This paper presents a novel deep autoregressive method for Acoustic-to-Articulatory Inversion called ArticulatoryWaveNet. In traditional methods such as Gaussian Mixture Model-Hidden Markov Model (GMM-HMM), mapping the frame-level interdependency of observations has not been considered. We address this problem by introducing the Articulatory-WaveNet with dilated causal convolutional layers to predict the articulatory trajectories from acoustic feature sequences. This new model has an average Root Mean Square Error (RMSE) of 1.08mm and a correlation of 0.82 on the English speaker subset of the ElectroMagnetic Articulography-Mandarin Accented English (EMA-MAE) corpus. Articulatory-WaveNet represents an improvement of 59% for RMSE and 30% for correlation over the previous GMMHMM based inversion model. To the best of our knowledge, this paper introduces the first application of a WaveNet synthesis approach to the problem of Acoustic-to-Articulatory Inversion, and results are comparable to or better than the best currently published systems.


This thesis reads contemporary British motorway service areas as questions of place, and as instances of what I call 'lounge space', a space of transient consumption that conceals the power of the host. Motorways and service areas are sites where clear boundaries have been asserted, materially as well as theoretically, between local and national, traditional and modern, country and city, place and 'non-place'. Through close readings of service area forms, details and materials in context, this thesis shows how such absolute distinctions cannot be maintained. Rather than instances of 'non-place' – Marc Auge's term for spaces lacking social relations, history or identity – service areas show place as process: as never absolutely fixed and always dependent on interrelated material, socio-cultural and historical contexts. This is not to dissolve the differences between places, but to show how they are contested and the power relations involved. The thesis thus explores a notion of place informed by what Jacques Derrida calls 'iterability', a logic of irreducible contamination, of repetition with difference.

Chapter 1 considers two typical recent service areas, Hopwood Park and Donington Park. It shows how boundaries of place are dissimulated and yet tightly policed, how allusions to 'public' space also recall the 'private' space of the home, and how an illusion of unlimited hospitality conceals the power of the host. By comparison, 'independent' operator Westmorland, the focus of Chapter 2, appears to be an exception. On one level, the company's Tebay Services reclaim the roadside for the locality; on another, however, the sites, and the region they represent, become caught up in the cultures, forces and economies they claim to resist. Westmorland the company is conflated with Westmorland the place. As this 'natural' host offers an idyllic Lakeland refigured for the outsider's consumption, it contests how and by whom that place is to be consumed.


A particle that moves along a smooth track in a vertical plane is influenced by two forces: gravity and normal force. The force experienced by roller coaster riders is the normal force, so a natural question to ask is, what shape of the track gives a normal force of constant magnitude? Here we solve this problem. It turns out that the solution is related to the Kepler problem; the trajectories in velocity space are conic sections.


Psychology![Figure][1]

CREDIT: [ISTOCKPHOTO.COM][2]

Self-esteem and narcissism are sometimes invoked as explanations for outbreaks of classroom aggression, whether physical or verbal. That is, too little of one or too much of the other putatively contribute to the tendency to lash out when threatened, and hence there have been efforts to boost students' self-esteem as a means of reducing the frequency of confrontations. Thomaes et al. argue instead that the critical need is to buffer self-esteem—whether a student has a lot or a little of it—and they conducted a randomized field trial in the Netherlands to assess the efficacy of a brief affirmation exercise designed to buttress self-esteem. Before the intervention, aggressive behavior was prevalent among the individuals who scored high on the narcissism scale and low on self-esteem. Afterward, acts of aggression decreased even though the individual levels of self-esteem (both high and low) were unchanged, supporting the conclusion that firming up one's sense of worth reduces the vulnerability to threat and thus diminishes the motivation to launch defensive counterattacks.

Psychol. Sci. 20 , 10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02478.x (2009).

 [1]: pending:yes
 [2]: http://ISTOCKPHOTO.COM


Urban expansion in adjacent areas has been addressed by different dimensions depending on the context. Sri Lanka is gradually developing, and urban areas have mostly expanded in an unplanned manner resulting in uncontrolled urban sprawl in their new territories. Similarly, the Wattala-Mabole urban council area also has a site of urban sprawling. The main objective of this research is to identify and analyze the different factors which generate the socio-economic impacts of the urban sprawl in the study area. Further, the paper examines the challenges and opportunities of urban sprawl in the urban council and its surrounding areas. The methodological steps for the study include a questionnaire survey and interviews, and secondary data for the spatial analysis. Moreover, the spatial data have been analyzed through geographic information system applications. This study identified major factors of the urban sprawl which generate socio- economic impacts such as 'monthly household income impacts the accommodation of the community, and unemployment causes robbery and illegal activities.' Moreover, the rapid growth of urban council outskirts causes an increase in land value unaffordability. It was stated by the urban council that the service industries, warehouses, and massive production factories have utilized most of the low-lying lands in the outskirt area at comparatively low prices. Hence, this rejuvenated urban growth. Further, the study found that some people who are living in urban fringes gain economic benefits due to the urban sprawl by providing accommodations to the migrants, and having more business opportunities and demand for goods. However, both the urban and outskirt dwellers face socio-economic and environment related problems due to the urban sprawl. Thus, national and local governments should step ahead and implement policies to overcome the issues of the community.


An overview of the approaches we have developed to significantly lower the energy consumption in computing systems will be presented in this talk. We have derived optimal power management strategies for stationary workloads. Run-time adaptation can be done via an online learning algorithm that selects among a set of policies. We have generalized the algorithm to include thermal management since we found that minimizing the power consumption does not necessarily reduce the overall energy costs. To reduce the performance costs typically associated with state of the art thermal management techniques, we developed a new set of proactive management policies.


This study aimed at evaluating the effects of different surface conditionings on the microshear bond strength (µSBS) of a self-adhesive resin cement to VITA Suprinity (ZLS) and IPS e.max CAD (LD). Three surface conditioning protocols were performed on ZLS and LD before luting with a self-adhesive resin cement (RelyX Unicem 2, RXU): hydrofluoric acid (HF), HF + silane (HF + S), or Monobond Etch & Prime (EP). In each group, 15 cylindrical buildups of RXU were prepared on five milled bars and submitted to a µSBS test. Data were statistically analyzed with two-way ANOVA and Tukey's post hoc test (p < 0.05). Failure modes were recorded and classified as adhesive, mixed, cohesive in resin, or ceramic, and statistically analyzed with Fisher's exact test (p = 0.05). One additional bar per group was used for the morphological characterization of the conditioned surface by means of SEM. The material per se did not significantly influence adhesion (p = 0.744). Conditioning protocol was a significant factor: EP yielded significantly higher μSBS than HF (p = 0.005), while no significant differences emerged between EP and HF + S (p = 0.107), or HF + S and HF (p = 0.387). The material-conditioning protocol interaction was not statistically significant (p = 0.109). Significant intergroup differences were found in distribution of failure modes: mixed failures were predominant in the ZLS/EP group, while the other groups showed a prevalence of adhesive failures. The self-etching primer showed promising results in terms of immediate bond strength of a self-adhesive resin cement to lithium-silica-based glass ceramics, suggesting its alternative use to hydrofluoric acid and silane conditioning protocols.


From a total of three-hundred and fifty-six children admitted into the Department of Pediatrics at the Hospital Clínico of the University of Granada during of period of two years, twenty cases that needed admittance in critical pediatrics care unit are revised. Organic etiology that provoked coma, time of appearance, intensity, evolution, complications and short term outcome are analysed. A comparison is made of the incidences and prognosis of this type of coma with that of other authors presenting therapeutic outline carried. Two large evolutive groups; one which consisted of nine patients which entered into coma immediately after injury. The second group includes those patients which had lucid period before entering into coma. Following conclusions have been withdrawn: Severity and duration of coma does not have a definite relationship with the existence of a mass-lesion. Presence of an associated--mass-lesion is a sign of grave prognosis. For a good therapeutic response the following approaches are necessary: Immediate assistance monitoring and periodic or systematic maintenance of extracranial variants diagnostic, and treatment of the primary causing factor.


Introduction : Birth weights and subsequent weights (weight-for-age of babies) have been found to play a vital role in early childhood development and have profound effect on later lives of children. The weight-for-age of babies, as a measure of child's growth, was found in several literatures as one of the key determinants of under-five mortality. This paper therefore deemed it crucial to explore how prognostic factors are influencing infants' growth in the weights of babies in Ghana using Bolgatanga municipality in the Upper East region of Ghana as case study. Method : The post-natal records of three hundred (300) nursing mothers were retrospectively followed from January to December 2013 in the seven health facilities of the municipality for the study. Inclusion criterion was used to recruit two hundred and thirty five (235) qualified subjects. The weight-for-age of babies and socio-demographics of the babies and the mothers were recorded. The determinants of infant growth in the weights of the babies were profiled. Results: The study disclosed that the mean birth weight in both sexes, 2.71kg for males and 2.74kg for females, were higher than the standard normal birth weights of 2.50kg by WHO. The multivariate analysis of variance showed a nonlinear infants growth profile in the weights of babies during their first developmental year. The profile of the determinants showed that factors such as educational status and age of mother, breastfeeding type and sex of baby did not differ in the infants' weights by these groups even-though higher education and nonexclusive breastfeeding had positive effects. However, maternal factors such as: religious affiliations (socio-cultural practices), occupation, parity, injection as at last type of family planning practiced by nursing mothers were significant, highlighting the effect of these maternal socio-demographics and biological factors on infant growth and child survival. Conclusion : The profiles of the effects of the maternal determinants on the weights of babies considered in this study established that infant growth is non-linear. It could also be stated on the basis of the profile analysis that, the weights of babies in this municipality could be modeled for predictions using the maternal determinants such as occupation, parity group, injectable family planning method, breastfeeding type, educational level and socio-cultural practices (religion). The profile analysis of the effects of the maternal socio-demographics and biological factors on infant weights established that the infant's growth can be improved significantly by the nursing mothers, health service providers and the government if efforts are made to improve and/or modify the significant health indicators.


