Abstract The effects of the number of photobiomodulation (PBM) sessions on the postoperative inflammatory process remain controversial. The current literature comparing single and repeated PBM sessions is limited. Objective This study aimed to compare the effects of single and repeated PBM sessions, applied at two different therapeutic wavelengths within the infrared spectrum, on postoperative inflammatory response after impacted third molar tooth extraction. Methodology This randomized, double-blind clinical study included 40 patients with bilateral impacted mandibular third molars (80 teeth). The patients were divided into two groups each including 20 subjects (40 teeth) to receive either single-session laser at 810 nm (20 teeth) and 940 nm (20 teeth) immediately after the surgery or repeated laser sessions at 810 nm (20 teeth) and 940 nm (20 teeth) (immediately after the surgery and on postoperative Day 1). Lasers at 940 nm (power density 0.5 Watt/cm2, energy density 4 J/cm2 for a time until the cumulative energy on the device screen reaches 50 J from 0 J, in continuous mode, spot size 2.8 cm2) and at 810 nm (power density 0.14 Watt/cm2, energy density 4 J/cm2, for 30 seconds, in continuous mode, spot size 2.1 cm2) were applied intra- and extra-orally. Pain, swelling, and trismus were evaluated postoperatively. Results No significant differences were determined between the groups on the evaluated parameters (p>0.05). Conclusion Within the study limitations, in PBM, the effects of 810 nm and 940 nm and those of single and repeated applications were similar regarding pain, swelling and trismus. Immediate postoperative PBM could be preferred to repeated applications performed by point application within a 24-hour period.


Background: Clinical care may be influenced by the ability to predict whether a patient has complicated appendicitis at the time of presentation. However, it is unclear whether prehospital or in-hospital factors are associated with complicated appendicitis. We also want to know if C-reactive protein (CRP) and procalcitonin (PCT) can be used as supporting factors for Alvarado Score associated with complex appendicitis. Objectives: The aim of this study is to know the possibility of adding CRP and PCT to support the diagnostic protocol for differentiating between complicated acute appendicitis and noncomplicated acute appendicitis by knowing the sensitivity and specificity of each of them, as well as knowing which is more acceptable to add to the diagnostic protocol. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was carried out in the Emergency Unit at AL-Hilla Teaching Hospital in Babylon province, Hilla city, between October 2021 and January 2022. There were a total of 90 patients; CRP and PCT were measured for patients by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay method, in addition to knowing their Alvarado score. SPSS software was used to conduct the statistical analysis. Results: At the time of surgery, 34 (40%) of the 90 patients had complicated appendicitis, whereas 54 (60%) without complication. The age and gender of the groups did not show any significant difference. The Alvarado score, CRP, and PCT levels all showed a significant difference (P < 0.05). The correlation between Alvarado score and biochemical parameters (CRP and PCT) show a significant positive correlation. Conclusions: CRP and PCT support Alvarado score to differentiate between complicated acute appendicitis and noncomplicated acute appendicitis, and this is evident from the significantly higher concentrations of both in patients with complicated acute appendicitis than in patients with noncomplicated acute appendicitis.


Measurement of mechanics of respiration in guinea pigs was used to assess the irritant potency of zinc oxide and sulfur dioxide mixed under different conditions of temperature and humidity. Concentrations were 1-2 mg/m3 zinc oxide and 1 ppm sulfur dioxide. Dry conditions of mixing (Chamber RH 30%) either at 24 degrees C in the exposure chamber or at 480 degrees C in a dry furnace gave a biological response which could be completely accounted for by responses to zinc oxide and/or sulfur dioxide alone. Chemical examination of the aerosols did not indicate the formation of particulate sulfur species. Zinc oxide and sulfur dioxide mixed dry at 480 degrees C and fed into the exposure chamber at 80% RH reacted to produce an irritant aerosol as evidenced by a rapid increase to levels 29% above control; reversal was rapid when exposure ended. Chemical studies indicated the presence of sulfite on these aerosols. Addition of water vapor to the furnace during mixing at 480 degrees C produced a different irritant aerosol. The resistance rose slowly to 19% above control values and remained elevated during the post-exposure hour. Chemical studies indicated the presence of sulfate, sulfite, and adsorbed sulfur trioxide on these aerosols.


Background: Scant evidence exists among the different psychological issues between patients with breast cancer and their spouses. The objective of our study was to develop the measuring instrument testing psychological reaction and compare the difference in psychological reaction between patients with breast cancer and their spouses during the period of diagnosis and treatment. Method: The semi-structured interview guideline was guided by the psychological stress model. In-depth interviews were conducted among patients with breast cancer and their spouses. Qualitative data was used to establish the item pool for the psychological reaction. Delphi method was used for item modifications. The items were conducted to find common factors through exploration factor analysis. Comparing the differences of common factors through t-test between patients with breast cancer and their spouses. Results: Five couples were interviewed directed by the semi-structured interview guideline. About 38 items were reserved to formulate the questionnaire through the Delphi method. A total of 391 respondents (216 patients and 175 spouses) were recruited to complete the questionnaire. Two common structures were found through exploration factor analysis, which was named as reaction to role and body image change and negative coping reaction. The t-test found that the dimension of reaction to role and body image change (95% CI = 2.34–5.01, p < 0.001) reflects the difference between patients with breast cancer and their spouses. Conclusion: The reactions to role and body image change between patients with breast cancer and their spouses are different during the period of diagnosis and treatment. Clinical workers should pay attention to the different reactions and help couples deal with breast cancer smoothly.


The increasing solid waste generated in the Accra metropolis has not been accompanied with adequate sanitation facilities and management programs. Notable among the waste management problems is inadequate operational funding from the municipality's budget allocation for the collection and disposal processes. The disposal methods mostly depend on the obsolete dumping with the associated environmental and social risks. Recycling of waste that reduces the waste dumping has also not been effective. With the problem of inadequate operational funding it is possible that the sanitary landfill under construction by the AMA may revert to a dump. This project however, is an opportunity to introduce the bioreactor waste treatment technology. This technology converts only degradable organic matter into useful fuel and reduces the environmental impact of organic wastes, and therefore not all the solid waste components are treated. The integration of this technology with collection and supply for recycling and composting is therefore important in order to cater for other components. Three levels of integration are proposed here. One level is to link the collection of materials for recycling and composting with available markets. The waste collection is also to be integrated with the bioreactor treatment process. The third level is to bring the biological treatment facility, collection, recycling and composting programs in co-operation with the stakeholders (the management authorities, the public and the private investors). The underlying purpose of this study is to develop a conceptual methodology for MSWM strategies in Accra that demonstrates the ability to include social, environmental and economic compatibilities as the dimensions of a sustainable waste management system.


Since the emergence of the HIV/AIDS pandemic, a growing body of research literature documented HIV/AIDS-related stigma and discrimination in Thailand and elsewhere. The purpose of this study was to better understand community attitudes towards persons living with HIV/AIDS (PLWHAs) in the context of the decreasing rates of HIV/AIDS infection and the HIV/AIDS intervention programs in Thailand. This study applies focus group discussion method to investigate community attitudes towards the PLWHAs in a Northern Thai district. Research participants comprised both non-infected community people and HIV-positive people in the district which has a relatively high concentration of PLWHAs. The study indicates that despite remarkable positive changes in the community attitudes, stigma and discrimination were still persisting in different spheres of community life. It also indicates that PLWHAs also self-stigmatise themselves. Policy options for fighting AIDS-related stigma are discussed.


A first-order phenomenological theory of the effect of stress on the optical rotatory power of crystals has been worked out. This paper reports the forms of the matrices of the piezo-rotation tensor in different crystal classes. Two very interesting results have emerged. The first is that the piezo-rotation tensor is an axial tensor of fourth rank. The second is that stress should induce optical activity in certain non-optically active crystals.


The amnesic patient E.P. has demonstrated normal levels of repetition priming and at-chance recognition performance (S. B. Hamann & L. R. Squire, 1997), suggesting that the sense of familiarity used to make a recognition memory judgment is not based on the same mechanism responsible for repetition priming. However, the recognition tests previously used may have discouraged the use of familiarity and encouraged reliance on episodic memory. This issue was addressed in 5 experiments with E.P., 3 other amnesic patients with hippocampal damage, and 8 healthy controls. In Experiments 1-3, which were designed to discourage the use of episodic memory, the amnesic patients were impaired and E.P. performed at chance. In Experiments 4 and 5A, a stem-completion priming task was combined with a recognition memory task on each trial. E.P.'s priming was intact, yet his recognition memory performance was at chance. This suggests that although recognition memory judgments may be made on the basis of familiarity, repetition priming is not the source of this feeling of familiarity.


Frederick II neither tolerated the Schwenckfeldians in Silesia as an independent denomination nor recognized them, but, rather from a legal basis demanded that they be incorporated into the Lutheran Church. With the acknowledgement of the Schwenckfeldian movement as an independant denomination, he would have gone beyond article VII of the Instrumenta Pacis Osnabrigense, jeopardizing future peace negotiations with the House of Habsburg. However, he did promise the Schwenckfeldians that the government would respect their personal faith and conscience and would be willing to protect them from attack, though limited by the reason of state which would be endangered if the fundamental articles of the Christian religion were openly denied. For if these were negated one could not discount the possibility that not only Maria Theresea but also the Protestant and Catholic subjects would take offence, causing tension and diminishing the prosperity of the State. The philosopher of Sanssouci himself held freedom of faith and conscience highly, but felt it had to be subordinate to the welfare of the state. The actual reason for he gave this assurance to the Schwenckfeldians though, was not merely to give his subjects a relative amount of freedom, but, more important, to encourage further immigration into his lands. Frederick II, who saw himself as the first servant of his state, thereby hoped to raise the density of population in relatively depopulated areas, to promote manufacturing and trade, and with it the prosperity of the state. The positive impulse for the attitude of Frederic II against the Schwenckfeldians was therefore in the last analysis based on political motives. His concession of freedom of faith and conscience to the Schwenckfeldians was in principle possible only because he had granted such freedom to all his Silesian subjects - who had to belong to one of the three confessions recognized by the Peace of Westphalia- on the condition that they would not deny reverence to God or subservience to the State. In comparison to the intolerant attitude of many contemporary states which gave their subjects no liberty of faith or conscience, the position which the state of Frederic II hat taken vis-a-vis the Schwenckfeldians in Silesia therefore signifies a great step forward. This position, however, was considerably less than the religious freedom enjoyed by those Schwenckfeldians who emigrated to Pennsylvania.


