1. Following on the increased respiratory ventilation after waking in the morning, the normal person shows an increased output of chlorides in the urine. In the psychotic patients examined there is a varying degree of retention of chlorides over the same period associated with a varying degree of defect in respiratory regulation.

2. In katatonic dementia praecox there appears to be a reversal of the normal shift of chloride from plasma to corpuscle during sleep. Evidence has been adduced to show that there is a heavy acid load on the corpuscles in these patients during the waking state, that their pulmonary ventilation is very inadequate, and that the decrease in metabolic rate during sleep causes a fall in alveolar CO2 tension and a consequent decrease in the acid load of the corpuscles.

3. In normal persons exercise appears to have no effect on the distribution of chloride between plasma and corpuscles, while in katatonic dementia praecox the same amount of exercise causes a decrease in the acid load of the corpuscles consequent on a decrease in alveolar CO2 tension.

4. It is suggested that a degree of exercise sufficient to cause increased respiratory ventilation will have a beneficial therapeutic effect on these patients.


Deployed supervised machine learning models make predictions that interact with and influence the world. This phenomenon is called "performative prediction" by Perdomo et al. (2020), who investigated it in a stateless setting. We generalize their results to the case where the response of the population to the deployed classifier depends both on the classifier and the previous distribution of the population. We also demonstrate such a setting empirically, for the scenario of strategic manipulation.


Contractors have to bid competitively for most of their work and at the same time deal with risks and uncertainties connected with bid submission. This paper examines the factors involved in tender pricing and how they relate to each others. From this, a conceptual model of contractors' pricing strategy is developed.


This is an expost facto research designed to determine the influence of emotional intelligence on leadership success of secondary school principals in Rivers State of Nigeria. The population consisted 441 principals (243 in public and 198 in private) secondary schools in Rivers State. A sample of 208 principals drawn through simple random sampling technique (balloting) was used. Three research questions and three null hypotheses guided the study. The instruments used for data collection were Emotional Intelligence Scale (EIS) with a Cronbach alpha reliability co-efficient score of 0.89 by Schutte, Malouff, Simunek, McKenley, Hollander, Bobik, Coston, Greeson, Jedlicka, Rhodes, Wendorf, (2001) and Leadership Success Scale (LSS) adapted from the Development Dimensions International DDI (2009) and Bryan (2005) respectively with a reliability co-efficient score of 0.83. Data of the study were analyzed using Mean (x), Standard Deviation (SD) and ttest. Results got after data analysis indicated that principals of high emotional intelligence demonstrated greater leadership success than their counterpart of low emotional intelligence. While gender was found to be a significant factor of leadership success among principals of high emotional intelligence, age was not found to be a significant factor. It was also found that gender and age were not significance factors of leadership success among principals of low emotional intelligence. Based on these results, recommendations were made including that there should be pre-service assessment of teachers on emotional intelligence and that principals on the job should be given emotional intelligence training to enhance leadership success.


ABSTRACT Introduction: A visit to the Emergency Department can have a negative impact on patients, their families and caregivers. To overcome negative effects linked to the lack of information, it is necessary to involve the patient's family and caregivers and evaluate their information needs. Aims: Identify the information that caregivers need from the families in an emergency department; understand how often information should be given to the caregivers; identify the health professionals most qualified to impart the information and identify all the communication barriers experience by caregivers. Methods: This research is a qualitative study with descriptive phenomenological approach. We carried out 38 semi - structured interviews on a public road close to an Emergency Department, from February to March 2018. Data were analysed according to the descriptive phenomenological method of Amedeo Giorgi (1985,1997). Results: Caregivers identified receiving information about the patient as a priority. They also wanted to receive information about the patient more often from doctors and/or nurses. In addition, caregivers identified the use of medical/scientific language by health professionals as possible barriers to communication between them. Other concerns raised included the attitude of the health professional, their availability and the lack of communication. Conclusions: Caregivers should be seen as an important and essential pillar of the healthcare system. The information provided by health professionals should be adjusted to the needs of the caregivers. Keywords: Access to Information, Emergency Medical Services.


Cyberspace is full of uncertainty in terms of advanced and sophisticated cyber threats which are equipped with novel approaches to learn the system and propagate themselves, such as AI-powered threats. To debilitate these types of threats, a modern and intelligent Cyber Situation Awareness (SA) system need to be developed which has the ability of monitoring and capturing various types of threats, analyzing and devising a plan to avoid further attacks. This paper provides a comprehensive study on the current state-of-the-art in the cyber SA to discuss the following aspects of SA: key design principles, framework, classifications, data collection, and analysis of the techniques, and evaluation methods. Lastly, we highlight misconceptions, insights and limitations of this study and suggest some future work directions to address the limitations.


Hepatitis B virus (HBV) is endemic in Rwanda and is a major etiologic agent for chronic liver disease in the country. In a previous analysis of HBV strains from Rwanda, the S genes of most strains segregated into one single clade of subgenotype, A1. More than half (55%) of the anti-HBe positive individuals were viremic. In this study, 23 complete HBV genomes and the core promoter region (CP) from 18 additional strains were sequenced. Phylogenetic analysis of complete genomes confirmed that most Rwandan strain formed a single unique clade, within subgenotype A1. Strains from 17 of 22 (77%) anti-HBe positive HBV carriers had either mutated the precore start codon (9 strains with either CUG, ACG, UUG, or AAG) or mutations in the Kozak sequence preceding the pre-core start codon (8 strains). These mutually exclusive mutations were also identified in subgenotypes A1 (70/266; 26%), A2 (12/255; 5%), and A3 (26/49; 53%) sequences from the GenBank. The results showed that previous, rarely described HBV variants, expressing little or no HBeAg, are selected in anti-HBe positive subgenotype Al carriers from Rwanda and that mutations reducing HBeAg synthesis might be unique for a particular HBV clade, not just for a specific genotype or subgenotype.


Foreign body (FB) ingestion is an important emergency in low- to middle-income countries. Our study sought to identify which clinical and radiological findings best predict upper gastrointestinal FB impaction. Amongst 149 adolescents and adults presenting to two Jamaican hospitals between 2018 and 2020, FB's were found at 31% of telescopic laryngoscopies and 60% of rigid oesophagoscopies. Commonest sites of impaction were the tonsils at laryngoscopy (15/46) and proximal oesophagus at oesophagoscopy (17/22). Odds of pharyngeal impaction were higher with fish bone ingestion, persistent discomfort, perceived location of discomfort above the cricoid cartilage and symptoms noted during a meal. Persistent discomfort and FB shadow on X-ray imaging produced higher odds of oesophageal impaction. Simple clinical and radiological assessments are useful in predicting FB impaction in resource-limited settings.


Most patients hospitalized for the hip or knee replacement have 1-3 additional risk factors of venous thrombosis and embolism. The age (above 40 years old), obesity, chronic non-specific lung diseases, varicose disease of the lower limbs are the most frequent factors. The routine use of anticoagulant prevention of thromboembolic complications combined with regional anesthesia is safe and allows to reduce the lethality caused by pulmonary thromboembolism significantly (0.007 %) after the planned replacement of the hip or knee.


Abstract. The purpose of this study is to enhance point cloud semantic segmentation by using point clouds from multiple distinct technologies on the same capture location and to determine whether employing various technologies throughout the acquisition process yields better performance during classification. The different point clouds were captured in the same geographical location and have previously been aligned and classified by professionals of the field. Three locations have been scanned with airborne lidar, terrestrial lidar and photogrammetry using UAV or helicopter. The use of various sources of capture on the same location opens the door to creating new features, such as the proportion of each source involved in the semantic segmentation of point clouds. This plurality of sources also enables us to spread various features, such as RGB colors, that have been propagated to other sources via the neighborhood. The initial results lean towards capture using different technologies as the overall accuracy increase by two to four points and the mean Matthews correlation coefficient increase by four to seven points. The main drawbacks are the cost of some technologies, as well as the processing time, which is greater than with a single technology.


In the current Scalable Video Coding (SVC) Extension of the H.264/AVC standard, an exhaustive search method is employed to achieve the optimal Rate-Distortion (RD) cost, but it results in an extremely heavy computational burden. In this paper, an improved fast mode decision algorithm is proposed for spatial and Coarse Grain Quality (CGS) scalable video coding. It makes use of the mode correlation between the base layer and the enhancement layer as well as the mode correlations between Macroblocks (MBs) in spatial neighborhood. Specifically, the prediction mode candidates include the mode predicted from the co-located MB in the base layer, the best modes of spatial neighboring MBs, and the SKIP mode. Combined with an early termination check and a refinement search, the coding complexity can be reduced while preserving good quality. From the experimental results, the proposed method can reduce the total encoding time by up to 52.25% with negligible quality degradation.


Background: Objectives of the study were to study the prevalence of HIV positivity in tuberculosis patients, to study the difference of presentation of Tuberculosis in AIDS with that of non-immunocompromised persons, to study the risk factors among HIV infected patients and comparing the results obtained in present study with those of various studies done in India and abroad. Materials and methods: The study was carried out at the Department of Pathology, Sheth L. G. General Hospital, Maninagar. A total of 200 cases of pulmonary tuberculosis and extra- pulmonary tuberculosis were studied. The criteria for case selection were for pulmonary tuberculosis- clinical features, chest X-ray, sputum smear examination for AFB, Tuberculin skin test and for Extra-pulmonary tuberculosis-tissue biopsy, lymph node FNAC, pleural fluid examination. Details of the cases were recorded in a proforma. Data were then analysed using Microsoft excel software. Results: Out of total 200 mycobacterium infected (TB) patients, 11 (5.5%) of patients had HIV infection. Most common age group having HIV in male and female was 21-30 years, usually those who were sexually more active. Sex wise distribution showed slightly female preponderance (54.54%). Most important mode of HIV transmission was unprotected sexual exposure. Tuberculin skin test and Sputum smear examination for AFB were positive only in 27.28 % patients. Diffuse focal infiltration in chest x- ray was the most common presentation. Pallor was found in all cases. Most of the cases showed cough, fever, weight loss, and diarrhoea.