Objective: For young children with critical valve defects, and for older patients who are contra-indicated for receiving mechanical and bioprosthetic valves, treatment options are extremely limited. The purpose of this study was to determine whether tubular porcine small intestinal submucosa (PSIS) bio-scaffold valves can facilitate robust mitral valvular hydrodynamic function and serves as a potential treatment option for the aforementioned patient sub-sets.


OBJECTIVES
We examined the association between young adolescents' dietary behaviors and school vending machines, à la carte programs, and fried potatoes' being served at school lunch.

METHODS
Using a cross-sectional study design, we measured à la carte availability and the number of school stores, vending machines, and amounts of fried potatoes served to students at school lunch in 16 schools. Grade 7 students (n = 598) completed 24-hour dietary recall interviews.

RESULTS
A la carte availability was inversely associated with fruit and fruit/vegetable consumption and positively associated with total and saturated fat intake. Snack vending machines were negatively correlated with fruit consumption. Fried potatoes' being served at school lunch was positively associated with vegetable and fruit/vegetable intake.

CONCLUSIONS
School-based programs that aim to promote healthy eating among youths should target school-level environmental factors.


Invasive alien weed species; are non-indigenous species that have adverse economic, environment and ecological effects on habitats where they have been introduced, either accidentally or deliberately, outside their normal past or present distribution. The objective of this study was to determine the distribution and abundance of emerging invasive weeds in West Shewa and East Wollega Zones of Western Oromia. The biophysical survey was conducted by stopping along main and sub-roads accessible for, vehicle at 8 to10km interval. At each stop a 20m by 20m area was used to determine distribution and abundance of the invasive weeds. Five major emerging invasive weeds i.e Senna occidentalis, Senna didymobotrya, Xanthium spinosum and Carduus spp, Cirsium spp were identified as, important emerging invader species in the study area. Infestation of these weeds was mostly observed on roadsides, around human habitations, in pasture and waste lands and even crop fields. The extent of distribution varied among habitat and locations surveyed, ranging from none to abundant infestation of the alien weed species.

 Key words: Ethiopia, emerging weeds, invasive weeds, weed abundance, weed distributions, weeds.


In these recent over twenty years, transrectal prostate biopsy takes predominant place in diagnosing prostate cancer for its relatively convenient procedure and low cost. In contrast, transperineal biopsy approach is much less popular. However, transrectal prostate biopsy has disadvantages of"blind region"in the anterior apex regions of the prostate gland and relatively high risk of biopsy associated sepsis. The transperineal biopsy approach is again gaining attention and even becoming a mainstream approach. The advantages of transperineal prostate biopsy are the following: a high positive rate, particularly in the detection of tumors at the anterior or apical prostate; accurate assessment of the volume and Gleason score of prostate cancer; the possibility of providing information about the spatial distribution of the cancer; good consistency of pathology with radical resection; and a lower infection rate, making it suitable for patients with a high infection risks. The expansion of transperineal biopsy has been propagated by the increase in multiparametric MRI-guided biopsies, which often use the transperineal approach.


Thermally stimulated current (TSC) and photo induced current transient spectroscopy (PICTS) were used to investigate deep traps in oxygen-rich medium resistivity GaAs. We observed an abnormal behaviour of the TSC signal at a temperature of about 200 K. where the TSC current is lower than the dark current. This results in a negative peak occurring in the temperature range where the signal of the well known EL3 defect in undoped semi-insulating GaAs is present. For verification. comparative PICTS-measurements were performed, which exhibit the same negative peak at similar temperatures. The activation energy for this negative peak was determined to be ∼ 0.6 eV (TSC). This is in good agreement with published values for the EL3 ranging from 0.56 to 0.68 eV. Furthermore, we illustrate that the depth of the peak increases with increasing oxygen content. Our results support the assumption, that oxygen on an arsenic site the so called off centre oxygen oc-O As should be the origin of the EL3.


In the classical partial vertex cover problem, we are given a graphG and two positive integers R and L. The goal is to check whether there is a subset V ′ of V of size at most R, such that V ′ covers at least L edges of G. The problem is NP-hard as it includes the Vertex Cover problem. Previous research has addressed the extension of this problem where one has weight-functions defined on sets of vertices and edges of G. In this paper, we consider the following version of the problem where on the input we are given an edge-weighted bipartite graph G, and three positive integers R, S and T . The goal is to check whether G has a subset V ′ of vertices of G of size at most R, such that the edges of G covered by V ′ have weight at least S and they include a matching of weight at least T . In the paper, we address this problem from the perspective of fixed-parameter tractability. One of our hardness results is obtained via a reduction from the bi-objective knapsack problem, which we show to be W[1]-hard with respect to one of parameters. We believe that this problem might be useful in obtaining similar results in other situations.


COVID-19 pandemic has been a global health emergency due to its association with severe pneumonia and high rate of mortality. In the current study, we reported the direct evidence for the variable level of severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS-CoV-2) virus infection on several types of oral epithelial cells isolated from the aspirated oropharyngeal and bronchoalveolar secretions of severely infected and intubated patients using cytology, confocal based immunofluorescence imaging (IF), scanning electron microscope (SEM) and transmission electron microscopic (TEM) studies. Cytological analysis showed the presence of keratinised and non-keratinised oral epithelial cells with viral inclusion bodies in stratum granulosum and intermedium cells. IF imaging using SARS-CoV-2 spike protein specific antibody confirmed the presence of virus inside the stratum spinosum/granulosum (keratinised) and stratum intermedium/superficial cells (non-keratinised). No SARS-CoV-2 viruses were seen in stratum corneum cells. SEM analysis also confirms the absence of virus like structure on stratum corneum surface while viruses like structure were seen on the stratum spinosum/granulosum/stratum/intermedium and stratum superficial cells. This advanced microscopic study confirms directly that the virus tends to infect and multiply in the metabolically active or sub-basal cells of oral epithelium and absent in the inactive keratinised stratum corneum from shedding zones of oral mucosa.


: Cancer has been known as one of the death dealing diseases Curing from this spiteful disease is mainly based upon early and exact diagnosis. But early and accurate detection of cancer is critical to the well being of patients. Cancer usually comes from the formation of a tumor. Computer aided diagnosis can be a very good helper in this area. Cancer computer aided diagnosis can be based on gene expression, microscopic images of extracted cell specimens, or radiogram of a whole organ, a survey around these different diagnosis ways has been presented in this paper to be a basis for revolutionary research. Also a new process for prediction, diagnosis and curing from cancer has been suggested by combining multiple old ways for prediction and diagnosis with the new nanotechnology way.


PURPOSE
To assess the changes in intrapulpal temperature between electric high-speed handpieces of different coolant functions ('Water Jet' and 'Water  Spray'), coolant port designs (1- and 4-port), suction use and bur and tooth types using an experimental in vitro set-up.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Forty-four extracted anterior and posterior teeth were collected. A total of 18 groove cuts (n = 18/coolant port spray design, bur and tooth type group) and 12 groove cuts (n = 12/ tooth type and suction use) was completed, with a total of 264 groove cuts. Real-time temperature and duration was recorded at 1 s intervals throughout the preparation process using a thermocouple and digital data logger set-up (GFX Data Logger Series and EL USB-TC; Lascar Electronics Inc, USA), and the data retrieved using EasyLog Software (EasyLog USB; Lascar Electronics Inc, USA). Statistical analysis was performed (SPSS V.27) for the change in temperature using the ANOVA and post-hoc analysis.

RESULTS
The majority of the specimen cuts, regardless of tooth (anterior or posterior) and bur (diamond or carbide) type, handpiece coolant port design and suction use showed an overall decreasing trend in intrapulpal temperature. No cuts caused a mean temperature change that reached the critical temperature of 42.5°C, or resulted in an overall increase in intrapulpal temperature when the 60 s duration was completed.

CONCLUSIONS
The tested electric handpieces efficiently reduced intrapulpal temperature, with the majority displaying a decreasing trend. A greater decrease in intrapulpal temperature was observed in canines compared to premolars; carbide burs compared to diamond; and with no suction preparations compared to when suction was used. This article is protected by copyright. All rights reserved.


White mullet is a commercial fish species abundant in the coastal waters of Brazil. This study investigated the occurrence of crustacean ectoparasites on white mullet, Mugil curema captured from the littoral waters of Rio Grande do Norte State, Brazil. From 2006 to 2007, 31 individuals of M. curema were captured and encountered ectoparasites were observed, identified and counted. M. curema was parasitized by ectoparasitic crustaceans, caligid copepods, Caligus bonito and Caligus sp.; ergasilid copepods, Ergasilus versicolor and E. lizae ; and isopod Cymothoa spinipalpa . Of the caligids detected, 66.66% were C. bonito and 33.33% Caligus sp. C. bonito occurred on males of M. curema during the drought season and Caligus sp. occurred on females during the rainy season. The prevalence of both caligid species was 3.23%. Of the ergasilids detected, E. versicolor (91.67%) occurred during the drought and rainy seasons, whereas E. lizae (8.33%) occurred during the rainy season. Prevalence of E. versicolor was 35.48% and E. lizae was 3.23%. C. spinipalpa was detected during the drought and rainy seasons with a prevalence of 16.13%. The preferred site of fixation by the parasites was the branchial chambers.


