The oligo-articular JIA is a disease that begins in childhood and can lead to joint damage and disability in adulthood with significant social losses.The aim of this study was to evaluate the clinical and laboratory status and to develop an algorithm of managment adult patients with oligo articular variant of JIA, depending on the detection of RF or/and A-CCP, ANA, HLA-B27.The study included 168 adult patients from different regions of Ukraine who were diagnosed with JIA in childhood between 1984 and 2014 without severe comorbidities. Inclusion criteria were: age 16 to 60 years; duration of the disease > 3 years. Among patients with JIA were identified 64 patients with oligo-articular variant: 44 (26,2%) - with persistant oligo-arthritis, and 20 (11,9%) with extended oligo-arthritis. The disease activity was evaluated by DAS28 and JADAS-10. The questionaries SF-36, HAQ, TAS-20, PHQ-9 were analyzed and remote articular JADI-A and extra-articular JADI-E damages were evaluated. Statistical studies were performed using IBM SPPS Statistics version 220.127.116.11 software, the results were considered to be reliable at 5% critical level (P <0.05). The distribution of quantitative variables was tested by the Shapiro-Wilk test. Quantitative variables with a normal distribution were expressed as mean ± SD, quantitative variables that showed a non-normal distribution were expressed with a median (P25-P75), also performed correlative analysis of the variablesIt was found that patients with active JIA in 26.5% have depression according to the PHQ-9, while patients in remission have no signs of depression. Most adult patients with JIA (86.4%) have elevated and high levels of alexithymia. The predictors of JIA remission in adulthood are male sex (OR = 0.453; 95% CI 0.253-3.556); arthritis of more than 3 joints (OR = 0.459; 95% CI 0.347-0.770); wrist arthritis in childhood (OR = 0.082; 95% CI 0.009-0.739) and JADAS-10 in the disease onset (OR = 0.758; 95% CI 0.589-0.896) <6 points, treatment with IB in the history (OR = 0,767; 95% CI 0.054-0.811) and the duration of DMARDS treatment (OR = 0.741; 95% CI 0.636-0.863) > 1.5 years. The negative correlation of JADI-A and the patient's physical well-being PCS (r = -0.27, p <0.05) and physical functioning (r = -0.24, p < 0.05), pain intensity (r = -0.24, p <0.05), general health (r = -0.24, p <0.05), vital activity (r = -0,19, p <0,05), social functioning (r = -0,27, p <0,05), mental health (r = -0,22, p <0,05) according to SF-36. The severity of extra-articular damages JADI-E correlated with PCS (r = -0.22, p <0.05) and physical functioning (r = -0.28, p<0.05), pain intensity (r = -0.20, p <0.05), general health (r = -0.23, p <0.05), and mental health (r = -0.23, p <0.05), but also had a positive correlation with HAM-A (r = 0.25, p <0.05), depression scale (r = 0.28, p <0.05) and PHQ-9 (r = 0.28, p <0.05). Significantly lower level of physical health was established in patients who requires prosthetics (p <0.001) compared to those who did not need prosthetics.Based on the obtained results, algorithms of management of adult patients with JIA oligoarthritis were developed, depending on the detected articular and extra-articular damages and the need for prosthetics and the psychological status.None declared


Culturally, women, regarded as weak, submissive and emotional social entities, are destined to be silent and inferior to men in a patriarchal society; however, this long-established position for women has caused them shame which today has turned into angst, leading them to question traditions, breaking their silence, revealing their painful yet rebellious experience by means of storytelling, as well as encouraging and hoping for their descendants through self-assertion have a better future. The female Chinese American writer, Amy Tan, with her first renowned novel telling stories of Chinese diaspora in America, The Joy Luck Club (1989), expresses the writer's faith in women's better opportunities when they are able to articulate their needs and strengthen their self-determination. This paper discusses women's fate and faith as shown through different Chineseimmigrant mothers' life stories that are revealed to their American-born daughters who face a dilemma in life. The mothers' stories aim to empower their daughters and help them find solutions. Storytelling is an important means for the Chineseimmigrant mothers to communicate with their daughters, inuring the children to back to their ethnic roots, to better knowing about themselves thereby ensuring them their right to choose for 1 M.A. Student, Faculty of Foreign Language, Zhejiang Normal University, China their own happiness. To sum up, even if women are fated to be born at a disadvantage, they can have faith in themselves if they struggle hard enough for the chance and change. More or less, women's fate and faith are likely to go hand in hand like two sides of the same coin, as do sorrow and joy in a person's


Self-reconfiguring (SR) robots are modular systems that can autonomously change shape, or reconfigure, for increased versatility and adaptability in unknown environments. In this thesis, we investigate planning and control for systems of non-identical modules, known as heterogeneous SR robots. Although previous approaches rely on module homogeneity as a critical property, we show that the planning complexity of fundamental algorithmic problems in the heterogeneous case is equivalent to that of systems with identical modules. Primarily, we study the problem of how to plan shape changes while considering the placement of specific modules within the structure. We characterize this key challenge in terms of the amount of free space available to the robot and develop a series of decentralized reconfiguration planning algorithms that assume progressively more severe free space constraints and support reconfiguration among obstacles. In addition, we compose our basic planning techniques in different ways to address problems in the related task domains of positioning modules according to function, locomotion among obstacles, self-repair, and recognizing the achievement of distributed goal-states. We also describe the design of a novel simulation environment, implementation results using this simulator, and experimental results in hardware using a planar SR system called the Crystal Robot. These results encourage development of heterogeneous systems. Our algorithms enhance the versatility and adaptability of SR robots by enabling them to use functionally specialized components to match capability, in addition to shape, to the task at hand.


We present the investigation of diode-side-pumping of Alexandrite slab lasers in a range of designs using linear cavity and grazing-incidence bounce cavity configurations. An Alexandrite slab laser cavity with double-pass side pumping produces 23.4 mJ free-running energy at 100 Hz rate with slope efficiency ~40% with respect to absorbed pump energy. In a slab laser with single-bounce geometry output power of 12.2 W is produced, and in a double-bounce configuration 6.5 W multimode and 4.5 W output in TEM00 mode is produced. These first results of slab laser and amplifier designs in this paper highlight some of the potential strategies for power and energy scaling of Alexandrite using diode-side-pumped Alexandrite slab architectures with future availability of higher power red diode pumping.


Surviving Indian codices and inscriptions reports written down by the Spanish and continuity of practice from pre-conquest times are the sources of knowledge about obstetrics in Mexico prior to 1600. Antenatal care included avoidance of exposure to heat no sleep during the day and plenty of nourishment although certain dietary precautions were recommended. Moderate intercourse during the first trimester was permitted but prohibited near the time of parturition. In general midwives counseled the prospective mother to eat well to rest physically and mentally and to engage very moderately in manual labor. Massage was given at regular intervals and vapor baths were taken. Juices of medicinal plants were administered during labor both to expedite it and to relieve pain. Women assumed a squatting position during labor which was also assisted by abdominal massage and the manual dilation of the vulva. If parturition was prolonged pressure was applied by the midwife who used her feet for this purpose. The child was bathed immediately after birth. Lactation was prolonged among the Mexicans.


The edema genic factor thrombin increases the vascular permeability via disassembly of endothelial adherens junctions (AJs). VE-PTP stabilizes endothelial AJs through dephosphorylation of VE-cadherin. In the first part of my thesis, I investigated the role of STIM1 activation of store-operated Ca2+ entry (SOCE) in regulating adherens junction assembly. I observed that SOCE activated Pyk2 in human lung microvascular endothelial cells (ECs) and induced tyrosine phosphorylation of VE-PTP at Y1981. VE-PTP phosphorylation promoted Src binding to VE-PTP, Src activation, and subsequent VE-cadherin phosphorylation, and thereby increased the endothelial permeability. The increase in permeability was secondary to disassembly of AJs. In second part of my thesis, I focused on the intrinsic signaling mechanisms that mediate the reassembly of endothelial AJs. I showed that TAK1 activation downstream of SOCE signals the reassembly of endothelial AJs. I observed that STIM1 deficiency in ECs prevented thrombin-induced TAK1 phosphorylation (i.e., activation), indicating that SOCE is essential for thrombin-induced TAK1 activation. TAK1 inhibition, resulted in sustained permeability increase both in vitro and in intact lung microvessels in response to thrombin receptor protease-activated receptor 1 (PAR-1) activation. I also observed that thrombin-induced SOCE was augmented in TAK1 deficient ECs. Since EC-restricted TAK1 knockout mice are embryonically lethal, to study the in vivo role of EC-expressed TAK1, I generated tamoxifen-inducible EC-restricted TAK1 knockout (TAK1iΔEC) mice. Surprisingly, I observed that reduced expression of VE-cadherin and its associated β-catenin in lungs of TAK1iΔEC mice compared with their wild type littermates. In addition, the basal and PAR-1-mediated lung vascular permeability was augmented in TAK1iΔEC mice. Since, Glycogen-Synthase Kinase-3β (GSK-3β) regulates β-catenin expression by phosphorylation, I hypothesized that TAK1 activation promotes inactivation of GSK-3β to stabilize β-catenin. Therefore, I generated inducible EC-restricted GSK-3β knockout (GSK-3β iΔEC) mice and found that augmented β-catenin expression and inhibition of PAR-1-induced lung vascular permeability in GSK-3βiΔEC. These findings support the notion that TAK1 signaling in endothelial cells is required to maintain lung vascular barrier integrity. Thus, targeting the Pyk2 and TAK1 activation pathways may be potentially important strategies to combat vascular leak associated pulmonary edema in sepsis.


A wide variety of tumour markers has been described in bronchial carcinoma. Clinical studies have been most frequently conducted with the substances CEA, NSE, CK-BB and for the peptid hormones ACTH, calcitonin and ADH. The serum levels for CEA, NSE and CK-BB correlate to a certain extent with the stage of the tumour disease, the prognosis and the survival time. On the other hand, the peptid hormones have no clinical significance on account of their low sensitivity and specificity. Outside of clinical studies the determination of tumour markers in bronchial carcinoma is clinically irrelevant.