Abstract— Mechanosensitive cation channels may be involved in the development of the myogenic tone of arteries. The molecular identity of these channels is not clear, but transient receptor potential channels (TRPCs) are good candidates. In the present study, we searched for mechanosensitive channels at the single-channel level in arterial smooth muscle cells using the patch-clamp technique and investigated the channel properties in the light of properties of TRPCs. With 140 mmol/L CsCl in the pipette solution, application of negative pressures to the back of the pipette induced the activation of channels the open probability of which increased with the amount of negative pressure. The current-voltage relationship was linear in symmetrical ionic conditions, and the single-channel conductances for Cs+, K+, and Na+ were 30, 36, and 27 pS, respectively. When NMDG+ was substituted for Cs+ in the pipette solution, inward currents were abolished, whereas outward currents remained active, indicating that the channels were nonselective to cations. The channel activity was blocked by intracellular Gd3+ and 4,4′-diisothiocyanatostilbene-2,2′-disulfonic acid and increased by diacylglycerol and by cyclopiazonic acid. Phospholipase C inhibitor (U73122) inhibited not only channel activity but also the development of myogenic tone induced by stretching of the basilar arteries. These results suggest that the ion channel responsible for the development of myogenic tone is the 30-pS mechanosensitive cation channel that exhibits properties similar to those of TRPCs.


The low-lying minima on the Born−Oppenheimer potential energy surface of the H3O+(H2O)4 cluster are investigated by effective valence bond (EVB), density functional, and MP2 methods. Although Becke3LYP and MP2 calculations predict the same global minimum structure, the relative energies of various structures obtained by these two approaches differ by up to 1.7 kcal/mol. Even larger differences are found between the relative energies calculated at the EVB and MP2 levels of theory. Vibrational spectra are calculated for each of the minimum energy species.


Following the national pattern, homicide clearance rates in Chicago have continuously declined for several decades. This study focuses on the influence of changing characteristics of homicide events on the decline in homicide clearances. Most previous studies are not suitable to address the decline issue because of their methodological limitations. The decline is a longitudinal process and a cross-sectionally identified relationship could be a temporary association at a particular point in time. The current study investigates all the key relationships with two longitudinal methods: pooled cross-sectional time series and ARIMA and by controlling for community-level factors. The results show that homicides involving concomitant felony, Latino victims, strangers, and vehicle body location are significantly and consistently related to the decline, whereas other previously identified predictors do not remain significant over time. The current paper also explains how effects of homicide event variables can be translated into actions and help improve clearance outcome.


Abstract: In this talk, we consider the Cauchy problem of the N -dimensional incompressible viscoelastic fluids with N ≥ 2. It is shown that, in the low frequency part, this system possesses some dispersive properties derived from the one parameter group e±itΛ. Based on this dispersive effect, we construct global solutions with large initial velocity concentrating on the low frequency part. Such kind of solution has never been seen before in the literature even for the classical incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The proof relies heavily on the dispersive estimates for the system of acoustics, and a careful study of the nonlinear terms. And we also obtain the similar result for the isentropic compressible Navier-Stokes equations. Here, the initial velocity with arbitrary Ḃ N 2 −1 2,1 norm of potential part Pu0 and large highly oscillating are allowed in our results. (Joint works with Daoyuan Fang and Ruizhao Zi) In this talk, we consider the Cauchy problem of the N -dimensional incompressible viscoelastic fluids with N ≥ 2. It is shown that, in the low frequency part, this system possesses some dispersive properties derived from the one parameter group e±itΛ. Based on this dispersive effect, we construct global solutions with large initial velocity concentrating on the low frequency part. Such kind of solution has never been seen before in the literature even for the classical incompressible Navier-Stokes equations. The proof relies heavily on the dispersive estimates for the system of acoustics, and a careful study of the nonlinear terms. And we also obtain the similar result for the isentropic compressible Navier-Stokes equations. Here, the initial velocity with arbitrary Ḃ N 2 −1 2,1 norm of potential part Pu0 and large highly oscillating are allowed in our results. (Joint works with Daoyuan Fang and Ruizhao Zi)


A practical fiber-optic measurement instrument for temperature was constructed consisting of a small sensor responding to optical absorption change in a semiconductor, and a unique signal processing system with two different-wavelength light emitting diodes (LED's). The fiber-optic sensor with a semiconductor chip is quite small, very sensitive, highly reliable, and easy to manufacture at low cost. The most outstanding feature of this system is that it is free from optical-stray-loss. The accuracy of about +-1° and the response time of about 2 s were obtained in the temperature range from -10° C to 300°C.


We present cryptocurrency-based lottery protocols that do not require any collateral from the players. Previous protocols for this task required a security deposit that is O(N2) times larger than the bet amount, where N is the number of players. Our protocols are based on a tournament bracket construction, and require only O(logN) rounds. Our lottery protocols thus represent a significant improvement, both because they allow players with little money to participate, and because of the time value of money. The Ethereum-based implementation of our lottery is highly efficient. The Bitcoin implementation requires an O(2N) off-chain setup phase, which demonstrates that the expressive power of the scripting language can have important implications. We also describe a minimal modification to the Bitcoin protocol that would eliminate the exponential blowup.


Currently, there are five anti-Alzheimer's disease drugs approved. These are tacrine, donepezil, rivastigmine, galantamine, and memantine. The mechanism of the first four drugs is acetylcholinesterase inhibition, while memantine is an NMDA-receptor antagonist. However, these drugs do not cure Alzheimer's, but are only symptomatic treatments. Therefore, a cure for Alzheimer's disease is truly needed. Alzheimer's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by cognitive deficits. The cause of the disease is not well understood, but research indicates that the aggregation of beta-amyloid is the fundamental cause. This theory suggests that beta-amyloid aggregation causes neurotoxicity. Therefore, development of the next anti-Alzheimer's disease drug is based on the beta-amyloid theory. We are now studying natural products, such as mulberry leaf extracts and curcumin derivatives, as potential cure for Alzheimer's disease. In this report, we describe some data about these natural products and derivatives.


Even though ruin probability is a fundamental value to determine the insurance premium and policy, the complexity involved in computing its exact value forced us resort to an approximate method. In this paper, we first present an exact method to compute ruin probability under the assumption that the claim size has a GPH distribution, Then, for the arbitrary claim size distribution, we provide a method computing ruin probability quite accurately by approximating the distribution as a GPH. The validity of the proposed method demonstrated by a numerical example. The GPH approach seems to be valid for heavy-tailed claims as well as usual light-tailed claims.


The majority of large-scale clinical trials of depression focus on response, typically defined as a 50% reduction in symptoms, as the endpoint. Response in the absence of remission places patients at greater risk for relapse, decreases their level of functioning, and erodes quality of life. Most importantly, both research and our clinical experience suggest that remission, or "getting well," is an attainable goal for patients with major depressive disorders. Pharmacotherapy, psychotherapy, and combination regimens are all treatment options. Recent studies across a range of patient populations have demonstrated the benefit of affecting multiple transmitter systems over a single antidepressant mechanism. Pooled data from more than 2000 patients comparing venlafaxine, a serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitor, and selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors suggest that the dual mechanism of action of venlafaxine provides significantly greater efficacy in achieving remission. Ultimately, achieving a good clinical outcome is desirable, but sustaining the mood state is, perhaps, more important. Studies of venlafaxine show it is possible to prevent more relapses and recurrences of depression with dual-mechanism treatment than with placebo. These data highlight the need for setting appropriately aggressive goals and working closely with our patients to achieve them. By doing so, we create the best opportunity for restoring patients to "wellness" and, ultimately, a normal and fulfilling life.


Abstract : The physical understanding of thermoacoustic engines has progressed rapidly in the past five years. The general performance of prime movers and refrigerators is now reasonably well understood and documented. There are, however, notable discrepancies between theory and experiment, especially at large acoustic amplitudes. The discrepancies are typically attributed to non- linear terms not included in the theory. Acoustic streaming is often mentioned as the culprit and this may well be the case. There is evidence, however, that interactions between elements in the engine are at least partially responsible for the differences. This is illustrated, for example, by Swift's observation that the heat exchanger appears to be effective over larger acoustic displacements than simple geometric arguments predict. Additional element interactions will arise when a thermoacoustic prime mover and a refrigerator are placed in the same acoustic cavity. This three year project centers on studies of different thermoacoustic element geometries. Thermoacoustics, Thermoacoustic Sound Source, Thermoacoustic Refrigerator, Acoustic Heat Engine, Acoustic Amplifier.


The Epple 'skattergun', a relatively new weed control device, is a compressed air driven applicator for soil applied herbicides. The device is mounted on a suitable vehicle and allows the operator to 'shoot' measured doses of tebuthiuron pellets up to 20 metres away from the distribution point. The device was developed to increase the herbicide application speed for control of prickly acacia (Vachellia nilotica ssp. indica L. Willd. ex Del. (Mimosoideae)) and other weeds. A field trial to quantify the increased tebuthiuron pellet application speeds by tractor and buggymounted 'skatterguns' versus hand application of pellets from quad bikes was conducted in the Julia Creek area of north-west Queensland in 2016–2017. The trial involved the treatment of 60 × one hectare plots of varying densities of prickly acacia on Mitchell grasslands. The trial found that hand application from quad bikes was comparable to slightly faster than the 'skattergun' at densities less than 20 plants per hectare. However, at higher densities, a 'scattergun' provided significantly faster application regardless of whether it was used from a tractor or buggy. At 50, 150 and 300 plants per hectare, a buggy-based 'skattergun' operator could treat 81%, 111% and 133% more plants per hour than a quad bike-based operator for the same densities, respectively. The trial confirmed that the 'skattergun' is an efficient tebuthiuron application device that reduces labour whilst enabling significantly more prickly acacia and other weeds to be treated within rangeland and savanna environments.