In this paper, we propose a two-phase protocol based on cooperative relaying for a secondary system to achieve spectrum access along with a primary system. The primary system comprises of a transmitter-receiver pair PT-PR, and the secondary system comprises of M transmitters STi, i ∈ {1, 2,..., M} and a common receiver SR. The secondary transmitter STp which achieves the request target rate for the primary system is selected to serve as a decode-and-forward (DF) relay for the primary system. With the cooperation of STp, the primary system is able to tolerate interference lower than a certain threshold in the relaying phase, without degrading its outage performance. The secondary transmitter STs, which satisfies this interference constraint and provides the optimal outage performance for the secondary system, is then selected to access the spectrum band simultaneously when STp is relaying the primary signal. Theoretical and simulation results confirm the efficiency of the proposed spectrum sharing protocol, and we show that both primary and secondary systems are able to achieve better outage performance with increasing M.


Design of Experiments (DoE) is a well–known method in quality management but seldom used in the logistics area. An important question of science is to find the real factors to control complex processes and systems and to know their levels and influences to control all processes and systems in a right manner. To find the optimum in control there are many experiments necessary – practical and theoretical ones. Here the sensitivity analysis as well as simulation and Design of Experiments are used. That is why this paper gives an overview about the basics and ideas of Design of Experiments. An example of practical use is given, showing how a special logistics system (a sorter), can be optimized. The problem is to minimize the failure rate of not identified items with the help of the two factors speed of the sorter and distance between the packages. The experiment should answer several questions and reduce the costs for optimisation of the logistics system. The paper shows all relevant steps to solve the problem and gives some useful hints for applying DoE procedure to other similar problems.


This paper decribes multi-phase BLDC motor with a minimum torque pulsation among BLDC motor used for electric propulsion system. Multi-phase BLDC motor has characteristic that phase of stator has more than 3-phase. This paper is modeling two type of BLDC motor, one has 3-phase and the other has 7- phase , and it shows simulation of them comparing its characteristics. As a result of simulation, the 7-phase BLDC motor shows better performance in terms of torque pulsation. It is also found that the torque pulsation is reduced further by increasing the number of phase.


To investigate the roles and explore the altered expression of microRNAs (miRNAs) and mRNAs in chicken embryos in response to Newcastle disease virus (NDV) infection, deep sequencing was performed. Then, a conjoint analysis of small RNA-seq and mRNA-seq was performed to screen interactional miRNA–mRNA pairs during NDV infection. In total, 15 and 17 up- and downregulated miRNAs were identified that potentially targeted 4279 and 6080 mRNAs in NDV-infected chicken embryonic tissues, respectively; in addition, 595 upregulated and 480 downregulated mRNAs were identified. The conjoint analysis of the obtained data identified 1069 miRNA–mRNA pairs. Among these pairs, 130 pairs were related to immune or inflammatory responses. The relationship between gga-miR-203a and its target transglutaminase 2 (TGM2) was confirmed using a dual-luciferase reporter system and a real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (RT-qPCR) assay. Overall, the discovery of miRNAs, mRNAs, and their potential pairing relationships, which may be involved in the regulation of NDV infection, will facilitate our understanding of the complex regulatory relationship between the host and the virus.


Coccolithophores are unicellular microscopic algae (Haptophyta) surrounded by calcium carbonate plates that are produced during their life cycle. These species, whose contemporary contributor is Emiliania huxleyi, are mainly found in the sub-polar and temperate oceans, where they produce huge blooms visible from space. Coccolithophores are sensitive to ocean acidification that results from the ongoing accumulation of anthropogenic carbon dioxide (CO2) in the atmosphere. The response of these organisms to global change appears to be related to the reduction of their ability to produce calcium carbonate at the cellular level. At the community levels, one anticipates changes in the carbon fluxes associated to their blooms as calcification is reduced. However, the consequences of such environmental changes on this species are speculative and require improvements in the description of the mechanisms controlling the organic and inorganic carbon production and export.The first aspect of this work was to study the response of these organisms to artificially modified CO2 concentrations representative of the conditions occurring in the past (glacial) and those expected by the end of the century (2100). Two different levels were examined: the continuous monospecific cultures (chemostats) allowed us to work at the cellular level while the mesocosms gave light to the mechanisms taking place in an isolated fraction of the natural community. The second aspect of this work consisted of field studies carried out during four cruises (2002, 2003, 2004 and 2006) in the northern Bay of Biscay, where the occurrence of E. huxleyi blooms were observed in late spring and early summer. We describe the vertical profiles of biogeochemical variables (nutrients, chlorophyll-a, dissolved inorganic chemistry, particulate carbon, transparent exopolymer particles (TEP)) and study processes such as primary production, calcification and bacterial production. The properties of these blooms are compared with those reported in the literature and enriched with original measurements such as the abundance and concentration of TEP that could play an important role in carbon export to the deep ocean, modifying the properties of the settling ballasted aggregates.


Abstract There can be a large variation in the measured diameter of nanoparticles depending on which method is used. In this work, we have strived to accurately determine the mean particle diameter of 30–40 nm colloidal silica particles by using six different techniques. A quantitative agreement between the particle size distributions was obtained by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and electrospray-scanning mobility particle sizer (ES-SMPS). However, transmission electron microscopy gave a distribution shifted to smaller sizes. After confirming that the magnification calibration was consistent, this was attributed to sample preparation artifacts. The hydrodynamic diameter, d h , was determined by dynamic light scattering (DLS) both in batch mode, and hyphenated with sedimentation field flow fractionation. Surprisingly the d h were smaller than the SEM, and ES-SMPS diameters. A plausible explanation for the smaller sizes found with DLS is that a permeable gel layer forms on the particle surface. Results from nanoparticle tracking analysis were strongly biased towards larger diameters, most likely because the silica particles provide low refractive index contrast. Calculations confirmed that the sensitivity is, depending on the shape of the laser beam, strongly size dependent for particles with diameters close to the visualization limit.


Verapamil, a Ca2+ channel blocker, is also reported to block Na+ channels in mammalian heart and to modulate the repolarisation phase of cardiac action potential (AP). The Na+ channel blocking activity of verapamil and its implication to changes in repolarisation were studied on chicken ventricular strips where upstroke is due to highly TTX sensitive Na+ channels. At low doses verapamil (0.5-5 micro M) and TTX (0.1-0.5 nM) did not cause any significant effect on resting membrane potential (Em), maximal upstroke velocity (+Vmax) or AP duration (ADP). Higher concentrations of both verapamil (10-320 micro M) and TTX (1-40 nM) caused dose-dependent decrease in +Vmax and overshoot (Eov) without any change in Em. EC50 for the inhibitory effect of verapamil and TTX on +Vmax was 140 microM and 14 nM respectively. Na+ channels in adult chicken ventricular myocardium, therefore, seem to be more sensitive to TTX than their mammalian counterpart. Higher dosage of verapamil are needed to block Na+ channels in adult avian heart as reported for mammalian myocardium. Both verapamil and TTX caused dose-dependent changes in APD at-20 mV (ADP20) and at 90% repolarisation (APD90). TTX (1-40 nM) produced a decrease of 5-13% in APD20 and 4-12% in APD90 indicating a uniform hastening of the repolarisation process. Verapamil (10-320 micro M), however, induced 6-38% decrease in APD20 but 5-12% increase in APD90. Regression analysis of the relationship between changes in +Vmax and APD20 and APD90 in presence of TTX and verapamil exhibit significant linear correlation r for APD20 and APD90, being +0.965 for TTX and +0.978 and-0.898 for verapamil respectively. A linear correlation between inhibition of +Vmax and reduction in APD for TTX indicates the possibility that Na+ channel linked mechanism(s) underlie repolarisation process. Verapamil induced decrease in APD20 and increase in APD90 could be explained by the block of Na+/Ca2+ and K+ channels respectively.


Describes a visual control scheme for outdoor navigation of an autonomous mobile robot. The involved control system includes the fuzzy approach at two levels. A fuzzy perception system which detects efficiently the road edges from the perception-domain image, and a fuzzy control system which uses the knowledge-base information and the scene model to control the robot motion. On the other hand, the fuzzy control system is finely tuned through feedback of mean square errors between the scene model parameters and the knowledge-base data. Hence, a road configuration from a preprocessed image is compared with a fuzzy template made from the fuzzy membership function based on the knowledge-base module. Finally, the fuzzy controller uses results of these calculations to home the robot on the planned path. The paper shows the principle of this system and the simulation results confirming the feasibility of the approach.


Sports-related traumatic brain injury (TBI) has become increasingly popular in the scientific literature over the past few decades.[1]However, the first mention of such a subject in the literature occurred in the 1920s with reference to the "punch drunk" syndrome of boxers. About a decade later, the term "dementia pugilistica," which literally means "boxer's dementia," was born. The now more commonly used term chronic traumatic encephalopathy (CTE) was coined later in the 1940s.[2]This term has gained favor in the modern literature because it is now understood that exposure to TBI from any sport or source increases the risk for neurodegenerative disease first described in boxers. While there has been some effort to distinguish dementia pugilistica from CTE or to classify dementia pugilistica as a subtype of CTE, the two are now widely considered to be equivalent.[3]Thus, while the term dementia pugilistica is certainly of historical significance, this article will focus on the neurodegenerative disease resulting from (mainly sports-related) TBI that is now most commonly referred to as CTE.