Nowadays, millions of studies perform daily around the world. Medical imaging developed throughout for >100 years. It is used to visualize the different body structure and the functional activities. This information is useful in judgment and management of different pathological conditions. This study aimed to study the historical development of medical imaging modulates. The new technologies decrease the radiation dose to the least levels.


Triple-negative breast cancer (TNBC) occurs more frequently in young (<50 years) non-Hispanic black and Hispanic/Latina women. It is considered the most aggressive subtype of breast cancer, although, recently, immune infiltrate has been associated with long-term survival, lower risk of death and recurrence, and response to neoadjuvant chemotherapy. The aim of this review was to evaluate the clinical impact of the immune infiltrate in TNBC by discussing whether its prognostic value varies across different populations. A comprehensive systematic search in databases such as PubMed and Web of Science was conducted to include papers focused on tumor-infiltrating lymphocytes (TILs) in TNBC in different population groups and that were published before January 2021. TNBC patients with higher levels of TILs had longer overall survival and disease-free survival times compared with TNBC patients with low TIL levels. Similar results were observed for CD4+, CD8+ TIL populations. On the other hand, patients with high TIL levels showed a higher rate of pathological complete response regardless of the population group (Asian, European, and American). These results altogether suggest that TIL subpopulations might have a prognostic role in TNBC, but the underlying mechanism needs to be elucidated. Although the prognosis value of TILs was not found different between the population groups analyzed in the revised literature, further studies including underrepresented populations with different genetic ancestries are still necessary to conclude in this regard.


This article argues that decision making is a discrete social driver that can be associated with the HIV/AIDS epidemic in the Limpopo province in South Africa. The authors argue that complexity science can inform future research and interventions by presenting two decision making frameworks arising out of complexity science that have the potential to enable young people to better negotiate decision-making contexts whilst simultaneously opening spaces of dialogue that can mitigate the impact of HIV-risk in specific, punctuated contexts. The methodological design was prompted by findings from youth-oriented community engagement projects that include Communication Conversations and Sex & Relationships Education. The proposed methods have the potential to exploit the phenomenon of leadership emergence as a product of decision making at critical moments. This has the potential to promote the growth of home-grown leadership skill sets that make sense to young people and to enable them better manage their own health, thus reducing risk and vulnerability to HIV infection and sexual violence.


Abstract Claire Chambers is a senior lecturer in global literature at the University of York. She is the author of Britain Through Muslim Eyes: Literary Representations, 1780–1989 (2015) and British Muslim Fictions: Interviews with Contemporary Writers (2011). She edited (with Caroline Herbert) Imagining Muslims in South Asia and the Diaspora (2014). In this 2017 interview with Anastasia Valassopoulos, she discusses her exploration of literary representations of Muslims in Britain and South Asia, and her engagement with audiences and scholars in that field. She also discusses her current writing and reflects on sources such as the Making Britain archive that have helped to shape her current work. Finally, Claire explores crucial questions around liberalism and contemporary multicultural politics.


Introduction. Increasingly physical activity (PA) is being recognized as an important outcome in non–small cell lung cancer (NSCLC). We investigated PA using novel global positioning system (GPS) tracking individuals with NSCLC and a group of similar-aged healthy individuals. Methods. A prospective cross-sectional multicenter study. Fifty individuals with NSCLC from 3 Australian tertiary hospitals and 35 similar-aged healthy individuals without cancer were included. Individuals with NSCLC were assessed pretreatment. Primary measures were triaxial accelerometery (steps/day) and GPS tracking (outdoor PA behavior). Secondary measures were questionnaires assessing depression, motivation to exercise, and environmental barriers to PA. Between-group comparisons were analyzed using analysis of covariance. Results. Individuals with NSCLC engaged in significantly less PA than similar-aged healthy individuals (mean difference 2363 steps/day, P = .007) and had higher levels of depression (P = .027) and lower motivation to exercise (P = .001). Daily outdoor walking time (P = .874) and distance travelled away from home (P = .883) were not different between groups. Individuals with NSCLC spent less time outdoors in their local neighborhood area (P < .001). A greater number of steps per day was seen in patients who were less depressed (r = .39) or had better access to nonresidential destinations such as shopping centers (r = .25). Conclusion. Global positioning system tracking appears to be a feasible methodology for adult cancer patients and holds promise for use in future studies investigating PA and or lifestyle behaviors.


OBJECTIVES
To determine whether elevated serum cholesterol level is associated with all-cause mortality, mortality from coronary heart disease, or hospitalization for acute myocardial infarction and unstable angina in persons older than 70 years. Also, to evaluate the association between low levels of high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C) and elevated ratio of serum cholesterol to HDL-C with these outcomes.

DESIGN
Prospective, community-based cohort study with yearly interviews.

PARTICIPANTS
A total of 997 subjects who were interviewed in 1988 as part of the New Haven, Conn, cohort of the Established Population for the Epidemiologic Study of the Elderly (EPESE) and consented to have blood drawn.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
The risk factor-adjusted odds ratios of the 4-year incidence of all-cause mortality, mortality from coronary heart disease, and hospitalization for myocardial infarction or unstable angina were calculated for the following: subjects with total serum cholesterol levels greater than or equal to 6.20 mmol/L (> or = 240 mg/dL) compared with subjects with cholesterol levels less than 5.20 mmol/L (< 200 mg/dL); subjects in the lowest tertile of HDL-C level compared with those in the highest tertile; and subjects in the highest tertile of the ratio of total serum cholesterol to HDL-C level compared with those in the lowest tertile.

RESULTS
Elevated total serum cholesterol level, low HDL-C, and high total serum cholesterol to HDL-C ratio were not associated with a significantly higher rate of all-cause mortality, coronary heart disease mortality, or hospitalization for myocardial infarction or unstable angina after adjustment for cardiovascular risk factors. The risk factor-adjusted odds ratio for all-cause mortality was 0.99 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.56 to 2.69) for the group who had cholesterol levels greater than or equal to 6.20 mmol/L (> or = 240 mg/dL) compared with the group that had levels less than 5.20 mmol/L (< 200 mg/dL); 1.00 (95% CI, 0.59 to 1.70) for the group in the lowest tertile of HDL-C compared with those in the highest tertile; and 1.03 (95% CK, 0.62 to 1.71) for subjects in the highest tertile of the ratio of total serum cholesterol to HDL-C compared with those in the lowest tertile.

CONCLUSIONS
Our findings do not support the hypothesis that hypercholesterolemia or low HDL-C are important risk factors for all-cause mortality, coronary heart disease mortality, or hospitalization for myocardial infarction or unstable angina in this cohort of persons older than 70 years.


We summarize the outcome of the 10th meeting of the International Astronomical Consortium for High Energy Calibration (IACHEC), held in Beijing (People's Republic of China) in April 2015. Over 80 scientists directly involved in the calibration of operational and future high-energy missions gathered during 3.5 days to discuss the status of the X-ray payload inter-calibration, as well as possible ways to improve it. A recent study on a large sample of galaxy clusters confirmed that the calibration of the effective area shape above 2 keV between XMM-Newton/EPIC and Chandra/ACIS is consistent, but showed a significant discrepancy at lower energies. Temperatures measured by EPIC are therefore smaller, the difference being largest for the highest temperatures, up to ~20% at kT=10 keV (Schellenberger et al. 2015). The latest multi-mission study of the Crab Nebula above 10 keV shows a +/-13% agreement in the relative normalization of the INTEGRAL, NuSTAR, RXTE, and {\it Suzaku} hard X-ray instruments.


Introduction: A new coronavirus COVID-19 has emerged as the cause of unusual cluster of viral pneumonia cases in China. The situation has rapidly evolved into a global health emergency as declared by the World Health Organization. Aim: This paper aims to provide a brief and succinct guide to the current knowledge available in the internet regarding COVID-19 and the practice of dentistry. We tabulated the most useful websites available on the internet to the dental practitioner and the reader of our journal. Methods: Current search engines Googles, Yahoo and Bing were used without time limit to trawl for websites with terms "COVID-19", "SARSCoV-2", "Coronavirus" in conjunction with "Dentistry", "Infection control" and "Dental Practice". Results: We found many yields of websites with good clinical information and current best practices to advert transmission of COVID-19 in the dental practice. There has been an unprecedented change in how dental patients are managed in this crisis. The current best practices are highlighted in the figures. The websites were classified and tabulated and listed as a table. Conclusion: This paper provides a synopsis of the best available resource in Dentistry and guidance on the internet for COVID-19. The internet is a good source of dental information, resource and tools useful for the dissemination of information on COVID-19. It has been shown that in this pandemic that is happening world-wide, many researchers and scientists have shared their best information about this unknown disease and provided the best timely practices to other practitioners all over the world to avert transmission to healthcare workers in their institutions and to limit the spread of the infection to the local community.


The specific characteristics of online education require of the student engagement and autonomy, factors which are related to motivation for learning. This study investigated students' motivation in virtual learning environments (VLEs). For this, it used the Teaching and Learning Strategy and Motivation to Learn Scale in Virtual Learning Environments (TLSM-VLE). The scale presented 32 items and six dimensions, three of which aimed to measure the variables of autonomous motivation, controlled motivation, and demotivation. The participants were 572 students from the Brazilian state of Parana, enrolled on higher education courses on a continuous education course. The results revealed significant rates for autonomous motivational behavior. It is considered that the results obtained may provide contributions for the educators and psychologists who work with VLEs, leading to further studies of the area providing information referent to the issue investigated in this study.


. As the number of people visiting national parks in Poland is constantly growing, it is important to recognise their varying motivations and preferences. This is particularly important in the most popular national parks, such as the National Park in the Karkonosze Mountains (KNP). KNP is visited by two millions tourists annually, which makes it the second most popular national park in Poland. The aim of study was to classify visitors of the national park in terms of their motivation to visit. Three main categories of visitors were identified: leisure seekers, nature lovers and active tourists. The category of leisure seekers was the largest and most diverse with respect to their preferences. Nature lovers knew a lot about the park, especially as regards its geodiversity and its fauna and flora. The number of active visitors keeps growing every year. Active tourism, especially in the KPN, requires advanced equipment and good physical fitness. The findings of the study tourism trends in mountain national parks and can provide insights for its management. The article ends with some predictions regarding future trends and changes in the classification of KPN visitors after the pandemic.


