Cloud service composition problem (CSCP) is usually long-term based in practice. A logical request is to maximize end users' long-term benefit. Thus, the overall long-term QoS properties of the composite service should be optimized and the users' requirements during the period should be satisfied. However, the benefit-maximization has not been considered under the background of long-term based CSCP in existing research yet. To fill this gap, in this paper, a new formulation LCSCP is proposed to define the long-term based CSCP as an optimization problem. Then, for the sake of efficiency, three meta-heuristic approaches (i.e, Genetic Algorithm, Simulated Annealing and Tabu Search) are studied. Comprehensive experiments are designed and conducted to test their various aspects of performance on different test sets with different workflows. Experimental results provide a basic perspective of how these three widely adopted meta-heuristic frameworks work on this new problem, which can be baseline work for further research.


ABSTRACT Original Institutional Economics and Behavioral Economics are two approaches that have challenged the conventional economics of their time regarding decision-making. Therefore, considering the original Institutional Economics according to Thorstein Veblen and Behavioral Economics as stated by Daniel Kahneman and Amos Tversky, this study aims to analyze if they have any convergent elements. As the key issue investigated in this study is decision-making, the convergence among these approaches relies on their psychological foundations. The psychological basis of original Institutional Economics is North-American pragmatic philosophy. This study offers a psychological approach to social learning and the theory of cognitive dissonance as the psychological basis of Behavioral Economics.


Electron ratchets are non-equilibrium electronic devices that break inversion symmetry to produce currents from non-directional and random perturbations, without an applied net bias. They are characterized by strong parameter dependence, where small changes in operating conditions lead to large changes in the magnitude and even direction of the resulting current. This high sensitivity makes electron ratchets attractive research subjects, but leads to formidable challenges in their deeper study, and particularly to their useful application. This perspective reviews the progress that was made in the field starting from the first experimental electron ratchets in the late 1990s, and how the field spawned multiple designs with very different properties. We discuss the possible uses of electron ratchets in sensing and energy harvesting, and the specific issues encountered when idealized behavior meets complex reality. We promote an application-driven approach where complexity is not necessarily detrimental and argue that a system level perspective would be beneficial over reductionism. We highlight several promising research directions, which revolve around the intentional study of complex effects, and the modeling of realistic devices.


Objective To observe the changes of the acetylation of lysine 9 on histone H3 (H3K9) and H3K14 in the different brain regions during rapid eye movement after sleep deprivation (SD) in rats. Methods Modified multiple platform was used to establish the SD model. Forty-eight rats were randomly divided into four groups: control group, one day post-SD group (SD1), three day post-SD group (SD3) and six day post-SD group (SD6). Western blotting was performed to examine the changes in the acetylation levels of H3K9 and H3K14 in different brain regions, including hippocampus, hypothalamus, prefrontal cortex and raphe nucleus. Results Compared with the control group, in the SD1, SD3, and SD6 groups, the acetylation levels of H3K9 and H3K14 in the hippocampus and hypothalamus significantly decreased time-dependently. In contrast, their levels in the ventromedial prefrontal cortex and raphe nucleus markedly increased in the SD6 but not in the SD1 and SD3 groups. Conclusion The increase of H3K9 and H3K14 acetylation in the hippocampus and hypothalamus as well as the decrease of H3K9 and H3K14 acetylation in the prefrontal cortex and raphe nucleus may be involved in the development of sleep disorders.


A 70-year-old man was referred to our department for the treatment of early gastric cancer. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography (CT) incidentally showed diffuse enlargement of the pancreas with a capsule-like rim, and blood tests showed elevated serum IgG4 levels, leading to a diagnosis of autoimmune pancreatitis (AIP). Endoscopic treatment for gastric cancer was performed, and pathological findings showed adenocarcinoma with abundant IgG4-positive plasma cell infiltration. Thereafter, the serum IgG4 levels normalized, and the findings of AIP disappeared on CT without steroid treatment. These findings suggest that the gastric cancer activated an IgG4-related immune response, resulting in the development of AIP.


Plasma spray for depositing thermal barrier coatings features large distributions of particle states that result in significant variations in coating quality. These variations arise from distributions of particle sizes, large spatial gradients of plasma thermal-fluid fields, and temporal variations of the arc and jet. This paper describes a simplified approach for studying how particle state distributions are influenced by torch conditions and powder distributions, and the implications for deposition rate monitoring and control. The approach combines a simplified jet model with a more detailed particle model. The important fluid-thermal spatial gradients in the plasma jet are captured using a three zone model: a core region, modeled by growth of a turbulent shear layer around a laminar core, a transition region and a similarity region. Plasma-particle momentum and thermal interactions, particle phase transitions, internal particle temperature gradients, and collapse of in-flight hollow particles have been modeled using a multi-lumped particle model. Effects of distributions of particle size, particle morphology, injection velocity, and carrier gas flow were studied for YSZ spray in an Ar-He plasma. The results provide guidance on sensor design and operation and on approaches for plume location control.


Modern treatments for Type 1 diabetes (T1D) use devices known as artificial pancreata (APs), which combine an insulin pump with a continuous glucose monitor (CGM) operating in a closed-loop manner to control blood glucose levels. In practice, poor performance of APs (frequent hyper- or hypoglycemic events) is common enough at a population level that many T1D patients modify the algorithms on existing AP systems with unregulated open-source software. Anecdotally, the patients in this group have shown superior outcomes compared with standard of care, yet we do not understand how safe any AP system is since adverse outcomes are rare. In this paper, we construct generative models of individual patients' physiological characteristics and eating behaviors. We then couple these models with a T1D simulator approved for pre-clinical trials by the FDA. Given the ability to simulate patient outcomes in-silico, we utilize techniques from rare-event simulation theory in order to efficiently quantify the performance of a device with respect to a particular patient. We show a 72,000$\times$ speedup in simulation speed over real-time and up to 2-10 times increase in the frequency which we are able to sample adverse conditions relative to standard Monte Carlo sampling. In practice our toolchain enables estimates of the likelihood of hypoglycemic events with approximately an order of magnitude fewer simulations.


The Transmission Control Protocol (TCP) is one of the most important protocols in today's Internet. Its specification and implementations have been refined for almost forty years. The Linux TCP stack is one of the most widely used TCP stacks given its utilisation on servers and Android smartphones and tablets. However, TCP and its implementations evolve very slowly. In this paper, we demonstrate how to leverage the eBPF virtual machine that is part of the recent versions of the Linux kernel to make the TCP stack easier to extend. We demonstrate a variety of use cases where the eBPF code is injected inside a running kernel to update or tune the TCP implementation. We first implement the TCP User Timeout Option. Then we propose a new option that enables a client to request a server to use a specific congestion control scheme. Our third extension is a TCP option that sets the initial congestion window. We then demonstrate how eBPF code can be used to tune the acknowledgment strategy.


Background: Guatemala is a country with the highest prevalence of stunting in under-5 children in the Americas, with a national average of 49.8%. Asymptomatic intestinal colonization with Giardia intestinalis is common in Guatemalan preschoolers and has been implicated as a factor in linear growth retardation. The potential mechanisms of any giardiasis-growth interaction have not been exhaustively explored. Objectives: The aim of the present study was to describe urine oxidative stress biomarkers and erythrocyte antioxidant enzyme activity, and to explore any association with prevalence or intensity of G intestinalis infection in preschoolers attending 3 government-subsidized day care centers in the Guatemalan Western Highlands. Methods: Samples of feces, urine, and red blood cell (RBC) hemolysate were collected in a total of 74 preschoolers enrolled in 3 day care centers. Giardia prevalence and a proxy index for intensity were assessed by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA). Urinary biomarkers of oxidative damage to DNA (8-hydroxydeoxyguanosine [8-OHdG]) and to lipid (F2t 15-Isoprostane [F2-Iso]) were measured by ELISA. The erythrocyte activity of catalase (CAT), superoxide dismutase (SOD), glutathione reductase (GSR), and glutathione peroxidase (GPX) were measured by respective spectroscopic substrate-based reaction assays. Results: Median values of RBC CAT activity (P = 0.016) and urine F2-Iso (P = 0.023) differed between children who were positive (n = 39) and negative (n = 35) for Giardia. Similarly, G intestinalis intensity was significantly and positively associated with urinary F2-Iso (r = 0.446, P < 0.001), RBC SOD (r = 283, P = 0.014), and RBC CAT (r = 0.260, P = 0.025). Conclusion: The optical density reading of the fecal ELISA assay for G intestinalis has potential as a proxy for the intensity of infestation. In this respect, there exists an association of this intensity with indicators of the systemic oxidation.


Understanding spatial drought characteristics is vital for planning adaptation and mitigation measures in river catchments. In many parts of the world, spatial drought information is not available due to lack of adequate evenly distributed data for spatial drought analyses. This study elucidates a spatial drought analysis in a data-scarce tropical catchment using remote sensing actual evapotranspiration (ET) and potential evapotranspiration (PET) data. Firstly, the time series of 690 images of remotely sensed ET and PET between the years 2000 and 2014 were spatially analyzed using the evapotranspiration deficit index (ETDI) approach to obtain ETDIs in the Kilombero River catchment (Tanzania). Then, spatio-temporal patterns of ETDIs were used to characterize drought frequency, total drought durations, total drought severity, and drought intensity. The frequency, durations, severity, and intensity of drought increased from the year 2000 towards 2014, causing substantial drought changes in the catchment. However, drought intensity revealed that those changes were mainly from no drought and mild drought to moderate drought. Between the years 2000 and 2014, no-drought areas and mild drought areas declined from 10% to 0% and from 42% to 19%, respectively, whereas moderate drought areas increased from 47% to 81% of the catchment size. Those changes of drought conditions were partly attributed to anthropogenic land cover change, especially in the southwest grasslands, and were partly attributed to meteorological factors in other parts of the catchment. This information is crucial for further land cover change and climate change investigations, as well as planning water and land resources in the Kilombero River catchment. Moreover, the study also demonstrates the potential of using publicly available remote sensing ET products and the ETDI approach for spatially characterizing drought in ungauged regions.


