This study was carried out in Kinondoni municipality to determine the per capita daily waste generation rate and waste composition, and correlate these variables with socioeconomic factors of the householders. Questionnaires, interviews, waste characterization, and observation were used in data collection. A sample of 75 respondents residing in middle and low-income settlements were selected for the study. The results showed that the generation rate of household wastes was 0.44 kg/persons/day. On average household solid waste consisted of kitchen/food waste, paper, plastics, glass, metals, aluminium and other wastes, the proportion of each waste was approximately 74.10%, 8.30%, 9%, 0.75%, 0.60%, 0% and 7.25%, respectively An evaluation of the relationship between daily per capita generation of household waste and socio-economic factors indicated a weak positive correlation with household size (r = 0.219, and r = 0.138 for middle and low-income households respectively). While, the obtained value of the Pearson coefficient (r) indicated very weak negative correlation (r = -0. 108 and r= -0.096 for middle and low-income households respectively) between the per capita daily waste generation and the household income. These findings suggest that there is a need to examine other factors that underlie the generation of household wastes. DOI: 10.5901/ajis.2013.v2n13p35


Bacterial toxin superantigens bind to MHC class II molecules and activate a large proportion of T cells through a direct interaction with the T cell receptor (TCR). The toxin: TCR interaction involves specific recognition between the beta-chain variable region and the toxin. Although a complete alpha beta T cell receptor is required for activation of T cells, studies using purified soluble T cell receptor beta-chain have shown that it alone is sufficient for binding the toxin: class II complex. The regions of V beta and enterotoxin involved in the recognition have been determined.


To The Editor: Hepatitis C virus (HCV) infection is a leading cause of silent liver inflammation (hepatitis), scarring (cirrhosis) and hepatocellular carcinoma. Although it is primarily and efficiently transmitted through large and repeated percutaneous exposure to blood and blood products, overt percutaneous exposure cannot be identified in 10–50% of cases [1]. During the years 2004–2005, 31618 healthy blood donors (HBD), 157 intravenous drug abusers (IDUs) [2], 280 patients of chronic renal failure (CRF) on haemodialysis, 550 persons engaged in high risk sexual practices (HRSP) [2] and 130 patients of chronic liver disease (CLD) attending the tertiary care hospital attached to Government Medical College, Amritsar (Punjab; North India) were screened for anti- HCV antibodies using commercially available third generation anti- HCV ELISA kits (HCV Microlisa; J Mitra and Co. Ltd, New Delhi, India).

Table 1 shows that the prevalence of HCV antibodies in HBD is 1.76%. Hepatitis C accounts for 70–80% post transfusion non A-non B hepatitis cases in centres where only hepatitis B free blood is transfused [3]. In India, screening of blood for anti HCV antibodies is mandatory since 2004 [4]. By monitoring and strict enforcement of this law, transmission of HCV through blood transfusion could be reduced to a minimum. This has already been achieved in some western countries [3].

Table 1

Prevalence of antibodies in healthy blood donors and different risk groups

Among the various risk groups of patients screened, patients of CRF on haemodialysis were found to be at highest risk (34.3% prevalence- Table 1). This could be the result of prolonged vascular access and exposure of these patients to contaminated medical equipment and other infected patients. In IDUs, the observed prevalence rate was 33.75% (Table 1) [2]. This high prevalence seems to be the result of direct percutaneous exposure due to sharing of contaminated needles. It has been reported that the seroconversion rate in IDUs is 20% per year and long term IDUs are almost invariably HCV infected [3]. Among the HRSP group, the positivity was 2.72% and it showed insignificant difference (p > 0.05) from that observed in HBD (1.76%). This indicates that sexual transmission is not a substantial contributor in the spread of HCV infection in our set-up. However, its prevalence of 13.1% in CLD patients shows that HCV infection, no doubt, is a major contributor to the burden of CLD and cirrhosis in this part of our country

Therefore, we conclude that there is definitely a big pool of HCV infected persons in North India who can act as a reservoir for its continuous transmission and are at risk of developing HCV related chronic disease. Although blood supply is being made safe by mandatory screening, the risk of HCV infection still remains through the use of non-sterile/improperly sterilized needles and equipment (medical and dental), sharing of needles, razors and tooth brushes, tattooing and other certain body piercing practices which are common in this region. Much of this could be prevented by implementing infection control practices in health care and other settings, proper counselling of persons with high risk drug and sexual practices and by professional and public health education.


The authors give a distributed algorithm to compute shortest paths in a network with changing topology. The authors analyze its behavior. The proof of correctness is discussed. It does not suffer from the routing table looping behavior associated with the Ford-Bellman distributed shortest path algorithm although it uses truly distributed processing. Its time and message complexities are evaluated. Comparisons with other methods are given. >


A double mesa-structure Si/SiGe heterojunction bipolar transistor (HBT) and novel micromachined lumped passive components have been developed and successfully applied to the fabrication of X- and Ku-band monolithic amplifiers. The fabricated 5/spl times/5 /spl mu/m/sup 2/ emitter-size Si/SiGe HBT exhibited a DC-current gain /spl beta/ of 109, and f/sub T/ and f/sub max/ of 28 and 52 GHz, respectively. Micromachined spiral inductors demonstrated resonance frequency of 20 GHz up to 4 nH, which is higher than that of conventional spiral inductors by a factor of two. Single-, dual-, and three-stage X-band amplifiers have been designed, based on the extracted active- and passive-device model parameters. A single-stage amplifier exhibited a peak gain of 4.0 dB at 10.0 GHz, while dual- and three-stage versions showed peak gains of 5.7 dB at 10.0 GHz and 12.6 dB at 11.1 GHz, respectively. A Ku-band single-stage amplifier has also been designed and fabricated, showing a peak gain of 1.4 dB at 16.6 GHz. Matching circuits for all these amplifiers were implemented by lumped components, leading to a much smaller chip size compared to those employing distributed components as matching elements.


We identified two novel GDAP1 homozygous mutations in children affected with severe demyelinating peripheral neuropathies and born to consanguineous parents. A 9 year old Lebanese girl carried a nonsense mutation in exon 5 and two Algerian brothers aged 10 and 8 years carried a mutation at the intron 3 acceptor splicing site. The clinical, electrophysiological, and neuropathological explorations showed common features consistent with a severe demyelinating peripheral neuropathy associated with loss of major fibres. Our findings, supported by the first GDAP1 expression study in patients, show further evidence that mutations in this gene cause an autsomal recessive severe demyelinating peripheral phenotype (CMT4A) associated with axon loss.

Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT) (also called hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy (HMSN)) is clinically, electrophysiologically, and genetically extremely heterogeneous with more than 40 loci and 16 genes identified to date.1 The most common inherited peripheral neuropathies are CMT type 1 and CMT type 2, which are characterised by progressive weakness and atrophy, initially of the peroneal muscles and later of the distal muscles of the arms. Myelination is mainly affected in CMT1, with neuropathological findings of demyelination and remyelination with onion bulb formation, clusters of regeneration, and Schwann cell proliferation. CMT2 is an axonal neuropathy characterised by the reduction of fibre density in the absence of clusters of myelin regeneration or proliferation of Schwann cells. Very often, neuropathological analysis of patients carrying demyelinating neuropathies shows concomitant axon fibre loss.2 A motor nerve conduction velocity (MNCV) threshold value of 38 ms−1 at the median nerve is used to classify patients with CMT as being either CMT1 (MNCV 38 ms−1). CMT4A defines a particularly severe polyneuropathy of the demyelinating type, associated with distal weakness and atrophy of the limbs, with early onset. The muscular atrophy rapidly progresses, extending proximally …


Transformations in collaborative work due to the introduction of new technology are inevitable, but are often difficult to study. In this paper, we consider the patterns of transformation that are seen in a patient-physician relationship based on the introduction of homecare monitoring equipment. We report findings from interviews and fieldwork with patients and physicians participating in a clinical experiment of homecare monitoring. By studying both the group of patients who receive homecare-based treatment and the control group we were able to identify transformations in the collaborative activity as caused by the homecare monitoring technology. We apply activity theory as a theoretical basis for this analysis. We consider the implications of these findings for the design of pervasive health monitoring technologies.


Cytochrome c has been chemically modified by methylene blue mediated photooxidation. It is established that the methionine residues of the protein have been specifically converted to methionine sulfoxide residues. No oxidation of any other amino acid residues or the cysteine thioether bridges of the molecule occurs during the photooxidation reaction. The absorbance spectrum of methionine sulfoxide ferricytochrome c at neutrality is similar to that of the unmodified protein except for an increase in the extinction coefficient of the Soret absorbance band and for the complete loss of the ligand sensitive 695 nm absorbance band in the spectrum of the derivative. The protein remains in the low spin configuration which implies the retention of two strong field ligands. Spin state sensitive spectral titrations and model studies of heme peptides indicate that the sixth ligand is definitely not provided by a lysine residue but may be methionine-80 sulfoxide coordinated via its sulfur atom. Circular dichroism spectra indicate that the heme crevice of methionine sulfoxide ferri- and ferrocytochrome c is weakened relative to native cytochrome c. The redox potential of methionine sulfoxide cytochrome c is 184 mV which is markedly diminished from the 260 mV redox potential of native cytochrome c. The modified protein is equivalent to native cytochrome c as a substrate for cytochrome oxidase and is not autoxidizable at neutral pH but is virtually inactive with succinate-cytochrome c reductase. These results indicate that the major role of the methionine-80 in cytochrome c is to preserve a closed hydrophobic heme crevice which is essential for the maintainance of the necessary redox potential.


