The present work presents a methodology for modeling the quality of surface water, aiming at the management of hydrographic basins and the best allocation of resources in the treatment of sanitary sewage, considering the predominant uses of water and microbiological quality. The QUAL-UFMG model was used, composed of Excel spreadsheets, where visual basic for applications (VBA) routines were implemented, enabling deterministic and probabilistic modeling through Monte Carlo simulations. The proposed methodology was applied to a Brazilian hydrographic basin, called the GD2 Planning Unit (Grande River Slopes), considering the discharges of sanitary sewage from 30 municipal seats and approximately 740,000 inhabitants. Four scenarios were studied: the current situation (C-01), the trend for the year 2033 (C-02), compliance with environmental legislation (C-03) and compliance with the main uses of the basin (C-04). The results showed that for C-01 and C-02, the water quality, in terms of thermotolerant coliforms, in most stretches does not meet the defined uses. Even complying with the provisions of environmental legislation (C-03), which do not provide for disinfection, only the largest watercourses would have adequate quality for use. Complete service would only be achieved in C-04, which provides for universal sewage treatment with disinfection for the vast majority of municipalities.


[1] The remanent magnetization of gabbroic material of the Mid-Atlantic Ridge south of the Kane fracture zone (MARK) area provides constraints on both the thermal structure and tectonic history of the lower crust in this slow spreading environment. The remanence of these gabbroic samples is often complex, with the juxtaposition of intervals of apparently normal and reversed polarity rocks over small spatial scales (tens of centimeters to a few meters). Moreover, several samples when thermally demagnetized have a reversed polarity magnetization component between higher and lower stability normal polarity components. Given the nominal age (∼1 Ma) of the crust, we suggest that this pattern of normal/reversed-normal polarity most plausibly reflects emplacement and/or cooling through three successive polarity intervals, Jaramillo normal polarity interval (1.07–0.99 Ma), a portion of the Matuyama reversed polarity interval (0.99–0.78 Ma), and the Brunhes normal polarity interval (0.78 Ma to present). A small number of samples with three well-defined magnetization components have magnetic characteristics compatible with a remanence carried by fine-grained, possibly single domain, magnetite. Laboratory unblocking temperatures in these samples therefore allow estimation of lower crustal temperatures at the time of the Jaramillo/Matuyama (0.99 Ma) and Matuyama/Brunhes (0.78 Ma) polarity transitions. Together with depth estimates derived from fluid inclusion studies these results suggest that middle and lower crustal temperatures remained as high as ∼350°–475°C for a minimum of 0.21 m.y. after emplacement. We suggest that continued injection of liquid, in the form of sills or small magma bodies, over a broad region (half width of ∼3 km) is responsible for this slow cooling. In addition, inclinations of the highest stability component from these drill sites are remarkably similar to that expected from an axial geocentric dipole, suggesting that little, if any, resolvable tilt occurred during uplift of these rocks to the seafloor.


This paper presents a crosstalk model base on even-odd mode analysis. It demonstrates that crosstalk analysis needs to look at the aspect of the timing delay between even and odd mode and the multiple reflections that occurred in a system. This concept is validated further by measurement result.


Peroneal tendon injuries at the peroneal tubercle are rare. No systematic research regarding this pathology is currently available. In this systematic literature review, the author evaluated the present knowledge about peroneal tendon lesions at the lateral calcaneal wall. These lesions are predominantly associated with peroneal tubercle enlargement. Information on 25 respective patients (26 cases) has been published in 14 articles. Until now, only 3 reports presented 5 patients with dislocation of the peroneus longus tendon combined with inferior peroneal retinaculum lesions. In these cases, the peroneal tubercle was not enlarged. All reviewed patients were treated surgically. Enlarged peroneal tubercles were resected. Groove deepening and inferior peroneal retinaculum reconstruction addressed distal peroneus longus tendon dislocations. The reported results were either excellent or good. Recurrent dislocations can cause lesions of the peroneus longus tendon at the peroneal tubercle. This pathology is rare and can be addressed surgically. In cases without tendon dislocation, the enlarged peroneal tubercles are removed or shaped, whereas dislocations in normal shaped peroneal tubercles require groove deepening and inferior peroneal retinaculum reconstruction.


Abstract In order to encouragee broad participation in deliberative forums, it is important to understand how people from politically less powerful groups perceive the deliberative experience and how discussion group composition affects their experiences. Using data from 27 deliberative polls from 2004, we examine how four individual characteristics (sex, age, race, and education) and randomly assigned small group composition predict participants' attitudes about the deliberative experience. We find evidence that women, young people, non-whites, and those without college degree generally evaluate the experience positively, but find no evidence for the argument that including more people from these groups would lead to more positive deliberation experience for participants from the groups. That is, there is no interaction between minority status and group composition in predicting participants' evaluation of the deliberation process.


An implicit complex envelope split-step perfectly matched layer algorithm is presented for modeling open region finite difference time domain (FDTD) problems. The algorithm is based on splitting the FDTD time-step into six stages with an equal time increment of Deltat/6 and it is suitable for band-limited electromagnetic applications. Numerical examples carried out in two dimensions show that the proposed algorithm presents a significant improvement over the other existing six-stages split-step FDTD algorithm for different Courant-Friedrichs-Lewy numbers and for different cell sizes per wavelength.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
Vitamin D deficiency significantly affects cardiovascular disease risk. Cardiovascular disease is epidemic in nature. Because the prevalence of cardiovascular disease has been increasing in children, it has been changing from an adulthood disease to a childhood disease. Therefore, formulating an effective prevention strategy against cardiovascular disease development in children is crucial.

METHODS AND STUDY DESIGN
From PubMed, we identified and reviewed studies evaluating the association of vitamin D deficiency with cardiovascular disease risk in children.

RESULTS
The mechanism through which vitamin D protects against cardiovascular disease has yet to be fully elucidated. Vitamin D deficiency may be associated with various risk factors for cardiovascular disease that are already manifested in childhood, including obesity, hypertension, dyslipidaemia, insulin resistance, and metabolic syndrome. Vitamin D deficiency has been associated with cardiovascular disease because it promotes vascular stiffness and calcification, leading to atherosclerosis. However, studies investigating the effectiveness of vitamin D in preventing cardiovascular disease risk by using an ideal study design are scant.

CONCLUSIONS
Vitamin D deficiency in children may increase cardiovascular disease risk, which tends to manifest in childhood. Because data on the association of vitamin D deficiency with cardiovascular disease risk among children are limited and inconclusive, additional studies are required to investigate this association in children in general and in a setting with naturally abundant sun exposure.


Purpose - The methodological debate relating to accounting research using actor-network theory (ANT) has primarily focused on how ANT generates performative studies that significantly differ from ostensive studies. These discussions have in many ways (and for good reasons) distanced performative from ostensive research. Recently, however, several scholars have emphasized the interdependencies between ostensive and performative aspects when it comes to knowledge development, thereby underlining the need to coordinate ostensive and performative studies and bring them closer together. The purpose of this paper is to discuss the methodological opportunities and limitations for ANT researchers who seek to move closer to ostensive research. Design/methodology/approach - The basis for exploring the opportunities and threats stemming from integration at the methodological level is a comparison of performative and ostensive case study methodologies as they have been presented in research. Robert K. Yin's case study methodology is chosen to represent an ostensive view whereas performative case study methodology is represented by the methodological reflections of Bruno Latour, John Law, and Michel Callon. Findings - The paper illustrates how the process is a balancing act. On the one hand, it requires performative researchers to relate more closely to aspects decisive for ostensive researchers; yet, on the other, they need to preserve the distinctiveness of the performative approach. Originality/value - This paper exemplifies these issues with reference to management accounting research and contributes by clarifying the methodological implications of moving performative research closer to ostensive research.


ABSTRACT Smallholder farmers commonly use fire for land clearing and agricultural maintenance in the Yucatán Peninsula of Mexico. The southern Yucatán Peninsular Region (SYPR) has experienced increasing fire frequency since the 1960s due to expanding smallholder agriculture and recurrent droughts. Beginning in January 2019, a government-subsidized programme named Sembrando Vida encouraged further smallholder agricultural development throughout Mexico, resulting in increased burning for cropland preparation. This study uses the Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer (MODIS) Collection 6 1 km Active Fire product to characterize agricultural burning trends in the SYPR between 2010 and 2019, focusing on the impacts of the Sembrando Vida programme. Comparison of MODIS Active Fire locations to visible agricultural burns in coincident Landsat imagery showed a 29.5% (21/71) agreement. MODIS Active Fire time series data exhibited a biennial trend in fire frequency that was caused by interannual rainfall variability. An inverse relationship was found between total rainfall in the burning season and annual fire frequency. A combination of low rainfall and the implementation of Sembrando Vida in 2019 caused a 98% increase in state-authorized burn permitting compared to the 2015–2018 average, and MODIS Active Fire data exhibited a 33% increase in agricultural burns in 2019 compared to previous years that had >1000 fires.


Novel polymer‐based composites with high dielectric constant and low dielectric loss were prepared by simply mixing polyvinylidene fluoride (PVDF) with semiconductor vanadium pentoxide (V2O5) filler. V2O5 nanobelts with diameter around 50 nm and length up to micrometer scale were uniformly distributed in PVDF matrix without serious aggregation. The PVDF/V2O5 composites show excellent dielectric properties. When the volume fraction of V2O5 is 0.15 and the frequency is 100 Hz, the dielectric constant of the composites can reach as high as 140 and the dielectric loss is 0.7. Both dielectric constant and dielectric loss of the composites show but sharp increase when the volume fraction of V2O5 is above 0.15. Furthermore, the dependences of the dielectric constant and dielectric loss on frequency were also studied. With the increase of frequency from 102 to 107 Hz, dielectric constant of the PVDF/V2O5 composites decreases, while the dielectric loss increases slightly. The results indicate that the PVDF/V2O5 composites are promising materials for capacitors.


