imposed by 3D UW-ASNs including energy-efficient communication combined with high adaptability. We demonstrate through simulations that FTR achieves better performance than existing protocols in metrics of packet delivery ratio, end-to-end delay, network throughput and energy consumption.


The article is devoted to the problem of formation of integral and efficient regional investment portfolio of projects, which would assist the region to come to a new economic and social level. The article considers variants on solution of this problem by means of solution of a dynamic and combinatoric task of optimisation with parameters, which are a solution of the task of making decisions with linguistic variables.


Abstract
Accumulation of heavy metals in soils has become a serious environmental problem in many parts of the world. No information is currently available on the distribution pattern of heavy metals concentration in soils of Hamadan province. The objective of this research was to determine the spatial distribution of Pb and Zn and its relationship with land use and parent materials of a selected area surrounding the city of Hamadan. A total of 263 composite surface soil samples (0-10 Cm) were taken from an area of about 1600 km2. The location of each sampling site was recorded by using a GPS and its land use type (residential, uncultivated, agricultural land and dryland wheat) was also determined. In addition from six major types of bedrock in the Hamadan province were also sampled with 3 replicates. The total and plant available Zn and Pb in soil samples and the total concentration of these elements in parent rocks were measured by atomic absorption spectrophotometer after extraction. Selected soil properties including pH, electrical conductivity, organic matter, cation exchange capacity and soil texture were also determined. The spatial variability of variables was examined by variography and kriging analysis. The mean concentration of total and available Zn were 71.4 and 2.5 mg Kg-1 and those for Pb were 24 and 2.5 mg Kg-1, respectively. The results of geostatistical analysis showed that spherical model was the best model for describing the spatial variability of Pb and Zn. The range of influence was estimated 9750 m for Pb and 11550 m for Zn. It seems that the major factor controlling the high concentration of total Pb and Zn in the area is land use type. Analysis of parent rock samples indicated that shale as the major parent rock occurring in the southeast and west part of the study area contains a high quantity of Zn (96.2 mg Kg-1). Therefore, it appears that Zn has entered the soils in the study area through the weathering of parent materials. In other words, the content of Zn in the soils studied seems to be mainly controlled by soil parent material and land use. A significant correlation was found between organic matter and the concentration of Pb.(r2= 0.35) and Zn (r2= 0.33).

Keywords: Spatial variability, Heavy metals, Parent materials, Variogram, Kriging, Hamadan


This study examines consumer behavior from the perspective of cognitive psychology. It focuses on a set of cognitive psychological determinants of buyer behavior and analyzes how cognitive dissonance, activation and involvement influence consumer behavior. The literature indicates that a deeper insight into the cognitive processes underlying purchase behavior is essential for brand managers to create and communicate interventions that may have a stronger impact on the buyer such that their brand occupies a special position in the consumer's mind. Up to now, the conflict between presenting a brand in a both favorable light and completely accurately has been rarely addressed in the literature.


Scholars of Islamism have long grappled with the relationship between political participation and ideological change, theorizing that political exclusion and state repression increase the likelihood of Islamist groups using violence. The trajectory of post-2011 Egypt offers a chance to systematically evaluate these theories using subnational data. Pairing district-level electoral returns from pre-coup presidential elections with post-coup levels of anti-state and sectarian violence, we find that districts where Muslim Brotherhood-affiliated candidate Mohammed Morsi performed well in 2012 witnessed more anti-state and sectarian (anti-Christian) violence following the 2013 military coup. The same relationship holds for the performance of liberal Islamist Abdel Moneim Abu El-Fotouh, which is consistent with arguments that political exclusion alone may also drive violence.


Adverse drug reactions (ADRs) induced from high-order drug-drug interactions (DDIs) due to polypharmacy represent a significant public health problem. In this paper, we formally formulate the to-avoid and safe (with respect to ADRs) drug recommendation problems when multiple drugs have been taken simultaneously. We develop a joint model with a recommendation component and an ADR label prediction component to recommend for a prescription a set of to-avoid drugs that will induce ADRs if taken together with the prescription. We also develop real drug-drug interaction datasets and corresponding evaluation protocols. Our experimental results on real datasets demonstrate the strong performance of the joint model compared to other baseline methods.


The goal of this research was to understand how shot peening affected the tensile strength and elongation of ABS polymer parts between three process parameters: layer height, infill angle, and outer shell quantity. Experiments were conducted using a Hyrel 30M fused filament fabrication (FFF) printer to produce ASTM 638D-IV samples. This is an important area of research because 3D printed polymers have typically been limited to prototyping applications due to low strengths and stiffness. Traditional means of improving a polymer's mechanical properties are changing the structural or chemical makeup. However, shot peening, a surface treatment commonly used to improve mechanical properties of metals, was hypothesized to have a statistically significant effect on the tensile strength and elongation of polymer parts. Results showed that shot peening had a significant effect on decreasing the tensile strength. Although not statistically significant, samples did show an increase in elongation after shot peening.


Consensus is a significant part that supports the identification of unknown information about animals, plants and insects around the globe. It represents a small part of Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) known as the DNA segment that carries all the information for investigation and verification. However, excessive datasets are the major challenges to mine the accurate meaning of the experiments. The datasets are increasing exponentially in ever seconds. In the present article, a memory saving consensus finding approach is organized. The principal component analysis (PCA) and independent component (ICA) are used to pre-process the training datasets. A comparison is carried out between these approaches with the Apriori algorithm. Furthermore, the push down automat (PDA) is applied for superior memory utilization. It iteratively frees the memory for storing targeted consensus by removing all the datasets that are not matched with the consensus. Afterward, the Apriori algorithm selects the desired consensus from limited values that are stored by the PDA. Finally, the Gauss-Seidel method is used to verify the consensus mathematically.


Ten thermal springs occur in seven centres in Derbyshire, England, with temperatures up to 27.5 °C compared with an ambient groundwater temperature of about 9 °C. The springs discharge from a karstic Dinantian limestone aquifer along the boundary with the overlying Namurian strata around the edge of a regional dome structure. The water is heated by deep circulation to as much as 1 km, with the hottest spring being at Buxton spring, where the water is 5000 years old. A comparison of flow data from the Buxton spring with groundwater hydrographs shows seasonality in the thermal flows, suggesting that the loading effects produced by recharge are transmitted through this deep aquifer system. From a review of the geological history and the hydrogeology and the use of measurements on the Buxton spring it is suggested that the thermal flow system may have its roots in ancient convection cells possibly established in the deeply buried aquifer in late Carboniferous–Early Permian times. Subaerial erosion during the Pliocene removed the impermeable cap rocks and allowed both the thermally heated water to form warm springs and this deep groundwater circulation to be recharged by meteoric waters. The location of the individual springs is likely to date from the downcutting during the Late Pleistocene that formed the modern river valley topography.


The International Funds are a double edge sword and it has played a vital role in promoting the water industry and its strategic objectives. This study is directed towards assessing the role of the international funds in fulfilling the Palestinian Water Authority's Strategic plan (2015-2017). In fact, to achieve this goal using data collection approaches through a quantitative survey and the qualitative approach. The data of the survey are analyzed using (SPSS 20) in terms of descriptive statistics followed by inferential statistics.

Our study aims at the administrative staff of municipalities and joint service councils in the West Bank, primarily from municipal cities of Jenin and Tubas. About 30 of the joint service council's administration employees completed the questionnaire that was distributed. The survey filled with 96.7% males and 3.3% female, 60 % were from municipalities and 40% from joint service councils. Moreover, for the qualitative data the researcher used identification, examination, and interpretation of paradigms in textual data, reports and M&E documents of the Palestine water authority projects that were funded through the period 1997- 2017. The data showed that the total funds for the Palestinian water authority from 1997 to 2017 have reached (129, 1750 Million $). From those funds, the French agency has the highest contribution of funding the PWA programs by (256, 6908 Million $). The data also showed that the sanitation sector got the highest percentage from funds with 62%. The analysis also showed that there is a link between the international funds and the PWA strategic goals; it creates its strategic plan based on the Palestinian society's needs and the international funds supporting these needs.

The research concludes the following results; the international fund's policy dimension statistically contributes significantly to the model and has an impact on fulfilling the PWA strategic plan, also the analysis showed that fulfilling the PWA strategic plan by evolution dimension statistically contributes significantly to the model and effect on the international funds. Moreover, the result showed that there is a communication gap between PWA management and the utilities in its supporting so there is a lack of awareness from the target group for the role and policy of the PWA. Additionally, the lack of effort to establish external technical control and institutional participation, which is considered as an important process in the implementation of the strategic plan.


This paper shows how "multiple resonance networks" of any order an with several structures can be systematically designed using standard passive filter design techniques. These networks are composed of capacitors, inductors, transformers, and a switch, and have the property of transferring completely energy initially put in one capacitor, insulated by the switch, to another capacitor in the circuit through a linear transient when the switch is closed, usually with the objective of producing very high voltages.


