Introduction: Within the Delusional Misidentification Syndrome (DMS) the Capgras syndrome and its variants show high prevalence. It is clinically characterized by the delusional belief that someone close , very well known, usually a close relative or a family member, has been replaced by an impostor with extreme physical appearance. Literature review: In Capgras syndrome are found morphological changes quite varied. In almost all cases there are bilateral cortical atrophy, predominantly in the right hemisphere, especially in the frontal, parietal and temporal. And some studies like Ramachandran et al. found the presence of enlargement of the ventricles, especially of the right ventricle. Ramachandran and Hirstein propose that the Capgras syndrome (CS) is given by the disconnect between the ventral visual processing pathways in the inferior temporal lobe and the limbic system, particularly the amygdala. In another words, the patient has the ability intact or even exaggerated to remember individual episodes, but cannot make a lasting connection, creating a common denominator between them1. CS may also be associated  - occur by - with overactive dopaminergic.  Josephs (2007) describes the case of two patients who developed CS immediately after methamphetamine abuse, suggesting that this syndrome may be related to dopamine dysregulation - the drug causes loss the dopamine transporter. It would also explain the high association with CS and dementia with Lewy bodies, in which there is loss of dopamine transporters at the expense of neuronal loss. Conclusion: The presence of changes in brain morphology and physiology for the emergence of the syndrome is undeniable, which explains the high prevalence of the disorder in degenerative diseases. Since its first description by Capgras and Reboul-Lachaux in 1923, many theories have been overturned, and now more studies are needed to confirm what happens in the brain to its appearance.


The research that has been conducted on 04 September - 16 October 2014 Teaching Farm for the fermentation process that continued into the Nutrition and Food Science Laboratory at Faculty of Animal Science Mataram University, aimed at analyzing the process of in-vitro dry matter and organic matter digestibility of cocoa pod husk (CPH). The study was designed based on completely randomized design with a unidirectional pattern 3 treatments and 3 replications. T1 (Control: CPH + rice bran + urea without fermenter), T2 (CPH + rice bran + urea + rumen fluid), and P3 (CPH + rice bran + urea + bioplus). The results show the value of in-vitro dry matter digestibility of P1, P2 and P3 as 49.33%, 54.55% and 59.25% respectively, while the value of in-vitro organic matter digestibility as 59.93%, 64.10% and 69.12% respectively. The results showed that the value of in-vitro dry matter digestibility of silage CFS fermented with additional fermenters rumen fluid had non significant (P> 0.05) compared to controls and bioplus, where as treatment with bioplus significant (P 0.05) to the value of the organic matter digestibility. It can be concluded that the process of fermentation with rumen fluid and bioplus able to improve skin quality cocoa pods.


Nine pregnant mares were orally infected with sporulated T. gondii oocysts. Three additional, pregnant, uninfected mares were used as control. T. gondii were found in the placenta, retina, esophagus, liver, diaphragm, brain, spinal cord, skeletal muscles, heart, lung and tongue of newborn foals from experimentally infected mares. The finding of T. gondii in the foals reinforced the hupothesis of transplacentary transmission of this protozoa in equines.


The Doppler beam-swinging (DBS) and the spaced antenna (SA) techniques for radar wind measurement are compared on theoretical and practical grounds. It is shown that the information content is similar for both techniques and that errors introduced by horizontal variations of the vertical wind field affect both equivalently. A radar equation for a bistatic radar with close transmitting and receiving antennas is derived, and it is shown that the backscattered power is proportional to an equivalent area. The equivalent area is equal to the antennas' physical area for a monostatic radar and is twice the area of the smallest antenna in the limit of one antenna being much larger than the other. Other factors affecting the techniques' sensitivity and accuracy are discussed. VHF radars operating at about 50 MHz should give similar sensitivity using both techniques, but for UHF wind profilers the DBS method is preferable.


. We report the discovery of a transient and fading hard X-ray emission in the BATSE lightcurves of a sample of short γ -ray bursts. We have summed each of the four channel BATSE light curves of 76 short bursts to uncover the average overall temporal and spectral evolution of a possible transient signal following the prompt flux. We found an excess emission peaking (cid:24) 30 s after the prompt one, detectable for (cid:25) 100 s. The soft power-law spectrum and the time-evolution of this transient signal suggest that it is produced by the deceleration of a relativistic expanding source, as predicted by the afterglow model.


Detailed characteristics of photoinduced surface deposition (PSD) of metallic Ag have been studied using Ag‐As‐S bulk glasses to reveal the mechanism. The composition dependence of PSD in the AgxAs60−xS40 (25≤x≤45) system shows that the photosensitivity decreases with a decrease in the Ag content and becomes negligible at x≂25. All the related crystalline materials hardly exhibit the PSD, even if the Ag content is greater than 45 at. %. The size of photodeposited Ag particles and the number per unit area depend on the Ag content and illumination conditions (light intensity, photon energy, and temperature). The PSD phenomenon is induced by light with photon energy higher than the optical band gap, and the photosensitivity shows a maximum at room temperature. PSD can be suppressed by coating over the surface with thin Au film. From these results and other observations it can be suggested that the PSD phenomenon is characteristic of thermodynamically unstable glasses containing excess Ag+ ions and is a kind ...


The rigorous critical state criteria based on Helmholtz free energy is used with equations of state for direct calculation of critical properties(T_c,P_c and V_c)of 44 binary and 5 ternary systems.Special at- tention is paid to systems containing polar component(s)and the improvement in critical volume prediction. For extending this method to polar systems,the recently developed Cubic Chain-of-Rotators equation of state has been applied.As compared with SRK and PR equations of state,the improvement in V_c pre- diction is most impressive.


Background: Critical thinking has been identified as a skill that many nursing students struggle with. Concept mapping is one teaching method that has been purported to enhance critical thinking. Aim: To interpret and synthesize the evidence related to the use of concept mapping as a method of developing critical thinking in nursing students and novice nurses, and to present an overview of methodological and reporting aspects of the studies. The goal of this meta-analysis was to determine the magnitude of the effect concept mapping has on critical thinking skills in order to guide our profession in how we teach student nurses. Methods: A search of Web of Science, PubMED, Cochrane Library and EBSCOhost, which includes Academic Search Complete, CINAHL, ERIC, MEDLINE, and PsycINFO databases was performed. The criteria used for inclusion for this thesis were articles published in English, from peer-reviewed journals, participants were registered nurses or nursing students, and quantitative primary studies published since 2002. Four full text peer-reviewed articles were reviewed independently by two researchers. Data were extracted based on the inclusion criteria. A quantitative meta-analysis was conducted with Review Manager 5.3 software. Results: Four journal articles published between 2003 and 2014 that reported results from controlled intervention quantitative studies were included in the analysis. The results were not conclusive and did not provide statistically significant evidence in support of concept mapping affecting critical thinking skills in nursing students and novice nurses. Conclusion: This study does not support the application of concept maps as a teaching and learning strategy to promote the development of critical thinking skills in nurses. Further studies and data collection is suggested using a nurse specific measurement tool for critical thinking skills and a larger sample size.


Change in the production of a crop at household levels has to date been directly associated with increase in the size of cultivated land. Given that land size can not be augmented by way of land transfer because of the existing land policy. land also given that there is low level of technological application, efforts targeting increase in the production of a crop require land transfer from other crops, making aggregate changes in crop production both at the household and at the national level following incentive changes to be small.A vector auto regression model was fitted, using macro data, to investigate interrelationships between producer prices and size of cultivated land under grains. The findings from the impulse response functions suggested that perturbations in cultivated land do cause chain reactions in producer prices but the reverse was found to be true only for area under cereals. Variance decomposition also attributed higher percentage of variation in areas to come as a result of own innovations. But sizable proportion of variations in producer prices will partly be explained by variations in areas and the remaining higher proportion by their own past. Forecast values were also computed for areas and producer prices. The results showed that both continue to decline in the same direction in the years to come as they have already attained their turning points in the year 1995/96.


Background: Replacing tooth lost caused by caries, periodontal disease, trauma and neoplasm including ameloblastoma which requires mandibular resection is important. Purpose : The aim of the study to rehabilitation of post mandibular resection with combination of hollow obturator and hybrid prosthesis. Case: A patient 25 years old, male, for having prosthesis to cover defect due to post right mandibular resection. Case Management: In this presented case, mandibular plate was applied due to spreading defect with losing almost a half body of mandible (class II modification 2 according to cantor and curtis classification). The design of therapy was mandibular obturator using hybrid prosthesis (removable partial denture metal frame and fixed splint crown with precision attachment) with hollow obturator. The application was based on several advantages: good aesthetic performance, retention, stability, lighter weight and equal share of vertical load for teeth on non surgical site. The result of control I, II, III, showed that aesthetic performance, masticatory function, speech and swallowing were in good condition. Conclusion: The design of mandibular obturator using hybrid denture with hollow obturator could rehabilitate aesthetic performance, masticatory function, speech and swallowing for patient with post mandibular resection.


These last years, many systems for handwriting recognition were developped. Because of the variability of writing the elastic approachs such Hidden Markov Models, DTW, Markov Random Fields, that can deal with local deformations become very popular. These approach are based on local observations which ones are given by features extraction, and more recently by global models as Neural Networks. SVM and NN are efficient to recognize patterns with small deformations. In the case of words recognition the major difficulty is to deal with the length variability of images. A Recurrent NN was used [cite SENIOR] to overcome this problem but deals with a local context, loosing a part of the power of NN, and gives some difficults to label the frames in the learning step.