CD166/ALCAM plays an important role in tumor aggression and progression as well as protecting cancer cells against apoptosis and autophagy. However, the mechanism by which pro-cell death signals control CD166 expression remains unclear. Here we show that following serum deprivation (SD), upregulation of CD166 protein is shorter than that of CD166 mRNA. Molecular analysis revealed both CD166 and miR-9-1 as two novel NF-κB target genes in hepatoma cells. In vivo activation and translocation of the NF-κB P50/P65 hetero-dimer into the nucleus following the phosphorylation and accompanied degradation of its inhibitor, IκBα, contributes to efficient transcription of both genes following SD. We show that following serum starvation, delayed up-regulation of miR-9 represses translation of CD166 protein through its target sites in the 3′-UTR of CD166 mRNA. We also propose that miR-9 promotes cell migration largely due to inhibition of CD166. Collectively, the study elucidates a novel negative auto-regulatory loop in which NF-κB mediates differential regulation of CD166 after SD.


The energy consumption for a novel desalination approach using charged hydrogels under externally applied pressure is experimentally measured and calculated. The salt separation is based on a partial rejection of mobile salt ions caused by the fixed charges inside the polyelectrolyte network. Self-synthesized and commercial poly(acrylic acid) hydrogels are used to study the desalination performance in reference to sodium chloride solutions within the concentration range of 0.1–35 g L−1. The influence of various synthetic parameters, such as the degree of crosslinking (DC) and the size and shape of the particles, is investigated. Furthermore, the effect of process parameters including the amount of the feed solution, the applied pressure profile, and the swelling time of the hydrogel is discussed. The best energy estimation found so far, is 8.9 kWh m−3 fresh water if a poly(acrylic acid) with a DC of 5 mol% is used in an infinite large salt bath.


We have successfully fabricated hierarchical ZnSnO3 nanocages via a facile one-pot solution synthesis method. Field emission scanning electron microscopic and transmission electron microscopic results reveal that the cubic ZnSnO3 samples with hollow interior and porous shells are cage-like structure with the side length of 200−400 nm, where the subunits are irregular-shaped nanoparticles. The time-dependent morphology of the ZnSnO3 samples has been investigated, and a possible formation mechanism of these hierarchical structures is proposed. Moreover, gas sensor based on hierarchical ZnSnO3 nanocages exhibits better sensing properties compared with the solid ZnSnO3 nanocubes. The facile preparation method may provide an easy path to the extendable synthesis of other functional nanomaterials with hollow structure and further exploitation of the potential applications.


Abstract: Digital digitalization has changed the way we access and use our content. Information is available at the click of a button and is always in our hands. The proliferation of the Internet led to the collapse of the planet, figuratively speaking. Content based on entertainment mixed with information (infotainment), unlike the latest news, tends to attract the attention of better audiences. The rise of OTT platforms, this trend has seen a new. Content from around the world is available without wasting much time. It would not be wrong to say that OTT platforms like Netflix, Amazon Prime Video etc. provide catalytic momentum in globalization. These forums can be commended for bringing the world together and bringing them closer together and for promoting a better sense of cultural understanding among the masses. During the tragic times of the unprecedented global epidemic such as COVID-19, these highly sought-after video platforms saw a dramatic increase in their visuals. As a result of the closure and the official social reduction practices adopted by many countries affected by the epidemic, people have registered for higher attendance at these forums. It is because of these methods and statistics of increasing popularity and reliance on OTT foundations of entertainment, information and engagement among viewers that this research has done. This urban youth survey aims to assess the tendency to use content during closure, to understand your causes and impacts. Keywords: OTT, Video-on-demand, digitization, infotainment, content, COVID-19 pandemic, lockdown.


Supergraph methods are employed to investigate quantum-mechanical aspects of the (2,O)-Schwinger model. The authors compute the anomaly of the chiral supercurrent and evaluate 1-loop corrections to the effective action in superspace. The results of both calculations are shown to yield the same value for the dynamically generated gauge-field mass.


This study focuses on family owner–nonfamily CEO relational practices and what these relational practices constrain and potentiate in family firm CEO succession. Our main contribution is developing a constructionist relational practice perspective and approach as an alternative to the entitative view that dominates the family business literature. We illustrate the relational practice perspective through our dialogically structured inquiries with family owners and nonfamily CEOs. We co-develop practical wisdom on how family owner–nonfamily CEO relational practices can construct stuckness in organizing or, conversely, open up new possibilities to go on depending on (i) the way the family owner and nonfamily CEO "handle" equivocality and tension they continuously (re)produce through their relational practices and (ii) the way they enact "relational balancing" to equilibrate their relation in the making in terms of value/self-worth maintenance by involving other actors, such as board members, management team members, or a coach.


so flaming as to weaken credibility. John Paul Jones, we are told, was a wronged man. He was the only effective commander in the naval engagements against the Turks; therefore Potemkin was led, through jealousy, to mulct him of his laurels and his command. Catherine compounded the evil first by refusing Jones a hearing and then by being party to a charge of rape that was trumped up to justify the scurvy treatment he was receiving. All


Atoms in highly excited (Rydberg) states have a number of unique properties which make them attractive for applications in quantum information: large dipole moments, lifetimes, and polarizabilities, as well as strong long-range interactions between Rydberg atoms. Experimental methods of laser cooling and precision spectroscopy enable the trapping and manipulation of single Rydberg atoms and applying them for practical implementation of quantum gates over qubits of a quantum computer based on single neutral atoms in optical traps. In this paper, we give a review of the experimental and theoretical work performed by the authors at the Rzhanov Institute of Semiconductor Physics of the SB RAS and Novosibirsk State University on laser and microwave spectroscopy of cold Rb Rydberg atoms in a magneto-optical trap and on their possible applications in quantum information. We also give a brief review of studies done by other groups in this area.


The results of the study of the cultural morphological properties and growth dynamics of P. multocida, serotypes A, B, D, in the course of cultivation in liquid media are presented. The bacteria were grown in synthetic nutrient medium 199 and Hottinger broth. The influence of glucose at different concentrations on the growth activity of P. multocida in the synthetic medium was established. The process of the accumulation of surface (capsular) antigens in culture fluid was studied. The levels of the titers of surface antigens were shown to depend on the growth phases of bacteria.


Aerosols significantly affect environmental conditions, air quality, and public health locally, regionally, and globally. Examining the impact of land use/land cover (LULC) on aerosol optical depth (AOD) helps to understand how human activities influence air quality and develop suitable solutions. The Landsat 8 image and Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) aerosol products in summer in 2018 were used in LULC classification and AOD retrieval in this study. Spatial statistics and correlation analysis about the relationship between LULC and AOD were performed to examine the impact of LULC on AOD in summer in Wuhan, China. Results indicate that the AOD distribution expressed an obvious "basin effect" in urban development areas: higher AOD values concentrated in water bodies with lower terrain, which were surrounded by the high buildings or mountains with lower AOD values. The AOD values were negatively correlated with the vegetated areas while positively correlated to water bodies and construction lands. The impact of LULC on AOD varied with different contexts in all cases, showing a "context effect". The regression correlations among the normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI), normalized difference built-up index (NDBI), normalized difference water index (NDWI), and AOD in given landscape contexts were much stronger than those throughout the whole study area. These findings provide sound evidence for urban planning, land use management and air quality improvement.


Abstract The General Insurance Board of the Faculty and Institute of Actuaries responded to some of the criticisms raised in the Morris review of the Actuarial Profession and in the press by rating agencies and others, regarding the Actuarial Profession's approach to actuarial reserving in general insurance by setting up a taskforce known as the General Insurance Reserving Issues Taskforce (GRIT). The taskforce worked from 2004 to 2006 and produced a significant report, including some new professional content and recommendations for further areas of development and research. Since then, through the GRIT successor body: the Reserving Oversight Committee (ROC), many working parties have formed and many General Insurance Research Organisation (GIRO) presentations and papers have been forthcoming. One area that has been a recurring theme through the last five years is how the Profession models and communicates the uncertainty in the claims reserving process. In the context of recent events in global financial markets, the forthcoming new regulatory framework of Solvency II, and the developments in other professions globally through IFRS and other drivers, it is timely that actuaries take stock of the many changes in our practices over the last five years and consider the direction actuaries should take for the challenges that lie ahead. This paper is a meta-study of the output of GRIT and ROC on reserving and uncertainty, with the intention of meeting these objectives.


This study was part of a randomized controlled trial designed to improve hepatitis knowledge and health promoting behaviors and subsequently decrease stimulant use and incarceration with 422 (G/B) homeless men between 18 and 46 years of age. Findings revealed that no significant program differences on incarceration in the 4 months following the intervention. However, younger participants (p = .010), and those with prior incarceration (p = .001) were at greater risk for incarceration at 4 months. An additional factor associated with incarceration at 4 months included living on the street for at least 1 week (p = .049).


An application of computer graphics technology to functional stereotactic neurosurgery is presented. Neuroanatomical images derived from a stereotactic atlas and information retrieved from a neurophysiological data base are drawn on a graphic monitor. The pictures are oriented and scaled according to appropriate landmarks. The aim of this work is to add confidence in the surgeon's selection of the probe trajectory and to improve the knowledge of sensory and motor organization within the thalamus.


Entomology is a biological science dealing generally with anthropods and specifically insects. Agricultural entomology is a branch of entomology that deals with anthropods which effect the welfare of men, his crops and domesticated animals, either through their direct attacks, through their ability to transmit causal agents of diseases, or as a result of harmful effects from direct contacts. This manual on the fundamentals of entomology has been written to provide practical knowledge necessary for a beginner and those who may never again have a laboratory exercise in general biology. For those who plan to major in entomology, this manual will provide sufficient background in important phases of entomology adequate to cope with the future and more specialized subjects.


Non-linear standard calibration curves occur frequently in liquid chromatography/electrospray ionization mass spectrometry (LC/ESI-MS), necessitating the use of non-linear regression curve fitting or a reduction in assay dynamic range. Non-linearity can be minimized by the use of stable isotope internal standards, if the cause of curve bending is ionization saturation. Unfortunately, stable isotope internal standards can be difficult or expensive to synthesize. Structural analog internal standards, if sufficiently close to analytes both in chemical structures and HPLC retention times, may mimic the effect of stable isotope internal standards. Tentative experimental evidence supporting this concept is presented in this paper.


