Abstract There is a paucity of literature and research published in refereed journals or books that evaluate Employee Assistance Programs (EAPs) in an emergency service organization. The purpose of the evaluation presented in this paper was to identify levels of satisfaction with the established EAP in a particular ambulance service, using a scientifically robust approach. Hence, a mixed method was adopted which incorporated the collection of quantitative and qualitative, objective and subjective data. Survey data (n = 667) supported high to very high levels of satisfaction with the individual services the organization provides, the EAP program in general, and a high level of usage of these services by ambulance personnel. Usage data demonstrated that more than half of the staff in the organization utilised support services at least once in a given year and qualitative data reiterated the relatively high levels of satisfaction as well as elucidated some issues that require further investigation. Results supported the structure and delivery of this service's staff support program and provide orientation for future research.


This paper deals with the problem of obtaining stable and robust oscillations of underactuated mechanical systems. It is concerned with the Hopf bifurcation analysis of a Controlled Inertia Wheel Inverted Pendulum (C-IWIP). Firstly, the stabilization was achieved with a control law based on the Interconnection, Damping, Assignment Passive Based Control method (IDA-PBC). Interestingly, the considered closed-loop system exhibits both supercritical and subcritical Hopf bifurcation for certain gains of the control law. Secondly, we used the center manifold theorem and the normal form technique to study the stability and instability of limit cycles emerging from the Hopf bifurcation. Finally, numerical simulations were conducted to validate the analytical results in order to prove that with IDA-PBC we can control not only the unstable equilibrium but also some trajectories such as limit cycles.


AbstractThis paper presents analytical and experimental studies on the axial load-bending moment behavior of glass fiber–reinforced polymer (GFRP) bars and helices RC columns. The nominal axial load and bending moment of the columns were analyzed based on the stress-strain behavior of the cross-sectional components. A numerical integration method was used to determine the compressive force of concrete in the compression region. The analytical results were verified with experimental results of 12 circular specimens reinforced with GFRP bars and GFRP helices. Out of these 12 specimens, eight specimens were taken from available literature and four specimens were tested in this study. The influences of different parameters such as loading conditions, spacing of the GFRP helices, and wrapping the specimens with carbon fiber–reinforced polymer (CFRP) sheets on the behavior of GFRP-RC specimens were investigated. A parametric study was also carried out to investigate the effects of longitudinal and transverse GF...


ENHANCING THE THERMAL COMFORT OF UTILITARIAN BICYCLISTS: AN ENERGY BUDGET APPROACH INTEGRATING PRINCIPLES OF MICROCLIMATIC DESIGN WITH BICYCLE PATHWAY DESIGN IN OTTAWA, CANADA Elisabeth F. Klein Advisor: University of Guelph, 2012 Professor Robert D. Brown Thermal comfort receives little priority in the planning and design of bicycle pathways. Design tools are required to illustrate the importance of the relationship between climate and bicycling activity to improve the bicycling experience and extend the bicycling season in a cold climate. Microclimatic and bicycle pathway design principles were integrated with a COMFA model to simulate the thermal comfort of users bicycling on a proposed pathway in Ottawa, Canada. Modelling results predicted bicyclists could be thermally comfortable travelling at a steady-state speed of 16.0-19.2 km/h, but preferred to be cooler when travelling at higher speeds and warmer in colder months when standing at rest. Design implications recognized the compatibility of microclimatic and bicycle pathway design principles and demonstrated how a bioclimatic approach to designing bicycle infrastructure can encourage user thermal comfort, mitigate weather discomforts, accentuate seasonal climate conditions, and address a more inclusive combination of bicycle user design criteria.


Fuzzy rule interpolation (FRI) is an important technique for performing inference with sparse rule bases. Even when a given observation has no overlap with the antecedent values of any existing rules, FRI may still derive a conclusion. In particular, the scale and move transformation-based approach can handle interpolation and extrapolation with multiple multi-antecedent rules. However, the difficulty in defining the required precise-valued membership functions significantly restricts the application of FRI. Type-2 fuzzy sets help to alleviate such limitations because their membership functions are themselves fuzzy. This paper extends the existing transformation-based approach of FRI by using interval type-2 fuzzy sets. The proposed approach not only facilitates the definition of representative values of interval type-2 fuzzy sets, but also modifies the underlying FRI technique to ensure intuitive interpolated conclusions. The experimentation demonstrates that the proposed approach can deal with uncertainty in FRI in a more flexible way, extending the potential of conventional FRI techniques.