This article, written by Special Publications Editor Adam Wilson, contains highlights of paper OTC 28497, "Effect of the Rotary-Steerable-System Steering Mechanism on Wellbore Tortuosity in Horizontal Wells," by Albaraa Alrushud, SPE, and Muntasar Mohammad, SPE, Baker Hughes, a GE Company, and Victor Oliveira, SPE, and Bader Zahrani, Saudi Aramco, prepared for the 2018 Offshore Technology Conference Asia, Kuala Lumpur, 20–23 March. The paper has not been peer reviewed. Copyright 2018 Offshore Technology Conference. Reproduced by permission.
 This paper describes a new approach to evaluating the effectiveness of the rotary-steerable-system (RSS) steering mechanism on wellbore tortuosity in horizontal wells. Discussing the relative merits of a push-the-bit steering mechanism vs. a point-the-bit steering mechanism is an oversimplification; neither mechanism can deliver the wellbore quality the industry demands from RSS. The present study introduces the continuous proportional steering method (CPSM) and demonstrates how this mechanism can provide superior wellbore quality by reducing wellbore tortuosity.
 Introduction
 For this study, 18 wells were chosen on the basis of geology, trajectory, and bottomhole assembly (BHA). The study focused on the horizontal 6⅛- and 5⅞-in. production sections, where the wellbore quality is more critical. These sections typically require minimum changes in inclination for reservoir navigation, and any tortuosity resulting from the steering mechanism can be identified easily.
 The goal of this study is to evaluate the accuracy of RSS steering mechanisms available in the industry. The study was performed on wells drilled by different steering mechanisms yet logged by the same wireline service provider. Analysis of the wireline data shows that drilling with CPSM significantly reduces average tortuosity by 4 to 5 times, average dogleg severity (DLS) by 3 to 4 times, and average angle change (AAC) by 5 to 6 times. Results show that intervals drilled with CPSM are more continuous and smooth compared with push-the-bit and point-the-bit mechanisms.
 RSS Mechanisms
 Currently, three different steering mechanisms are considered, push-the-bit, point-the-bit, and CPSM systems.
 In a typical push-the-bit steering mechanism, a force is formed against the wellbore side wall, causing the bit to push on the opposite side wall and leading to a direction change. The multiple pads mounted on the body of the RSS are activated one at a time by diverting some of the mud flow through a controller valve. The controller will orient the valve in the desired direction. Therefore, each pad that crosses against the valve will be activated, whereas the other pads will be deactivated. Consequently, the pads will go into a continuous cycle of opening and closing to meet the directional plan.
 Alternatively, a typical point-the-bit steering mechanism causes the bit direction to change relative to the rest of the tool by tilting the bit with an internal deflection running through the RSS.


The deep crisis in modern fundamental science development is ever more evident and openly recognised now even by mainstream, official science professionals and leaders. By no coincidence, it occurs in parallel to the world civilisation crisis and related global change processes, where the true power of unreduced scientific knowledge is just badly missing as the indispensable and unique tool for the emerging greater problem solution and further progress at a superior level of complex world dynamics. Here we reveal the mathematically exact reason for the crisis in conventional science, containing also the natural and unified problem solution in the form of well-specified extension of usual, artificially restricted paradigm. We show how that extended, now causally complete science content provides various "unsolvable" problem solutions and opens new development possibilities for both science and society, where the former plays the role of the main, direct driver for the latter. We outline the related qualitative changes in science organisation, practice and purposes, giving rise to the sustainability transition in the entire civilisation dynamics towards the well-specified superior level of its unreduced, now well understood and universally defined complexity.


The clinical course of cervical carcinoma is widely determined by locoregional recurrence. There is increasing data, however, that haematogenic micrometastases occur early during the disease and might result in distant recurrence during follow-up. These occult disseminated tumor cells in blood, lymph nodes and bone marrow escape conventional tumor staging. Therefore, molecular and immunoytochemical techniques based on markers against human papilloma virus or cytokeratins (CK) have been applied. At present, there is only one study available on the prognostic relevance of disseminated tumor cells in bone marrow. No correlation between the bone marrow status and overall survival was observed. Still, there was a strong trend towards shorter distant disease free survival in patients with a positive bone marrow status. In view of the data on disseminated tumor cells in other tumor entities, these early results might offer new options for refined tumor staging and improved treatment options.


The purpose of the study, conducted on the sample of 293 persons, was to identify the role of the ecological worldview position in choosing the ways of coping with problems caused by global environmental change. The ecological worldview position is determined by what exactly is perceived and considered by the person as the basics of his life support: the biosphere/ecological systems or the financial and economic system, represented through commodity and money relations. Using structural equation modeling methods, the influence of the ecological position on the choice of coping strategies as responses to environmental stress was confirmed, as well as its involvement in the regulation of pro-ecological everyday behavior. It was revealed that the ecological worldview position influences the choice of both problem-oriented and emotionally-oriented strategies that allow coping with stressful environmental conditions. The way in which the ecological position influences coping strategies depends on what meanings are decisive in the perception of ecological reality. The dominance of biocentric views promotes the pro-environmental orientation of behavior, while the predominance of monetary and economic meanings enhances non-problem coping. At the same time, the positive influence of the ecological position on problem-focused coping is largely carried out indirectly through the inhibition of deproblematization-focused coping – emotionally oriented coping strategies such as reducing problems and the denial of guilt. The decisive influence of the ecological position on pro-ecological everyday behavior is carried out indirectly – through the strategy of problem solving (positive influence), as well as the strategy of de-emphasizing the threat (negative influence). The direct influence of the ecological position on behavior, as well as an influence exerted indirectly through the denial of guilt is very weak. The negative impact of deproblematization-focused coping on everyday behavior is mediated by the suppression of problem coping.


The Cutty Sark is undergoing major conservation to slow down the deterioration of the original Victorian fabric of the ship. While the conservation work being carried out is "state of the art," there is no evidence at present of the effectiveness of the conservation work over the next fifty years. A prognostics framework is being developed to monitor the "health" of the ship's iron structures to help ensure a 50 year life once conservation is completed, with only minor deterioration taking place over time. This paper presents the prognostics framework being developed, which encompasses four approaches: 1-Canary and Parrot devices, 2-Physics-of-Failure (PoF) models, 3-Precursor Monitoring and Data Trend Analysis, and 4-Bayesian Networks. "Canary" and "Parrot" devices have been designed to mimic the actual mechanisms that would lead to failure of the iron structures, with canary devices failing faster to act as an indicator of forthcoming failures, while parrot devices fail at the same rate as the structure under consideration. A PoF model based on a decrease of the corrosion rate over time is used to predict the remaining life of an iron structure. Mahalanobis Distance (MD) is used as a precursor monitoring technique to obtain a single comparison metric from multiple sensor data to represent anomalies detected in the system. Bayesian Network models are then used as a fusion technique, integrating remaining life predictions from PoF models with information of possible anomalies from MD analysis to provide a new prediction of remaining life. This paper describes why, and how the four approaches are used for diagnostic and prognostics purposes, and how they are integrated into the prognostics framework.


The aim of the present systematic literature review is to summarize data on the role of TLRs in maintaining homeostasis of the female genitals, in maintaining the physiological development of pregnancy, provision of anti-infective resistance in pregnant women with intrauterine infection. The review substantiates the importance of TLRs of female genitals as a necessary and determining factor in the reaction to various changes in the environment, and also responsible for changes in metabolic, structural, or energy, in the maintenance of anti-infective resistance and homeostasis. As universal regulators of vital activity of organism TLRs in conjunction with other receptors of innate immunity provide maintaining the general reactivity and anti-infective resistance at the physiological level. In physiologically developing pregnancy in a background of immunosuppression in response to pregnancy TLRs during contact with infectious and non-infectious pathogens stimulate the production of nonspecific adaptive immunity factors (defensins, cathelicidins, histatines, etc.), which together with the non-specific innate factors lysozyme, complement, properdin, etc. support antiinfective resistance of the female genitals at a high level at the beginning of the infectious process. Possible violations of the development of pregnancy may be accompanied by changes in the response of TLRs to infectious and non-infectious factors until hyper-reaction, excessive inflammation or apoptosis, which requires adequate management of pregnancy. Was established the significance of the influence of pathogens of infectious and noninfectious origin in intrauterine infection indirectly through TLRs in the homeostasis of the organism, on the formation of breaches in anti-infective resistance at the organism and community level the identification of new pathophysiological and immunological pathogenetic mechanisms of development of pathological processes. IUI is a penetration of microorganisms into the tissues of fetus and it's infection. The inhibition of the functional activity of TLRs is accompanied by the direct effect of the pathogen on the tissues, and during hyper-reaction of TLRs to pathogens revealed a pronounced inflammatory response in the fetus. The level of expression of TLRs correlates directly with the severity of the process that can be considered as early markers of infection. Depending on the nature of the pathogen an increased expression of one or the other TLRs is observed. Explained the lack of symptoms, the possibility of atypical manifestations, the asymptomatic course of infection.


The commons theory, first articulated by Elinor Ostrom, is increasingly used as a framework to understand and rethink the management and governance of many kinds of shared resources. These resources can include natural and digital properties, cultural goods, knowledge and intellectual property, and housing and urban infrastructure, among many others. In a world of increasing scarcity and demand - from individuals, states, and markets - it is imperative to understand how best to induce cooperation among users of these resources in ways that advance sustainability, affordability, equity, and justice. This volume reflects this multifaceted and multidisciplinary field from a variety of perspectives, offering new applications and extensions of the commons theory, which is as diverse as the scholars who study it and is still developing in exciting ways.