Background:Succinylcholine remains the standard neuromuscular blocking drug for tracheal intubation in emergency situations. The short duration of action is due to its rapid hydrolytic degradation by butyrylcholinesterase (plasmacholinesterase). Multiple variants of this enzyme are known (A, F, S, H, J, K variants) with different effects on enzyme activity. This study was undertaken to evaluate the use of molecular genetic methods in patients with clinically prolonged neuromuscular block. Methods:Nine patients with a neuromuscular block of 14 min to 5 h were selected. All four exons of the butyrylcholinesterase were amplified by polymerase chain reaction and analyzed by automated sequencing. Molecular genetic results were compared with clinical relaxation time and with biochemical test results (total butyrylcholinesterase activity, dibucaine and fluoride inhibition). Results:Seven of nine patients were mutation carriers. Five of these had more than one mutation. The A and K variants were the most frequent variations. Three of four patients who were homozygous for the A variant were also carriers of the K allele. The authors identified one novel mutation (G1294T) introducing a stop codon at amino acid position 432. The duration of neuromuscular block was substantially different between patients with identical butyrylcholinesterase genotypes. Conclusions:Variations in the genetic sequence of butyrylcholinesterase are frequent in patients with prolonged duration of action of succinylcholine. Direct sequencing of the whole butyrylcholinesterase gene is an appropriate method for genotyping and, accordingly, should be used in future clinical studies with drugs metabolized by this enzyme (e.g., succinylcholine, mivacurium).


This work presents the thermal properties of ytterbium-doped yttrium aluminium garnet (Yb:YAG) transparent ceramics at elevated temperatures in dependence on the dopant concentration and on temperature. Transparent polycrystalline Yb:YAG ceramics were prepared by solid-state reaction of oxide powders sintered under high vacuum. The dopant amount varied from 0 to 20 at.% of Yb. Thermal diffusivity of the sintered samples was measured by the laser and xenon flash methods at temperatures ranging from room temperature to 900°C. Both the thermal diffusivity and thermal conductivity values decreased with increasing dopant content, and until 500°C a decrease was observed also with increasing temperature. When available, the measured values were compared to data published in literature, and were found to be in good agreement. Based on the measured values, empirical relations in the form of shifted power laws are proposed for the temperature dependence of thermal diffusivity.


This contribution will focus on the aims of the Rare Books' Section of the Vatican Library. Taking as a start the analytical cataloging of incunabula, the Section will deal with similar cataloging of the books printed in the 16th century and later. Analytical cataloging requires deep skill in reading and interpreting the features which bear witness to the book's journey through history: handwritten notes, coats of arms, owners' identification, printers' marks, bindings, etc.In recent years, the Section also takes part in the rare books' digitization project known as "Project Polonsky". Thanks to digitization, scholars from all over the world will be able to see the rare incunabula preserved in the Vatican Library.


There are a number of untapped opportunities for cross-border logistics cooperation, one of which is the operation of virtual logistics centers. The Institute of Logistics of the University of Miskolc researched the possibilities of establishing and operating Virtual Logistics Centers in many fields (e.g. automotive industry, maintenance systems, etc.). The paper describes a proposed concept for the operation of virtual logistics centers for cross-border cooperation, as well as explores the possible benefits of the application. The proposed concept can provide a good basis for the development of a virtual logistics center in the border regions of Miskolc (Hungary) - Košice (Slovakia), and also in the border regions of Bishkek (Kyrgyzstan) -Almaty (Kazakhstan).


Drawing on recent scholarship on mental health in the ancient world, it is argued that the previously puzzling final treatise that John Chrysostom sent to his supporters from exile is a therapeutic medico-philosophical treatise for the sick soul that draws on a well-established tradition within Hellenistic and imperial medicine and philosophy. Viewed in this light, it is a natural accompaniment to two other works written by him at this time, the treatise Quod nemo laeditur, and the final letter to Olympias. It is argued that all three works emerge from a holistic approach to the health of the human soul that is in continuity with Galen and his predecessors, an approach embraced by John early in his ministry.


IEEE 802.15.4 is the prevailing standard for low-data-rate wireless personal area networks. The IEEE 802.15.4 protocol has recently been adopted as a communication standard for low data rate, low power consumption and low cost Wireless Sensor Networks (WSNs). This protocol is quite flexible for a wide range of applications by adequately tuning its parameters. This feature is quite attractive for time-sensitive WSN applications. The IEEE 802.15.4 standard specifies the physical layer and MAC sub-layer for Low-Rate Wireless Personal Area Networks (LR-WPANs). The ZigBee standard is closely associated with the IEEE 802.15.4 protocol and specifies the network (including security services) and application (including objects and profiles) layers. In IEEE 802.15.4 standard, Packet monitoring statistics along with optimal route selection between nodes is the research topic of major concern from the very first day of its implementation. In this paper, we first try to analyze the existing reactive (on-demand) routing protocols for mesh networking based on random waypoint mobility model and then try to propose new approach for this model.


The cerebral motor and cognitive behavior is obviously altered by chronic alcoholism, which generates significant morphological and biochemical changes. In turn, alcoholic withdrawal improves the cerebral blood supply, the psychological and motor behavior and the EEG appearance, especially in young alcoholics. Our study also underlines that alcoholic women develop a late improvement of the clinical and bioelectrical condition during the alcoholic withdrawal.


In this article, a novel rectifier is designed for two three-phase sources with single-phase inverter and three-phase inverter. The proposed configuration results in back-to-back converter with the dual input source. The main objective is to reduce the semiconductor components in the rectifier. The rectifier design consists of six diodes and three split capacitors. A separate direct current link capacitor is eliminated due to the presence of split capacitors. The simulation model of rectifier and inverter is designed in Multisim, a PSpice-based power electronics simulator, and interfaced with LabVIEW, a graphical programming language for co-simulation. The co-simulation enables the user to utilize two simulation engines for better analysis. The hardware prototype is fabricated and tested for rectifier and inverter. The co-simulation and hardware results proved that proposed design is capable to use in back-to-back converter applications.


Development of epoxy or epoxy-based vinyl ester composites with improved mechanical and electromagnetic properties, filled with carbon-based nanomaterials, is of crucial interest for use in aerospace applications as radar absorbing materials at radio frequency. Numerous studies have highlighted the fact that the effective functional properties of this class of polymer composites are strongly dependent on the production process, which affects the dispersion of the nanofiller in the polymer matrix and the formation of micro-sized aggregations, degrading the final properties of the composite. The assessment of the presence of nanofiller aggregation in a composite through microscopy investigations is quite inefficient in the case of large scale applications, and in general provides local information about the aggregation state of the nanofiller rather than an effective representation of the degradation of the functional properties of the composite due to the presence of the aggregates. In this paper, we investigate the mechanical, electrical, and electromagnetic properties of thermosetting polymer composites filled with graphene nanoplatelets (GNPs). Moreover, we propose a novel approach based on measurements of the dielectric permittivity of the composite in the 8–12 GHz range in order to assess the presence of nanofiller aggregates and to estimate their average size and dimensions.


Stunting is a failure to achieve optimal growth experienced since ancient times thus causing the achievement of growth that is not perfect. So this research aims to determine the correlation between zinc and iron consumption habit and stunting insidence in children of elementary school in SD Negeri No. 117504 Aek Pamingke Labuhan Batu Utara. Based on the initial survey established found 42% of students sustain stunting and students with the consumption of zinc and iron are in the good chategory only in the amount of 9%. This type of research is quantitative with cross sectional design and sample is 75 students. The data about student's characteristic (age and sex), zinc and iron consumption habit obtained by using qustionarre, and stunting case data obtained by using  anthropometry measurement. Analysis correlation between independent variabel and dependent variabel using chi square test. Result showed the percentage proportion of stunting students is 44% and non-stunting students is 56%. From bivariate analysis result between zinc consumption habit with stunting incidence showed p value=0,022 and RP value=4,13. Result analysis between iron cinsumption with stunting incidence showed p value=0,006 and RP value=4,421. So can be observed meaningful correlation between zinc and iron consumption habit with incidence of stunting in children of the primary school. Then from the result can be concluded that consumption habit of zinc and iron relate to the stunting incidence in SD Negeri No. 117504 Aek Pamingke Labuhan Batu Utara. This result suggested to the school and parents in order to pay more attention to children food consumption, both at school and home, to reduce the risk of stunting in children. Keywords: Student, Stunting Insidence, Zinc and Iron Consumption.


NMOS transistors were irradiated using X-ray, Co-60 gamma, electron, and proton radiation sources. The charge yield was estimated for protons of different energies and electrons, and compared with values obtained for X-ray and Co-60 irradiations.


Electromagnetically induced transparency (EIT) is a process by which a normally absorbing material is made transparent by application of electromagnetic radiation. It has a number of applications, including lasing without inversion and slow light. We see that the EIT resonances corresponding to the hyperfine levels are either inhibited, or enhanced depending on the position of the hyperfine transitions in relation to the applied rf field. We discuss the role of level splitting (destruction of EIT) and three photon resonance peaks in the resulting spectra. A 2 cm rubidium cell, heated to approximated 60 C is probed with a 780 nm laser.


In 1997, the European Paediatric Orthopaedic Society (EPOS) initiated an international survey of musculoskeletal problems in individuals with Down syndrome. The goals of the study were far-reaching and ambitious in order to obtain a clear picture of the variety of orthopedic problems associated with Down syndrome, to relate their occurrence to other medical conditions, and to record and compare methods of treatment. The survey was to be international in scope, including orthopedic surgeons and departments across Europe and outside Europe. The study was coordinated from the Tel Aviv University in Israel as a multicenter study using electronic technology. This paper describes the organization and implementation of the EPOS Down Syndrome Survey, with special emphasis on the sophisticated electronic data entry instrument that was developed especially for the survey. It is concluded that computerized data entry forms like the one that we developed for the EPOS Down Syndrome Survey are valuable tools for medical surveys. They are especially important for multicenter and multinational studies.