Thunderclap headache is frequently associated with serious intracranial vascular disorders and a usual reason for emergency department admissions. Association of thunderclap headaches with autoimmune disorders, such as steroid-responsive encephalopathy with autoimmune thyroiditis (SREAT), is highly unusual. Here, we report a patient who presented with high-intensity headache of abrupt onset. Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) analysis revealed moderate lymphocytic pleocytosis without evidence of infectious, neoplastic, or metabolic causes. Brain magnetic resonance imaging showed no specific pathologies, and examinations for neuronal antibodies in serum and CSF were negative. The medical history revealed that seven years before, an episode of an aseptic meningoencephalitis with remarkable response to steroids was present. Finally, increased levels of serum anti-TPO antibodies were identified, and against the background of a previous steroid-responsive aseptic meningoencephalitis, diagnosis of SREAT was highly probable. Methylprednisolone therapy was initiated, and the patient recovered completely. In particular, because most SREAT patients respond very well to steroids, this case underlines the importance of taking SREAT into consideration during the assessment of a high-intensity headache of abrupt onset.


The ventromedial prefrontal cortex (vmPFC) has been implicated in fear extinction [Phelps, E. A., Delgado, M. R., Nearing, K. I. & Ledoux, J. E. (2004) Neuron 43, 897-905; Herry, C. & Garcia, R. (2003) Behav. Brain Res. 146, 89-96]. Here, we test the hypothesis that the cortical thickness of vmPFC regions is associated with how well healthy humans retain their extinction memory a day after having been conditioned and then extinguished. Fourteen participants underwent a 2-day fear conditioning and extinction protocol. The conditioned stimuli (CSs) were pictures of virtual lights, and the unconditioned stimulus (US) was an electric shock. On day 1, participants received 5 CS+US pairings (conditioning), followed by 10 CS trials with no US (extinction). On day 2, the CS was presented alone to test for extinction memory. Skin conductance response (SCR) was the behavioral index of conditioning and extinction. Participants underwent MRI scans to obtain structural images, from which cortical thickness was measured. We performed a vertex-based analysis across the entire cortical surface and a region-of-interest analysis of a priori hypothesized territories to measure cortical thickness and map correlations between this measure and SCR. We found significant, direct correlation between thickness of the vmPFC, specifically medial orbitofrontal cortex, and extinction retention. That is, thicker medial orbitofrontal cortex was associated with lower SCR to the conditioned stimulus during extinction recall (i.e., greater extinction memory). These results suggest that the size of the vmPFC might explain individual differences in the ability to modulate fear among humans.


With the increase of Internet of Things (IoT) applications, securing their communications is an important task. In multi-hop wireless networks, nodes must unconditionally trust their neighbours when performing routing activities. However, this is often their downfall as malicious nodes can infiltrate the network and cause disruptions during routing. We grant nodes the ability to evaluate the behaviour of their neighbours and, through consensus inspired from blockchain's miners, agree on the credibility of each node. The resulting metric is expressed as a node's reputation allowing, in the case of a malicious node, to isolate it from network operations. By illustrating this in an AODV-like multi-hop routing protocol, we can influence route selection no longer based solely upon the shortest number of hops, but also the highest overall reputation. Simulation results revealed that our approach can decrease packet drop rates by ≈ 48% in a static context when subjected to multiple black hole attacks compared to the original routing protocol.


The diamide ligand 2,6-bis[(N-phenyl)amido]-4-methylphenol (HL) has been used to synthesize a mononuclear copper(II) complex, [CuL2(DMF)2] (1). The X-ray crystal structure of this complex reveals that the copper(II) center is coordinated to the two phenoxides and two amide carbonyl oxygens of the HL ligand and additionally to the amide carbonyl oxygens of two dimethylformamide molecules. This complex was also characterized using UV-Vis and EPR spectroscopy, along with thermal and electrochemical analysis. Complex 1 was then immobilized in a 2-D mesoporous silica matrix. This immobilized complex, 1a, has been characterized using UV-Vis and FT-IR spectroscopy, as well as small angle X-ray diffraction, N2 sorption and TEM. The immobilized complex was found to heterogeneously catalyze the aerobic oxidation of benzylic alcohols to the corresponding aldehydes in the presence of TEMPO, with high turnover numbers and good recyclability for up to four cycles.


A high-performance anode material, NiCo2O4/3DHPC composite, for lithium-ion batteries was developed through direct nanoparticles nucleation on a three-dimensional hierarchical porous carbon (3DHPC) matrix and cation substitution of spinel Co3O4 nanoparticles. It was synthesized via a supercritical carbon dioxide (scCO2) expanded ethanol solution-assisted deposition method combined with a subsequent heat-treatment process. The NiCo2O4 nanoparticles were uniformly embedded into the porous carbon matrix and efficiently avoided free-growth in solution or aggregation in the pores even at a high content of 55.0 wt %. In particular, the 3DHPC was directly used without pretreatment or surfactant assistance. As an anode material for lithium-ion batteries, the NiCo2O4/3DHPC composite showed high reversible capacity and improved rate capability that outperformed those composites formed with single metal oxides (NiO/3DHPC, Co3O4/3DHPC), their physical mixture, and the composite prepared in pure ethanol (NiCo2O4/3DHPC-E). The superior performance is mainly contributed to the unique advantages of the scCO2-expanded ethanol medium, and the combination of high utilization efficiency and improved electrical conductivity of NiCo2O4 as well as the electronic and ionic transport advantages of 3DHPC.


Most genes are processed by alternative splicing for gene expression, resulting in the complexity of the transcriptome in eukaryotes. It allows a limited number of genes to encode various proteins with intricate functions. Alternative splicing is regulated by genetic mutations in cis-regulatory factors and epigenetic events. Furthermore, splicing events occur differently according to cell type, developmental stage, and various diseases, including cancer. Genome instability and flexible proteomes by alternative splicing could affect cancer cells to grow and survive, leading to metastasis. Cancer cells that are transformed by aberrant and uncontrolled mechanisms could produce alternative splicing to maintain and spread them continuously. Splicing variants in various cancers represent crucial roles for tumorigenesis. Taken together, the identification of alternative spliced variants as biomarkers to distinguish between normal and cancer cells could cast light on tumorigenesis.


As organizations continue to deploy mission-critical, network-centric information systems, managing the security of such systems has become very critical. Building and managing such security infrastructure can be potentially very expensive, especially for small and medium-sized organizations. The Indian Institute of Management, Lucknow (IIML), the premier teaching and research business school in India, embarked on implementing a robust security management infrastructure with a limited budget on hand. The case examines, how IIML successfully implemented the security infrastructure by appropriately developing security policies and selecting a proper combination of freeware and proprietary software components. Since security management is not a one-time activity and uses intensive technology, a careful analysis is required to assess whether the maintenance of the security infrastructure can be done in-house or outsourced. The case illustrates the trade-offs involved and presents experiences of IIML in outsourcing the post-implementation phase to a Security Service Provider. The case also highlights the challenges organizations face while implementing freeware security products and outsourcing security services.


Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) are characterized by a deviant pattern of brain oscillations during resting state, particularly elevated theta power and increased theta/alpha and theta/beta ratios that are related to cognitive functioning. Physical fitness has been found beneficial to cognitive performance in a wide age population. The purpose of the present study was to investigate the relationship between physical fitness and resting-state electroencephalographic (EEG) oscillations in children with ADHD. EEG was recorded during eyes-open resting for 28 children (23 boys and 5 girls, 8.66 € 1.10 years) with ADHD, and a battery of physical fitness assessments including flexibility, muscular endurance, power, and agility tests were administered. The results indicated that ADHD children with higher power fitness exhibited a smaller theta/alpha ratio than those with lower power fitness. These findings suggest that power fitness may be associated with improved attentional self-control in children with ADHD.


We have received and read with pleasure the recent Letter to the Editor by Tsilanizara and Deffieux.1 We would like to thank the authors for their interest in our study recently published in AOGS2 and appreciate the opportunity to discuss this work. The comments of Tsilanizara and Deffieux address an important secondary endpoint of our study, specifically the rate of vaginal mesh erosion in the permanent suture group, which was 4% (three cases). We agree with authors about the importance of specifying whether these were cases of vaginal mesh or suture/knot exposure and would like to note that all three cases were mesh exposures necessitating re-operation. It was not possible to establish whether the cause of erosion was related to the mesh and/or the permanent sutures. Additional studies are necessary to inform this particular issue.


The paper will discuss from a service user/carer perspective the possible implications and ramifications that 'failing to fail' students has on service users and carers. We will start by briefly contextualising the issue drawing on the work of Rutkowski (2007), Dudek et al. (2005), Duffy (2003) and Cleland et al. (2008) and other authors who have contributed to the topic. We expand the debate from the service user and carer perspective examining likely causes and determinants and then move on to discussing the possible impact of this practice on those who are cared for.This paper will provide debate and discussion from a unique perspective being written by those who have lived experience of care delivered by students and qualified practitioners from the nursing and social work professions.


Diffusion-weighted images are increasingly being employed in conjunction with T2-weighted images for accurate diagnosis of cervical cancer. However, these images suffer from eddy-current related and magnetic field inhomogeneity induced distortions. This paper presents an investigation into the reverse gradient technique to correct distortions in diffusion-weighted echo-planar images of human cervix. We hypothesize that the correction aligns the diffusion-weighted images with the T2-weighted images. To allow for any misalignments and to evaluate the correction, a normalized cross-correlation driven template matching strategy was employed to assess the correlation between the corrected image and the T2-weighted image. For b = 0 smm-2 images, mean correlation values of 0.72±0.14 for regions-of-interest drawn around the cervix for 10 patients were achieved. We also found that our hypothesis was most valid in regions encompassing the cervix with a misalignment of 4.4±3.4mm. Results are presented for images acquired at a field-of-view of 100mm using an endovaginal coil developed in-house for cervix imaging at 3T which is the first of its kind in the world.