Appropriate cell-to-substrate adhesion together with SGF stimulation is necessary to initiate and continue cell cycle progression of growth arrested cells. Adhesion-dependent signaling events, which likely occur through integrin receptors specifically organized with cytoskeletal components within focal contacts, can induce expression of specific genes and stimulate quiescent cells into the growth cycle. The mechanisms as to how: (1) cell-to-substrate adhesion complexes are formed and maintained, (2) adhesion-dependent signal transduction events interface with SGF initiated signalling events, (3) adhesion influences expression of growth-state regulated genes, and (4) an appropriate cytoarchitectural environment may coordinate these events to regulate cellular growth are unclear. While it is apparent that defining these mechanisms would be critical to understanding the basic events which control cell growth, many of the mechanisms are just beginning to be addressed and understood.


Background mRNA vaccines are a novel technology that provide a potential strategy for cancer treatment. However, few studies exist that are focused on the application and development of mRNA vaccines in bladder cancer (BLCA). Therefore, this study filtered candidate antigens and specific mRNA-suitable populations in BLCA via comprehensive multi-omics analysis. Methods Clinical information, follow-up information, and gene expression profiles were obtained from the TCGA and GEO databases. Somatic mutation and DNA copy number variation of BLCA were visualized by cBioPortal. Significant survival genes were analyzed by GEPIA2. TIMER was used to evaluate the connection between candidate antigens and infiltration of antigen-presenting cells. Consensus clustering analysis was performed to identify immune subtypes using the ConsensusClusterPlus package. The Monocle package was used to visualize the immune landscapes of each BLCA patient. Weighted gene co-expression network analysis (WGCNA) was used to identify key genes for mRNA vaccines. Results AP2S1, P3H4, and RAC3 were identified as candidate tumor-specific antigens for BLCA. Three immune subtypes were classified based on immune-related gene expression profiles. Patients with the BCS2 subtype were characterized as immune "cold" and exhibited upregulation of immunogenic cell death modulators, whereas patients with BCS1 and BCS3 were immune "hot" and had upregulation of immune checkpoints. Interestingly, patients with the BCS2 subtype had a better prognosis than other subtypes. The immune landscapes of each patient were visualized and revealed the heterogeneity within the BCS1 subtype. Finally, 13 key immune genes were identified. Conclusions AP2S1, P3H4, and RAC3 were identified as candidate tumor-specific antigens, and patients with the BCS2 and BCS1A subtypes were identified as candidate populations for mRNA vaccines. In summary, this study provides novel insights and a theoretical basis for mRNA vaccine development in BLCA and other malignancies.


To better understand the different effects of the myopic and far-sighted behaviors on the advertising coordination in dynamic supply chain, this paper takes the reference price effect into consideration and formulates four differential game models for the two-level supply chain composed of a manufacturer and a retailer in the situation of Stackelberg game. In our models, the market demand is assumed to be affected by the goodwill, reference price, and the advertising investment, in which the advertising investment can promote the construction of goodwill and such goodwill can further enhance the reference price. The results show that the participating members in the supply chain should invest more in advertisement to improve the goodwill and the relative reference price reflected in the minds of consumers. A far-sighted manufacturer will invest more in the advertisement and charge a higher wholesale price regardless of the behavior choice of the retailer. However, such kind of ignorance leads to different results on the retail pricing strategies of the retailer. The numerical analyses are given in the end to verify the effectiveness of the conclusions which provide the theoretical support to the dynamic supply chain coordination in practice.


The prevalence of peripheral arterial disease (PAD) in patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD) is high, with an annual risk of amputation estimated at 13%, and indications for limb revascularization in patients combining ESRD with stage IV PAD (foot gangrene) are still controversial. This case-controlled study compared survival, limb salvage, and quality of life in a group of patients hospitalized for foot gangrene according to their renal status (ESRD versus no renal insufficiency). All patients with ESRD hospitalized for foot gangrene (n=16) from 1996 to 2002 were compared with a control group with normal creatininemia (n=24) hospitalized for foot gangrene due to peripheral atherosclerotic arterial disease. The 2 groups were matched for age, sex ratio, and number with diabetes mellitus. After a mean follow-up of 467 ±410 days, patients with ESRD had a more severe prognosis as regards mortality (68.7% vs 12.5%, p=0.0005) and major amputation (31% versus 8%, p=0.09). The ESRD group was characterized by more frequent extensive arterial calcifications (16/16 vs 13/24, p=0.002), owing to a higher level of the calcium phosphorus product (3.54 ±1.2 vs 2.4 ±0.6, p=0.0023), and by impaired microcirculatory perfusion, as indicated by a lower oxygen pressure (TcPO2) (15.6 ±12 mm Hg vs 26 ±16, p=0.07). ESRD implies a poor prognosis in patients with stage IV peripheral arterial disease.


As a non-contact life detecting equipment of smart campus, the ultra-wide band (UWB) radar life detector is widely used in finding victims of post-disaster search and rescue. However, due to the complex detection environment and the weak life characteristics of victims, the detecting time consuming by current detecting methods is long meanwhile the sensitivity is low, as a result, the process of search and rescue is slow and the probability of missed detection is high. To solve this problem, three works have been done in this research: first, a mathematical model of the echo of UWB radar is established; second, a concept, the critical speed of fast and slow objects, is put forward as a reference value of signal processing; and third, a new accelerated algorithm of which utilizes block data analysis to detect micro-moving objects is proposed in this paper. It has been verified both by simulation and experiment that the new algorithm can improve the detecting sensitivity and the speed of detection.


The aim of this study was to analyze the effect of two programs of physical activity (moderate and high intensity physical activity), in the levels of attention of a sample of young in scholar aged. 94 children, boys=52 and girls=42 (Age M = 8.20; SD = 0.70) from Granada (Spain) participated in the investigation. A quasi-experimental design was used, with control and experimental group. Evidence of attentional span and search items on matrices with the purpose of analyzing the amplitude of the attention and selective attention were applied. As a control variable, cardiorespiratory fitness by maximum oxygen uptake and peak speed reached during maximal aerobic activity was evaluated. The results showed significant effects in favor of high-intensity program on two tests of attentional span and exercises selective attention, as well as the values of fitness. These data suggest that the physical practice of intermittent high intensity practiced regularly could have positive implications on cognitive performance of children and improving the physical condition could be one of the factors linked to these changes.


Dynamics is the essence of life, from the most macroscopic scale of evolution theories or ecology, down to the submicroscopic scale of the molecular mechanisms underlying for instance the activity of enzymes on their chemical target or their mechanical work in our muscles. Thanks to new methods, most phenomena in cell biology must now be reported not only in terms of their biochemistry, but also with a description of their geometric and temporal characteristics using quantitative imaging. This is leading to a dramatic accumulation of data, with little understanding of its deep physiological significance. Based on recent results, we raise here a few questions regarding the possible role of time as a key determinant of the metabolic energy budget, that impacts living cells from the organisation of macromolecular assemblies up to the morphogenesis and stabilisation of tissues.


Abstract : The program described in this final report had as its goal the investigation of the transverse focal region field distributions of a Cassegrain reflector antenna, evolving applicable microwave feed networks, and analysis of antenna system performance behavior as a function of the various feed electrical and physical parameters. (Author)


Zinc oxide (ZnO) is an emerging material in large area electronic applications such as thin‐film solar cells and transistors. We report on the fabrication and characterization of ZnO nanostructures. ZnO nanostructures have been synthesized using sol–gel immerse technique on oxidized silicon substrates. Different precursor's concentrations ranging from 0.0001 to 0.01 M using zinc nitrate hexahydrate [Zn(NO3)2.6H2O] and hexamethylenetetramine [C6H12N4] has been employed in the synthesis of ZnO nanostructures. The surface morphologies were examined using scanning electron microscope (SEM) and atomic force microscopy (AFM). In order to investigate the structural properties, the ZnO nanostructures were measured using X‐ray diffractometer (XRD). The optical properties of the ZnO nanostructures were measured using photoluminescence (PL) spectrometer.


To perform singular value decomposition (SVD) of matrices with high accuracy and high-speed, we developed a library by using an integrable system called the discrete Lotka-Volterra (dLV) system. The most well-known routine for the SVD is DBDSQR provided in LAPACK, which is based on the QRs (QR with shift) algorithm. However, DBDSQR is slow and does not perform well for the case where only a few singular vectors are desirable. Recently a new SVD scheme named Integrable-SVD (I-SVD) was developed. The execution time for the I-SVD scheme based on the dLV system and transformation is less. In this paper, we implement and evaluate the I-SVD scheme. To examine its accuracy, we propose a method for making random upper bidiagonal matrices with desired singular values. The corresponding singular vectors are also accurately obtained. From the experimental results, we conclude that the singular vectors computed by the I-SVD scheme have adequate orthogonality, and the scheme also has high speed and accuracy for both the computed singular values and vectors.


The article is based on documents of State archive of Russian Federation and Russian state archives of ancient acts, as well as several guides to the state archives of Russia. It is devoted to almost unknown page of the history of functioning of Russian State archives of ancient acts, named in 1931–1941 State archives of the Feudal Era. In its structure there was the "Jewish section", consisted of documentary materials, the fund formers of which were various Jewish companies, organizations and institutions, as well as the Jewish public and political figures and workers of culture. Those documents were at the secret storage because all the research in the field of academic Judaica was curtailed in the early 1930s. Therefore, the main task of the "Jewish section" was only collection and storage of documentary materials of the Jewish origin. The article provides a complete list of funds and founders of the "Jewish section", its scope and timelines, and identifies the state archives, where to those documents were transferred. Transferring process of materials of the "Jewish section" to other archives began in Central State archives of ancient acts in 1971, the last non-core funds were transferred from Russian State archives of ancient acts in 1993. The author concludes that "Jewish section" in a certain way did its function, saving extensive complex of documentary sources on the history of Russian Jewry of the 18th – the first third of the 20th century for nowadays re-


The studies on cefotiam (CTM) administered by intravenous drip infusion in pediatric field made the following results: 1. The serum levels after administration of cefotiam 25 mg/kg, 63 mg/kg by intravenous was maintained high until 2 hours after and kept to be able to measure after 5 hours, and the half life was 0.9-1.7 hours. 2. The drug transferred actively about 1/5 of serum level into the intrathoracic pus. The excretion rate in urine was about 80% of the drug administered. 3. The clinical effective rate after the administration of CTM 50-70 mg/kg for 4 to 29 days was 95% in 21 patients with different five diseases. 4. No side effect and abnormality in laboratory findings were observed.