Land use change is widely regarded as a key factor altering the structure and function of ecosystems. Urbanization is a particular driver and influence in land use change and is expanding globally, especially in developing countries like China. The InVEST model was employed in this study to comprehensively assess the temporal-spatial impacts of urban land use changes (ULUC) on ecosystem services (ESs) and clarify the tradeoffs between urbanization and ecosystem services provision (ESP) in Dianchi Lake Basin (DLB), China, during 1995–2015. The results showed that DLB's constructed land, particularly in lakeside areas, has increased substantially because of rapid urbanization (built-up area increase 51%, urbanization rate increase 91%), at the expense of agriculture, grassland, and scrubland, greatly altering ESP. Compared with 1995, carbon storage in 2015 decreased, while soil retention and nitrogen exports only fluctuated slightly. Although water yield increased, the ecological water volume of the whole DLB decreased through an increase in regional surface runoff. This resulted in more pollutants being carried into Dianchi Lake, impairing water quality and causing serious ecological and environmental issues. Thus, this study provides empirical evidence of the significant influence of ULUC on ESP. For eco-friendly urbanization in DLB and similar areas with rapid urbanization, a sustainable pattern of urbanization should be followed. The best tradeoffs between urbanization and ESP should be identified and considered in decision-making relating to urban planning, land use management, optimal natural resources management, and ecological conservation.


Summary The development of molecular genetics in the second half of XXth century has allowed considering situations, which were in the bioscience fiction field until then. Among them, the possibility of making chimeras using the combination of genetic material is now a real option. Movies have repeatedly shown this possibility by means of literary works o directly by screen plays. This article analyzes some films that may help to understand social beliefs on chimeras in the last century. We have considered Island of lost souls (1932), The island of doctor Moreau (1977), The fly (1958, 1986), Mimic (1997) and Splice (2009). The main conclusions of this analysis are the presence of a negative view to the possibility of making chimeras following the point of view that was used in Frankenstein. The movies also lack of a consideration of the potential benefits of using chimeras. Ethical misgivings and the vision of playing God scientists avoid a impartial view of a situation, which is already among us.


Section 302(a) of the Bankruptcy Code allows an individual debtor and his or her "spouse" to commence a joint bankruptcy case by filing a single bankruptcy petition. The term spouse is not defined in the Bankruptcy Code; however, since 1996, section 3 of the Defense of Marriage Act ("DOMA") has defined a spouse for purposes of federal law as "a person of the opposite sex who is a husband or a wife." Although no state permitted same-sex couples to marry when DOMA was adopted in 1996, six states currently permit same-sex couples to marry. A seventh state, California, recognizes the marriages of 18,000 same-sex couples performed during a five month period in 2008. In total, approximately 11% of the United States population now lives in a state where same-sex marriage is a reality under state law. When couples marry, they receive an expansive package of government-sanctioned rights and entitlements that provide them with substantial economic benefits. DOMA blocks same-sex couples from receiving the federal components of this package, creating two classes of married couples who are afforded very different economic treatment under the law. The right to file a joint bankruptcy petition under § 302(a) is one of the many economic benefits provided to married couples by federal law. In 2010 and 2011, bankruptcy courts in New York and California came face to face with the conflict between state and federal definitions of marriage when three married same-sex couples used § 302(a) to file joint bankruptcy petitions. Only one of these cases, In re Balas, 449 B.R. 567 (Bankr. C.D. Cal. 2011), placed the constitutionality of DOMA directly before the court and, in a strongly worded opinion joined by 20 of the 24 judges on the court, Balas holds DOMA unconstitutional as applied to § 302(a). This article contends that Balas was properly decided, that DOMA is, in fact, unconstitutional as applied to § 302(a), and that a married same-sex couple therefore has the right to file a joint petition in bankruptcy. After discussing the history and mechanics of § 302(a), the article examines the current status of same-sex marriage in the United States and describes the constitutional framework that applies when the government seeks to discriminate on the basis of sexual orientation. The final part of the article analyzes the constitutionality of DOMA as applied to § 302(a). I conclude that heightened scrutiny should apply to classifications based on sexual orientation, and that DOMA, as applied to § 302(a), is not rationally related to any legitimate government interest. Accordingly, DOMA violates both equal protection and due process in this context.


Expression of the adenylate cyclase gene (cya) in synchronized Escherichia coli cells was investigated by using the cya-lacZ protein and operon fusion plasmids. The regulation of cya expression during the cell cycle is characterized as follows: cya is expressed during cell elongation; expression is repressed during cell division; regulation is exerted at the transcriptional level. To test cya expression during cell elongation, we constructed a plasmid (pLCR1) in which the lacUV5 promoter operator was fused to the structural gene of cya and investigated the effect of cya expression by isopropyl-beta-D-thiogalactopyranoside (IPTG) on the cell division of cells containing pLCR1. By the addition of IPTG, cell division was inhibited and filaments were formed. Such an inhibitory effect was antagonized by adding cyclic GMP to the culture medium and was not observed in the crp mutant.


Background: Renal Trauma is one of the significant causes of deterioration, morbidity, and mortality in the pediatric age group around the globe. Firearm injuries are among one of the essential causes for renal trauma. Overall, trauma is the leading cause of death and accounts for approximately 50% of mortality in children over 1 year of age. Therefore, the current study aims to determine the frequency of morbidity, mortality and renal trauma in blunt and firearm accidents in pediatric population.
Methodology: A total of 180 children, aged up to 15 years with blunt and penetrating trauma, including firearm injuries, were enrolled in our study. All patients with in the inclusion criteria of the study, who were presented in the emergency department were evaluated and resuscitated by a pediatric surgeon. Patients indicated with renal trauma were operated and were post-operatively managed in the pediatric surgery ward. All patients included were followed as an outpatient. The data of this descriptive case series were collected prospectively and was analyzed on SPSS version 22.0.
Results: Out of 180 patients 110 (61.11%) were male and 70 (38.89%) were female with mean age of 8.5 ± 2.9 years. Majority of the patients had blunt trauma (54.44%) followed by firearm injuries (60, 33.33%). While penetrating trauma were observed in 22 patients (12.22%). Overall Renal trauma was observed in 40 (22.2%) of patients. Out of 40 patients, 20 (50%) patients had blunt, while 14 (35%) had firearm and 05 (12.5%) had penetrating abdominal trauma. Majority of renal injuries were Grade II (60%) followed by Grade III (17.5%), Grade IV (12.5%) and Grade I (10%) injury. The major morbidities noted in firearm injured patients were surgical site infection that was reported in 33.33% patients, limb deformity in 6.66% and neurological deficit in 5% patients. Overall Mortality was observed in 6.6% patients and firearm injuries was responsible for 8.33%.
Conclusion: Firearm injuries are one of the significant causes of trauma in children. The renal trauma was observed in 22.2% of cases, and all were managed conservatively. The frequency of morbidity and mortality secondary to firearm injuries was high as compared to other studies.


This paper describes a computer model of the intermediary metabolism of bacteria during steady-state growth and during adaptations, e.g. to new carbon sources. Metabolic regulation is represented as a process of optimisation, in which the trend is towards improved metabolic performance. The model uses linear programming techniques for the optimisation. The implementation falls into four phases: (i) assembly of model parameters; (ii) calculations; (iii) storage of solutions and (iv) projection of solutions. The use of a commercial database and a commercial spreadsheet has proved to be of great assistance in the first and third phases. A metabolic map format, with the optional addition of conversion values, names of enzymes or co-factors has been used to project the results in a form convenient for inspection.


To aid the creation and through-life support of large complex engineering products, organisations are placing a greater emphasis on constructing complete and accurate records of design activities. Current documentary approaches are not sufficient to capture activities and decisions in their entirety and can lead to organisations revisiting and in some cases reworking design decisions in order to understand previous design episodes. This paper presents an overview of the challenges in creating accurate, re-usable records of synchronous design activities, enhancing the through-life support of engineering products, followed by the development of an information capture software system to address these challenges. The main objectives for the development of the Knowledge Enhanced Notes system are described followed by the techniques chosen to address the objectives, and finally a description of a use-case for the system. Whilst the focus of the KEN System was to aid the creation and through-life support of large complex engineering products through constructing complete and accurate records of design activities, the system is entirely generic in its application to synchronous activities.


This study was carried out to investigate the phytotoxic effects of aqueous extracts of leaves, inflorescences, stems and roots of apple of Sodom ( Calotropis procera W.T) on seed germination of Ischaemum afrum using probit analysis. Laboratory experiments were carried out at the Faculty of Agricultural Sciences, University of Gezira, Sudan in season 2014/15. Ten concentrations of the aqueous extract of each part of apple of Sodom were prepared by sequential dilution of the stock extract (50g/l) with sterilized-distilled water to give 2.11, 4.21, 6.34, 8.42, 10.53, 12.63, 14.13, 16.84, 18.94 and 21.05 g/l. A control with sterilized-distilled water was included for comparison. Treatments were arranged in completely randomized design with four replicates. The seeds were examined for inhibition (%) in germination at three days after initial germination. Data were subjected to probit analysis procedure (P 0.5).The results showed that the aqueous extracts of all tested parts of apple of Sodom suppressed seed germination of the I. afrum and there was direct positive relationship between concentration (g/l) and inhibition (%). The result also revealed that the leaves aqueous extract of apple of Sodom was more toxic (LD 50 = 6.3 g/l) to the seeds of I. afrum followed by aqueous extract of inflorescences (LD 50 = 7.2 g/l), stems (LD 50 = 11.4 g/l) and roots (LD 50 = 12.7 g/l). The results indicated that the aqueous extracts  of apple of Sodom had toxic effect to the seeds of the I. afrum and could offer potential for the development of alternative herbicides. Keywords: Allelopathy; Apple of Sodom; Calotropis; Ischaemum; Phytotoxic; Probit


We present an experimental investigation of the complex dynamics of a modulated relaxation oscillator implemented by using a unipolar junction transistor (UJT) showing the transition to chaos through torus breakdown. In a previous paper a continuous model was introduced for the same system, explaining chaos based on analogy with a memristor. We propose here a new approach based on a piecewise linear model with delay considering a measured parasitic delay effect. The inclusion of this delay, accounting for memory effects, increases the dimensionality of the model, allowing the transition to chaos as observed in the experiment. The piecewise delayed model shows analogies with a two-dimensional leaky integrate-and-fire model used in neurodynamics.