Skin reaction or dermatological toxicities induced by immunotherapy is common. It usually manifests skin rash or erythema and can be cured by skin lotion or steroid. Nivolumab, a human IgG4 programmed cell death protein 1 (PD-1) inhibitor, blocks T cells activation preventing signal and allows the immune system to clear cancer cells. Nivolumab was approved in the second-line therapy in squamous cell lung cancer by FDA, with less than 10% unusual skin reaction, like sensory neuropathy, peeling skin, erythema multiforme, vitiligo, and psoriasis. Radiotherapy could aggravate this skin reaction through inflammatory response and promotion of immunity. The combined treatment of anti-PD-1 and radiotherapy represented a new promising therapeutic approach in many studies, but the risk of side effects may be high. We reported a patient with advanced squamous cell lung cancer who suffered from serious skin immune-related adverse events when he was treated with nivolumab and radiotherapy. The immune overreaction of the treatment of anti-PD-1 treatment and radiotherapy might cause these serious skin adverse events. Our report warranted careful workup to reduce the risk of side effects by combinative therapy with anti-PD-1 and radiotherapy.


The magnetic Compton profile (MCP) for ordered Fe72Pt28 has been measured at T = 305 and 490 K. The shape of the MCPs are compared to one obtained from first principles band-structure calculations for the ferromagnetic ground state. The theoretical analysis includes a decomposition of the various orbital and atomic contributions. The experiments indicate a discernible change in the shape of the MCP with increasing temperature, and possible implications for the observed change in shape are discussed.


The contribution of arms race dynamics to plant-pathogen coevolution has been called into question by the presence of balanced polymorphisms in resistance genes of Arabidopsis thaliana, but less is known about the pathogen side of the interaction. Here we investigate structural polymorphism in pathogenicity islands (PAIs) in Pseudomonas viridiflava, a prevalent bacterial pathogen of A. thaliana. PAIs encode the type III secretion system along with its effectors and are essential for pathogen recognition in plants. P. viridiflava harbors two structurally distinct and highly diverged PAI paralogs (T- and S-PAI) that are integrated in different chromosome locations in the P. viridiflava genome. Both PAIs are segregating as presence/absence polymorphisms such that only one PAI ([T-PAI, nablaS-PAI] and [nablaT-PAI, S-PAI]) is present in any individual cell. A worldwide population survey identified no isolate with neither or both PAI. T-PAI and S-PAI genotypes exhibit virulence differences and a host-specificity tradeoff. Orthologs of each PAI can be found in conserved syntenic locations in other Pseudomonas species, indicating vertical phylogenetic transmission in this genus. Molecular evolutionary analysis of PAI sequences also argues against "recent" horizontal transfer. Spikes in nucleotide divergence in flanking regions of PAI and nabla-PAI alleles suggest that the dual PAI polymorphism has been maintained in this species under some form of balancing selection. Virulence differences and host specificities are hypothesized to be responsible for the maintenance of the dual PAI system in this bacterial pathogen.


OBJECTIVE
Knowing the timing of specific depressive symptom improvement will enable clinicians to prepare their patients well and improve treatment outcome, whereas recognizing which depressive symptoms may show delayed improvement will help clinicians to provide additional interventions early in treatment. In a prospective open-label fluoxetine study, we investigated the timing of depressive symptom improvement during acute treatment, and identified common remaining symptoms following 4, 8, and 12 weeks of acute treatment in depressed youths.

METHOD
A total of 168 children and adolescents, aged 7-18 years, with primary diagnoses of major depressive disorder (MDD) received 12 weeks of fluoxetine treatment. Youths were evaluated using the Kiddie Schedule for Affective Disorders and Schizophrenia. The outcome measure included the Children's Depression Rating Scale-Revised.

RESULTS
All depressive symptoms improved, particularly during the first 4 weeks of acute treatment. Forty-seven percent of remitters reported at least one residual symptom following 12 weeks, with most common residual symptoms being impaired school performance, insomnia, and irritability.

CONCLUSIONS
Residual symptoms are common, even among remitters, at the end of 12 weeks of acute treatment. There is a need for clinicians to monitor symptom improvement and potentially provide additional interventions for the more resistant symptoms, such as insomnia and school performance.


Observational data from a grazing Perendale flock collected between 1985 and 2002 were analysed to investigate whether there was any association between variation in pasture availability over the summer, as reflected in live weight at joining and/or liveweight change between weaning and the subsequent joining, in association with litters of different sizes and sex structure, and the sex ratio of lambs born during the following spring, under pastoral farming conditions. The flock was managed at Whatawhata Research Centre until 1997 and thereafter at Winchmore Research Station. Data for a total of 3,516 lambs were analysed. Between year variation and variation associated with all the assessed factors, was consistent with chance variation. The proportion of males born was not significantly different from 0.50. Ewe age was significant at Winchmore when adjusted for lambing year, and litter size in both the previous and current lambings and liveweight change of the dam between weaning and joining, with more males born to mature ewes. Three percent more male than female lambs died between birth and weaning at both locations. It is unlikely sheep farmers can consistently influence the sex ratio of their lamb crop through changes in their flock management procedures.


ABSTRACT Typicality has drawn considerable interest among academics and practitioners and has been employed by fashion companies seeking to increase consumer interest in 'basic' products. However, limited research on typicality focuses on apparel products, as most studies on this property have focused on other consumer products (e.g. chairs). Based on preference-for-prototype and categorisation theories, the purpose of this study was to investigate consumer perceptions of typicality as an aesthetic property of apparel products. This mixed-methods research identified the mental images consumers have as the prototypes of the apparel categories of pants, jackets, and shirts. This study contributes to the aesthetics, clothing and textiles, and product design literatures by offering insights into the aesthetic property of typicality from the perspective of the consumer. Findings guide apparel brands seeking to further incorporate the aesthetic concept of typicality into their product designs.


It was previously shown with concurrent measurements of gas exchange and carbon isotope discrimination that the reduction of ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase by an antisense gene construct in transgenic Flaveria bidentis (a C4 species) leads to reduced CO2 assimilation rates, increased bundle-sheath CO2 concentration, and leakiness (defined as the ratio of CO2 leakage to the rate of C4 acid decarboxylation; S. von Caemmerer, A. Millegate, G.D. Farquhar, R.T. Furbank [1997] Plant Physiol 113: 469–477). Increased leakiness in the transformants should result in an increased ATP requirement per mole of CO2 fixed and a change in the ATP-to-NADPH demand. To investigate this, we compared measurements of the quantum yield of photosystem I and II ([phi]PSI and [phi]PSII) with the quantum yield of CO2 fixation ([phi]CO2) in control and transgenic F. bidentis plants in various conditions. Both [phi]PSI/[phi]CO2 and [phi]PSII/[phi]CO2 increased with a decrease in ribulose-1,5-bisphosphate carboxylase/oxygenase content, confirming an increase in leakiness. In the wild type the ratio of [phi]PSI to [phi]PSII was constant at different irradiances but increased with irradiance in the transformants, suggesting that cyclic electron transport may be higher in the transformants. To evaluate the relative contribution of cyclic or linear electron transport to extra ATP generation, we developed a model that links leakiness, ATP/NADP requirements, and quantum yields. Despite some uncertainties in the light distribution between photosystem I and II, we conclude from the increase of [phi]PSII/[phi]CO2 in the transformants that cyclic electron transport is not solely responsible for ATP generation without NADPH production.


Molecular docking simulations were performed to examine the structural effects of organic cations on their sorption to organic matter. A set of benzylamine compounds was used to assess the sorption trends arising from the systematic structural differences between ring or nitrogen substituents. Binding simulations were performed using AutoDock 4.2 with Schulten's proposed soil organic matter as a representative organic matter structure. The calculated binding energies for the sorbate compounds correlated strongly with the measured sorption energies for Pahokee peat, indicating that the simulated binding energies and their associated sorbate orientations were representative of the experimental conditions. Graphical docking orientations showed primary, secondary, and tertiary aminium compounds to form hydrogen-bond interactions with deprotonated carboxylic acid groups in a pocket of the organic matter structure. Quaternary ammonium compounds formed pi-pi or cation-pi interactions with the aromatic groups elsewhere in the same organic matter pocket. Ring substituents showed no clear trends in sorption energies with the substituent group type for primary aminium compounds. Rather, substituent groups altered the simulated van der Waals, electrostatic, hydrogen-bond, and desolvation energy contributions to the overall sorption energies, in part because of the variations in docking orientations between compounds. Increasing methyl substitution of the aminium nitrogen group was associated with an increase in van der Waals energy contributions and a decrease in electrostatic energy contributions to the overall compound sorption energies because of aminium charge delocalization into methyl substituents and steric hindrance from methyl substituents to form specific interactions. The findings illustrate how molecular docking can be used to explore the effects of organic cation structure on sorption interactions with organic matter.


At the recent meeting 'Update on Cardiopulmonary Bypass' in Breckenridge, Colorado, it was apparent that deep hypothermic circulatory arrest is being used with increasing frequency for the management of atherosclerotic and dissecting aneurysms of the ascending aorta and arch in adults. It was also clear that the alpha-stat pH strategy is recommended by authorities in this area and is used by the majority of centers. The alpha-stat strategy is appropriate for normal flow cardiopulmonary bypass in adults because it reduces the microembolic load to the brain by more closely linking cerebral blood flow with cerebral oxygen requirements.1 However, cerebral blood flow has two functions for the patient undergoing deep hypothermic circulatory arrest. In addition to supplying oxygen and other substrates, cerebral blood flow is reduced by use of the alpha-stat strategy, the total duration of cooling must increase to compensate. In fact, the total volume of blood needed to cool the brain to the desired deep hypothermic temperature will be the same with either alpha-stat or pH-stat. However, there are other reasons why pHstat should be preferred.