ABSTRACT Severe hypothermia has been shown to influence the levels of catecholamines and thrombomodulin, an endothelial protein essentially involved in the regulation of haemostasis and inflammation. A link between thrombomodulin and catecholamines during cold exposure has also been previously suggested. The aim of this study was to assess the influence of short-term cold exposure without hypothermia on catecholamines and the circulating and urinary thrombomodulin levels. Seven healthy male subjects were immersed in cold water (+10°C) for 10 minutes followed by a 20-minute immersion in +28°C water. Warm water immersion was performed separately for each subject (+30°C for 30 minutes). Thrombomodulin and catecholamine concentrations were measured from pre- and post-immersion (up to 23 hours) samples. In urine, the thrombomodulin level correlated strongly with adrenaline (ρ = 0.806) and noradrenaline (ρ = 0.760) levels. There were no significant differences in thrombomodulin levels between immersion temperatures. Post-immersion urinary thrombomodulin levels were significantly lower than the pre-immersion level at both immersion temperatures. Median concentrations of plasma noradrenaline and urinary adrenaline were higher after exposure to +10°C than to +30°C. Thus, further evidence of the association between thrombomodulin and catecholamines was gained in a physiologically relevant setting in humans. Additionally, it is evident that a short-term cold exposure was not able to elicit changes in the thrombomodulin levels in a follow-up period of up to 23 hours. These findings provide further understanding of the physiological responses to cold during immersion, and of the potential influence of stress on haemostatic and inflammatory responses.


ABSTRACT Test mice have been selectively reared for high (H) or low (L) immune responses to Nematospiroides dubius. After secondary infection with N. dubius, the L mice voided ten times as many eggs in their faeces as the II mice, and at necropsy, 71% versus 20% of the inoculum of N. dubius were recovered as adult worms from the L and II mice respectively. Furthermore, N. dubius were more fecund in the L than in H mice. High or low immune responsiveness was not restricted to N. dubius infection in these mice but was also observed during Toxocara canis infection. The migration of T canis larvae from gut via the liver to skeletal muscle and CNS was inhibited in H versus L mice. Many more larvae were recovered from the livers of II compared with L mice which was indicative of greater immunity in the H mice. The protective immune response in H compared with L mice to both N. dubius and T canis included pronounced cosinophilia and elevated antiparasite antibody titres.


Matriculation Colleges in Tasmania were established for a
selective intake of students. As the retention rates at grades
11 and 12 has increased over the last two decades, senior secondary
colleges have widened their educational programmes to meet the needs
of this growing number of students.
With the pressure on educational systems to increase their
educational provisions, various moves were made to rationalize postcompulsory
education.
A review of alternative courses and provisions made in
other states and overseas shows that educational authorities are
gradually responding to the changing needs of the upper secondary
students Attempts to broaden the curriculum have been hampered
by the existing matriculation requirements. To encourage educational
institutions to provide more relevant courses for all students,
attempts have been made to issue a more widely recognized certificate.
As well as this, it has become necessary to increase the prestige of
such certification among students, their parents and the wider
community, in order that these new courses may be seen as a viable
and acceptable alternative to the more traditional existing matriculation
certificate.
Tasmania has led other states in providing relevant education
for 16 to 19 year olds by the establishment of community colleges.
Whilst there have been some initial problems in
establishing fully integrated community colleges, the concept
remains valid as these colleges facilitate increased provisions
of educational opportunity.


Minimally invasive esophagectomy (MIE) has been performed increasingly more frequently for the treatment of esophageal cancer, ever since it was first described in 1992. However, the incidence of postoperative complications of MIE has not yet been well‐characterized, because (a) there are few reports of studies with a sufficient sample size, (b) a variety of minimally invasive surgical techniques are used, and (c) there are few reports in which an established system for classifying the severity of complications is examined. According to an analysis performed by the Esophageal Complications Consensus Group, the most common complications of MIE are pneumonia, arrhythmia, anastomotic leakage, conduit necrosis, chylothorax, and recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. Therefore, we decided to focus on these complications. We selected 48 out of 1245 reports of studies (a) that included more than 50 patients each, (b) in which the esophagectomy technique used was clearly described, and (c) in which the complications were adequately described. The overall incidences of the postoperative complications of MIE for esophageal cancer were analyzed according to the MIE technique adopted, that is, McKeown MIE, Ivor Lewis MIE, robotic‐assisted McKeown MIE, robotic‐assisted Ivor Lewis MIE, or mediastinoscopic transmediastinal esophagectomy. Pneumonia, arrhythmia, anastomotic leakage, and recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy occurred at an incidence rate of about 10% each; Ivor Lewis MIE was associated with a relatively low incidence of recurrent laryngeal nerve palsy. It is important to recognize that the incidences of complications of MIE are influenced by the MIE technique adopted and the extent of lymph node dissection.


Acquisition of the host country's language is a basic requirement for the occupational and social inclusion of immigrants. It has been widely acknowledged that both the teaching and the learning of a second language are substantially improved by the communicative approach. A technique employed by the latter is that of role-play. This technique helps learners, especially immigrants, to practice the new language in real-life communicative situations, to enrich their vocabulary and to develop new skills and attitudes. This article presents the results of research into adult immigrants who learn Greek as a second language. The aim of the research was to identify the dimensions of role-play that facilitate the teaching of a second language to immigrant learners. The role and the attitude of the teacher and the learner, group interactions and the content of teaching are the most important dimensions outlined in the present research.


Genetic algorithm based optimization rely on explicit relationships between parameters, observations and criteria. GA based optimization when done in cognitive radio can provide a criteria to accommodate the secondary users in best possible space in the spectrum by interacting with the dynamic radio environment at real time. In this paper we have proposed adaptive genetic algorithm with adapting crossover and mutation parameters for the reasoning engine in cognitive radio to obtain the optimum radio configurations. This method ensure better controlling of the algorithm parameters and hence the increasing the performance. The main advantage of genetic algorithm over other soft computing techniques is its multi – objective handling capability. We focus on spectrum management with a hypothesis that inputs are provided by either sensing information from the radio environment or the secondary user. Also the QoS requirements condition is also specified in the hypothesis. The cognitive radio will sense the radio frequency parameter from the environment and the reasoning engine in the cognitive radio will take the required decisions in order to provide new spectrum allocation as demanded by the user. The transmission parameters which can be taken into consideration are modulation method, bandwidth, data rate, symbol rate, power consumption etc. We simulated cognitive radio engine which is driven by genetic algorithm to determine the optimal set of radio transmission parameters. We have fitness objectives to guide one system to an optimal state. These objectives are combined to one multi – objective fitness function using weighted sum approach so that each objective can be represented by a rank which represents the importance of each objective. We have transmission parameters as decision variables and environmental parameters are used as inputs to the objective function. We have compared the proposed adaptive genetic algorithm (AGA) with conventional genetic algorithm (CGA) with same set of conditions. MATLAB simulations were used to analyze the scenarios.


The prodigious works of Roman architect Florestano Di Fausto have long been overlooked by historians of modern architecture. As a technical consultant to the Ministero degli Affari Esteri, Di Fausto designed and constructed numerous Italian diplomatic offices throughout Eastern and Western Europe, South America, and the Near East. But he is most recognized for his colonial urban planning schemes and government buildings from 1923 until 1940 in North Africa and the Aegean. His works in these divergent locales conferred an eclectic sensibility to an already complex negotiation of ancient and "modern" architectural forms present in Italy's colony of Libya as well as in the Dodecanese Islands. Furthermore, the range of projects Di Fausto completed in both settings attests to Italian modernism's engagement with arabisances in the reworking of colonial architecture and urbanism. His designs must be seen as a counterpoint to other European modernists of the period who sought to remove any lingering symbols of the past from their plans, facades, and interiors. This article situates Florestano Di Fausto's output within the aesthetic and socio-political discussions among Italian architects of the period, especially concerning an inherent italianita among Mediterranean vernacular architectures. In this regard, the Mediterranean is understood not as a space of resistance but as a filter through which architects like Di Fausto and others generated a new Italian architecture, free from the often restrictive tendencies found on the peninsula.


Abstract Background: The timing of puberty has a genetic component. Recently, genome-wide association studies have identified that rs314280 on 6q21 (near the LIN28B gene) and rs2090409 on 9q31.2 (in an intergenic region) are associated with age at menarche. In this study, we aimed to determine whether the two loci were associated with the timing of puberty in Taiwanese girls. Results: A total of 117 girls were divided into two groups: 1) precocious puberty (n=50) and 2) normal control subjects (n=45). The genotype proportions and allele frequencies in both groups were not significantly different. Conclusion: These data suggest that rs314280 and rs2090409 polymorphisms are not a useful marker for prediction of the susceptibility of precocious puberty.


BACKGROUND
Stroke is usually end result of predisposing conditions that originated years before the ictus. Identification of its modifiable risk factors can help in planning preventive strategies.

OBJECTIVE
To study the risk factors of stroke in adult patients.