The pregnane X receptor (PXR) is a nuclear receptor involved in the transcriptional regulation of drug-metabolizing enzymes and transporters. In mammals, many xenobiotics induce the expression of cytochrome P4503A (CYP3A) and the multiple drug resistance 1 (MDR1) genes via the PXR pathway. Little attention has been given to studies about the identification and biological function of PXR homologues in non-mammalian species. Zebrafish is being widely used and accepted as model for toxicological and pharmacological studies to understand the mechanisms of human diseases and identify conserved signaling pathways. The aim of this study was to evaluate the in vivo expression of PXR, CYP3A and MDR1 genes in liver of zebrafish treated with the synthetic steroid pregnenolone 16α-carboninitrile (PCN), the antimycotic clotrimazole (CTZ) and the drug nifedipine (NIF). Group of fish (n=5 each group) were exposed to PCN, CTZ and NIF (20 mg.Kg) for 48 hours. The livers were excised and the total RNA was extracted (n=15 each group). From the cDNA, specific primers were used for PCR to amplify sequences corresponding to PXR, CYP3A, MDR1 and β-ACTINA. Liver of fish treated with PCN showed a 1.9-fold induction in the PXR followed by 1.8-fold induction in the CYP3A and 1.6-fold induction in the MDR1 mRNA. CTZ and NIF did not affect statistically the expression of PXR, CYP3A and MDR1. The similar pattern of mRNA expression of PXR, CYP3A and MDR1 genes found in fish treated with different PXR inducers suggests that the intrinsic association between these three genes is conserved in zebrafish.


Research Report submitted to the University of the Witwatersrand, School of
Governance in fulfillment of the requirements for the degree of Masters in Management
in Public and Development Management (50% Research)


The aim . This article is devoted to the intensification of the production process of a thick extract of milk thistle fruits using ultrasonic processing of raw materials. Materials and methods. As an object of the study, the crushed milk thistle fruitss from Penza "Biokor" company were used. As the extractant, an aqueous solution of ethanol 70% vol. was used. For ultrasonic processing of plant materials and extractant, the installation "Bandelin SONOPULS HD 3200" was used, the ultrasound frequency was 20 kHz, the radiator power was 280 W, and the temperature was 25°С. The concentration of the extract was performed using a rotary evaporator RV-10 at the temperature of 60°C and a vacuum of 600–650 Mmhg to a residual moisture content of 25%. Qualitative and quantitative analysis of the thick extract was carried out using spectrophotometry and chromatography. Quantitative analysis of the amount of flavolignans was performed on an SF-56 spectrophotometer. The separation of the flavolignan complex and the quantification of silibinin was performed on a liquid chromatograph "Agilent Technologies 1200 Infinity". Results and discussion . During the study it was found out, that processing of the crushed milk thistle fruits by ultrasound at the soaking stage almost doubles the output of the flavoligan complex from medicinal plant materials. The maximum amount of flavolignans is extracted when the fruits of milk thistle and extractant are processed with ultrasound at the frequency of 20 kHz for 5 minutes. Thus the obtained thick extract of milk thistle fruits in the component composition contains both the target flavolignan complex (87.39%, silibinin – 24.36%), providing the hepatoprotective effect, and flavonoids – chlorogenic acid (1.69%) and dihydroquercetin (10.92%) exhibiting antioxidant activity. It was established that, according to the qualitative composition of flavolignans, the obtained thick extract corresponds to preparations based on milk thistle. Thus, for the first time, the method was proposed for obtaining a thick extract of milk thistle fruits using ultrasonic processing of raw materials and extractant at the soaking stage. The obtained thick extract is proposed to be used as an active pharmaceutical substance for the production of granules based on methionine and milk thistle flavolignans. Conclusion . The results of the experiments allow us to recommend obtaining a thick extract of the milk thistle fruits, using the stage of ultrasonic processing of raw materials and extractant for 5 minutes at the ultrasound frequency of 20 kHz.


We analyze economic perspectives of forest adaptation to risk attributes, caused mostly by climate change. We construct a database with 89 systematically chosen articles, dealing simultaneously with climate, adaptation, risk and economy. We classify the database with regard to 18 variables bearing on the characteristics of the paper, the description of the risk and the adaptation strategy, the topic and the corresponding results. To achieve a "high level-of-evidence", we realize a multiple correspondence analysis (MCA) to identify which variables were found in combination with one other in the literature and make distinct groupings affecting adaptive decisions. We identify three groups: (i) profit and production; (ii) microeconomic risk-handling; and (iii) decision and behavior. The first group includes economic costs and benefits as the driver of adaptation and prioritizes simulation, and a mix of theoretical and empirical economic approach. The second group distinctly involves risk-related issues, in particular its management by adaptation. The third group gathers a large set of social and behavioral variables affecting management decisions collected through questionnaires. Such an approach allows the identification of gaps in the literature, concerning the impact of owners' preferences towards risk and uncertainty regarding adaptation decisions, the fact that adaptation was often reduced in an attempt to adapt to the increasing risk of wildfire, or the existence of a regional bias.


This paper presents a blind spectral two-way watermarking framework for 3-D models with parametric information. We introduce a spectral geometric watermarking technique based on Dirichlet Manifold Harmonic Transform to alter the geometric shape, while the spectral basis functions are computed from the parametric mesh as the analysis domain. This new geometric method embeds watermarks into small surface patches without introducing discontinuity across the patch boundary, while at the same time is robust against various spatial attacks. By manipulating part of the geometric shape on the intermediate model instead of the original model, this method gains robustness against connectivity changing and cropping attacks. By combining the new geometric method with the existing texture method into the two-way watermarking framework, we can withstand various attacks applied to either geometric mesh or parametric information. Theoretical analysis and experiments show that this new geometric method is robust against the majority of attacks and the two-way watermarking framework helps achieve better robustness.


Migration patterns in Kenya in general differentially affect fertility levels patterns and behaviour. For economically dynamic areas out-migration and the associated spousal separation and differential sex ratios seem to be associated with falling fertility though migration is not the only or even the principal factor involved. In lagging and peripheral areas by contrast the demographic effect of migration seems to promote high fertility by undermining some critical factors of fertility determinants and behaviour. Examples from Africa in general and Kenya in particular are invoked to examine and explain this important association between migration and fertility. Furthermore the paper incorporates the geography of economic and social development to help understand the relationship between migration and fertility. (authors)


Following the theory developed by Ting, analytical expression of contact radius for an advancing contact is derived. For receding phase, contact radius is numerically obtained. Contact pressures for increasing and decreasing contacts are derived as a sum of two terms: the first is a Hertz-type pressure and the second term gives infinite pressure at the edge of the contact. Theoretical results are compared with the experimental data.Copyright © 2005 by ASME


Background: to evaluate the real-life performance of direct microscopy techniques and ELISA serology for schistosomiasis screening in a high-risk population in a non-endemic setting. Methods: a retrospective cohort study was conducted in two out-patient Tropical Medicine units in Barcelona (Spain) from 2014 to 2017. Asymptomatic adults arriving from the Sub-Saharan region were included. Schistosomiasis screening was conducted according to clinical practice following a different strategy in each setting: A) feces and urine direct examination plus S. mansoni serology if non-explained eosinophilia was present, B) S.mansoni serology plus uroparasitological examination at second-step in case of a positive serology. Demographic, clinical and laboratory features were collected. Schistosomiasis cases, clinical management and 24 months follow-up were recorded for each group.Results: Four-hundred forty individuals were included: 399 in group A, 41 in group B. The majority of the cohort were male (250, 56.4%), mainly from West African countries. No differences in sex distribution (p=0.57), age (p=0.6) and baseline eosinophilia (p=0.17) were found between both groups. Fifty schistosomiasis cases were detected (11.5% group A vs 4 % group B, p=0.733). When both microscopic and serological techniques were performed, discordant results were recorded in 18.2% (16/88)). Eosinophilia was present in 50% cases. Schistosomiasis cases were younger (p<0.001) and presented more frequently eosinophilia and elevated IgE (p<0.001). Pathological ultrasound was described in 33.3% of examinations performed (4 out of 12). Conclusions: Similar results were achieved by serology and microscopy techniques -based strategies. Serology might be prioritized for schistosomiasis screening of asymptomatic adults from endemic areas, regardless peripheric eosinophil count or IgE levels.


Background: We previously reported the utility of open muscle biopsies in diagnosing vasculitis [1]. The number of open muscle biopsies performed at our department has increased to over 200. The purpose of the present study was to evaluate the diagnostic utility of vasculitis and the safety of the open muscle biopsies. Objectives: To clarify the diagnostic utility of vasculitis and the safety profile of the open muscle biopsy. Methods: We retrospectively examined all cases of open muscle biopsy performed between May 2012 and June 2018 in our department. The biopsy results, the presence or absence of adverse events, and blood test data at the time of the biopsy were extracted from the patients' electronic medical records. Results: Between May 2012 and June 2018, 210 open muscle biopsies were performed, 120 of which were done for vasculitis diagnosis. Diagnostic histopathological findings were obtained in 42 of the 120 cases (35%). The definitive diagnosis in these cases was microscopic polyangiitis (30 cases), eosinophilic granulomatosis with polyangiitis (seven cases), granulomatosis with polyangiitis (one case), polyarteritis nodosa (three cases), and other vasculitis (one case). In 57 cases with myeloperoxidase-anti-neutrophil cytoplasmic antibody (MPO-ANCA) ≥ 10 U/ml, 31 cases (54.3%) showed histopathology of vasculitis. In six cases with protainase-3-ANCA (PR3-ANCA) ≥ 10 U/ml, histopathology of vasculitis was found in one case (16.7%). In all 210 open muscle biopsy cases, complications included minor wound dehiscence (11 cases) and small subcutaneous hematoma (six cases), which were able to be managed by local treatment. Albumin was significantly lower in the patients with wound dehiscence (mean 3.2 vs 2.7, p = 0.049) Serious complications included anaphylaxis due to local anesthesia (one case), compartment syndrome due to hematoma (one case), hematoma requiring surgical removal (one case), and arterial hemorrhage requiring surgical intervention (one case). The patients in the latter three hemorrhagic cases were receiving antiplatelet drugs. Conclusion: An open muscle biopsy is useful for diagnosing vasculitis, especially for MPO-ANCA-positive anca-associated vasculitis. Its safety profile is acceptable. Serious adverse events are rare, but the procedure should be performed carefully when patients are receiving antiplatelet drugs. References: [1]Nunokawa T. et al. The use of muscle biopsy in the diagnosis of systemic vasculitis affecting small to medium-sized vessels: A prospective evaluation in Japan. Scand. J. Rheumatol. 2016;45:210–214 Disclosure of Interests: None declared