My interest in the relation of intraocular pressure to hemorrhages of the retina was awakened by an article by Igersheimer, 1 and 1 began a systematic study of the tonometric readings of the eye in all patients sent to me for ophthalmologic examination with diseases in which complications involving the retina are frequent, the most important of these being retinal hemorrhage. Igersheimer, after a brief discussion of the physiology of the eye, maintained that pressure outside the vascular walls, represented in the eyeball by the intraocular tension, may have an appreciable influence on the passage of fluid through the walls of the vessels. Only in certain conditions can this pressure be increased without the use of artificial methods. These conditions are fulfilled in the case of closed cavities, such as the eye or the cranium. I shall not discuss the observations and clinical details on which he founded his hypothesis,


Reconstruction of mitral valve, which was performed completely, provides better postoperative ventricular function and less morbidity compared with prosthetic replacement. In this article, reconstructive techniques as a radical mitral valve repair are demonstrated from a viewpoint of long-term performance. Since January, pure mitral regurgitation due to prolapse were repaired with freedom from reoperation of 89% at 5 years and 81% at 10 years. The incidence rate of thromboembolism was 0.8% and no endocarditis or hemorrhagic complications were noted. The technique of leaflet resection-suture is most useful and reliable for the mural leaflet prolapse, and replacement of chordae tendineae is appropriate for the diffuse anterior leaflet prolapse. Prosthetic ring implantation increase leaflet coaptation, reinforce sutures and prevent further annular dilatation.


The physiological and nutrient uptake performance of two wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) cultivars (Lasani-2008 and Auqab-2000) to foliar application of 1% potassium (K) at three different growth stages (tillering, flower initiation and grain filling) was investigated under water limited environment in a wire house experiment at the Nuclear Institute for Agriculture and Biology, Faisalabad. The aim was to find out the best K application stage for improvement in drought tolerance potential. Drought stress was created by withholding irrigation at the three growth stages and then K was sprayed with carboxymethyl cellulose as a sticking agent, whereas Tween-20 was used as a surfactant for foliar spray. At maturity, aboveground nitrogen, phosphorus, K, sodium and calcium uptakes by the crop were measured. Besides, water potential, osmotic potential and turgor potential of crop were also estimated. The results indicated that the drought stress at all three critical growth stages of wheat adversely affected plant's nutrient uptake, water potential, osmotic potential and turgor potential of wheat plants. The exogenous application of K under drought stress at all three critical growth stages enhanced tolerance of wheat by reducing toxic nutrient's uptake and improving the physiological efficiency. In this regards, both varieties showed uniform behavior. Maximum improvement in all the recorded nutrients uptake and physiological parameters was achieved when K was applied at grain filling stage of both cultivars.


Developing low-order models of high fidelity is important if the objective is an accurate control of the distributed parameter system (DPS). This work presents a novel method to develop a low-order models when there is no available exact model of the system. The foundations for this method, SVD-KL, are singular value decomposition (SVD) theory and the Karhunen-Love (KL) expansion. It is shown that satisfactory closed-loop performance of the nonlinear DPS can be obtained using a dynamic matrix controller designed using the finite order model.


There are 3 physiological phases of action in the modern view of hemostasis. Primary hemostasis begins with endothelial injury, exposure of von Willebrand factor (vWF), platelet activation and aggregation, and an initial thrombin "burst." Coagulation then follows with activation of the coagulation cascade, through extrinsic and intrinsic pathways in a positive feedback loop activated by thrombin and the formation of the fibrin mesh and fortification of the classic clot. Lastly, fibrinolysis must occur through the action of anticoagulant proteins and enzymes to avoid pathologic thrombus formation. Primary hemostasis is typically measured through platelet counts, vWF levels, platelet function assays, and bleeding time. Coagulation is generally measured by prothrombin time (PT) or international normalized ratio (INR) and activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT) representing the intrinsic and extrinsic pathways of the clotting cascade, respectively. Although infrequently performed clinically, specific procoagulant factor levels can be measured. Fibrinolysis can generally be measured through fibrinogen levels, protein C and S levels, antithrombin III (ATIII) activity, euglobulin lysis time (ELT), and direct measurements of anticoagulant proteins (PAI-1, TAFI).1 There are also in vitro whole blood measures of the complete clotting system using thromboelastography (TEG), rotational thromboelastometry (ROTEM), and sonorheometry, which can give an overall assessment of the different stages of hemostasis, including the intrinsic fibrinolytic and antifibrinolytic pathways.2 In patients with cirrhosis every stage of hemostasis may be altered, putting them at risk for both bleeding and thrombosis. Classically, patients with cirrhosis have been thought of as "autoanticoagulated" because of an elevated INR and baseline thrombocytopenia owing to splenic sequestration and portal hypertension. Although routine tests such as platelet counts, INR, and aPTT may accurately reflect bleeding risk in general populations, multiple studies have shown that patients with cirrhosis have deficiencies in both the procoagulant and anticoagulant pathways, leading to a "rebalanced" coagulation system.3,4 In regard to primary hemostasis, patients with cirrhosis typically have a decreased number of circulating platelets. This is related to splenic sequestration, more rapid turnover and shorter half-life of platelets secondary to splenomegaly, and decreased production related to lower amounts of hepatic thrombopoetin.5,6 There may also be an immunologic component, although this appears to be a minor contributor.7 The decreased platelet count may be expected to increase the risk for bleeding, but patients with cirrhosis also have elevated levels of vWF, which increases in proportion to the severity of liver disease.8 In addition, there is a decrease in ADAMTS13, the vWF cleaving protein, and despite the underlying thrombocytopenia this increase in vWF may actually increase platelet adhesion.9,10 A study by Tripodi et al11 showed that in patients with cirrhosis a minimum platelet count of around 55×109/L is adequate for thrombin generation, allowing normal clot formation, and levels above 100×109/L have no increased benefit in primary hemostasis or in fibrin mesh formation when compared with controls. In some patients, these compensatory mechanisms may actually result in enhanced platelet adherence rather than dysfunctional primary hemostasis. In the second stage of hemostasis, clotting factors activate and begin to produce thrombin, predominantly on the surface of activated platelets, leading to subsequent deposition of the cross-linked fibrin mesh. In patients with cirrhosis, decreased levels of procoagulant proteins, such as factors II, V, VII, IX, X, and XI, suggest the potential for an anticoagulated state. In fact, 1 study showed a decrease in the activity of procoagulant proteins to as low as 20% to 46% in correlation with the severity of cirrhosis and portal hypertension.12 These deficiencies are easily seen in the standard clinical laboratory measurements of the INR and PT.


which can be easily analytically evaluated. The minimization can be achieved either by varying the fiber parameters or/and the launch point. To double check the optimization we used the data obtained from Eq. (4) for a specific system and solved numerically Eq. (1). The pulse shapes at the end of each unit cell were used as initial "potential" of the Zakharov-Shabat scattering problem. The complex, discrete eigenvalue h corresponds to the velocity and amplitude of the soliton, respectively. The deviation of Im(A) from Im@) = 0.5 is a measure of the distortion of the shape or the radiation. Without dispersion management the creation of a considerable amount of radiation can be recognized (Fig. l ) . As an example we have optimized the system in varying the launch point. We found two distances zo = zoi = and zo = zo2 where F( zo) = 0. In Fig. 2 the clear improvement of the system performance is displayed for the case when the amplifier is located after the DCF as well as before the DCF. As reported previously the former configuration has a clear edge if no optimization is pe r f~ rmed .~ We mention that a similar upgrading can be achieved for a launch point zo = 0 if one varies the DCF length. *Permanent address: Institute of Electronics, Bulgarian Academy of Sciences, b o d . Tsarigradsko shosse 72, Sofia 1784, Bulgaria **Universitt de Bourgogne, Laboratoire de Physique, 21 004 Dijon Cedex, France


We revisit the established problem of protein structure determination from geometrical restraints from NMR, using convex optimization. It is well-known that the NP-hard distance geometry problem of determining atomic positions from pairwise distance restraints can be relaxed into a convex semidefinite program (SDP). However, in practice the distance restraints are imprecise, and sometimes sparse, for accurate structure determination. Residual dipolar coupling (RDC) measurements provide additional geometric information on the angles between atom-pair directions and axes of the principal-axis-frame. The optimization problem involving RDC is highly non-convex and requires a good initialization even within the simulated annealing framework. In this paper, we model the protein backbone as an articulated structure composed of rigid units. We estimate the rotation of each rigid unit using SDP relaxation that incorporates chirality constraints. The two SDP based methods we propose RDCSDP and RDC-NOE-SDP have polynomial time complexity in the number of amino-acids and run efficiently on a regular PC. We further introduce a statistical tool, the Cramér-Rao bound (CRB) to provide an information theoretic bound on the highest resolution one can hope to achieve when determining protein structure from noisy measurements. Our simulation results show that when the RDC measurements are Y. Khoo Department of Physics, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA E-mail: firstname.lastname@example.com A. Singer Department of Mathematics and PACM, Princeton University, Princeton, NJ 08540, USA E-mail: email@example.com D. Cowburn Departments of Biochemistry and Physiology and Biophysics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY 10461, USA E-mail: email@example.com corrupted by Gaussian noise, for realistic noise magnitude our SDP algorithm attains the CRB. Through such comparison, the utility of CRB for benchmarking other procedures for structure determination in NMR is demonstrated. Finally, we apply our proposed method in a divide-andconquer fashion to determine the structure of ubiquitin from experimental distance restraints and RDC measurements obtained in two alignment media.