This is a book intended mainly for nonotolaryngologists and is authored by 13 alumni of the University of Michigan's prestigious graduate training program in otolaryngology. Despite the book's title, differential diagnosis constitutes only a portion of its subject matter. Much space is also devoted to physiology, pathology, pathophysiology, audiometric testing, drug ototoxicity, clinical classifications and descriptions of disease states, and treatment, providing a breadth of scope that is welcome and needed. Unfortunately, however, both the organization of material and the writing are of uneven quality and vary considerably from chapter to chapter. The best feature of the book is a well-organized, clearly written, 18-page chapter on vertigo by George Gates. After a brief introduction in which the reader is made familiar—first, with the general nature of vertigo and, next, with some principles of labyrinthine physiology—Gates proceeds through a systematic, logical, and detailed discussion of differential diagnosis and of the


The changes in the information technologies of the last two decades, represented by the democratization of the Internet and the availability of portable and intelligent handhelds, is associated with new business, communication and communicative models. The high service capacities of today's smartphones have enabled a two-way dynamic processing of great amounts of content. The users gather in virtual communities and become both consumers and producers of information: prosumers. These contents come from or are allocated in the cloud or other platforms, and spread rapidly through the net. In this paper, the evolution of information fluxes is analyzed in three phases of the Information Society or Net Society, and the theory around user-generated content and media convergence is discussed. Each phase is represented in a cyclical model articulating data dealing, the new roles of users and the impact of technology. On the basis of these models, news discourses and content may be anticipated for various purposes. A flow model based on algorithms determined by the personal preferences of users is finally proposed.


Platelets play a significant role in atherosclerosis, stroke, and asthma through active interaction with neutrophils, monocytes, and vascular endothelial cells. The mechanism underlying these intercellular interactions, however, is incompletely understood. In this study, we report that platelets can remotely modulate vascular endothelial cell apoptosis through releasing microRNA-223 (miR-223)–containing microvesicles (MVs). First, platelets expressed abundant miRNAs, and miR-223 had the highest level of expression. Platelet miR-223 and other miRNAs can be upregulated by the stimulation with thrombopoietin (TPO) or thrombin. Unlike leukocytes, platelets contained high levels of pre-miRNAs, and upregulation of mature platelet miRNAs by TPO was correlated with decreased pre-miRNAs. Second, under stimulation with TPO, platelets released a large amount of MVs, which also contain higher levels of miR-223. Elevation of miR-223 inside circulating platelet MVs (P-MVs) was also observed in plasma samples from patients with enteritis, hepatitis, nephritis, or atherosclerosis. Third, incubation of P-MVs with HUVECs, which had significantly lower levels of miR-223 than platelets, showed that P-MVs effectively delivered miR-223 into HUVECs. Finally, in HUVECs, exogenous platelet miR-223 decreased the level of insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor and thus promoted HUVEC apoptosis induced by advanced glycation end products. The proapoptotic effect of P-MVs on HUVECs was largely abolished by depleting cellular miR-223 using anti–miR-223 antisense oligonucleotide. In conclusion, our study presents the first evidence, to our knowledge, that platelet-released miR-223 promotes advanced glycation end product–induced vascular endothelial cell apoptosis via targeting insulin-like growth factor 1 receptor.


Islam is a religion raḥmatan lil 'ālamīn and has major source of al-Qur'an shalih li kulli zaman wa makan that contains everything about human life, but the Koran can't speak for themselves; it requires the efforts of dialogue between man and the Koran to dynamic the verses of the Koran in human life anywhere and anytime, including in Indonesia in the contemporary era. Indonesia is the largest and poverty issues. A variety of complex issues in Indo- nesia can be solved by using an alternative solution offers integration concept triadic that includes the integration between Islam, Indonesia, and science, by constructed the concept of triadic that Islam expected more grounded and dynamic in society to address the problems of contemporary Indonesian.Muslim population in the world. But although Indonesia is categorized as the largest Muslim country, as a heterogeneous country, Indonesia has a lot of issues of particular concern and should be resolved quickly and accurately, the problems faced by Indonesia most such as corruption.


Concerns with current mRNA Lipid Nanoparticle (LNP) systems include dose-limiting reactogenicity, adverse events that may be partly due to systemic off target expression of the immunogen, and a very limited understanding of the mechanisms responsible for the frozen storage requirement. We applied a new rational design process to identify a novel multiprotic ionizable lipid, called C24, as the key component of the mRNA LNP delivery system. We show that the resulting C24 LNP has a multistage protonation behavior resulting in greater endosomal protonation and greater translation of an mRNA-encoded luciferase reporter after intramuscular (IM) administration compared to the standard reference MC3 LNP. Off-target expression in liver after IM administration was reduced 6 fold for the C24 LNP compared to MC3. Neutralizing titers in immunogenicity studies delivering a nucleoside-modified mRNA encoding for the diproline stabilized spike protein immunogen were 10 fold higher for the C24 LNP versus MC3, and protection against viral challenge in a SARS-CoV-2 mouse model occurred at a very low 0.25 µg prime/boost dose of the same immunogen in the C24 LNP. Injection site inflammation was notably reduced for C24 compared to MC3. In addition, we found the C24 LNP to be entirely stable in bioactivity and mRNA integrity when stored at 4 ºC for at least 19 days. Storage at higher temperatures reduced both bioactivity and mRNA integrity, but less so for C24 than MC3, and in a manner consistent with the phosphodiester transesterification reaction mechanism of mRNA cleavage. The higher potency, lower injection site inflammation, and higher stability of the C24 LNP present important advancements in the evolution mRNA vaccine delivery.


Source code lexicon plays a paramount role in software quality: poor lexicon can lead to poor comprehensibility and even increase software fault-proneness. For this reason, renaming a program entity, i.e., altering the entity identifier, is an important activity during software evolution. Developers rename when they feel that the name of an entity is not (anymore) consistent with its functionality, or when such a name may be misleading. A survey that we performed with 71 developers suggests that 39 percent perform renaming from a few times per week to almost every day and that 92 percent of the participants consider that renaming is not straightforward. However, despite the cost that is associated with renaming, renamings are seldom if ever documented-for example, less than 1 percent of the renamings in the five programs that we studied. This explains why participants largely agree on the usefulness of automatically documenting renamings. In this paper we propose REanaming Program ENTities (REPENT), an approach to automatically document-detect and classify-identifier renamings in source code. REPENT detects renamings based on a combination of source code differencing and data flow analyses. Using a set of natural language tools, REPENT classifies renamings into the different dimensions of a taxonomy that we defined. Using the documented renamings, developers will be able to, for example, look up methods that are part of the public API (as they impact client applications), or look for inconsistencies between the name and the implementation of an entity that underwent a high risk renaming (e.g., towards the opposite meaning). We evaluate the accuracy and completeness of REPENT on the evolution history of five open-source Java programs. The study indicates a precision of 88 percent and a recall of 92 percent. In addition, we report an exploratory study investigating and discussing how identifiers are renamed in the five programs, according to our taxonomy.


An upper limb motion assisting robot for wheelchair bound, disabled individuals is proposed. The robot is mounted on the wheelchair frame and through user actuation, provides three dimensional limb movement assistance. The wrist is suspended in a wire trapeze, which is servomotor driven through a vibration reduction mechanism, providing a compact, light weight, and low cost movement assistance system. The design concept, mechanical characteristics, control system, and experimental results are discussed.


Equivalence of the spectral gap, exponential integrability of hitting times and Lyapunov conditions are well known. We give here the correspondance (with quantitative results) for reversible diffusion processes. As a consequence, we generalize results of Bobkov in the one dimensional case on the value of the Poincare constant for logconcave measures to superlinear potentials. Finally, we study various functional inequalities under different hitting times integrability conditions (polynomial, ...). In particular, in the one dimensional case, ultracontractivity is equivalent to a bounded Lyapunov condition.


H2-receptor antagonists have been frequently avoided in cyclosporine-treated transplant patients because of concern regarding possible exacerbation of nephrotoxicity. To determine whether the reported increase of serum creatinine levels in cyclosporine-treated transplant patients receiving H2-receptor antagonists was due to a true decrease in glomerular filtration rate or was secondary to altered renal tubular handling of creatinine, simultaneous inulin and creatinine clearances were analyzed in 11 cyclosporine-treated renal transplant recipients before and after H2-receptor antagonist administration. Seven patients received one week of cimetidine 300 mg p.o. four times daily and eight received one week of ranitidine 150 mg p.o. two times daily. Prior to study, all patients had stable renal function and were maintained on prednisone (mean dose 0.2 +/- 0.01 mg/kg/day) and cyclosporine (mean dose 5 +/- 0.6 mg/kg/day). Four patients were also receiving azathioprine (2 mg/kg/day). Cimetidine administration resulted in a significant increase (P less than 0.05) in mean serum creatinine concentration from 2.0 +/- 0.3 mg/dl to 2.4 +/- 0.3 mg/dl and a significant reduction (P less than 0.05) in mean creatinine clearance remained unchanged during this same period. Serum creatinine levels returned to baseline values for all patients following discontinuation of the drug. Ranitidine administration had no consistent effect on serum creatinine concentration, creatinine clearance or inulin clearance. Cyclosporine trough levels and BUN were unchanged by either drug. These results confirm previous observations demonstrating an increase in serum creatinine and a reduction in creatinine clearance following administration of H2 receptor antagonists, especially cimetidine. Failure to document a simultaneous reduction in inulin clearance is consistent with the hypothesis that H2-receptor antagonists do not exacerbate cyclosporine nephrotoxicity and lower GFR, but rather compete with creatinine for tubular secretion.


In this paper, we present a spiral scanning method using an atomic force microscope (AFM). Spiral motion is generated by applying slowly varying amplitude sine wave in the X-axis and cosine wave in the Y-axis of the piezoelectric tube (PZT) scanner of the AFM. An LQG controller also designed for damping the resonant mode of a PZT scanner for the lateral positioning of the AFM scanner stage. In this control design, an internal model of the reference sinusoidal signal is introduced with the plant model and an integrator with the system error is introduced. A vibration compensator is also designed and included in feedback loop with the plant to suppress the vibration of the PZT at the resonant frequency. Experimental results demonstrate the effectiveness of the proposed scheme.


The view is put forward that the effective sourcing and management of information is critical in the search for a winning business strategy. Such information will be secured from environmental and market analysis and will be matched with the company′s competitive advantage in the generation of strategic marketing options. Well‐managed information streams will be important in all aspects of the marketing mix as well as in market selection. Information will allow a company to decide on an effective supply posture to meet a market demand opportunity.