As Facial Expression Recognition (FER) systems become integrated into our daily lives, these systems need to prioritise making fair decisions instead of aiming at higher individual accuracy scores. Ranging from surveillance systems to diagnosing mental and emotional health conditions of individuals, these systems need to balance the accuracy vs fairness trade-off to make decisions that do not unjustly discriminate against specific under-represented demographic groups. Identifying bias as a critical problem in facial analysis systems, different methods have been proposed that aim to mitigate bias both at data and algorithmic levels. In this work, we propose the novel usage of Continual Learning (CL), in particular, using Domain-Incremental Learning (Domain-IL) settings, as a potent bias mitigation method to enhance the fairness of FER systems while guarding against biases arising from skewed data distributions. We compare different non-CL-based and CL-based methods for their classification accuracy and fairness scores on expression recognition and Action Unit (AU) detection tasks using two popular benchmarks, the RAF-DB and BP4D datasets, respectively. Our experimental results show that CL-based methods, on average, outperform other popular bias mitigation techniques on both accuracy and fairness metrics.


Logistic regression is widely used in decision problems to classify inputs through training from the previously known training data. In this paper, we propose an approach to detecting similar versions of software by learning with logistic regression on binary opcode information. Because the binary opcode information has detailed information for executing software on an individual machine, the learning from the binary opcode information can provide effective information in detecting similar versions of software. To evaluate the proposed approach, we experiment with two Java applications. The experimental results showed that the proposed logistic regression model can accurately detect similar versions of software after learning from training data. The proposed logistic regression model is expected to be applied in applications for comparing and detecting similar versions of software.


Glycopolypeptides (GPs) were synthesized by ring-opening polymerization of glycosylated N-carboxyanhydride monomer and attached to hydrophobic dendrons at one chain end by "click" reaction to obtain amphiphilic anisotropic macromolecules. We show that by varying polypeptide chain length and dendron generation, an organogel was obtained in dimethylsulfoxide, while nanorods and micellar aggregates were observed in aqueous solutions. Assemblies in water were characterized by electron microscopy and dye encapsulation. Secondary structure of the GP chain was shown to affect the morphology, whereas the chain length of the poly(ethylene glycol) linker between the GP and dendron did not alter rod-like assemblies. Bioactive surface chemistry of these assemblies displaying carbohydrate groups was demonstrated by interaction of mannose-functionalized nanorods with ConA.


The goal of this work, Social aspects of training of military specialists' theoretical and practical part is to compare different policies for effective education in the theoretical part. Practical part: How is secured training of military specialists in the facilities of the Army of the Czech Republic. The theoretical part includes the principles of effective training and education of employees in organizations, of course, is based on the opinions of education for the entire company. In the practical part I want to focus on quantitative research on the process of training military specialists, which determines how good or poor education process in the army. I will focus on the education of military firefighting specialists in practice.


While the benefits of shared note-taking during live lectures have been studied, the effects of shared note-taking in e-learning environments merit examination since such courses often feature asynchronous video lectures, allowing students to work together to construct notes over longer periods of time. A study (n=92) was conducted in the context of a flipped scientific writing course at a Korean university to investigate the effects of collaborative online note-taking on student learning. Students in the course were divided into two groups: members of the control were simply directed to view course videos and take notes individually, and members of the experimental group were asked to take collaborative notes in a shared online document. Student learning performance was measured through six online quizzes related to the course video lectures and through six related individual writing assignments. No differences were found in the learning outcomes of the control and the collaborative note-taking groups. However, significantly higher scores on related online quizzes and individual writing assignments were found in groups who took notes actively and for individuals who were major contributors to the group notes.


On behalf of the Microscopy Society of America, the Microanalysis Society, and the International Metallographic Society, we welcome you to the Microscopy & Microanalysis 2013 meeting and its associated Exhibition in Indianapolis, IN. Once again this year, the meeting promises to be the premier opportunity in our field to learn, to connect, and to experience all the latest innovations in the world of microscopy and microanalysis.


A number of concerns now cluster around the study of globalization in business. Attempts to theorise and explain the diverse phenomena associated with globalization have tended to concentrate on financial changes and global markets. In the HRM/IR field, these attempts leave out some of the central variables of the subject area: most notably the actors in the field, their behaviour and the reshaping of their institutions. This paper suggests that a broader, socially based theory of globalization is necessary to explain and predict the processes and events surrounding the employment relationship. Using the main elements of Giddens' four dimensional theory of globalization, the paper traces a number of social links and relationships between transitions taking place in and around the employment relationship. It concludes that the use of such a multi-dimensional model of globalization greatly increases understanding of the interaction between globalization and the constituent elements of the employment relationship.


This paper aims to review the fairness of carriers" incentive schemes at Gwangyang port in 2010 and to show the desirable incentive allocation rules using the proportional and egalitarian rules under cooperative game theory. The carriers" incentive schemes at Gwangyang port in 2010 did not meet the no-envy and the efficiency, and satisfy the symmetry axiom. According to the research findings, the equal surplus method satisfies the axioms of equity, efficiency, symmetry, and progressivity. However, the uniform losses method meets the axioms of equity, efficiency, symmetry, and regressivity. We use a single allocation criterion of the total throughput to show the regressivity and the symmetry principles into the incentive scheme instead of using multiple criteria such as total throughput, increased volume, and coastal volume. The uniform losses method based on the total throughput can distribute the incentive amount according to the intent of the incentive schemes. Hence, we need to establish a rationing system to allocate reasonably the total amount of different types of incentives, avoiding the temptation to adjust the volume shipped between the ports of carriers considering the efficiency of allocation.


Box C/D snoRNAs are known to guide site-specific ribose methylation of ribosomal RNA. Here, we demonstrate a novel and unexpected role for box C/D snoRNAs in guiding 18S rRNA acetylation in yeast. Our results demonstrate, for the first time, that the acetylation of two cytosine residues in 18S rRNA catalyzed by Kre33 is guided by two orphan box C/D snoRNAs–snR4 and snR45 –not known to be involved in methylation in yeast. We identified Kre33 binding sites on these snoRNAs as well as on the 18S rRNA, and demonstrate that both snR4 and snR45 establish extended bipartite complementarity around the cytosines targeted for acetylation, similar to pseudouridylation pocket formation by the H/ACA snoRNPs. We show that base pairing between these snoRNAs and 18S rRNA requires the putative helicase activity of Kre33, which is also needed to aid early pre-rRNA processing. Compared to yeast, the number of orphan box C/D snoRNAs in higher eukaryotes is much larger and we hypothesize that several of these may be involved in base-modifications.


In Japan, three major bodies have conducted external quality surveillance of medical laboratory performance: the Japan Medical Association, the Japan Association of Medical Technologists, and the Japan Society of Registered Medical Laboratories. Although these systems are working very well to elevate the quality of laboratory tests, each has adopted its own surveillance system with little communication. All of these surveillance systems have problems in the evaluation of laboratory proficiency. Thus, the 3 bodies should be unified first to establish an efficient National External Quality Assurance Scheme. New IT technology should also be introduced into the system in the future.


The efficacy of connective tissue explants is difficult to determine, particularly where autopsy material is required for research or clinical applications. We report here an optimised protocol using 5-chloromethylfluorescein diacetate (CMFDA) and ethidium homodimer-1 to distinguish viable and non-viable cells in a range of connective tissue explants. Biopsies and explants of corneae, arteries, cartilage and skin were loaded with fluoroprobes for extended periods (< or = 24h) at low temperatures (4 degrees C), fixed in paraformaldehyde, and processed using a variety of embedding, sectioning, autoradiographic, and immunohistochemical procedures. Detection of fluorescent green CMFDA and red ethidium homodimer was achieved using epi-illuminated light or dual channel confocal microscopy, and clearly differentiated live from dead cells throughout the explants. Furthermore, the intracellular distribution of CMFDA provided superior images of cell shape and morphology not previously available using conventional histochemical techniques. Adaptations of this protocol could prove valuable in a variety of research and clinical applications.


Balanced homodyne detection has been introduced as a reliable technique of reconstructing the quantum state of a single photon Fock state, which is based on coupling the single photon state and a strong coherent local oscillator in a beam splitter and detecting the field quadrature at the output ports separately. The main challenge associated with a tomographic characterization of the single photon state is mode matching between the single photon state and the local oscillator. Utilizing the heralded single photon generated by the spontaneous parametric process, the multi-mode theoretical model of quantum interference between the single photon state and the coherent state in the fiber beam splitter is established. Moreover, the analytical expressions of the temporal-mode matching coefficient and interference visibility and relationship between the two parameters are shown. In the experimental scheme, the interference visibility under various temporal-mode matching coefficients is demonstrated, which is almost accordant with the theoretical value. Our work explores the principle of temporal-mode matching between the single photon state and the coherent photon state, originated from a local oscillator, and could provide guidance for designing the high-performance balanced homodyne detection system.