The rapid processes of globalization and economic integration have contributed to raising awareness of the need for a strategic commitment of all countries to achieve sustainable development. This new model of development of the global economy is based on the integration of economic, environmental and social considerations into decision making process at all levels of management. However, among these so-called three "pillars" of sustainable development, subsequently was introduced a fourth dimension - institutional component. To ensure the right of present and future generations on the environment, institutional support is needed. It is therefore necessary to build new institutional capacities and adapt existing ones. Thus, all four components should be considered in their mutual interaction and dependency. The paper will specifically indicate the adaptation of the institutional framework of Serbia with international standards, primarily the European Union standards in the field of sustainable development. It also will point out the importance of integrating the concept of sustainable development, as a global concept, in the policy process at all levels. Such integration can be achieved when all levels of management collaborate with each other, taking into account the different institutional frameworks, cultures and specific circumstances in the EU member states and candidate countries, such as Serbia. When implementing this concept, should be use a full range of measures aimed at reconciliation goal of environmental protection with the goal of economic growth in a rational way to maximize winning possibilities.


The deregulation of microRNAs expression and activity is frequently observed in a wide variety of human pathologies including cancer. Accordingly, growing evidence indicates that the targeting of microRNAs biogenesis and pathways is emerging as a central tool for the development of novel RNA-based drugs and therapies to defeat diseases in humans. In this review we describe the various strategies that can be used to target microRNAs and specific RNA-binding proteins, involved in the regulation of their production, localization, stability and activity, in human cancer and cardiovascular diseases. We also focus on the efforts that are currently made to enhance the potency and stability of these therapeutic agents and their delivery to modulate in vivo microRNAs pathways. Finally, we present structural data on proteins that belong to the microRNA pathway for small molecules-based target therapy design.


Nowadays, human activity recognition (HAR) plays an important role in wellness-care and context-aware systems. Human activities can be recognized in real-time by using sensory data collected from various sensors built in smart mobile devices. Recent studies have focused on HAR that is solely based on triaxial accelerometers, which is the most energy-efficient approach. However, such HAR approaches are still energy-inefficient because the accelerometer is required to run without stopping so that the physical activity of a user can be recognized in real-time. In this paper, we propose a novel approach for HAR process that controls the activity recognition duration for energy-efficient HAR. We investigated the impact of varying the acceleration-sampling frequency and window size for HAR by using the variable activity recognition duration (VARD) strategy. We implemented our approach by using an Android platform and evaluated its performance in terms of energy efficiency and accuracy. The experimental results showed that our approach reduced energy consumption by a minimum of about 44.23% and maximum of about 78.85% compared to conventional HAR without sacrificing accuracy.


Congenital fibrinogen deficiency is an extremely rare (1:1 000 000) hereditary bleeding disorder caused by defects in genes coding for fibrinogen Aα‐, Bβ‐ and γ‐chains, respectively. We report here the molecular basis of fibrinogen deficiency in a large series of patients from India. Twenty‐seven patients with clinical features suggestive of fibrinogen deficiency and with prolonged plasma clotting times and low fibrinogen levels were studied. Genomic DNA was screened for mutations in the fibrinogen alpha (FGA), beta (FGB), gamma (FGG) genes by PCR and conformation sensitive gel electrophoresis. Fourteen different disease‐causing mutations including frameshifts (51.9%), splice site (22.2%), missense (18.5%) and nonsense mutation (7.4%) were identified in 27 patients. Thirteen of them were novel, including seven frameshifts (fibrinogen Aα: p.Asp296 fs*59, p.Thr466 fs*17 and p.Lys575 fs*74; fibrinogen Bβ: p.Gly414 fs*2 and fibrinogen γ: p.Ser81 fs*5, p.Lys185 fs*13 and p.Asp278_279 fs*17), three splice site mutations (FGA gene c.364+1G>A; c.510+2 T>G; FGB gene c.851+1G>A), two missense substitutions (fibrinogen Bβ: p.Gly288Ser; p.Arg445Thr) and a nonsense mutation in fibrinogen Aα (p.Tyr127*). Two common mutations (FGA: c.364+1G>A, n = 6, FGG: p.Lys185 fs*13, n = 7) affecting 13 patients were identified in this series, suggesting that these mutations could be screened first in Indian patients with fibrinogen deficiency. The molecular data presented here is the largest series of patients with fibrinogen deficiency reported so far, adding significantly to the mutation database of this condition. It also helps create an algorithm for its genetic diagnosis in India.


Reliable appraisal of risk factor exposure is a prerequisite for efficient prevention. A street survey conducted in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia, included questions for measuring the prevalence of tobacco smoking. When entering the data, occurrence of long sex specific sequences of questionnaires suggested non- random sampling. The objective of this paper was to propose a method for diagnosing non-randomness, and measuring its impact on the prevalence of smoking and on the quality of collected data. The distribution of the length of observed sequences of questionnaires collected among male respondents was compared with expected length under the hypothesis of random selection. For groups of sequences with significant difference between observed and expected length, two specific categories were set up according to the sign of the difference. A third category included sequences without significant length difference. The proportion of smokers and of missing information was compared between the low and the long length categories. Adjusted differences of these proportions was obtained by a logistic regression model. Given that short sequences were underrepresented and long sequences were overrepresented, there was a sampling bias towards long sequences. Adjusted difference for the prevalence of tobacco smoking was 8.7% (95% confidence interval (CI95)-0.3%; 18.7%). For missing data, it was 3.9% (CI95) 0.3%; 8.4%). Adequate sampling design, and sex specific training of interviewers were recommended for reducing biases associated with non-randomness due to the selection procedure. Obtained impact of non-randomness might suggest to adjust the crude prevalence of smoking obtained in this survey.


Hepatocellular carcinoma were recognized in the toad, Bufo viridis, in 14 cases out of 50 by injection of 1 mg 7,12 dimethylbenz(a)anthracene (DMBA)/toad twice/week for 12 weeks. In contrast, toads treated with DMB at the same dose level and beta-carotene (betaC), 0.05 mg (3 hr prior to the carcinogen)/toad, twice/week for 12 weeks showed no tumor incidence. However, betaC at the same dose level was less effective when administered 3 hr. after the carcinogen (DMBA). In 8 cases out of 50 cases neither tumor growth nor neoplastic changes were observed in toads treated with betaC alone or olive oil. It is concluded that betaC completely blocked hepatocarcinogenesis in toads when given 3 hr. before initiation.


This study was designed to test whether oxygen toxicity results in retinal damage that could be documented by the technique of fluorescein angiography. Three squirrel monkeys lived in 100% oxygen environments for periods ranging from 50 to 117 hours. Two of the monkeys incurred damage as evidenced by early multifocal leakage and subsequent accumulation of dye in the retina. All monkeys survived the exposures and were followed for several weeks thereafter. The pathology appeared to be reversible since later angiograms were either normal, or approaching normality, when the animals were sacrificed. Subsequent histopathologic examination revealed no abnormalities.


In order to promote CO2 emission reductions at the local level, the Ministry of Environment of the State of Hamburg, Germany, in 2001 initiated the Hamburg CO2 Competition together with the Hamburgische Electricitts-Werke AG (HEW), the local utility. This proactive step contrasted with activities at the federal level where decision makers were quite hesitant to adopt concrete actions to tackle climate change. A total of 175,000 Euro were made available to buy CO2 emission reductions from projects in Hamburg. The calculation of the latter was based on the rules for the project-based Kyoto mechanismsJoint Implementation (JI) and Clean Development Mechanism (CDM). This paper describes the structure of the Competition and provides an overview of the lessons learnt regarding implementation and monitoring. It shows how local players, including local authorities, can initiate the implementation of emission reduction instruments without federal agencies taking the lead.


This chapter examines the International Society tradition of international relations (IR). International Society, also known as the 'English School', is an approach to world politics that places emphasis on international history, ideas, structures, institutions, and values. After providing an overview of International Society's basic assumptions and claims, the chapter considers the three traditions associated with the leading ideas of the most outstanding classical theorists of IR such as Niccolò Machiavelli and Immanuel Kant: realism, rationalism, and revolutionism. It then explores International Society's views regarding order and justice, world society, statecraft and responsibility, and humanitarian responsibility and war; as well as how International Society scholars have used a historical approach to understand earlier international systems and the development of international society. It also discusses several major criticisms against the International Society approach to IR and concludes with an overview of the current research agenda of International Society.