The purpose of the present invention is to provide: a conductive composition for low temperature firing, which is capable of forming an electrode or the like that has low contact resistance with respect to a transparent conductive layer, while maintaining low volume resistivity; and a solar cell which uses this conductive composition for low temperature firing for a collector electrode. A conductive composition for low temperature firing according to the present invention contains (A) conductive particles, (B) a curable resin and (C) a metal oxide. The metal oxide (C) is indium tin oxide and/or zinc oxide, and firing is carried out at a temperature of 200 DEG C or less.


Boundary-layer transition-to-turbulence studies are conducted in the Arizona State University Unsteady Wind Tunnel on a 45-deg swept airfoil. The pressure gradient is designed so that the initial stability characteristics are purely crossflow dominated. Flow-visualization and hot-wire measurements show that the development of the crossflow vortices is influenced by roughness near the attachment line. Comparisons of transition location are made between a painted surface (distributed 9-μm peaks and valleys on the surface), a machine-polished surface (0.5-μm rms finish), and a hand-polished surface (0.25-μm rms finish). Then isolated 6-μm roughness elements are placed near the attachment line on the airfoil surface under conditions of the final polish (0.25-μm rms). These elements create an enhanced packet of stationary crossflow waves, which results in localized early transition. The diameter, height, and location of these roughness elements are varied in a systematic manner. Spanwise hot-wire measurements are taken behind the roughness element to document the enhanced vortices. These scans are made at several different chord locations to examine vortex growth


Bioadsorption phenomenon is more or less like a chemical reaction and several parameters are bound to affect the process. The pH, amount of adsorbent and agitation time influence the biosorptive potentiality. Hence, the present study on adsorption of Cr(VI) by activated Vetivera roots and Blue green algae Anabaena supports that it is an effective low cost adsorbent for the removal of Cr(VI) from plating effluent. Langmuir and Freundlich adsorption isotherm correlate the equilibrium adsorption data. In batch experiments both Vetiveria and Anabaena species were found to be cost effective biosorbent for the efficient removal of Cr(VI) from the effluent and comparatively Anabaena species was found to adsorb maximum Cr(VI) (88.86%) at a low contact time of 60 min. The data obtained from the experiments and modeling would prove useful in designing and fabricating an efficient treatment plant for Cr(VI) rich effluent.


Thirty-one patients with cerebral transient ischemic attacks and ipsilateral internal carotid artery occlusion without contralateral internal carotid artery occlusion or stenosis were treated with a surgical anastomosis between a superficial temporal artery and acortical branch of the middle cerebral artery of the symptomatic hemisphere. The anastomosis was successful in 28 patients. Recurrent transient ischemic attacks were abolished in 23 patients and reduced in three. Two patients, one with a patent anastomosis, had strokes during the follow-up period. Of seven patients who refused the operation, two had strokes, two noted a reduction of transient ischemic attacks, two noted no change, and one became asymptomatic.


The problem of mathematics is an important teaching method of students' core qualities cultivation. Statistics and analysis of The master's thesis related to "junior high school mathematics" and "problem posing" in the past ten years were counted and analyzed from chronological distribution, institutional distribution and research topics and other dimensions. The research results: ignorance of domestic research on the textbook content; formalization of problem raising under the the guidance of theory; the opposite direction of demonstration and qualitative research; fuzzy and superficial results and countermeasures of research. Research reflection: broaden thoughts of the field, attach importance to the study of textbook content, and enhance the expression of the teacher's question raising; deepen the guiding ideas, reiterate the theory to guide the practice, reflect the complement of the theoretical practice; be rigorous about thoughts, attach importance to empirical and quantitive combination, improve scientific and appropriate research methods;  develop the logical thinking, focus on the study of results and countermeasures, and manifest the value of research results.


A new procedure is described for optimum phased-array synthesis. The synthesis is optimized by a simulated annealing process in which the energy function is directly related to the far-field intensity of a phased array. Numerical simulation results are presented. A possible optical-digital hybrid implementation that can perform the required computation at higher speed than a pure digital implementation is discussed.


The emphasis is on practical arithmetical methods suitable for application to matrices of so many rows and columns that their determinants are intractable. The arithmetic begins from an arbitrary, or guessed, column of numbers. This may be regarded as a raw material composed of the desired constituent plus an unknown assortment of impurities. Although the impurities are not known, their behaviour when subjected to certain computing operations can be foreseen sufficiently to allow them to be cleaned away gradually. These operations depend on all the latent roots. There is an initial stage of groping-about to find roughly where the latent roots are located. This leads on to a final stage of rapid routine in which roughly known latent roots are used to purify the column associated with the desired root. It is shown that the cleaning operation spreads over a considerable region of the Argand diagram; so that very imperfect information is, nevertheless, often effective. The proof of the numerical result is by comparison of independent estimates, and not by theorems about infinitely many operations. A closely similar purification method was applied in 1910 to a wide class of problems (so-called jury problems) involving differential equations, such as Laplace's, or the equation of plane stress. In the present paper the choice of cleaning agents for such purposes is made more systematic by employing Legendre's principle of least squares.


Abstract With Beijing winning the bid to host the 2022 Winter Olympics, China has been actively boosting winter sports in the domestic market. This article briefly reviews the history of China's ice hockey development and discusses the growth of ice hockey in China from the perspective of policies, the 2022 Winter Olympics and youth hockey athlete development models in Beijing. The conclusion of this study indicates that the national and local governments in China are taking measures to guarantee hockey development, and the 2022 Winter Olympics have brought huge opportunities for ice hockey in China. Long-term strategies, especially the strategies for the post-2022 Winter Olympic era need to be conducted. In addition, the family model, the professional and youth hockey clubs are efficient ways to maintain sustainable ice hockey development in China.


Some neurochemical changes in the gut of rats after five weeks of alloxan-induced diabetes were investigated. It was found that at this stage of diabetes the changes were restricted mainly to the small intestine with a special selectivity for the duodenum. No changes were found in the most part of the large intestine and rectum. The methionine-enkephalin content was markedly reduced throughout the small intestine, while vasoactive intestinal polypeptide was increased in duodenum, ileum and caecum. Substance P content was unaffected, while at later stages of the disease it was significantly reduced in the entire small intestine. Sympathetic noradrenaline and intrinsic serotonin contents were significantly increased in the duodenum and unchanged throughout the rest of the intestine. These data suggest that the small intestine and caecum might be the early target of diabetic autonomic neuropathy, that might involve progressively the rest of the large intestine at later stages as recent results have suggested. It is likely that the gastrointestinal dysfunctions, often present in diabetic patients, might also be due to the combined pre-synaptic alterations, and to the functional imbalance between Gs and Gi/Go transduction proteins recently reported. Insulin therapy, begun seven days after alloxan treatment, reduced drastically the hyperglycaemia, restored normal body growth and prevented all the gut neurochemical changes associated with alloxan-induced diabetes.


Most inland water bodies are not resolved by general circulation models, requiring that lake surface temperatures be estimated. Given the large spatial and temporal variability of the surface temperatures of the North American Great Lakes, such estimations can introduce errors when used as lower boundary conditions for dynamical downscaling. Lake surface temperatures (LSTs) influence moisture and heat fluxes, thus impacting precipitation within the immediate region and potentially in regions downwind of the lakes. For this study, the Advanced Research version of the Weather Research and Forecasting Model (WRF-ARW) was used to simulate precipitation over the six New England states during a 5-yr historical period. The model simulation was repeated with perturbed LSTs, ranging from 10°C below to 10°C above baseline values obtained from reanalysis data, to determine whether the inclusion of erroneous LST values has an impact on simulated precipitation and synoptic-scale features. Results show that simulated precipitation in New England is statistically correlated with LST perturbations, but this region falls on a wet–dry line of a larger bimodal distribution. Wetter conditions occur to the north and drier conditions occur to the south with increasing LSTs, particularly during the warm season. The precipitation differences coincide with large-scale anomalous temperature, pressure, and moisture patterns. Care must therefore be taken to ensure reasonably accurate Great Lakes surface temperatures when simulating precipitation, especially in southeastern Canada, Maine, and the mid-Atlantic region.


One key issue for all nanoimprint techniques is an appropriate method for the fabrication of desirable molds. We report on a novel flexible mold fabrication process—pressure-assisted molding (PAM)—for high resolution soft ultraviolet nanoimprint lithography (soft UV-NIL). In PAM, enhanced master filling is achieved by applying an external pressure during the mold fabrication process. Flexible molds, fabricated with PAM using different pressures in the range of 10–90 kPa, are compared to determine the role of pressures applied in the imprint performance.


Our paper represents an attempt to stimulate continued sociological interest in professional work. Our review suggests that understanding professional work is central to understanding larger workplace changes in the late twentieth century. Some researchers have documented the increasingly diverse arrangements for the delivery of professional services, even as others point to a convergence of professional control around accountability and cost containment issues. Claims of diverging interests across work settings are often confounded by greater racial, gender, and ethnic diversity among professionals. We suggest that the study of professional careers provides an avenue for studying the diversification of professionals and work settings. Future research should also follow changes in the prestige rankings of different organizational arrangements from the viewpoint of professionals, professional associations, and clients. Finally we warn researchers that managerial groups seeking control of professional work ...


During the 1992 U.S. presidential campaign and immediately after, the pharmaceutical industry was subjected to regulatory threats. It was charged with high drug costs, high advertising expense, and insufficient expenditure on research and development (R&D) to develop better drugs. We examine whether firms' measures of political vulnerability (higher advertising expense and lower R&D expenditure) influence the equity value effects of the regulatory threats. We find negative announcement effects around three regulatory threats. We then extend the analysis and find evidence consistent with our hypotheses that measures of political vulnerability are associated with more negative abnormal returns in response to the regulatory threats.