The hospitality businesses are increasingly using the interactive technologies to promote their services and to engage with online prospects. Therefore, this study explores the hospitality executives' stance toward the acceptance and use of social media for marketing purposes. The methodology relied on valid and reliable measures, including; the Technology Acceptance Model's 'perceived usefulness' and 'ease of use' of technology, as well as the Theory of Planned Behavior's 'social influences' and 'behavioral intention'. Moreover, it adapted other constructs that were previously used to measure 'interactive engagement' and 'pace of technological innovation'. The research model investigated whether these constructs had a significant effect on the participants' intention to use social media for interactive engagement. The results have supported the scales' content validity and the structural equations modeling approach has reported a satisfactory fit for this study's research model. The findings indicated that there were highly significant, direct and indirect effects from the exogenous variables, particularly from the perceived usefulness and social influences that were predicting the hospitality owner-managers' behavioral intentions to use social media. The individuals' utilitarian motives to use the social media were clearly evidenced as they perceived the usefulness of the social media. They also indicated that they were influenced by their colleagues or competitors. Notwithstanding, there were significant influences from the demographic variables, including age, gender and experiences that moderated these relationships. This research model has integrated previously tried and tested measures relating to the acceptance and use of technology. In sum, this study reported that the younger, female respondents were more likely to use the social media to engage with online prospects, when compared with their older counterparts. In conclusion, this contribution identifies its limitations and suggests possible research avenues to academia.


Hampson, K, Cleaveland, S, et al. (2011). Evaluation of cost-effective strategies for rabies post-exposure vaccination in low-income countries Hampson et al 2011 Verma R, Khanna P, Prinja S, Rajput M. (2011). Intra-dermal administration of rabies vaccines in developing countries: At an affordable cost. Human Vaccines 7:792 - 794; PMID: 21734465 http://www.landesbioscience.com/journals/vaccines/article/15410/?nocache=2098527414


Posttransplantation lymphoproliferative disorders (PT-LPDs) represent a heterogeneous group of Epstein-Barr virus-associated lymphoid proliferations that arise in immunosuppressed transplant recipients. Some of these lesions regress after a reduction in immunosuppressive therapy, whereas some progress despite aggressive therapy. Morphological, immunophenotypic, and immunogenotypic criteria have not been useful in predicting clinical outcome. Although structural alterations in oncogenes and/or tumor suppressor genes identified in some PT-LPDs correlate with a poor clinical outcome, the presence of these alterations has not been a consistently useful predictor of lesion regression after reduction of immunosuppression. We examined 57 PT-LPD lesions obtained from 36 solid organ transplant recipients for the presence of mutations in the BCL-6 proto-oncogene using single-strand conformation polymorphism and sequence analysis, followed by correlation with histopathologic classification and clinical outcome, which was known in 33 patients. BCL-6 gene mutations were identified in 44% of the specimens and in 44% of the patients; none were identified in the cases classified as plasmacytic hyperplasia. However, mutations were present in 43% of the polymorphic lesions and 90% of the PT-LPDs diagnosed as non-Hodgkin's lymphoma or multiple myeloma. BCL-6 gene mutations predicted shorter survival and refractoriness to reduced immunosuppression and/or surgical excision. Our results suggest that the BCL-6 gene structure is a reliable indicator for the division of PT-LPDs into the biological categories of hyperplasia and malignant lymphoma, of which only the former can regress on immune reconstitution. The presence of BCL-6 gene mutations may be a useful clinical marker to determine whether reduction in immunosuppression should be attempted or more aggressive therapy should be instituted.


We present a genome assembly from an individual male Adalia bipunctata (the two-spot ladybird; Arthropoda; Insecta; Coleoptera; Coccinellidae). The genome sequence is 475 megabases in span. Most of the assembly (94.87%) is scaffolded into 11 chromosomal pseudomolecules, with the X and Y sex chromosomes assembled. The complete mitochondrial genome was also assembled and is 21.2 kilobases in length. Gene annotation of this assembly in Ensembl identified 13,611 protein coding genes.


The appropriate application method was specified using integrative soil and leafy application of NPK fertilizers to sandy soil by studying their effects on growth and yield components, contents of some osmoprotectants, antioxidants and nutrients in hot pepper plant "Top Star Hybrid". A pot experiment was created with five NPK application treatments. The integrative treatment of "50% of NPK added to the soil + 50% of NPK added as foliar spray" was the best comparing with other integrative ones [e.g., "100% of NPK added to the soil + foliar spray with distilled water (control)", "75% of NPK added to the soil + 25% of NPK added as foliar spray", "25% of NPK added to the soil + 75% of NPK added as foliar spray", and "NPK fertilizers have not been added to the soil + 100% of NPK added as foliar spray"]. This best treatment significantly increased the components of growth (leaf area plant ‒1 , shoot fresh and dry weights) and yield (number of fruits plant ‒1 , average fruit weight, and fruits weight plant ‒1 ), and the contents of soluble sugars, free proline, and nutrients (N, P, and K), while significantly reduced the contents of ascorbate and glutathione compared to other integrative treatments, including the control. The integrative treatment of "75% of NPK added to the soil + 25% of NPK added as foliar spray" was occupied the second order with respect to all tested parameters. The obtained results recommend the integrative treatment of "50% of NPK added to the soil + 50% of NPK added as foliar spray" for sandy soil to minimize nutrient loss and for higher growth and yield of hot pepper plants.


Objectives:It has been demonstrated that nitric oxide (NO) serves as an inter- and intra-cellular messenger in the brain. NO has been implicated in the regulation of monoaminergic neurotransmission and the neuronal growth and synaptogenesis. Recently, NO has been suggested to be involved in the pathogenesis of depression. The aim of this study was to investigate the involvement of NO in the underlying mechanisms of biological vulnerability to depression. Methods:The author measured locomotor activities and postnatal behavioral changes in the forced swimming test (FST) in rats that were exposed prenatally to Nω-nitro-L-arginine, a NO synthase (NOS) inhibitor. It was also investigated that paroxetine, a selective serotonin reuptake inhibitor, may affect the behavioral changes in the FST. Results:Locomotor activities were significantly diminished, and the immobility times in the FST were significantly prolonged in the rats that were exposed prenatally to NOS inhibitor compared with controls. Pretreatment with paroxetine blocked the prolongation of the immobility times in the FST. Conclusion:The results indicate that postnatal behavioral changes due to prenatal exposure to NOS inhibitor in rats may suggest an animal model of endogenous depression, and that the glutamate-NMDA-NO pathway may be involved in the pathophysiology of depression. It is also indicated that the action of NO may, in part, be affected by serotonergic mechanism. This implicates that the glutamate-NMDA-NO pathway may lead to a novel approach to the treatment of depression. (J Korean Neuropsychiatr Assoc 2007;46(5):512-517)


"ISN'T there a new way to just dissolve these gallstones?" With an estimated 15 million Americans harboring gallstones, it is likely this question is asked thousands of times every day in doctors' offices and hospitals across the land. In a word, the answer to the question is yes . But a single word is not enough; a proper answer requires an explanation, and for most patients the conclusion may appear to contradict the answer. Gallstones have been with us for centuries. In recent years, there has been a resurgence of interest in this ancient disease, stimulated by newer biochemical knowledge of how gallstones come to be. In the past, the gallbladder was thought to be at fault because that's where the stones accumulate and because the wall of the stone-laden gallbladder is often acutely or chronically inflamed and sometimes deeply scarred. Now we think the blame must be laid elsewhere, at


Modern urban infrastructure needs a comprehensive and integrated information science and technology. Global Position System (GPS), Geographic Information System (GIS), Digital Photogrammetry and Remote Sensing (RS) and other spatial information technologies are it's core techniques. Products of digital photogrammetry and remote sensing are its basic information resource. The key tasks of modern urban infrastructure are urban planning and management, city modeling and constructing digital city. Urban planners and administrators use UGIS and RS Technologies both as a spatial database and an analysis and modeling tool. This paper presents the use of UGIS in the urban planning and management, and the application of 4D and relevant technologies for modern urban infrastructure. Firstly, the contents of modern urban infrastructure are introduced. Some advanced technologies such as 3D city model and cybercity with virtual reality (VR) environment for UGIS are outlined. Secondly, traditional urban planning and management bases on 2D. Problems during the existing planning process arise because of lack of 3D functionalities to analyze and visualize the 2D/3D data. However, 4D techniques are information of resources of creating and analyzing 3D city model. Three dimensional digital urban model and cybercity constructed using DEM, DOM and associate techniques are present. Thirdly, an example of application of integration of UGIS and digital photogrammetry and remote sensing in urban transportation is explored. Finally, some conclusions are made.


Background and Objectives: Chronic kidney disease (CKD) is a common health problem in Bangladesh. Etiological factors of CKD are very vital for management but largely unknown in our setting. Hence, the main objective of the study is to identify etiology of CKD of patients who are on maintenance hemodialysis (MHD) at different dialysis units of Chittagong. Methods: This descriptive study was conducted on 107 patients of CKD who were on MHD in different dialysis centers of Chittagong town, Bangladesh. A pretested questionnaire was adopted from previous study addressing different etiology of the CKD. This study was based solely on history and previous health records. After collection of data, it was compiled and analyzed manually. Results: In the present study, there were 61.62% males and 38.31% females and male-female ratio was 1.61:1. Majority (42 [39.25%]) of the patients were in the age group of 50-60 years, next to which was 40-50 years (23 [21.49%]). Diabetes mellitus (DM) with or without hypertension (HTN) was found as the most common etiology (70 [65.45%]) of CKD in our study, next to which was HTN (53 [49.53%]), nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID) (15 [14.1%]), chronic glomerulonephritis (7 [6.54%]), polycystic kidney disease (6 [5.60]), systemic lupus erythematosus (1 [0.93%]), contrast-induced (1 [0.93%]), and following acute kidney injury (1 [0.93%]). Only 4 (3.73%) cases were found to have biopsy-confirmed nephritis. Conclusion: DM was found the most common etiology of CKD among patients who are on MHD in Bangladesh, next to which was HTN. Maximum patients had no biopsy proof of CKD and NSAID constituting a significant segment of etiology which is a potentially preventable etiology, in our setting.


A design of the DC traction power supply of the urban rail transit is proposed based on three-phase voltage source PWM rectifier.The current control based on the synchronous rotating frame and the space vector PWM are used for the rectifier to achieve the current decoupling and high voltage utilization ratio.The experimental results show that the con-trol system reaches the design requirements and has fast dynamic response,excellent steady-state performance, unity power factor and low harmonic content.