To determine the incidence, indication, association with caesarean section (CS) and outcome of emergency peripartum hysterectomy (EPH) in The Netherlands. Study design: All 100 Dutch obstetric departments were asked to participate in a prospective nationwide registration of EPH between 1 April 2002 and 1 April 2003. For every case, a form with questions about obstetrical history, current pregnancy and delivery,maternal and neonatal outcome was completed. Results: Eighty-nine (89% ) hospitals participated and registered in total 48 EPH. The estimated incidence of EPH is 0.33/1000 births. The main indication for EPH was placenta accreta (50% ), followed by uterine atony (27% ). There were two maternal deaths (4% ). Severe maternal morbidity included: urinary tract injury 15% , relaparotomy 25% , transfusion 10 units red blood cells 67% , intensive care admission 77% . Both previous CS and CS in the index pregnancy were associated with a significant increased risk of EPH. The number of previous CS was related to an increased risk of placenta accreta, from 0.19% for one previous CS to 9.1% for four or more previous CS. Conclusion: Emergency peripartum hysterectomy is associated with a high incidence of maternal morbidity and a case fatality rate of 4% . It is significantly related to CS in index or previous pregnancy. Placenta accreta is the most common indication to perform a peripartum hysterectomy.


With the continuous development of the society, the requirements for talents are getting higher and higher, and good moral and ethical qualities have gradually become an essential ability that skills must possess in today's society. For students of art majors, their majors have certain peculiarities, so most of them have more distinctive individual characteristics, and their thinking is generally more active and keen. In the education and management of students of art majors, the vital basis should be the characteristics of students' thinking. The author investigates and analyzes the ideological aspects of art majors and proposes effective strategies for the education and management of art majors, hoping to help the development of art majors.


Liquid NaSn alloys in five different compositions (20, 40, 50, 57 and 80% sodium) are studied using density functional calculations combined with molecular dynamics (the Car - Parrinello method). The frequency-dependent electric conductivities for the systems are calculated by means of the Kubo - Greenwood formula. The extrapolated DC conductivities are in good agreement with the experimental data and reproduce the strong variation with the concentration. The maximum of conductivity is obtained, in agreement with experiment, near the equimolar composition. The strong variation of conductivity, ranging from almost semiconducting up to metallic behaviour, can be understood by an analysis of the densities of states.


1is spoken natively by no more than 200,000 speakers, mostly in the Eastern area of Sierra Leone, but is used as the lingua franca throughout the country. Krio has bridged the linguistic gap between speakers of diverse languages in the country and is used as a viable medium of bilingual and multilingual education, in political ceremonies and speeches, but above all in the rich history of orature that includes proverbs, stories, riddles, poems, and most prominently, drama. It is unusual to find written texts in Krio these days, but Krio drama was an important literary form and the main source of Krio literature available to the general public for years. There is a great deal of poetry, but most of it is unpublished. If there were satisfactory written sources for the earlier stages of Krio, it would be easier to determine just how stable Krio has been over the last century. In the 1960s, the work of Thomas Decker and his orthography of Krio led the way toward recognizing Krio as language in its own right. At a time when others dismissed Krio as a debased or corrupt form of English and failed to recognize its distinct identity and full potential, Thomas Decker, born on July 25 th , 1916, in Calabar, Nigeria, never faltered in his conviction that it was as good a language as any other. Decker, a civil servant and journalist, asked key linguistic questions early on such as: What is Krio? Is it bad English? Is it the same as Pidgin English? Is it definable as a separate language system? Does it have any future? Should it be written? If it were to be written, how would it be spelled? An official orthography of Krio was not published until two years after Decker's death in l980 when Oxford University Press published a Krio-English dictionary. Sierra Leone was declared independent in 1961. However, from as early as the 1930s plays were written and staged by Sierra Leoneans. Few of these early plays still exist. In the 1950s several Sierra Leone playwrights were invited to London to produce plays in English for British audiences. In 1964, when Thomas Decker translated Julius Caesar into Krio and staged the play for large audiences in Sierra Leone, many of the playwrights returned home from England and began writing plays in Krio. Not only did this pave the way for the birth of Krio in the 1970s, with numerous plays written and staged in the Krio language for the first time, but it also allowed the playwrights to deal exclusively with current social and political issues of interest to many citizens. By the 1980s, hundreds of plays in Krio were written and performed each year. It is a sad fact that few of those manuscripts are preserved today. Only six plays have been published (by two researchers at Umea University in Sweden) as the Krio Publication Series. The only university in the United States to house these scripts is the Pusey Library at Harvard University. In this paper I use data from an immensely popular play performed in Sierra Leone from 1984-1985, If You Yams White, by Sierra Leone playwright Michael Yaarimeh Bangura, and from the few remaining earlier Krio scripts to illustrate how verbs of saying in a codeswitched, multilingual environment are seen as strategies on the parts of characters (and speakers) to reflexively represent themselves to audiences and to each other. At the same time, I discuss how several patterned features


The purpose of this research is to improve mathematics learning result about space building of grade II. The research conducted was Classroom Action Research (PTK) with 3 cycles, the research place was the unit where the researcher taught. The results of the first cycle were 63.63% of students had passed the KKM, in the second cycle students who passed the KKM were 81.82% and in the third cycle 95.4% of the students passed the KKM. With an increase in the number of students who pass the KKM, the use of instructional video media can improve student learning outcomes in mathematics, especially about building space.


Extreme value statistics is applied to the distribution of galaxy luminosities in the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We analyze the DR8 Main Galaxy Sample (MGS), as well as the luminous red galaxies (LRGs). Maximal luminosities are sampled from batches consisting of elongated pencil beams in the radial direction of sight. For the MGS, results suggest a small and positive tail index ξ, effectively ruling out the possibility of having a finite maximum cutoff luminosity, and implying that the luminosity distribution function may decay as a power law at the high-luminosity end. Assuming, however, ξ = 0, a non-parametric comparison of the maximal luminosities with the Fisher–Tippett–Gumbel distribution (limit distribution for variables distributed by the Schechter fit) indicates a good agreement provided that uncertainties arising from both the finite batch size and the batch-size distribution are accounted for. For a volume-limited sample of LRGs, results show that they can be described as being the extremes of a luminosity distribution with an exponentially decaying tail, provided that the uncertainties related to batch-size distribution are taken care of.


Since the 1980s, increasingly more choral evensongs are organized in the Netherlands, outside of the context of the Anglican Church. The evensongs attract a lot of people. Sometimes these performances are 'staged' as a (mostly reformed) worship, sometimes as a concert, or as a worship and a concert at the same time. Most evensongs are performed in monumental churches, which due to the 16th Century Reformation have been 'dispositioned'. The changed disposition of the inside of these churches has considerable consequences for the spatial practice of the evensongs. Research questions in this article are: What are the consequences of the spatial practices in the Anglican choral evensong in the Netherlands regarding (religious) meaning making? Four sub questions will be answered: (1) In which church buildings are evensongs performed? (2) What is the disposition in these churches? (3) How is space used in the evensongs? (4) How to interpret this? We will interpret the Dutch spatial practices taking into account the secular-sacred tensions which are so characteristic for the Netherlands as a secularized, or rather: post-Christian country.


It is well known that the value of room-temperature conductivity sigma(RT) of boron-doped silicon films is one order lower than that of phosphorus-doped silicon films, when they are deposited in an identical plasma-enhanced chemical vapour deposition system. We use surface acoustic wave and secondary-ion mass spectrometry techniques to measure the concentration of total and electrically active boron atoms. It is shown that only 0.7% of the total amount of incorporated boron is electrically active. This is evidence that hydrogen atoms can passivate substitutional B-Si bonds by forming the neutral B-H-Si complex. By irradiating the boron-doped samples with a low-energy electron beam, the neutral B-H-Si complex converts into electrically active B-Si bonds and the conductivity can be increased by about one order of magnitude, up to the same level as that of phosphorus-doped samples.


Tooth wear is a process that is usually a result of tooth to tooth and/or tooth and restoration contact. The process of wear essentially becomes accelerated by the introduction of restorations inside the oral cavity, especially in case of opposing ceramic restorations. The newest materials have vastly contributed toward the interest in esthetic dental restorations and have been extensively studied in laboratories. However, despite the recent technological advancements, there has not been a valid in vivo method of evaluation involving clinical wear caused due to ceramics upon restored teeth and natural dentition. The aim of this paper is to review the latest advancements in all-ceramic materials, and their effect on the wear of opposing dentition. The descriptive review has been written after a thorough MEDLINE/PubMed search by the authors. It is imperative that clinicians are aware of recent advancements and that they should always consider the type of ceramic restorative materials used to maintain a stable occlusal relation. The ceramic restorations should be adequately finished and polished after the chair-side adjustment process of occlusal surfaces.


Focusing on a period of institutional friction when institutions are in transition, this study examines the dueling institutional logics that simultaneously operated as business groups were implemented to foster strategic entrepreneurship activities in China. Our findings from 1,095 Chinese business group-affiliated firms show that the original institutional logic of state control and ownership remains a potent factor, while the new institutional logic in support of strategic entrepreneurship takes place through business groups' informal and formal organization controls. Further, the state logic causes rigidity and inflexibility for firms to react to the new institutional demands, thus weakening the positive effects of business group formal and informal controls on strategic entrepreneurship. This study contributes to the institution-based view by highlighting that dueling logics coexist in business groups and investigating how they can be sources of variation in advancing strategic entrepreneurship during periods of institutional friction. Copyright © 2014 Strategic Management Society.


We introduce a class of spinless fermion models that exhibit quantum many-body scars (QMBS) originating from kinetic constraints in the form of density-assisted hopping. The models can be defined on any lattice in any dimension and allow for spatially varying interactions. We construct a tower of exact eigenstates with finite energy density, and we demonstrate that these QMBS are responsible for the nonthermal nature of the system by studying the entanglement entropy and correlation functions. The quench dynamics from certain initial states is also investigated, and it is confirmed that the QMBS induce nonthermalizing dynamics. As another characterization of the QMBS, we give a parent Hamiltonian for which the QMBS are unique ground states. We also prove the uniqueness rigorously.