CityMobil was an integrated project in the Sixth Framework Program of the European Union. The objective of the project was to achieve more effective organization of urban transport for more rational use of motorized traffic with less congestion and pollution, safer driving, a higher quality of living, and enhanced integration with spatial development. This objective was reached by developing integrated traffic solutions: advanced concepts for innovative autonomous and automated road vehicles for passengers and goods embedded in an advanced spatial setting. The project was split into two parts: (a) research and development and (b) demonstration. The primary aim of the research and development part was to identify, address, and, where possible, eliminate barriers that still blocked the large-scale implementation of automated transport systems in urban traffic. The heart of the demonstration part consisted of three large-scale implementations of automated transport systems in urban areas and a number of smaller showcases and demonstrations. CityMobil was a 5-year project that started in May 2006 and ended in December 2011. The project results were presented at a final conference in Brussels, Belgium. This paper provides an update of a paper presented in 2009 and includes an overview of the final CityMobil results. The detailed results are available on the CityMobil website: www.citymobil-project.eu.


A high-power low-distortion static VAr compensator based on a synchronous link converter has been proposed, where the harmonics are eliminated by incorporating a low-power insulated-gate-bipolar-transistor-based controlled current auxiliary converter in conjunction with a high-power gate-turn-off-thyristor-based converter. In this paper, a new load compensator based on this topology is proposed which does not require the information of the voltampere required by the load. As the requirement of the reactive voltampere calculator is eliminated, the scheme becomes insensitive to system frequency variations, temperature, and component aging. The control scheme required for the compensator is developed. The operation of the scheme is validated through extensive simulation studies. Experimental results obtained from a laboratory prototype are provided to demonstrate the viability of the scheme.


In this case report, we describe a giant coronary aneurysm (CAAs) of the right coronary artery occasionally found in a patient that underwent Bentall procedure 18 years earlier for acute aortic dissection. A 77–year–old man, former smoker, with type II diabetes, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, and obesity, was referred to our echo lab for echocardiography in December 2020. His medical history included anteroseptal non–Q–wave myocardial infarction (1983), type A acute aortic dissection treated with Bentall procedure and implantation of mechanical aortic valve (2002), and reparation of abdominal aortic aneurysm (2003). During the echocardiogram a paracardiac mass was incidentally found, in close contact to the right atrium and with a diameter of 60 mm in A4Ch–view, with the appearance of a cystic formation (Figure A). After a few days, a CT angiography was performed, with evidence of 61.6 mm–sized giant aneurysm located in the proximal right coronary artery, characterised by calcified walls, eccentric thrombosis, and compression of the right atrium (Figure B). The patient was subsequently evaluated by the Cardiac Surgery Division. Conservatively management with regular follow–up was performed, because of the high surgical risk of redo and the lack of symptoms. In November 2022 we performed a follow–up echocardiography with evidence of stability of the size of coronary artery aneurysm (Figure C). CAAs are defined as giant when the diameter of the vessel is greater than 20 mm. These pathological entities are extremely rare, with an incidence rate of 0.02%, and aetiologies are various. The most frequent aetiologies comprehend atherosclerosis (about 50% of cases), congenital (17%), arteritis (e.g., Kawasaki disease), connective tissue disease. Our case is characterised by the occasional diagnosis of CAA 18 years after Bentall Surgery, in absence of inflammatory vessels disease. To the best of our knowledge, It's the largest giant CAA described in literature after Bentall cardiac surgery. Therefore, cardiologists should consider these rare entities when approaching an incidental echocardiographic finding of paracardiac mass, especially in patients with high burden of atherosclerotic disease. This case report underlines furthermore the importance of an integrated approach in the differential diagnosis of a paracardiac mass.


This article proposes to explore various aspects of the sublime as they might be encountered on a journey around that paradigmatic experience of sublime oxymoron, the ring road. In common with more conventional sublime objects, it can elude our perceptual and imaginative grasp while providing exhilarating transport. Although the arguments used to push through the construction of ring roads are usually made on highly rationalized grounds and according to the logic of a systematizing thought, and although acceptable behavior on the ring road is clearly set out in highway legislation and codes, it will be suggested here that ring roads might also provide an instance where the experience of our designed environment can open up to different readings, thus broadening the ways in which the ring road might figure both as a site of experience and in thought. Although the ring road is usually off-limits for any architectural discussion, it will be suggested below that an examination of this limit case can have some relevance for the ways in which the experience of more conventional architectural settings is accounted for.


Individuals with single‐ventricle congenital heart disease who are palliated to a Fontan circulation are at risk for heart failure and liver disease, with recurrent ascites being a potentially debilitating cause of late morbidity. Although ascites associated with heart failure or liver failure is usually characterized by a high serum‐ascites albumin gradient (SAAG), we have observed multiple instances of ascites in Fontan patients with low SAAG, suggesting an inflammatory process. We present three cases in which recalcitrant ascites severely and adversely impacted the quality of life and describe our initial experience with intraperitoneal corticosteroids in this setting.


We propose and demonstrate a polarization-insensitive and high speed optical switch unit based on a silicon and lithium niobate hybrid integration platform. The presented device exhibits a sub nano-second switching time, low drive voltages of 4.97 V, and low power dissipation due to electrostatic operation. The measured polarization dependence loss was lower than 0.8 dB. The demonstrated optical switch could provide as a building block for polarization-insensitive and high-speed optical matrix switches.


Using a unique firm-level data for Polish Special Economic Zones (SEZ) to estimate a set of panel data models we find that both employment and investment growth in SEZ are driven mainly by labour market characteristics of zone-hosting regions, while other factors (including market access, zone business climate and firms' concentration) play a less important role. Firms choose their locations based on labour availability rather than on labour costs. Moreover, they pay particular attention to availability of low-skilled rather than high-skilled labour. As far as tax incentives are concerned, their predictability matters more for SEZ development than their generosity.


ABSTRACT Objectives: Emerging evidence suggests that gut microbiota dysbiosis plays a critical role in chronic kidney disease (CKD). However, the relationship between altered gut microbiome profiles and disease severity remains unclear. In this study, we sought to characterize the gut microbiota in CKD patients compared to healthy controls, and to explore potential relationships between gut microbiota composition and disease severity. Methods: Fecal samples were collected from 95 patients at different stages of CKD (non-dialysis patients from stage 1 to 5) and 20 healthy controls. Bacterial DNA was extracted for 16S ribosomal DNA sequencing targeting the V3-V4 region. The diversity and relative abundance of gut microbiota were analyzed as outcome indicators. Results: Differences were observed in the microbial composition and diversity of fecal samples from CKD patients and healthy controls. Specifically, disease severity was found to alter gut microbiota composition. Compared to that in healthy controls, CKD patients showed an increased abundance of Proteobacteria and decreased Synergistetes, most notably in disease stage 5. Lower levels of butyrate-producing bacteria and higher levels of potential pathogens were also detected in CKD patients. Further, Pyramidobacter and Prevotellaceae_UCG-001 were significantly decreased in the CKD1 group compared with healthy controls. Notably, nine microbial genera, including Escherichia-Shigella, Parabacteroides, Roseburia, rectale_group, Ruminococcaceae_NK4A214_group, Prevotellaceae_UCG.001, Hungatella, Intestinimonas, and Pyramidobacter, identified using a random forest model, distinguished between patients with CKD and healthy controls with high accuracy. Functional analysis also revealed that fatty acid and inositol phosphate metabolism were enriched in the CKD group, while aminoacyl-tRNA biosynthesis, oxidative phosphorylation, phenylalanine, tyrosine, and tryptophan biosynthesis, thiamine metabolism, pantothenate, and CoA biosynthesis, as well as valine, leucine, and isoleucine biosynthesis were enriched in healthy controls. Conclusion: Gut microbiota composition and function are associated with CKD severity. And, specific gut microbes are potentially helpful for CKD early diagnosis and prognosis monitoring.


For the past five years, I have owned a domestically bred Yellow-winged Blue-fronted Amazon, which I named "Tico" after a friend I met in Costa Rica. Costa Ricans refer to themselves as "ticos". This fact is illustrated in the name of the country's leading newspaper, Tbe Tica Times. Tico is a handsome five year old male with fluctuating hormone levels and those concomitant problems associated with sexual maturity. I thought I might sell him, but I can't bring myself to do it because of all my birds, he is the most interesting and in his unique manner the most loyal. Regardless ofTico's moniker, Bluefronted Amazons are not found in Costa Rica or anywhere in Central America. The nominate race, which is fairly scarce in captivity, occurs in Brazil, the inland eastern region as far south as southern Mato Grosso. Tico's parents and other xanthopteryxhail from southern Brazil (southern Mato Grosso), in Paraguay and non hem Argentina. Blue-fronteds don't seem to be endangered, although the Yellow-winged subspecies has been exported in devastating numbers. Between 1981-87 alone, there were 204,000 xanthopteryx exported to the U.S., Europe and Asia. Compoundingthis situation is the inexorable habitat destruction at the rate of 50,000 hectares per year. The Wild Bird Conservation Act may actually serve to protect these birds from severe harvesting, but long-term survival is dependent on maintenance of mature forests for nesting and foraging and the curtailment of a "shotgun" approach to controlling alleged pest species, which is so prevalent in Latin America. Many times parrots are classified as pest species as justification for extensive control programs or as a rationale for the exportation of birds for the pet trade. Blue-fronted Amazons are fond of citrus fruits and are seen as a threat ro agriculture in their range, especially in Argentina. Citrus plantations located in valleys surrounded by mountains covered with subtropical humid forests are vulnerable. However, there is a tendency to exaggerate parrot damage by farmers. Given the fact that Blue-fronted Amazons are conspicuous, as they arrive in large flocks (outside the breeding season), are brightly colored and certainly ve1y noisy, this is easy to understand. Studies, however, have indicated that damage by these and other parrots occur in a very unpredictable fashion. Usually a few plots are severely damaged and others are left untouched. These attacks on citrus, when they do occur, usually are associated with agricultural frontiers jetting into previously forested areas and nesting habitats. Increased damage to citrus groves often happen, as well, when farmers, perhaps for the purpose of price speculation, have left crops unharvested long after ripening Although "politically" labeled a pest species, Blue-fronted Amazons don't really fit the profile. Amazons limit their diet to what can be found in trees. They do not forage on the ground. Their diets tend to be restricted to fruits and buds. Blue-fronteds are reportedly highly mobile, undergoing a northern migration, presumably following the fruiting of certain trees, but this takes place only after nesting. During nesting season, they stay close to their nest sites and away from other pairs. As in other cavitynesting birds, the breeding cycle of parrots is relatively long and nestling growth rate is slow. They breed only once a year and they have a well-defined breeding season. True pest species respond to favorable environmental conditions, such as an abundance of crops, by increasing the number of broods produced per year simply by extending their breeding season. The Blue-fronted Amazon is not capable of capitalizing on the abundance of food in this manner. Blue-fronted Amazons may no longer fall victim to the trapper for the pet trade, but they may fall victim to unenlightened pest control programs unless alternatives can be found and/or unless farmers and politicians can be educated on the impact of such programs on birds with such low productivity rates. Conservationists will have to do their part on educating the people of Argentina and in those other countries that constitute the Blue-fronted's range. However, aviculturists have a huge obligation to the Blue-fronted Amazon that can only be met by a concerted effort to breed them. There are literally thousands and thousands of these birds in the United States, but how many people are working with them? They are very beautiful, good talkers, and should command a good return on your investment. Support breeders who are working with this species. Buy a domestically bred baby and learn, as I have, that Blue-fronteds have few equals as pet birds.