A paradoxical combination of moral revulsion and resigned tolerance has permitted the sex industry's uncontrolled development in the underground economy and also impeded research on the phenomena involved. The gaze of researchers as well as government and non-governmental actors remains fixed on individual women who sell sex, while a range of other issues is neglected. In this article, ethnographic material from Spain illustrates how commercial sex is tangled up in culture, suggests a number of issues that open up once the field is defined as cultural and argues that efforts to propose new models of governance on 'prostitution' need the benefit of much more information than is now available.


Mobile WiMAX's scheduling service is a key factor in Radio Resource Management (RRM) in realizing Quality of Service (QoS). The choice in scheduling algorithm for Mobile WiMAX base stations, albeit outside of the scope of the standard, critically impacts the performance and robustness of Mobile WiMAX networks. This paper provides an in-depth study of four major scheduling algorithms: Round Robin (RR), Max CINR (MC), Fair Throughput (FT) and Proportional Fair (PF). Within the framework of Mobile WiMAX, we also discuss the implementation methodology and tradeoffs associated with these scheduling algorithms. Various Mobile WiMAX scenarios are simulated and analyzed using our Mobile WiMAX ns-2 model for performance throughput efficiency and resource allocation fairness.


This paper provides a summary of the key policies that encourage dedollarization. It focuses on cases in which the authorities' intention is to gain greater control of monetary policy and draws on the experiences of countries that have successfully dedollarized. Unlike previous work on the subject, this paper examines both macroeconomic stabilization policies and microeconomic measures, such as prudential regulation of the financial system. This study is also the first attempt to make extensive use of the foreign exchange regulation data reported in the IMF's Annual Report on Exchange Arrangements and Exchange Restrictions. The main conclusion is that durable dedollarization depends on a credible disinflation plan and specific microeconomic measures.


Botanical ingredients have been used for thousands of years in skincare for their convenience as well as the diversity and abundance in compounds with biological activity. Among these, polyphenols and especially flavonoids have gained increasing prominence due to their antioxidant and anti-inflammatory properties. In this study, the most used botanical preparations in anti-aging products marketed in 2011 were determined. The analysis was repeated in 2018 for new and reformulated products. The scientific evidence for their application as active ingredients in anti-aging cosmetics and their flavonoid content was also compiled by searching in online scientific databases. Overall, in 2018, there was a noticeable increase in the use of botanical preparations in anti-aging cosmetics. However, the top three botanical species in both years were Vitis vinifera, Butyrospermum parkii, and Glycine soja, which is consistent with the greater amount of scientific evidence supporting their efficacy. Regarding the function of botanical preparations, there is a clear preference for DNA-protecting ingredients. The most prevalent flavonoids were flavan-3-ols, proanthocyanidins, and anthocyanins. This study provided an updated overview of the market trends regarding the use of botanicals in anti-aging products and documented the state of the art of scientific evidence for the most used plants.


A series of Ni-based catalysts, including Ru/SiO2, Ni/SiO2 and Ru–Ni/SiO2, were prepared and employed in the hydrogenation of 3-hydroxypropanal (3-HPA) to 1,3-propanediol (1,3-PDO). The catalysts were systematically characterized by means of XRD, TEM, HRTEM, SEAD, XPS, H2-TPD, H2-TPR and N2-physisorption. It was indicated that the introduction of Ru onto the Ni/SiO2 not only increased the porosity of catalyst and the degree of dispersion of Ni species but also promoted the reduction of Ni2+ to Ni0 and the generation of active hydrogen species. The catalytic performance evaluation showed that the Ru–40Ni/SiO2 catalyst, among all others, could provide the largest yield of 1,3-PDO (above 99.0%) and highest TOF (4.70 × 103 S−1). The optimized reaction conditions over the Ru–40Ni/SiO2 catalyst had been established as follows: reaction temperature = 80 °C, H2 pressure = 2.0 MPa and LHSV = 0.4 h−1. In consideration of its extremely low H2 pressure and very high yield of 1,3-PDO for the hydrogenation of 3-HPA, to the best of our knowledge, the Ru–40Ni/SiO2 catalyst appeared to be the most efficient catalyst among all others reported in the literature. The good performance enabled the Ru–40Ni/SiO2 catalyst to be very promising in its industrial application.


The oil and gas industry generates vast amounts of data throughout its operations, from exploration to production. Collecting, connecting, and optimally utilizing this data is key to maximizing efficiency, accuracy, and access to new disruptive technologies.
 In a typical well-planning cycle, an engineer will spend significant amount of time looking for the data they require to do their jobs efficiently. The data are typically locked away in silos - trajectories in one data platform, Pore Pressure Gradient, Fracture Gradient or Targets in another, and so on.
 A major Middle Eastern NOC and Two Norwegian software service companies teamed up to develop Proof of Concept (PoC) for a new workflow that integrates subsurface and drilling data between on-premises Geology E&P software and Drilling software through a proprietary Python Tool plug-in and Python library. This integration enables a streamlined connection to a cloud-based drilling and well planning software, facilitating collaboration among teams involved in well planning. The project's key challenges are the lack of a standardized communication, integration, and automation of data flows between subsurface and drilling teams, as well as the inability of engineers to access necessary data due to scattered information and access restrictions. The project utilizes a proprietary data science suite, named Cegal's Prizm, which allows easy configuration to integrate data from various applications, sources, and platforms. A proprietary Python Tool is used to merge data from various application silos and data sources, enabling enriched investigation. The process involves connecting to the Geology E&P software retrieving domain objects using the proprietary Python Tool, and converting these domain data objects into common Python data structures. The project aims to develop an innovative workflow that provides easier access to data for experts throughout the organization, leading to better decision-making during the well-planning cycle. This not only makes it easier, but it also ensures collaboration between the G&G and Drilling teams involved in new well planning


Observation of many tangles supports a loop mechanism of entanglement in macroscopic systems. The untangling of an unknotted tangled cord gives curves resembling the behavior under constant stress of an uncrosslinked elastomer. Reinforcement as a function of filler loading has been calculated for a model system consisting of uniform spherical particles in an unknotted tangled matrix. These calculated curves show the maxima found in real systems. Reinforcement also increases with decreasing particle size. The effect on the entanglement of porous particles and particles forming surface attachments with the polymer have been considered. The maximum in the calculated reinforcement curve shifts toward higher filler loading with increasing surface activity. This shift is independent of particle size and suggests a method for assessing the relative effectiveness of different coupling agents.


In this paper, we adopt a unified viewpoint to represent local ridge orientation (LRO) and local ridge frequency (LRF) and extract important features (including cores, deltas, and minutiae) by using PGBF-based approach. Based on the continuity of ridge structures, a local fingerprint image is represented by a principal Gabor basis functions (PGBF) because PGBF only has large response values with similar LRO and LRF. Owing to the discontinuity of ridge structures, on the contrast, the positions of important points have small response values than their surroundings. Owing to the unified PGBF-based viewpoint, therefore, fewer steps are applied for important points extraction in fingerprint enrollment. To speed up the procedure of minutiae matching in fingerprint verification, besides, we propose a different procedure to directly check the positions of minutiae in gray-level fingerprint images from coarse level to fine level. So some time-consuming overall pixel-level computations are avoided, and then an efficient fingerprint matching is achieved.


This research aimed at developing 2 secondary students' EFL Listening skills through sheltered instruction. The participants of the research were sixty second year secondary graders at Mamdouh Bakheet Secondary School in Ashmoon. The participants were divided into two groups: experimental and control;30 students each, the experimental group were taught using a program based on sheltered instruction, while the participants of the control group received regular instruction in the first term of the school year (20202021). The instrument of the present research was an EFL listening skills test. The data obtained were statistically analyzed. The findings revealed that using the sheltered instruction-based program was effective in developing 2 secondary graders' EFL listening skills. It was recommended that sheltered instruction programs should be applied to be used to enhance secondary school graders listening skills.


The objective of this study is to analyze the polarization responses derived from the airborne sensor SAR R99-B data (L-band) in areas of primary forest, secondary successions and forest with timber exploitation and those under recovery after a burning. In addition, we perform an exploratory analysis of the scattering mechanisms of each forest typology using an alternative procedure for SAR image classification based on target decomposition. The study site is located in the Tapajós region, Pará State (Brazil). Polarization response graphs were obtained by plotting the normalized cross-section of the forest targets, on a three-dimensional surface plot as a function of the orientation and ellipticity angles. The resulting surfaces were visually compared and the configuration of each plot was analyzed with support of physiognomic-structural information collected during forest inventories. The distinction between single and multiple scattering mechanisms was done by the association of entropy and alpha angle values derived from target decomposition for each sample area. Some results can be mentioned: (a) compared to areas of secondary succession, primary forests tend to present polarization responses with a higher pedestal, indicating greater variability in terms of scattering mechanisms; (b) for all thematic classes investigated, the distribution of pixels in the entropy-alpha angle classification space was more frequent at zones 4, 5 and 6, indicating the predominance of scattering processes with medium entropy. This study improves the understanding of the interaction mechanisms between L-band SAR signals and structural parameters of tropical rainforest, supporting inventory and the monitoring of forest in the Amazon region.