We study a class of R^d-valued continuous strong Markov processes that are generated, only locally, by an ultra-parabolic operator with coefficients that are regular w.r.t. the intrinsic geometry induced by the operator itself and not w.r.t. the Euclidean one. The first main result is a local Ito formula for functions that are not twice-differentiable in the classical sense, but only intrinsically w.r.t. to a set of vector fields, related to the generator, satisfying the Hormander condition. The second main contribution, which builds upon the first one, is an existence and regularity result for the local transition density.


Integrated SOA-based interferometers have been the focus of considerable attention in recent years. As they offer access to an extremely fast, optically controlled non-linear "gate" functionality, they can be exploited in a variety of application contexts, including wavelength conversion, time (de)multiplexing, and signal regeneration. Wavelength conversion using SOA-based interferometers is accompanied by "2R" (amplitude domain) regeneration, and therefore supports digital (format and bit rate) transparency, with reasonable cascadability, at bit rates of at least 10 Gb/s Some of the application contexts are discussed, and recent achievements and demonstrations are highlighted. Future prospects are discussed through a consideration of the physical and operational parameters promoting high-speed operability. SOA-based interferometers must be (either monolithically or hybrid-) integrated to ensure a practical level of mechanical stability. However, the integration itself imposes substantial technological problems. In principle, the devices should consist of SOA's "inserted" into a passive interferometer structure. Such "active-passive" integration has been pursued by various laboratories, by both monolithic and hybrid means. Some of the principal published active-passive interferometer technologies are reviewed. We have carried out an optimisation for an all-active Mach-Zehnder wavelength converter based on a bulk-tensile SCH SOA structure; the device and its optimisation are discussed in detail.


Fluorescence-activated cell sorters permit analyses and separation of cell populations based on light scatter and surface immunofluorescence parameters. Since a sorter can deposit individually identifiable cells onto a microscope slide, it was considered of interest to combine the flow measurements with analyses available on cells adhering to a surface as in, for example, morphological studies, cytoplasmic immunofluorescent staining, and mRNA in situ hybridization. A necessary condition for these studies is the preservation of cell structures after sorting. We report here a procedure suitable for this purpose. The most important features of this procedure are A) reducing the saline content of the sorter sheath fluid to about 0.0015 M (one-hundredth that of normal saline) to prevent cell damage due to hypertonicity during drying, and B) coating the substrate with a thin layer of newborn calf serum to promote the adherence of the cells to the substrate during subsequent fixing and staining.


Little attention is paid to the nature of the high incomes of the rich or to the legal or norm-based obligations the rich owe society. This popular and scholarly inattention reflects the general acceptance of the idea that the rich have earned their high incomes and owe society little. By looking at income equations revealing society's role in high incomes and the obligations of the rich, the Article urges a strengthening of the obligations of the rich and rejects the argument that the legal community ought not consider the moral demands associated with high incomes.


The study objects for investigating the possibility of activating both audit committee and board of directors for restricting the practices of earnings management phenomenon. To achieve this objective, a questionnaire had been developed and self-administered for a selected sample consists of 123 auditors working in Jordan based on the simple random sampling method. The study first hypothesis is that audit committee can be activated in a form to restrict earnings management practices; the second hypothesis takes that boards of directors can be activated in a form that restricts earnings management practices. The third hypothesis states that activating both of audit committees and boards of directors together will restrict the practices of earnings management. One sample t-test, in addition to descriptive statistics had been used in data analysis and hypotheses testing. The finding of the present study show that audit committee, boards of directors, and both of audit committee and board of directors together can be activated to restrict earnings management practices.


Concerns about hyperkalemia may result in the under-utilization of established and novel therapies that improve kidney and/or cardiovascular outcomes in patients with type 2 diabetes (T2D) and chronic kidney disease (CKD). Hyperkalemia-related issues are of particular relevance in patients with CKD who are commonly on other hyperkalemia-inducing agents such as renin-angiotensin-aldosterone system inhibitors (RAAS inhibitors), and non-steroidal mineralocorticoid receptor antagonists (ns-MRA). In contrast, sodium-glucose transporter-2 (SGLT2) inhibitors mitigate the risk of serious hyperkalemia in clinical trials. We aim to review recent evidence surrounding the risk of hyperkalemia in patients with T2D, and CKD treated with established and novel therapies for diabetic kidney disease (DKD), focusing on SGLT2 inhibitors and ns-MRA. We conclude that SGLT2 inhibitors can be used safely in patients with T2D at high cardiovascular risk and with CKD without increasing the risk of hyperkalemia. Routine potassium monitoring is generally required when finerenone is used as a kidney and cardiovascular protective agent in patients with T2D. Based on existing data, when added to the standard of care, combining SGLT2 inhibitors with finerenone is safe and has the potential to exert additional cardiorenal benefits in patients with DKD. The use of potassium binders should be considered to enable optimal doses of guideline-based therapies for patients with DKD to maximize the kidney and cardiovascular benefits.


Nocardiosis is a rare and potentially life-threatening infection caused by several species of the Nocardia genus. Most cases occur in immunocompromised patients, and a delay in establishing the diagnosis is common due to the non-specific clinical presentations and the difficulty in cultivating Nocardia. Although the majority of pulmonary nocardiosis cases are caused by Nocardia asteroides, cases of human infection due to N. farcinica are increasingly diagnosed due to recent developments in taxonomy and diagnostic methods. N. farcinica is a separate species from N. asteroides and appears to be more virulent and resistant to antibiotics. Herein, we describe the case of a 65-year-old HIV-negative immunocompromised patient with a fulminant bilateral pulmonary nocardiosis while on empirical treatment with trimethoprim/sulfamethoxazole and imipenem. Post-mortem diagnosis of N. farcinica infection was performed by means of DNA amplification and sequencing of the 65-kDa bacterial heat shock protein.


The ascospore release of G. abietina var. balsamea was measured every hour for a period of 1339 hours; it was analyzed with regard to microclimatic factors, such as rain, relative humidity, air temperature, wind speed, and leaf wetness, which were also recorded on an hourly basis. The spore dispersal period started in the middle of July and ended in October, with a peak of spore release during the first 3 weeks of August. Leaf wetness measurements were best correlated with spore dispersal. Relative humidity and rain also showed a good correlation with spore dispersal but not as good as leaf wetness. Dew was not responsible for ascospores release. Mist or fog were most probably the cause of free water deposition and, as a result, the cause of spore release when no rain was recorded. Mist and fog were not measured directly but could be inferred from leaf wetness readings. Temperature had no direct effect on spore release.


The Colosso di Barletta is an imposing outdoor bronze statue, dating back the V century, located near the Basilica of "Santo Sepolcro" in Barletta (Apulia, Southern Italy). The monument underwent a structural restoration in 1981, during which the Central Institute of Restoration in Rome performed cleaning treatments and consolidation of the patinas. Currently, the Laboratory of Archaeometry of the University of Salento is carrying on a campaign of non-destructive and in situ measurements by using energy dispersion X-ray fluorescence (EDXRF) in order to assess the chemical composition of the alloy and to study its patinas.


In the past few years, many studies have been reported on reliability of lead-free solder joint. Almost all of them have described evaluation of solder alloy composition of printed wiring board surface-finish. What seems to be lacking, however, is the influence of component placing condition to reliability and reliability under several stress conditions. The purpose of this work is to investigate the influence of the factor on reliability of the solder joint. We used chip size package as a test piece, which is a more popular semiconductor package, and thermal fatigue test and mechanical fatigue test were carried out. We choose experimental conditions as follow, solder materials (Sn-Ag-Cu, Sn-Ag-Cu-Bi, Sn-Zn-Bi, Sn-Pb), chip size package placing condition (on one side, on both sides), printed wiring board surface finish (organic solderability protector on Cu, Au plating). We got the result that chip size package placing condition, printed wiring board surface finish had more effect on reliability of the lead-free solder joint than solder materials. It is clear that placing condition and printed wiring board surface-finish greatly affects reliability of thermal fatigue and mechanical fatigue, respectively. In conclusion, the influence of the factor on reliability of lead-free solder joint was investigated from several points of view. The work helps us to clarify the influence of the factor on reliability of lead-free solder joint and lead to the guidelines for introduction of lead-free solder.


A hydrological modelling framework applied within operational flood forecasting systems in three alpine Danube tributary basins, Traisen, Salzach and Enns, is presented. A continuous, semi-distributed rainfall-runoff model, accounting for the main hydrological processes of snow accumulation and melt, interception, evapotranspiration, infiltration, runoff generation and routing is set up. Spatial discretization relies on the division of watersheds into subbasins and subsequently into hydrologic response units based on spatial information on soil types, land cover and elevation bands. The hydrological models are calibrated with meteorological ground measurements and with meteorological analyses incorporating radar information. Operationally, each forecasting sequence starts with the re-calculation of the last 24 to 48 hours. Errors between simulated and observed runoff are minimized by optimizing a correction factor for the input to provide improved system states. For the hydrological forecast quantitative 48 or 72 hour forecast grids of temperature and precipitation – deterministic and probabilistic – are used as input. The forecasted hydrograph is corrected with an autoregressive model. The forecasting sequences are repeated each 15 minutes. First evaluations of resulting hydrological forecasts are presented and reliability of forecasts with different lead times is discussed.