During the first years of its existence, Special Operations Executive looked to neutral Europe as an area in which it could deploy its limited resources against German interests with a reasonable chance of success. By early 1942, however, it was clear that neutral Europe had failed to live up to SOE's expectations. Most of SOE's plans had either been aborted or cancelled. This article examines SOE's work in Portugal between early 1941 and summer 1942. During this period, SOE not only failed to achieve any of its objectives but also suffered the indignity of having its station in Lisbon exposed by the Portuguese and was ultimately forced to withdraw its officer from the country. The article argues that SOE's lack of success was due not so much to the practical difficulties it encountered in the field, or even the opposition of other departments in Whitehall, which did so much to blight its operations elsewhere in Europe, but to its failure to create a sustainable role within British political and military policies towards Portugal.


This study reports the effects of a low-protein, low-phosphorus, supplemented diet in 8 type 1 diabetics with renal failure. The rate of decline of creatinine clearance, the changes of the urinary protein loss, of total serum protein, of the daily insulin requirement, of the nutritional status and of some hormonal derangements were examined. The rate of decline of creatinine clearance decreased from 1.38 +/- 0.27 ml/min/month during a previous 15.9-month period of unrestricted protein diet, to 0.03 +/- 0.37 ml/min/month during the 17.4 months on supplemented diet. Urinary protein loss significantly decreased, and total serum protein increased. The daily insulin requirement decreased and no deterioration of the nutritional status occurred. Secondary hyperparathyroidism was partially reversed and the mild hypothyroidism corrected. A restricted protein and phosphorus diet supplemented with essential amino acids and ketoanalogs seems to exert several beneficial and no unwanted side effects in type 1 diabetics with renal failure.


The bound state spectra in the symmetrical Coulomb four-body systems with unit charges are considered. The total energy and other properties for such systems depend only on the mass ratio . It is shown that there is an additional charge - mass-permutation invariance in these systems. By applying this invariance we can determine the total energies for the systems with if the energy dependence is known for , and vice versa. To produce quite accurate interpolation formulas for the total energies we have made calculations for a number of exotic systems, including and eight others. For all these systems the variational results are the best values to date. This is the first study based on numerical results of bound state spectra for Coulomb four-body systems with unit charges.


This article explores how the concept of democracy is constructed, conveyed, and instrumentalised in the
 discourses of the populist radical right in the current EU context. The comparative analysis of the speeches of the leaders of two
 dissimilar PRR parties in government (Polish Prawo i Sprawiedliwość) and in opposition (French Rassemblement
 National) in the run-up to the 2019 European elections using tools of the discourse-historical and discourse-conceptual
 approaches to CDS highlights the common core of PRR interpretations of democracy, influenced by the shared axiological, institutional, and
 discursive framework of the EU. It shows that in the EU the PRR constructs the concept of democracy as an ideological complex, by diluting
 its essentially populist interpretation of democracy with liberal democratic elements. Only by advancing
 nativist and authoritarian interpretations of the people, does the PRR bring the concept of democracy in
 line with its ideological core of nativism, authoritarianism, and populism.


In a network game in which a number of players participate, multiple players can communicate each other by the user of an IP telephone or an Internet telephone network. A voice receiving section of the terminal unit 12 comprises a game communicating section 51 connected to a game server via the network, a participant IP managing section 53 for managing IP addresses of game participants connected online to the network, a network receiving section 54 for receiving telephone message data and musical sound data via the network, a sorting section 55 for determining whether received telephone message data includes a prespecified IP address or not and sending a result of determination to a following extending section 56, the extending section 56 for restoring the transmitted telephone message data and musical sound data, a synthesizing section 57 for synthesizing the restored telephone message data and musical sound data in the time-series mode, and a microphone/speaker I/F section 59 as a connecting section to a microphone/speaker or other analog equipment.


ABSTRACT We examine whether establishing a new university (or faculty) in a region affects new firm creation within that given region. We identified a quasi-experimental design based on Spain's 1983 University Reform Act, which opened the door to founding new universities at the regional level. We use a generalized difference-in-difference model to estimate this relationship. The results indicate that establishing a new university has a significant positive effect on new firm creation. We then introduce an analysis by the field of knowledge of the created university/faculty and the creation of firms in different categories of sectors defined according to their research and development intensity. In this case, the results show that creating a new university/faculty has a significant positive effect on firm formation in medium-high- and medium-low-technology manufacturing as well as in knowledge-intensive market and financial services. Moreover, creating a health faculty has a significant positive effect on new firm formation in the high-tech manufacturing sector. Finally, the results indicate ambiguous results from different sources of agglomeration economies.


Information on state pensions in the Chinese language, from The Pension Service, part of the Department for Work and Pensions.


We conducted a comprehensive study and received data characterizing the state and functional readiness of the foot of schoolchildren in terms of its arch flatness in various load modes: with no load, the load of 50 and 100 % of body weight. The study revealed the weakened ligament-muscular apparatus of the foot in the adolescents with the pathology of the musculoskeletal system, i.e. dysplastic scoliosis of degree I (70 S) in all the modes. 25 % of the examined schoolchildren with faults in posture with the arch of the foot in the anatomical state without any load made the so-called «risk group» with individual signs of the state «before flattened foot», i.e., close to the qualitative assessment «flat foot». When the load of the body weight on the foot was 50 %, the flatness index increased up to 85.7 % in girls, 87.5 % in boys with dorsopathy and 10.4-59 % in the school children with the correct posture. The subsequent 100 % increase in the load on the foot was characterized by static deformation of the foot arch in all the examined people, 25 % were diagnosed with «flat foot».


MBE is a powerful synthesis technique for preparation of ordered intermetallic phases since the high rates of surface diffusion allow in-plane chemical ordering to occur at temperatures far below those which are necessary for ordering in bulk samples. This lifting of kinetic constraints enables the phase diagrams to be explored at low temperatures where bulk ordering processes are often too sluggish for phase equilibria to be reached. Specifically, we describe the preparation of epitaxial films (in the thickness range 100 - 1000 angstrom) of ordered intermetallic phases in the Co-Pt and Fe-Pt intermetallic systems. Such phases are of potential importance for magnetic and magneto-optical storage applications. In particular we discuss growth and chemical ordering in epitaxial Co1-xPtx films near x equals 0.25, 0.5, and 0.75 as well as Fe1-xPtx films near x equals 0.5. Depending on growth conditions these phases order spontaneously during growth with resulting changes in the Kerr spectra. Ordering results in large Kerr rotations (approximately 1 degree(s)) in the UV spectral region for the films with x near 0.5.


Cryopreserving cells which are maintaining their viability are the very complex process. This study has been carried out in order to find the effects of cryopreservation steps and freezing media on the rates of viability of cryopreserved chicken primordial germ cells (PGCs). PGCs obtained from the germinal gonade of 5.5∼6 day (stage 28) chick embryos of Korean Ogye (KO) and Commercial breeds (C), using the MACS method were suspended in a freezing medium containing a freezing and protecting agents (e.g. dimethyl sulfoxide (DMSO), ethylene glycol (EG) and propylene glycol (PG)). Gonads were harvested from stage 28 chick embryos and pooled in groups of 5, 10, 15, 20E embryos, contributing gonads to the cell suspension. The gonadal cells, including PGCs, were then frozen in 1 of the following cryoprotectant treatments : 2.5%, 5%, 10%, 15% and 0% cryoprotectant (DMSO, EG, PG) as a control. Effects of exposure to slow freezing and vitrification, with different concentrations of the cryoprotectant solution, were examined. After vitrification and slow freezing, survival rates of the frozen-thawed PGCs from the 10% EG plus FBS treatment were 85.63%, and 66.14% (p<0.05), respectively. The viability of PGCs after freeze-thawing was significantly higher for 10% EG plus FBS treatment than for 10% PG + FBS treatment (p<0.05) (85.63% vs 66.81%) by vitrification. This study established a method for preserving chicken PGCs that enables systematic storage and labeling of cryopreserved PGCs in liquid (LN₂) at a germplasm repository and ease of entry into a data base. In the future, the importance for this new technology is that poultry lines can be conserved while work is being conducted on improving the production of germline chimeras.


The physical damage induced in silicon by argon magnetron discharges has been studied. The surface trap density measured with the high-low frequency capacitance-voltage method was used to evaluate the degree of damage on the substrate. No damage is found for substrates sputter-etched in an RF discharge with 30 eV mean ion energy. Substrates sputter etched in 450 eV DC discharge show damage similar to that obtained in other glow discharge or ion milling systems with the same energy.


Steady state solutions of the classical equations for immiscible two phase flow (mass balance and Darcy's Law) have been used successfully in numerical upscaling in the limits of viscous or capillary dominated flow. At low flow rates in strongly water wet or mixed wet media, capillary pressure moves the fluids rapidly at the local scale. For viscous dominated flow, once the flood front has passed, local displacement is fast compared to the change in fractional flow. For upscaling, this fractional flow can be considered as a local boundary condition. The advantage of these steady state methods is that they are much faster than conventional dynamic methods such as those of Kyte and Berry (1975), Stone (1991), requiring what is effectively a single phase solution to the flow equations. More often, flow rates are between extremes and the above non-dynamic methods are no longer applicable. Steady state solutions can still be obtained though the numerical methods are more elaborate. Dynamic simulation can be performed until steady state is achieved with constant fractional flow boundary conditions. However, this is more time consuming than that required for conventional dynamic methods and thus a more direct method is required. We present a fully implicit method which will obtain steady state solutions directly and thus improve the speed of calculation. Simulations involving strong capillary forces depend heavily on internal boundary conditions defined by rapid change of either permeability or wettabillity. Continuity of capillary pressure must occur across these boundaries. The exception to this condition occurs for oil trapping (Van Duijn et al, 1995). For water wet rocks, this will happen for flow from high to low permeability rocks and the hydrocarbon will become trapped. In these conditions, the final steady state can be dependent on path and initial conditions. We demonstrate that capillary trapping depends not only on the form of the capillary pressure curves but also on the model boundary conditions as they vary in time. Results from the direct implicit steady state solver mentioned above are compared to those from dynamic simulation of waterflooding. Effective relative permeability curves from steady state upscaling techniques are compared to contrast the different degrees of capillary trapping. It is shown that fully implicit steady state solutions will provide a good approximation to the full fine scale model.