Lipids are the building blocks of cellular membranes that function as barriers and in compartmentalization of cellular processes, and recently, as important intracellular signalling molecules. However, unlike proteins, lipids are small hydrophobic molecules that traffic primarily by poorly described nonvesicular routes, which are hypothesized to occur at membrane contact sites (MCSs). MCSs are regions where the endoplasmic reticulum (ER) makes direct physical contact with a partnering organelle, e.g., plasma membrane (PM). The ER portion of ER-PM MCSs is enriched in lipid-synthesizing enzymes, suggesting that lipid synthesis is directed to these sites and implying that MCSs are important for lipid traffic. Yeast is an ideal model to study ER-PM MCSs because of their abundance, with over 1000 contacts per cell, and their conserved nature in all eukaryotes. Uncovering the proteins that constitute MCSs is critical to understanding how lipids traffic is accomplished in cells, and how they act as signaling molecules. We have found that an ER called Scs2p localize to ER-PM MCSs and is important for their formation. We are focused on uncovering the molecular partners of Scs2p. Identification of protein complexes traditionally relies on first resolving purified protein samples by gel electrophoresis, followed by in-gel digestion of protein bands and analysis of peptides by mass spectrometry. This often limits the study to a small subset of proteins. Also, protein complexes are exposed to denaturing or non-physiological conditions during the procedure. To circumvent these problems, we have implemented a large-scale quantitative proteomics technique to extract unbiased and quantified data. We use stable isotope labeling with amino acids in cell culture (SILAC) to incorporate staple isotope nuclei in proteins in an untagged control strain. Equal volumes of tagged culture and untagged, SILAC-labeled culture are mixed together and lysed by grinding in liquid nitrogen. We then carry out an affinity purification procedure to pull down protein complexes. Finally, we precipitate the protein sample, which is ready for analysis by high-performance liquid chromatography/ tandem mass spectrometry. Most importantly, proteins in the control strain are labeled by the heavy isotope and will produce a mass/ charge shift that can be quantified against the unlabeled proteins in the bait strain. Therefore, contaminants, or unspecific binding can be easily eliminated. By using this approach, we have identified several novel proteins that localize to ER-PM MCSs. Here we present a detailed description of our approach.


The use of waste heat in many branches of industry is limited due to temperature in the range of 30 to 100oC. One of the methods of using waste heat are devices that implement the Organic Rankine Cycle (ORC). In currently used ORC systems, the heat source temperature is at least 80oC, while the low temperature heat source (usually atmospheric air) has a temperature of 30oC. The work analyzes the influence of the organic fluids properties on the performance of the proposed installation driven by the waste heat and working based on the ORC. The basic operation parameters in nominal conditions were determined for three selected natural refrigerants R290, R600a, R717 and one synthetic R245fa. The condensing temperature 30oC were defined as a nominal value. The research results compare how the generated electric power will change depending on the temperature difference between the temperature of the heat source and the temperature of evaporation. It turns out that for a device with finite dimensions, the maximum power is obtained for a specific evaporation temperature. And this is not the highest temperature that can be achieved. The highest evaporation temperature allows for the highest efficiency of the system, but not the maximum of capacity.


The increasing frequency and intensity of recent floods and their economic, social, and political impacts created a situation in Hungary where flood management strategies need urgent reconsideration. Research suggests that in the case of natural disasters of uncertain and changing character, public education, information, participation, and cooperation are particularly important tools for coping. Drawing on the data collected by two recent empirical studies, this paper investigates state-of-the-art public involvement in flood control activities in Hungary. Results of a questionnaire survey and a series of semistructured interviews conducted in three flood basins of the Tisza river indicate that although the highly centralized system of flood control, and especially its strong financial background, a characteristic of state socialism, has significantly weakened since the political transition, forms of public participation, which could reduce the risk by building on a more conscious and responsible attitude of the citizens, have not developed yet. Paternalist and elitist attitudes prevail on the part of the authorities, contributing to the passivity of the public. There are signs, however, that in certain places, local government leaders take responsibility for building communication networks to raise public awareness and mobilize the public more effectively.


Abstract: The mosaic pavements of Roman North Africa contain both African and Italian bird species, amongst others, but it was not possible to attribute pavements to mosaicists from either country on the basis of the avifauna depicted. Forty-one species of birds were recorded, the most commonly occurring being the Indian Peafowl Pavo cristatus, Barbary Partridge Alectoris barbara, Pheasant Phasianus colchicus and Mallard Anas platyrhynchos. Birds appear in a variety of ways: representing the seasons, game to be served to guests dining at a banquet, hunting including falconry and disguises, immortality and the gardens in paradise, myth, ritual as well as for decoration. Pavements containing birds spanned the first to the sixth centuries and have been found in twenty-nine locations in Tunisia. El Djem was the third century centre for birds in mosaics, shifting to Carthage and Thuburbo Majus in the fourth, then Tabarka in the fifth, with a notable decline in species diversity. The pavements preserve an ornithological treasure.


AbstractThis is a fragment from an interview with the free-spirited and non-conformist writer and cultural producer Patrick Mudekereza, who is the director of Waza, Centre d'art de Lubumbashi in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. The interview was part of a series of Statements for Europe inside the Imagine Europe: In Search of New Narratives project by the Centre for Fine Arts BOZAR. Mudekereza makes a strong statement about the position of Europe as a crossroads and proposes a scenario of decolonisation of the spirits in Europe. He emphasises that the relationship between oppressor and oppressed, in which only the oppressed must be liberated, is false and calls for 'moving forward together'.


ABSTRACT Urethral obstruction is a potentially fatal condition and in cases of recurrent obstruction or an identified cause that is refractory to medical management, a urethrostomy may be performed for definitive treatment. Perineal urethrostomy is the surgical creation of a permanent stoma in the wider pelvic urethra via anastomosis to the perineal skin. Diagnosis of the underlying cause of obstruction, proper perioperative treatment, and an understanding of the anatomy and surgical technique, are imperative to the success of this procedure. This review intends to highlight these aspects, as well as the common complications and expected prognosis to aid decision making in the management of these cases.


Compact transmitter and receiver modules with monolithic optoelectronic-integrated circuits, i.e., OEIC's, are demonstrated, and 400- and 800-Mbit/s transmission experiments are successfully carried out over up to 4 and 2 km, respectively, with these modules, for the first time. The design of the monolithic-integrated circuits and the compact module structure are presented. The soldering technique based on the use of YAG laser simplifies the packaging procedures, and an efficient and simple scheme for coupling between OEIC's and fibers make the OEIC modules compact. Both modules are attractive for applications in high data-rate communication systems, particularly in local area networks, CATV systems, and intra-office links.


Point-bar deposits occur ubiquitously within the lowest facies association of the Upper Permian Toolachee Formation (+500 ft thick). The association represents deposition in a moderate to high-sinuosity, mixed-load, fluvial channel system in which lateral bar deposits constitute major hydrocarbon sandstone reservoirs. Bars may be simple or punctuated in their upward-fining, vertical facies transitions, but heterolithic lateral accretion surfaces of upper point bars may occasionally be preserved in cores. Detailed facies studies of Association 1 in 17 cored wells reveal that pebbly thalweg lags locally include chaotic bank-collapse conglomerates. These basal point-bar deposits fine upward into cross-bedded sandstones. Ripple bedding is common in upper bar sequences. The bars are associated with a variety of abandonment fills, levees, and crevasse-splays, backswamp deposits, and autochthonous coals. Paleohydraulic studies of point bars in the Moomba field demonstrate an average bankfull depth of the Toolachee channels of 14 ft and bankfull width of 320 ft. Empirical relationships indicate a maximum meander loop diameter of 1,650 ft with meander belt width at 3,650 ft. These parameters allow an evaluation of reservoir geometry, storage potential, and permeability barriers. The latter, generated by clay-plug abandonment fills, can restrict fluid migration within the field and produce over-estimation of hydrocarbon reserves. Conversely, avulsive channel events may locally increase point-bar reservoir dimensions by partially, or totally, removing preexisting abandonment fills. End_of_Article - Last_Page 317------------


In this article, the strain and stress analyses of functionally graded plates with circular holes that are subject to a uniaxial far-field traction load are analytically considered. The Young's modulus is assumed to vary linearly along the radial direction around the hole. The adoption of such a type of inhomogeneity variation can be justified as follows. Firstly, and among all the possible variations of stiffness, the linear one is indeed the simplest inhomogeneity distribution. Surprisingly however, according to our knowledge extent, the associated elastic fields were not yet addressed in the literature. Secondly, a linearly varying stiffness could reasonably imply a remarkable advantage from a technological point of view. In fact, unlike nonlinearly varying stiffness plates, manufacturing routes are only required to handle constant variations throughout the radial domain. After recalling the basic equations for plane stress elasticity, the displacement, strain, and stress fields around the hole were numerically tackled and discussed for different stiffness ratios. A comparison was also carried out with other Young's modulus distributions that have been commonly employed in the literature.


The Affordable Care Act (ACA) introduced the "marketplace" — a portal for enrollment in both private and public health insurance coverage (e.g., Medicaid). Private coverage on the marketplace is purchased directly from insurance companies, and subsidies are available for those who meet income guidelines. Federal surveys, including the Current Population Survey (CPS), the Medical Expenditure Panel Survey (MEPS), and the National Health Interview Survey (NHIS), adapted their questions about health insurance for the new marketplace and added questions about subsidies. We evaluate whether the wording used in these different versions of the subsidy question yields equivalent estimates of subsidy receipt and levels of missing data. Differences in these measures could mean that subsidy estimates are sensitive to the question wording, which could affect inference about the effects of the ACA. We use data from experiments in the Health Reform Monitoring Survey (HRMS) in which adults were randomly assigned to one of three subsidy questions. Due to the many complexities of the marketplace, establishing the universe of those enrolled is an imprecise process. Thus, we employ a conservative method to identify respondents who report coverage that could be a private marketplace plan. Within this group, we examine reporting among various income subgroups that approximate eligibility for marketplace subsidies. The three questions yielded equivalent estimates of subsidy receipt and missing data overall and across all income groups examined. Findings suggest that although the wording of the subsidy question varies across surveys, the CPS/MEPS subsidy question yields results equivalent to the NHIS and the HRMS.


known models, Bremer's work fares remarkably well in its formulation and in its reportage. To be sure, it must be substantively updated-and work has been under way for some time. What is crucial, however, is that the global simulation/modeling thrust beyond the boundaries of economics not be lost in a barrage of criticism which fails to place Bremer's achievement within the larger context. The irony is that had Simulated Worlds been published sooner and received the attention it deserves, perhaps the global modeling field would have been forced to confront the sociological and political vacuum of their models sooner. Might then the world modelers have incorporated crucial facets in their work at earlier stages, yielding quite different insights into our collective futures?