The use of manure as an agricultural amendment is increasing the release of steroid hormones into the environment. Most research in this field has focused on estrogenic phenomena, with less attention paid to androgenic substances. The present study assessed androgenic activity in broiler manure using in vitro approaches based on cells stably transfected with androgen receptor. Leaching experiments were also performed to observe whether endocrine disruptors present in manure pass through a soil column and potentially reach groundwater. In parallel, an analytical chemistry method was used to determine the contribution of the most important natural androgens to androgenicity. Samplings were performed at 4 farms in 2 seasons. All but 2 samples showed androgen activity. In leakage experiments, however, no androgenic activity was detectable in leachates or in soils after leaching. According to the analytical results, androgenicity can be attributed mainly (but not completely) to androstenedione, and dihydrotestosterone. Similarly to the bioassays, chemical analysis did not reveal the presence of any androgen in leachates or soils. These results point to a rapid degradation of the substances responsible for androgenic activity in soils under the experimental conditions of the present study. However, the long‐term effects associated with the constant and intensive application of manure to agricultural land require further attention. Environ Toxicol Chem 2017;36:1746–1754. © 2016 SETAC


By employing numerical modeling, similar material simulation and comprehen-sive field observation, investigations were made and patterns were obtained governing surrounding-rock stress distribution and strata behaviors. It shows that patterns governing displacement of FMC roadway surrounding rocks and those governing deformation of supports are basically the same along the strike, but the displacements vary greatly. The front stresses affect greater areas than the lateral stresses and their limit widths of equilib-rium zones and K are almost similar. The stress transmits very deep. Our findings offer scientific basis on which to determine parameters for coal pillar retaining and for roadway out-laying, thus increasing the recovery ratio and improving the maintenance of roadway.


As part of NTT JTSR's series on Key Texts, the present article discusses Erik H. Erikson's interdisciplinary, psychohistorical study of the young Martin Luther, its reception, and its relevance for today. Erikson showed how Luther's own identity crisis – emerging from the troubled relationship with his father – converged with a crisis in late medieval society and theology, and how being a talented homo religiosus helped Luther to solve both crises at the same time, presenting a "religiosity for the adult man" in accordance with the Renaissance need for autonomy. It is argued that during his psychosocial study of Luther and the latter's cultural context, Erikson developed a general, existential theory of religion that is also relevant for an understanding of the search for identity and religion in modern times.


Schlafen-11 (SLFN11) expression was recently shown to determine the sensitivity of human cancer cells to DNA damaging agents including topoisomerase inhibitors, DNA alkylating agents, and DNA synthesis inhibitors. High expression of SLFN11 in cancer cell lines results in increased sensitivity to these agents, whereas depletion of SLFN11 induces cellular protection. In addition, high expression of SHFN11 is associated with greater overall survival than low SLFN11 expression in ovarian patients treated with cisplatin. These observations suggest that SLFN11 may be an integral part of a critical DNA repair pathway. However, the pathways that regulate SLFN11 expression have not been reported. CD47 is an integrin-associated protein widely expressed on mammalian cells and frequently elevated in cancers. Its ligand, thrombospondin-1 (TSP1) induces CD47 signaling that regulates some growth factor receptors, cell fate, viability, and responses to cellular stresses such as radiation and chemotherapy. Our laboratory has previously shown that CD47 deficiency results in protection of nontransformed cells, whereas high CD47 expression sensitizes the same cells to ionizing radiation and DNA-damaging chemotherapy. We identified SLFN11 expression as a potential target of CD47 signaling by microarray analysis of a CD47-deficient mutant cell line and found that CD47 expression also correlates with that of SLFN11 in some human cancers. Thus, we sought to investigate the possible regulation of SLFN11 by CD47 by treating various cell lines with the function-modifying CD47 antibody B6H12 or its physiological ligands TSP1 and signal regulatory protein-α (SIRPα). qRT-PCR analysis revealed significant decreases in SLFN11 expression at 3 and 6 hours post-B6H12 treatment. Furthermore, treatment with TSP1 significantly decreased SHFN11 mRNA expression at the same time points, but SIRPα-Fc did not. Conversely, transient re-expression of CD47 in deficient cells elevated SLFN11 expression. These data demonstrate that pharmacological and physiological modulation of CD47 signaling acutely alters SLFN11 expression and suggests a potential mechanism by which CD47 modulates cellular sensitivity to DNA damaging chemotherapy agents. SLFN11 may in turn be a functional target and useful biomarker for the therapeutic CD47 antibodies currently in clinical trials. Citation Format: Anthony L. Schwartz, Sukhbir Kaur, Sai-Wen Tang, Yves Pommier, David D. Roberts. CD47 signaling regulates a DNA damage response pathway by suppressing the expression of Schlafen-11 (SLFN11). [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 3054.


Considering that catheterization of the esophagus is a relatively easy procedure, we studied the electrical transesophageal atrial stimulation in ninety patients (age range 15 to 75 years (mean 42 +/- 9 years). A multipolar electrode catheter was introduced through the nose into the esophagus of each patient and fixed in position at a site where the simultaneous recording of intraesophageal unipolar electrocardiographic derivations showed the greatest P wave potentials. Electrical atrial capture through the esophagus was obtained at frequency values higher than that of the heart, with lower voltages needed for atrial stimulation at the site in which the unipolar recording of the intraesophageal P wave was of highest amplitude. The difference of potential used was between 6 and 30 volts, with the highest values corresponding to patients with megaesophagus, whereas values below 15 volts were tolerated without major discomfort. Electric pulses of more than 10 ms duration did not significantly reduce the intensity of electric current needed to produce the atrial command. The stimulation bipole (area to be stimulated per pole, 0.72 cm2) had an interpolar distance of 22 or 30 mm, our overall experience showing that distances up to 44 mm did not require higher voltages. No cases of esophageal damage or severe arrhythmia were reported due to stimulation. In the present study, programmed transesophageal stimulation proved to be a good option for the evaluation of sinus node function and for the study and reversal of paroxysmal supraventricular tachycardia attacks by a reentry mechanism, representing in some cases an alternative approach for the study of atrioventricular conduction.


Lobular panniculitis, together with a polyarthritis may complicate pancreatic disease. Abdominal symptoms are frequently absent and mis‐diagnosis of the joint‐skin complex can lead to inappropriate treatment in a condition with an already high mortality. We report a case of the pancreatitis panniculitis polyarthritis (PPP) syndrome, complicated by metastatic fat necrosis, with bone marrow involvement and characteristic magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and describe the clinical characteristics, therapy and outcome of patients affected by the syndrome.


The role of macrophage (Kupffer cell) stimulation and suppression in the development of a toxic liver damage was studied in rats with acute hepatitis induced by paracetamol (acetaminophen, 1000 mg/kg). Pretreatment with carboxymethylated (1-->3)-beta-D-glucan (25 mg/kg, i.p., 48 h before paracetamol) for the macrophage stimulation or with gadolinium chloride (GdCl3, 7.5 mg/kg, i.v., 24 h before paracetamol) for the macrophage suppression has a protective effect manifested by normalization of the liver function test parameters and by a decrease in the degree of morphological changes in the liver cells. A relation between these positive effects and the TNF-alpha secretion by macrophages is discussed.


We have investigated the stability of viscoelastic polyacrylamide solution in Taylor-Couette system with different aspect ratios. The first instability modes observed in a Taylor-Couette system with Γ = 10 were TVF and WVF, as for Newtonian fluid. At higher Taylor numbers moving vortices occur, a wavy mode with non-stationary vortex size. In the Taylor-Couette system with Γ = 45.9 we note a coexistence of various instability modes. In addition to TVF, counterpropagating waves developed at the transition from the base state flow. At higher Taylor number values Taylor vortices of different sizes occurred. Reduced amplitude Wavy vortex flow has also been observed.


Bovine Concanavalin A-induced suppressor cells were generated from lymphocytes which were non-adherent to anti-immunoglobulin coated dishes and cells possessing receptors for peanut agglutinin. Bovine lymphocytes, preincubated with 25 microgram/ml of Con A for 40-45 hr, could suppress the responses of autologous cells to the mitogens Con A, PHA and PWM as much as 90% when they were cultured together at a ratio of 1:1 (suppressor cell to responder cell) or higher. Suppressor cells were not necessary at the initiation of the mitogenic assay as they could regulate responding cells if added at 48 hr in a 72 hr assay. Allogeneic responder cells could be suppressed at the same level as autologous cells indicating a lack of genetic restriction. Macrophages were not required for suppressor cell generation because peripheral blood lymphocytes (PBL) depleted of macrophages by Sepharose G-10 columns, and subsequently incubated with Con A, could suppress autologous cells to a similar degree as unseparated PBl's. Responder cells depleted of macrophages had normal mitogen responsiveness and were suppressed indicating macrophages were not required in transmission of suppressor signals. Cell to cell contact was not required for suppression connoting a soluble factor(s) as the modulator of suppression.


The author reports that there are drastic spectral differences between a cylindrical reactor and a slab simulation. However, the author reports that the slab spectrum is harder and the neutron spectrum in a cylindrical fusion blanket is softer. In a slab simulation, the back-reflected neutrons, having a decreased and consequently lower energy, leave the blanket definitely on the left boundary, so that the neutron spectrum in a slab is dominated only by the incident 14-MeV neutrons. In a cylindrical blanket, the back-reflected neutrons pass through the fusion reaction chamber and enter into the blanket. This back and forth reflection occurs several times, so that the neutron spectrum in the cylindrical blanket is superimposed by the incident 14-MeV fusion neutrons and reflected low-energy neutrons. Consequently, the neutron spectrum in a cylindrical blanket is softer than that in a slab simulation. In this paper, detailed analyses of this fact are presented.


Denosumab is a potent novel antiresorptive agent for treatment of osteoporosis with unique mechanism of action . It is a fully human monoclonal antibody to the receptor activator of nuclear factor-κB ligand (RANKL) that blocks its binding to RANK, inhibiting the development and activity of osteoclasts, decreasing bone resorption, and increasing bone density. Initially denosumab appeared particularly promising for patients with advanced stages of renal failure but over the past two years several publications questioned that, reporting adverse effects and especially severe hypocalcaemia. Aim of the Study: to investigate further the effect of the osteoporosis dose of denosumab on serum calcium levels in patients with CKD 4 and CKD 5. Methods: This retrospective outpatient study included 17 females with CKD 4 and 5 who received a single or a multiple (at 6 months intervals) 60-mg subcutaneous dose of denosumab. Adjusted serum Calcium was measured prior to the dose and at various points of time after that. Results: Only two of the subjects developed clinically significant hypocalcaemia. Both of them were clearly inadequately supplemented with calcium and vitamin D. Conclusion: The results from the current study along with a critical analysis of the previous publications reveal that the vast majority of the previous reports were based on inadequately supplemented with calcium and vitamin D patients and that severe hypocalcaemia is unlikely in appropriately supplemented subjects, especially in the CKD 4 subgroup. However, due to the scarcity of data further research is warranted, Original Research Article British Journal of Medicine & Medical Research, 4(2): 649-659, 2014 650 especially in the CKD 5 subgroup. In the mean time more cautious approach rather than a blanket ban on denosumab appears to be the most appropriate policy in these two populations.