Over a three year period, four study waters received half their stocking allocation of fall yearling brown trout (Salmo trutta) in December, approximately seven weeks later than traditionally stocked (October); the other half was stocked in October. The trout were differentially fin clipped by year and month stocked to facilitate future identification in the field. The author hypothesized that lower survival (due to increased predation and emigration) and resulting contribution to the fishery may be attributed to spawning related behaviors (e.g., movement inshore, use of inlets/outlets) associated with stocking sexually mature hatchery trout that are not yet predator savvy during the brown trout spawning season in October. The contribution of each stocking to the recreational fishery was assessed using several fish collection methods, including a roving clerk survey (winter), gill nets (summer), and trap nets (fall). Brown trout data collection proved challenging on all study ponds, except for Sabbathday Lake where a robust sample provided a high confidence in the analysis. Mean angler party harvest rates on Sabbathday Lake were 1.5 times higher for December-stocked trout (0.017 legal brown trout per hour) than October-stocked trout (0.011 legal brown trout per hour) and this difference was statistically significant (Wilcoxon Rank sum, 2-sided, p=0.0174). An examination of age classes present in the harvest revealed a higher percentage of each cohort was comprised of Decemberstocked fish; on average 39% more holdovers were December-stocked trout. December-stocked trout also contributed 25% more to the harvest of oldest and largest brown trout, and this increase was also found to be statistically significant (X 2 =33.802, 1 d.f.; 2 sided p<0.0001). Time of stocking did not appear to influence angler harvest opportunity on Crystal Lake and could not be assessed on Middle and Upper Range ponds due to insufficient data.


With the rapid development of long-term orbiting spacecraft, deep space exploration and reusable carriers, spacecraft structures increasingly require safety and reliability. During the long-term service of the spacecraft structure, the bolts are prone to loosening. Electromechanical impedance (EMI) method is sensitive to bolt loosening. This paper developed a small integrated, low-power EMI monitoring device for CubeSat to detect bolt loosening, since CubeSat is low cost and has a long-time service in the orbit. The monitoring device is a two-layer structure of 0.6U. The upper layer is the experimental specimen layer. The other layer is the impedance measurement layer which can measure and transfer the impedance and temperature information. This layer consists of impedance measurement module, channel selection module, microprocessor module, communication module and power management module. The impedance results obtained by the monitoring device matched well with these by impedance analyzer. Besides, the influence of temperature on impedance measurement was studied, and two methods of compensating impedance curves were compared. Finally, the bolt loosening experiment was performed on one bolted beam of the specimen at different temperatures. The results show that, combined with the temperature compensation of the real part curve of the impedance, the bolt loosening can be clearly distinguished from the healthy condition. This monitoring device and temperature compensation method are expected to be applied on the CubeSat.


Purpose
This study aims to draw out the common characteristics of frauds associated with pandemics and to identify any risks unique to them.

Design/methodology/approach
It considers the range of frauds and their reporting lags and examines what is known about current frauds against individuals, businesses and government, principally using public and private sector data from Australia and the UK.

Findings
The study identifies some novel crime types and methodologies arising during the current pandemic that were not seen in previous pandemics. These changes may result from public health measures taken in response to COVID-19, the current state of technologies and the activities of law enforcement and regulatory guardians. It shows that many frauds would occur anyway, but some specific – mainly online – frauds occur during pandemics, and because of large scale government assistance programmes to businesses and individuals, far more opportunities were created from COVID-19 than in previous eras.

Social implications
The study concludes with a discussion of the policy implications for prevention, resilience and for private and public policing and criminal justice. It stresses that plans for future pandemics must include provisions for better early monitoring and control of fraud and associated procurement corruption and notes that these require greater political will and organisation. It recommends a more serious analysis of the impact of prevention communications outreach to citizens, businesses and government.

Originality/value
The study uses fresh data on frauds from the private and public sectors and assesses some measures of control in a holistic way.


Findings from cross-sectional studies cannot tell us whether moving leads to changes in civic activity, because such studies do not observe the same individual's participation before and after moves. This paper treats both moving and participation as dynamic processes, analyzing data that cover 18 years within lives of two generations of Americans. The results suggest that our general understanding about who participates cannot account for the patterns evident in even the simplest of descriptions of this phenomenon. Moving is shown to disrupt moments of campaign activity. However, the specific patterns of this disruption across generations and types of acts lead to more questions about the mechanism by which moving interferes with the political activity of ordinary Americans.


Background: In India, a national NCD monitoring framework was developed (June 2013) in consonance with the World Health Organization (WHO) global NCD monitoring framework with 10 targets and 21 indicators. A feasibility study was undertaken in Punjab, Haryana, and Chandigarh with few objectives. Objectives: To review the existing monitoring framework, identify the possible data sources, and collect the secondary data for NCDs. Methods: In-depth interview was conducted with the three state program officers (SPOs), and Health Management Information System (HMIS) reports (2010) were reviewed. Data from non-health sectors were collected and possible data sources were identified. Results: It was observed that SPOs were not clear of the data for indicators and targets. Food and drug licensing authority, schools, colleges, and offices may be possible sources of additional data. Current HMIS was inadequate. Multiple issues such as scarcity of data, excess dependency on hospital-based data, lack of manpower, inter-sectoral coordination, and periodic STEP wise approach to surveillance (STEPS) surveys are the major barriers for implementation. Conclusion: We concluded that with the existing resources, it was not feasible to implement the NCD monitoring framework. Recommendations: National surveys should incorporate NCD indicators, and periodic STEPS survey at state level are necessary for indicator generation.


This paper aimed to comparatively analyze two methods of Electronic Learning (E-learning), in which avatars were utilized as virtual lecturers, with a particular focus on measuring learnability and Experienced User Performance (EUP). Insight has been provided into E-learning motivations and guidelines within the area of edutainment. Research into the communication of educational materials has also been included to provide explanations into the different edutainment techniques and factors influencing E-leaning performance. An E-learning environment was designed and constructed based on pedagogical principles. Emphasis was placed on the significance of multimodal interaction metaphors, as a means of improving learning skills. An empirical study was conducted to compare two E-learning approaches: avatars as pedagogical agents and E-learning through edutainment. The study was divided into two experiments: learnability and EUP; of which, two groups were instructed to interact with the experimental platforms under two conditions: first-time-use and frequent-use. The results of the experiments showed a statistical significance in favor of EUP in E-learning through edutainment.


The standard back-propagation (BP) algorithm converges slowly and is ease to trip into local minimum, which is the main reason why it cannot be used widely in practical applications. Therefore, a new BP algorithm based on the nonlinear least square method was put forward in this paper. The convergence stability was enhanced by adding the positive matrix in Hessian matrix. The results have proved that the new algorithm can converges very fast and avoid tripping into local minimum. The improved BP algorithm is used in congestion control of the computer network in order to solve the congestion of network. The data of simulation experiment demonstrate the proposed control scheme is scalable and efficient, and has good network performance


A fatigue crack and its precursor often serves as a source of nonlinear mechanism for ultrasonic waves, and nonlinear ultrasonic techniques have been widely studied to detect fatigue crack at its very early stage. In this study, a wireless sensor node based on nonlinear ultrasonics is developed specifically for fatigue crack detection: (1) through packaged piezoelectric transducers, ultrasonic waves at two distinctive frequencies are generated, and their modulation due to a microcrack (less than 0.1 mm in width) is detected; (2) an autonomous reference-free crack detection algorithm is developed and embedded into the sensor node, so that users can simply "stick" the sensor to a target structure and automatically "detect" a fatigue crack without relying on any history data of the target structure; and (3) the whole design of the sensor node is fulfilled in a low-power working strategy. The performance of the sensor node is experimentally validated using aluminum plates with real fatigue cracks and compared with that of a conventional wired system. Furthermore, a field test in Yeongjong Grand Bridge in South Korea has been conducted with the developed sensor nodes.


BACKGROUND
Postoperative peritoneal adhesions are a major complication of abdominal surgery. Adjuvant therapy is needed to prevent adhesion formation and subsequent sequelae. Previously published data proved the efficacy of phospholipids (PL) for this indication; however, additional information on drug safety was still outstanding. The underlying study was designed to investigate the influence of phospholipids on three different types of healing tissue.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 48 Chinchilla rabbits underwent median laparotomy, standardized abrasion of the visceral and parietal peritoneum, jejunal anastomosis, and an electrocautery incision of the liver. The operation was completed by intraperitoneal administration of 10 ml/kg of either normal saline (NaCl) or phospholipids (12%).

RESULTS
After 5 (NaCl 691 mm(2) vs PL 192 mm(2)) and 10 days (NaCl 625 mm(2) vs PL 88 mm(2)) the control group presented with significantly larger adhesion areas (P < 0.05). The bursting pressure of the anastomosis on the 5th (NaCl 16.1 kPa vs PL 18.2 kPa) and 10th (NaCl 19.7 kPa vs PL 18.6 kPa) postoperative days showed no statistically significant difference. The tensile strength of the laparotomy wound measured after intervals of 5 (NaCl 8.5 N cm(-1) vs PL 6.8 N cm(-1)) and 10 days (NaCl 23.0 N cm(-1) vs PL 20.2 N cm(-1)) was not statistically different either. The collagen protein ratio of anastomoses, laparotomy wounds, and liver incisions as well as the inflammatory-reparative response of the different tissues was not affected by PL.

CONCLUSIONS
These results confirm the efficacy of phospholipids in adhesion prevention. The findings of uncompromised healing of anastomoses, laparotomy wounds, and liver incisions demonstrate the safety of this agent. Further data may qualify phospholipids for a clinical trial.