Penalized regression methods such as the lasso and elastic net (EN) have become popular for simultaneous variable selection and coefficient estimation. Implementation of these methods require selection of the penalty parameters. We propose an empirical Bayes (EB) methodology for selecting these tuning parameters as well as computation of the regularization path plots. The EB method does not suffer from the "double shrinkage problem" of frequentist EN. Also it avoids the difficulty of constructing an appropriate prior on the penalty parameters. The EB methodology is implemented by efficient importance sampling method based on multiple Gibbs sampler chains. Since the Markov chains underlying the Gibbs sampler are proved to be geometrically ergodic, Markov chain central limit theorem can be used to provide asymptotically valid confidence band for profiles of EN coefficients. The practical effectiveness of our method is illustrated by several simulation examples and two real life case studies. Although this article considers lasso and EN for brevity, the proposed EB method is general and can be used to select shrinkage parameters in other regularization methods. MSC 2010 subject classifications: primary 62F15, 62J07; secondary 60J05.


Summary Background: Cardiac surgery performing with cardiopulmonary bypass (CPB) causes multiple alterations in the hemostatic system. In this study, we investigated the effect of acute normovolemic hemodilution on coagulation, fibrinolytic system and physiologic anticoagulants such as protein C and S among patients who underwent coronary artery bypass grafting (CABG). Methods: Forty one patients who underwent CABG with (Group 1, n = 20) and without (Group 2, n = 21) acute normovolemic hemodilution were enrolled in this study. Activated clotting time (ACT), prothrombin time (PT), activated partial thromboplastin time (aPTT), D-dimer (fibrin degradation product), fibrinogen, protein C and S, and platelet count were measured. Blood samples were collected after induction of anesthesia, 20 minutes after the beginning of CPB, 30 minutes after administration of protamine, and 24 hours after the weaning from CPB. Transfused blood products and mediastinal bleeding were recorded. Results: Within both groups, D-dimer elevated, and protein C values and platelet count decreased significantly at all samples compared with preoperative values. The changes of ACT, PT, aPTT, D-dimer, fibrinogen, protein C and S and platelet count were similar in both groups. There were no statistically significant differences between both groups with respect to the blood transfusion and mediastinal bleeding. Conclusions: Acute normovolemic hemodilution in CABG surgery does not significantly decrease blood products requirements and the changes in hemostatic system are not effected by this technique.


Official nationalism is on the rise, but its impact on relations between people with and without a migration background in institutions is under-studied. This study, based on 55 interviews in a Dutch ministry in 2016, shows that official Dutch nationalist framings of those relations have been taken over by civil servants. These framings trigger boundary-making between themselves and discrimination in access to career opportunities, in a climate of insecurity. However, official nationalism absorption, boundary-making and discrimination are partially neutralized by respondents resorting to institutionally ' nested ' , work-related and civic identities that enable cooperation, communication and fair allocation of career opportunities. Findings also highlight the exclusive continuities of various forms of imposed official nationalism, including ethno-nationalism and multiculturalism. They all set people with migration backgrounds apart as culturally different, which foments insecurity among them. Non-nationalist and institutionally ' nested ' identities and procedures offer participation and inclusion to our respondents, not ethno-nationalism nor multiculturalism.


BACKGROUND
The primary treatments of acute arterial embolism and acute arterial thrombosis are different. The clinical differentiation of the two diseases at initial stage can provide the efficient treatment of acute limb ischemia.

OBJECTIVE
Identification of the clinicalfactors significant for the differentiation between acute arterial embolism and acute arterial thrombosis in acute lower extremity ischemia.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
A prospective study of the consecutive 120 patients with acute lower extremity ischemia was carried out between January 2000 and December 2004. All clinical information was compared between the proven acute arterial embolism and acute arterial thrombosis.

RESULTS
Among 120 patients, 91 (75.8%) were with acute arterial embolism and 29 (24.2%) were with acute arterial thrombosis. Normal peripheral pulse on the contralateral limb was more commonly found in patients with acute arterial embolism than in patients with acute arterial thrombosis (71.4% vs. 31.0%, p < 0.001). Atrial fibrillation was detected more in patients with acute arterial embolism than acute arterial thrombosis (31.9% vs. 3.4%, p = 0.004). Mitral valve stenosis (12.1%) and previous arterial embolism (16.5%) were only detected in patients with acute arterial embolism. On the other hand, patients with acute thrombosis had the higher comorbidities such as diabetes mellitus (44.8% vs. 19.8%, p = 0.015), hypertension (55.2% vs. 27.5%, p = 0.012), and hypercholesterolemia (37.9% vs. 6.6%, p < 0.001). Patients with acute arterial embolism had more severe clinical manifestations such as immediately threatened ischemia (56.0% vs. 13.8%, p < 0.001) and higher tendency of suffering from extensive limb gangrene (18.7% vs. 6.9%, p = 0.156). On the contrary, patients with acute arterial thrombosis had the previous symptom of intermittent claudication (51.7% vs. 3.3%, p < 0.001) more than patients with acute arterial embolism.

CONCLUSION
The clinical factors significant for the differentiation between acute arterial embolism and acute arterial thrombosis were the status of peripheral pulse on the contralateral limb, the clinical risk factors of the two diseases, the previous arterial embolism, the clinical manifestation, and progression of ischemic status.


The present paper is one in a series of essays on the political economy of the West African forest kingdom of Asante (Ashanti), now located in the Republic of Ghana. In general terms it surveys and explores aspects of the crucial issue of control over subjects and land within the Asante social formation. At the broadest level, it seeks to offer a description of fluctuations in the ability of central government in Kumase to mediate and to preside over the distribution of these resources between the foundation of the state in the early eighteenth century and the present day. It is argued that until approximately the middle of the nineteenth century the history of Asante is the history of the embedding, expansion and triumph of central government control. Thereafter, for a number of reasons that are discussed, matters changed. In terms of these changes the crucial decade was the 1880s, and the paper demonstrates how, in the closing stages and the immediate aftermath of the civil war (1883–8), a revolutionary reversal was effected in the general developmental thrust of Asante history. That is, at a meeting in Kumase in 1888, and at an oath-taking ceremony at Ahyiamu in the following year, the historic control of central government over subjects and land was challenged and substantially liquidated. That the implications of this revolutionary change were distorted in a number of ways was due to the imposition of British colonial rule at the close of the nineteenth century. The remainder of the paper attempts briefly to demonstrate how, in the twentieth century, and in the context of changing socio-political conditions, the battle over resources between central government in Kumase and its opponents remains a live and complex issue.


The eggmasses of the sacoglossan slugs Alderia modesta (LoveN) and Limapontia depressa A. & H. have often been described, but the differences between them have never been pointed out. ENGEL, GEERTS & VAN REGTEREN ALTENA (1940) even have written, that it was impossible to distinguish the spawnmasses of Alderia modesta from those of Limapontia depressa. During a stay at the Zoological Station at Den Helder in summer 1953, however, it appeared to me that there are clear differences between the eggmasses of the two species.


Four multicannulated (rumen, duodenum, and ileum) Holstein steers (459.7±46.4kg of initial body weight) were used in a 4×4 Latin square design to determine the effect of flaxseed processing method on ruminal fermentation and digestibility. Treatments were based on inclusion of (1) 7.5% linseed meal (control), (2) 10% whole flaxseed, (3) 10% rolled flaxseed, or (4) 10% ground flaxseed on a dry matter (DM) basis, and were formulated to mimic typical high-producing dairy cow lactation diets. The control diet contained linseed meal in a proportion to provide crude protein (CP) equal to the amount of CP contributed by the flaxseed in the other treatments. Diets were fed for ad libitum intake and contained 30% corn silage, 17% chopped alfalfa hay, 6% sugar beet pulp, and 47% concentrate (comprising ground corn, supplemental protein, trace minerals and vitamins, and either flaxseed or linseed meal (DM basis). Diets were formulated to contain 17% CP, 34% neutral detergent fiber, 21% acid detergent fiber, and 4% fatty acid (DM basis). Periods were 14 d long and consisted of 7 d of adaptation and 7 d of sample collection. Dry matter intake (as a % of body weight) was similar (2.41±0.17) for all treatments. The inclusion of flaxseed, regardless of processing method, tended to decrease total-tract organic matter digestibility relative to the linseed control, but no differences in CP intake, duodenal CP flow (bacterial, apparent feed, or total), ileal CP flow, fecal CP output, microbial efficiency, or CP digestibility (apparent ruminal, true ruminal, small intestine, large intestine, or total tract) were observed between treatments. Method of processing did not alter ruminal pH, ammonia, or volatile fatty acids production. The ground flaxseed treatment had the fastest rate of in situ DM degradation (11.25%/h), followed by the control (7.46%/h), rolled flaxseed (4.53%/h), and whole flaxseed (0.57%/h) treatments. Degradability of CP and fat followed the same pattern as DM degradability for processed flaxseed. In situ degradation rates of alfalfa hay neutral detergent fiber and acid detergent fiber tended to be fastest for the ground flaxseed treatment. Taken together, the digestibility, fermentation, and in situ data indicate that rolling and grinding are both acceptable methods of processing flaxseed. The in situ data strongly support the need for processing flaxseed before inclusion in lactation diets.