Abstract The gross capital formation (GCF), which helps to gradually increase GDP itself, is financed by domestic savings (DS) in both developed and developing countries. Therefore, forecasting GCF is the key subject to the economists' decisions making. In this study, I use simple forecasting methods, namely dynamic relation model called "Autoregressive Distributed Lag Model (ARDL)", and complex methods such as Adaptive Neuro Fuzzy Inference System (ANFIS) method and ARIMA-ANFIS method to determine which method provides better out-of-sample forecasting performance. In addition, the contribution of this study is to show how important to use domestic savings in forecasting GCF. On the other hand, ANFIS and hybrid ARIMA-ANFIS methods are comparatively new, and no GCF modeling using ANFIS and ARIMA-ANFIS was attempted until recently to the best of my knowledge. In addition, Autoregressive Integrated Moving Average (ARIMA) method and Vector Autoregressive (VAR) model serve as benchmarks, allowing for fair competing for the study.


Objective
To evaluate the performance, safety, and precision of the Yuanhua robotic-assisted total knee arthroplasty system (YUANHUA-TKA) through animal experiments, which will provide reference data for human clinical trials.

Methods
Six 18-month-old goats, weighing 30-35 kg, were used in this study. The experimental study was divided into two parts: the preoperative planning and intraoperative bone resection. CT scans of the goats' lower extremities were firstly performed before the experiments. Then the CT scans were segmented to generate the femoral and tibial three-dimensional (3D) models in the YUANHUA-TKA system. The volumes and angles of each resection plane on the femur and tibia were planned. The bone resection was finally implemented under the assistance of the YUANHUA-TKA system. After completing all bone resections, the lower extremities of each goat were taken to have CT scans. By comparing the femoral and tibial 3D models before and after the experiments, the actual bone resection volumes and angles were calculated and compared with the preoperative values.

Results
During the experiments, no abnormal bleeding was found; the YUANHUA-TKA system ran smoothly and stably and was able to stop moving and keep the osteotomy in the safe zone all the time. After the experiment, the resection planes were observed immediately and found to be quite flat. There was no significant difference between the planned and actual osteotomy thickness and osteotomy angle ( P>0.05); the error of the osteotomy thickness was less than 1 mm, and the error of the osteotomy angle was less than 2°.

Conclusion
The YUANHUA-TKA system can assist the surgeons to perform osteotomy following the planned thickness and angle values. It is expected to assist surgeons to implement more accurate and efficient osteotomy in the future clinical applications.


TO THE EDITOR: Li and colleagues analysed avoidable hospitalisation rates for Aboriginal and non-Aboriginal people in the Northern Territory, examined trends over time, and assessed "the implications for future primary care interventions". Their study results confirmed that Aboriginal Australians in the NT experience significantly higher rates of avoidable hospitalisations than non-Aboriginal people. They also report a widening gap between avoidable hospitalisation rates of Aboriginal and nonAboriginal people during the study period, 1998–99 to 2005–06. Avoidable hospitalisation rates are used nationally and internationally as an indicator of primary health care effectiveness and accessibility. However, debate continues about which conditions to include as "avoidable", and the potential for errors in allocating and coding the primary diagnosis. Furthermore, serious methodological issues remain regarding the use of avoidable hospitalisation rates as an indicator of primary health care effectiveness and accessibility. The outcome measure "avoidable hospitalisation" is affected by more than just primary health care. This is acknowledged by Li et al, who identify other factors that affect hospitalisation, including disease prevalence and severity, and geographical remoteness. If these factors are not controlled for, it is not possible to attribute differences in hospital admissions to differences in quality of primary care. This would only be possible if Indigenous and non-Indigenous populations were similar in health status and residential location (and other important respects). Aboriginal people in the NT experience far higher rates of diabetes than non-Aboriginal Australians and the age of onset is far younger. For example, there is a 10% prevalence of diabetes in Aboriginal people aged 25–34 years residing in remote areas of the NT. This is 19.5 times the rate of diabetes in a sample of the Australian population of the same age (which will be close to the nonIndigenous rate in the NT), using data from the AusDiab study. This young Aboriginal population is also 18 times more likely to have multiple chronic conditions than the AusDiab group of the same age. Hospitalisation rates of a population with this health profile should be high, particularly if the primary care system is performing well. Even though Li and colleagues recognise the complexity of measuring primary health care effectiveness and access, they still attribute higher rates of avoidable hospitalisations to Aboriginal people's lack of access to effective primary care. This simply cannot be deduced from their analysis, as it fails to adjust for the high and increasing incidence, prevalence and severity of chronic diseases in the NT Aboriginal population compared with the non-Aboriginal population. This type of misinterpretation of data is serious, given the potential policy implications. We agree that the research question is important, but it warrants a sophisticated analysis that properly adjusts for the most important confounders.


Modern teaching is characterized by interaction, communication and participation. It is believed that an interactive class must incorporate participation in order to assure learner centered teaching and better results. Brainstorming is one of the popular techniques of participative approach to decision making which can be employed in a pedagogic situation as well. The present study is of exploratory type. It uses descriptive approach of research, however questionnaires have been used to elicit primary data from the concerned samples. The findings show that brainstorming is a useful technique of teaching which catches attention of both the teachers and learners.


Pseudopeptide analogues of the delta opioid antagonists H-Tyr-Tic-Phe-Phe-OH (TIPP) and H-Tyr-Tic-Phe-OH (TIP) containing a reduced peptide bond between the Tic2 and Phe3 residues were synthesized. The two compounds, H-Tyr-Tic psi [CH2NH]Phe-Phe-OH (TIPP [psi]) and H-Tyr-Tic psi-[CH2NH]Phe-OH (TIP [psi]), were tested in mu-, delta-, and kappa-receptor-selective binding assays and in the guinea pig ileum (GPI) and mouse vas deferens (MVD) bioassays. In comparison with their respective parent peptides, both pseudopeptide analogues showed increased delta antagonist potency in the MVD assay, higher delta receptor affinity and further improved delta receptor selectivity. The more potent compound, TIPP [psi], displayed subnanomolar delta receptor affinity and in direct comparisons with other selective delta ligands was shown to have unprecedented delta specificity (Ki mu/Ki delta = 10,500). Furthermore, this compound turned out to be highly stable against enzymatic degradation and, unlike other delta antagonists, showed no mu or kappa antagonist properties. TIPP [psi] is likely to find wide use as a pharmacological tool in opioid research.


Research on situational (SI) and patterned behavior description interviews (PBDI) reveals that both interview formats have demonstrated predictive validity. However, if the best qualified applicants fake during the interview, the predictive validity of the SI and PBDI as a selection device may be undermined for this portion of the applicant pool. Therefore, the present study assessed 1) the fakability of SI and PBDI questions, 2) the fakability of questions for common job factors, and 3) why applicants fake in the interview. In a repeated measures design, 37 actual job candidates for the mechanic position participated by completing social desirability and motivational test-taking scales following the interview (i.e., comprised of SI and PBDI questions). The results indicated that overall, candidates consistently scored higher on SI questions than on PBDI questions, especially on "weak" factors (i.e., interpersonal skills, autonomy, depehdability) versus "strong" factors (i.e., technical expertise). Overall, correlations between the SI scores and the social desirability and motivational scales neither


Abstract The paper analyses the constraints related to optical tracking of an HMD with a single commercial binocular stereoscopic optical tracking system and offers an overview of different factors affecting the best active fiducial set-up and marker geometries for reliable tracking with a focus on the rotational accuracy of a marker. Two IR diode models with different emission characteristics were tested as active fiducials and the results were compared to localization accuracy of passive fiducials. In terms of preferable marker geometry, it was found that the area enclosed by the fiducials should be maximized. Thus, due to geometrical constraints, very small marker geometries may not be stable or feasible entirely. Rotational accuracy was analysed for cases when the marker was not directly facing the tracking device and it was found that rotation about one axis introduced errors to the determined orientation in space related to the other axes as well.


Objective
To investigate the protective effect of Jinkui Shenqi Pills (JSP) against cyclophosphamide-induced testis injury (TI) and its anti-oxidation mechanism in mice.

METHODS
Thirty male mice were equally divided into a blank control, a TI model control and a JSP treatment group. The mice in the JSP treatment group were treated intragastrically with JSP and the blank controls with normal saline at 1.2 g/kg qd for 7 days, and then the animals in both the TI model control and JSP treatment groups were injected intraperitoneally with cyclophosphamide at 50 mg/kg, once a week, for 35 days, to induce testis injury. After modeling, all the mice were weighed and sacrificed, followed by detection of the serum T content, measurement of the testis weight, examination of semen parameters in the caudad epididymis, and determination of the levels of super oxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in the testis tissue and the expressions of relevant genes by qRT-PCR.