China is the least disadvantaged major economy in the current era of global economic uncertainty. Thus it is becoming the focus of attention of its neighbours and is achieving a prominence in the world political economy unparalleled in its modern history. To a great extent, China's success is the result of 'good neighbour diplomacy' such as 'win–win' and the policies of reform and openness of the past thirty years. However, despite continuity in policy, China's 'peaceful leap forward' since 2008 has changed the context of its external relationships. The increasing asymmetries between China and its neighbours, as well as decreasing asymmetry with the United States, require an adjustment of win–win values beyond mutual benefit to credible reassurance. As China's neighbours become more dependent, they also become more anxious concerning their interests. Meanwhile, China's relative gain on the US requires a different kind of confidence-building diplomacy.


Recycling of PET was examined using hydrolytic depolymerization in an alkaline solution under microwave irradiation. The reaction was carried out in a sealed microwave reactor in which the pressure and temperature were controlled and recorded. The main products were the monomers TPA and EG. The effect of reaction temperature, time, amount of PET and alkaline concentration on the degree of PET depolymerization and TPA recovery was investigated. Microwave irradiation was found to reduce the time needed to achieve a specific degradation of PET significantly, with almost complete depolymerization occurring in 30 min at 180 °C and only 46 W of microwave power. Using a phase transfer catalyst (TOMAB) resulted in the same amount of unreacted PET but at significantly lower depolymerization temperatures.


In Physics VI.9 Aristotle addresses Zeno's four paradoxes of motion and amongst them the arrow paradox. In his brief remarks on the paradox, Aristotle suggests what he takes to be a solution to the paradox. In two famous papers, both called 'A note on Zeno's arrow', Gregory Vlastos and Jonathan Lear each suggest an interpretation of Aristotle's proposed solution to the arrow paradox. In this paper, I argue that these two interpretations are unsatisfactory, and suggest an alternative interpretation. In particular, I claim that what seems on the face of it to be Aristotle's solution to the paradox raises two puzzles to which my interpretation, as opposed to Lear's and Vlastos's, provides an adequate response.


Differences in the epitopes of thyroid-stimulating antibodies (TSAbs) from patients with untreated Graves' disease were compared with long-term response to antithyroid drugs. Epitopes were measured using Chinese hamster ovary cells transfected with wild-type human TSH receptor (TSHR) and two receptor chimeras, wherein TSHR residues 9-165 or 90-165 had been substituted with comparable residues of the LH/chorionic gonadotropin receptor. Of 159 patients studied, 52 (32.7%) exhibited positive TSAb activity with one or both chimera lines (heterogeneous group), and 107 (67.3%) had no activity with either (homogeneous group). Independent of all other parameters, patients with heterogeneous epitopes responded more favorably to oral antithyroid drugs than patients with homogeneous epitopes (65.4% vs. 41.9%, P = 0.011: estimated odds ratio by logistic regression, 2.17). Although most clinical parameters were not different at presentation, significant differences in the size of goiters, total T(3) concentrations, and titers of TSH-binding inhibitory Igs were evident in the successfully treated group (n = 80) by comparison to the group of patients whose treatment failed (n = 79). Alone, these three parameters did not predict outcome; however, when either of these parameters were considered together with epitope heterogeneity, predictability of a positive therapeutic response was increased to nearly 80%. Thus, the presence of TSAbs with a heterogeneous epitope in a patient with Graves' disease is not only associated with a favorable response to antithyroid drug treatment, it may help predict the response to treatment when the patient is initially seen.


Cerebral nocardia infections is a rare entity, which has been mainly reported in immunosuppressed patients. Currently, there are no clinical guidelines for first-line treatment. Our case refers to an older immunocompetent adult, with encephalopathy and left hemiparesis, associated with lesions compatible with multiple brain abscess and suggestive of infectious etiology. He initially received treatment for tuberculosis, bacterial abscess, and toxoplasmosis, without a favorable clinical response. An empirical treatment for nocardiosis started, by using meropenem and trimethoprim / sulfamethoxazole, and clinical and imaging improvement was achieved. The occurrence of adverse events forces the temporary use of alternative medications. We highlight some criteria for including nocardiosis in the differential diagnosis in cases of multiple brain abscess and mention laboratory diagnostic methods and drugs to initiate empirical treatment.


Importance of telecommunication on economic growth of an economy is known to all. In this study The role of telecommunication technology which is measured in terms of tele-density is investigated on the economic growth of Assam over the time period 2001-2017. Here different sectoral components of economic growth like industry, manufacturing, service and banking & insurance is also taken into consideration to explore the causal relationship between these with tele-density of the state. For this Granger-Causality test has been applied and desired outcomes are attained. Moreover structural breakpoint analysis is also done to see whether any structural changes occurred in the relationship among the variables under study. Results are also found that policy changes in the national and state level has brought about the structural changes in the variables over the time period.


Traditional teaching styles practiced at universities do not generally suit all students' learning styles. For a variety of reasons, students do not always engage in learning in the courses in which they are enrolled. New methods to create and deliver educational material are available, but these do not always improve learning outcomes. Acknowledging these truths and developing and delivering educational material that provides diverse ways for students to learn is a constant challenge. This study examines the use of video tutorials within a university environment in an attempt to provide a teaching model that is valuable to all students, and in particular to those students who are not engaging in learning. The results of a three-year study have demonstrated that the use of well-designed, assessment-focused, and readily available video tutorials have the potential to improve student satisfaction and grades by enabling and encouraging students to learn how they want, when they want, and at a pace that suits their needs.


This work aims to quantitatively and qualitatively evaluate the valence of voters' emotional response to changes in the scenarios in videos of political propaganda. The experiment was conducted in a laboratory with a fictitious candidate and content. We used four different scenarios: one with a completely white background, one simulating a library, one with a popular house, and one with luxury houses. We use the Facial Action Coding System (FACS) as an instrument to measure emotions. We found statistical differences between the intensity of the valences throughout the video (n=108). The work empirically demonstrated that the scenarios can enhance the emotional effects of this type of advertising.


A creative, potent, formless energy is assumed to animate the universe in parts of island Southeast Asia. In Luwu, a former kingdom of South Sulawesi (Celebes), Indonesia, this energy is called sumange'. This paper describes how sumange' is treated within the human body, which it is said to animate, and the logic of ritual substance that it implies. Because it can be lost through shock and routine depletion, humans make efforts to care for it, retain it, and increase it. Because it is potent, concentrations of it in people and places are dangerous. Its differential distribution orders the social and natural universe.


God gifted sense to human being which is an important aspect in our life is vision. With the help of our eyes we are able to see the beauty of nature and also the things which happen in day-to-day life. But there are some people who lack this ability of visualizing these things. They face many difficulties to move on with their daily life. The problem gets worse when they move to an unfamiliar location. Visually impaired people face many challenges when moving in unfamiliar public places. Only few of the navigation systems for visually impaired people can provide dynamic interactions. None of these systems work perfectly both indoors and outdoors.  Available navigation device for the blind people in the market focus on travelling of the blind people from one location to another. This paper focuses on surveying the different technology used for talking assistive walking stick about location finding for blind people.


This study examines whether mood states (a) influence decision making under uncertainty and (b) affect information processing. 200 students at the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur participated in this study. Positive mood was induced by showing comedy movie clips to 100 participants and negative mood was induced by showing tragedy movie clips to another 100 participants. The participants were administered a questionnaire containing hypothetical situations of financial gains and losses, and a health risk problem. The participants selected a choice for each situation, and stated the reasons for their choice. Results suggested that the participants preferred cautious choices in the domain of gain and in health risk problems and risky choices in the domain of loss. Analysis of the reasons for the participants' choices suggested more fluency, originality, and flexibility of information in a negative mood compared to a positive mood. A negative (positive) mood state facilitated systematic (heuristic) information processing.


Studies were carried out to determine whether endogenously secreted vasopressin in the circulation of the dog is freely filterable. Blood from anaesthetized dogs was pumped through a dialysis coil and ultrafiltration was achieved by increasing the outflor pressure from the coil. In some cses, the dogs were hydrated before the experiment. A specific, precise radioimmunoassay was used to measure the concentration of vasopressin in the ultrafiltrate and the simultaneously sampled plasma. The concentration of vasopressin in the ultrafiltrate was consistently lower than that in the plasma at concentrations ranging from 1.7 to 335 micronmicron./ml in the latter, and the extent of the binding was lower in the hydrated than in the non-hydrated dogs. At plasma levels of vasopressin of 2-20 micrommicron./ml, vasopressin binding averaged only about 12%, whereas it averaged 40% at plasma concentrations greater than 20 micronmicrom./ml. This binding was not an artifact caused by some limitation of the ultrafiltration system because vasopressin dissolved in a salt solution and subjected to ultrafiltration in the system was freely filterable.


The reliability of solder joints in electronic packaging is becoming more important as Ball Grid Array (BGA) develops rapidly into the most popular packaging technology. Thermal fatigue of solder joints has been a reliability concern in the electronic packaging industry since the introduction of surface mount technology (SMT). Micro-structural coarsening (grain growth) is considered to be closely related to thermomechanical fatigue failure. Many researchers proposed coarsening models for bulk scale metals. But these models have never been verified for micron scale actual BGA solder balls. In the present study, three different grain growth models are investigated experimentally on BGA solder balls in a real life electronic package. Model simulations obtained from three models were compared against test data. The best performing model was chosen for finite element fatigue reliability studies based on continuum damage mechanics.