METHODS
A hospital based prospective cross sectional study was carried out in 160 stroke patients admitted in Manipal Teaching Hospital, Pokhara from November 2007- October 2010. Diagnosis of stroke was confirmed by CT scan of brain. Patients were then investigated for presence of conventional risk factors. The data was statistically analysed using Epi-Info.

RESULTS
The mean age of stroke patients was 65.98 years +/- 10.69 with 126 (78.8%) of patients belonging to age group = 60 years. It afflicted higher percentage of males 104 (65%) than females 56 (35%). Analysis of stroke subtypes showed preponderance of haemorrhagic stroke in 85 (53.1%) as against infarction in 75 (46.9%) of cases. Other conventional modifiable risk factors were seen as follows: hypertension 98 (61.2 %), cigarette smoking 95 (59.4%), alcohol use 43 (26.9%), left ventricular hypertrophy 44 (27.5%), atrial fibrillation 37(23%), elevated triglyceride 37(23%), diabetes mellitus 15 (9.3%) and elevated total cholesterol 12 (7.5%). Multiple risk factors (=2) were seen in 122 (76.5 %) cases.

CONCLUSIONS
The maximum occurrence of stroke was seen in patients > 60 years. Overall male preponderance and higher occurrence of haemorrhagic stroke was seen in our study. Significant risk factors in order of descending order were hypertension, cigarette smoking, left ventricular hypertrophy, alcohol use, atrial fibrillation and elevated triglycerides.


Abstract : This dissertation presents a prima facie case for the usefulness of applying Bernard Gert's theory of moral rules to American professional military ethics. Gert's moral theoretical goal is to describe the common moral system that all moral agents implicitly use to make moral decisions the way competent speakers of a language implicitly use a grammatical system to speak a language. Gert describes the key features of the common moral system and attempts to justify that description as accurate. Gert's moral theory also provides an explicit decision procedure to guide moral decision-making in concrete cases. Gert has already argued in many articles and books that his moral decision procedure can be effectively used to make complex moral decisions in professional medical ethics. I use Gert's work in medical ethics as a springboard for investigating whether similar success is possible in American Professional Military Ethics. I argue that similar success is possible but limited. This dissertation is organized into an introductory chapter, four main chapters, and a concluding chapter. In chapter 2 I review the diverse literature that American military professionals have at their disposal to guide their moral decision-making in concrete cases. This literature is divided into two convenient categories, official documents and the literature of evaluation and aspiration. In chapter three I present a concise discussion of Gert's theory of moral rules, explaining key concepts he deploys and describing the moral decision procedure that is consistent with those concepts. In chapter four I review and assess Gert's important work in medical ethics in order to explore how and how effectively he has deployed his theory to make moral decisions in concrete medical ethics cases. Finally in chapter five, I apply Gert's moral theory to several concrete cases of varying complexity in American professional military ethics.


This paper proposes a method for obtaining several health condition indicators for wind turbines based on vibration data driven from two similar experimental turbines (damaged and healthy). These indicators are able to capture the bearing and gear condition of the gearbox in the wind turbines. Signal processing and feature extraction were carried out –on both the time and frequency domains– from raw data in order to generate datasets for each shaft of power of the wind turbines. Based on good health condition data, a data mining approach was used to build two reference models for the indicators, one using Self-Organizing Maps (SOM) and another one using Gaussian Mixture Models (GMM). These reference patterns for the indicators were tested with a dataset coming from a damaged wind turbine and the results obtained confirmed the adequacy of these indicators to detect anomalies in the health condition of a wind turbine.


TP53 mutation is associated with cancer progression. Novel strategies to reboot p53 are required to stabilize the disease and improve survival. This randomized placebo-controlled trial investigated safety and efficacy of Nutri-PEITC Jelly (a texture-modified nutritious diet fortified with β-phenethyl isothiocyanate (PEITC) on oral cancer. Seventy-two patients with advanced-staged oral or oropharyngeal cancer were randomly assigned to study and control groups, who consumed 200 g of Nutri-Jelly with and without 20 mg of PEITC, respectively, 5 days/week for 12 weeks. Outcomes, including adverse events, health-related quality of life (HRQOL), progression-free survival (PFS), tumor response, serum p53, and cytochrome c, were measured at 0, 1, and 3 months. Results show that the study group had a higher proportion of participants with improved HRQOL, stable disease, and increased serum p53 levels than those in the control group (p < 0.001). The PFS time in the study group was significantly longer than that of the control group (p < 0.05). Serum cytochrome c levels were non-significantly decreased in the study group. No serious intervention-related adverse events occurred in either group. In conclusion, Nutri-PEITC Jelly intake for 3 months is safe, stabilizes the disease, improves quality of life and progression-free survival, and might re-activate p53 in advanced-stage oral and oropharyngeal cancer patients.


Measurements of the mass or angular momentum of a black hole are onerous, particularly if they have to be frequently repeated, as when one is required to transform a black hole to prescribed parameters. Irradiating a black hole of the Kerr-Newman family with scalar or electromagnetic waves provides a way to drive it to prescribed values of its mass, charge and angular momentum without the need to repeatedly measure mass or angular momentum throughout the process. I describe the mechanism, which is based on Zel'dovich-Misner superradiance and its analog for charged black holes. It represents a possible step in the development of preparation procedures for quantum black holes.


Extending human societies into virtual space through the construction of a metaverse has been a long-term challenge in both industry and academia. Achieving this challenge is now closer than ever due to advances in computer systems, facilitating large-scale online platforms such as Minecraft and Roblox that fulfill an increasing number of societal needs, and extended reality (XR) hardware, which provides users with state-of-the-art immersive experiences. For a metaverse to succeed, we argue that all involved systems must provide consistently good performance. However, there is a lack of knowledge on the performance characteristics of extended reality devices. In this paper, we address this gap and focus on extended- and virtual-reality hardware. We synthesize a user-centered system model that models common deployments of XR hardware and their trade-offs. Based on this model, we design and conduct real-world experiments with Meta's flagship virtual reality device, the Quest Pro. We highlight two surprising results from our findings which show that (i) under our workload, the battery drains 15% faster when using wireless offloading compared to local execution, and (ii) the outdated 2.4 GHz WiFi4 gives surprisingly good performance, with 99% of samples achieving a frame rate of at least 65 Hz, compared to the 72 Hz performance target. Our experimental setup and data are available at https://github.com/atlarge-research/measuring-the-metaverse.


A problem of management by reliability of steel tanks for oil products during their operation is formulated. On the basis of economic approach the technique of definition of as much as possible allowable risk of refusals of these constructions is offered.


Intertrochanteric and pertrochanteric fractures of the femur, with respect to healing, may be regarded as benign fractures. The patients most apt to incur these fractures are the aged, and the mortality rate is high. Methods of treatment that require a lengthy confinement in bed should be avoided.

The operative procedure reported, which was used in thirty cases at the Sabbatsberg Hospital, is not more serious than that employed in cases of fracture of the neck of the femur. If performed correctly in suitable cases, it gives satisfactory internal fixation and permits early mobilization. The injured patient is easily cared for, so that the work of the nursing staff is lightened ; the patient more rapidly recovers mobility and capacity for walking; and the hospital stay is shortened.

The mortality in this series of thirty cases was 10 per cent. The number of cases is too small to enable one to judge whether or not this operative procedure has produced a real reduction in mortality.


The status of ideational explanations in political science has been strengthened by the argument that institutionalized ideas structure actors' identification of their interests as well as the interests of their political adversaries. Despite its utility, the focus on the institutionalization of ideas has had the unfortunate consequence that actors are often, implicitly or explicitly, believed to internalize ideas, making it difficult to understand how actors are able to change their ideas and institutions. Drawing on cultural sociology and ideational theory, the paper introduces the 'bricoleur' as an alternative vision of agency. It is argued, first, that actors cannot cognitively internalize highly structured symbolic systems, and ideas are thus 'outside the minds of actors'. Second, using the cognitive schemas at their disposal, actors construct strategies of action based on pre-constructed ideational and political institutions. Third, actors must work actively and creatively with the ideas and institutions they use, because the structure within which actors work does not determine their response to new circumstances. Fourth, as a vast number of ideational studies have shown, actors face a complex array of challenges in getting their ideas to the top of the policy agenda, which makes it all the more important to act pragmatically, putting ideas together that may not be logically compatible but rather answer political and cultural logics. In sum, agency often takes the form of bricolage, where bits and pieces of the existing ideational and institutional legacy are put together in new forms leading to significant political transformation.


Objectives We sought to determine whether the extent of disease on high-resolution CT lung (HRCT), measured using a simple grading system,[1] is predictive of decline and mortality in systemic sclerosis-related interstitial lung disease (SSc-ILD), independently of pulmonary function tests (PFTs) and other prognostic variables. Methods SSc patients with a baseline HRCT performed at the time of ILD diagnosis were identified. All PFTs performed during follow-up were retrieved. Demographic and disease-related data were prospectively collected. HRCTs were graded according to the percentage of lung disease seen; >20% - extensive, <20% - limited, unclear - indeterminate. Indeterminate HRCTs were converted to limited or extensive using an FVC threshold of 70%. The composite outcome variable was deterioration (defined as need for home oxygen or lung transplantation), or death. Results Among 172 patients followed for mean±SD of 3.47±2.93 years, there were 33 outcome events. Figure 1 shows a Kaplan-Meier survival curve of HRCT score against survival. Survival estimates were significant for two raters and approached significance for the third (log-rank p<0.0001, p=0.0005, p=0.13). In Weibull multivariable hazards regression modelling, baseline HRCT grade was independently predictive of outcome, with an adjusted hazard ratio (aHR) =3.0, 95% CI: 1.2-7.5, p=0.02. Conclusions Extensive changes (>20%) on HRCT at baseline, reported using a semi-quantitative grading system, are associated with a three-fold increased risk of deterioration or death in SSc-ILD, compared with limited changes. References Goh NSL, Desai SR, Veeraraghavan S, et al. Interstitial Lung Disease in Systemic Sclerosis: A Simple Staging System. American Journal of Respiratory and Critical Care Medicine 2008;177:1248–1254. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


Simulations with more than 10^{12} spins are used to study the motion of a domain wall driven through a three-dimensional random-field Ising magnet (RFIM) by an external field H. The interface advances in a series of avalanches whose size diverges at a critical external field H_{c}. Finite-size scaling is applied to determine critical exponents and test scaling relations. Growth is intrinsically anisotropic with the height of an avalanche normal to the interface ℓ_{⊥} scaling as the width along the interface ℓ_{∥} to a power χ=0.85±0.01. The total interface roughness is consistent with self-affine scaling with a roughness exponent ζ≈χ that is much larger than values found previously for the RFIM and related models that explicitly break orientational symmetry by requiring the interface to be single-valued. Because the RFIM maintains orientational symmetry, the interface develops overhangs that may surround unfavorable regions to create uninvaded bubbles. Overhangs complicate measures of the roughness exponent but decrease in importance with increasing system size.