Abstract The syndrome of self-hanging while masturbating to achieve sexual gratification is known as "sexual asphyxia." Its origins are obscure, but probably date back to the 1600s. The syndrome accounts for at least 250 deaths per year in the United States alone. Reported victims range in age from 11 to well over 60 years, but most are adolescents. Though typically perceived as happy, well-adjusted people, they are found hanging by the neck, often wearing women's clothing, apparently having died while masturbating. Few living practitioners have been interviewed. The case report of one is presented here. A developmental model is proposed to explicate the differences and similarities between adolescent and adult practitioners.


Conducting properties of several polymers after low‐energy ion irradiation were investigated. The enhancement of conductance induced by the ions is discussed in terms of graphitization. Field effect transistors (FET) on the graphitized polymer surfaces were studied. We found that the field effect mobility depends on the conductivity of the graphitized surfaces according to the power relation σ ∼ µ0.82. Such behavior is typical for disordered organic semiconductors with a variable range hopping mechanism of conductance. In contrast, the graphitized surfaces with a semimetallic type of conductance demonstrate a high carrier mobility ∼1 cm2/Vs, which is almost independent on the conductance. These semimetallic materials consist of 2 and 3 nm graphene patches and are characterized by a significantly smaller disorder level. However, for a feasible FET application the carrier concentration in the graphitized surfaces must be reduced. Possibilities to improve the performance of the FETs are discussed.


Craniosynostosis, the premature fusion of cranial sutures, may be associated with raised intracranial pressure (ICP) with or without a reduced intracranial volume. Regardless of the aetiology, raised ICP may result in optic neuropathy, the timely detection of which can prevent further visual deterioration. Raised ICP is usually treated with craniofacial surgery such as cranial vault expansion. In this case study, we recorded serial pattern reversal visual evoked potentials (pVEPs) and obtained digital optic disc images before and after cranial vault expansion surgery. The amplitude of the pVEPs continued to decrease after cranial vault expansion surgery, prompting further neuroimaging that implicated a blocked ventriculo-peritoneal shunt. Only after shunt revision did the pVEP amplitude increase. Throughout the monitoring period, there was no change in the appearance of either the right or left optic disk, nor a consistent change in visual acuity.


Topic modelling is important for tackling several data mining tasks in information retrieval. While seminal topic modelling techniques such as Latent Dirichlet Allocation (LDA) have been proposed, the ubiquity of social media and the brevity of its texts pose unique challenges for such traditional topic modelling techniques. Several extensions including auxiliary aggregation, self aggregation and direct learning have been proposed to mitigate these challenges, however some still remain. These include a lack of consistency in the topics generated and the decline in model performance in applications involving disparate document lengths. There is a recent paradigm shift towards neural topic models, which are not suited for resource-constrained environments. This paper revisits LDA-style techniques, taking a theoretical approach to analyse the relationship between word co-occurrence and topic models. Our analysis shows that by altering the word co-occurrences within the corpus, topic discovery can be enhanced. Thus we propose a novel data transformation approach dubbed DATM to improve the topic discovery within a corpus. A rigorous empirical evaluation shows that DATM is not only powerful, but it can also be used in conjunction with existing benchmark techniques to significantly improve their effectiveness and their consistency by up to 2 fold.


H ealthcare costs have been rising and are projected to increase to $5.4 trillion by 2024. Interventions aimed at providing cost-effective and high-value care have recently been the focus of many national campaigns. The Choosing Wisely campaign is one such intervention. The American Board of Internal Medicine and the American College of Physicians launched this campaign to encourage cost-effective care implementation and reduce the pervasive problem of lowvalue care, which is estimated to cost $750 billion per year without improving health outcomes. Given the importance of safety net hospitals to the healthcare safety net in the US, interventions that lead to significant and safe reductions in healthcare expenditure become extremely necessary. We sought to reduce clinical waste by optimizing laboratory utilization at John H. Stroger Jr. Hospital of Cook County, to help reduce our overall healthcare expenditure. We identified frequent daily low-cost lab orders that were not clinically indicated on a frequent/daily basis, identified commonly ordered but uncommonly useful tests, and identified high-cost item orders that were not indicated. Interventions included institution-wide presentations outlining the problem of waste specific to our hospital, in addition to department-specific presentations outlining identified areas of inpatient waste and customized strategies to deploy. Presentations were geared toward housestaff and attendings within each department and were conducted at the start of every inpatient rotation. Housestaff were encouraged to include justification for all tests ordered in daily progress notes. We employed real-time nonelectronic reminders with Choosing Wisely laboratory recommendations. We also employed electronic reminders to alert physicians to laboratory investigations already ordered within 24 hours as well as order lockouts that required physician justification. Audits were done randomly, and accolades were given to the most compliant team. After these interventions, we measured utilization rates by all departments at 3, 9, 12, and 18 months and compared them to the baseline lab utilization. Three months after the intervention, we noted a significant drop in laboratory orders from 116,540 to 47,871. This equated to a 60% reduction in laboratory utilization. At 10 months postintervention, there was a sustained 63% reduction in laboratory utilization. At 18 months postintervention, there was a sustained 54% reduction in laboratory utilization (Figure 1). Overall, our multifaceted intervention led to a significant reduction in laboratory utilization, freeing up resources for other important healthcare interventions. The educational interventions including cost-awareness strategies utilized during this study have been found to be effective in other healthcare institutions. It is imperative to continue these interventions with new physician hires to reinforce the institutional culture of Choosing Wisely, as this leads to improved outcomes and reduction in overall healthcare costs.


In a cocaine dependence treatment study, we have paired binary longitudinal trajectories that record the cocaine use patterns of each patient before and after a treatment. To better understand the drug-using behaviors among the patients, we propose a general framework based on functional data analysis to jointly model and cluster these paired non-Gaussian longitudinal trajectories. Our approach assumes that the response variables follow distributions from the exponential family, with the canonical parameters determined by some latent Gaussian processes. To reduce the dimensionality of the latent processes, we express them by a truncated Karhunen-Lóeve (KL) expansion allowing the mean and covariance functions to be different across clusters. We further represent the mean and eigenfunctions functions by flexible spline bases, and determine the orders of the truncated KL expansions using data-driven methods. By treating the cluster membership as a missing value, we cluster the cocaine use trajectories by a likelihood-based approach. The cluster membership and parameter estimates are jointly estimated by a Monte Carlo EM algorithm with Gibbs sampling steps. We discover subgroups of patients with distinct behaviors in terms of overall probability to use, binge verses periodic use pattern, etc. The joint modeling approach also sheds new lights on relating relapse behavior to baseline pattern in each subgroup. Supplementary materials for this article are available online.


Two stable derivatives of PGI2, its nonenzymatic hydrolysis product (6-keto-PGF1 alpha) and an enzymatic metabolite (6, 15-diketo-PGF1 alpha), were determined in human plasma and urine. These compounds were measured by RIA after separation on rp-HPLC. Previous purification of the samples on rp-HPLC markedly enhanced the specificity of the RIA determinations of those compounds in plasma and urine. The PGI2 derivative 6-keto-PGF1 alpha was detected in both plasma (4.7 +/- 3.2 pg/ml, mean +/- S.D., n=34) and urine (166 +/- 61 pg/ml, n=9). No gender differences of the plasma or urinary levels of 6-keto-PGF1 alpha were found. The PGI2 metabolite 6,15-diketo-PGF1 alpha was not measurable in plasma or urine (less than 1 and less than 10 pg/ml, respectively, n=4). Thus this compound may not be a major endogenous metabolite of PGI2 in man. When [3H]PGI2 was added to citrated blood immediately after venipuncture, it was recovered entirely as [3H]6-keto-PGF1 alpha after rp-HPLC. Therefore any circulating PGI2 would be measured as 6-keto-PGF1 alpha by our method. The results obtained suggest that PGI2 could be present in human venous blood under physiological conditions, but only in very low concentrations. (J Lab Clin Med 99:388, 1982.)


Objective The aim of the present study is to evaluate the urinary KIM-1 level in the patients after 24 h angiography as a predictive biomarker of contrast-induced acute kidney injury. Methods This study included 80 selective patients attending in the cardiology unit (48 males, 32 females). The study was conducted in the cardiac catheterization unit at AlHussein Medical City/ Kerbala. Clinical examination and laboratory investigations were made before and 24 h after angiography, these investigations include: serum creatinine, blood urea and estimated GFR. Urinary KIM-1 was measured before and after 24 h angiography. Results There was no significant difference in urinary KIM-1 when compared between CIN and non CIN group P > 0.05. The level of urinary KIM-1 increased in the patients after 24 h of angiography when compared with baseline level of P < 0.001. Conclusion Urinary KIM-1 was not useful for predicting or detecting CIN. But urinary KIM-1 level may be useful as a biomarker for tubular damage following intravascular administration of contrast media, 24 h.


Recently, extracting data-driven governing laws of dynamical systems through deep learning frameworks has gained much attention in various fields. Moreover, a growing amount of research work tends to transfer deterministic dynamical systems to stochastic dynamical systems, especially those driven by non-Gaussian multiplicative noise. However, many log-likelihood based algorithms that work well for Gaussian cases cannot be directly extended to non-Gaussian scenarios, which could have high errors and low convergence issues. In this work, we overcome some of these challenges and identify stochastic dynamical systems driven by α-stable Lévy noise from only random pairwise data. Our innovations include (1) designing a deep learning approach to learn both drift and diffusion coefficients for Lévy induced noise with α across all values, (2) learning complex multiplicative noise without restrictions on small noise intensity, and (3) proposing an end-to-end complete framework for stochastic system identification under a general input data assumption, that is, an α-stable random variable. Finally, numerical experiments and comparisons with the non-local Kramers-Moyal formulas with the moment generating function confirm the effectiveness of our method.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the correlations between three vascular endothelial growth factor 2 (VEGFR2) gene polymorphisms, +1192C>T, +1719T>A, and -604T>C, and deep venous thrombosis (DVT) in Chinese Han population.