The Nile Delta Aquifer (NDA) is threatened by salt water intrusion (SWI). This article demonstrates an approach for identifying critical salinity concentration zones using a three-dimensional (3D) variable-density groundwater flow model in the NDA. An innovative procedure is presented for the delineation of salinity concentration in 2010 by testing different simulation periods. The results confirm the presence of saline groundwater caused by SWI in the north of the NDA. In addition, certain regions in the east and southwest of the NDA show increased salinity concentration levels, possibly due to excessive groundwater extraction and dissolution of marine fractured limestone and shale that form the bedrock underlying the aquifer. The research shows that the NDA is still not in a state of dynamic equilibrium. The modeling instrument can be used for simulating future scenarios of SWI to provide a sustainable adaptation plan for groundwater resource.


The Tonkin Gulf is a semi-enclosed bay in the South China Sea with a shallow shelf. Historic observations indicate that the coastal and outer water masses converge here, which results in a complex hydrographic situation. The thermal front in ocean is a good indicator for connection between different water masses and acts as an important topic in the oceanography. Here the 8-year (1991 - 1998) Pathfinder sea surface temperature (SST) data have been applied to investigate the seasonal and interannual variability of the thermal front in the Tonkin Gulf. This paper tries a new methodology to describe the gradient of temperature using a pairs of orthogonal vector components. When the variability of the thermal fronts in the Tonkin Gulf is concerned, the signs of SST's anomalies (SSTA), the deviations of surface wind and surface heat fluxes are individually accounted for criterions of the causes. In the research domain, the order that the thermal frontal intensity varies with seasons from strongest to weakest is spring, then summer, winter and fall. There is a significant relationship between the frontal intesity and SSTA, which indicates a trend that when SSTA is negative, the fronts are strong, and the absolute value of SSTA shows a positive correlation with the frontal intensity. In winter, when abnormal northerly appears over the bay the front is stronger, whereas the front is weaker when anbnormal southerly occurs.


The objectives of this work are to elucidate the molecular mechanisms that are responsible for radiation-induced DNA damage. The overall goal is to understand the relationship between the chemical and structural changes produced by ionizing radiation in DNA and the resulting impairment of biological function expressed as carcinogenesis or cell death. The studies are based on theoretical explorations of possible mechanisms that link initial radiation damage in the form of base and sugar damage to conformational changes in DNA. These mechanistic explorations should lead to the formulation of testable hypothesis regarding the processes of impairment of regulation of gene expression, alternation in DNA repair, and damage to DNA structure involved in cell death or cancer.


Our research objects were behavioral risk factors that could cause contagion with coronavirus infection (hereinafter called COVID-19). Our research goal was to assess prevalence of behavioral risk factors that could cause contagion with COVID-19 among population in Belarus. The present work contains results obtained via online questioning that included 7,590 respondents and employed a specifically designed questionnaire covering most common behavioral risk factors of contagion with COVID-19. The factors were related to adherence to recommendations on physical and social distancing, use of personal protective equipment, and sticking to personal hygiene rules; the questionnaire also asked respondents to give a subjective estimate of their health and whether they had specific symptoms typical for COVID-19. Data analysis involved assessing prevalence of behavioral risk factors, and occurrence of a relation between specific factors and values of prevalence ratio. We determined prevalence of the most common behavioral risk factors and assessed to what extent risk factors influenced prevalence of subjective complaints by patients that they had symptoms typical for COVID-19. It was shown that certain behavioral risk factors authentically influenced prevalence of subjective symptoms of the disease. Subjective symptoms were more widely spread among respondents who regularly went to work as well as those whose family members regularly went to work or an educational establishment; among respondents who used public transport, went to shopping centers and catering facilities every day; among respondents who didn't keep social distance, didn't pay proper attention to personal hygiene, didn't use antiseptics, and had a habit to touch their face with their hands; among smoking respondents; among respondents who attended mass events, family and corporate parties; and also respondents whose relatives, close friends, or colleagues had returned from abroad. Our research results can be used for carrying out information campaigns aimed at COVID-19 prevention; they can also give grounds for performing more profound studies on assessing contributions made by various behavioral factors into risks of contagion with COVID-19.


A case is described in which, at semilunar valve level, the aorta and pulmonary artery arose from inappropriate ventricles. Despite this, the outflow tracts to both vessels originated from the left ventricle. Embryologically, it is speculated that this anomaly is the result of normal rotation of the proximal conus, without concomitant truncal inversion, and excessive leftward shift of the proximal conus and conal septum or anterior and rightward deviation of the anterior segment of the ventricular septum. Surgical repair using a double conduit between the right ventricle and pulmonary artery and left ventricle and aorta, respectively, was unsuccessful.


An increased platelet number may be secondary to many conditions. Malignancies are known to induce thrombocytosis in some cases. We report data of paraneoplastic thrombocytosis recognized in 54 out of 159 patient (33.9%) with reactive thrombocytosis diagnosed in our department over the last 10 years. In most of our patients increased platelet count was observed at the time of diagnosis (33.7%) or during the first year thereafter (35.2%). Evidence of other causes for reactive thrombocytosis including iron deficiency, anemia, inflammatory diseases, surgical procedures including splenectomy, and drugs were observed in 74% of our patients. 35% of our subjects had non fatal hemorrhagic or thrombotic accidents. In about one half of our patients, increased levels of fibrinogen, ESR and plasma alpha2 globulins were observed while 5 hydroxytryptamine (5HT) intraplatelet level was normal in about all these patients. The diagnosis of paraneoplastic thrombocytosis must be postulated only after exclusion of all other reactive conditions. Often an increased platelet count in patients with cancer may be considered a reactive phenomenon.


Volumetric objectives for exploration and perception tasks seek to capture a sense of value (or reward) for hypothetical observations at one or more camera views for robots operating in unknown environments. For example, a volumetric objective may reward robots proportionally to the expected volume of unknown space to be observed. We identify connections between existing information-theoretic and coverage objectives in terms of expected coverage, particularly that mutual information without noise is a special case of expected coverage. Likewise, we provide the first comparison, of which we are aware, between information-based approximations and coverage objectives for exploration, and we find, perhaps surprisingly, that coverage objectives can significantly outperform information-based objectives in practice. Additionally, the analysis for information and coverage objectives demonstrates that Randomized Sequential Partitions—a method for efficient distributed sensor planning—applies for both classes of objectives, and we provide simulation results in a variety of environments for as many as 32 robots.


Background Childhood diarrhea continues to be a public health problem in developing countries, including Ethiopia. Detecting clusters and trends of childhood diarrhea is important to designing effective interventions. Therefore, this study aimed to investigate spatiotemporal clustering and seasonal variability of childhood diarrhea in northwest Ethiopia. Methods Retrospective record review of childhood diarrhea was conducted using quarterly reported data to the district health office for the seven years period beginning July 1, 2007. Thirty three districts were included and geo-coded in this study. Spatial, temporal and space-time scan spatial statistics were employed to identify clusters of childhood diarrhea. Smoothing using a moving average was applied to visualize the trends and seasonal pattern of childhood diarrhea. Statistical analyses were performed using Excel® and SaTScan programs. The maps were plotted using ArcGIS 10.0. Results Childhood diarrhea in northwest Ethiopia exhibits statistical evidence of spatial, temporal, and spatiotemporal clustering, with seasonal patterns and decreasing temporal trends observed in the study area. A most likely purely spatial cluster was found in the East Gojjam administrative zone of Gozamin district (LLR = 7123.89, p <0.001). The most likely spatiotemporal cluster was detected in all districts of East Gojjam zone and a few districts of the West Gojjam zone (LLR = 24929.90, p<0.001), appearing from July 1, 2009 to June 30, 2011. One high risk period from July 1, 2008 to June 30, 2010 (LLR = 9655.86, p = 0.001) was observed in all districts. Peak childhood diarrhea cases showed a seasonal trend, occurring more frequently from January to March and April to June. Conclusion Childhood diarrhea did not occur at random. It has spatiotemporal variation and seasonal patterns with a decreasing temporal trend. Accounting for the spatiotemporal variation identified in the study areas is advised for the prevention and control of diarrhea.


Forthcoming interactive video services such as video on demand will use pre-encoded bit streams for transmission. A great lack of flexibility arises when heterogeneous networks are used or when the user is allowed to use a bandwidth of his/her own choice. In the paper, a mechanism capable of decoupling video encoders from transmission-network constraints and user demands is proposed. The authors devise a low-cost, low-delay video transcoder capable of providing transmission flexibility to pre-encoded bit streams, by reducing their bit rates according to either channel capacity or user demand. Simple techniques such as open-loop coarse requantisation or drop of high-frequency transform coefficients are shown to be inefficient, because of the drift introduced in the transcoded pictures. It is shown that transcoded pictures are drift-free and their quality, on average, is only about 1 dB worse than those directly encoded at the same bit rate. The proposed transcoder is far less complex than a cascade of decoder-encoder, while the picture quality is shown to be better for almost all frames.


Abstract The incidence of p53 antigen and human papillomavirus (HPV) expression in archival formalin-fixed, paraffin-embedded tissue sections from verrucous carcinoma of the larynx was determined using immunohistochemistry. The p53 oncoprotein was detected in four of 10 tissue samples (40 per cent). The same number of tumours had HPV antigen, and three cases had both p53 oncoprotein and HPV antigen. All positive cases were from heavy smokers and drinkers. After surgical treatment, no tumour recurrence was present in our series. Four patients developed a second head and neck neoplasm and death occurred in three. Three of the patients with second tumour had p53 positive immunoreactivity and two had p13 and HPV expression. Verrucous carcinoma of the larynx presented with overexpression of p53 antigen in a similar percentage to other head and neck cancers. The p53 immunohistochemical determination is well correlated with HPV detection and could have prognostic value in these tumours, but no statistical evidence was present.