Introduction: Light chain (AL) amyloidosis is a rare clonal plasma cell disorder characterized by the organ deposition of amyloid derived from misfolded immunoglobulin light chains. The involvement of vital organs, especially the heart, results in severe morbidity and high early mortality. Diagnostic delays of greater than 1 year from clinical evidence of AL have been reported in surveys and retrospective single-center studies. Earlier diagnosis prior to developing advanced organ dysfunction is a key unmet need in AL. To detect patients earlier, a better understanding of the patterns of AL-related signs/symptoms (AL-S/Sx) and healthcare utilization preceding AL amyloidosis diagnosis is necessary.
 Methods: Using the Optum De-Identified Clinformatics® Data Mart healthcare claims database (Optum), we identified US commercially-insured patients who had one inpatient code or two outpatient codes of ICD-9-CM 277.30 or ICD-10-CM E85.81, E85.89, or E85.9 and treatment with one multiple myeloma drug within 90 days of diagnosis (01Jan06-31Dec18). Twenty-three AL-S/Sx were defined with sets of diagnosis codes, flagged in prior condition lists, and grouped by system affected (cardiac, nervous, renal/ureter, gastrointestinal, or other). The time between the first occurrence of each symptom and AL diagnosis was summarized and healthcare utilization patterns were described to better characterize the patient journey to diagnosis.
 Results: Among 1313 AL patients, the median time from the first potential AL-S/Sx to AL diagnosis was 2.5 years. The most common AL-S/Sx were malaise/fatigue (53%), edema and swelling (57%), dyspnea (53%), and abdominal pain (52%), which occurred a median of 1-1.8 years prior to diagnosis. Arrhythmia (51%), cardiomegaly (27%), and cardiomyopathy (21%) were identifiable between a median of 1-1.5 years before diagnosis. Chronic kidney disease (45%) and edema (57%) were seen a median of 2.3 years prior to diagnosis. Patients with a first symptom of nephrotic syndrome presented less than 1 year before diagnosis. Peripheral nerve disease (46%), neuralgias (14%), and paresthesia/anesthesia (20%) appeared a median of 2.8 years prior to diagnosis. The cumulative incidence of each AL-S/Sx by organ system in the 5 years prior to diagnosis is shown in Figure 1. Sequencing of symptoms varied greatly among patients. The most common first symptoms in the sequences were abdominal pain, malaise/fatigue/weakness, peripheral nerve disease, and arrhythmia. Between initial AL-S/Sx and diagnosis, 20% of patients had 3 or more ER visits and 16% had 3 or more hospitalizations. More than 90% of patients visited 5 or more provider types between the first AL-S/Sx and AL diagnosis, with the most frequent specialties visited being cardiology (67%), hematology/oncology (43%), and gastroenterology (40%). About one quarter of patients had a monoclonal gammopathy detected at a median of 1 year prior to diagnosis; detailed analyses of this cohort will be presented at the meeting.
 Conclusion: AL patients have a prolonged prodrome, including evidence of cardiac and renal dysfunction, with 50% of patients with a first AL-S/Sx observed more than 2.5 years before AL diagnosis. Only one-quarter of patients had a monoclonal protein detected before diagnosis, indicating a low level of suspicion for AL. Limitations of this study include underestimation of AL S/Sx if diagnosis codes are underutilized in claims. Future studies will use controls to understand background rates of symptoms. Overall, these findings suggest that novel approaches to early diagnosis have significant potential to improve outcomes in AL.
 Figure 1. Cumulative incidence of the first occurrence of potential symptoms prior to the first light chain (AL) amyloidosis diagnosis
 Figure 1

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The bradykinin B1 receptor (B1R) is normally absent under physiological conditions, but is highly inducible during inflammatory conditions or following tissue damage. The present study attempted to determine some of the mechanisms underlying B1R upregulation following tissue injury in rat portal vein. Damage induced by tissue isolation and in vitro incubation caused a significant and time-dependent increase in des-Arg–bradykinin (des-Arg–BK) responsiveness that paralleled the B1R mRNA expression, as confirmed by real-time quantitative PCR. In vitro incubation of rat portal vein also induced the activation of some members of the mitogen activated protein kinase (MAPK) family, namely, extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK), c-Jun NH2-terminal kinase (JNK), and p38 MAPK, an effect accompanied by degradation of the inhibitory protein I B and translocation of nuclear transcription factorB (NFB) to the nucleus. The blockade of p38 MAPK, JNK or NFB, but not ERK pathways with selective inhibitors, resulted in a significant reduction of the upregulated contractile response caused by the selective B1R agonist des-Arg–BK, and largely prevented the induction of B1R mRNA expression in the rat portal vein. Together, these results demonstrate that in vitro tissue damage induces activation of several intracellular signaling pathways that have a key role in the control of B1R expression. B1R could exert a pivotal role in the development of the cardiovascular response associated with vascular damage. (Circ Res. 2004;94:1375-1382.)


During the past decade a considerable amount of attention has been focused upon the pathogenic importance of so-called atypical mycobacteria. Many of these organisms, such as mycobacteria of the Battey type, the "yellow-bacilli" (photochromogens), Mycobacterium scrofulaceum, and M. fortuitum have been found capable of causing pulmonary and lymphatic infections virtually indistinguishable from those due to M. tuberculosis. Others of the atypical mycobacteria give rise to skin lesions which mimic primary inoculation tuberculosis, lupus vulgaris, tuberculosis verrucosa cutis, scrofuloderma, or nonspecific ulceration. Among the latter, 2 mycobacteria stand out as well-established species: M. ulcerans, described in Australia in 1948 by MacCallum, Tolhurst, Buckle, and Sissons, 1 and M. balnei, isolated in Sweden in 1951 and described in detail by Linell and Norden in 1954. 2 It is reasonable to assume that these organisms are ubiquitous, as shown by reports of M. ulcerans infections in Mexico and the Congo 3,4 and by


Medical image segmentation and classification algorithms are commonly used in clinical applications. Several automatic and semiautomatic segmentation methods were used for extracting veins and arteries on transverse and longitudinal medical images. Recently, the use of medical image processing and analysis tools improved giant cell arteries (GCA) detection and diagnosis using patient specific medical imaging. In this chapter, we proposed several image processing and analysis algorithms for detecting and quantifying the GCA from patient medical images. The chapter introduced the connected threshold and region growing segmentation approaches on two case studies with temporal arteritis using ultrasound (US) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) imaging modalities extracted from the Radiopedia Dataset. The GCA detection procedure was developed using the 3D Slicer Medical Imaging Interaction software as a fast prototyping open-source framework. GCA detection passes through two main procedures: The pre-processing phase, in which we improve and enhances the quality of an image after removing the noise, irrelevant and unwanted parts of the scanned image by the use of filtering techniques, and contrast enhancement methods; and the processing phase which includes all the steps of processing, which are used for identification, segmentation, measurement, and quantification of GCA. The semi-automatic interaction is involved in the entire segmentation process for finding the segmentation parameters. The results of the two case studies show that the proposed approach managed to detect and quantify the GCA region of interest. Hence, the proposed algorithm is efficient to perform complete, and accurate extraction of temporal arteries. The proposed semi-automatic segmentation method can be used for studies focusing on three-dimensional visualization and volumetric quantification of Giant Cell Arteritis.


Objective: To assess the influence of gluten-free diet (GFD) compliance on the quality of life (QOL) of adolescents with coeliac disease (CD), and the impact of patient's age at time of diagnosis. Study design: Participants included 365 subjects: 283 adolescents (10–20 years old) with biopsy-proven CD and 82 adolescents without a chronic condition matched for age, sex, education, and social status. Their subjective QOL—comprising physical, mental, and social dimensions as defined by the World Health Organization—was measured and has been analyzed according to compliance status and age at CD diagnosis. Results: Adolescents noncompliant with GFD reported a lower general QOL, more physical problems, a higher burden of illness, more family problems, and more problems in leisure time than adolescents who are compliant with GFD. More frequent GFD transgressions were associated with poorer QOL. Higher problem anticipation and higher feelings of "ill-being" were found in the noncompliant group. No differences between compliant patients with CD and adolescents without any chronic condition were found in all QOL aspects. Adolescents with a late CD diagnosis showed more problems at school and in social contact with peers, as well as worse physical health and higher CD-associated burden. Conclusions: Compliance with GFD is an essential factor to obtain optimal QOL. Psychosocial and educational support should be provided for patients having difficulties strictly adhering to GFD. Early CD onset and diagnosis is associated with better physical health, lower CD-associated burden and fewer social problems, indicating the importance of the earliest CD diagnosis possible.


The occurrence of renal failure in the cancer patient presents a series of medical, technical, philosophical, and logistic problems that are rarely found in other patient population groups. In a review of 70 cancer patients requiring intermittent hemodialysis therapy at Roswell Park Memorial Institute over the last 6 years for acute renal failure, 46 (65.7%) of the patients were salvaged from renal failure to allow the use of further therapeutic modalities for their neoplastic disease. Patient survival after successful intermittent hemodialysis therapy was comparable to that expected in the nonazotemic cancer patients submitted to similar anticancer therapy. Hemodialysis should, therefore, be considered and offered in selected cancer patients in acute renal failure.


Myelomeningocele (MMC) is a common and devastating malformation. Although fetal surgical closure may improve outcome, a less invasive approach that can be applied earlier in gestation is desirable. The objective of this study was to evaluate the therapeutic feasibility of a tissue engineering approach for prenatal coverage of MMC. A gelatin hydrogel composite combining a gelatin sheet and gelatin sponge was prepared with or without basic fibroblast growth factor incorporation, and applied prenatally to retinoic-acid-induced fetal MMC in the rat model. Most of the composites were adherent to the MMC within the amniotic fluid environment with the help of cyanoacrylate adhesive. Histological examination revealed cells layered over the composites with associated extracellular matrix as well as cellular ingrowth into the sponges. The layer over the composite was composed of mixed nonepithelial and epithelial cells with the extracellular matrix consisting of collagen type I and hyaluronic acid. The tissue inside the sponge consisted of nonepithelial cells and hyaluronic acid. Epidermal ingrowth underneath the sponges and neovascularization into the sponges occurred and were significantly increased by the incorporation of basic fibroblast growth factor. Although further development is needed, this study supports the therapeutic potential of a tissue engineering approach for prenatal coverage of MMC.