An investigation of ninety-five university admission candidates failed to replicate the finding by Yin of a negative correlation between the ability to recognise upright and inverted faces. A zero correlation was obtained when unknown faces were both learned and recognised upside down, but when well-known faces were presented normally and upside down for identification, a significant positive correlation appeared. Rock has suggested that inverted faces are difficult to recognise because they overtax a mechanism for correcting disoriented stimuli. This explanation satisfactorily accounts for the data with the proviso that, when inverted faces are to be remembered, the best strategy is not to attempt to correct their orientation, but to learn isolated features of the face. This describes the data more parsimoniously than Yin's face-specific mechanism.


Piebaldism is a rare autosomal dominant genodermatosis. It is due to congenital absence of melanocytes in the affected areas. We report a case. A 5 year old girl born to consanguineous parents and with similar cases in her mother's; she presented since birth achromic lesions on the legs with a steady evolution. clinical examination showed confluent achromic macules and poliosis (A) with no contrast enhancement under Wood lamp and several coffee-with-milk colored spots on the trunk and thighs(B). The diagnosis of piebaldism was made. Piebaldism is a rare genodermatosis. Its incidence is estimated at less than 1/20000 newborns. It is characterized by the congenital absence of melanocytes in the areas affected by mutation of the c-kit gene and by symmetrical achromic macules appeared at birth with a steady and persistent evolution. A white lock of hair on the forehead could be seen in 80% of cases The differential diagnosis includes vitiligo, albinism and Waardenburg syndrome. Associations have been described with neurofibromatosis type I. However, isolated coffee-with-milk colored spots can be observed; as the case of our patient. The treatment is based on split-thickness skin graft. Piebaldism is a rare genodermatosis. This study aims to discuss its clinical aspects and differential diagnoses.


Cleft lip and cleft palate (CLCP) patients often have a retrusive maxilla and a severe skeletal Class III malocclusion, which can result in velopharyngeal insufficiency (VPI). The aim of this study was to evaluate the changes in the volume of the 3D airway in CLCP children after maxilla distraction using the transcutaneous maxillary distraction osteogenesis (TMDO) method. 15 children with bilateral or unilateral CLCP were included in the study. 3D CBCT images were taken before and after distraction and were segmented and reconstructed to create a 3D airway model. The airway was divided into three regions: the upper, oropharyngeal, and hypopharyngeal airway. Pearson correlation tests were used to assess correlations between volume changes and corresponding skeletal and dental landmark movements (Point N, ANS, A, B, Pog, U1, and L1). The results showed that the ANS point advanced 9.85 ± 3.60 mm, and the A point advanced 14.22 ± 4.57 mm. The total airway volume change increased by 2535.06 ± 2791.80 mm3. However, there was no significant correlation between the A/ANS/U1 and the three different airway regions. Only B/Pog/L1 showed a positive correlation with these airway regions, with a high correlation between B/Pog/L1 and the hypopharyngeal airway region. TMDO can result in greater anterior advancement of the maxilla and an increase in airway volume, but the changes in bony landmarks did not show a strong positive correlation with the increase in airway volume as expected. Further investigation is needed to analyze the influence of surrounding soft tissue on the changes in airway volume.


Abstract The woodland-steppe ecotone of the southeastern Inner Mongolian Plateau in northern China is located at the northwestern limit of the Pacific monsoon influence, where the landscape may have been a sensitive recorder of past climatic changes. Physical, chemical, and biological analyses of AMS 14C-dated sediment sequences from two lakes of this region were used to reconstruct the Holocene vegetation and desertification history and distinguish four periods: (1) a cold and humid period from 10000 to 8000 14C yr B.P., (2) a warm and humid period from 8000 to 5900 14C yr B.P., (3) a warm and dry period from 5900 to 2900 14C yr B.P., and (4) a cool and dry period from 2900 14C yr B.P. to the present. The increased aridity during the middle Holocene was likely caused by increased winter temperatures and enhanced winter evaporation. The transition from a humid to an arid climate after ∼5900 14C yr B.P. coincided with enhanced aeolian activity, and deciduous woodlands were replaced by pine woodlands and then by steppes in response to the climatic deterioration. These transitions led to the present desertification. The records suggest that a simple association of thermal and moisture conditions, such as warm/wet or cold/dry, may be misleading.


Freezing of gait (FOG) is a frequent, disabling symptom of Parkinson's disease (PD). FOG usually lasts a few seconds. It refers to brief paroxysmal events during which a subject is unable to start or continue locomotion. Despite its frequency, FOG pathophysiology is unclear. Because a frontal lobe dysfunction or a disconnection between the frontal lobe and basal ganglia has been implicated in FOG, we explored frontal functions in PD patients using neuropsychological tests. Thirteen early‐stage PD patients [Hoehn & Yahr score (H&Y) ≤ 2.5] with freezing during "on " state (FOG+), and 15 age‐, H&Y score‐, and disease‐duration‐matched PD patients without freezing (FOG−) were investigated. No patient was demented or depressed. Assessment included the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS), FOG questionnaire, Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), frontal assessment battery (FAB), phonemic verbal fluency, Stroop test (parts II and III), and ten‐point clock test (TPCT). UPDRS and MMSE scores did not differ between the two groups. FAB, verbal fluency, and TPCT scores were significantly lower in FOG+ patients than in FOG− patients (FAB: P = 0.008; phonemic verbal fluency: P = 0.011; TPCT: P = 0.024). FOG correlated with lower scores at frontal tests in patients with early‐stage PD. © 2007 Movement Disorder Society


Digital circuit designs in sub-threshold region have been studied in recent years. Their works focus on special purpose for some digital applications in low frequency. This paper proposed modeling analysis of each CMOS logic cell operating at sub-threshold region. We explore the delays and power dissipation of logic cell and make scaled factors mapping from typical voltage to sub-threshold voltage conditions. We evaluated the minimum requirement for 4 bits, 6 bits and 10 bits orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) demodulator to operate in sub-threshold region. The simulation results are characteristics of OFDM wireless communication system when it operates at low voltage. It also clearly shows that low voltage is not a barrier for large-scale digital circuits to operate under the threshold voltage.


Almost all the existing range-based localization schemes for underwater wireless sensor networks (UWSNs) assume that clocks of different nodes are well synchronized. However, clock synchronization is very challenging in UWSNs. In this paper, we design a clock synchronization independent localization scheme (CSILS). Instead of trying to estimate distances between unknown nodes and anchor nodes, we design a scheme for obtaining the distance differences based on the local clocks. In order to convert the distance differences into node's location, we propose distancedifference-based maximum likelihood estimation (D-D-BMLE). Finally, we give some suggestions on how to deploy anchor nodes Simulation results show that CSILS works well without clock synchronization when anchor nodes are deployed reasonably. Compared to a clock-synchronization-based localization scheme, CSILS improves localization accuracy with a proper level of localization coverage and communication overhead in terms of mobility model of water currents.


Recently, the CIE published a new standard in which the so called 'melanopic daylight efficacy ratio' (abbreviated to melanopic DER) is introduced. This number is helpful in estimating the impact that a light source may have on our circadian rhythm. Although the melanopic DER can be
 directly calculated from the spectral power distribution, in case the latter is unknown a spectrophotometer or similar instrument is required, which is usually unavailable to the general public. Here we demonstrate how the melanopic DER can be accurately estimated from a smartphone image of
 two selected color samples. In addition, using the smartphone's camera parameters we provide a method to estimate the illuminance. Combined these measurements allow an evaluation of the absolute melanopic stimulation.


Sampson artery is normally obliterated in postembryonic development. In rare cases it can remain patent and complicate a routine outpatient herniorrhaphy when severed. This is the second reported case in the available English literature of hemoperitoneum due to bleeding from a patent Sampson's artery following an open inguinal hernia repair.


Background Diabetes is associated with higher risk of mortality in patients undergoing coronary artery bypass graft (CABG) but the effects of obesity, and the interactions between diabetes and obesity in the context of CABG, have not been fully explored. Methods The Arterial Revascularisation Trial (ART) randomised patients to single- or bilateral internal thoracic arterial graft plus other vein or arterial grafts as needed and followed them for 10 years to compare mortality, clinical outcomes and safety. In this analysis we explored the effects of diabetes and obesity on mortality and risk (sternal wound complications) . Diabetes was defined according to clinical history at baseline and combined insulin and non-insulin dependent patients, and obesity was defined as body mass index (BMI) ≥30kg/m2 at baseline. Results Data on diabetes, obesity and ten-year mortality were available for 3094 patients who were included in the analysis. Mean age was 64 years, 86% male, mean weight 82kg and BMI 28. Diabetes was documented in 24% and obesity in 30% and as expected obese patients were more likely to be diabetic. The hazard ratios (95% confidence intervals) for ten-year mortality using the no-diabetes, non-obese group as a reference were 1.33 (1.08, 1.64) (diabetes, non-obese), 0.93 (0.75, 1.16) (no diabetes, obese) and 1.18 (0.91, 1.54) (diabetes, obese) groups (Figure). Similar patterns of risk were observed whether patients were randomised to receive single or bilateral internal thoracic arteries and diabetes appeared to be the main driver of elevated risk of early sternal wound complications following CABG. Conclusions Obesity and diabetes often occur in the same patients, but our analysis shows that patterns of risk of death after CABG are not additive for these characteristics, and obesity may actually be associated with lower death rates in patients with and without diabetes. Sternal wound complications appeared to be driven more by diabetes than obesity. Further analyses will be presented to explore the possible mechanisms for these observations. Conflict of Interest None


In five families we have confirmed the close linkage between the genes for myotonic dystrophy and apolipoprotein CII. The total maximum lod (log of the odds) score was 3.32 at 0 recombination. We demonstrate that the use of a Ban I restriction site polymorphism for apolipoprotein CII adds additional useful information when combined with the more commonly used Taq I polymorphism. The potential practical clinical use of these markers for the prenatal diagnosis of myotonic dystrophy is demonstrated.


new era of computing has arrived i.e. Cloud Computing. The arrival of cloud computing is beginning of transformation in IT Industry because of its low cost, high accessibility, high performance and also other characteristics. In this technology user can access services reside in the remote servers maintained by third party. The data reside in cloud is of great value and its loss or damage could be a total disaster for its owner. So it is very much required to have secure method to preserve important data in order to prevent data loss. This paper examines the various data storage security issues and provides a better solution. Paper proposed a framework deal with different techniques to provide secure data storage in cloud. The strategy projected different segments which describe an authentication and authorization protocol using two way authentication, password hashing and encryption of data. It is possible to satisfy integrity, consistency and availability using this framework. Keywordsdata encryption, data privacy, data security.