Preface. 50 Years of Studia Logica: Editorial Introduction V.F. Hendricks, J. Malinowski. Polish Logic in Post-war Period V.R. Wojcicki, J. Zygmunt. Fifty Years: Changes and Constants in Logic J. van Benthem. Generalized Matrices in Abstract Algebraic Logic J.M. Font. Intensional Logic Beyond First Order M. Fitting. Questions of Canonicity R. Goldblatt. Lukasiewicz Logic and Chang's MV Algebras in Action V. Marra, D. Mundici. Substructural Logics and Residuated Lattices: an Introduction H. Ono. Quantum Computational Logics: A Survey M.L. Dalla Chiara, R. Giuntini, R. Leporini. Inconsistent Arithmetics: Issues Technical and Philosophical G. Priest. Inconsistency-tolerant Description Logic: Motivation and Basic Systems S.P. Odintsov, H. Wansing. Type Logics in Grammar W. Buszkowski.


Over the last 77 years (from 1935), all 7 cyclical maximums of the solar activity overlapped closely with the US recessions, thus predicting (or triggering?) 8 out of 13 recessions officially identified by NBER (including one "double-deep" recession). Over the last 64 years (from 1948), all 6 maximums of the solar activity were preceded by minimums of the US unemployment rate, and the spikes in the unemployment rate followed with lags of 2-3 years. On the world scale, over the last 44 years (for which the data is available), all 4 maximums of the solar activity overlapped with minimums of the unemployment rate in the G7 countries, followed by its spikes within 2-3 years. From 1965, when consistent recession dating is available for all G7 countries, nearly 3/5 of the recessions started in the 3 years around and after the sunspot maximums. Was it a mere coincidence or a part of a broader pattern? This paper explores the correlation between the solar activity cycles (as measured by the number of sunspots on the sun surface) and the timing of recessions in the US and other economies. It finds out that the probability of recessions in G7 countries greatly increased around and after the solar maximums, suggesting that they can cause deterioration in business conditions and trigger recessions. This opens new approach for projecting recessions, which can be applied and tested with regard to the next solar maximum in 2013. Caution: This research is not in the "mainstream" of the economic thought. Read at your own risk!


Background: Endo-xylanase (EC 184.108.40.206), which hydrolyze the backbone structure of β-1,4-xylans, can be used together with laccase (activated by copper) to hydrolyse lignocellulosic and hemicellulosic materials in bioethanol production. A previous study described the cloning of the xylanase gene from Aspergillus niger US368 and obtaining the recombinant His-tagged protein using E. coli expression system. This recombinant xylanase was activated by copper which is a strong inhibitor for xylanases activities. The activation of the enzyme toward copper is due to the 36 extra amino acids provided by the vector pET28a. However, the expression of this xylanase was relatively low and intracellular that limits its potential industrial application. Hence, we aimed to over-express this interesting enzyme using the Pichia pastoris system for use in biofuel production.Results: A copper activated xylanase produced by E. coli BL21 was expressed in Pichia pastoris using the pGAPZαB expression vector. Two recombinant xylanase forms were obtained (Non-C-terminal tagged-His-tagged r-XAn11 and C-terminal tagged-His-tagged r-XAn11). The findings revealed that the two recombinant xylanases displayed different behaviors toward the copper. In the presence of 3 mM Cu2+, the relative activity of the Non-C-terminal tagged-His-tagged r-XAn11 was enhanced by about 52%. However, the xylanase activity of the C-terminal tagged one was strongly inhibited by copper. The Non-C-terminal tagged recombinant enzyme was more thermostable, in the presence of 3 mM Cu2+, than the C-terminal tagged one with a half-life of 10 min at 60 °C. 3D models of the two recombinant forms were constructed. The results showed that the created copper site in the Non-C terminal tagged protein was loosed in the C terminal tagged protein due to the high fluctuation and probably new interactions among the C and N-terminal amino acids.Conclusion: The present work reports the expression and purification of two recombinant xylanases forms (non C-terminal tagged and C-terminal tagged His-tagged r-XAn11).


Parathyroid hormone (PTH) and PTH-related peptide (PTHrP) activate the PTH/PTHrP receptor to trigger parallel increases in adenylyl cyclase (AC) and phospholipase C (PLC). The amino (N)-terminal region of PTH-(1-34) is essential for AC activation. Ligand domains required for activation of PLC, PKC, and other effectors have been less well-defined, although some studies in rodent systems have identified a core region [hPTH-(29-32)] involved in PKC activation. To determine the critical ligand domain(s) for PLC activation, a series of truncated hPTH-(1-34) analogues were assessed using LLC-PK1 cells that stably express abundant transfected human or rat PTH/PTHrP receptors. Phospholipase C signaling and ligand-binding affinity were reduced by carboxyl (C)-terminal truncation of hPTH-(1-34) but were coordinately restored when a binding-enhancing substitution (Glu(19) --> Arg(19)) was placed within hPTH-(1-28), the shortest hPTH peptide that could fully activate both AC and PLC. Phospholipase C, but not AC, activity was reduced by substituting Gly(1) for Ser(1) in hPTH-(1-34) and was eliminated entirely by removing either residue 1 or the alpha-amino group alone. These changes did not alter binding affinity. These findings led to design of an analogue, [Gly(1),Arg(19)]hPTH-(1-28), that was markedly signal-selective, with full AC but no PLC activity. Thus, the extreme N-terminus of hPTH constitutes a critical activation domain for coupling to PLC. The C-terminal region, especially hPTH-(28-31), contributes to PLC activation through effects upon receptor binding but is not required for full PLC activation. The N-terminal determinants of AC and PLC activation in hPTH-(1-34) overlap but are not identical, as subtle modifications in this region may dissociate activation of these two effectors. The [Gly(1),Arg(19)]hPTH-(1-28) analogue, in particular, should prove useful in dissociating AC- from PLC-dependent actions of PTH.


Vapor deposition is increasingly used to synthesize thin films and coatings that underpin numerous technologies from microelectronics to aircraft engines. As the structural and compositional complexity of these vapor-deposited materials increases, many new methods of vapor deposition have been developed. The design of which is founded upon an understanding of the atomic-scale mechanisms of growth. This book, first published in 2000, explores these issues and their applications in micro- and magnetoelectronics, hard coatings, photovoltaics, high-Tc thin films and the group-three nitrides. It is organized so that many of the new methods of vapor deposition are introduced first. This is followed by chapters on vapor deposition including the use of in situ characterization techniques to observe them and exploration of modeling techniques to simulate the growth of vapor-deposited structures. The use of in situ sensors to validate simulations is also widely covered. This provides a detailed view of the state of the art and should be beneficial to all who are engaged in its research and development.


Human experience is being extended and enhanced by collaboratively consuming electronic and networked content and multimedia-intensive services. This technical phenomenon is addressed by our generalized Community Coordinated Multimedia model in this paper. Content-driven and service-driven models are identified and a converged CCM model is introduced. Characteristics of Community Coordinated Multimedia are specified and challenges for developing a technological framework are presented.


Although quantum science showed wave part of the matter exist, modern physics focus only on particle. The paradigm of current science is based on particle science, which is materialism. In this article, it is assumed that there is an inherent wave of a matter which is faster than the speed of light and exists stably even after separated from a matter. 3D wave of a matter could exist in water as a field with the shape of the original matter. If 3D wave separated from a matter to water could exist stably and operate like the matter itself, then the interaction between 3D wave separated from hormone to water and a hormone receptor would be possible. If the interaction is fast and good enough to induce cellular signal transduction, there is no need to rely on 'materialism' which cannot explain so fast biological reaction. The interaction of 3D wave of the molecule transferred to water with a cellular receptor could lead to intracellular signal transmission, which explains 'water memory'.


Strontium and oxygen isotope analysis of human remains from the early La Tène (fourth/third century BC) Czech cemeteries of Radovesice I (RAD I), Radovesice II (RAD II), and Kutná Hora were conducted to investigate the importance of residential changes during the period of the historic "Celtic migrations". In the initial phases (LT A/B), the grave goods of these cemeteries are typical for the core area of the La Tène culture, while around 300 BC (LT B2) an alteration occurs and typical Bohemian styles arise, and connections to Moravia and the Danubian region become visible. The strontium isotope ratios are highly varied with (87) Sr/(86) Sr values between 0.7062 and 0.7153 in Radovesice, and between 0.7082 and 0.7147 in Kutná Hora. The oxygen isotope data are more homogeneous and yield δ(18) Op ratios from 14.8‰ to 17.2‰ [mean: 16.2‰ ± 0.5 (1σ)] in Radovesice, and from 14.9‰ to 17.3‰ [mean: 16.5‰ ± 0.6 (1σ)] in Kutná Hora. Because the geological properties of the landscapes around the sites are variable and complex, most of the observed variations among the strontium isotope ratios may have been caused by agricultural practices, such as regularly changing farming land. Nevertheless, there are some individuals who differ completely from the regional isotopic baseline values. This suggests that at least a small part of the community migrated, which does not seem to be correlated with any particular phase of the La Tène period. Remarkably, it is mainly males who seem to be of nonlocal origin, and particularly those who were buried as warriors. Females, on the other hand, appear to have been more closely bonded to the Bohemian region. Whether the "foreign" individuals with differing isotopic compositions came from Moravia or the Danubian region remains debatable.


Adaptive sampling is an enhancement to a classical statistical process control scheme in which the time between samples from the process is varied based on the available information. Unlike the classical Shewhart control schemes, the performance of an adaptive sampling scheme for detecting a process which is off-target before the First observation is selected can differ from the steady-state performance, which is the performance of the scheme for detecting a process shift after the control scheme has been operating for some time. Often steady-state performance is the more important criterion for evaluating statistical process control schemes. Previous work has considered initial performance and steady-state performance, but the charts examined were optimized for initial performance. The development of charts optimized for steady-state performance and a comparison to previously developed schemes are the topics of this paper. Tables providing performance information on adaptive schemes are included.