Intravascular adenosine triphosphate (ATP) evokes vasodilation and is implicated in the regulation of skeletal muscle blood flow during exercise. Mechanical stresses to erythrocytes and endothelial cells stimulate ATP release in vitro. How mechanical effects of muscle contractions contribute to increased plasma ATP during exercise is largely unexplored. We tested the hypothesis that simulated mechanical effects of muscle contractions increase [ATP](venous) and ATP effluent in vivo, independent of changes in tissue metabolic demand, and further increase plasma ATP when superimposed with mild-intensity exercise. In young healthy adults, we measured forearm blood flow (FBF) (Doppler ultrasound) and plasma [ATP](v) (luciferin-luciferase assay), then calculated forearm ATP effluent (FBF×[ATP](v)) during rhythmic forearm compressions (RFC) via a blood pressure cuff at three graded pressures (50, 100, and 200 mmHg; Protocol 1; n = 10) and during RFC at 100 mmHg, 5% maximal voluntary contraction rhythmic handgrip exercise (RHG), and combined RFC + RHG (Protocol 2; n = 10). [ATP](v) increased from rest with each cuff pressure (range 144-161 vs. 64 ± 13 nmol/l), and ATP effluent was graded with pressure. In Protocol 2, [ATP](v) increased in each condition compared with rest (RFC: 123 ± 33; RHG: 51 ± 9; RFC + RHG: 96 ± 23 vs. Mean Rest: 42 ± 4 nmol/l; P < 0.05), and ATP effluent was greatest with RFC + RHG (RFC: 5.3 ± 1.4; RHG: 5.3 ± 1.1; RFC + RHG: 11.6 ± 2.7 vs. Mean Rest: 1.2 ± 0.1 nmol/min; P < 0.05). We conclude that the mechanical effects of muscle contraction can 1) independently elevate intravascular ATP draining quiescent skeletal muscle without changes in local metabolism and 2) further augment intravascular ATP during mild exercise associated with increases in metabolism and local deoxygenation; therefore, it is likely one stimulus for increasing intravascular ATP during exercise in humans.


The cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR) is an asymmetric ATP-binding cassette transporter in which ATP hydrolysis occurs only at the second of the two composite nucleotide-binding sites whereas there are noncanonical substitutions of key catalytic residues in the first site. Therefore, in widely accepted models of CFTR function, ATP is depicted as remaining bound at the first site while it is hydrolyzed at the second site. However, the long lifetime of ATP at nucleotide-binding domain 1 (NBD1) had been measured under conditions where the channel had not been activated by phosphorylation. Here we show that phosphorylation by protein kinase A (PKA), obligatory for channel activation, strongly accelerates dissociation of the unhydrolyzed ATP from NBD1 of both full-length and NBD2-deleted CFTR. This stimulation of nucleotide release results from phosphorylation of the CFTR regulatory domain (residues 634-835) (R-domain). Mimicking phosphorylation by mutating the eight phosphorylation sites in the R-domain (8SE) has the same robust effect on accelerating the dissociation of ATP from NBD1. These findings provide new insight into relationships between R-domain phosphorylation and ATP binding and hydrolysis, the two main CFTR regulatory pathways.


AIM AND OBJECTIVES:
1. Aim of the present study was evaluation of the serum prolactin level in the acute myocardial infarction (MI) regarding the current.
2. Pharmacotherapy in management of MI.
3. To compare the levels of serum prolactin in patients with acute myocardial infarction and normal population, to know the role of current pharmacotherapy.
4. To compare Serum Prolactin with Serum Troponin I.
MATERIALS AND METHODS:
Method of collection of clinical sample and data-Patients admitted in the CCU, Dept. of Cardiology, Govt. Stanley Hospital with Acute myocardial infarction shall be studied.
Study Design:
Cross Sectional Study.
Study Period:
March 2017 to October 2017 [8 month].
Study Centre:
Dept of Cardiology, CCU, Govt. Stanley Hospital.
CASE DEFINITION:
Myocardial infarction (MI) is the irreversible necrosis and death of cardiac muscle due to diminished blood supply to the heart which leads to myocardial cell damage and ischemia supplied by that artery. The diagnosis of acute myocardial infarction based clinically, electro and Echocardiographically. During stress like MI patient secrete excess Sr.prolactin Via neuroendocrine stress pathway, which induces acute endothelial dysfunction, insulin resistance, and induction of vascular immune reactions. Long standing hyperprolactinemia lead to arteriosclerosis, augmentation of arterial stiffness, and hypertension. high prolactin level plays a potential role in the development of ischemic cardiac disease, excess prolactin leads to dyslipidemia, augmentation of platelets aggregation and amplification of vascular thrombosis that leading to the increasing in the risk score of acute coronary syndrome.
JUSTIFICATION OF STUDY:
High prolactin level plays a potential role in the development of ischemic cardiac disease.excess prolactin leads to dyslipidemia, augmentation of platelets aggregation and amplification of vascular thrombosis that leading to the increasing in the risk score of acute coronary syndrome. early diagnosis and treatment reduce the risk of prolactin induced acute myocardial infarction.
Inclusion Criteria:
Patients with acute ST elevation changes in ECG and hypokinesia of reginal wall motion abnormality in Echocardiographically.
Exclusion Criteria:
1. Hypothyroidism Patients,
2. Chronic dopamine agonist drug intaker,
3. Smoker.
Sample Size : 50.
METHODOLOGY:
• The Acute MI patients are subjected to a detailed history and clinical examination with the help of ECG and ECHO.
• Detailed Past history of drug intake like T.Metformin, T.Aspirin, T.Clopidogrel, T.Metoprolol, T,Atorvastatin and T,Isosorbidedinitrate.
• The Acute MI patients are divided into 50 subjects in one group, with healthy controls as second group.
• The subjects of each group are appropriately matched for age and sex.
• Basic investigations with serum prolactin and serum troponin are taken within 24 hours onset of symptoms.
• The serum prolactin levels of the two groups are then compared.
• The serum prolcatin levels are compared with serum troponin among the acute MI patients.
• T.Metformin.T.Aspirin, combined T.aspirin and T.Clopidogrel and other drugs like T.Atorvasatin,T.Metoprolol,T.ISDN compared with paitents and control group
Reference Value:
1. Serum Prolactin Normal Range - Male less than 15ng/dl.
2. Female less than 20ng/dl.
3. Serum Troponin I Normal Range-Both Sex Less than 50ng/L.
The Normal Population Is Selected From Patients Attending Master Health Check Up.
METHOD USED FOR ESTIMATION OF SERUM PROLACTIN :
ELISA kit method.
METHOD USED FOR ESTIMATION OF SERUM TROPONIN I:
ELISA kit method.
RESULTS AND DISCUSSION:
Statistical Analysis:
Descriptive statistics was done for all data and suitable statistical tests of comparison were done. Continuous variables were analyzed with the Unpaired "t" test and Single factor ANOVA and categorical variables were analyzed with Fisher Exact Test. correlation analysis was done using persons r. Statistical significance was taken as P < 0.05. The data was analyzed using SPSS Version 16. Microsoft Excel 2010.was used to generate charts.
OVERALL CONCLUSION:
• The association between the study groups and age distribution is considered to be not statistically significant.
• Serum Prolactin level higher among acute myocardial infarction patients.
• Prolactin is associated with a comprehensive panel of incident cardiovascular disease risk factors. Measurement of circulating prolactin levels on a routine basis among high risk individuals is more likely to provide substantial insight into cardiometabolic risk.
• Elevation of Serum Prolactin level is associated with a chronic inflammatory state
• T.Metformin treated group patients showed significantly reduced serum prolactin level in acute MI patient compared to control group.
• T.aspirin treated group patients showed significantly high Serum Prolactin level in Acute MI patient compared to control group, this is mainly due to aspirin increases prostaglandin generation in hypothalamic region which stimulate high serum prolactin.
• Serum Prolactin was not affected by T.Clopidogrel.
• Other drugs like T.Metoprolol, T.Atorvastatin, T.ISDN shows reduced Serum Prolactin level.
SUMMARY:
This study "Evaluation Of Serum Prolactin Levels Inacute Myocardial Infarction: The Role Ofpharmacotherapy" was carried out in government Stanley medical college and hospital, Chennai from March 2017 to October 2017
• 50 Acute MI patients were selected and their serum prolactin levels and serum troponin levels were studied correlated with 50 normal healthy individuals.the role of pharmacotherapy in serum prolactin level was assessed.
• In acute MI patient showed significant elevation of serum prolactin level.
• According to various pharmacotherapy drugs like Metformin decreases the serum prolactin,Aspirin increases the serum prolactin and other drugs like Clopidogrel no effect.
• So serum prolactin level increased in acute MI reflects underlying cardiovascular complications.


Clearance of 14C-labeled methylmethacrylate monomer from the blood was determined in beagles during simulated hip arthroplasty and after intravenous injection of the monomer. Pulmonary function after intravenous administration of the monomer was also studied. Blood clearance was rapid, and the lungs apparently functioned as a major clearing organ. Decreased pulmonary function (decreased Po2, elevated Pco2, and metabolic acidosis) only occurred when the dosage of monomer was more than thirty-five times the amount liberated in humans during total hip replacement.


Background.—Migrainous vertigo (MV) is increasingly recognized as a common cause of episodic vertigo. MV displays several clinical similarities with familial hemiplegic migraine (FHM) and episodic ataxia type 2 (EA‐2), which have been linked to mutations in 3 genes, CACNA1A, encoding a neuronal calcium channel α subunit, ATP1A2, encoding a catalytic subunit of a Na+/K+‐ATPase, and most recently the voltage‐gated sodium channel SCN1A. The present study explored the hypothesis that mutations in CACNA1A, ATP1A2, SCN1A, and the calcium channel β4 subunit CACNB4 confer susceptibility to MV.


This paper examines the work motivation of contract employees and the topic is limited because it only occurs in Indonesia. Then, there are not many studies that discuss work motivation for contract employees. Therefore, this literature study aims to discuss further about several studies related to work motivation in contract employees. Literature search was carried out on the Google database and specifically on a collection of University journals in Jakarta from 2019 to the present, there are 3 research journal articles that have been identified using inclusive and exclusive criteria, based on reviews that have been carried out, including the contract work system carried out according to with an agreement that has been signed together, it will improve employee performance by paying attention to and properly implementing work agreements, provisions regarding the period of service and providing employee wages in accordance with the provisions. High work motivation will have a positive impact on improving the performance of Contract employees by increasing love for the work given, cooperation, responsibility and enthusiasm for work


Shared Web Hosting service enables hosting multitude of websites on a single powerful server. It is a well-known solution as many people share the overall cost of server maintenance and also, website owners do not need to deal with administration issues is not necessary for website owners. In this paper, we illustrate how shared web hosting service works and demonstrate the security weaknesses rise due to the lack of proper isolation between different websites, hosted on the same server. We exhibit two new server-side attacks against the log file whose objectives are revealing information of other hosted websites which are considered to be private and arranging other complex attacks. In the absence of isolated log files among websites, an attacker controlling a website can inspect and manipulate contents of the log file. These attacks enable an attacker to disclose file and directory structure of other websites and launch other sorts of attacks. Finally, we propose several countermeasures to secure shared web hosting servers against the two attacks subsequent to the separation of log files for each website.