In recent years, functional Iron oxides nanoparticles and nano-composites have gained a special traction in the field of nano-biomedicine, owing to their multifunctional capabilities that includes the inherent magnetic resonance imaging, magnetic bioseparation, cargo delivery and magnetic hyperthermia behavior. Interestingly, there are various forms of iron oxides available, with each form having their own specific characteristics. The different polymorphic forms of iron oxides are obtained through various synthetic routes and are usually surface modified to prevent their oxidation. The chapter shall encompass the synthesis and surface modification of Iron oxides nanoparticles, physicochemical properties, and theranostic application of the magnetic iron oxide nanoparticles in cancer. Also, the future directions of Iron oxide nanoparticles and nano-composites towards the achievement of clinically realizable nanoformulation for cancer theranostic applications were highlighted.


BACKGROUND
Equinovarus deformity in arthrogryposis multiplex congenita patients is rigid and difficult to treat. Radical soft tissue operations yielded good results though recurrence of deformity was high. Talectomy is a bony procedure recommended as either a salvage procedure or a primary operation.

OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the results ofprimary talectomy in infant and toddler patients retrospectively.

MATERIAL AND METHOD
Arthrogryposis multiplex congenita patients with rigid equinovarus deformity treated with talectomy initially were retrospectively reviewed. Pain score, residual foot deformity, shoe modification, and ambulatory status were assessed.

RESULTS
Talectomy were performed in 19 arthrogrypotic feet in 10 infants and toddlers. There were 6 males and 4 females. The mean age at surgery was 1.3 years old and the mean age of the follow-up time was 4.9 years. All patients had plantigrade foot without pain. One arthrogrypotic foot required posteromedial release 2 years after index surgery due to recurrent deformity.

CONCLUSION
Talectomy as theprimaryprocedure in arthrogrypotic infants and toddlers demonstrated good results withfew residual deformities and recurrence. Patients could achieve plantigrade position.


We designed a 7 mm band ambient temperature receiver in the laboratory. The receiver's radio frequency is 30-32 GHz, and the final output after the mixed frequency is 0.8-2.8 GHz signal of intermediate frequency. It is mainly used to carry out atmospheric opacity measurement in the 7 mm band (31.2 GHz), so as to proceed accurate amplitude calibration in the scientific observation of the 7 mm band. The receiver is mainly composed of the feed network and the post-stage microwave link. After the completion of development, the dynamic range of the receiver's intermediate frequency output spectrum is about 30 dB, and the power range is about -38 dBm. Subsequently, combined with the mechanical rotation platform of azimuth and elevation, the 7 mm band receiver can scan and measure in the range of 0-90° elevation, and the atmospheric opacity value of the corresponding band can be obtained through power acquisition and fitting calculation.


Abstract Primary objective: To examine active inhibition of irrelevant stimuli and evaluate its neural basis using functional near infrared spectroscopy in patients with attention deficits after traumatic brain injury (TBI). Research design: Case control study. Methods and procedures: Ten patients with TBI and 10 healthy control subjects participated in this study. The Paced Auditory Serial Addition Test (PASAT) was performed with (distracting PASAT) and without (PASAT) distracting Japanese kana phonetic characters presented between each number. A block design was used. Subjects alternately performed each task three times. Main outcomes and results: Healthy controls performed better than patients with TBI on both the tasks. When performing the PASAT, healthy controls showed significant activity in every region of interest except the right lateral prefrontal cortex (PFC), but patients with TBI showed significant activity only in the left anterior PFC and left lateral PFC. When performing the distracting PASAT, the right lateral PFC was active in healthy controls, but not in patients with TBI. Conclusion: These results confirm that patients with moderate-to-severe TBI were affected by distractors that influenced order processing. It is suggested that the working memory of patients with TBI was affected by distracting stimuli, whereas that of healthy individuals was not.


Angle-resolved resonant photoemission measurements at the Cu3p → Cu3d threshold have been performed on the superconducting cuprate Bi2Sr2CaCu2O8 + δ. We have investigated in particular the correlation satellite appearing in the valence band photoemission spectrum to investigate the effect of solid state on the interference effect occurring at resonance. We found that the intensity of the correlation satellite changes with the electron take-off angle in a way that depends on the particular crystallographic direction and on the sample hole doping. These results indicate that the intensity enhancement at the absorption edge is a real resonance albeit the intermediate state in the autoionization process is partly delocalised. This fact does not prevent the occurrence of interference between indirect and direct photoemission.


The paper deals with studying a dynamic stability of the wing model in the ram airflow. As known, at a certain flow rate that is called critical, there is a phenomenon of self-excited non-damping flexural-torsional self-vibrations, named flutter. A two-mode elastic system wing model is under consideration, as is common in the literature in the field concerned. The paper continues and develops investigations of well-known scientists in this field, such as V.L. Biderman, S.P. Strelkov, Ya.G. Panovko, I. I. Gubanova, E.P. Grossman, J.Ts. Funen, etc. A great deal of papers dedicated to this problem and published by abovementioned and other scientists, give only the problem formulation and the derivation of equations, often in a fairly simplified form, do not offer solutions of these equations for specific numerical parameters of the wing model, and do not study how these parameters affect the flutter onset velocity.The paper details the derivation of linear differential equations of small vibrations of the wing model in the flow, determines the natural frequencies and shapes of flexural-torsional vibrations, checks their orthogonality, studies vibrations under the influence of aerodynamic force and moment, determines the critical flow velocity for a number of system parameters, and draws a conclusion about the influence of these parameters on the critical velocity. In particular, it studies how such a parameter as the distance between the center of gravity and the center of stiffness affects the critical velocity, as well as how the stiffness of the model's spring suspension, which simulates the stiffness characteristics of the wing impacts on bending and torsion. The calculation results allow us to draw conclusion concerning the methods of dealing with this phenomenon. One of the promising options may be, in addition to varying the geometric and rigid parameters of the system, the introduction of additional mass to be an analogue of the vibration damper. The paper may be of interest both for engineering students who learn the theory of mechanical vibrations, and for engineering-specialists in aero-elasticity and dynamic stability of elements in mechanical systems.


There are many creative ways to combine psychology with religious and spiritual beliefs, as shown in recent writings on the interface between Christianity and psychology (Johnson, 2010; Stevenson, Eck, & Hill, 2007). To help Christians with interests in psychology begin to discern where they might best fit within this larger integration movement, this brief article raises several practical questions. The questions focus on five areas: bases for truth claims, personal strengths and weaknesses, desired amount of uniformity in faith perspectives, wounds or negative past experiences, and sources of motivation and passion. These questions are presented in a personal style with the aim of encouraging self-reflection. By considering questions such as these, along with factors such as personality traits and seasons of life, Christians who are unsure of their place in the world of psychology may begin to identify areas where they could make distinctive and meaningful contributions.


Vosaroxin, a quinolone-derivative chemotherapeutic agent, was considered a promising drug for the treatment of acute myeloid leukemia (AML). Early-stage clinical trials with this agent led to a large randomized double-blind placebo-controlled study of vosaroxin in combination with intermediate-dose cytarabine for the treatment of relapsed or refractory AML. The study demonstrated better complete remission rates with vosaroxin, but there was no statistically significant overall survival benefit in the whole cohort. A subset analysis censoring patients who had undergone allogeneic stem cell transplantation, however, revealed a modest but statistically significant improvement in overall survival particularly among older patients. This article reviews the data available on vosaroxin including clinical trials in AML and offers an analysis of findings of these studies as well as the current status of vosaroxin.


AIRS/AMSU is the advanced IR/MW atmospheric sounding system launched on EOS Aqua in May 2002. Products derived from AIRS/AMSU include surface skin temperature and atmospheric temperature profiles; atmospheric humidity profiles, % cloud cover and cloud top pressure, and OLR. Near real time products, starting with September 2002, have been derived from AIRS/AMSU using the AIRS Science Team Version 5 retrieval algorithm. Results in this paper included products through April 2008. The time period studied is marked by a substantial warming trend of Northern Hemisphere Extropical land surface skin temperatures, as well as pronounced El Nintildeo - La Nintildea episodes. These both influence the spatial and temporal anomaly patterns of atmospheric temperature and moisture profiles, as well as of cloud cover and Clear Sky and All Sky OLR. The relationships between temporal and spatial anomalies of these parameters over this time period, as determined from AIRS/AMSU observations, are shown below, with particular emphasis on which contribute significantly to OLR anomalies in each of the tropics and extra-tropics. The ability to match this data represents a good test of a model's response to El Nintildeo.