An online backup system should be quick and reliable in both saving and restoring users' data. To do so in a peer-to-peer implementation, data transfer scheduling and the amount of redundancy must be chosen wisely. We formalize the problem of exchanging multiple pieces of data with intermittently available peers, and we show that random scheduling completes transfers nearly optimally in terms of duration as long as the system is sufficiently large. Moreover, we propose an adaptive redundancy scheme that improves performance and decreases resource usage while keeping the risks of data loss low. Extensive simulations show that our techniques are effective in a realistic trace-driven scenario with heterogeneous bandwidth.


With the wide applications of colored point cloud in many fields, point cloud perceptual quality assessment plays a vital role in the visual communication systems owing to the existence of quality degradations introduced in various stages. However, the existing point cloud quality assessments ignore the mechanism of human visual system (HVS) which has an important impact on the accuracy of the perceptual quality assessment. In this paper, a progressive knowledge transfer based on human visual perception mechanism for perceptual quality assessment of point clouds (PKT-PCQA) is proposed. The PKT-PCQA merges local features from neighboring regions and global features extracted from graph spectrum. Taking into account the HVS properties, the spatial and channel attention mechanism is also considered in PKT-PCQA. Besides, inspired by the hierarchical perception system of human brains, PKT-PCQA adopts a progressive knowledge transfer to convert the coarse-grained quality classification knowledge to the fine-grained quality prediction task. Experiments on three large and independent point cloud assessment datasets show that the proposed no reference PKT-PCQA network achieves better of equivalent performance comparing with the state-of-the-art full reference quality assessment methods, outperforming the existed no reference quality assessment network.


Graph Neural Networks (GNNs) have already been widely used in various graph mining tasks. However, recent works reveal that the learned weights (channels) in well-trained GNNs are highly redundant, which inevitably limits the performance of GNNs. Instead of removing these redundant channels for efficiency consideration, we aim to reactivate them to enlarge the representation capacity of GNNs for effective graph learning. In this paper, we propose to substitute these redundant channels with other informative channels to achieve this goal. We introduce a novel GNN learning framework named AKE-GNN, which performs the Adaptive Knowledge Exchange strategy among multiple graph views generated by graph augmentations. AKE-GNN first trains multiple GNNs each corresponding to one graph view to obtain informative channels. Then, AKE-GNN iteratively exchanges redundant channels in the weight parameter matrix of one GNN with informative channels of another GNN in a layer-wise manner. Additionally, existing GNNs can be seamlessly incorporated into our framework. AKE-GNN achieves superior performance compared with various baselines across a suite of experiments on node classification, link prediction, and graph classification. In particular, we conduct a series of experiments on 15 public benchmark datasets, 8 popular GNN models, and 3 graph tasks and show that AKE-GNN consistently outperforms existing popular GNN models and even their ensembles. Extensive ablation studies and analyses on knowledge exchange methods validate the effectiveness of AKE-GNN.


We show that, in conserved-mass transport processes, the steady-state distribution of mass in a subsystem is uniquely determined from the functional dependence of variance of the subsystem mass on its mean, provided that the joint mass distribution of subsystems is factorized in the thermodynamic limit. The factorization condition is not too restrictive as it would hold in systems with short-ranged spatial correlations. To demonstrate the result, we revisit a broad class of mass transport models and its generic variants, and show that the variance of the subsystem mass in these models is proportional to the square of its mean. This particular functional form of the variance constrains the subsystem mass distribution to be a gamma distribution irrespective of the dynamical rules.


For central nervous system disorders' rehabilitation, it is important to accurately understand motor control and implement an appropriate motor learning process to induce neuroplastic changes. The neurophysiological studies have revealed that neural control mechanisms are crucial during both the onset of muscular activities and muscle release after contraction. When performing various movements during daily activities, muscle relaxation control enables precise force output and timing control. Moreover, surround inhibition is a functional mechanism in the motor system. Surround inhibition of the motor system may be involved in the selective execution of desired movements. This review demonstrates cortical excitability resulting from motor learning, movement control mechanisms including muscle relaxation and the suppression of nontarget muscle groups, and the voluntary drive's importance that is required for movement.


The complexity of IgE synthesis and regulation is expressed in the IgE serum levels of 81 patients with primary immunodeficiency diseases. IgE serum levels were often elevated in patients with partial cellular deficiency and also in some with predominantly antibody defect, as isolated IgA and IgM deficiency. The lowest levels were found in the wider spectrum immunodeficiencies, such as the X-linked agammaglobulinemia and severe combined immunodeficiency. Due to the heterogeneity and variability of the immunological defects, even in these well defined immunodeficiency diseases, it is very difficult to establish a typical feature of IgE serum levels in these conditions.


Abstract.
 The last comprehensive native forest structure survey made in the Grand Etang National Park and Forest Reserve of Grenada was in the 1940s, before Hurricane Janet hit the island in 1955. The data from this study were collected in the mid-1990s, previous to the devastation of Hurricane Ivan in 2004, the first hurricane to strike Grenada since 1955. A total of 584 trees representing 41 species were identified in twenty 2m × 50m plots. Mean tree height, basal area per hectare, tree density per hectare, and species richness were determined for the park and forest reserve. Licania ternatensis was the dominant tree in terms of density per hectare (18%), while Dacryodes excelsa was dominant in terms of basal area per hectare (30.3 m2). Trichillia septentrionalis had the largest mean height (23.6 m) even though the tallest tree in the sample was a Dacryodes excelsa (51.9 m). The composition of the Grand Etang forest in the 1990s consisted of a mosaic of stands of different size classes and species composition, most likely indicating varying damage and recovery from Hurricane Janet. Additional surveys are recommended to reassess Grenada's Grand Etang native rainforest structure in order to determine which tree species are recovering and at what rate after the devastation of Hurricane Ivan. These results could then be compared to the significant body of work done on ecologically similar hurricane affected wet/rain and lower montane wet/rain forests found on Puerto Rico.


The communitarian movement aims to balance the individual liberties prized by modernity with the health of the community in which those liberties are exercised. The movement arose in 1980s America-a society asserting, on the left, personal self-realization and, on the right, unrestrained capitalism and distrust of government, both sides assailing social institutions. In The Communitarian Persuasion esteemed thinker Philip Selznick shows how the communitarian response to such pressures is not opposition but integration. "Communities have this remarkable feature: they build upon and are nourished by other unities, which are persons, groups, practices, and institutions. What we prize in community is not unity of any sort at any price, but unity that preserves the integrity of the parts." Selznick situates communitarianism as a public philosophy and relates the communitarian project to key social and political questions raised by the recent transformations of modern life. He also reflects on the appropriate demands of the common good and on religious faith's contributions to community. Readers new to communitarian ideas and readers long acquainted with them will find The Communitarian Persuasion well worth their attention.


ROLAP tools are intended to ease information analysis and navigation through the whole Data Warehouse. These tools automatically generate a query according to the multidimensional operations performed by the end-user, using the relational database technology to implement multidimensionality and consequently, automatically translating multidimensional operations to SQL. In this paper, we consider this automatic translation process in detail and to do so, we present an exhaustive comparative (both theoretical and practical) between the multidimensional algebra and the relational one. Firstly, we discuss about the necessity of a multidimensional algebra with regard to the relational one and later, we thoroughly study those considerations to be made to guarantee the correctness of a cube-query (an SQL query making multidimensional sense). With this aim, we analyze the multidimensional algebra expressiveness with regard to SQL pointing out the features a query must satisfy to make multidimensional sense and we also focus on those problems that can arise in a cube-query due to SQL intrinsic restrictions. The SQL translation of an isolated operation does not represent a problem, but when mixing up the modifications brought about by a set of operations in a single cube-query, some conflicts derived from SQL could emerge depending on the operations involved. Therefore, if these problems are not detected and treated appropriately, the automatic translation can retrieve unexpected results.


UNLABELLED
We report an attractive approach for the preparation of [1-11C]acetate.

METHODS
The procedure involved the instantaneous hydrolysis of [1-11C]acetyl chloride back to [1-11C]acetic acid by simply trapping the volatile acid chloride in physiological saline. This delivered [1-11C]acetate immediately in pharmaceutical quality.

RESULTS
An easy and quantitative gas phase separation of the radiopharmaceutical from any inorganic residue and organic contamination could be achieved. The preparation required a minimum of automation and afforded only 5 min for an amount of 15 GBq of [1-11C]acetate which was yet ready for injection. Multiple preparations could be performed within 1 day.

CONCLUSION
The use of [1-11C]acetyl chloride as a precursor to [1-11C]acetate is of considerable practical importance lending itself to automation with ease and giving the target compound directly in sterile solution without the need for further care and purification.


We present a scheme for a photon-counting detection system that can be operated at incident photon rates higher than otherwise possible by suppressing the effects of detector deadtime. The method uses an array of N detectors and a 1-by-N optical switch with a control circuit to direct input light to live detectors. Our calculations and models highlight the advantages of the technique. In particular, using this scheme, a group of N detectors provides an improvement in operation rate that can exceed the improvement that would be obtained by a single detector with deadtime reduced by 1/N, even if it were feasible to produce a single detector with such a large improvement in deadtime. We model the system for continuous and pulsed light sources, both of which are important for quantum metrology and quantum key distribution applications.