Abstract How has war journalism changed since the end of the Cold War? After the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989 and the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, there was talk of a new world order. The Balkan Wars of the 1990s gave rise to the concept of "new wars". The 1990-91 Gulf War was the commercial breakthrough for the around-the-clock news channel CNN, and the war in Afghanistan in 2001 for its competitor al-Jazeera. The 2003 Iraq war saw Internet's great breakthrough in war journalism. A new world order, new wars, and new media – what impact is all this having on war journalism? This article outlines some important trends based on recent media research and discusses the new challenges as well as the consequences they entail for the conditions of war journalism, its professional reflexivity and democratic role.


Article history: Received April 22 2015 Received in Revised Format July 23 2015 Accepted July 23 2015 Available online July 23 2015 Nickel based super alloys are excellent for several applications and mainly in structural components submitted to high temperatures owing to their high strength to weight ratio, good corrosion resistance and metallurgical stability such as in cases of jet engine and gas turbine components. The current work presents the experimental investigations of the cutting parameters effects (cutting speed, depth of cut and feed rate) on the surface roughness, cutting force components, productivity and power consumption during dry conditions in straight turning using coated carbide tool. The mathematical models for output parameters have been developed using Box-Behnken design with 15 runs and Box-Cox transformation was used for improving normality. The results of the analysis have shown that the surface finish was statistically sensitive to the feed rate and cutting speed with the contribution of 43.58% and 23.85% respectively, while depth of cut had the greatest effect on the evolution of cutting force components with the contribution of 79.87% for feed force, 66.92% for radial force and 66.26% for tangential force. Multi-objective optimization procedure allowed minimizing roughness Ra, cutting forces and power consumption and maximizing material removal rate using desirability approach. © 2016 Growing Science Ltd. All rights reserved


Two groups of children (9 with cerebral palsy and 10 normals, matched for sex and age) participated in a study of the startle reflex. Each child was instructed to press a button as soon as possible after the onset of a visual stimulus on a box on the table at which they were seated. During some of the trials, a sudden and intense auditory stimulus (85 dB) was presented concomitantly with the onset of the visual stimulus, and effects on reaction time recorded. Mean reaction time of normal children was significantly faster than that of the group with cerebral palsy. The magnitude of disruption associated with the first startle stimulus presentation was significantly greater for cerebral palsied children. The course between groups of habituation to the startle stimuli was not significantly different. Data support the hypothesis that startle reflexes of children with cerebral palsy are more marked than are those of normal children.


The success of SMEs hinges on the character display by the entrepreneurs in a competitive business environment. Many SMEs have failed as a result of entrepreneur's lackadaisical display in controlling and coordinating the business. This study examined the effects of entrepreneurs' character on SMEs performance in Lagos State. This study used survey research designed via administering questionnaires to the entrepreneurs' of SMEs in Lagos State. 260 questionnaires were administered to the respondents and 231 were retrieved. Regression method of analysis was employed to test the stated hypotheses and the findings revealed that risk taking has a weak positive effect on profitability but competitive aggressiveness and innovativeness have a strong positive effect on sales growth of SMEs in Lagos State. The study recommended that entrepreneurs' operating in Lagos State need to be very mindful of the risk they take in order to improve their business performance in terms sales growth and profitability. Entrepreneurs need to develop new business ideas to enhance innovativeness and creativity so as to achieve increase in both financial and non-financial performance.


The skin lesions in broilers are responsible for great losses at the slaughter. Lesions which have no specific classification are categorized as dermatosis in post-mortem examination. The aim of this study was to identify the main variables associated with the presentation of dermatosis through epidemiological study addressing management issues, health and ambience throughout the production period. Data were analyzed by logistic regression, using the score for model selection through the LOGISTIC procedure of SAS. It was identified a set of variables associated with the manifestation of this skin diseases in broilers. The prevalence of dermatosis was 1.31%. The variables whose presence significantly increased the expression of these lesions were: the chicks housed over reused poultry litter, not disinfecting equipment before the housing, reducing the interval between batches, and the use of tubular feeders. Commercial broiler lines and sex showed a great effect on the presence of dermatosis, as well as the housing of broilers in facilities, where the temperature was outside the comfort zone, especially in winter. The housing of poultry in small broiler house showed less manifestation of skin injury. The identification and correction of these variables allows an effective intervention to reduce the manifestation of skin diseases in broilers.


This research is to determine the percentage of chromium and the type of solvent in terms of the physicochemical quality of wet blue and leather from the waterless tanning process. This research was carried out from November 2021 to February 2022 at the Laboratory of the Yogyakarta Center for Leather, Rubber, and Plastics. The research method used was a Nested Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with 2-factor nested patterns, Factor 1 is percentage of chromium (A = 3%, B = 4% and C = 5%) and factor 2 namely different types of solvents (L1 = Water, L2 = Ethanol and L3 = acetone) with 3 replications. The materials used in this study were Etawa crossbreed goat skin and chromium, and the type of solvents was water, ethanol, and acetone. The variables observed were the physicochemical quality of the finished leather (stricter strength, tensile strength, elongation at break, moisture content, total chromium, ash content, fat content, and pH). The data obtained from the results of the research were analyzed using Analysis of Variance (ANOVA) if there were significantly different results obtained, followed by Duncan's Multiple Range Test (DMRT). On the physicochemical quality of the finished leather (leather), the results of this study showed that the type of solvent had a very significant difference (P < 0.01) in the physicochemical quality of the leather except for pH. The percentage of chromium nested in the type of solvent showed a very significant difference (P<0.01) in the quality of the finished leather. Based on the results of the research, the percentage of chromium nested in the type of solvent was about SNI 2981:2009; from this study, it can be concluded that Phase I research had the physicochemical quality of finished leather with an average stricter strength of 14.40 N/ cm2, tensile strength 15.40 N/cm2, elongation at break 54.32%, water content 4.76%, total chromium 3.64%, ash content 4.62%, fat content 2.44% and pH 4.41.


Three titanosaurian sauropods are well-known from the Campanian-Maastrichtian of the Ibero-Armorican Island (southwestern Europe): Lirainosaurus astibiae from Spain, and Ampelosaurus atacis and Atsinganosaurus velauciensis from France. However, a higher titanosaurian diversity has been suggested for this island, a hypothesis that has gained traction in recent years as a result of new discoveries in fossil sites from Spain and southern France. An estimation of the titanosaurian diversity in the late Campanian-early Maastrichtian of the Iberian Peninsula is made here on the basis of the available information from the three fossil sites that have yielded the best preserved fossil remains: Lano (Condado de Trevino), Chera (Valencia), and Lo Hueco (Cuenca). The results confirm the hypothesis of a higher titanosaurian diversity in the Iberian Peninsula: from one to, at least, three taxa. Moreover, we also suggest the presence of two different titanosaurian morphotypes in the site of Chera, with one of them representing Lirainosaurus


This paper describes a study of navigation in a paper-based technical documentation system. Skilled experts at three military bases were interviewed about their information use. The documentation system was large and had many links in terms of inter-document references. Tables of contents or indexes were not much used, in spite of that, the experts navigated efficiently in the information space. Navigation was characterized by successive confinement of search space, evaluation of a set of target candidates and, finally, verification of the target. Features like document layout, typography and spatial organization were extensively used. Modern hypertext systems could be improved by expressing content structure in typographical features, by adding facilities for rapid page-wize skimming within a document, and ways to expose a set of target candidates for quick evaluation.


OBJECTIVE
To study heart rate variability (HRV) in neonates with non-benign tachyarrhythmia (NNTA) and the role of automatic nervous system (ANS) in NNTA.

METHODS
The neonates who were admitted to the Department of Neonatology, the Second Xiangya Hospital of Central South University, from January 2010 to June 2018 and were diagnosed with NNTA were enrolled as the NNTA group, and the neonates with sinus rhythm or accidental premature beats on ambulatory electrocardiography were enrolled as the control group. Each group was further subdivided into preterm and term subgroups. A retrospective analysis was performed for their clinical data.

RESULTS
A total of 27 NNTA neonates were enrolled, accounting for 0.28% (27/9 632) of all neonates hospitalized during the same period of time, and 53 neonates were enrolled in the control group. Compared with the preterm and term control subgroups, the preterm NNTA and term NNTA subgroups had a significant increase in the standard deviation of average RR interval (P<0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Immature and unbalanced ANS function may play an important role in the development and progression of NNTA.