Patients need to be sure that the medicines they take are as safe and effective as possible. Concerns over a product's safe use must be discovered, evaluated, and acted on, and the results made available for patient care as expeditiously as possible. In this process spontaneous reports of adverse reactions play an important part, but the problem they present is that of finding needles—true adverse reactions—in large haystacks of suspicions.

There is no substitute for spontaneous adverse drug reaction reports for providing early signals of problems with drugs. The article in this week's issue by Lee et al shows that reporting by pharmacists can make a difference to the number of meaningful reports from hospitals (p 519).1 Britain thus joins 36 other countries in the World Health Organisation's programme on international drug monitoring that accept reports from pharmacists. Britain …


Abstract: Resuscitation of hemorrhagic shock requires volume replacement and restoration of oxygen metabolism. Artificial oxygen carriers that can both expand blood volume and deliver oxygen have been developed as resuscitation fluids. We employed hemoglobin vesicles (HbV), a cellular-type artificial oxygen carrier, in a Beagle dog hemorrhagic shock model to prove the efficacy of HbV. Hemorrhagic shock was introduced in splenectomized Beagle dogs by withdrawing 50% of circulating blood from the femoral artery. Shock was maintained for 60 minutes before isovolemic resuscitation with HbV dispersed in 5% albumin in saline (HbV), lactated Ringer's solution (LR), 5% human serum albumin in saline (HSA), or autologous shed blood (ASB). One animal in the LR group died 150 min after resuscitation. All other animals survived 4 h of the experiment. The mean arterial pressure remained significantly lower in the LR group than in the HbV group but did not differ significantly among the HbV, Alb, and ASB groups. Immediately after resuscitation, the HbV group showed a significantly higher mean pulmonary arterial pressure, which decreased within 10 minutes to the baseline level. The cardiac output was significantly higher in the Alb group than in the others, indicating compensation for low oxygen delivery per unit blood. The post-resuscitation hematocrit was 36% in the ASB group and decreased in the other groups (20–22%). Serum chemistry data from the HbV group were unremarkable. HbV contributed 32% of the post-resuscitation oxygen delivery. Collectively, HbV is comparable to ASB and HSA as a resuscitation fluid and is an effective oxygen carrier.


A phonon wave packet dynamics method is used to characterize the Kapitza resistance of a Si/SiO2 interface in a Si/SiO2/Si heterostructure. By varying the thickness of SiO2 layer sandwiched between two Si layers, we determine the Kapitza resistance for the Si/SiO2 interface from both wave packet dynamics and a direct, non-equilibrium molecular dynamics approach. The good agreement between the two methods indicates that they have each captured the anharmonic phonon scatterings at the interface. Moreover, detailed analysis provides insights as to how individual phonon mode scatters at the interface and their contribution to the Kapitza resistance.


Radiotherapy (RT) or concurrent chemoradiotherapy (CCRT) is the cornerstone of organ-sparing or adjuvant therapy for nearly all head and neck cancers. Unfortunately, aggressive RT or CCRT can result in severe late toxicities, such as osteoradionecrosis of the jaws (ORNJ). The incidence of ORNJ is currently less than 5–6% due to advances in dental preventive care programs, RT planning systems, and RT techniques. Although numerous patient-, tumor-, and treatment-related factors may influence the incidence rates of ORNJ, RT modality (equipment), technique, and dose-volume-related factors are three of the most influential factors. This is mainly because different RT equipment and techniques have different levels of success at delivering the prescribed dose to the focal volume of the treatment while keeping the "organ at risk" safe. ORNJ risk is ultimately determined by mandibular dose, despite the RT technique and method being known predictors. Regardless of the photon delivery method, the radiobiological effects will be identical if the total dose, dose per fraction, and dose distribution within the tissue remain constant. Therefore, contemporary RT procedures mitigate this risk by reducing mandibular dosages rather than altering the ionizing radiation behavior in irradiated tissues. In light of the paucity of studies that have examined the impact of RT modality, technique, and dose-volume-related parameters, as well as their radiobiological bases, the present review aims to provide a comprehensive overview of the published literature on these specific issues to establish a common language among related disciplines and provide a more reliable comparison of research results.


OBJECTIVES: Alcohol for intercostal neuralgia may induce severe injection pain. Although nerve block provided partial pain relief, alcohol might be diluted, and the curative effect decreased when the local anesthetic and alcohol were given at the same point. Therefore, we observed the modified method for intercostal neuralgia, a Two-point method, in which the local anesthetic and alcohol were given at different sites. METHOD: Thirty patients diagnosed with intercostal neuralgia were divided into 2 groups: Single-point group and Two-point group. In the Single-point group, alcohol and local anesthetic were injected at the same point, named the "lesion point", which was the lower edge of ribs and 5 cm away from the midline of the spinous process. In the Two-point group, alcohol was injected at the lesion point, whereas the local anesthetic was administered at the "anesthesia point", which was 3 cm away from the midline of spinous process. RESULTS: After alcohol injection, visual analog scale (VAS) in the Two-point group was lower than the Single-point group, and the satisfaction ratio of patients in the Two-point group was higher (p<0.05). The degree of numbness in the Two-point group was greater than the Single-point group at 1 month and 3 months after operation (p<0.05). However, the long-term effects did not differ. CONCLUSIONS: Local anesthetic was given upstream of the point where alcohol was administered, was a feasible and safe method to relieve pain during the operation, and improved the satisfaction of the patients and curative effect.


Summary
Despite the efforts to enhance knowledge transfer in organizations, success has been elusive. It is becoming clear that in many instances employees are unwilling to share their knowledge even when organizational practices are designed to facilitate transfer. Consequently, this paper develops and investigates a novel construct, knowledge hiding. We establish that knowledge hiding exists, we distinguish knowledge hiding from related concepts (knowledge hoarding and knowledge sharing), and we develop a multidimensional measure of this construct. We also identify several predictors of knowledge hiding in organizations. The results of three studies, using different methods, suggest that knowledge hiding is comprised of three related factors: evasive hiding, rationalized hiding, and playing dumb. Each of these hiding behaviors is predicted by distrust, yet each also has a different set of interpersonal and organizational predictors. We draw implications for future research on knowledge management. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


CH4 is proposed to be the starting point of a rich organic chemistry. Solid CH4 abundances have previously been determined mostly toward high-mass star-forming regions. Spitzer IRS now provides a unique opportunity to probe solid CH4 toward low-mass star-forming regions as well. Infrared spectra from the Spitzer Space Telescope are presented to determine the solid CH4 abundance toward a large sample of low-mass young stellar objects. A total of 25 out of 52 ice sources in the "Cores to Disks" (c2d) Legacy program have an absorption feature at 7.7 μm, attributed to the bending mode of solid CH4. The solid CH4/H2O abundances are 2%-8%, except for three sources with abundances as high as 11%-13%. The latter sources have relatively large uncertainties due to small total ice column densities. Toward sources with H2O column densities above 2 × 1018 cm−2, the CH4 abundances (20 out of 25) are nearly constant at 4.7% ± 1.6% . Correlation plots with solid H2O, CH3OH, CO2, and CO column densities and abundances relative to H2O reveal a closer relationship of solid CH4 with CO2 and H2O than with solid CO and CH3OH. The inferred solid CH4 abundances are consistent with models where CH4 is formed through sequential hydrogenation of C on grain surfaces. Finally, the equal or higher abundances toward low-mass young stellar objects compared with high-mass objects and the correlation studies support this formation pathway as well, but not the two competing theories: formation from CH3OH and formation in gas phase with subsequent freezeout.


Nanoflowers (NFs)—shape-controlled noble metal nanocrystals—have garnered significant attention because of their novel catalytic properties and applicability. In this paper, we report the preparation and catalytic performance of a magnetic Fe3O4-supported AuNF catalyst with a clean surface. The magnetically supported AuNFs were obtained by using magnetic Fe3O4 as the support. However, when nonmagnetic γ-Al2O3 was utilized as the support, the AuNFs did not exhibit a magnetic response. These supported AuNFs were utilized to catalyze the oxidation of 1-phenylethyl alcohol to acetophenone using air (1 atm) as the oxidant. The rate of formation of acetophenone using supported AuNFs was 8-fold higher than that of acetophenone using supported spherical Au nanoparticles of comparable size. In addition, the Fe3O4-supported AuNFs exhibited a higher rate of formation of acetophenone than the Al2O3-supported AuNFs. The Fe3O4-supported AuNFs were recovered using a magnet, and the recovered catalyst was reused under identical catalytic reaction conditions. The rate of formation of acetophenone using recovered Fe3O4-supported AuNFs remained unchanged, demonstrating no loss of catalytic activity.