There are many organelles within a cell, each with individual responsibilities required for life. Of these organelles, the mitochondria are the hemi of the cell, producing the energy necessary for cell function. Reactive oxygen species can cause mitochondrial dysfunction and contribute to many diseases often seen in emergency departments. When reactive oxygen species are produced, the mitochondria undergo functional and structural changes causing the release of cytochrome c. Cytochrome c is responsible for activating apoptotic pathways leading to cell death. Apoptosis, or programmed cell death, is needed to maintain homeostasis in the body; however, when this occurs prematurely by an increase in reactive oxygen species production, many pathological conditions can occur. Clinicians in emergency departments caring for patients with different diseases should consider that the mitochondria may play an important role in patients' recovery. For instance, myocardial infarctions and burns are two examples of altered physiologic states that play a role in mitochondrial dysfunction. Awareness of the different treatments that target the mitochondria will prepare emergency department clinicians to better care for their patients.


The recent study of complex emotions using visual storyboards by Bhushan et al. (2020) endorses that same scenario can induce guilt/remorse or guilt/shame in people based on valence. These findings were based on behavioral data and did not consider body physiology. The present study aimed to explore the difference in the thermal signature of scenarios that elicit guilt in some and shame/remorse in others. Using storyboard depicting 13 scenarios, we analyzed the thermal changes on the forehead, eyes (left and right separately), cheek (left and right separately), nose tip, and mouth regions of the face with the objective of exploring the thermal signature of guilt, shame, and remorse. Data were collected from 31 participants using a thermal camera in a laboratory setting. We found a difference of 0.5°C or above change in temperature on the forehead, left and right cheeks, and mouth regions during guilt experience compared to shame and remorse experiences. The temperature of the right and left cheeks was high for guilt as compared to remorse for two scenarios inducing guilt/remorse, and the difference was statistically significant. For one of the scenarios inducing guilt/shame, thermal change in the right eye region was higher for shame as compared to guilt. The findings are discussed in light of the distribution of blood vessels on the face.


The article discusses some inaccurate uses of pronominal forms, certain terms, syntactical and lexical mistakes in papers on welding. The article also provides the examples of mistakes found in welding papers. The use of nonpronominal forms in the denoted terms is one of the typical morphological mistakes in treating the process of welding. Another problem is the inaccurate use and wrong formation of terminology. The main lexical mistakes are semantic mistakes and calque. The article also focuses on the syntactical mistakes – the mistaken expression of purpose, the wrong use of preposition prie, redundant use of abstract nouns in treatises, also inaccurate use of infinitive with conjuction kad in dependant clauses. Causes for language mistakes and correction of errors are given


Background: Gingival crevice fluid (GCF) is a mixture of substances derived from serum, leukocytes, and structural cells of periodontium and oral bacteria. These substances possess a great potential for serving as indicators of periodontal disease and healing after therapy the main purpose of this study was to find if there is a difference in albumin concentration between healthy and diseased periodontal tissues and to compare between diseased group according to pocket depth Materials and methods: total sample composed of 60 pockets found in 35 patients all of them had no history of any systemic disease, The samples were divided in to three main group that include two diseased groups divided according to the depth of the periodontal pocket (group I were the pocket depth less than 6mm and group II were the pocket depth is equal or more than 6mm) and one healthy group (group III). Sampling of GCF were taken from patients in the second visits of periodontal treatment A previously weighed strips of filter paper size 30 were gently inserted in to the selected pocket depth until resistance was felt the filter paper left in place for 30 seconds and after removal they were weighed on a chemical balance. The difference between the weights of filter paper before and after absorption of exudates was calculated and each filter strips was placed in a tube containing o.3ml of normal saline then transferred and stored at -20C.on the day of analysis the samples were centrifuged at 10.000rpm for 20 minutes .the supernatant was used for assessment of Albunim colorimetrically similar to that of blood. Results: Comparison for gingival fluid weight were shown a non significant difference in the weight between group I&II at a P values >0.05 while there were a highly significant difference between group I&III and between group II&III at P values 0.05 intra groups correlation between albumin content in gingival fluid and periodontal parameter there were a significant negative correlation between plaque index and albumin in group I and II while anon significant correlation in group III also a significant and highly significant correlation were found between albumin and weight of gingival fluid in group I and II while anon significant differences in group III as shown in the table while there were anon significant differences between albumin content of gingival fluid and the gingival index, probing pocket depth and clinical attachment loss. Conclusion: the gingival crevicular fluid is an aqueous component in which is true trasudate and inflammatory exudates after the initial periodontal treatment in which it increased in weight as the inflammation present but the concentration of albumin may became a no significantly different compared with clinically healthy gingiva. As the initial periodontal treatment took place for each patients.


Purpose: Enrollment in Children's Oncology Group (COG) clinical trials has led to significant improvements in survival; however, disparities in survival persist, particularly among ethnic minorities, adolescents and young adults (AYAs), and the underinsured, partly due to inadequate access to cooperative group cancer clinical trials. In 2008, two COG sites University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC) and Rush University Medical Center, and a nonmember institution, John H Stroger Hospital, created a unified COG program utilizing one lead Institutional Review Board and research team. This study assesses the impact that the tri-institutional COG program had on clinical trial accrual for minority, AYA, and uninsured patients. Methods: Analysis and comparison of COG enrollment data from 2002 to 2008 (pre-merger) and 2008 to 2017 (post-merger) by age, ethnicity, insurance type, clinical trial type, oncologic diagnosis, and specialty of the enrolling physician were completed. Results: Following the merger, the total studies open to enrollment increased by 100%, enrollments increased by 446%, and, for each diagnoses, increased by more than 200%. Enrollment of ethnic minorities rose by 533%, most significantly for Hispanic patients by 925%. AYA enrollments increased by 822%. There was a 28-fold increase in enrollment of uninsured patients. Significantly more providers from various oncology specialties were engaged in enrolling patients and a consistent increase in the percentile standing of the program occurred after the merger. Conclusions: Creation of a tri-institutional COG research program was associated with significant increases in clinical trial enrollments, especially for underrepresented minorities, AYAs, and uninsured patients. The UIC/Rush/Stroger COG Program provides a novel and exemplary approach to address cancer health disparities for these vulnerable populations.


Objective To retrospectively analyze the association of serum estradiol (E2) levels on human chorionic gonadotropin (hCG) trigger day and live birth rates (LBRs) in women undergoing fresh embryo transfer and not exhibiting polycystic ovary syndrome. Design Retrospective cohort study. Methods Analysis of 13,950 patients who had fresh embryo transfer between December 2013 and December 2019. The main outcome measurement was LBRs. Multivariable regression analysis was performed to investigate associations between E2 levels on the hCG trigger day and LBRs. Stratification analysis was performed to test for effect modification in subgroups. Furthermore, a two-piecewise linear regression model was established to find nonlinear relationships. Results Multivariable regression analysis showed a significant association between serum E2 levels on the hCG trigger day and LBRs, adjusting for covariates [relative risk (RR) 1.027, 95% confidence interval (CI) 1.007, 1.049]. Stratification analysis showed that the LBRs were positively associated (RR 1.052, 95% CI 1.004, 1.102) with every 1 ng/ml increase of serum E2 on the hCG trigger day for the subgroup with low antral follicle counts on the trigger day. Specifically, a two-piecewise linear regression model showed that there was a positive association (RR 1.188, 95% CI 1.057, 1.334) between serum E2 and LBR for every increase of 1 ng/ml E2 when the concentration of serum E2 was lower than 2.1 ng/ml. However, there was no significant association (RR 1.002, 95% CI 0.971, 1.032) between E2 levels and LBRs when the concentration of E2 was higher than the 2.1ng/ml inflection point. Conclusions Serum E2 levels on the hCG trigger day were segmentally connected with LBRs.


A novel biomimetic surface modification method for fibres and the improvement on adhesion with epoxy resin was demonstrated. Inspired by the composition of adhesive proteins in mussels, the thin layer of poly(dopamine) (PDA) was self-polymerized onto the surface of carbon and aramid fibres. The graphene oxide (GO) was then grafted on the surface of PDA-coated fibres. The XPS results indicated successfully grafting of GO on the PDA-coated carbon and aramid fibres. The SEM observation showed the uniform coating of PDA and GO on the surface of fibres. The modification could increase the roughness of fibre surface. The single fibre tensile test and microbond test were carried out to evaluate the mechanical properties of the modified fibres. The interfacial shear strength of GO-PDA-fibres composites was significantly improved. Also, the bulk structure of fibres was protected by PDA and GO modification, and this increased the tensile strength of single fibre.


Diachronic analysis of satellite images was used to assess the spatiotemporal dynamics of land use and land cover change in the coffee production basins of Cameroon, located in the forest agro-ecological zones (Moungo and Haut-Nyong) and the highland humid savannah (Noun). A survey of farmers was carried out to identify land use and changes in the area of coffee agroforests over time. While the period 1980 to 2001 was marked by an increase in the area of the forest/agroforest land-use unit, the period 2001 to 2019 shows significant regressions ranging from 14 to 22% of the total area of each basin. Significant changes in the land use units have repercussions on the areas dedicated to coffee growing, which have decreased significantly; today, the largest areas under cultivation are in Haut-Nyong (1.51±1.27 ha), the medium areas in Moungo (1.14±1.13 ha) and the smallest in Noun (0.67±0.72 ha). Coffee abandonment coupled with anthropogenic factors such as agriculture and housing expansion are mainly responsible for the degradation of coffee agroforests, with notable repercussions on land cover changes. The cocoa-coffee revival encouraged by sectoral Ministries in recent years seems to have encouraged cocoa production, since in agro-ecological regions; the increase in forest/agroforest area is mainly attributable to Theobroma cacao and Elaies guineensis .