Present it is most needful task to get various applications with parallel computations by using a Fast Fourier Transform (FFT) and the derived outputs should be in regular format. This can be achieved by using an advanced technique called Multipath delay commutator (MDC) Pipelining FFT processor and this processor will be capable to perform the computation of a different data streams at a time. In this paper the design and implementation of AGU based Pipelined FFT architecture is done Caluclation of a butterfly is done within 2 cycles by the instructions proposed. A Data Processing Unit (DPU) is employed in this pipeline architecture and supports the instructions & an FFT Adress Generation Unit (FAGU) caluclates butterfly input & output data adresses automatically. The DPU proposed sysyem requires less area compared to commericial DSP chips. Futhermore, the proposed FAGU reduces the number of FFT computation cycles. The FFT design architecture will have real data paths. With various FFT sizes, different radix & various parallesim levels, the FFT can be mapped to the pipeline architecture. The most attractive feature of the pipelined FFT architecture is it consists of bit reversal operation so it requires little number of registers and better throughput.


We show how to model geometric patterns on surfaces. We build on the concept of shape grammars to allow the grammars to be guided by a vector or tensor field. Our approach affords greater artistic freedom in design and enables the use of grammars to create patterns on manifold surfaces. We show several application examples in visualization, anisotropic tiling of mosaics, and geometry synthesis on surfaces. In contrast to previous work, we can create patterns that adapt to the underlying surface rather than distorting the geometry with a texture parameterization. Additionally, we are the first to model patterns with a global structure thanks to the ability to derive field-guided shape grammars on surfaces.


[Objective] The aim of this study is to evaluate the safety and bacteriostasis of Yandureqing(AEE) and its microemulsion(AEE-ME).[Method] The acute toxicity was tested in mice by intragastric administration,and median lethal dose(LD50) as well as its 95% confidence interval was calculated by modified Karber method;the bacteriostasis was investigated by cylinder plate method.[Result] LD50 of AEE in mice was 10.937 g/kg with the 95% confidence interval of 9.309-12.850 g/kg;and LD50 of AEE-ME in mice was 5.357 g/kg with the 95% confidence interval of 4.388-6.566 g/kg.The MICs of AEE to Escherichia coli O149 from swine,Staphylococcus aureus,Salmonella pullorum and Streptococcus agalactiae were 10.00,20.00,20.00 and 10.00 mg/ml,respectively;while the MICs of AEE-ME to the 4 kinds of bacteria mentioned above were 5.00,10.00,5.00 and 5.00 mg/ml in turn,and that to Pseudomonas aeruginosa was 20.00 mg/ml.[Conclusion] AEE is an actually nontoxic drug and AEE-ME belongs to the low toxic preparation.AEE and AEE-ME have obvious bacteriostasis,in which AEE-ME is superior to AEE.


We develop an algorithm that solves the constant capacities economic lot-sizing problem with concave production costs and linear holding costs in $O(T^3)$ time. The algorithm is based on the standard dynamic programming approach which requires the computation of the minimal costs for all possible subplans of the production plan. Instead of computing these costs in a straightforward manner, we use structural properties of optimal subplans to arrive at a more efficient implementation. Our algorithm improves upon the $O(T^4)$ running time of an earlier algorithm.


A study of a parking lot lighting of a large manufacturing company in Iowa was implemented to evaluate monthly energy consumption. Mercury light bulbs with 227W ratings on the light poles were replaced with low power energy efficient LEDs to increase the overall efficiency. Additionally, a small scale wind turbine was installed to supply power to experimental light poles. Migration from the current gas bulbs to the LED light results yielded about 60% energy savings, while capital gains due to the generation of wind energy returned about 80% savings per month which recovered initial investments on the assets. The environmental impact of this study cannot be neglected and it also provided opportunity for STEM education in colleges and wind energy awareness in the society in Iowa by showing benefits from current experiments. Details of the methods and analyses should be particularly useful to urban planners because they show how standard references on investment in automobile parking should be modified to include efficient energy management. The authors proposed new way to limit the cost of energy consumptions and environmental pollution on wildlife and human health. Research implications are discussed in terms of the impact of natural features in urban areas for reduction of green house gas emissions and promoting alternative energy sources.


Objective: To assess health conditions, health care and lifestyle habits of community health workers (CHW) in Vitória, Espírito Santo, Brazil. Methods: This was a cross-sectional study using baseline data from an intervention study. Biochemical, anthropometric and hemodynamic examinations and interviews were carried out between October 2018 and March 2019 in Vitória. Appropriate statistical tests, in accordance with the sample design, were performed using SPSS software version 21.0, adopting p<0.05. Results: We assessed 262 CHWs with a mean age of 46.1±9.3 years. High prevalence of prediabetes (22.9%), diabetes mellitus (17.2%), hypertension (37.0%), obesity (39.8%), hypercholesterolemia (57.3%), hypertriglyceridemia (27.1%), multimorbidity (40.8%), physical inactivity (60.9%) and use of anxiolytics/antidepressants (22.5%) was found. Some 40% of the CHWs had three or more morbidities. Conclusion: High percentages of chronic diseases, multimorbidity, sedentary lifestyle and use of anxiolytics/antidepressants were found in CHWs in Vitória.


This paper generalises the analysis of the optimal timing of an irreversible investment decision, by allowing the exogenous driving variable to switch stochastically between two states.We study how entry and exit decisions of a monopolist are a¤ected by business cycle conditions. We model the business cycle as a two-state Markov process, and assume that the demand curve faced by the monopolist evolves di¤erently in the two states of the economy. We explore conditions under which the monopolist would enter or exit, either in a boom or a recession.


Microbial siderophores represent a class of iron chelators characterized by their high affinity (i.e., formation constants, greater than 10(40) M) for ferric iron. Previously, we demonstrated that the bacterial siderophores, N-[3-(2,3-dihydroxybenzamido)propyl]-N-[4-(2, 3-dihydroxybenzamino)butryl]-2-(2-hydroxyphenyl) trans-5-methyloxazoline-4-carboxamide (Parabactin) and N1,N8-bis(2,3-dihydroxybenzoyl)spermidine (Compound II), inhibit the growth of L1210 cells and the replication of DNA (but not RNA) viruses at low micromolar concentrations (Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun., 121: 848-854, 1984). The basis for this antiproliferative effect on L1210 cells has now been investigated further. Onset of growth inhibition induced by 5 microM Parabactin occurs much earlier than with an equimolar concentration of Compound II but, once established by either chelator, inhibition appears to be irreversible. Growth inhibition was fully preventable with exogenous FeCl3 when given at the same time as the chelators. Flow cytometric analysis revealed a G1-S cycle block following treatment for 4 h with either 5 microM Parabactin or 30 microM Compound II. The block was readily reversed with exogenous FeCl3, allowing cells to progress to mid-S phase by 3 h and to G1 again by 9 h. Thereafter, cells accumulated at a second block located at S phase. The treatment conditions required for the initial cell cycle block (at 4 h) were adapted for subsequent studies. Clonogenicity of L1210 cells in soft agar following a 4-h exposure was reduced to 22% of control by 5 microM Parabactin and to 16% by 30 microM Compound II. Neither growth inhibition in suspension culture nor decreased clonogenicity in soft agar could be reversed with exogenous iron, following treatment with the chelators. Both chelators caused an early and significant decrease in [14C]thymidine incorporation over the 4-h period (50% inhibitory concentration at 4 h, 0.4 microM for Parabactin and 6.0 microM for Compound II). [3H]Uridine incorporation was inhibited later than [14C]thymidine and to a much lesser extent, while [3H]leucine incorporation was not significantly affected. Treatment of cells with 5 microM Parabactin or Compound II for 4 h decreased deoxy-adenosine triphosphate pools by 38 and 70%, respectively, and increased deoxythymidine triphosphate pools by 67 and 36%, respectively, suggesting interference with ribonucleotide reductase. Indeed, extracts of cells treated for 4 h with either 5 microM Parabactin or 30 microM Compound II exhibit a 97 to 98% decrease in cytidine-5'-diphosphate reductase activity compared to control, whereas DNA polymerase was elevated slightly.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 400 WORDS)


Many biological processes are controlled by both deterministic and stochastic influences. However, efforts to model these systems often rely on either purely stochastic or purely rule-based methods. To better understand the balance between stochasticity and determinism in biological processes a computational approach that incorporates both influences may afford additional insight into underlying biological mechanisms that give rise to emergent system properties. We apply a combined approach to the simulation and study of angiogenesis, the growth of new blood vessels from existing networks. This complex multicellular process begins with selection of an initiating endothelial cell, or tip cell, which sprouts from the parent vessels in response to stimulation by exogenous cues. We have constructed an agent-based model of sprouting angiogenesis to evaluate endothelial cell sprout initiation frequency and location, and we have experimentally validated it using high-resolution time-lapse confocal microscopy. ABM simulations were then compared to a Monte Carlo model, revealing that purely stochastic simulations could not generate sprout locations as accurately as the rule-informed agent-based model. These findings support the use of rule-based approaches for modeling the complex mechanisms underlying sprouting angiogenesis over purely stochastic methods.