During the late 1930s a political style, generally called 'fascist,' aimed at mobilising nations in the pursuit of expansionist aims had a profound impact around the world. Based on the apparent success of Germany, Italy, and Japan and the impending victory of Francisco Franco's forces in the Spanish Civil War, by early 1939 many observers saw fascism as the wave of the future. Among the Asian political leaders strongly influenced by the success of the fascist states was Phibun Songkhram, the military strongman of Thailand, the lone independent nation in Southeast Asia. Phibun and his adviser Wichit Wathakan promoted a jingoistic version of Thai nationalism, sought to militarise the nation, and adopted an aggressive policy towards neighbouring French Indochina in the wake of France's defeat in June 1940. In the short term these actions gave momentum to Phibun's efforts to consolidate his power and his plans to transform Thai society. Phibun's involvement with Japan and the arrival of Japanese troops in Thailand in December 1941, however, would lead to his temporary political eclipse in 1944 and modification of the more extreme elements of his program.


We conducted a study in a squatter settlement in Karachi, Pakistan where residents report commonly washing their hands to determine if providing soap, encouraging hand washing, and improving wash-water quality would improve hand cleanliness. We allocated interventions to 75 mothers and collected hand-rinse samples on unannounced visits. In the final model compared with mothers who received no hand-washing intervention, mothers who received soap would be expected to have 65% fewer thermotolerant coliform bacteria on their hands (95% CI 40%, 79%) and mothers who received soap, a safe water storage vessel, hypochlorite for water treatment, and instructions to wash their hands with soap and chlorinated water would be expected to have 74% fewer (95% CI 57%, 84%). The difference between those who received soap alone, and those who received soap plus the safe water vessel was not significant (P = 0·26). Providing soap and promoting hand washing measurably improved mothers' hand cleanliness even when used with contaminated water.


The ecosystem of the Arctic region has been increasingly affected by global warming. Archaeal ammonia monooxygenase alpha subunit coding gene (amoA) which is a key enzyme for nitrification was used to investigate the effect of runoff water of ice melt on microbial community of nitrogen cycle. The archaeal amoA genes at coastal area of Svalbard, Arctic region were PCR-amplified and sequenced after clone library construction. Analysis o f archaeal amoA gene clone libraries suggested that the station 188 which is in the vicinity to the area of runoff water harbor lower ammonia-oxidizing archaeal diversity than the station 176 and 184. The average amino acid sequence identity within all archaeal amoA gene clones was 94% (with 91% nucleotide sequence identity). While all the clones of the station 188 were affiliated with Nitrosoarchaeaum clade containing strains isolated from low-salinity and terrestrial environments, about 45% of total clones of the station 176 and 184 were related to marine Nitosopumilus clade. Interestingly, other typical archaeal amoA gene clones of thaumarchaeal I.1b clade frequently retrieved from terrestrial environments was identified at station 188. Microbial community of nitrogen cycle in marine sediment might be affected by input of sediments caused by runoff glacier melt waters.


Technological competences are the success-determining factors for the competitiveness of every technology-oriented company. Identifying, fostering and exploiting technological competences are amongst the crucial activities within technology management in order to strengthen the market position of a company in the long term. New market opportunities for future company growth have to be identified and evaluated against the background of a company's own competence profile. However, companies find it difficult to identify, evaluate and consistently describe their technological competences due to a lack of methodology. As a result, decision makers often struggle to derive their superior technological competences and to search for promising new markets suitable for the company's unique technological expertise. The identification and selection of a diversification alternative is therefore often done without a systematic and profound decision basis. In this paper, the authors introduce an approach to identify and systematically describe technological competences. This is done by presenting a description syntax for the consistent description of technological competences. The development of the syntax is performed by using a deductive approach on the basis of existing literature, theories and models. The syntax enables companies to consistently describe their technological competences. The paper furthermore includes a case study of a recent consultancy project in the industry performed by Fraunhofer IPT.


Physiological and pathological morphogenetic events involve a wide array of collective movements, suggesting that these multicellular arrangements confer biochemical and biomechanical properties that contribute to tissue scale organization. The cardiopharyngeal progenitors of the tunicate Ciona provide the simplest possible model of collective cell migration. They form cohesive bilateral cell pairs, leader-trailer polarized along the migration path as they migrate between the ventral epidermis and trunk endoderm. Here, circumventing difficulties in quantifying cellular mechanics in live embryos, we use the Cellular Potts Model to computationally probe the distributions of forces consistent with the shapes and collective polarity of migrating cell pairs. Combining computational modeling, confocal microscopy, and molecular perturbations, we first determine that cardiopharyngeal progenitors display hallmarks of supracellular organization, with differential distributions of protrusive forces, cell-matrix adhesion, and myosin-based retraction forces along the leader-trailer axis. Combined 4D simulations and experimental observations suggest that cell-cell communication helps establish a hierarchy that contributes to aligning collective polarity with the direction of migration, as observed with three or more cells both in silico and in vivo. Our approach reveals emerging properties of the migrating collective. Specifically, cell pairs are more persistent, thus migrating over longer distances, and presumably with higher accuracy. Finally, simulations suggest that polarized cell pairs literally join forces to deform the trunk endoderm, as they migrate through the extracellular space. We thus propose that the polarized supracellular organization of cardiopharyngeal progenitors confers emergent physical properties that determine mechanical interactions with their environment during morphogenesis.


The psychometric high-risk strategy represents a useful methodologic adjunct to the traditional genetic high-risk research approach in the study of the etiology and development of schizophrenia. During the past 15 years, considerable research activity has focused on psychometrically identified individuals hypothesized to be en route to schizophrenia (i.e., putative schizotypes). The Perceptual Aberration Scale (PAS) has figured prominently in such prediction-oriented psychometric high-risk work. This report examines research using the PAS completed since 1987 that has established the instrument as a valid index for detecting liability for schizophrenia (or schizotypy) and as, arguably, the schizotypy index of choice for research. These results are presented and interpreted in light of Meehl's theoretical framework of schizotypy. Other measures of and assessment devices for schizotypy (schizophrenia-related liability) are identified. Of these other measures, the Chapmans' Magical Ideation Scale and the schizophrenia liability index of Moldin and colleagues are particularly well established. Methodologic suggestions for future psychometric high-risk and other work using objective measures of schizotypic psychopathology are offered. It is strongly recommended that future studies of schizotypy (or those in the planning stages, relying on psychometric detection methods use multiple psychometric indices to tap schizotypy or use a psychometric index in association with other promising biobehavioral markers of schizophrenia liability (e.g., sustained attentional deficits, eye movement dysfunction) for maximum efficiency in both location and definition of schizotypes.


The objective of this study was to evaluate in-hospital and 1-year outcomes of patients with acute coronary syndrome (ACS) enrolled in clinical studies. Among patients included in the Canadian ACS Registries, patients enrolled in clinical studies (n = 883, 13.4%) were compared with patients who were not enrolled. Enrolled patients were younger, more likely to be smokers, had less diabetes, less hypertension, less previous myocardial infarction, and less previous percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting. Enrolment in clinical studies was higher in patients with ST-elevation and ST-depression ACS. Furthermore, patients enrolled had more coronary interventions (percutaneous coronary intervention and coronary artery bypass grafting) and received more evidence-based therapies such as aspirin and statins. Unadjusted event rates were significantly higher in patients not enrolled in clinical studies: in-hospital death 2.4 versus 1.1% (P = 0.02), and 1-year death 9.2 versus 6.1% (P = 0.003), and death or myocardial infarction 16.1 versus 13.8% (P = 0.09). After multivariable analysis, enrolment in clinical studies showed a trend towards decreased in-hospital and 1-year death. Patients with ACS in Canada who participate in clinical studies are more likely to receive evidence-based therapies and interventions throughout hospitalization. After multivariable analysis, enrolment in a clinical trial may also contribute to better in-hospital and 1-year outcome.