RESULTS
The mice of the TI model control group, compared with the blank controls, showed significant decreases in the body weight ([34.63 ± 1.92] vs [48.32 ± 1.64] g, P<0.05), testis weight ([80.00 ± 3.90] vs [140.00 ± 6.10] mg, P<0.05), testicular organ coefficient ([0.22 ± 0.01] vs [0.31 ±0.03]%, P<0.05), sperm motility ([48.66 ± 8.08]% vs [89.33 ± 4.04]%, P<0.05), sperm concentration ([28.42 ± 5.26] vs [77.67 ± 8.73] ×10⁶/ml, P<0.05), and levels of serum T ([8.75 ± 0.96] vs [21.75 ± 1.71] pg/ml, P<0.05) and SOD ([140.82 ± 10.08] vs [358.52 ± 40.41] U/mg prot, P<0.05), but remarkable increases in the sperm deformity rate ([37.33 ± 2.08] vs [15.33±1.53]%, P<0.05) and MDA level ([54.89±6.09] vs [30.21±2.17] nmol/ng prot, P<0.05). The mice of the JSP treatment group, in comparison with the TI model controls, exhibited markedly increased body weight ([39.80±2.89] vs [34.63±1.92]g, P<0.05), testis weight ([130.00 ± 11.00] vs [80.00 ± 3.90] mg, P<0.05), testicular organ coefficient ([0.28 ± 0.01] vs [0.22 ± 0.01]%, P<0.05), sperm motility ([76.00 ± 5.29]% vs [48.66 ± 8.08]%, P<0.05), sperm concentration ([56.08 ± 4.29] vs [28.42 ± 5.26] ×10⁶/ml, P<0.05), and levels of serum T ([15.50 ± 1.29] vs [8.75 ± 0.96] pg/ml, P<0.05) and SOD ([206.59 ± 16.38] vs [140.82 ± 10.08] U/mg prot, P<0.05), but decreased sperm deformity rate ([25.01 ± 2.99]% vs [37.33 ± 2.08]%, P<0.05) and MDA level ([35.84 ± 3.61] vs [54.89 ± 6.09] nmol/ng prot, P<0.05). The mRNA expressions of NOQ-1, Nrf2 and HO-1 in the testis tissue were significantly lower and that of Caspase-3 remarkably higher in the TI model control than in the blank control group (P<0.05), while those of Nrf2 and HO-1 significantly higher and that of Caspase-3 markedly lower in the JSP treatment group than in the TI model controls (P<0.05). Histopathological images displayed reduced layers of spermatogenic cells in the seminiferous tubules, complete exfoliation of the spermatogenic cells in some of the tubules and decreased number of sperm cells in the TI model controls, which were all found normal in the JSP treatment group.

CONCLUSIONS
Jinkui Shenqi Pills can effectively inhibit cyclophosphamide-induced testis injury, which may be related to its effect of regulating the gene expression of the Nrf2 signaling pathway and enhancing the activity of antioxidant enzymes.


Power & signal multiplex transmission (P&SMT) is a technique that uses power electronic circuits for communication signal transmission. In this paper, a three-phase cascaded multilevel inverter-based P&S MT system is proposed. The proposed method can transmit communication signals without using a Controller Area Network bus, thereby reducing the wiring cost of the conventional electric vehicle (EV) communication system. The designed system can achieve motor speed regulation and battery balance discharging for EVs. With the combined pulse width modulation scheme and frequency shift keying method, both power and communication signals are transmitted successfully in a simulation model implemented in Matlab/Simulink. By evaluating the bit error rate of the transmitted signal, the maximum signal rate of the proposed system is determined as 600 bit/s.


It is widely acknowledged that it is important to teach a variety of technological skills to pre-service teachers so that they not only feel comfortable using the technology themselves but so that they can teach technology and thus the associated skills to their future students. This paper reports on the mapping of individual courses that make up the School of Education programs at one Australian university. Results are interesting as anecdotal conversations with staff suggest that more technology is being taught than is reported in the course profiles. The results suggest that there are some positives in the teaching of technology in the current education courses and that the technology being taught should be made explicit with the students so that the students are told what technology they will be both using and learning.


Increasing myocardial contractility has long been considered a big help for patients with systolic heart failure, conferring an augmented haemodynamic profile in terms of higher cardiac output, lower cardiac filling pressure and better organ perfusion. Though concerns have been raised over the safety issues regarding the clinical trials of different inotropes in hearts with systolic dysfunction, they still stand as a main therapeutic strategy in many centres dealing with such patients. They must be used as short in duration, low in dose and stopped as early as possible. Evidence-based guidelines have provided clinicians with valuable data for better applying inotropes in heart failure patients. In this paper, the authors address clinical trials with different agents used for increasing cardiac contractility in heart failure patients. Furthermore, the authors focus on recent guidelines on making the most out of inotropes in heart failure patients.


Abstract In this paper the pressure field during the early development of turbulent vortex rings at two Reynolds numbers is determined using temporally resolved two-dimensional and stereoscopic particle image velocimetry (PIV). The pressure gradient terms are obtained by solving the incompressible Euler equation so that the drag coefficients of the vortex rings can be evaluated. Maxworthy (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 64, 1974, pp. 227–239) and Glezer & Coles (J. Fluid Mech., vol. 211, 1990, pp. 243–283) each developed models to describe the long-term physics of turbulent vortex rings: the former developed a semi-empirical model which permits loss of impulse via the shedding of vorticity into the wake whereas the latter developed a similarity model based on invariance of the hydrodynamic impulse. Maxworthy's model implies that a significant correction to the similarity solution is required to account for the drag on the vortex ring bubble. We show that during the early development of the turbulent vortex rings the drag is very small and the similarity scaling can basically be retained.


This paper proposes a general procedure to analyse high-dimensional spatio-temporal count data, with special emphasis on relative risks estimation in cancer epidemiology. Model fitting is carried out using integrated nested Laplace approximations over a partition of the spatio-temporal domain. This is a simple idea that works very well in this context as the models are defined to borrow strength locally in space and time, providing reliable risk estimates. Parallel and distributed strategies are proposed to speed up computations in a setting where Bayesian model fitting is generally prohibitively time-consuming and even unfeasible. We evaluate the whole procedure in a simulation study with a twofold objective: to estimate risks accurately and to detect extreme risk areas while avoiding false positives/negatives. We show that our method outperforms classical global models. A real data analysis comparing the global models and the new procedure is also presented.


This study established the contribution effect of the input-output model in studying the interconnectedness of industries in Nigeria's economy, with the aim of channelling resources and policy framework to building industries with strong backward and forward linkages that can spur and stimulate industrial growth. The data was sourced from the NBS database of production statistics, labour statistics, and foreign trade statistics, as well as administrative, enterprise, and household surveys. The entire productive sector was aggregated into thirteen sectors with similar features and according to international industrial standard classification. The table constructed shows that the coefficient values have changed over the years since the last review. There are indications of slight positive changes in innovation, technology, and business activities that have sprouted up over the years. Furthermore, there were no negative values in the entire production matrix. The results of the impact analysis show that electricity and water have a strong production linkage and their positive impacts cut across income, value-added, and with a relatively lower impact on job creation from direct, indirect, and induced effects. It is undeniably one of the economy's major driving sectors, while agriculture, lodging and food service, transportation and storage, professional, arts, administrative, and public sectors (labour-intensive sectors) are at the forefront of employment and income generation. The manufacturing industry contributes less to per capita income and employment. This is a signal that the nation is still lacking behind in terms of industrial development, which is the key or bedrock of development and employment generation in developed nations of the world.


Striatal cholinergic interneurons were recorded from a rat slice preparation. Synaptic potentials evoked by intrastriatal stimulation revealed three distinct components: a glutamatergic EPSP, a GABAA-mediated depolarizing potential, and an acetylcholine (ACh)-mediated IPSP. The responses to group II metabotropic glutamate (mGlu) receptor activation were investigated on the isolated components of the synaptic potentials. Each pharmacologically isolated component was reversibly reduced by bath-applied LY379268 and ((2S,1′R,2′R,3′R)-2-(2,3-dicarboxylcyclopropyl)-glycine, group II agonists. In an attempt to define the relevance of group II mGlu receptor activation on cholinergic transmission, we focused on the inhibitory effect on the IPSP, which was mimicked and occluded by ω-agatoxin IVA (ω-Aga-IVA), suggesting a modulation on P-type high-voltage-activated calcium channels. Spontaneous calcium-dependent plateau-potentials (PPs) were recorded with cesium-filled electrodes plus tetraethylammonium and TTX in the perfusing solution, and measurements of intracellular calcium [Ca2+]i changes were obtained simultaneously. PPs and the concomitant [Ca2+]i elevations were significantly reduced in amplitude and duration by LY379268. The mGlu-mediated inhibitory effect on PPs was mimicked by ω-Aga-IVA, suggesting an involvement of P-type channels. Moreover, electrically induced ACh release from striatal slices was reduced by mGlu2 receptor agonists and occluded by ω-Aga-IVA in a dose-dependent manner. Finally, double-labeling experiments combining mGlu2 receptor in situ hybridization and choline acetyltransferase immunocytochemistry revealed a strong mGlu2 receptor labeling on cholinergic interneurons, whereas single-label isotopic in situ hybridization for mGlu3 receptors did not show any labeling in these large striatal interneurons. These results suggest that the mGlu2 receptor-mediated modulatory action on cell excitability would tune striatal ACh release, representing an interesting target for pharmacological intervention in basal ganglia disorders.


Introduction: Physical education (PE) can contribute to total daily physical activity (PA) among children. In consequence, the Spanish Ministry of Education, Culture and Sport has developed 16 teaching units focused on increasing PA levels during PE lessons, called Unidades Didácticas Activas (UDA; Active Teaching Units). Objectives: The goal of this study was to compare whether children participating in UDA lessons spent more time in moderate-to-vigorous physical activity (MVPA) than children participating in traditional lessons. Design: Quasi-experimental design. Methods: A total of 355 children (8–9 years old, 53.9% boys) from 7 schools in Granada participated in the study. Students were divided into two groups: a traditional PE group (n = 204) and a UDA group (n = 151). Time spent in MVPA was assessed using tri-axial accelerometers. Results: Time spent in MVPA was higher in the group engaged in the UDA lessons compared to the group that received traditional lessons (13.6 vs 15.2 minutes, p = .021, Standard Error = 0.27). The percentage of children who met international MVPA recommendations was similar for both groups (UDAs: 12.7% and traditional: 13.2%, p = .504). Conclusions: UDA lessons and their methodology favoured greater participation in MVPA compared to a traditional PE approach. It will be important to change PE methodology (including duration, frequency and focus) to achieve MVPA goals.


Software evolution often leads to the degradation of software design quality. In Object-Oriented (OO) systems, this often results in packages that are hard to understand and maintain, as they group together heterogeneous classes with unrelated responsibilities. In such cases, state-of-the-art re-modularization tools solve the problem by proposing a new organization of the existing classes into packages. However, as indicated by recent empirical studies, such approaches require changing thousands of lines of code to implement the new recommended modularization. In this demo, we present the implementation of an Extract Package refactoring approach in ARIES (Automated Refactoring In EclipSe), a tool supporting refactoring operations in Eclipse. Unlike state-of-the-art approaches, ARIES automatically identifies and removes single low-cohesive packages from software systems, which represent localized design flaws in the package organization, with the aim to incrementally improve the overall quality of the software modularisation.