Background In immunodeficient mice the subcutaneous implantation of synovial fibroblasts (SFs) derived from patients with rheumatoid arthritis (RASFs) revealed an active movement via the vasculature to the naive cartilage that led to damage, thus supporting the idea that RASFs may facilitate and drive the progression from oligo- to polyarticular disease in RA (Nat Med. 2009;15:1414). On the other hand, RASFs hyper-express cadherin-11 and anti-cadherin-11 therapy may have potential as a novel RA therapy. This adhesion molecule, which is required for synovial lining formation, is involved in tumor invasion and metastasis, and signal transduction. Objectives By considering that cadherin-11 can serve as a marker of possibly circulating RASFs and since it is not thought to be expressed in hematopoietic tissues, we tested the hypothesis that cadherin-11 gene is aberrantly expressed in the peripheral blood of RA patients with active inflammation in multiple joints. Methods Total RNA extracted from 3 ml peripheral blood samples from 70 consecutive patients with RA, 56 healthy blood donors and 47 other joint disease-control patients was subjected to quantitative real time RT-PCR for analysis of cadherin-11 gene expression. Flow-cytometry was also performed in selected RA blood samples. Inflammatory synovial fluid samples served as positive controls. Results Cadherin-11 mRNA transcripts were found in all 5 synovial fluid samples examined, as well as in the peripheral blood of 71% of those patients with active, established RA, versus 14% of healthy blood donors (p<0.0001) and 14% of those RA patients in remission. Among patients with active, established RA, cadherin-11 was expressed in 24/30 and 10/21 patients with poly- and oligoarthritis, respectively (80% versus 48%, p:0.016). The positive correlation between cadherin-11 expression and the extent of joint inflammation was confirmed in 75 % of serial samples obtained from RA patients at different disease activity phases. Cadherin-11 gene expression was not associated with ESR or CRP levels, autoantibodies, or treatment modalities. Comparable to RA results were also obtained from patients with or without active, chronic joint inflammation in the context of other connective tissue diseases (SLE/Sjogren's/SSc, n=20) or spondylarthropathies (n=16). In contrast, cadherin-11 was not expressed in blood samples derived from 9 of 11 patients with infectious or crystal arthropathies, or osteoarthritis. By flow cytometry, cells co-expressing surface cadherin-11 and CD90(Thy-1)/CD106(VCAM-1), probably representing RASFs, were found in all synovial fluids examined. Such rare circulating cells, either or not expressing the pan-haematolymphoid marker CD45, were also identified in the peripheral blood of patients with active RA. Conclusions Cadherin-11 mRNA transcripts are frequently found in the peripheral blood of RA patients with active disease and may serve as biomarker of (auto)immune-mediated joint inflammation. These results will have important prognostic and therapeutic implications if arthritis spreading by circulating SFs is proved in additional human studies. Disclosure of Interest None Declared


We show that there exist maximal globally hyperbolic solutions of the Einstein-dust equations which admit a constant mean curvature Cauchy surface, but are not covered by a constant mean curvature foliation.


This Article reports an experimental study that provides the first empirical demonstration of the hindsight bias in patent law. The results are dramatic along several fronts: (1) the hindsight bias distorts patent decisions far more than anticipated, and to a greater extent than other legal judgments; (2) jury instructions that explicitly identify and warn against the hindsight bias do not ameliorate its impact; (3) the admission of secondary consideration evidence does not cure the hindsight bias; (4) neither the Federal Circuit's suggestion test nor the Supreme Court's Graham requirements appear to solve the hindsight problem; and (5) the hindsight problem pervades patent law to an extent not previously recognized - it biases decisions under the doctrine of equivalents, claim construction, the on-sale bar, and enablement.These findings run counter to the dominant patent analysis of the last decade and have significant implications for patent and innovation policy. The study results indicate that the non-obvious requirement actually often may be applied too stringently. Numerous critics of the current non-obvious requirement may need to reconsider the bases of their challenges and revisit their prescriptions for reform. Revising non-obvious doctrine or practice, for instance, will not provide the panacea that most assume. This Article concludes with recommendations for changes in patent doctrine and litigation to mitigate the impact of the hindsight bias.


Reducing the thermal conductivity of nanowires may enhance their already exciting efficiency of thermoelectric energy conversion. Using molecular dynamics simulations, we demonstrate that the thermal conductivity of silicon nanowires could be significantly decreased by patterning (or etching) induced roughness of the nanowire surfaces. The type, amplitude, and wavelength of the surface roughness all have profound effects, and the thermal conductivity could be reduced more when the wavelength is smaller or the amplitude is larger. Such an effect of roughness on the thermal conductivity is furthermore found to be coupled with the effects of nanowire cross-sectional size and length. Typically, the roughness effect is more prominent in longer and larger nanowires.


The study investigates the impact of micro-credit finance (MF) on women
empowerment and poverty eradication in Pakistan. The need for the study arises from
the fact that the existing literature on MF is widely divided on the impact and potential
of MF, indicating that one-size-fits-all is not true. Most of the MF models have been
developed in Bangladesh, India, Indonesia, etc. Very little research has been
conducted in Pakistan on the impact of MF, especially through the broader socioeconomic
impact assessment approach, instead of the widely-used outreach and
repayment rate approach. These gaps in literature warrant research on the impact of
MF on women empowerment (WE) and poverty eradication (PE) in Pakistan,
especially in view of the different socio-economic conditions for women.
This study was undertaken as an exploration of the notable works by Ahmed
(2009); Brau et al. (2009); Hatch (2002, 2004); Henry et al. (2003b); Khandker et al.
(2010); Littlefield et al. (2003); and Zeller et al. (2003a, 2003b, 2006). The research
reveals that participation in micro-credit finance program (MFP) eradicates poverty in
Pakistan, however, poverty eradication for males is much higher than females because
they tend to invest the loans in micro-enterprises rather than family-weddings/use-athome.
Participation in MFP also empowers women in Pakistan through poverty
eradication. In addition, MFP produces greater social-acceptance, awareness and
involvement of women in decision making; and greater control of women over
money/assets in Pakistan. The findings of the study provide many insights and will be
useful to policy makers and managers to make MF programs more effective and
purposeful.


Research and pedagogical interest in Grand-Guignol and popular horror performance at the University of South Wales has led to the commissioned creation of an annual public Halloween event for a council in Wales. In 2015, the event took place at a Nature Reserve with the theme of 'Werewolves'. This article gives an account of this Practice-as-Research project, in which a large ensemble developed skills in various areas: writers investigated the lycanthropic folklore and culture of Wales and beyond; performers trained in storytelling and physical performance; and a technical and stage management team facilitated the overall experience. This article gives a detailed account of the cultural context, creative process and final production of the 2015 'Werewolves' event. In so doing, it demonstrates how an ensemble working intensively on a focused project with a willing audience can present an example of a negotiated horror world through which the seeming oxymoron of a 'brand new ancient legend' can be inaugurated. - See more at: http://www.revenantjournal.com/contents/brand-new-ancient-legends-creating-werewolves-for-a-welsh-halloween/#sthash.cUeHFlnQ.dpuf


The innate immune system is the first line of host defense and against viral pathogens via effector molecules, such as type-I interferon (IFN-α/β). Plasmacytoid dendritic cells (pDC) and monocyte-derived DC (moDC) are potent producers of IFN in response to viruses through the respective activation of recognition toll-like receptors (TLRs) and cytosolic RNA helicases MDA5 and RIG-I. Exposure to environmental tobacco smoke (ETS) is a risk factor associated with an increase in the frequency and severity of respiratory infections. However, the mechanisms by which ETS alters innate immune responses have not been fully elucidated. Therefore, we investigated the ability of pDC and moDC to respond to respiratory syncytial virus (RSV) and human metapneumovirus (hMPV) in the presence of cigarette smoke extract (CSE). In viral infected pDC and moDC, CSE led to a significant dose-dependent decrease in IFN-α production and in pDC alone cytokines IL-10 and IP-10. CSE treatment attenuated IFN induction by TLR agonists TLR7 and TLR9 in pDC and TLR3 in moDC. CSE also significantly decreased TLR7 and TLR9 gene expression in viral infected pDC. In hMPV infected moDC, the presence of CSE down regulated the gene and protein expression of both MDA5 and RIG-I and phosphorylation of PKR regulated eukaryotic initiation factor-2alpha (eIF2α). Overall, these findings provides novel evidence of the IFN signaling pathways abrogated by CSE in viral infected pDC and moDC.


The accumulation of reactive oxygen species (ROS) leads to oxidative stress generation and induction in cell death. Recent evidence has demonstrated the role of calcium dysregulation in pathological process of neurodegenerative diseases. However, the contribution of calcium transducer, calmodulin and calcineurin in oxidative stress-induced neuron cells death has not been elucidated. This study was aimed to investigate the timedependent effect of oxidative stress on activation in calcium-dependent cell death process. The non-radical ROS, hydrogen peroxide (H2O2) was used to induce oxidative stress in neuroblastoma SH-SY5Y cells. The results showed that 200 μM H2O2 treatment for 24 hours significantly decreased cell viability. The levels of 32 kDa-cleavage form of calcineurin was significantly increased at 2 hours of H2O2 treatment. Moreover, H2O2-treated for 8, 12, and 24 hours significantly increased the levels of calmodulin. This finding might emphasize the involvement of calcineurin and calmodulin in oxidative stress-induced cytotoxicity in neuroblastoma cells.


Transport of video over IP networks is one of the most perspective directions of broadcast development and the hottest subjects among broadcasters and carriers. Setting a standard for IPTV is very difficult. There is a lot of areas that must be covered during standardization. Not only technical aspect should be taken into account-we should find out how such aspects as the size of the output IP packet from a transmitting device and the bit rates influence on the subjective assessment of the quality of television pictures. The aim of the current work is to show such dependences and to explain them


Theories of adult development suggest that both personality and social roles are sources of adult well-being, but most research has examined only social roles. An integrated model was used, including personality, number of roles, and role quality, to predict well-being in 2 longitudinal studies of college-educated women. Results for both samples indicated that role quality and personality development were important components of the path to well-being, whereas number of roles, occupied was important mainly in early adulthood. Moreover, the results provided support for E. Erikson's (1968) notion of the importance of the sequencing of personality development for later well-being. Path analyses indicated that engagement in multiple roles during early adulthood facilitated the development of identity, which predicted generativity and role quality, which in turn predicted well-being.


This document introduces the motivation to design the Flexible Session
Protocol which supports mobility and multihoming at the transport
layer. FSP is to avoid, if not to extirpate, the routing scalability
problem in the IPv6 internetwork. The document serves to explain
choices of design goals of FSP as well.