Response surface methodology (RSM) is used to optimize the electrocoagulation/electro-flotation process applied for the removal of turbidity from surface water in an internal loop airlift reactor. Two flat aluminium electrodes are used in monopolar arrangement for the production of coagulants. The central composite design is used as a second-order mathematical model. The model describes the change of the measured responses of turbidity removal efficiency and energy consumption according to the initial conductivity (X1), applied voltage (X2), treatment time (X3) and inter-electrode distance (X4). The evaluation of the model fit quality is done by analysis of variance (ANOVA). Fisher's F-test is used to provide information about the linear, interaction and quadratic effects of factors. Multicriteria methodology, mainly the desirability function (D), is used to determine optimal conditions. The results show that, for a maximal desirability function D = 0.79, optimal conditions estimated are X1 = 1,487 μS/cm, X2 = 5 V, X3 = 6.5 min, X4 = 14 mm. The corresponding turbidity removal rate and energy consumption are 84.15% and 0.215 kWh/m3 respectively. A confirmation study is then carried out at laboratory scale using the optimal conditions estimated. The results show a turbidity removal rate of 72.05% and an energy consumption of 0.210 kWh/m3.


It has been reported that nicotine shows some beneficial effects on Parkinson's disease. The purpose of the present study is to assess the therapeutic effects of nicotine chewing gum in patients with early-onset parkinsonism (EOP). The subjects were 8 patients with early-onset parkinsonism (male/female = 4/4, mean age; 51.3 years). Four out of 8 patients had a history of smoking (smokers). To estimate the effects of nicotine gum, the scores on the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) and auditory event-related potentials (ERPs) were studied before and after taking nicotine gum in the EOP patients. In smokers, UPDRS scores improved by more than 10% and the P300 latency of auditory ERPs was shortened by more than 30 msec. In contrast, nicotine had no remarkable effects on UPDRS scores or auditory ERPs in non-smokers. We suggest that nicotine chewing gum may be a possible choice for the treatment of patients with EOP, especially when they are smokers.


This paper, which supplements the theoretical articles already published in Annals of Burns and Fire Disasters (vol. XVIII, pp. 117-21, 2005), presents the therapeutic results achieved in 37 extremely burned paediatric patients. The clinical analysis included nutritional protocols and methods of monitoring treatment effectiveness. The necessity of introducing nutritional intervention immediately after initiation of severe burns treatment is unquestionable, the aim being to decrease catabolism in the initial period of the burn disease followed by the achievement of the appropriate metabolic determinants of wound healing.


Ascorbic acid (AA) is one of the essential nutrients in bee pollen, however, it is unstable and likely to be oxidized. Generally, the oxidation form (dehydroascorbic acid (DHA)) is considered to have equivalent biological activity as the reduction form. Thus, determination of the total content of AA and DHA would be more accurate for the nutritional analysis of bee pollen. Here we present a simple, sensitive, and reliable method for the determination of AA, total ascorbic acids (TAA), and DHA in rape (Brassica campestris), lotus (Nelumbo nucifera), and camellia (Camellia japonica) bee pollen, which is based on ultrasonic extraction in metaphosphoric acid solution, and analysis using hydrophilic interaction liquid chromatography (HILIC)-ultraviolet detection. Analytical performance of the method was evaluated and validated, then the proposed method was successfully applied in twenty-one bee pollen samples. Results indicated that contents of AA were in the range of 17.54 to 94.01 µg/g, 66.01 to 111.66 µg/g, and 90.04 to 313.02 µg/g for rape, lotus, and camellia bee pollen, respectively. In addition, percentages of DHA in TAA showed good intra-species consistency, with values of 13.7%, 16.5%, and 7.6% in rape, lotus, and camellia bee pollen, respectively. This is the first report on the discriminative determination between AA and DHA in bee pollen matrices. The proposed method would be valuable for the nutritional analysis of bee pollen.


We carried out molecular dynamics simulations with Tersoff-Brenner potentials in order to investigate the hydrogen uptake mechanisms and storage capacity of carbon nanoscrolls (CNSs). CNSs are jelly roll-like structures formed by wrapping graphene layers. Interlayer adsorption is an option for this material, which does not exist for single and multiwalled carbon nanotubes. We analyzed the processes of hydrogen physisorption and uptake mechanisms. We observed incorporation of hydrogen molecules in both external and internal scroll surfaces. Insertion in the internal cavity and between the scroll layers is responsible for 40% of the total hydrogen adsorption at 77 K.


For a subgroup H of a topological abelian group G denote by group S(H) the set of all sequences of integers (un) such that unh → 0 for every h ∈ H; H is called t-dense if S(H) = S(G). Motivated by a question of Raczkowski we explore the existence of small (with respect to size or measure) t-dense subgroups of topological abelian groups.


Systemic acid-base homeostasis is the product of complex interactions between metabolism, regulated exhalation of CO2 by the lungs and acid or base excretion by the kidneys. The importance of renal acid-base transport has been highlighted by mutations identified in several proteins involved in this task in patients with inborn forms of renal tubular acidosis. The underlying mechanisms of disease have been further studied in genetically altered mouse models and cell culture. An interesting field of research has focused on the question how changes in metabolism or acid-base homeostasis are sensed and result in altered excretion of acid or bases by the kidney. Several hormonal pathways including aldosterone and endothelin were implicated, a novel subfamily of proton-sensing receptors has been identified, and signaling molecules described that are activated by changes in pH.


Simultaneous occurrence of granuloma annulare and necrobiosis lipoidica is quite rare. There are seven reported cases in the literature, but only one presenting ulcerated necrobiosis lipoidica. We report a 39-year-old male with histopathologically confirmed granuloma annulare and ulcerated necrobiosis lipoidica, without diabetes mellitus.


The natural lignocellulose degrading capabilities of extracellular enzyme secreted by a composite microbial system XDC-2 were studied. Peptone cellulose solution (PCS) medium was beneficial to the degradation of lignocellulosic materials and ATCC 1053 medium promoted enzyme production of XDC-2. The exocellular xylanase activities of the crude enzymes were stable below 40°C. The crude enzyme has an effective capability of degrading natural lignocellulose, especially natural hemicellulose. The corn stalk core and rice straw lost 21.1 and 11.9% of its weight, respectively, after 48 h hydrolysis by the crude enzyme, and the weight loss of hemicellulose of corn stalk core and rice straw was 84.7 and 27.8%, respectively. Qualitative scanning electron microscopes (SEM) images indicated that after 48 h crude enzymes hydrolysis at 35°C, the material structure was modified. The production of the soluble carbohydrates was up to 2, 400 mg·L -1 for corn straw and 1, 300 mg·L -1 for rice straw. It would hold the potential of further development and application of XDC-2 with the ability to hydrolyze natural lignocelluloses and release soluble carbohydrates. Keywords: Composite microbial system, lignocellulose degradation, exocellular xylanase, hydrolysis ability


It is proved by contradiction that static, spherically symmetric solutions are not allowed in a theory of gravitation with propagating torsion in which the torsion is derived from a second-rank tensor potential.


We present a new detector module developed for miniPET-II, the second generation of the miniPET small animal PET scanners. The improved module features new hardware components for better performance: LySO crystal material, increased number of crystal segments, Hamamatsu H9500 PSPMT, Xilinx Virtex-4 FPGA and Gigabit Ethernet. However, the principle of operation is the same: no hardware coincidence detection is implemented, data is acquired in list mode and transfered over an Ethernet network. The resulting new module is more suitable for full ring configurations.


Introduction
Usage of introduced species in forest plantations can increase the productivity of woodlands as well as improve their landscape, decorative properties and enrich the plant resources of the country.
The aim of the study was to determine the quality of pollen (its viability, abnormal deviation in pollen grains and length of pollen tubes) of various introduced pines species in conditions of State Enterprise "Kyiv Forest Research Station".
Materials and Methods
The pinetum with an area of 2.0 ha was established with seedlings and grafted seedlings grown in containers and includes 20 species of pine trees.
To determine the viability of pollen of different pine species, we used the germination method on 1% agar-agar with a 10% sucrose solution in a sagging drop in Petri dishes at a temperature of 26–30°C for 3 days. At the end of the germination, Petri dishes with sprout pollen were placed into a freezer for 2–4 hours and then stored in a refrigerator.
Pollen specimens were examined microscopically with an ocular micrometer with 16 × 8 magnification. About 500 pollen grains were counted in some fields. For them, we determined several indicators, namely the number of normally developed and underdeveloped pollen grains, the number of pollen grains with 3–4 utricles and the number of sprouted pollen grains, including those with abnormal pollen tubes.
Results
In some pine species, massive pollination began with a two-week difference and lasted 6 days on an average. In all types of pine, 'flowering' of megastrobiles and flying the pollen out of the microstrobiles coincide, which makes it possible to pollinate. The pollen vitality of most pine species is higher than 90%. In growth-supporting microenvironment, the pollen germinates evenly: the length of pollen tubes reaches 100–175 μm and this feature's variability is very low: 3.2–6.1%. It points to the relative stability of the growth intensity of pollen tubes. Deviation from the norm in the form of two pollen tubes was found in almost all types of pines. The total number of anomalous pollen grains is insignificant (0–3.8%) and does not significantly affect pollen viability.
Only 8 of 18 pine species which had 'bloomed', formed the cones by free pollination. Moreover, not all the cones had full seeds. Introduced species showed a low yield of seeds from free pollination – 0.05…0.79%, apart from ponderosa pine which had 2.22%. In the conditions of Kyiv Forest Research Station seed embryos of most introduced pine trees died immediately after pollination, resulting in a small number of full grain seeds, and the rest were wings with barely noticeable pyknotic structures.
The seed germination of introduced pines differed a lot. Thus, this indicator for ponderosa pine was 0.5%, whereas Japanese black pine and Austrian pine had high seed germination: 60–65%.
There was a probable positive correlation of average strength between the pollen viability of introduced pine species and the growth intensity of pollen tubes (r = 0.566, t0.05 = 2.75 at n = 18). The seed number in cones of different pine species is not related to the quality of their pollen. The improbability of impact may be due to a small number of pairs: the seeds were harvested from only 8 species. At the same time, this may indicate a deviation in the development of megastrobiles and point at the fact that the quality of pollen is not limiting in the development of the generative sphere of pine trees.
There is a high negative correlation between the seed number in a cone and soil germination of the seeds (r = -0.725); it is 5% probable. In general, in the State Enterprise "Kyiv Forest Research Station" pinetum, introduced trees successfully 'bloom' but do not form a sufficient quantity of full-fledged seeds.
Conclusions
The pollen vitality of most pine species is higher than 90%, and it isn't significantly affected by a small number of abnormal pollen grains (0–3.8%). Deviation in the form of two pollen tubes in almost all types of pines (up to 37.8%) was detected during the pollen germination. There is a positive correlation with a 5% probability value (r = 0,556) between the pollen viability and the length of the pollen tubes.
Only 8 of 18 pine species which had 'bloomed', formed the cones by free pollination. At that, not all the cones had full seeds. Introduced species showed a low seed yield from free pollination – 0.05…0.79%. Japanese black pine was an exception – it showed a 2.22% seed yield. In the conditions of Kyiv Forest Research Station seed embryos of most introduced pine trees died immediately after pollination, resulting in a small number of full grain seeds. The rest of them formed wings with barely noticeable pyknotic structures.
There is a strong negative correlation with a 1% probability value between the seeds number in a cone and the soil germination of the seeds (r = - 0,725). It indicates a significant proportion of normally developed empty seed whose embryos died.
3 Tables, 9 Refs.