DEC205 (Dendritic Endothelial Cell 205) is an endocytic receptor abundant on DCs in lymphoid tissues. Ovalbumin (OVA) protein can be chemically coupled to monoclonal a-DEC-205 antibody. Here, we sought to study the effect of a-DEC205 monoclonal antibody conjugated to OVA after OVA sensitization in a model of allergic lung disease. BALB/c mice were sensitized twice with OVA/Alum on days 0 and 7 and challenged twice with intranasal OVA on days 14 and 21 (OVA/alum group). The animals received a-DEC-205-OVA treatment after OVA sensitization (OVA/DEC group). The treatment consisted of two injections of a-DEC205 a week apart. We found that treatment with a-DEC205 decreased significantly allergic inflammation as revealed by total cell numbers and eosinophils counts in bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) fluid. In the group treated with a-DEC 205, but not with the isotype control, we observed a reduction of total and OVA-specific IgE antibodies as well as IL-4 and IL-5 levels in BAL. Furthermore, treatment with a-DEC 205 decreased the methacholine-induced respiratory pattern associated with allergy.Our results indicate that treatment with anti-DEC205 monoclonal antibody conjugated to OVA is effective in reducing allergic responses in animals previously sensitized to OVA. These results suggest a potential therapeutic use of a-DEC 205 in allergic disorders.


The exposure of Mesozoic rocks in the Mangilu area, both as a result of tectonic deformation in the form of mélange, low-high degree metamorphism and deep-sea sediments (flysch, radiolarian cherts, and sediment flow in the form of olistostrome), which formed in the subduction zone indicates complex accretionary rocks. The purpose of this study is to identify and study the accretionary complex trace rocks of the Mesozoic era. The method used in this study was field observation, including collection of geological data, tectonic deformation, rock groups and laboratory analysis (petrography). In general, the accretion complex is divided into 2 categories, namely a). oceanic volcanic groups and sediments of the oceanic crust; b). terigenous sediments from continents with sialic beds. The oceanic volcanic group consists of gabbro, diabase, dolerite, pillow and hyaloclastic lava, and oceanic sediments consist of radiolarian chert and mali limestone. The terigen sedimentary group consists of flysch type sandstones and olistostrome flow sediments with components in the form of granite, granodiorite, dacite and diabase. Other components found in autoclastic breccia rocks in the Mangilu area consist of metaperidotite, serpentinite, quartzite and metachert. Based on the Oceanic Plate Stratigraphy (OPS) arrangement, the autoclastic breccia rocks in the Mangilu area consist of bottom up, namely ultramafic/serpentinite, gabbro, diabase, pillow basaltic lava, hyaloclastic, radiolarian chert, mali limestone and flysch sediments. The mixing of rocks originating from oceanic plates with continental plates in autoclastic breccias indicates that the Mesozoic accretion complex in the Mangilu area has experienced strong deformation in the form of thurst in the Tertiary era.


Reconstruction of some aspects of the initial environment of ore deposition through detailed S, C, and O isotope studies of the Fowler orebody, and through reconnaissance trace element and S isotope studies of sphalerite concentrates and composite samples of ore from 22 orebodies; and (2) evaluation of the effects of high-grade metamorphism on the stable isotope geochemistry of both the ore and gangue minerals of a massive sulfide orebody. The delta 34 S values of pyrite, sphalerite, and galena in the Fowler orebody range from 11.5 to 17.5 per mil; anhydrite associated with ore ranges from 25.6 to 27.0 per mil. Average equilibration temperatures calculated from the delta 34 S differences between coexisting sulfur-bearing phases are 388 degrees C for pyrite-sphalerite, 338 degrees C for sphalerite-galena, 329 degrees C for pyrite-galena, and 602 degrees C for anhydrite-pyrite; all pairs display narrow temperature distributions. The delta 13 C and delta 18 O values of carbonates from the Fowler orebody range from -1.6 to 1.4 per mil and from 24.8 to 27.0 per mil, respectively; quartz delta 18 O values range from 23.0 to 27.0 per mil. The delta 34 S values of sphalerite concentrated from composite samples of the orebodies range from 12.7 to 14.7 per mil. This narrow range contrasts sharply with the wide variability of associated evaporitic anhydrite lenses, which range from 8 to 28 per mil. A stratigraphic increase in the delta 34 S value of the evaporitic anhydrite at Balmat, and large sulfide iron-formation occurrences near Balmat, imply that bacterial sulfate reduction occurred on an unusually large scale during Balmat sedimentation. The presence of such an increase in a sedimentary section may constitute a valuable exploration guide.--Modified journal abstract.


Along with many other countries, the library and information services (LIS) sector in Australia has become increasingly aware that people are indeed the key drivers in the profession and that a strong future will depend on ensuring that recruitment, retention and professional development issues are clearly understood and managed. The paper discusses some of the research initiatives currently being undertaken in Australia which aim to develop a better understanding of the LIS workforce. The research activities are twofold: firstly to investigate into the current LIS workforce at the individual level, and secondly to review and analyse workforce issues and practices at the institutional level. The research is informed by preliminary studies into workforce planning in Australia, which indicate that the LIS sector is likely to face a number of challenges over the coming decade. These preliminary studies underscore the close relationship between LIS education, recruitment and retention practices, and career long learning through staff training and development. The paper itself presents some of the initial findings from the studies and raises a number of questions that need to be addressed by the profession if it is to effectively meet the challenges presented by the dynamic information and knowledge environment in which it operates. The research project is a collaborative venture supported by Queensland University of Technology (QUT), the Australian Library and Information Association (ALIA), National and State Libraries Australasia (NSLA) and CAVAL Collaborative Solutions.


Objective Shandong indigenous pig breeds are important Chinese pig resources. Their progressive population decline in recent decades has attracted attention towards their conservation. Conservation genetics of these indigenous breeds are essential for developing a conservation and utilization scheme. Methods A high-density single nucleotide polymorphism (HD-SNP) chip-based comparative analysis of genetic characteristics was performed for seven Shandong indigenous pig breeds in the context of five Western commercial breeds. Results The results showed that Shandong indigenous pig breeds varied greatly in genetic diversity, effective population size, inbreeding level, and genetic distance with the Western commercial breeds. Specifically, Laiwu and Dapulian displayed low genetic diversity, and had a genetically distant relationship with the Western commercial breeds (average F statistics [FST] value of 0.3226 and 0.2666, respectively). Contrastingly, the other five breeds (Yantai, Licha, Yimeng, Wulain, and Heigai) displayed high genetic diversity within breed and had some extent of mixture pattern with the Western commercial breeds, especially Duroc and Landrace (FST values from 0.1043 to 0.2536). Furthermore, intensive gene flow was discovered among the seven Shandong indigenous breeds, particularly Wulian, Licha, and Heigai, as indicated by the large cluster formed in the principal component analysis scatterplot and small population differentiation (average of 0.1253) among them. Conclusion Our study advances the understanding of genetic characteristics of Shandong indigenous breeds and provides essential information for developing an appropriate conservation and utilization scheme for these breeds.


To enable more effective mitigation of Android botnets, image-based detection approaches offer great promise. Such image-based or visualization methods provide detection solutions that are less reliant on hand-engineered features which require domain knowledge. In this paper we propose Bot-IMG, a framework for visualization and image-based detection of Android botnets using machine learning. Furthermore, we evaluated the efficacy of Bot-IMG framework using the ISCX botnet dataset. In particular, we implement an image-based detection method using Histogram of Oriented Gradients (HOG) as feature descriptors within the framework, and utilized Autoencoders in conjunction with traditional machine learning classifiers. From the experiments performed, we obtained up to 95.3% classification accuracy using train-test split of 80:20 and 93.1% classification accuracy with 10-fold cross validation.


Survival from cancer of children whose cancer was diagnosed during the 30 years 1954-83 was analysed. The study was population based with nearly 3000 cases covering about 30 million child years at risk. When survival during the three decades 1954-63, 1964-73, and 1974-83 was compared striking improvements were observed. For all childhood cancer five year survival increased from 21% in the first decade to 49% in the third decade. During the first and third decades five year survival rates for acute lymphocytic leukaemia increased from 2% to 47%, Hodgkin's disease from 44% to 91%, non-Hodgkin's lymphoma from 18% to 45%, Wilms's tumour from 31% to 85%, and germ cell tumours from 10% to 64%. Twenty patients developed second primary tumours, but otherwise there were few late deaths. Less than 1% of children who survived without a relapse for 10 years subsequently died of their initial cancer. Survival from childhood cancer is no longer rare, and people who have been cured of cancer during childhood should be accepted as normal members of society.


This paper investigates the interaction between energy consumption and oil shocks in the U.S. from 1974 to 2018 using monthly data. Its contributions rely on the double disaggregation of energy consumption and oil shocks in a time-varying context. Oil shocks are disaggregated into oil supply, oil demand and aggregated demand shocks following the method of Kilian (2009). Energy consumption is disaggregated according to the production source in distinguishing between renewable and non-renewable energy consumption (hydropower, geothermal, wood, waste, coal, natural gas and petroleum). The impulse response function results show that renewable energy consumption responds the most to aggregate demand and oil supply shocks while for non-renewable energy consumption, it is oil demand shocks. The dynamic connectedness results show that oil supply and demand shocks spillover the most to hydropower consumption while aggregate demand shocks spillover the less. However, these relationships change over time and recommend the flexibility of energy policies.