The authors report their experience of thyroidectomy on the basis of 378 excisions (230 bilateral procedures). Their surgical attitude limiting nerve dissection is supported by pathological findings in 24 specimens injected with latex, emphasising the importance of the medial lateral thyrotracheal ligament as a marker. Postoperative laryngoscopy revealed 11 cases of nerve damage (8 recurrent laryngeal nerve, 3 lateral laryngeal nerve). This affected 1.3% of the recurrent laryngeal nerves and 0.57% of the lateral laryngeal nerves exposed. The lack of routine laryngoscopic follow up undoubtedly led to underestimation of the prevalence but the number of recurrent node excisions in this group undoubtedly led to overestimation.


THE PAST DECADE has witnessed significant advances in the surgical treatment of cervical myelopathy and myeloradiculopathy. In this article, we discuss in detail the indications for combined ventral and dorsal surgery for the treatment of cervical myelopathy and myeloradiculopathy. In addition, the advances in surgical technique and instrumentation in cervical spine surgery are explored. Finally, complication avoidance and management strategies are discussed. Combined ventral and dorsal decompression, reconstruction, and instrumentation procedures are viable options in the treatment of a select group of patients with complex cervical myelopathy or myeloradiculopathy.


A model for diffusion of statistically degenerate excitons in (coupled) quantum wells is proposed and analysed. Within a microscopic approach, we derive a quantum diffusion equation, calculate and estimate the self-diffusion coefficient for excitons in quantum wells and derive a modified Einstein relation adapted to statistically degenerated quasi–two-dimensional bosons. It is also shown that the dipole-dipole interaction of indirect excitons effectively screens long-range–correlated disorder in quantum wells. Numerical calculations are given for indirect excitons in GaAs/AlGaAs coupled quantum wells.


With the help of the National Science Foundation (NSF), many Principal Investigators (PIs) have been able to mentor undergraduates through Research Experience for Undergraduates (REU) site awards. These REU sites are critical to the development of future graduate students, but can be challenging to run due to several required skills outside the scope of most faculty members' expertise, e.g., recruiting applicants, navigating the logistics of housing visiting undergraduate students, and tracking student outcomes after their REU experiences. In recent years, REU PIs in NSF's Computer & Information Science & Engineering (CISE) Directorate have come together through PI meetings to share best practices for running a successful REU site. While PIs inevitably take different approaches to running their sites based on their research projects, there is still a need to provide new PIs with guidance on the different aspects of an REU site such as identifying resources that can assist in recruiting women and underrepresented minority applicants, providing training for graduate students acting as mentors, and strategies for keeping a mentoring connection to undergraduate researchers after they return to their home institutions. Currently, REU site preparation and orientation for new PIs is a face-to-face process that requires careful planning and significant travel costs. The REU PI Guide, a set of web-based resources, was developed to share best practices of experienced PIs and build capacity within the REU PI community in a more scalable and cost-effective way. The REU PI Guide allows PIs to look up advice and guidance when needed and share their own best practices. This paper describes our approach to designing the REU PI Guide. The Guide is a database of documents, examples, and overviews of the different aspects of running an REU site. The Guide was developed by assessing new PIs' needs at an NSF workshop for new PIs, gathering existing resources from experienced PIs, creating and refining a website, and evaluation with new PIs. The website's content and design will be refined through on-going feedback from PIs and other REU site stakeholders. This site has the potential broader impact to share best practices with REU PIs outside the CISE directorate and significantly ease the process of engaging future scientists via REU sites.


This paper presents our contribution in terms of synchronization processor to a SoC design methodology based on the theory of the latency insensitive systems (US). This methodology 1) promotes pre-developed IPs intensive reuse, 2) segments inter-IPs interconnects with relay stations to break critical paths and 3) brings robustness to data stream irregularities to IPs by encapsulation into a synchronization wrapper. Our contribution consists of IP encapsulation into a new wrapper model containing a synchronization processor, which speed and area are optimized and synthesizability guaranteed. The main benefit of our approach is to preserve the local IP performances when encapsulating them. This approach is part of the RNRT ALIPTA project which targets design automation of intensive digital signal processing systems with GAUT, a high-level synthesis tool.


In examining a child the physician investigates carefully the throat, the heart, the lungs and the abdominal organs. Too frequently he completely ignores the skeletal system unless there is a marked lordosis, an obviously protruberant abdomen or flat feet, When the attention has once been drawn to the question of body mechanics, it becomes evident that few children hold themselves in good position. It is my object in this paper to call attention to the necessity of considering the posture of every child, and to present reasons for this necessity. Good body mechanics means 1 that the body is maintained in such a position that there is no undue strain on any set of muscles or organs. The head is held erect with chin in: the chest is up with costal angle wide: the abdomen is held in instead of sagging down. The weight of the body is forward on


Usually, the outside temperature of a house increases when we use the air-conditioner because of the outdoor unit. Consequently, usage of electric power consumed in an area raises because neighbor houses also start using air-conditioners to keep the inside temperature. Influence of this phenomenon could depends on the arrangement of the houses in the area. Thus, relationship between arrangement of houses with air-conditioners and electric power usage of a target urban area is investigated. A house with air-conditioner and an outdoor unit is represented as a mathematical model, and multi-agent simulations has been conducted with the model in order to investigate the relationship between arrangement of houses and usage of electric power. Effective arrangements of houses and ineffective arrangements of houses has been found by using random search method. As a result, there is a significant difference between the two types of arrangements. It has also become clear that usage of electric power decreases when houses with low preset temperature get closer with each other, on the contrary, usage of electric power increases when they get far from each other.


An improved Z1/3 law of nuclear charge radius is presented. The comparison between the calculated and experimental nuclear charge radii now available shows that this new formula is better than the other conventional formulae.


7-Dimethyl-amino-2-phenyl-1,2,4-triazolo[1,5-a][1,3,5]triazin-5-amine crystallized with one mol-ecule of methanol to give the title compound, C(12)H(13)N(7)·CH(3)OH. The triazolo[1,5-a][1,3,5]triazine heterocyclic core is essentially planar as are both amino groups that are involved in π-electron delocalization with the triazolo[1,5-a][1,3,5]triazine nucleus. The methyl groups of the dimethyl-amino fragment are involved in the formation of weak intra-molecular C-H⋯N hydrogen bonds with the N atoms of the heterocyclic system. The crystal packing is stabilized by inter-molecular N-H⋯N hydrogen bonds between the triazolo[1,5-a][1,3,5]triazine mol-ecules. The methanol solvent mol-ecule also participates in the formation of the crystal structure via inter-molecular O-H⋯N, N-H⋯O and weak C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, linking the layers of triazolo[1,5-a][1,3,5]triazine mol-ecules.


Introduction: Gastroparesis, or delayed gastric emptying, can be diagnosed with gastric emptying scintigraphy. Manometric studies of patients with gastroparesis show increased pyloric tone (pylorospasm). Among the recent endoscopic therapies for pylorospasm is peroral endoscopic pylorotomy (POP). In this study, we explored the effect of POP on gastric emptying in healthy pigs. Material and methods: Four mini-pigs underwent POP following general anaesthesia. The mucosal entrance was situated 5 cm above the pylorus. POP was performed through a submucosal tunnel dissection. The duration of gastric emptying was assessed by scintigraphy before and after the procedure. The pigs were then euthanised for necropsy and pathologic assessment of the pylorus. Results: The mean duration of the procedure was 55 (± 4 SD) min. All surgeries were performed in their entirety with 100 % feasibility. There were no cases of bleeding. The one case of perforation had no clinical significance. The duration of gastric emptying was 2.22-fold shorter after POP compared with before POP (T½ post-POP = 84.5 [± 35.7 SD] min vs. T½ pre-POP = 188.4 [± 87.3 SD] min; P = 0.029). In agreement with the endoscopic observations, sectioning of the pyloric muscle in each pig was histologically complete. Conclusion: The efficacy of the procedure provides indirect proof of the involvement of the pyloric ring in delayed gastric emptying and suggests new therapies for patients with gastroparesis. Our protocol combining gastric emptying scintigraphy and POP validated the use of anaesthetised mini-pigs as a learning and training model for POP or other endoscopic/surgical procedures related to gastric emptying.


Third junction of Sungai Bengkel was a Signalized Intersection which a hasn't have traffic jam ,which has three approach, are North approach, West approach and East approach. However, the alinyemen for the North approach has problems that make it difficult for vehicles, especially four-wheelers to turn because the effect bottle neck resulting in the slow motion of the vehicle and change of phase time . the problem solving, the evalution of traffic light and intersection geometry were carried out by widening  the alinyemen for the North approach and East approaches and doing changes in cycle time. The purpose of evaluating the performance of traffic light and Geometrics at the third intersection of Sungai Bengkel is to determine the value of the degree of saturation and to know the performance of the intersection.At the intersection planning, it refers to the PKJI 2014 for Intersection Performance, while for the Geometrics it refers to Module 4 of the Ministry of Public Works and Public Housing on Geometric Planning of Plane Intersections.Based on  the calculation results of the Sungai Bengkel junction performance indicate that, the degree of  saturation  < 0.85,which is 0.529 for North,  0.537 for East, and 0.570  for West .With the radius is 15 m, and the cycle  time of traffic light 50 second, with the delay time  as long as 17 second/pcu


Modern storage rings are readily capable of providing intense x-ray pulses, tens of picoseconds in duration, millions of times per second. Exploiting the temporal structure of these x-ray sources opens avenues for studying rapid structural changes in materials. Many processes (e.g. crack propagation, deformation on impact, turbulence, etc.) differ in detail from one sample trial to the next and would benefit from the ability to record successive x-ray images with single x-ray sensitivity while framing at 5 to 10 MHz rates. To this end, we have pursued the development of fast x-ray imaging detectors capable of collecting bursts of images that enable the isolation of single synchrotron bunches and/or bunch trains. The detector technology used is the hybrid pixel array detector (PAD) with a charge integrating front-end, and high-speed, in-pixel signal storage elements. A 384×256 pixel version, the Keck-PAD, with 150 µm × 150 µm pixels and 8 dedicated in-pixel storage elements is operational, has been tested ...