We searched for germ-line mutations of the APC gene in 79 unrelated patients with familial adenomatous polyposis using a ribonuclease protection analysis coupled with polymerase chain reaction amplifications of genomic DNA. Mutations were found in 53 patients (67%); 28 of the mutations were small deletions and 2 were 1- to 2-base-pair insertions; 19 were point mutations resulting in stop codons and only 4 were missense point mutations. Thus, 92% of the mutations were predicted to result in truncations of the APC protein. More than two-thirds (68%) of the mutations were clustered in the 5' half of the last exon, and nearly two-fifths of the total mutations occurred at one of five positions. This information has significant implications for understanding the role of APC mutation in inherited forms of colorectal neoplasia and for designing effective methods for genetic counseling and presymptomatic diagnosis.


Employers, facing renewed health care cost growth, may emphasize health promotion and wellness programs for their employees in order to control health care spending. This article assesses health promotion objectives, plan prevalence and effectiveness, and recently released regulations that will affect many of these programs. Objectives of the programs include improving and sustaining employee health, increasing worker productivity, recruiting and retaining good employees, improving employee morale, reducing absenteeism due to illness, and reducing health care costs. The programs target lifestyle behaviors that impact health, such as smoking, nutrition, exercise, and stress. Large companies are more likely than small companies to offer health promotion activities or programs, and case studies show declines in health risks and savings in health care costs. Recent regulations on financial rewards for wellness and privacy of health information provide a framework in which certain health promotion programs may operate.


In these essays on the cinema, the author documents the obsessions leading to "Paris, Texas" and beyond. He discusses rock and roll in the movies, avant-garde film, questions of German identity and his passion for the American West and the Western. Wim Wenders is an internationally famous film director who directed "Paris, Texas", which won the Palme d'Or at Cannes; he also won the Cannes Best Director prize for "Wings of Desire".


HIV vaccine efforts tend to focus on the induction of IgG neutralizing antibodies. In part, this may stem from the observations that most HIV infected individuals fail to produce significant mucosal IgA. However, this is unlike most other infections and in turn it can be argued that mucosal IgA with appropriate function and specificity may contribute significantly to the prevention of HIV transmission. To explore this, we previously isotype switched F425A1g8, an anti-HIV CD4i human monoclonal antibody that binds to epitopes exposed upon CD4 binding (CD4i) The VH and VL chains were amplified from the IgG hybridoma and inserted into IgA1 or IgA2 and IgKappa vectors respectively. Stable cells lines were produced and antibody was collected and purified. Initial results showed that the IgA1 variant neutralized a number of HIV-1 isolates better than its parental form IgG1. We believe the increased neutralization of HIV is mainly due to the structural differences between IgG1 and IgA1. We hypothesize that the extended hinge of IgA1 may increase segmental flexibility and change the interaction of antibody with CD4i epitopes of the HIV, resulting in greater avidity. To look at this further, we have generated monomeric and dimeric IgA1 and IgA2 variants of three different CD4i antibodies: F425A1g8, 17b and E51. All antibody variants will be tested for immumoreactivity, HIV neutralization, prevention of transmission and ADCVI activity. Consistent with our previous results, there are significant differences in functional activity of the other CD4i antibodies with IgA1 more effective than the IgA2 variants. Additional activities will contribute to the hypothesis that the extended hinge region of the IgA1 antibody increases the antibodies ability to access the CD4i epitopes upon HIV-1 binding to CD4. These studies should impact on the design of active and passive immunotherapy and the prevention of HIV transmission.


The electron resonance spectrum of SO has been previously shown to arise from SO in two electronic states, the ground 3Ʃ- and the excited 1∆ state. In this paper the portion of the spectrum assigned to the 3Ʃ- state is analysed and shown to arise from three isotopic species, 32S16O, 33S16O, and 34S16O. The analysis shows that besides the dominant interaction of the unpaired electronic spins with the magnetic field; other interactions must be taken into account to interpret the spectrum accurately. Interactions with electronic orbital angular momentum of π states mixed in by spin-orbit coupling and with rotationally induced magnetic moments have been observed. Values for parameters measuring such interactions have been determined from the spectrum, and these values lead to a resolution of the first- and second-order contributions to the zero-field molecular constants as well as an approximate value for the spin-orbit coupling constant. The hyperftne structure resulting from 33S in 33S 16O has also been observed and is related to the usual hyperfine coupling constants. The expected line strengths and widths for SO have been calculated and these are compared with the observed quantities. Besides the expected lines from the isotopic SO species in the 3Ʃ- state, several other lines have been detected. These lines are interpreted as arising from 32S16O in the ground electronic state, but in the first excited vibrational level. The spectrum of vibrationally excited SO allows a value of the spin-spin coupling constant in the first excited vibrational state to be determined.


Modern multimedia, gaming and entertainment devices epitomize high-growth, consumer-driven applications for silicon. 2006 has been a year that launched several high-profile gaming systems, and major changes in home networking. This year has also witnessed the emergence of the digital home and the ePC, as well as continued struggles for control of the home gateway. Mobile-digital convergence has continued with the fusion of media, telephony, and digital-mobile TV. The industry's ability to rapidly evolve such consumer-centric systems brings to bear all of the technology competencies required for cutting-edge IC designs, as well as for tools and methodologies that support those designs. Multimedia and gaming chips are pushing the leading edge of EDA technology forward on fronts that include architectural synthesis, high-speed clocking, power management, verification, and IP reuse. As just one example, GPU operations per second are growing significantly faster than desktop CPU operations per second, while at the same time, GPU design teams often place less, emphasis than microprocessor teams on circuits and layout, and more emphasis on architecture and design enablement. The confluence of these trends leads to design and CAD solutions that are unique in the market space. In this panel session, the panelists have been selected to represent five key "constituencies": the digital home (Intel), mobile digital TV (Samsung), graphics engines (NVIDIA), advanced displays (Pixelworks), and gaming/multimedia processing (IBM). The panel will address such questions as; what are the underlying chip architectures and roadmaps for key multimedia/entertainment platforms?; what are the key design and technology challenges (or "brick walls") for next-generation products, and how will these challenges be addressed?; where will we see the next "convergence" in devices and platforms?; what other challenges arise from complex supplier and competitor relationships, standards, and other aspects of a globalized market? Other design challenges to be discussed include design enablement (compilers, programming models, etc.), design for IP reuse (configurability, derivatives), and IP management in a world of increasing "co-opetition"


Minimally invasive interventions for stone disease in the United States are mainly founded on 3 surgical procedures: extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy, ureteroscopic lithotripsy, and percutaneous nephrolithotomy. With the advancement of technology, treatment has shifted toward less invasive strategies and away from open or laparoscopic surgery. The treatment chosen for a patient with stones is based on the stone and patient characteristics. Each of the minimally invasive techniques uses an imaging source, either fluoroscopy or ultrasound, to localize the stone and an energy source to fragment the stone. Extracorporeal shock wave lithotripsy uses a shock wave energy source generated outside the body to fragment the stone. In contrast, with ureteroscopy, laser energy is placed directly on the stone using a ureteroscope that visualizes the stone. Percutaneous nephrolithotomy requires dilation of a tract through the back into the renal pelvis so that instruments can be inserted directly onto the stone to fragment or pulverize it. The success of the surgical intervention relies on performing the least invasive technique with the highest success of stone removal.


The purposes of this study were to document the fashions adopted by young women in the United States in the 1980s and to explore if and how the dynamic shifts toward postmodernist values influenced those fashion trends. Fifteen U.S. women who were college students in the 1980s were interviewed for the study. In analysis of the data, we focused on social changes during the 1980s and the cultural impact of postmodernism vs. modernism as influential factors. Both postmodern and feminist ideas challenged the mainstream cultural framework of capitalism. U.S. women`s styles and behaviors concerning dress reflected characteristics of postmodern consumption patterns, which include nostalgia, ethnic dress, androgyny, eclectic and novel clothing combinations, surprising or humorous appearance, and nonconformity. Despite the critique of conformity and conservatism in dress that had emerged in the 1960s and remained in at least minority or subversive trends, the importance of brand names and designer labels increased in mainstream fashion. This study helps us better understand the dynamics of fashion as it reflects societal and value changes in a transitional time in history.