This study evaluated the impact of revenue base on social assets creation in selected local governments in Cross River State, Nigeria. The ex-post facto research design was used as a blueprint for collecting data. Data obtained from these local governments covering 1996 to 2010 was analyzed using the Ordinary Least Squares. The study revealed that revenue base has a significant impact on the creation of social assets. However, internally generated revenue which is a stable revenue source has been neglected due to over-dependence on statutory allocation from the federation account. Furthermore, the inability of state government to pay ten per cent (10%) of its internally generated revenue to Councils as statutorily required, coupled with fallouts of the operation of the State Local Government Joint Allocation Account (JAAC) has further impaired the capacity of Councils to create social assets. It is therefore expedient that local governments are encouraged to expand their internally generated revenue bases to aid planning and execution of social infrastructure. Legal constraints by way of the operation of the local government joint allocation account as well as failure of states to discharge their financial obligation to local governments equally need to be addressed.


Background The main symptoms of COPD are dyspnoe, cough and phlegm production. GOLD 2014 recommends to include carbocystein as a mucoregulative drug in treatment patients with severe COPD. Carbocystein (CS)is a mucolytic drug, which reduces the viscosity of sputum. Undoubtedly it can be useful for elimination of dust particles and relieving the symptoms of COPD caused by gas, vapors and toxic agents. In this study we compared basis therapy (BT) alone and use of CS as addition to BT in order to evaluate the combined effect in patients with light to moderate COPD, still working in dusty trades.

Methods 46 patients with light to moderate COPD, who used LABA and muscarinic receptor antagonist, were submitted to medical examination, questionnaire (SWORD), MRC and CAT score scales and dynamics of sputum expectoration, spirography (measuring FVC, FEV1, FEV1/FVC) before and after the addition therapy with CS (2,7 mg per day) during 30 days. 20 patients received BT alone.

Results There were no dynamic of CAT score in BT group but 29 patients (63%) in CS group move from moderate to low impact by CAT score. About 20% (9 patients) move from MRC1 to MRC0 group after 30 days with CS therapy. In CS group we observed positive dynamic of FEV, but it was no statistically significant. Also we note positive dynamics of FEV1/FVC ratio at the end of 20 days with CS in 13% (6 patients). 14 patients (30.4%) fell reduction in the intensity of coughing and improvement expectoration of phlegm.

Conclusion Our data suggest that Carbocystein is rather effective in improving expectoration of sputum and reducing of cough intensity in patients with light to moderate COPD due to work-related dust particles.


ABSTRACT The National Science Foundation (NSF) and the National Institutes of Health (NIH) have established separate administrative mechanisms for investigation and adjudication of alleged research misconduct. This report compares research misconduct at NSF and NIH and the possible effects of their respective methods of investigation and adjudication. Notable and paradoxical findings were identified: NIH supported four times the number of grants as NSF, yet NSF reviewed 2.5 times the number of research misconduct reports. NSF faculty were two-times more likely to be found guilty (88%) than faculty at NIH (42%). 83.6% of NSF offenders were guilty of plagiarism, vs. 4.8% at NIH. NSF trainees made up 6% of the guilty, vs. 42% at NIH. These findings are most likely related to the nature of their respective sciences, scientists, and the nature of their publications. Investigative policies and procedures are quite similar at these two agencies with the exception of the subpoena power available to the NSF's Office of the Inspector General (OIG) where it would be infrequently utilized in investigations of its predominant offense, plagiarism. However, it could prove useful if made available to the NIH Office of Research Integrity (ORI) for investigations of fabrication/falsification, its most common offense. Federal criteria for prosecution should be modified to increase the likelihood of prosecution of serious offenders referred by ORI.


The purpose of this research was to evaluate the nutritional status and the nutrients intake of hypertensive outpatients, aged 18 to 74 years old, from the Hospital das Clínicas – Universidade Federal de Pernambuco, Brazil. The sample, chosen at random, consisted of 156 individuals of both sexes (51 males and 105 females). The analyses showed a high prevalence of patients (73.1%) with weight above average and among them the hypertension was significantly associated with obesity (Body Mass Index ≥ 30 Kg/h2) and overweight (Body Mass Index ≥ 25 and < 30 Kg/h2) but not with centrally deposited body fat. Regarding the nutrients intake, the 62 | P.C. CABRAL et al. Rev. Nutr., Campinas, 16(1):61-71, jan./mar., 2003 Revista de Nutrição findings of this survey revealed a low caloric consumption that can not explain the high prevalence of overweight and obesity. In general, the average daily intake of nutrients was adequate, except for calcium. However, the daily consumption of sodium was very high, 270 and 260 mEq for men and women, respectively.


A technique for deriving the time cost of parallel computations is presented. The technique is based on reducing the given parallel computation into a sequential one and then applying one of the available techniques developed for sequential computations to derive the required time cost. The reduction process is done by replacing each parallel structure in the given computation with a single operation node whose time cost equals the time cost of the structure. Five categories of parallel structures are identified and the time cost of each is estimated. The technique is then written in an algorithmic form.<<ETX>>


We conduct an electron magnetohydrodynamics magnetic reconnection experiment with guide-field in our Keda linear magnetized plasma device, in which two pulsed currents with the same direction are conducted in parallel with the axial direction of the main chamber of the device using two long aluminum sticks. After approximately , an X-type magnetic field line topology is formed at the center of the chamber. With the formation of the X-type topology of magnetic field lines, we can also find the rapid increase of the current and ratio of the common flux to the private flux in this area. Additionally, a reduction in the plasma density and the plasma density concentration along one pair of separatrices can also be found.


Summary Carabids and other epigeal arthropods make important contributions to biodiversity, food webs and biocontrol of invertebrate pests and weeds. Pitfall trapping is widely used for sampling carabid populations, but this technique yields biased estimates of abundance ('activity‐density') because individual activity – which is affected by climatic factors – affects the rate of catch. To date, the impact of temperature on pitfall catches, while suspected to be large, has not been quantified, and no method is available to account for it. This lack of knowledge and the unavailability of a method for bias correction affect the confidence that can be placed on results of ecological field studies based on pitfall data. Here, we develop a simple model for the effect of temperature, assuming a constant proportional change in the rate of catch per °C change in temperature, r, consistent with an exponential Q10 response to temperature. We fit this model to 38 time series of pitfall catches and accompanying temperature records from the literature, using first differences and other detrending methods to account for seasonality. We use meta‐analysis to assess consistency of the estimated parameter r among studies. The mean rate of increase in total catch across data sets was 0·0863 ± 0·0058 per °C of maximum temperature and 0·0497 ± 0·0107 per °C of minimum temperature. Multiple regression analyses of 19 data sets showed that temperature is the key climatic variable affecting total catch. Relationships between temperature and catch were also identified at species level. Correction for temperature bias had substantial effects on seasonal trends of carabid catches. Synthesis and Applications. The effect of temperature on pitfall catches is shown here to be substantial and worthy of consideration when interpreting results of pitfall trapping. The exponential model can be used both for effect estimation and for bias correction of observed data. Correcting for temperature‐related trapping bias is straightforward and enables population estimates to be more comparable. It may thus improve data interpretation in ecological, conservation and monitoring studies, and assist in better management and conservation of habitats and ecosystem services. Nevertheless, field ecologists should remain vigilant for other sources of bias.


A fertile technique, for increasing single-user throughput while keeping a constraint on the light pulsewidth, is proposed for spectral-amplitude-coding optical code-division multiple-access (SAC-OCDMA) systems. In this technique, two-level M-ary overlapping pulse-position modulation (M-OPPM) scheme is adopted and each user is assigned two orthogonal code sequences to represent these two levels. The code sequences are selected from a minimum cross-correlation code set. The bit error rate (BER) of the proposed system is derived, taking into account the effects of phase-induced intensity noise, shot noise, and thermal noise in addition to the multiple-access interference. The BER performance of this system is compared to other systems adopting M-PPM and OOK schemes under same pulsewidth constraints. Our results reveal that, while keeping the BER well below a prescribed threshold, the proposed M -OPPM SAC-OCDMA system achieves higher transmission rate as compared to both M-PPM and OOK SAC-OCDMA systems under same constraints. Specifically the transmission rate of a single user of the proposed system can be increased by about 34.44% as compared to traditional systems.


Gas concentration tracings were obtained with a mass spectrometer by sampling in the left lower lobe bronchus of open-chested dogs ventilated by a plethysmograph. Partial bronchial obstruction and/or arterial obstruction could be produced by tightening clamps on the bronchus and the branch of the pulmonary artery supplying the lobe. Characteristic patterns of oxygen, carbon dioxide and argon concentration (following a single inspiration of an argon-air mixture) were found with partial bronchial obstruction, arterial obstruction and a combination of both. The patterns were explained by alterations in the ventilation-perfusion ratio and in the phase of ventilation of the obstructed lobe. By relating the tracing taken during mixed obstruction to the pressure cycle of the plethysmograph, some mechanical properties of the obstructed lobe were derived.

Submitted on September 3, 1958


In the final project paper we consider a graph parameter called readability. Motivation for readability comes from bioinformatics applications. Graphs arising in problems related to genome sequencing are of small readability, which motivates the study of graphs of small readability. We present an algorithm due to Braga and Meidanis, which shows that every digraph is isomorphic to the overlap graph of some set of strings. An upper bound on readability is derived from the algorithm. The readability parameter can also be defined for bipartite graphs; in the final project paper special emphasis is given to the bipartite model. The complexity of computing the readability of a given digraph (or of a given bipartite graph) is unknown. A way for the exact computation of readability is presented using Integer Linear Programming. We also present two approaches for computing upper and lower bounds for readability due to Chikhi at al. Finally, the readability is computed exactly for toroidal and two-dimensional grid graphs and a polynomial time algorithm for constructing an optimal overlap labeling of a given two-dimensional or toroidal grid graph is presented.