METHODS
We conducted a case-control study, between September 2009 and September 2012, in a Chinese Han population with onset of lower extremity DVT. A total of 135 patients were enrolled in the case group and 156 healthy individuals in the control group. Polymerase chain reaction-restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) was used to detect the genotype and allele frequencies of the VEGFR2 gene polymorphisms +1192C>T, +1719T>A, and -604T>C. Haplotype analyses were conducted with SHEsis program. Logistic regression was used to detect the risk factors of DVT. Outpatient review and telephone follow-up were conducted to analyze the long-term treatment of DVT patients.

RESULTS
The allele and genotype frequencies of -604T>C VEGFR2 polymorphism exhibited significant differences between the case and control groups (both p < 0.05). Haplotype analyses showed remarkable differences between the case and control groups in the distribution frequency of TAC and CTT haplotypes in the VEGFR2 gene (both p < 0.05). Logistic regression analysis showed independent correlation between the incidence of DVT and TAC haplotype in the VEGFR2 gene (p < 0.05). In addition, the TAC haplotype may be a risk factor for DVT treatment failure.

CONCLUSION
Our findings suggest that the VEGFR2 gene -604T>C polymorphism and TAC haplotype are associated with DVT, and the TAC haplotype might affect the efficacy of long-term treatment of DVT patients.


During the cold war, politicians spoke of weapon technologies that seemed to come from science fiction [1], including high-power laser beams for fighting remote battles in the sky. The ability to transmit a powerful laser beam through the atmosphere to a distant location—albeit for friendlier purposes—may become reality thanks to the latest discovery by Howard Milchberg and his colleagues at the University of Maryland in College Park. In Physical Review X, they demonstrate that a laser beam can be efficiently channeled through a gas and arrive at its destination with a much higher average power than was previously thought possible [2]. Their trick is to use a square-shaped bundle of four intense filaments of light that leave behind a trail of hot gas: The four hot air columns expand and create a central zone of higher-density air that serves as a waveguide for subsequent pulses of light. The researcher's method could be used to direct laser energy to remote locations, providing a new way to, for instance, nudge space debris out of Earth's orbit. Other applications include the remote detection of radioactive or hazardous materials and atmospheric laser communications.


In-situ measurement of depth to aquifer and water table was undertaken in 45 protected dug wells over two seasons. Samples were also analyzed for pH, EC, TDS, Ca, Cl, K, HCO 3 , CO 3 , SO 4 , Mg, K, and Na using universally accepted laboratory techniques. The study was aimed at examining seasonal variations in the chemistry of groundwater in the Lagos Coastal Plain Sand aquifer and its potability using the WHO standards. The study area covered parts of the Lagos Metropolis and the entire settlements of Ikorodu, Epe, and Badagry. The sample locations were mapped with ArcMap 9.3 software while the data were analyzed using descriptive statistics, paired sample T-test, correlation and multivariate statistical techniques using SPSS software 17.0 version. The result shows that about 60% of the samples had pH below the WHO minimum standard of 6.5 in both the dry and wet seasons. Mean EC and TDS levels were excessively high at Igando in both seasons. Some major ions, calcium, magnesium, potassium and sodium, and chloride exceeded the WHO limit at Oko-Oba, Ilogbo, Shomolu and Shogunle in the dry season. They were also excessively high in the wet season at Igando, Oko-Oba, Odo-Onosa, Ilogbo, Shomolu, and Shogunle. Correlation analysis shows that a significant relationship exists between the parameters at p<0.05 with the exception of Mg 2+ and K + in both seasons. The result of the paired sample T-test also shows significant variations among pH, Ca 2+ , HCO 3 - and Mg 2+ with higher mean values in the dry than the wet season except for pH. Factor analysis identified salinity and anthropogenic activities as the two major sources of pollution. These account for about 74.48% and 84.21% of the total variances in dry and wet seasons, respectively. Consequently, protection of the recharge areas of the aquifer from environmental pollution and formulation and enforcement of appropriate policies that will stem the rate of indiscriminate groundwater exploitation and prevention of saline water intrusion in the coastal settlements are recommended. Keywords: Aquifer; Coastal Plain Sand; Groundwater; Lagos; Seasonal variations, Water quality parameters


The emission spectrum measured on the reversed field pinch RFX is dominated by carbon and oxygen lines. Nickel lines are seldom observed even though a large magnetic field perturbation causes intense plasma-wall interaction. The line emissions from hydrogen-like and helium-like ions observed in RFX are simulated by a collisional-radiative impurity diffusion model. An impurity diffusion coefficient of the order of 10 m2/s and an inward convective velocity of 90 m/s have been used for an adequate simulation of the hydrogen-like to helium-like resonant line ratios. The model can be used to estimate the effective charge of the plasma; the on-axis values in 800 kA discharges are found to range between 1.5 and 2.2, with peaks higher than 3 in the presence of carbon blooms. It is found that charge exchange processes with thermal hydrogen neutral atoms must be considered to account for the high G ratio values measured for carbon (0.6 to 0.7)


Popular Blockchain-based cryptocurrencies, like Bitcoin, are increasingly being used maliciously for illegal trades. In order to trace and analyze suspected Bitcoin transactions and addresses, address clustering methods and Bitcoin flow analysis methods are gaining attention recently. However, existing methods only focus on Bitcoin addresses and flow, and neglect other important information, such as transaction structure and behavior features. In order to exploit all useful features of transactions, this paper proposes a Bitcoin transaction network analytic method for facilitating Blockchain forensic investigation based on an extended safe Petri Net. The structural features and dynamic semantics of Petri net are used in our proposed model to define the static and dynamic features of Bitcoin transactions. Nineteen features have been identified to define Bitcoin transaction patterns for analyzing and finding suspected addresses. Bitcoin gene has been embedded into the Petri net transitions to trace and analyze Bitcoin flow accurately. Finally, marginal distribution analysis of Bitcoin transaction features and data visualization techniques are used to eliminate some false positive samples further and to improve the accuracy of identifying suspected addresses. The proposed Bitcoin transaction network analytic method provides a reliable forensic investigation model along with a prototype platform which is beneficial for financial security. The efficiency of our proposed method is empirically verified based on a real-life case study analysis.


Objective. Clinicogenealogical investigation of the families of patients with antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). Material and methods. Families of 82 pts with APS fulfilled diagnostic criteria of S. Miyakis et al., 2006 (mean age 47,2±12,1 years, men:women ratio 1:10,7) were studied. "Severe" course of APS (43 patients) was characterized by presence of recurrent thrombotic events and/or thrombosis of several types and/or localizations. Clinicogenealogical investigation included pedigrees analysis (the number of relatives 615). 46 individuals-relatives of 26 patients with APS (37 first-degree and 9 second-degree relatives, mean age 29,5±16,4 years) were followed up for 4 years. Incidence of "minor" features (livedo reticularis, neurological disorders, heart valves disease, thrombocytopenia) was studied, lupus anticoagulant (LA) test was performed. Statistical analysis was performed with Student's t test and logistic regression analysis (SPSS 11.5.0). Results. Definite APS was diagnosed in 7 individuals, more frequently in first-degree relatives and women (the most frequent form of inheritance mother/daughter). "Minor" features were precursors of APS in 76% patients with APS. These features were found in more than half relatives. LA was detected in 39% of relatives. LA was 5-fold more prevalent in relatives of LA-positive patients with APS as compared with relatives of LA-negative patients. Primary prevention of thrombosis has been successfully conducted in patients with "minor" features of APS and/or positive LA ("pre-APS"). "Severe" course of APS was associated with the presence of cardiovascular diseases in family history (OR 0,32, CI0,11-0,97, multivariate analysis). Conclusion. Girls and first-degree relatives are at higher risk of APS development than boysand secondor third-degree relatives if APS is present in family history. LA, presumably, 39has inherited character. The role of clinicogenealogical method in APS: diagnosis of"pre-APS" and prediction of the disease course.


Crypsis can be either defensive or aggressive in function, and the first evidence that crypsis reduces the probability of being detected by a predator was collected almost a century ago. Crypsis in mantids may reduce the probability that a mantid will be detected by its prey, but no experiments have been carried out to test this idea. We tested the hypothesis that the approach strategy of the mantid Tenodera aridifolia (Stoll) toward prey when the wind is blowing is adaptive. Significantly less time elapsed between the discovery of the prey by the predator and capture action under windy conditions than under windless conditions. Approach behaviors (walking and body swaying) were observed more frequently under windy than under windless conditions. When the wind stopped, mantids became still, and they changed their behavior in response to alternately changing wind conditions. Moreover, the discovery rate of the predator mantids by conspecific prey mantids was significantly lower on swaying leaves than on fixed leaves. The capturing rate of the prey by the mantid was significantly higher under windy conditions than under windless conditions. We suggest that the strategy of approaching prey quickly when the wind blowing is adaptive for reducing the risk of discovery and escape by the prey.


Cable-strut structures are flexible structures which are very sensitive to their shape variation. Addition of actuators in selected members of cable-strut structures provides an efficient way to control the structural shape, thus enhances the structural performance. Although a large number of research studies have been performed to achieve shape control via linear force method, it has been proved that nonlinear force method is more accurate due to the existence of nonlinearity characters in cable-strut structures. The aim of this article is proposing an approach based on the nonlinear force method to change the shape of cable-strut structures under external load with respect to different control targets. The formulas and calculation procedure of structure's nonlinear response to external load and length variation of members are established based on nonlinear force method. Then, solving strategy for determining the minimum required number of actuators and testing the feasibility for arrangement plan of actuators is provided for different control targets. Two numerical cases are demonstrated using the proposed approach to obtain the structural behavior before and after the control process. The effectiveness of the algorithm can be verified through numerical results.