The problem of simultaneous diffusion and creation processes, in particular self-generating mechanisms, is analysed with special regard to localization, dynamic confluence, collapse and anti-collapse. Exact solutions and central expansions for one- and multidimensional systems are developed. The analysis comprises a study of the case, where the coefficient of the self-generation source term is spatially inhomogeneous. It also introduces the concept of a dynamic equilibrium width, which may be approached in time by several interacting distributions, starting out with different initial conditions. The analysis considers various powers of nonlinearity of the diffusion coefficient as well as of the dynamic variable in the source term. Comparisons between various approaches to the problem are presented. Applications are considered in the physics of hot fusion plasmas, and occur quite generally in heat conduction with self-generating sources.


Self-compacting concrete (SCC) has the environmentally friendly effect. The SCC can be prepared by using the technical approaches of "Double adding" (adding mineral admixtures and chemical admixtures and) low W/B (the ratio of water to composite binder). According to the requirements of design and construction, SCC of C30~C60 can be produced by selecting materials used and adjusting the amount and composition of composite binder, the dosage and composition of high performance chemical admixture as well as W/B, based on the reasonable component of SCC with volume. It had been applied successfully in some construction works in several, such as concrete filled steel pipe column and strengthening of concrete structure.


Two clinical cases of intermediate-high risk pulmonary embolism in women at the age of 18 and 50 years using combined oral contraceptives are presented. Diagnostic process hasn't revealed any other risk factors of PE development. After treatment the clinical improvement with normalization of overload of right ventricle was observed. In the present analysis we have tried to document a relationship between combined oral contraceptives and pulmonary embolism.


Bentonite is material from soil and has unique properties. Because of these properties, bentonite has been exploited widely for different utilization. Bentonite has a simple structure that collapses at elevated temperatures. Then, it was required to prepare zirconia to be pillared with high surface area and particular active site. Ultrasonic treatment was an alternative technology for preparation of zirconia pillared bentonite. Modified of structure and surface active site with variable condition ultrasonic on power output (30%, 50%, 70%) with 20 kHz and 20 minutes preparation of zirconia pillared bentonite were studied using by X-Ray diffraction (XRD), Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), chemisorption and Nitrogen gas sorption technique. The results were confirmed that the presence of polycation zirconium under ultrasonic indicated an increase in the basal spacing from 14.93 Å to 19.42 Å and 10 times increase of specific surface area from 25.150 m2/g to 265.076 m2/g. It was confirmed that ultrasonic treatment with three type variations caused significant change in the structure of bentonite and obtained the highest increase in surface area. Activity of catalytic provided an effective and efficient conversion on the esterification reaction. Finally, it was found that the higher power output ultrasonic treatment at 70% of power output resulted in partial damage of the pillar bentonite.


BACKGROUND
This is an update of a Cochrane review first published in The Cochrane Library in Issue 2, 2001 and previously updated in 2007 and 2009.Vocal cord nodules are bilateral, benign, callous-like growths of the mid-portion of the membranous vocal folds. They are of variable size and are characterised histologically by thickening of the epithelium with a variable degree of inflammation in the underlying superficial lamina propria. They characteristically produce hoarseness, discomfort and an unstable voice when speaking or singing.

OBJECTIVES
To assess the effectiveness of surgery versus non-surgical interventions for vocal cord nodules.

SEARCH METHODS
We searched the Cochrane Ear, Nose and Throat Disorders Group Trials Register; the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL); PubMed; EMBASE; CINAHL; Web of Science; BIOSIS Previews; Cambridge Scientific Abstracts; ISRCTN and additional sources for published and unpublished trials. The date of the most recent search was 9 April 2012.

SELECTION CRITERIA
Randomised and quasi-randomised trials comparing any surgical intervention for vocal cord nodules with non-surgical treatment or no treatment.

DATA COLLECTION AND ANALYSIS
No suitable trials were identified.

MAIN RESULTS
No studies fulfilled the inclusion criteria.

AUTHORS' CONCLUSIONS
There is a need for high-quality randomised controlled trials to evaluate the effectiveness of surgical and non-surgical treatment of vocal cord nodules.


The aim of this paper is to explore two apparently unrelated issues – regional trade agreements and the pollution-haven hypothesis. They are linked by the belief that the elimination of trade barriers will further encourage firms already considering a move to countries with weak environmental regulations. Given the proliferation of trade agreements, as well as the movement of environmental issues to the forefront of our political process, a better understanding of the policy effects is needed. We apply a test equation loosely based on the gravity model to a data set of industry-level foreign direct investment from the Unites States to 23 partner countries from 1982 to 1999. Using pollution emissions as a proxy for environmental stringency, we find strong evidence in support of the pollution-haven hypothesis. We also find the NAFTA increase outflows of U.S. FDI. Finally, the NAFTA appears to encourage the pollution-haven effect.


A clinical, randomized, parallel study was undertaken to compare the efficacy of a widely known steroid preparation, triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% cream, in occlusion with two different hydrocolloid dressings, namely Duoderm and Actiderm, in the treatment of chronic plaques of psoriasis. A total of 23 patients with psoriasis were entered in the study. Two similar psoriatic plaques were identified in each patient, triamcinolone acetonide cream was applied, and a randomized table assigned the sides of the body to which each dressing was to be used for each patient. Changing of the dressing, with reapplication of the cream was done every 48 hours on each side until the lesions cleared or for a maximum of three weeks. At the end of the three weeks-therapy, period, 12 lesions had totally cleared with Duoderm and 13 with Actiderm. Seven lesions had achieved either marked or moderate improvement with duoderm and the same results were observed with Actiderm. Only three of 22 had mild improvement with Duoderm and two of 22 with Actiderm. No side effect were noted and none of the patients became worse during this treatment. This study demonstrated the beneficial effects of triamcinolone acetonide 0.1% cream under occlusion with two different hydrocolloid dressings in the treatment of chronic resistant plaques of psoriasis. The use of a hydrocolloid dressing in combination with steroid adds another therapeutic option for the treatment of chronic localized psoriatic lesions.


PurposeThe purpose of this paper is to ascertain the factors determining the choice of sources of finance for a tech startup over its lifecycle.Design/methodology/approachThis study adopts simple random sampling technique to choose 93 sample tech startups in Bangalore. Further, this study employs the primary data collection from the sampled startups under study through a semi-structured questionnaire and in-depth interviews with the founders/CEOs of these startups. Furthermore, it carries out binary logistic regression analysis to primarily examine the likelihood of a tech startup to approach and access a particular source of finance over its lifecycle.FindingsOur results indicate that a tech startup's choice for a financial source varies with its lifecycle stage and financial requirements. We find that while in its early stage, a tech startup's choice of a financial source is limited to business angels (BA), in the growth stage, it approaches the institutional sources, viz. Venture Capital (VC), Corporate Venture Capital (CVC), Banks and Private Equity (PE) firms alternatively. Out of the three major categories of financial requirements: Human Capital (HC), Research Capital (RC) and Social Capital (SC), the requirement for HC and SC is predominantly funded by VCs, while the acquisition of RC is facilitated by early stage investors (BAs) as well as growth stage investors (CVC and PEs).Research limitations/implicationsThe research implication of the study lies in bringing out the need to understand both the nature and the quantum of financial requirements of tech startups would influence the sources of finance it would approach and obtain finance for its operations and growth.Practical implicationsThe major policy implication of the study refers to the need to promote the diverse sources of finance to meet the diverse needs of finance in different stages of a tech startup's lifecycle. Particularly in an emerging economy, where we do not see the emergence and growth of highly innovative tech startups, the need to promote adequate availability of RC is especially important.Originality/valueThis study makes a key contribution to the entrepreneurial finance literature by empirically investigating the factors determining a tech startup's propensity to approach and access a particular source of finance over its lifecycle.


The overall purpose of this thesis work has been to further our understanding of the growth and removal of inclusions in gas- and induction-stirred ladles. The primary focus has been on alumina inclusions.Growth mechanisms were studied using data from fundamental mathematical models of gas- and induction-stirred ladles. The results showed the turbulence mechanism to be the most dominant in alumina inclusion growth. The dynamic growth and removal of inclusions in a gas-stirred ladle was studied using mathematical modelling. The model results showed concentration gradients of inclusions. The effect was most obvious in the steel flow past the removal sites: top slag, ladle refractory, and gas plume (bubble flotation). A new removal model was developed for large spherical caps bubbles.In order to verify the predicted concentration gradients for the size population of inclusions, three experiments were carried out in production. The sampling equipment enabled sampling at five different positions and different locations at the same time. The results showed that concentration gradients of inclusions do exist both in induction-stirred and gas-stirred ladles. A theoretical analysis showed that the drag force on the inclusions to be the dominating force and that therefore inclusions follow the fluid flow.The cluster behaviour of alumina inclusions were examined on steel samples taken in an industrial-scale deoxidation experiment in a ladle. The samples were examined by microscope and the results used to study cluster growth. It was found that there was rapid cluster growth due to collision during stirring and that at the end of the deoxidation experiment a majority of the small inclusions were bound in clusters. The cluster growth data determined using the microscopic results were compared with predicted cluster-growth data. A method was developed for converting the experimental data observed per unit area into data given per unit volume and vice versa. An expression for the collision diameter of the cluster was also developed. The results showed that the predicted cluster growth agreed well with the microscopic observations for the assumptions made in the growth model.