Abstract Glioblastoma, an aggressive malign tumor of the brain, is one of the most shattering diagnoses due to its very poor prognosis and limited treatment options. These options mainly consist of surgical or radiation therapeutic removal of as much tumor mass as possible, which unfortunately is almost always incomplete. Even worse, chemotherapy is of little use, as the special setup of the brain′s vessels severely limits the transit into the parenchyma of elsewhere efficient cytostatica. This Blood-Brain-Barrier (BBB) is for quite some time the target of sophisticated and nano-particle based transport mechanisms, however it is reported, that a boost of permeability for most of the brain can be achieved based on moderate temperature increase. One means to locally and reversibly increase the brain′s temperature and thus potentially opening the BBB may be achieved by illuminating the skull with infrared laser light, thus causing punctual heating and heat diffusion into the cortex. In extension of the common laser light guiding by glass fibres, we use a micro-positioned simple optics to focus a 1470 nm laser beam of approximately 500 µm in diameter on the skull. The apparent opening of the BBB is evidenced by the localized spread of Evans Blue injected into the tail vein of said rat, binding to Albumin (64,6 kDa) in the body. This marker molecule is usually blocked from passing through the intact BBB, but under IR illumination for half a minute, it appeared in post mortem visible blobs. Temperature profiles and potential tissue damage are now under investigation by high speed thermal camera and post mortem histology.


Various forward models have been developed for measuring agricultural biophysical parameters from the microwave or optical data, but their application to periodic surfaces (e.g., periodic crop rows and plowed soil rows) still suffers from the need of row-feature descriptions. Accordingly, an operational method was proposed herein to estimate the orientation and period of row features from very high spatial resolution optical data, as input to multi-scale scattering models. The periodic features were estimated from the frequency domain using the Fourier magnitude spectrum by scanning in azimuth to identify the presence/absence of periodic features and the main direction. The frequency representing the dominant periodic features was then determined from the main direction of the magnitude spectrum. Moreover, the tillage type of the bare soil surface was classified into one of three types (sinusoidal, sinusoidal bench, or bench) according to the magnitudes of dominant periodic features in the main direction. The method was evaluated using two data sets consisting of various agricultural features in regional Melbourne, Australia. The retrieval Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) in orientation and period was < 3° and 0.1 m. The overall accuracy of detecting the periodic features and tillage type classification was >95% and 70.59%, respectively. The proposed method and the retrieved periodic features are expected to partly solve the ill-posed nature of microwave data inversion over periodic surfaces.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVE
Host modulatory agents directed at inhibiting specific proinflammatory mediators could be beneficial in terms of attenuating periodontal disease progression and potentially enhancing therapeutic responses. The aim of this study was to investigate whether daidzein could modulate the production inflammatory mediators in macrophages stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS) from Prevotella intermedia, a pathogen implicated in periodontal disease, and to delineate underlying mechanisms of action.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
LPS was extracted from P. intermedia ATCC 25611 cells by the standard hot phenol-water method. The amounts of nitric oxide (NO) and interleukin-6 (IL-6) secreted into the culture medium were assayed. A real-time PCR was performed to quantify inducible nitric oxide synthase (iNOS) and IL-6 mRNA expression. We used immunoblot analysis to characterize iNOS protein expression, phosphrylation of c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and p38, degradation of inhibitory κB-α (IκB-α), nuclear translocation of nuclear factor-κB (NF-κB) subunits and phosphorylation of signal transducer and activator of transcription 1 (STAT1). The DNA-binding activity of NF-κB was assessed by using ELISA-based kits.

RESULTS
Daidzein significantly inhibited the production of NO and IL-6, as well as their mRNA expression, in P. intermedia LPS-treated RAW264.7 cells. The JNK and p38 pathways were not involved in the regulation of LPS-induced NO and IL-6 release by daidzein. Daidzein inhibited the degradation of IκB-α induced by P. intermedia LPS. In addition, daidzein suppressed NF-κB transcriptional activity via regulation of the nuclear translocation and DNA-binding activity of NF-κB p50 subunit and blocked STAT1 phosphorylation.

CONCLUSION
Although additional studies are required to dissect the molecular mechanism of action, our results suggest that daidzein could be a promising agent for treating inflammatory periodontal disease. Further research in animal models of periodontitis is necessary to better evaluate the potential of daidzein as a novel therapeutic agent to treat periodontal disease.


Homeostasis is conventionally thought of merely as a synchronic (same time) servo-mechanism that maintains the status quo for organismal physiology. However, when seen from the perspective of developmental physiology, homeostasis is a robust, dynamic, intergenerational, diachronic (across-time) mechanism for the maintenance, perpetuation and modification of physiologic structure and function. The integral relationships generated by cell-cell signaling for the mechanisms of embryogenesis, physiology and repair provide the needed insight to the scale-free universality of the homeostatic principle, offering a novel opportunity for a Systems approach to Biology. Starting with the inception of life itself, with the advent of reproduction during meiosis and mitosis, moving forward both ontogenetically and phylogenetically through the evolutionary steps involved in adaptation to an ever-changing environment, Biology and Evolution Theory need no longer default to teleology.


Three cases of renal cell carcinoma with prolonged survivals of 26, 23 and 15 years are reported. The three possible theories about prolonged survival are discussed in the light of a review of the literature.


Background In the assessment of patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) it is important to measure physical function, fatigue, pain behavior and pain interference. The Patient-Reported Outcomes Measurement Information System (PROMIS) initiative developed item banks for measuring these concepts. These item banks were translated into Dutch-Flemish language. Objectives To facilitate interpretation and implementation of PROMIS in the Netherlands, we aimed to calibrate and validate the Dutch-Flemish PROMIS Physical Function (DF-PROMIS-PF), Fatigue (DF-PROMIS-FA), Pain Behavior (DF-PROMISPB) and Pain Interference (DF-PROMIS-PI) Item Banks in the general Dutch population, to obtain Dutch norm scores for these item banks. Methods 3365 persons of the general Dutch population completed a web-based survey, of which 1309 persons completed the full DF-PROMIS-PF (121 items), 1007 persons completed the full DF-PROMIS-FA (95 items), and 1049 persons completed the full DF-PROMIS-PB (39 items) and the full DF-PROMIS-PI (40 items). The sample was stratified for gender, age, education, and ethnicity according to the distribution of the 2015 census of the general Dutch population. A one-factor confirmatory factor analysis (CFA) was performed per item bank to assess unidimensionality. A graded item response model (GRM) was fitted per item bank to evaluate the item characteristics of the item banks and to facilitate future development of computer adaptive tests (CATs). Ordinal regression models were used to evaluate Differential Item Functioning (DIF) for language (Dutch vs. English) as a measure of cross-cultural validity. Results All four item banks showed good fit to the GRM: they showed good fit indices for CFA and high percentages of explained variance by first factor. The item banks showed only little local dependency and the scalability coefficients suggested strong scalability for all four item banks. The item characteristics showed good coverage across the range of the four concepts. DIF analyses are in progress. Conclusions The item banks exhibited good psychometric properties in the general Dutch population. The four Dutch-Flemish PROMIS item banks can be used to develop CATs for measuring physical function, fatigue, pain behavior and pain interference in the Netherlands. Dutch norm scores are presented. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Corruption is a "disease of power" that exists early in human society, since the division of power and establishment of social classes and states. It is an "abnormal behaviour of public servants for private benefits" - a "disease" of rulling force then corruption is a problem of states during historical process. In Vietnam, since feudal states, our fathers recognized harm of corruption and fought against it throguh many effective measures, among them, legislation is a main ones.


lesions, together with a glazed appearance of the intestines, which were edematous and congested, and the intestinal contents gave a positive benzidine test for blood. Histologically, the appearances corresponded to those already described by Flexner and Sweet, 7 Doerr,' Dopter, 8 and others,l as a result of the action of Shiga bacillus toxin. This experiment was repeated, employing, instead of a 3 day growth of Shiga bacilli in Noguchi flasks, a 24 hour growth. The results were practically identical; the dosage of the bacteria-free filtrate required to induce nervous lesions without intestinal involvement and the dosage of the autolysate of the bacilli necessary to produce intestinal lesions combined with nervous lesions were the same as in the case of the 3 day growth.


To determine the existence and assess the importance of reflex mechanoreceptor areas other than carotid and aortic baroreceptor sites in dogs, balloon and monitoring catheters were placed in the pulmonary artery proximal to the bifurcation, in the inferior vena cava, and in the thoracic aorta above the diaphragm. Inflation of these balloons made it possible to produce a variety of pressure distribution patterns in the circulation. Pressures were recorded from the bifurcation of the pulmonary artery, right and left atria, aortic arch, and intrathoracic esophagus to obtain evidence for the existence of blood pressure reflexes originating above the diaphragm. The results contain quantitative evidence for the following reflexes in dogs anesthetized with chloralose, and breathing normally with closed chest: 1 ) the Bainbridge "effect;" 2 ) the well-known barostatic reflexes, except that respiration rate was found to be independent of arterial pressure; 3 ) a previously unreported reflex: when the pulmonary artery pressure is lowered (the right atrial and aortic pressures being maintained constant) there results an immediate increase in respiration rate and depth without a concomitant change in heart rate.


Closed-loop input rate regulation schemes have come to play an important role in the transport of the available bit rate (ABR) traffic service category for ATM. We present a numerical approach to the performance study of a delayed feedback system with one congested node and multiple connections. This approach consists in modeling the feedback system as a finite quasi-birth-death (QBD) process. Due to the peculiar block tri-diagonal nature of its generator, efficient techniques exist for its steady-state and transient solutions. Using these techniques, we examine a simple parsimonious feedback system for issues such as throughput/loss performance, fairness and stability. Our approach has the flexibility to study the effect of several additional factors such as asynchronous feedback, two-level control and explicit rate notification in the presence of underlying high-priority traffic. This study brings to light the trade-offs between system performance and the complexity of the feedback scheme. Our study shows that the time scales of correlation of the feedback system have a dominant effect on its performance. These time scales are associated with the feedback delay, the durations of active/idle periods of traffic sources and the time scales of the underlying high-priority traffic. We also examine the effect of the time scales on the convergence time for the transient queueing system.