Purpose: To investigate the pharmacokinetic mechanism of interaction between magnolol and piperine when co-administered to rats. Methods: The rats were divided into five groups as follows: magnolol group (625 mg/kg); low dose of piperine group (20 mg/kg); high dose of piperine group (40 mg/kg); low dose of piperine + magnolol group; or high dose of piperine + magnolol group. Plasma samples were collected at regular time intervals after administration of a single dose of magnolol (625 mg/kg, p.o.) alone or piperine (20 or 40 mg/kg, p.o.) in the presence or absence of magnolol (625 mg/kg, p.o.). The concentrations of magnolol and piperine in plasma were measured by a validated high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) method. Results: Compared with control, the groups given magnolol alone, concomitant administration of piperine and magnolol resulted in significant decrease (p 0.05) alter the pharmacokinetic parameters of piperine. However, at high dose (40 mg/kg) of piperine, C max of piperine significantly decreased from 4.30 ± 1.47 to 2.50 ± 0.78 μg/mL (p < 0.05). Conclusion: Co-administration of magnolol and piperine decreases plasma concentration of either drug in rats, suggesting that concurrent use of magnolol with piperine or piperine-containing diets would require close monitoring for potential interactions. Keywords: Magnolol, Piperine, Pharmacokinetic interaction, Co administration


Background: The aim of the present study was to clarify the effect of glucose profiles after stroke, which was assessed by a continuous glucose monitoring (CGM) device. Methods: Acute ischemic stroke patients within 24 h of onset were prospectively studied. CGM was performed for 72 h after admission. CGM parameters were evaluated as follows: (1) mean glucose level, (2) area under the curve (AUC) for glucose level >140 mg/dl and (3) SD of the glucose level. Infarct volume was measured at admission and 24 and 72 h after admission using diffusion-weighted imaging. CGM data and infarct volume growth were compared at 24 and 72 h. Results: Seventy-eight patients were enrolled in the present study. Spearman's rank correlation coefficients showed that both the mean glucose level (r = 0.433, p < 0.001 for 24 h; r = 0.308, p = 0.006 for 72 h) and AUC >140 mg/dl (r = 0.417, p < 0.001 for 24 h; r = 0.277, p = 0.014 for 72 h) were significantly correlated with acute infarct volume growth. The SD of the glucose level was associated with infarct volume growth at 24 h (r = 0.303, p = 0.007), but not 72 h (r = 0.195, p = 0.088). Conclusion: Post-stroke hyperglycemia was associated with infarct volume growth during the acute phase of ischemic stroke.


His novels are legendary: Riders of the Purple Sage, Betty Zane, The Vanishing American, and The U.P. Trail. His characters are unforgettable: Jim Lassiter, Bern Venters, Lew Wetzel, Buck Duane, and Madeline Hammond. His settings are colorful, austere, and filled with romantic mystery. In the early twentieth century, Zane Grey not only defined the cowboy hero and captured the Western landscape, he created one of the most elaborate and memorable bodies of folklore in American literature. Who was the man behind the legend? In Zane Grey: Romancing the West, Stephen J. May examines Grey's personal life, revealing that the writer was frequently immobilized by depression and insecurity. Grey's characters stemmed from an idealized vision of himself. His settings, most often centered in Utah, Arizona, New Mexico, and Colorado, were pleasurable, picturesque escapes from the rigors of the writing life. Zane Grey: Romancing the West analyzes the writer's enduring mystique, from Grey's middle-class beginnings as a dentist's son in Zanesville, Ohio, to his mature roles as a world-class novelist, explorer, Hollywood film producer, fisherman, and outdoorsman. Grey's legend continues to enthrall a new generation of readers who are rediscovering the sights, sounds, and wild spaces of the historic American West.


We used comparative genomics and experimental analyses to show that (1) eukaryotes and archaea, which possess the selenocysteine (Sec) protein insertion machinery contain an enzyme, O -phosphoseryl-transfer RNA (tRNA) [Ser]Sec kinase (designated PSTK), which phosphorylates seryl-tRNA [Ser]Sec to form O -phosphoseryl-tRNA [Ser]Sec and (2) the Sec synthase (SecS) in mammals is a pyridoxal phosphate-containing protein previously described as the soluble liver antigen (SLA). SecS uses the product of PSTK, O -phosphoseryl-tRNA [Ser]Sec , and selenophosphate as substrates to generate selenocysteyl-tRNA [Ser]Sec . Sec could be synthesized on tRNA [Ser]Sec from selenide, adenosine triphosphate (ATP), and serine using tRNA [Ser]Sec , seryl-tRNA synthetase, PSTK, selenophosphate synthetase, and SecS. The enzyme that synthesizes monoselenophosphate is a previously identified selenoprotein, selenophosphate synthetase 2 (SPS2), whereas the previously identified mammalian selenophosphate synthetase 1 did not serve this function. Monoselenophosphate also served directly in the reaction replacing ATP, selenide, and SPS2, demonstrating that this compound was the active selenium donor. Conservation of the overall pathway of Sec biosynthesis suggests that this pathway is also active in other eukaryotes and archaea that contain selenoproteins.


Modern commercial toothpastes contain therapeutic ingredients to combat various oral conditions, for example, caries, gingivitis, calculus and tooth stain. The efficient delivery and retention of such ingredients in the mouth is essential for good performance. The aim of this chapter is to review the literature on the oral pharmacokinetics of, primarily, fluoride but also other active ingredients, mainly anti-plaque agents. Elevated levels of fluoride have been found in saliva, plaque and the oral soft tissues after use of fluoridated toothpaste, which persist at potentially active concentrations for hours. Both experiment and mathematical modelling suggest that the soft tissues are the main oral reservoir for fluoride. Qualitatively similar observations have been made for anti-plaque agents such as triclosan and metal cations, though their oral substantivity is generally greater. Scope for improved retention and subsequent efficacy exists.


. Floodplain wetland ecosystems experience significant seasonal water fluctuation over the year, resulting in a dynamic hydroperiod, with a range of vegetation community responses. This paper assesses trends and changes in landcover and hydro-climatological variables, including air temperature, river discharge, and water level in the Upper Columbia River Wetlands (UCRW), British Columbia, Canada. A time series landcover classification from the Landsat image archive was 15 generated using a Random Forest algorithm from 1984 to 2022. Peak river flow timing, duration, and anomalies were examined to evaluate temporal coincidence with observed landcover trends. The land cover classifier used to segment changes in wetland area and open water performed well (Kappa = 0.82). Over the last four decades, observed river discharge and air temperature have increased, precipitation has decreased, the timing of peak flow is earlier, and flow duration has been reduced. The frequency of both high discharge events and dry years have increased, indicating a shift towards more 20 extreme floodplain flow behavior. These hydrometeorological changes are associated with a shift in the timing of snow melt from April to mid-May and are associated with seasonal changes in the vegetative communities over the 39-year period. The area of woody shrub landcover has increased in the spring (April to mid-May), peak flow period (late-May to July) and early fall (August to mid-September) by +6% to +12% since 1984. In the spring and early fall, the area of open water has decreased –3% to –6% since 1984, while it has increased 3% during the peak flow period. The area of marsh land cover 25 (mostly bulrush and cattails) has declined in every season by –29% in spring, –19% in the peak flow period and –5% in early fall. These findings suggest that increasing temperatures have already impacted regional hydrology, wetland hydroperiod and floodplain landcover in the Upper Columbia Valley in Canada. Overall, there is substantial variation in seasonal and annual land cover reflecting the dynamic nature of floodplain wetlands, but the results show that the wetlands are drying out with increasing the areas of woody/shrubby habitat and loss of aquatic habitat. The results suggest that floodplain wetlands, 30 particularly marsh and open water habitats are vulnerable to climatic and hydrological changes that could further reduce their areal extent in the future.


This research proposed that development of wireless condition monitoring system using WLAN network. It offers the prospect of improved performance that removed a current a coaxial cable and reduced overall cost of condition monitoring. Recently, there is an interesting concern for wireless system as an infrastructure technology construct ubiquitous computing environment in the future. High performance computing board makes minimization with integrate of a various functions which support wireless LAN network. Instead of wired coaxial cable using measurement system in industry, wireless LAN network assists industry automation and engineer's convenience. Developed system adapted wireless LAN network on shipboard with engine room and deck house, it also executes wireless measurement test on 8500TEU containership.


The growth of real-time content streaming over the Internet has resulted in the use of peer-to-peer (P2P) approaches for scalable content delivery. In such P2P streaming systems, each peer maintains a playout buffer of content chunks which it attempts to fill by contacting other peers in the network. The objective is to ensure that the chunk to be played out is available with high probability while keeping the buffer size small. Given that a particular peer has been selected, a policy is a rule that suggests which chunks should be requested by the peer from other peers. We consider consider a number of recently suggested policies consistent with buffer minimization for a given target of skip free playout. We first study a rarest-first policy that attempts to obtain chunks farthest from playout, and a greedy policy that attempts to obtain chunks nearest to playout. We show that they both have similar buffer scalings (as a function of the number of peers and the target skip-free probability). We then study a hybrid policy which achieves order sense improvements over both policies and can achieve order optimal performance. We validate our results using simulations.


A complete description of two outgoing electrons following an ionizing collision between a single electron and an atom or molecule has long stood as one of the unsolved fundamental problems in quantum collision theory. In this paper we describe our use of distributed memory parallel computers to calculate a fully converged wave function describing the electron-impact ionization of hydrogen. Our approach hinges on a transformation of the Schrödinger equation that simplifies the boundary conditions but requires solving very ill-conditioned systems of a few million complex, sparse linear equations. We developed a two-level iterative algorithm that requires repeated solution of sets of a few hundred thousand linear equations. These are solved directly by LU-factorization using a specially tuned, distributed memory parallel version of the sparse LU-factorization library Super-LU. In smaller cases, where direct solution is technically possible, our iterative algorithm still gives significant savings in time and memory despite lower megaflop rates.


The Asia Pacific has entered a period of intense destabilization. This has multiple causes, but in my view, there are three principal causes of instability: (1) the so-called US Pivot to Asia; (2) China's aggressive territorial claims in the South China Sea West Philippine Sea; and (3) resurgent right-wing nationalism in Japan.


The modified embedded atom method (MEAM) is used to investigate the geometry and energetics of Si ad-dimers and adatoms on the reconstructed Si(001) surface. Site stability and saddle point energies are predicted for a large number of possible mechanisms. The calculations predict the relative stability of parallel and normal ad-dimers to be 80 meV, in excellent agreement with from experiment, the barrier to rotation of these dimers to be 0.66 eV compared with , and the activation energy for diffusion parallel to the dimer rows to be 0.74 eV compared with . These calculations are the first of any kind to predict quantitative agreement with experiment. We also predict substitutional Ni atoms near the surface are bound to the second and first layer below the dimer layer by 0.65 and 0.47 eV relative to bulk substitutional Ni atoms. The effect of these Ni impurities on the ad-dimer stability is predicted. A parallel ad-dimer is repelled by a substitutional Ni impurity by 30 meV compared with the 20 - 35 meV observed in experiment for an unknown substrate defect.