Background Impaired diffusing capacity of the lung for carbon monoxide (DLCO) was frequently observed in systemic sclerosis (SSc) patients, generally related to the presence of interstitial lung disease (ILD) and/or pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH). However, in clinical practice abnormally low DLCO values may be found also in the absence of these SSc complications. Objectives To investigate the prospective clinical relevance of isolated DLCO reduction at baseline in SSc patients. Methods Ninety-seven SSc female patients (age at the diagnosis: 51.3±14.5 years; disease duration: 10.4±6.6 years; limited/diffuse skin subsets: 92/5), without any clinical, radiological (high resolution computed tomography), and echocardiographic manifestations of ILD or PAH at baseline, nor other lung or heart diseases able to affect DLCO, were recruited at our Rheumatology Centre. Patients with DLCO <55%1 (15 patients; group A) were compared with those with normal DLCO (82 patients; group B), at baseline and at the end of follow-up. Results At baseline, patients of group A showed significantly higher percentage of anticentromere autoantibodies compared to group B (13/15, 86.6% vs. 48/82, 58.5%; p=0.044). More interestingly, at the end of long-lasting clinical follow-up (11.6±6.7 years), pre-capillary PAH (right heart catheterization) solely developed in some patients of group A (3/15, 20% vs. 0/82; p=0.003). Conclusions In SSc patients, the presence at baseline of isolated, marked DLCO reduction (<55% of predicted) and serum anticentromere autoantibodies might characterize a peculiar SSc subset that may precede the development of PAH. Therefore, careful clinical follow-up of patients with isolated moderate-severe DLCO reduction should be mandatory. References Steen VD, Graham G, Conte C, Owens G, Medsger TA Jr. Isolated diffusing capacity reduction in systemic sclerosis. Arthritis Rheum 1992; 35:765-70. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Phenelic clustering, the farming of hierarchical nonoverlapping groups strictly according to degree of similarity, has serious shcrrtcomings as it is commonly used in biology. When used as a method for estimatingphylogeny, phenetic clustering rests on a questionable assumption of correspondence between similarity and recency of common ancestry. This compromises its ability to reconstruct the correct branching sequence when rates of evolutionary divergence are unequal among lineages, as well as causing it to obscure rate differences even when the branching sequence is reconstructed correctly. When used as a method for analysing patterns of geographic variation and genetic continuity among populations, phenetic clustering rests on a questionable assumption of correspondence between similarity and degree of genetic continuity. This compromises its ability to identify genetically continuous units when their component populations are differentiated, and combined with its sensitivity to uneven geographic sampling it can cause the method to yield misleading results if sampling patterns are not taken into consideration. Finally, even when used simply as a method for analysing patterns of similarity without regard to causal processes, phenetic clustering rests cm a questionable assumption of nested hierarchical structure. This compromises its ability to represent similarity relationships accurately when those relationships exhibit a significant nonhierarchical component. For all of the common biological applications of phenetic clustering, there exist alternative analytical methods that do not suffer from the problems associated with phenetic clustering. The problems in question result not from the phenetic (.similarity) data themselves, which oflen can be analysed in more appropriate ways, but from the phenetic clustering procedure. At least some of the limitations of phenetic clustering as well as the advantages of alternative -methods have been known for many years. Advocacy of phenetic clustering at the expense of more appropriate methods can be explained as the result of constraints imposed by an implicit assumption of nested hierarchies that was part of the taxonomic context within which the methods were developed. The Quarterly Review of Biology, March 1997, Vol. 72, No. 1 Copyright © 1997 by The University of Chicago. All rights reserved. 0033-5770/97/7201-000111.00 THE QUARTERLY REVIEW OF BIOLOGY VOLUME 72


Many products of medieval and renaissance culture – literature, music, political ideology, social and governmental structures, the fine arts, forms of devotional piety, and also the social, political and literary self-representation of rulers – found their best expression in the context of the courts of greater and lesser princes. This second volume on princes and princely culture between 1450 and 1650 – the first was published in 2003 as volume 118/1 in this series – contains twelve essays. These are focused on England under Edward IV, Henry VII and Henry VIII, Elizabeth I, and under James I and Charles I. The late fifteenth-century imperial court is treated in a piece on Matthias I Corvinus. The courts of Italy are represented by chapters on those of the Po Valley, the Medici of Florence, the Papal courts of Pius II and Julius II, and of Naples. Spanish court culture is discussed in contributions on Charles V, Philip II, and on Philip IV.


Tissue injury and inflammation result in release of various mediators that promote ongoing pain or pain hypersensitivity against mechanical, thermal and chemical stimuli. Pro-nociceptive mediators activate primary afferent neurons directly or indirectly to enhance nociceptive signal transmission to the central nervous system. Excitation of primary afferents by peripherally originating mediators, so-called "peripheral sensitization", is a hallmark of tissue injury-related pain. Many kinds of pro-nociceptive mediators, including ATP, glutamate, kinins, cytokines and tropic factors, synthesized at the damaged tissue, contribute to the development of peripheral sensitization. In the present review we will discuss the molecular mechanisms of peripheral sensitization following tissue injury.


Spatial tracking is one of the most challenging parts of Augmented Reality. Many AR applications rely on the fusion of several tracking systems in order to optimize the overall performance. While the topic of sensor fusion has already seen considerable interest, most results only deal with the integration of particular setups. A crucial part of sensor fusion is the temporal alignment of the sensor signals, as sensors in general are not synchronized. We present a general method to calibrate the temporal offset between different sensors by applying the normalized cross correlation method.


We set out a general protocol for steering the state of a quantum system from an arbitrary initial state towards a chosen target state by coupling it to auxiliary quantum degrees of freedom. The protocol requires multiple repetitions of an elementary step: during each step the system evolves for a fixed time while coupled to auxiliary degrees of freedom (which we term 'detector qubits') that have been prepared in a specified initial state. The detectors are discarded at the end of the step, or equivalently, their state is determined by a projective measurement with an unbiased average over all outcomes. The steering harnesses back-action of the detector qubits on the system, arising from entanglement generated during the coupled evolution. We establish principles for the design of the system-detector coupling that ensure steering of a desired form. We illustrate our general ideas using both few-body examples (including a pair of spins-1/2 steered to the singlet state) and a many-body example (a spin-1 chain steered to the Affleck-Kennedy-Lieb-Tasaki state). We study the continuous time limit in our approach and discuss similarities to (and differences from) drive-and-dissipation protocols for quantum state engineering. Our protocols are amenable to implementations using present-day technology. Obvious extensions of our analysis include engineering of other many-body phases in one and higher spatial dimensions, adiabatic manipulations of the target states, and the incorporation of active error correction steps.


We propose a cellular automaton model of a tumor tissue consisting of a square lattice, tumor cells, cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs) and cytokine. Considering that CTLs circulate in vivo and migrate into a tumor tissue, the square is open and CTLs move through the square. By calculating the cellular automaton model, we obtained these results: the growth of a mass of tumor cells surrounded by CTLs; the rejection of tumor cells by CTLs; and an approximate equilibrium between tumor cells and CTLs. Analysis of the results indicates that the attachment between tumor cells and CTLs is important for the rejection of tumor cells by CTLs.


Commonsense knowledge acquisition is a key problem for artificial intelligence. Conventional methods of acquiring commonsense knowledge generally require laborious and costly human annotations, which are not feasible on a large scale. In this paper, we explore a practical way of mining commonsense knowledge from linguistic graphs, with the goal of transferring cheap knowledge obtained with linguistic patterns into expensive commonsense knowledge. The result is a conversion of ASER [Zhang et al., 2020], a large-scale selectional preference knowledge resource, into TransOMCS, of the same representation as ConceptNet [Liu and Singh, 2004] but two orders of magnitude larger. Experimental results demonstrate the transferability of linguistic knowledge to commonsense knowledge and the effectiveness of the proposed approach in terms of quantity, novelty, and quality. TransOMCS is publicly available at: https://github.com/HKUST-KnowComp/TransOMCS.


Multiple molecularly targeted agents (MTAs) have been approved for the management of metastatic renal cell carcinoma (mRCC). Sunitinib and mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors (temsirolimus, everolimus) are primarily metabolized in the liver, whereas the metabolism of bevacizumab is unclear. There are limited data on the toxicity profile and the efficacy of these agents in patients with renal insufficiency (RI). This is clinically relevant, especially as about one-third of patients with mRCC have renal dysfunction. The primary objective was to assess the safety and efficacy of targeted agents in patients with mRCC with RI. Medical records of patients with mRCC at Wayne State University, started on sunitinib, temsirolimus, everolimus, or bevacizumab, were reviewed. Patients with a calculated creatinine clearance of less than or equal to 60 ml/min were deemed to have RI. Data on safety and efficacy of MTA therapy were collected and analyzed with respect to renal function. RI was observed in 33% of our patients with mRCC. The incidence of toxicities, responses, time to progression, and overall survival were not significantly different in patients with RI compared with patients with normal renal function. Patients with RI had larger median increases in blood pressure with sunitinib and bevacizumab, increased incidence of thyroid dysfunction with sunitinib, and increased incidence of rash and dose interruptions with mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors, than did patients with normal renal function. In conclusion, RI was commonly observed in our patients with mRCC. Molecularly targeted agents are well tolerated, and efficacy seems to be maintained in patients with RI. Vigilant monitoring of hypertension would be recommended for patients receiving sunitinib and bevacizumab.


Petrach detested lawyers. The story of his experience of law is familiar. In 1316 Petrarch, then twelve years old, was sent by his father to study law, first in Montpellier, then in Bologna, the oldest center of Roman law studies in Europe. Bologna entranced him in some ways; there were great law teachers there, he latter wrote, who were like the ancients themselves returned to life. Nevertheless, if he looked up to some of his teachers, his studies in Bologna taught Petrarch to despise the general soullessness and avarice of fourteenth-century lawyers. Lawyers, he later wrote, cared nothing for antiquity and everything for money: to them "everything is for sale." It was not, he assured readers of his Epistle to Posterity, that he found the subject too difficult. On the contrary, "many asserted that I would have done very well if I had persisted in my course. Neverthesless I dropped that study entirely as soon as my parents' supervision was removed. Not because I disliked the power and authority of Roman law, which are undoubtedly very great, or its saturation with Roman antiquity, which I love; but because men, in their wickedness, pervert Roman law when they employ it." Appalled by what he had seen, he gave up law for more honorable pursuits.