Thin-film composite (TFC) membranes show exceptional permeation properties of key importance for many separations. However, their design and development need ultrathin and defect-free nanofilms as the active layer to alleviate the bottleneck of permeation-rejection trade-off. Here, a 25 nm thick film is fabricated on a porous support by introducing polydopamine (PDA) as an adsorption layer, imparting a unique adsorption-assisted interfacial polymerization (IP) strategy. The PDA layer efficiently captures and enriches amine monomers even from ultradilute solution toward uniform stacking on the support, thus generating ultrathin and defect-free films after polymerization. This is superior to the defective one from conventional IP. Such an active layer features ultrafast permeation for organics, favorable solute rejection, and excellent operation stability. Particularly, the acetone permeance of this new TFC membrane reaches 96.3 L m-2 h-1 bar-1, which exceeds that from conventional IP by more than 10 times, ranking among one of the highest performances reported to date. More significantly, the pernicious permeation-rejection trade-off of the TFC membrane is thus alleviated. Besides, this strategy is facile, versatile, and easy to scale-up, giving controllable physical and chemical structures to the active layer. This study may pave a way to well-design highly efficient film materials for various transport and separation applications.


The ectoparasites of man are, generally speaking, well known, and many of them have been recognized from the earliest times. They are also easily determined, in the main, while, on the other hand, the difficulties to which they give rise are not, as a rule, serious, but yield readily to simple treatment. With the endoparasites, however, the case is precisely the reverse. They are not, as a rule, more than superficially known, and it is only recently that attention has been generally called to their number and the effects often serious which they produce in the human organism. To be sure, a long series of such forms has been recorded in the past, and the serious effects of their parasitism has been emphasized in some quarters. Thirty years ago Leuckart 1 listed thirty-three species which had been found in man, and, in company with Virchow and a long


There is a great conclusive amount of information about the deficit of psychosocial functioning in eating disordered patients. Objective: To describe the evidence on the influence of social anxiety, alexithymia and lack of assertiveness as predisposing, triggering and perpetuating factors of eating disorders (ED) symptomatology and the impairment of social behaviors and/or attitudes in patients suffering from anorexia nervosa and/or bulimia nervosa. Method: An exhaustive review of the national and international specialized literature was made. Results: Social anxiety that may become a social phobia (avoidance of interpersonal contact), alexithymia (difficulty to identify and/or express feelings and sensations) that may be associated to depression and lack of assertiveness (discapacity in social competence to con front communicational events) reach significatively higher prevalence rates in eating disordered patients compared to control subjects. Conclusions: The evidence supports the significant interference in social skills, in the therapeutic management and in the outcome of eating disordered patients related to these comorbidities. It is imperative its early identification and clinical approach in order to prevent the emer gence of ED.


Purpose: The purpose of this study is to suggest implications for setting up the future urban regeneration performance management system and performance indicators by analyzing the criticality of performance indicators by project stage and type for central city, general neighborhood, urban residential district regeneration and town regeneration projects among neighborhood regeneration projects. Method: For this, we conducted questionnaires on seven experts, FGI, Urban Regeneration Support Center, public officials and a hundred related experts. AHP analysis was conducted to figure out the level of criticality of each stage and type of regeneration projects. Result: As a result of the analysis, firstly, the performance of regeneration projects should take into account not only output indicators derived directly from a project, but also result indicators and process indicators from a long term perspective. Secondly, it was identified that performance deliver plan should be put forward according to the characteristics of each project in establishing urban regeneration and revitalization plan: in the case of central city, performance indicators for economic activity enhancement and social integration should be weighted. In the case of general neighborhood type, residential support type, and town regeneration type projects, performance indicators for community capacity enhancement, community improvement, community welfare facility expansion and service improvement should be weighted. For this, the central government should support human resources and budget for municipalities' performance management and conduct performance goal verification, consultation, education, and management and supervision by establishing a performance management task force.


The distal quarter of the rectum is derived from the cloaca and can be viewed as a specialized "sensory organ". Only the proximal three quarters of the rectum stem phylogenetically from intestinal tissues. Therefore, only this upper portion has an associated mesorectum. A significant amount of data support the notion that profound differences exist between the enterogenic, upper segments and the cloacogenic, lower segment of the rectum: 1. differing supply with blood and lymph vessels, 2. embryologic and comparative anatomic findings, 3. the central support system provided by Denonvilliers' fascia, 4. specialized innervation, 5. malformations of the continence organ, 6. findings on magnetic resonance images and histologic macro sections, 7. findings on PET-CT images, 8. the muscular wall architecture of different portions of the rectum, 9. differences in basic function (storage vs continence), 10. location of most postoperative local recurrences of rectal carcinomas, even when complete mesorectal resection was performed, since hundred years.


Electrohydrodynamic (EHD) printing is an alternative method to fabricate high-resolution micro- and nanostructures with high efficiency, low cost, and low pollution. Numerical simulation is an effective approach to systematically investigate the formation process of EHD jet. However, there are a few articles performing this work. In this study, a finite element model was established. The jet formation process and jetting modes were analyzed. The influence of applied voltage and printing distance on the maximum electric field near the nozzle tip was investigated. The effect of flow rate on the jet diameters was studied. Comparison between numerical and experimental results demonstrated that the proposed simulation model had a high potential for EHD jet analysis. According to the optimized printing conditions (printing distance of 200–300 μm, applied voltage of ∼1100 V, and flow rate of 0.1–0.3 ml/h), stable EHD jet can generate and polyvinyl pyrrolidone (PVP) lines with minimum line-width of 0.9 μm can be printed onto the glass slide.


The plight of the Rohingyas has become better known since the start of 2009, in particular because of world-wide media coverage of the case of the so-called "boat people", consisting of hundreds of Rohingyas who attempted to reach Thailand by boat and were subsequently mistreated there. Despite this new interest in the Rohingya community, very little work has been done to examine the root causes behind their continuous suffering. The Rohingyas are a Muslim minority group residing in North Arakan State in Western Burma. It is estimated that there are approximately 800,000 Rohingyas in Arakan State, and many hundreds of thousands of Rohingya refugees in other countries. There are disputes over the historical records, and whether the Rohingyas are an indigenous group or whether in fact they began entering Burma in the late 19th century. Even the very name 'Rohingya' has been disputed. Whatever position is taken on these questions, it is undeniable that the Rohingyas exist, and have done so for decades, as a significant minority group in North Arakan State. For many years, the Rohingyas have been enduring human rights abuses. These violations are on-going and in urgent need of attention and redress.
Irish Aid provided funding for independent research to be conducted by the Irish Centre for Human Rights on the situation of the Rohingyas. The content and views expressed in the resulting Report by the Irish Centre for Human Rights are entirely those of the authors. This Report is based on a fact-finding mission to the region, including Burma, as well as on extensive open-source research, and confidential meetings with organisations working in the region. Much of the most important information came from the many interviews conducted with Rohingya individuals in and around refugee camps in Bangladesh, where they were able to speak more freely than they can in Burma itself about the violations they had endured and which had caused them to flee their homes.
The Report examines the situation of the Rohingyas through the lens of crimes against humanity. The Rome Statute of the International Criminal Court and international criminal law jurisprudence, especially that of the ad hoc International Criminal Tribunals for the former Yugoslavia and Rwanda, are used to provide detailed and clear legal foundations for the examination. As becomes evident in the individual chapters, there is a strong prima facie case for determining that crimes against humanity are being committed against the Rohingyas of North Arakan State in Burma.


SU-8, an epoxy based negative photoresist, is widely used in the manufacture of micromechanical systems but can exhibit significant levels of stress build-up during processing. This paper describes micromechanical test structures that provide the opportunity to spatially characterise stress the in SU-8 at different stages of the process. The structures are fabricated in a thick layer of SU-8 and are subsequently released from the underlying substrate using a dry chemical vapour etch process. The initial results indicate that there is significant tensile stress in the SU-8, and that this demonstrates a radial variation along with a dependence on the process conditions.


ABSTm•CT.--Despite similarities in winter distribution, habitat selection, and food choice, Dark-eyed Juncos (]unco hyemalis) and Tree Sparrows (Spizella arborea) differ in the extent to which they store fat during winter, with juncos accumulating reater stores. Anticipating that Tree Sparrows might have some means of conserving energy during fasting and thus suffer no disadvantage when weather prevents feeding, we compared the species for weight loss, body temperature, and locomotor activity during fasting and noted relative fasting endurance. Because both species exhibit geographic variation in sex ratio during winter, we also made sexual comparisons, anticipating that males would be able to fast longer than females. The species responded similarly to fasting by (a) lowering body temperature, especially at night, and (b) becoming hyperactive, progressively more so as fasting time increased. Tree Sparrows did not exhibit these responses to a greater degree (although they became hyperactive sooner) and were not able to fast as long as juncos. No sexual differences in fasting ability were observed. Because the species-specific difference in tendency toward fat accumulation cannot be attributed to differences in energy expenditure while fasting, at least in the laboratory, other explanations are considered. Received 22 June 1981, accepted 21 September 1981.


This paper aims to propose an improved numerical model for wave breaking in the nearshore region based on the fully nonlinear form of Boussinesq equations. The model uses the κ equation turbulence scheme to determine the eddy viscosity in the Boussinesq equations. To calculate the turbulence production term in the equation, a new formula is derived based on the concept of surface roller. By use of this formula, the turbulence production in the one-equation turbulence scheme is directly related to the difference between the water particle velocity and the wave celerity. The model is verified by Hansen and Svendsen's experimental data (1979) in terms of wave height and setup and setdown. The comparison between the model and experimental results of wave height and setup and setdown shows satisfactory agreement. The modeled turbulence energy decreases as waves attenuate in the surf zone. The modeled production term peaks at the breaking point and decreases as waves propagate shoreward. It is also suggested that both convection and diffusion play their important roles in the transport of turbulence energy immediately after wave breaking. When waves approach to the shoreline, the production and dissipation of turbulence energy are almost balanced. By use of the slot technique for the simulation of the movable shoreline boundary, wave runup in the swash zone is well simulated by the present model.