Abstract Plus-sizing in the tire industry is the growing practice of replacing a vehicle's original equipment wheel size with a larger diameter wheel and replacing the tire with a lower-aspect-ratio tire of the same diameter. This practice is normally associated with aftermarket sales, and there is a growing trend for vehicle dealerships to fit these larger wheels/tires to new cars. This paper discusses the general practice and its effect on some of the performance characteristics of vehicles. A vehicle taken from the NHTSA New Car Assessment Program's rollover "Star" rating program is used to illustrate the impact of plus sizing on static stability. Some of the dynamic tire effects that could influence vehicle stability are discussed, and preliminary testing data on the dynamic impact of plus sizing are presented.


Gulamah fish bioecological research (Argyrosomus japonicas) in the estuary area of the coastal city of Merauke is very important to be done as a management effort. The purpose of the research on the bioecological of Gulamah fish in the estuary area of the coastal city of Merauke is to study aspects of population dynamics and reproductive biology aspects. The study was conducted in the Estuari area of the coastal city of Merauke for 3 months in November 2017 - January 2018. The research station was determined by purposive sampling. Gulamah fish growth patterns based on long and heavy relationship data are allometric negative. fish Gulamah males and females both at station I and station II also have relatively the same condition factor. The sex ratio between male and female Gulamah fish is 1: 1. Maturity level of gonad fish Gulamah caught during the research is still at TKG 1.


The Euclid photometric survey of galaxy clusters stands as a powerful cosmological tool, with the capacity to significantly propel our understanding of the Universe. Despite being sub-dominant to dark matter and dark energy, the baryonic component in our Universe holds substantial influence over the structure and mass of galaxy clusters. This paper presents a novel model to precisely quantify the impact of baryons on galaxy cluster virial halo masses, using the baryon fraction within a cluster as proxy for their effect. Constructed on the premise of quasi-adiabaticity, the model includes two parameters calibrated using non-radiative cosmological hydrodynamical simulations and a single large-scale simulation from the Magneticum set, which includes the physical processes driving galaxy formation. As a main result of our analysis, we demonstrate that this model delivers a remarkable one percent relative accuracy in determining the virial dark matter-only equivalent mass of galaxy clusters, starting from the corresponding total cluster mass and baryon fraction measured in hydrodynamical simulations. Furthermore, we demonstrate that this result is robust against changes in cosmological parameters and against varying the numerical implementation of the sub-resolution physical processes included in the simulations. Our work substantiates previous claims about the impact of baryons on cluster cosmology studies. In particular, we show how neglecting these effects would lead to biased cosmological constraints for a Euclid-like cluster abundance analysis. Importantly, we demonstrate that uncertainties associated with our model, arising from baryonic corrections to cluster masses, are sub-dominant when compared to the precision with which mass-observable relations will be calibrated using Euclid, as well as our current understanding of the baryon fraction within galaxy clusters.


SYSTEMS PHYSIOLOGY By S. A. Talbot and U. Gessner. (Pp. 511; illustrated; £12-50.) Wiley: New York. 1973. The construction of models as a method of tackling physiological problems has a long and honourable history. Although a model is discredited when it proves inadequate to 'explain' biological phenomena, the use of argument by analogy obviously fulfils something fundamental in human thought. The model need not be a material one, indeed it is more flexible if it can be handled with mathematical symbolism rather than with string and sealing wax. Surely this was the real meaning of Kelvin's famous aphorism about measurement. The mathematical and technological capabilities of each generation affect the models which are fashionable. The postwar years have seen the development of techniques for the control of electronic machines including extremely complex computers and many engineers are now trained to think 'cybernetically' and to use systems analyses. The applicability of 'feed-back control' to many physiological homeostatic mechanisms is so obvious that many scientists without biological training have become 'bioengineers'. This book is an attempt to provide a source book for them and for the many biomedical researchers who have taken the trouble to learn the necessary mathematics but it rightly insists that systems physiology transcends control systems physiology, with emphasis on adaptive and purposive activity. At an early stage the authors face the question whether the models are elaborate exercises in curve fitting or genuinely throw light on intrinsic mechanisms. There is a laudable attempt to assess the usefulness and strength of the tools and concepts provided. For the bioengineers this book is a most useful introduction. Many medical research workers would find the applicable chapters valuable and stimulating. About 60%o of the book is on neurophysiological subjects and the remainder on vascular, respiratory, hormonal, and temperature control systems. The late Dr Talbot was associate professor of medicine (biomedical engineering) at the Johns Hopkins University, Baltimore, and Mr Gessner, now in Switzerland, was an associate professor in the same school. This is a valuable book but it requires a real effort by the reader. The mathematics was beyond this reviewer.


Minamiyamashiro district at Kyoto prefecture is located in the southern part of Kyoto basin. The groundwater in thisbasin has been used water service, agriculture and industry. We have study about the groundwater resources in Minamiyamashiro district, especially, we investigated agriculture, industry and water service wells respectively in 1983 and 1993 using the hearing inquiry method, and tried to grasp the pumping and the use conditions of groundwater in this area. In this paper, as compared with these data getting by the hearing inquiry in 1983 and 1993, the changing on the actual using conditions of groundwater and on the quantity of the pumping groundwater for ten years in this area are discussed. As the results, it is recognized that the total pumping quantity of the groundwater increase about 10,000,000 ton for ten years, and that the increase of pumping for water services are marked.


Objective: Association of raised serum uric acid level with short term in-hospital mortality in ST elevation myocardial infarction.
Study Design: Cohort study.
Place and Duration of Study: Army Cardiac Centre Lahore, from Oct 2014 to Sep 2015.
Methodology: Total of 420 patients, males and females with ST elevation myocardial infarction were recruited from Emergency Department, Army Cardiac Centre Lahore. Samples for serum uric acid were sent at reception. Patients were divided into two groups according to serum uric acid level. Both groups received same treatment. Assessment was done by medical history, physical examination, baseline investigations including ECG and cardiac enzymes at reception and monitoring continued till 07 days.
Results: Out of 420 cases (210 in each group), mean age ± SD was calculated as 50.66 ± 8.19 and 48.14 ± 7.69 years respectively. Males were 57.14% and 61.43% in group A and group B respectively while females were 42.86% and 38.57% respectively. Mean serum uric acid levels were calculated as 8.52 ± 0.30 mg/dl in group A and 5.55 ± 0.31 mg/dl in group B. Frequency of in hospital mortality was recorded as 12.86% in group A and 3.33% in group B while 87.14% in group A and 96.67% in group B were discharged. A p-value was calculated as 0.000 showing a significant difference, Relative risk was calculated as 3.8571.
Conclusion: Raised serum uric acid level is significantly associated with short term in-hospital mortality in ST elevation myocardial infarction.


There is a large consensus among international institutions and national governments to favor urban-containment policies the compact city as a way to improve the ecological performance of the urban system. This approach overlooks a fundamental fact: what matters for the ecological outcome of cities is the mix between the level of population density and the global pattern of activities. As expected, when both the intercity and intraurban distributions of activities are given, a higher population density makes cities more environmentally friendly. However, once we account for the fact that cities may be either monocentric or polycentric as well as for the possible relocation of activities between cities, the relationship between population density and the ecological performance of cities appears to be much more involved. Indeed, because changes in population density affect land rents and wages, firms and workers are incited to relocate, thus leading to new commuting and shipping patterns. We show that policies favoring the decentralization of jobs may be more environmentally desirable.


Organizing pneumonia (OP) occurs without any identifiable cause ("cryptogenic organizing pneumonia") as well as secondary to a multitude of disorders of various origins ("secondary organizing pneumonia"). Possible triggers are infections, drugs, collagen vascular disease, inflammatory bowel disease, transplantations, and radiation directed to the chest. The present manuscript provides an overview of the histopathological, clinical and CT imaging features of OP. Classic CT morphologies (peripheral and peribronchovascular consolidations and ground glass opacities) and atypical imaging features (nodules, crazy paving, lines and bands, perilobular consolidations and the reversed halo sign) are discussed.


The demand of energy is growing continuously with the increase in population around the world annually. The development of clean and renewable energy sources has become important owing to rapid surge in crude oil price, diminishing fossil fuel reserves and increasing environmental pollution due to fuel burning from petroleum-fueled engines. In this context, biodiesel is emerged as a renewable and eco-friendly alternative to the conventional diesel fuel as it is non-toxic and biodegradable. However, in the current state of energy crisis urgency, the biodiesel has yet to replace the fossil-based diesel fuel effectively as the primary energy source ascribed to the high cost which is contributed significantly from the synthesis of catalyst used in biodiesel production. In this regard, waste eggshells are chosen as the raw materials to derive a cost-effective and environmental-friendly catalyst in reducing the overall biodiesel production cost. The catalytic activity of waste eggshellsderived CaO catalyst is improved by synthesising it in nanocrystalline form, while the metal dopants are impregnated to CaO catalyst in order to further enhance its catalytic performance as the rate of transesterification catalysed by neat CaO is still inadequate for practical application. In this research, the active doped CaO nanocatalyst is synthesised by the calcination of waste eggshells at 900 ℃ under air flow before being wet impregnated with nickel dopants at the amount varying from 1 wt% to 5 wt%, followed by re-calcination at the temperature varying from 600 ℃ to 900 ℃. The physicochemical properties of synthesised catalysts are analysed using X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), energy dispersive X-ray (EDX) spectroscopy, temperature-programmed desorption of carbon dioxide (CO2-TPD) and thermogravimetric analysis (TGA). The analysis results reveal that the doping process is capable of enhancing the properties of CaO catalyst such as particle size, surface area and basicity. From XRD analysis, the crystallite size of CaO catalyst is reduced from 59.62 nm to a minimum of 41.25 nm after the impregnation of Ni dopant. SEM analysis reveals that the doping process transforms the morphology of catalyst from uniform (coral) shape into irregular shape along with the increment in surface porosity and reduction in particle size, signifying an increased surface area. Based on CO2-TPD analysis, the vi impregnation of Ni dopant is able to enhance the basicity of CaO catalyst, where it shows an increment from 1599.53


Today, few children walk or bike to school. According to the National Household Travel Survey, only 11% of children walk or bike to school. In 1969, almost 50% of children walked or biked to school in the US. Although our understanding is limited, previous research has shown that physical environments can influence non-automobile mode choices for travel to school. For example, landscape buffers and trees affect parents' perceptions of their children's safety and increase their willingness to let their children walk to school. We investigated how a number of physical attributes in the pedestrian environment influence children's commutes to school. A total of 186 parents from four school walk zones in College Station, TX, participated in this study. We found that children walked more in neighborhoods with mature trees. Moreover, the mean walking and biking distances differed from each other, and both were influenced by the location of the school within the walk zones. Concerns about traffic safety and convenience were negatively related to walking and biking. The findings here suggest ways to shape better school walk zone guidelines that include neighborhood design, planning, and engagement in support of active and healthy children.