NASA's Science Mission Directorate's Earth-Sun System Division (ESSD) uses the unique vantage point of space to understand and explore Earth and the Sun. The relationship between the Sun and the Earth is at the heart of a complex, dynamic system that researchers do not yet fully understand. The Earth-Sun system is comprised of diverse components that interact in complex ways, requiring unique capabilities for characterizing, understanding, and predicting change. Therefore, researchers need to understand the Sun, the heliosphere, and Earth's atmosphere, lithosphere, hydrosphere, cryosphere, and biosphere as a single connected system. At the center of the solar system is the Sun, a magnetically variable star. This variability has impacts on life and technology that are felt here on Earth and throughout the solar system. NASA is working to understand this planetary system because it is the only star-planet system researchers can investigate in detail. Using NASA's view from space to study the Earth-Sun system, researchers also can better predict critical changes to Earth and its space environment. NASA's ESSD has a critical role in implementing three major national directives: - Climate Change Research via Climate Change Science Program - Global Earth Observation System of Systems via the U.S. Group on Earth Observations (US GEO) - Vision for Space Exploration NASA Earth-Sun system science conducts and sponsors research, collects new observations from space, develops technologies and extends science and technology education to learners of all ages. NASA now has a system of spacecraft with the ability to characterize the current state of the Earth-Sun system. In the years ahead, NASA's fleet will evolve into constellations of smart satellites that can be reconfigured based on the changing needs of science and technology. From there we envision an intelligent and integrated observation network composed of sensors deployed in vantage points from the subsurface to deep space. Technical and programmatic details and status of representative Earth-Sun system missions will be presented.


A previously healthy 17-year old girl presented with sudden visual loss in both eyes. Visual acuity on the right eye was 0.3 and on the left eye 0.1. Fundoscopic examination showed bilateral optic disc edema, retinal venous tortuousity and dilatation, retinal blot and flame-shaped hemorrhages, Roth spots and on the left eye dark blot preretinal hemorrhage covering the fovea. Laboratory evaluation showed white blood cell count of 455 x 10(9) L. Bone marrow biopsy confirmed the diagnosis of chronic myelogenous leukemia. Chemotherapy was initiated and led to the improvement of visual acuity. Fundus changes had resolved except for the preretinal hemorrhage on left eye which decreased in size. Preretinal hemorrhage in fovea caused maculopathy on the left eye. Three months after admisson visual acuity was 1.0 on the right eye and 0.3 on the left eye. Leukemia should always be included in the differential diagnosis of optic disc edema and retinal hemorrhages.


Colletidae is a predominantly southern hemisphere bee family with a Late Cretaceous origin and with an inferred ancestral region covering late Gondwanan South America, Antarctica and Australia. One highly diverse colletid subfamily, Euryglossinae, is entirely restricted to Australia and the strictly Afrotropical subfamily Scrapterinae has been inferred as its sister clade. This has led to suggestions that Scrapterinae represents a highly unusual post‐Gondwanan dispersal from Australia to Africa, but phylogenetic studies to date have included only minimal representatives from each subfamily. Here we greatly increase the level of species sampling of both subfamilies and develop a molecular phylogeny based on one mitochondrial and two nuclear genes. Our results indicate that the broad results of earlier studies are robust to substantially greater taxon sampling, and we infer a divergence date between the two subfamilies in the early Eocene. Dispersal pathways between Africa and Australia during that time are problematic, with several studies suggesting dispersals via the now largely submerged Kerguelen and Crozet Plateaus. Our results contribute another example of a puzzling sister‐clade relationship between African and Australian taxa and indicate the need to better understand southern hemisphere subaerial configurations, including Antarctica, and ocean and wind currents at those times.


Cruise tourism as a propulsive branch of tourism is being increasingly affirmed in the field of river transport. Accordingly, the main research problem in this paper is the analysis of the possibility of further affirmation and growth of passenger flows on river cruises on the Danube as the backbone of river traffic in the European Union. In the context of the defined research problem, the paper analyzes: relevant geo–traffic and socio–economic characteristics of the Danube, relevant indicators of passenger flows on cruises on the Danube – intensity, structure, dynamics and distribution of passenger traffic flows. Based on the aforementioned content, the further dynamics of passenger flows on cruises is concluded and forecasted, and the guidelines and factors of valorization of cruise tourism along the Danube Corridor are highlighted.


Five species of bats, Myotis nattereri, M. macrodactylus, Miniopterus fuliginosus, Rhinolophus ferrumequinum and R. cornutus were found to forage in the same habitats in southern Kyushu, Japan. M. nattereri fed mainly on Lepidoptera, Coleoptera, Diptera and Araneae, the proportions of each of these in the diet fluctuating seasonally, however, Lepidoptera and Coleoptera, especially, were consumed selectively. Their available prey items ranged in body length from 5-13 mm in length. M. macrodactylus preyed mainly on Diptera, Trichoptera and Lepidoptera, that were larger (7-20 mm) than those eaten by M. nattereri. Small or medium-sized Lepidoptera constituted the bulk of M. fuliginosus' diet in summer. R. ferrumequinum fed chiefly on larger Diptera, Coleoptera and Lepidoptera measuring 8-45 mm in body length, and clearly selected beetles despite these being relatively few in the trap samples. Lepidoptera and Diptera measuring 7-23 mm were important dietary components for R. cornutus, and despite their abundance being relatively low in summer moths were selectively preyed upon. These five bat species selectively hunted particular prey species in addition to taking food opportunistically. Through differences in both foraging-site and in prey selection, they seem to be able to coexist in the same habitat.


This guide provides information on open access and foundation supported medical information sources available to healthcare professionals, researchers, and others in developing countries


The cacao crop is an important source of income for many farmers in the region of Altamira-PA, and other neighboring regions. Cacao production has great economic importance in this region and in much of the state of Pará. The objective of this study was to determine which species of weeds affect the culture of cacao in Princesa do Xingu agricultural village, Altamira-PA. This survey followed a few steps: collecting, counting, drying and species identification. The phytosociological parameters frequency, density, abundance, relative frequency, relative density, relative abundance and the Importance Value Index (I.V.I.) were used to analyze the data. A total of 13 botanical families were identified, distributed in 27 species and 691 individuals. Families who registered highest number of individuals were: Cyperaceae (130), Poaceae (95), Fabaceae (89), Rubiaceae (89), Lamiaceae (66) and Verbenaceae (60), followed by Amaranthaceae (56), Plantaginaceae (48) and Asteraceae (44). The species Calopogonium mucunoides Std., Scoparia dulcis L., had occurred in 5 squares. Among the species, which showed the highest levels of importance value were: Alternanthera brasiliana (L.) Kuntze. (25.90%), Pycreus polystachyos (Rottb.) P. Beauv. (24.29%), Hyptis atrorubens Poit. (21.41%), Stachytarpheta cayennensis (Rich.) Vahl. (18.82%), Scoparia dulcis L. (18.62%) and Calopogonium mucunoides Std. (16.60%). Key-words: Competition. Weed science. Theobroma cacao L.


Electroacupuncture has been widely used to treat cognitive impairment after cerebral ischemia, but the underlying mechanism has not yet been fully elucidated. Studies have shown that autophagy plays an important role in the formation and development of cognitive impairment, and the phosphoinositide 3-kinase (PI3K)/Akt signaling pathway plays an important role in autophagy regulation. To investigate the role played by the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway in the electroacupuncture treatment of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion rat models, we first established a rat model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion through the occlusion of the middle cerebral artery using the suture method. Starting at 2 hours after modeling, electroacupuncture was delivered at the Shenting (GV24) and Baihui (GV20) acupoints, with a dilatational wave (1–20 Hz frequency, 2 mA intensity, 6 V peak voltage), for 30 minutes/day over 8 consecutive days. Our results showed that electroacupuncture reduced the infarct volume in a rat model of cerebral ischemia/reperfusion injury, increased the mRNA expression levels of the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway-related factors Beclin-1, mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR), and PI3K, increased the protein expression levels of phosphorylated Akt, Beclin-1, PI3K, and mTOR in the ischemic cerebral cortex, and simultaneously reduced p53 mRNA and protein expression levels. In the Morris water maze test, the latency to find the hidden platform was significantly shortened among rats subjected to electroacupuncture stimulation compared with rats without electroacupuncture stimulation. In the spatial probe test, the number of times that a rat crossed the target quadrant was increased in rats subjected to electroacupuncture stimulation compared with rats without electroacupuncture stimulation. Electroacupuncture stimulation applied to the Shenting (GV24) and Baihui (GV20) acupoints activated the PI3K/Akt signaling pathway and improved rat learning and memory impairment. This study was approved by the Animal Ethics Committee of the First Affiliated Hospital of Henan University of Traditional Chinese Medicine, China (approval No. 8150150901) on March 10, 2016.


Global concerns for the environmental impact of pollutants from automotive sources require considerable reduction of phosphorus and sulphur-based antiwear additives in lubricating oils. One of such additives used as antiwear/extreme pressure (EP) additives in lubricating oils is Zinc Dialkyl DithioPhosphate (ZDDP). Potential replacements for ZDDP are antiwear/EP boron-based additives. In this study, a comprehensive evaluation of the tribological properties of model oils of different types of borate antiwear additives are considered for comparison to ZDDP on steel surfaces in tribo-contact.
In this thesis, tribological experiments in pure sliding under boundary lubrication conditions were performed using pin-on-reciprocating plate test rig with variations of: additive concentrations in the oil, bulk-oil temperature, sliding process, dissolved, and
free water contamination tests. The coefficient of friction response and antiwear performance of tribofilms were evaluated. Bulk oil analysis of the model oils were performed to evaluate their response to different thermal and oxidative conditions in comparison to ZDDP. In addition, chemical characterization of key crystalline boron compounds was done. The physical and chemical aspects of tribofilms generated during tribological tests were evaluated using surface analysis techniques such as: Optical white-light interferometry, Atomic Force Microscopy (AFM), Focused Ion Beam-Scanning Electron Microscopy (FIB-SEM), Raman Spectroscopy, X-ray Photoelectron Spectroscopy (XPS) and Nanoindentation.
One of the key findings of this study is that tribofilms from hydrolytically unstable borates additives gave poor antiwear performance compared to ZDDP and other synthetic borate additives with better resistance to hydrolysis. This study has revealed that boric acid is not directly responsible for the poor antiwear performance as previously understood. Tribochemistry results by this thesis has shown that high atomic concentration of boron and particles such as; boron nitride and carbides acts as third body abrasives, are responsible for the poor antiwear performance. The established antiwear mechanism of borate tribofilms relies on the digestion of abrasive iron oxides by trigonal structural groups in boron oxide. Results at different test conditions from this research have indicated that boric acid, iron oxyhydroxide, and tetragonal structural units in boron oxide plays a major role in this process. The established friction reducing mechanism of boron-containing tribofilms relies on the weak van der Waal's of boric acid and passivation of its high energy edge-sites by moisture. Another major finding of this PhD thesis is that decomposition and volatility of boric acid at certain temperatures affects the easy shear of the lamellar.
An important finding from this study indicated that the abnormal behaviour of boron oxide effect in borosilicate glass manufacture could also affect the antiwear performance and durability of tribofilms containing nanoparticle alkali borate ester. In addition, the hardness of built-up tribofilms from oils containing hydrated potassium borate was found to be comparable to ZDDP, unlike organic borates which gave significantly higher hardness. Another major finding of this research is that in moisture-rich atmosphere, borate tribofilms formed on ferrous surfaces was more wear-resistant than ZDDP due to their different tribochemistry.