This review of the literature examines studies concerning posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) in burn populations. Retrospective, cross-sectional, and prospective research and case studies are critiqued. Although the data are equivocal, several trends are clearly emerging. Though severity of burn and degree of disfigurement did not consistently predict PTSD, subjective variables were better predictors. There was a clear trend for patients who had no symptoms of PTSD while hospitalized to have PTSD develop after discharge. Finally, prevalence rates of PTSD vary greatly based on time of screening. Methodological problems with studies were related to sampling and follow-up; suggestions for future research are provided.


The existing CAD formulae are complicated and inaccurate at high frequencies. In particular, no closed-form expression has been obtained for the effective dielectric constant of microstrip lines on multi-layed dielectric substrate by considering the line-substrate interphase effect, although attempts have been made to study the finite thickness effect of the conductor and dielectric substrate. The present work represents the first attempt to obtain a closed-form CAD formula for the effective dielectric constant of microstrip lines on dielectric substrates by considering the effect of conductor-substrate interphase, in addition to the skin effect losses, dielectric loss, dispersion and radiation losses based on the quasi-TEM assumption and the superposition of partial capacitance. The model is verified by experimental observations on the effective dielectric constant and its dependence on microstrip dimension and frequency.


Increasing physical activity (PA) in patients with chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD) is an important issue, however, the effect of bronchodilators on PA is still controversial. The indicators of PA, as measured by an accelerometer, can easily fluctuate based on several factors, which might cause inconsistent results. In this review, we listed the indicators of PA and the factors influencing the reproducibility of indicators of PA, and reviewed reports in which the effects of bronchodilators on PA were evaluated by an accelerometer. Then, we investigated the association between the processing of influencing factors and the effectiveness of bronchodilators for improving the PA of COPD patients. Fifteen reports were extracted using the PubMed database. In all seven reports in which adjustment was performed for at least two of four influencing factors (non-wear time, data from days with special behavior, environmental factors, and number of valid days required to obtain reproducible data), bronchodilators showed beneficial effects on PA. No adjustment was made for any of these factors in any of the four bronchodilator-ineffective reports. This suggests that the processing of influencing factors to secure reproducibility might affect the results regarding the effectiveness of bronchodilators for improving PA in COPD patients.


English translation of a Russian article from 1928. Translator's abstract: The article presents general considerations on the validity of the superposition principle for light in vacuo from out a quantum theoretic point of view. It contains a report on an optical experiment designed to detect the phenomenon of photon-photon scattering. To understand the negative result of the performed experiment, a consideration of the solar corona is undertaken in order to derive an empirical upper limit on the photon-photon scattering rate. Source details: S. I. Vavilov: Zamechaniya ob empiricheskoi tochnosti opticheskogo printsipa superpozitsii. Zhurnal Russkogo Fiziko-Khimicheskogo Obshchestva pri Leningradskom Universitete, Chast' Fizicheskaya [Journal of the Russian Physico-Chemical Society at Leningrad University, Physical Part], Vol. LX (1928) No. 6, pp. 555-563.


The effect of a constant magnetic field on central circulation of rats was investigated during their exposure to antiorthostatic hypokinesia. Circulation parameters were measured by impedance rheoplethysmography. It was found that 3-hour exposure to a 0.4 T magnetic field did not produce a significant effect on central circulation, whereas exposure to hypokinesia caused substantial changes which included decreases of heart rate, stroke volume and cardiac output. During a combined exposure to a constant magnetic field and antiorthostatic hypokinesia, the magnetic field exerted a beneficial effect on central circulation.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the nuclear morphometric features of epithelial cells lining keratocysts and some other odontogenic cysts.

STUDY DESIGN
All cases were selected from the archives of the Department of Pathology, Gülhane Military Medical Academy, as follows: 20 keratocysts and 10 dentigerous and 10 radicular cysts. Nuclear morphometric variables were measured on hematoxylin and eosin-stained histologic slides. Basal and intermediate cells of the epithelium were evaluated separately. Nuclei of the cells were outlined interactively and measured using a specially written macro program. Area, feret ratio (ratio of the longest nuclear axis to the shortest one) and circularity (F circle) of the nuclei were calculated. Additionally, nuclear densitometric analysis was performed on the keratocyst cases.

RESULTS
The number of cells in the basal layer (cell density) was higher in keratocysts than in other cysts. The mean nuclear area of basal cells was smaller than of intermediate cells in both keratocysts and other cysts (P < .001). The feret ratio values revealed that basal cell nuclei of keratocysts were more ovoid as compared to those of other cysts (P < .001). Nuclear densitometric findings showed that the DNA indices of all keratocyst cases were close to 1.0, and the cells were considered diploid.

CONCLUSION
Increased cell density, a more ovoid nuclear shape and more variation in the size of basal layer cell nuclei in keratocysts were helpful in differentiating these lesions from other odontogenic cysts.


Abstract Objective To determine whether a 6‐ or 12‐month look‐back period affected rates of reported social risks in a social risk survey for use in the Veterans Health Administration and to assess associations of social risks with overall health and mental health. Study Design Cross‐sectional survey of respondents randomized to 6‐ or 12‐month look‐back period. Data Sources and Study Setting Online survey with a convenience sample of Veterans in June and July 2021. Data Collection/Extraction Methods Veteran volunteers were recruited by email to complete a survey assessing social risks, including financial strain, adult caregiving, childcare, food insecurity, housing, transportation, internet access, loneliness/isolation, stress, discrimination, and legal issues. Outcomes included self‐reported overall health and mental health. Chi‐squared tests compared the prevalence of reported social risks between 6‐ and 12‐month look‐back periods. Spearman correlations assessed associations among social risks. Bivariate and multivariable logistic regression models estimated associations between social risks and fair/poor overall and mental health. Principal Findings Of 3418 Veterans contacted, 1063 (31.10%) responded (87.11% male; 85.61% non‐Hispanic White; median age = 70, interquartile range [IQR] = 61–74). Prevalence of most reported social risks did not significantly differ by look‐back period. Most social risks were weakly intercorrelated (median |r| = 0.24, IQR = 0.16‐0.31). Except for legal issues, all social risks were associated with higher odds of fair/poor overall health and mental health in bivariate models. In models containing all significant social risks from bivariate models, adult caregiving and stress remained significant predictors of overall health; food insecurity, housing, loneliness/isolation, and stress remained significant for mental health. Conclusions Six‐ and 12‐month look‐back periods yielded similar rates of reported social risks. Although most individual social risks are associated with fair/poor overall and mental health, when examined together, only adult caregiving, stress, loneliness/isolation, food, and housing remain significant.


Institutional care for children, so called orphanages, are still the most common type of alternative care for children deprived of parental care in Kyrgyzstan. The number of children who enter residential care in Kyrgyzstan has increased in recent years – this despite international attention of the need to move away from institutional childcare towards a range of family-based services. Moreover, the current strategy to de-institutionalise childcare in Kyrgyzstan will likely lead to unanticipated consequences and perverse results for vulnerable children. This study contributes to existing research and experiences of de-institutionalisation by analysing the case of Kyrgyzstan where efforts to de-institutionalise childcare is met with challenges. Semi-structured interviews were used to examine respondents" perceptions of what some of the principle challenges facing the de-institutionalisation process in Kyrgyzstan are; which the principal factors behind the choice of de-institutionalisation strategy are; and what the principal unanticipated consequences are of the current strategy. Findings suggest that there are several plausible factors behind the challenges to transition to family-based care: incomplete problem diagnosis, different social policy positions, economic, cultural and political constraints, and external pressure.


The article deals with the dynamics of electoral activity of citizens which comes out as an important indication of the on-going process of consolidation of democracy in the post-communist countries of Central and Eastern Europe in the period from 2001 to 2018 . The comparative analysis helps to show the differences in voter's behaviour in post-communist and post-authoritarian countries as well as to point out the peculiar impact of social, sociocultural and institutional factors on voter turnout in "new democracies" . The author stresses that sociocultural factor considered as a correlation of survival values and values of self-expression in mass conscience exerts the primary influence on the level of participation of citizens in elections . The author emphasised that the prevalence of survival values in the culture of post-communist societies is the primary reason for utilitarian relation of people to democracy . It, in its turn, contributes to decreasing participation in elections in the conditions of mass disappointment in the results of market economy reforms and low-level electoral activity later on . More to that, weak institutionalisation of political parties in post-communist countries in Central and Eastern Europe proved to be unable to hinder effectively growing absenteeism of voters .


Introduction : The medial end of clavicle is connected to the upper surface of anterior end of first rib and its costal cartilage by rhomboid ligament which assist the movements of pectoral girdle as well as resist the pull of medial end of clavicle by pectoralis major and sternocleidomastiod muscles. Consequently, the attachment of it on the clavicle produces various patterns like tubercles, grooves, etc. called as the rhomboid impression. This normal variant of rhomboid impression may be interpreted sometimes as pathological lesions like necrosis, osteomyelitis, and tumour. Also, the morphology of rhomboid impression varies in different population. Such study in South Indian population is very much sparse and so this study is planned for. The objective is to it is aimed to estimate the prevalence of various morphology of rhomboid impression, to measure the anthropometry of impression and the distance from the medial end of impression to medial end of clavicle. Subjects and Methods : This descriptive study was carried in 200 adult human dry clavicles of both sides and various patterns of rhomboid impression, anteroposterior and transverse diameter of impression and distance between the medial end of impression and medial end of clavicle was measured with digital vernier caliper. Statistical analysis was done and p-value of < 0.05 is considered to be significant. Results : The most common pattern observed was depression and rough (29%) followed by elevated and rough (28.5%). The resection length of the medial end of clavicle was 11 mm from the medial end of impression to medial end of clavicle. Conclusion: The findings of the present study on the morphology and anthropometry of rhomboid impression of adult human clavicles and the resection length of medial end of rhomboid impression from the medial end of clavicle will provide guidance for the anthropologists, orthopedicians, and in