DNA molecules containing the 5' end of a functional major histocompatibility class II E alpha gene were injected into mouse eggs bearing E alpha genes with 630-base-pair (bp) deletions encompassing the promoter and first exon. The deletion was corrected by homologous recombination in 1 of about 500 transgenic mice that incorporated the injected DNA. The corrected E alpha gene was transmitted to progeny, which were bred to homozygosity. Southern blot analysis, polymerase chain reaction amplification of the DNA spanning the deletion, and sequence analysis revealed that the corrected allele resembles the wild-type E alpha gene. At sites of single-base-pair polymorphisms, there was apparently random conversion to either the donor or recipient sequence. In addition, many point mutations were introduced. mRNAs were produced from the corrected allele in a tissue-specific manner, but their sizes were different from the wild-type allele, and they did not produce detectable E alpha protein. This experiment demonstrates the feasibility of targeting foreign DNA to a gene that is completely inactive in fertilized mouse eggs.


OBJECTIVE
To observe the effects of lyceum barbarum polysaccharide (LBP) on insulin resistance of HepG2 cells and investigate its possible mechanism.

METHODS
IR-HepG2 cell model was induced with high glucose and high insulin in combination for 24 hours,with 104/vaccination in the 96-well plates, hole density after adherent cells (30 μg/ml、100 μg/ml、300 μg/ml) LBP cultivate 48 h, 200 μl/hole, each all had four holes. The effects of LBP at different concentrations on HepG2 cell activity and insulin resistance were tested. Intracellular malondialdehyde (MDA) content and superoxide dismutase (SOD) activity were detected. The expressions of related proteins in insulin signal transduction pathways such as insulin receptor substrate-2(IRS-2), phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase(PI3-K), protein kinase B(Akt) and glucose transport-2(GLUT2) were determined.

RESULTS
Compared with normal control group, the content of MDA was increased significantly and the activity of SOD and the expression levels of IRS-2,PI-3K,Akt and GLUT2 were decreased significantly in the IR model group. Compared with IR model group, medium and high concentrations of LBP decreased the content of MDA and increased the activity of SOD and the expression levels of IRS-2, PI-3K, Akt and GLUT2 in insulin-resistant HepG2 cells. MTT showed that at the same time, the OD value gradually decreased with the increase of LBP's concentration; under the same concentration of LBP, the OD value also gradually decreased with the extension of time, which indicated that LBP inhibited the proliferation of HepG2 cells with time and concentration-dependent manner. Glucose consumption experiment indicated that medium and high concentration of LBP could increase the glucose consumption of insulin-resistant HepG2 cells significantly, but low concentration of LBP had no significant impacted on glucose consumption of insulin-resistant HepG2 cells.

CONCLUSIONS
Medium and high concentration of LBP can improve insulin resistance of HepG2 cell, its mechanisns may be associated with decreasing the level of oxidative stress and increasing the protein expressions of insulin signaling pathway.


In this master thesis, there has been investigated if the extent to which mediators of the organization Victim in Focus perceive an offense as serious, has an influence on the method of mediators during victim-offender mediations. By investigating this, it can be better understood how mediators work and which role the seriousness of an offense plays in this process. Eventually, this can contribute to the development of an standard method for cases of mediation with both less serious and highly serious offenses. The research is done by analyzing 200 files of mediation cases of Victim in Focus, of which 73 also have been reviewed by eight mediators who work within the organization. The offenses have been judged on three dimensions of seriousness, namely: perceives wrongfulness, perceived harmfulness and the overall seriousness. Thereafter there has been investigated if the extent of seriousness is associated with several aspects of the working method during a mediation case, such as the amount of contact with victims and offenders during the different phases of the mediation process. From the results, it appears that mediators perceive the harmfulness of an offense as less high than laypeople do. Thereby it appears that even between mediators mutually there is a difference in the extent to which they perceive an offense as serious. Also, the results show that as an offense is more seriousness the mediator has more contact with the victim in the preparation phase, while in that case the mediator has less contact with the offender in the preparation phase. Besides, the stay of an offender in an institute appears to be an explanation for the connection that as an offense is more serious, the mediator contacts the offender less often by phone in the intake phase. Thereby it appears that an mediation case tends to ends more often in a rejection when the offense is more harmful. Finally, there appears to be a difference in the duration of the mediation cases between mediators.


The cervical junction constitutes the anatomic limit between the crown and the root.1 Cervical lesions display two major variations: wedge-shaped and saucer-shaped lesions. Other lesion aspects have also been reported: shallow, concave, notched and irregular lesions. The cervical junction includes three different structures: enamel, dentin, and cementum, each displaying specific properties. Cervical lesions result from attrition, erosion, abrasion, or abfraction. There is a consensus on the etiology of three first types of lesions, however what is leading to an abfraction is a matter of discussion, with diverging etiological factors that remains controversial. Either it could be a stress-induced lesion related to the distribution of von Mises forces that potentiate cervical wear, or it is related to the physicochemical differences between enamel, cementum, and dentin, including their respective density and resistance to abrasives (brushing, toothpastes, acidic beverages and foods). Restorations are using mostly glass ionomer cements or resin-based composites. Failures of cervical adhesive restorations are numerous. The selection of appropriate treatment protocols implies substantial changes in the habits of the patient (tooth brushing, acidic beverages, and food intake), and the removal of excess material and final polishing.


The civilization of Ancient Egypt has long fascinated scholars and lay readers alike. This reference contains more than 2300 detailed entries - over 1000 more than the first edition - along with photographs and maps. Its coverage includes: archaeological discoveries, including the long lost cities of Canopus and Menouthis; the eras preceding the unification of Egypt, around 3000 BC; the eras following the fall of the New Kingdom in 1070 BC; the results of DNA studies of existing mummies; political alliances; and social and religious developments. Each entry has been updated in this edition to reflect scholarship since the publication of the last edition. The volume also contains a list of further readings to supplement all major entries, a bibliography, index, and a glossary.


CNOOC Iraq Limited operates three oil fields in Missan Province in Iraq. They are all large onshore oilfields located 350 kilometers southeast of Baghdad.
 In order to support reservoir pressure, plans are underway to implement a water injection scheme. The injection water comes from three different sources; produced water, aquifer water as well as river / agricultural water. Considering the nature and varying chemistry of the source water, particular attention had to be given to selecting the material for the water injection wells.
 This paper describes the approach adopted in selecting the materials for Missan fields' water injection system.


Statement of the Problem: The administration of both platelet rich plasma (PRP) and silicon dioxide (SiO2) to the bone defects accelerates bone repair and regeneration. Appli-cation of both of them may show synergistic regenerative effects Purpose: Our objective was to evaluate the possible synergistic osteogenic effects of PRP and SiO2 by injecting them using an ad hoc device. Materials and Method: In this experimental study, PRP/SiO2 scaffolds were fabricated by in situ casting method with the help of CaCl2 as the gelation factor and alginate as the stroma; and then, the biodegradability and spatial arrangement were assessed. The injecta-ble scaffold was introduced into the 40 rabbit mandibular defects by an ad hoc two-channel injecting device. Five defects received PRP/SiO2/alginate as the treatment; the other sets of defects were treated by PRP/alginate, SiO2/alginate, and the last five defects served as the control groups by getting only alginate injections. The osteogenicity of the scaffolds was evaluated by radiological and histological procedures; they were then compared with each other. Analysis of variance and least significant difference tests were used to analyze the data Results: The SiO2-treated group showed a significant higher bone area compared to PRP/ SiO2-treated groups on day 40 (p= 0.013). The number of osteocytes was higher in SiO2-treated than the control groups on both 20 and 40 days (p= 0.032 and 0.022, respectively). The number of osteoclast was also higher in SiO2-treated than PRP-treated group (p= 0.028). In addition, the cells of this group had just started to create Haversian systems in newly formed bone tissues. Conclusion: Silica demonstrated a superior osteogenic activity over PRP in both short and long term periods. Evidently, they showed no synergistic regenerative effects. Our ad hoc device was efficiently capable of inserting the scaffolds into the injured sites with no diffi-culties or complications.


Automotive evaporative emissions systems use a charcoal canister to store evaporative hydrocarobn emissions. These stored vapors are later purged and burned during engine operation. Under certain conditions the engine cannot completely purge the canister of the stored fuel vapors, which results in a decreased vapor storage capacity in the canister. A self-regulating PTC (Positive Temperature Coefficient) heater has been developed to warm the purge air as it enters the canister, in order to provide thermal energy for increased release of the vapors from charcoal sites. This paper describes the construction and operation of the vapor canister heater as it relates to improved evaporative emission system performance.


: We present a new matrix-free residual maximum likelihood (REML) analysis for irregularly spaced spatial data, where observations usually represent average values over very small regions that are inter- preted as points. The REML analysis is obtained after embedding the sampling locations in a fine scale rectangular lattice, treating unobserved sites as missing data. The spatial random fields considered here are based on fractional Laplacian differencing on the lattice and they are unique in ap- proximating continuum intrinsic Mat´ern dependence. Here, using the h-likelihood method, we derive REML estimating equations that allow for singular precision matrices, estimation of covariate effects, prediction of unobserved spatial effects and REML estimation of precision parameters as a solution to an explicit gamma non-linear model. Furthermore, we de-vise a sophisticated computational algorithm that enables us to achieve scalable matrix-free statistical computations. In particular, these matrix-free computations include the use of (1) the two-dimensional discrete co- sine transformation that arises in the spectral decomposition of the precision matrix of our spatial random fields and that allows fast matrix-free matrix-vector multiplication, (2) a matrix-free pre-conditioned Lanczos algorithm that solves non-sparse matrix equations with linear constraints, (3) a matrix-free Hutchinson's trace estimator that stochastically approximates the trace of a matrix, (4) a robust trust region method that always finds a local maximum of the non-concave residual log-likelihood function and (5) some preliminary computations of the log REML likelihood func- tion based on Taylor series approximation. Using computer experiments, we provide further understanding on not just the number and values but also the basins of attraction of the local and global maxima of the REML function. This understanding significantly simplifies the problem of finding global maxima. We further demonstrate through computer experiments that our matrix-free REML estimators attain both efficiency and geosta- tistical inference, and surpass the widely used INLA methods in computational times. We provide an extensive application on mapping ground water arsenic concentration in Bangladesh, indicating numeric consistency of results and robustness of inference to changes of lattice spacing. The paper closes with some discussions that include computations in the stationary case, conditional simulations and matrix-free MCMC computations.