A low-power phase-shift keying demodulator integrated circuit (IC) has been implemented using silicon-on-insulator CMOS technology for deep space and satellite applications. The demodulator employs double differential detection to increase its robustness to the Doppler shift caused by the movement of the space vehicle and sampling technique with 1-bit analog-to-digital converter (ADC) at the front to reduce the complexity and power dissipation. In particular, digital decimation is used after sampling to achieve a low power implementation of multirate transmission. Operating at ultra-high-frequency (435 MHz), the receiver system supports a wide range of data rates (0.1-100 Kbps). From test results, the power consumption of the demodulator circuit including the 1-bit ADC is below 1 mW for data rates up to 100 Kbps


Calculations of the nuclear magnetic resonance chemical-shielding tensors of a suite of mercury-containing materials using various cluster models for the structures provide a stringent test of the procedures for forming models and for calculation with various methods. The inclusion of higher co-ordination shells in the molecular clusters permits quantum chemical calculations of (199)Hg chemical-shielding tensor elements within 3% of the experimental values. We show that it is possible to reduce the size of computationally expensive molecular-cluster calculations with limited effect on calculated NMR parameters by carefully introducing the frozen core approximation. The importance of the relativistic Hamiltonian for accurate predictions of chemical-shielding values is demonstrated within the molecular cluster approach. The results demonstrate that careful design of a cluster to represent the solid-state structure, inclusion of relativistic components in the Hamiltonian at least at the spin-orbit level, and judicious use of approximations are essential to obtain good agreement with experimental results.


Quark and gluon parton dihadron fragmentation functions and their evolution are studied in the process of ee annihilation. We provide definitions of such dihadron fragmentation functions in terms of parton matrix elements and derive the momentum sum rules and their connection to single hadron fragmentation functions. We parameterize results from the Lund Monte Carlo model JETSET as the initial conditions for the parton dihadron fragmentation functions at the scale Q20 = 2 GeV . The evolution equations for the quark and gluon fragmentation functions are solved numerically and the results at different higher scales Q agree well with JETSET results. The importance of the input from the single fragmentation functions is pointed out.


New states are often born in a volatile environment, in which the survival of the new country is uncertain. While analysis of the nationalizing new governments exists, research focuses mainly on domestic politics. I argue that the treatment of minority that remains in the new states is a function of the interaction of the dual threat posed by the minority itself domestically on one hand and the international threat coming from the mother state to protect its kin abroad on the other hand. Specifically, I argue that there is a curvilinear relationship between domestic and international threat and the extent of discrimination against the politically relevant minority. Most discrimination takes place when domestic and international threats are moderate because in this case there is a balance of power between the government, the minority, and the rump state. With time-series-cross-sectional (TSCS) data analysis this dissertation systematically tests the treatment of Russian and Serbian minorities in all post-Soviet and post-Yugoslav states between 1991 and 2006 and finds statistically significant results for the curvilinear hypothesis. Territorial concentration of the minority and the ratio of national capabilities between the mother and the seceded states prove to be especially important predictors of minority treatment. In addition, with most similar systems (MSS), most different systems (MDS) design methods, and directed case studies I apply the curvilinear hypothesis to the Russian minority in the Baltic States and the Central Asian Republics, and also to the Serb minority in the countries of the former Yugoslavia to present a detailed analysis.


The vulnerabilities of face biometric authentication systems to spoofing attacks have received a significant attention during the recent years. Some of the proposed countermeasures have achieved impressive results when evaluated on intra-tests i.e. the system is trained and tested on the same database. Unfortunately, most of these techniques fail to generalize well to unseen attacks e.g. when the system is trained on one database and then evaluated on another database. This is a major concern in biometric anti-spoofing research which is mostly overlooked. In this paper, we propose a novel solution based on describing the facial appearance by applying Fisher Vector encoding on Speeded-Up Robust Features (SURF) extracted from from different color spaces. The evaluation of our countermeasure on three challenging benchmark face spoofing databases, namely the CASIA Face Anti-Spoofing Database, the ReplayAttack Database and MSU Mobile Face Spoof Database, showed excellent and stable performance across all the three datasets. Most importantly, in inter-database tests, our proposed approach outperforms the state of the art and yields in very promising generalization capabilities, even when only limited training data is used.


This paper presents a proposal for operationalization of access and decentralization in a health systems analytical model. It supports the hypothesis that decentralization of health systems fosters better access by users. This proposal is intended to contribute to a closer link between these categories and observed reality.


Author(s): Lee, Moonsoo | Advisor(s): Cai, Li | Abstract: In recent years, the importance of formative assessments has been emphasized within educational measurement. This type of assessment often includes multiple correlated sub-domains and a hierarchical structure among the proficiencies. In this dissertation, several multidimensional CAT procedures are investigated to improve the measurement aspects of diagnostic testing and to better match the psychometric models to the test structure. Five factors are manipulated with higher-order IRT models and hierarchical IRT models: (1) the different correlation conditions between two primary factors (low, medium, and high), (2) the number of group factors per primary factor (two and four), (3) the number of items (40, 80 and 160), (4) the item selection method (MFI and Bayesian), and (5) the proficiency score estimation method (MLE and EAP). Three outcome measures, including correlations between true and estimated proficiency scores, Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of estimated proficiency scores, and Standard Errors (SE) are computed totaling 192 different conditions. As expected, the correlation between true and estimated proficiency scores increase while RMSE and SE decrease when the test length correlation between two primary factors increase under different correlations among the factors, different item selection methods and different scoring methods. In overall, the higher-order IRT model CAT has an advantage over the hierarchical IRT model CAT when we need scores for the primary factors. On the other hand, if test designers are interested in more specific group factors, hierarchical IRT models outperformed the higher-order IRT models. This study undertakes a comprehensive comparison of item selection methods and proficiency scores estimation in several multidimensional IRT models in conjunction with a CAT. The item selection and proficiency score estimation methods are negligible across the four multidimensional IRT CAT algorithms. However, the Bayesian item selection method has smaller RMSEs and SEs than the MFI method in specific cases and the EAP scoring method outperforms the MLE method, especially for short test length in this study.


Jupiter-family comet (JFC) P/2021 HS (PANSTARRS) only exhibits a coma within a few weeks of its perihelion passage at 0.8 au, which is atypical for a comet. Here we present an investigation into the underlying cause using serendipitous survey detections and targeted observations. We find that the detection of the activity is caused by an extremely faint coma being enhanced by the forward scattering effect owing to the comet reaching a phase angle of ∼140°. The coma morphology is consistent with sustained, sublimation-driven activity produced by a small active area, ∼700 m2, one of the smallest values ever measured on a comet. The phase function of the nucleus shows a phase coefficient of 0.035 ± 0.002 mag deg−1, implying an absolute magnitude of H = 18.31 ± 0.04 and a phase slope of G = − 0.13, with color consistent with typical JFC nuclei. Thermal observations suggest a nucleus diameter of 0.6–1.1 km, implying an optical albedo of 0.04–0.23, which is higher than typical cometary nuclei. An unsuccessful search for dust trail and meteor activity confirms minimal dust deposit along the orbit, totaling ≲108 kg. As P/2021 HS is dynamically unstable, similar to typical JFCs, we speculate that it has an origin in the trans-Neptunian region and that its extreme depletion of volatiles is caused by a large number of previous passages to the inner solar system. The dramatic discovery of the cometary nature of P/2021 HS highlights the challenges of detecting comets with extremely low activity levels. Observations at high phase angle, where forward scattering is pronounced, will help identify such comets.


The Discussion section constitutes a powerful closing argument used by a researcher to highlight key findings in relation to the existing knowledge with the aim of facilitating readers' comprehension of the entire study. As previous research has yet to identify the frequencies of the different types of background information and the language resources used to present them, this study sought to identify the types of background information employed by expert writers, ascertain the frequencies and positions of the information concerned, and explore how expert writers use lexico-grammatical resources to present such information in the Discussion sections of Forestry research reports. Using a genre-based analytical framework, 60 Discussion sections in Forestry journals were studied. The findings revealed that provision of essential background information is a principal communicative move appearing in 95% of Forestry Discussion sections. This section comprises (i) contextual and theoretical information aimed at facilitating readers' comprehension of the findings to be presented, and (ii) a reiteration of objectives, methods and/or hypotheses of the research. Based on the findings, it is suggested that background information be highlighted to learners as a segment that serves a promotional function which emphasises the significance of their research topic in relation to the plenitude of past studies. Using the language resources identified in this study, it is recommended that lecturers teaching English for Research Purposes (ERP) focus on the use of (i) adjectives denoting prominence, (ii) investigative and procedural verbs, (iii) means and purposive adjuncts, and (iv) infinitive clauses describing expected behaviours in order to help learners clearly furnish relevant background information.