Ammonia inhalant (AI) use by powerlifters and weightlifters is a prevalent practice with little research support for improved performance. The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of ammonia as a stimulant on athletic performance during a dead lift one maximal repetition (1-RM) absolute strength test. Subjects (n=10 men, mean±SD age=21±1 years, mass=72.5±6.8 kg; n=10 women, age=22±5 years, mass=66.2±8.1 kg) were required to have at least two years of resistance training experience while lacking a history of asthma, lightheadedness, fainting, anaphylaxis, sickle cell traits, and other respiratory disorders. After a baseline 1-RM test, subjects were paired by 1-RM performance and gender, then randomly assigned in a counterbalanced treatment order to control (water) or ammonia trials after a minimum 72-hour recovery period for another 1-RM test involving attempts at 100.0%, 102.5%, 105.0%, and 107.5% of the established 1-RM value. Testing was then repeated after the minimum rest period for the remaining trial. Results revealed the expected gender main effect for absolute dead lift 1-RM (93.0±29.5 [women]; 152.0±29.5 kg [men] (p<0.001), but no trial main effect (p=0.874) or gender by trial interaction effect (baseline=93.0± 15.3, 151.8±42.3 kg; water=92.0±12.5, 150.9±37.8 kg; ammonia=92.5±16.4, 153.4±37.9 kg) for women and men, respectively (p=0.559). Within the limitations of this study, there is no support for the practice of ammonia inhalation to improve dead lift 1-RM in training or competition.


Weather radar is now widely viewed by the general public in the United States via television, computers/tablets, and smartphones. Anyone can consult near-real-time maps and animations of weather radar data when weather conditions are a factor. However, the usefulness of weather radar data for each user depends on a complex interaction of factors. There have been few studies providing conceptual arguments and empirical data to better understand what the most important factors are and to comprehend patterns of public weather radar use across the United States. The first part of this research provides a basic conceptual framework for research investigating the usefulness of weather radar displays as a source of weather information and as a decision aid. The second part aims to uncover several factors that influence the perceived usefulness rating of the National Weather Service (NWS) website's weather radar display at both national and regional levels using variables gathered from the 2014 NWS customer satisfaction survey alongside relevant geographic and climatological variables. Data analyses include spatial clustering and ordinal regression utilized within a generalized linear model methodology. Overall, respondents who are more familiar with the NWS and their products, as well as those who indicate they are more likely to take action based on information provided by the NWS, are more likely to find the NWS radar display useful. Geographically, the NWS radar display is most useful to persons residing in the southern United States. Lightning is the most important hazard associated with higher radar usefulness ratings.


This review paper seeks to analyse and elucidate on the depth and extent of public sector managers' involvement in creating, inculcating and sustaining an innovative culture in their public spheres thus shifting from bureaucracy and adopting an adhocratic organisational culture. This process involved a systematic review, synthesis and analysis of several articles, journals and books as a n exhaustive review of literature. A selection of articles and journals articulating the concepts of bureaucracy, adhocracy and public sector innovation were analysed. This analysis revealed that there is a paradigm shift in the organisational culture, design and strategy of some public sector organisations and institutions as they seemingly incorporate bureaucracy, adhocracy and innovation as an endeavour to adapt to the dynamic nature of the public service and as a mechanism to enhance organisational functionality and capability of the state to deliver services. This paper further establishes a glaring and inherent relationship between adhocracy culture and strategy implementation as outlined and described in Quin's theory of Competing Values Framework (CVF) supported by McKinsey 7S Framework. This paper analyses the current highly bureaucratised public sector can implement and infuse in their organisational structure, operations and culture adhocracies towards the realisation of the public sector innovation concept. The analysed articles are relevant and befitting to the topic as they link bureaucracy and adhocracy and how a possible shift can bring about an innovative and creative public service. A qualitative research approach was used where existing literature collected as research empiricism and the empirical findings of the articles were documented. This review paper is novel because it seeks to contribute to the current debate in the literature of public sector innovation through the use adhocracy and bureaucracy. This paper concludes that there is a symbiotic relationship between adhocracy, strategy implementation and innovation It recommends that the leadership and management of public sector organisations should work towards a structure of establishing a structure that accommodates adhocracy within their organisation as a recipe for effective strategy implementation and innovation. Both operational and strategic levels of leadership and management should be structured such an adhocratic culture within the organisation prevails in order to drive innovation through a paradigm shift from a bureaucratic approach to an innovative culture through adhocracy. Implications of this paper include a revision of the Department of Public Service Administration's Operations Management Framework operations strategy to entail adhocracy as a central tenet in formulating the Service Delivery Model, Service Delivery Improvement Plan and Organisational structure design. This paper further recommends a similar survey to be undertaken in individual government departments and further pursuit of adhocracy culture in other semi government organisations to test appositeness.


Background. In the fight against coronavirus infection, an important direction is control of herd immunity to the pathogen. SARS-CoV-2 herd immunity is formed naturally as a result of manifest or asymptomatic infection, or artificially as a result of vaccination Aim: To assess the SARS-CoV-2 herd immunity status of the Kyrgyz population. Materials and methods. A cross-sectional, randomized study of SARS-CoV-2 herd immunity was carried out according to a program developed by Rospotrebnadzor, with the participation of the Saint Petersburg Pasteur Institute, taking into account WHO recommendations. In all study stages cloud service (internet) technologies were used. The ethics committees of the Preventive Medicine Association (Kyrgyzstan) and the Saint Petersburg Pasteur Institute (Russia) approved the study. A total of 9,471 volunteers were selected, representing 0.15% (95% CI 0.14-0.15) of the total population. They were randomized according to age and region. Antibodies (Abs) to the nucleocapsid antigen (Nag) were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) of volunteer blood plasma. For vaccinated individuals, Abs to the SARS-CoV-2 receptor-binding domain antigen (RBDag) were determined. Statistical processing of the results was carried out using Excel 2010 and other programs. Differences were designated as statistically significant at p<0.05. Results. The seroprevalence of the general population was 48.7% (95% CI 47.7-49.7), with a maximum in the group of '60-69 year old' (59.2% (56.6-61.7)) and a minimum in the group '1-17 y.o.' (32.7% (95 CI 29.4-36.1)). The largest proportion seropositive was found in the Chui region (51.3% (95% CI 47.9-54.8)). The lowest was in Osh city (38.1% (95 CI 32.6-43.9)). The maximum seropositivity was detected among healthcare workers (57.1% (95% CI 55.4-58.8); the minimum was noted among artists (38.6% (95% CI 26.0-52.4)). Asymptomatic SARS-CoV-2 positivity was 79.1% (96% CI 77.9-80.3). Vaccination with Sputnik V, EpiVacCorona, or Sinopharm formed comparable levels of immunity. Conclusions. The herd immunity to SARS-CoV-2 Nag is 48.75% (95% CI 47.7-49.7), and the overall immunity (Nag + RBDag) is 57%.


This paper discusses a control technique improvement of a three-phase inverter using TMS320F2812 DSP controller for Dynamic Voltage Restorer (DVR) applications. The output of the inverter is then connected to a voltage grid via a second order filter and injection transformer. The Control algorithms are developed using TMS320F 2812 DSP. The proposed technique achieves voltage regulation with low total harmonics distortion (THD) for both voltage and current. This paper also highlights a series of discussion, analysis and studies performed on the proposed control technique, including L-C filter design issue. An analysis and experimental results validate the effectiveness of the proposed control solution.


Abstract We describe interviewers' actions in phone calls recruiting sample members. We illustrate (1) analytic challenges of studying how interviewers affect participation and (2) actions that undergird the variables in our models. We examine the impact of the interviewer's disfluencies on whether a sample member accepts or declines the request for an interview as a case study. Disfluencies are potentially important if they communicate the competence or humanity of the interviewer to the sample member in a way that affects the decision to participate. Using the Wisconsin Longitudinal Study, we find that although as they begin, calls that become declinations are similar to those that become acceptances, they soon take different paths. Considering all recruitment actions together, we find that the ratio of disfluencies to words does not predict acceptance of the request for an interview, although the disfluency ratio before the turning point – request to participate or a declination – of the call does. However, after controlling for the number of actions, the disfluency ratio no longer predicts participation. Instead, when we examine actions before and after the first turning point separately, we find that the number of actions has a positive relationship with participation before and a negative relationship after.


The high valley of Louron is occupied by a complex of granitic and metamorphic rocks of which the Lys-Caillaouas granite is best known. The stability domains and modalities of transformations of silicates during metamorphism, particularly andalusite and sillimanite, are discussed.