As a result of the COVID-19 pandemic, medical statistics and public health data have become staples of newsfeeds worldwide, with infection rates, deaths, case fatality and the mysterious R figure featuring regularly. However, we don't all have the statistical background needed to translate this information into knowledge. In this lively account, Stephen Senn explains these statistical phenomena and demonstrates how statistics is essential to making rational decisions about medical care. The second edition has been thoroughly updated to cover developments of the last two decades and includes a new chapter on medical statistical challenges of COVID-19, along with additional material on infectious disease modelling and representation of women in clinical trials. Senn entertains with anecdotes, puzzles and paradoxes, while tackling big themes including: clinical trials and the development of medicines, life tables, vaccines and their risks or lack of them, smoking and lung cancer, and even the power of prayer.


This paper argues that, unlike many recently proposed and sometimes inaugurated educational innovations – theoretical or methodological, inquiry learning is founded on a strong historical and philosophical base. Following John Dewey's warning, about conducting education under the control of customs and traditions that have never been examined, or in response to immediate social pressures, the inquiry approach does offer some clear idea of the ends in the way of ruling attitudes or desire or purpose that are to be created. The paper first defines inquiry learning and then outlines its evolutionary history


Microbiome
A large proportion of our immune system resides in the gut. Inflammasomes are host molecular complexes that sense danger and activate immune responses to food-related signals and foreign pathogens. Studies in mice have suggested that Nlrp6-ASC inflammasomes influence gut flora composition and susceptibility to obesity, colon inflammation, and fatty liver disease. Mamantopoulos et al. analyzed the microbiome of Nlrp6- or ASC-deficient mice and littermate siblings containing functional copies of the encoding genes. The study compared mouse cohorts housed in two separate animal facilities in different countries. The authors found that, in contrast to previous reports, Nlrp6- and ASC-mediated inflammasome signaling may not affect immunity or shape gut flora.

Immunity 10.1016/j.immuni.2017.07.011 (2017).


Estimation of worst-case execution times (WCETs) is required to validate the temporal behavior of hard real time systems. Heptane is an open-source software program that estimates upper bounds of execution times on MIPS and ARM v7 architectures, offered to the WCET estimation community to experiment new WCET estimation techniques. The software architecture of Heptane was designed to be as modular and extensible as possible to facilitate the integration of new approaches. This paper is devoted to a description of Heptane, and includes information on the analyses it implements, how to use it and extend it. 1998 ACM Subject Classification C.3 Real-time and embedded systems


The aim of this study was to characterize enterotoxigenic Staphylococcus aureus recovered from raw cow milk from two geographical regions of Poland using pulsed-field gel electrophoresis (PFGE) and multilocus sequence typing (MLST). Among 610 samples tested, 229 (37.5%) were positive for S. aureus and 30 (13.1%) of them possessed at least one gene encoding enterotoxins. The sec marker was the most commonly identified (12; 40.0% isolates), followed by the sed (9; 30.0%), sea (6; 20.0%), and seb (1; 3.3%) genes. Some S. aureus possessed a combination of the sea and sec or sea and seb toxin markers. Only two (6.7%) of the enterotoxin gene-positive isolates were not able to produce enterotoxins in vitro. Genotypic analysis with the PFGE method of a total of 50 toxigenic S. aureus isolates from the present and previous studies identified 16 clonal groups. Furthermore, MLST revealed the presence of 15 sequence types with the most common being ST45 and ST1. The results of this study indicate that raw cow milk may be a source of S. aureus with classical enterotoxin genes, which may pose a potential threat for the consumers' safety.


Low cardiorespiratory fitness is a strong predictor of cardiovascular disease and all-cause mortality in healthy people as well as in patient groups. Unfit individuals have twice the risk of death from all causes, and tailored exercise is important to improve fitness. It is well established that patients with inflammatory rheumatic diseases have increased risk for cardiovascular disease compared with healthy population, and it is therefore particularly important that these patients benefit from the risk-reducing effect of exercise. Exercise has traditionally been recommended as part of the treatment for patients with rheumatic diseases, but exercise programs has mainly focused on improving mobility and reducing pain. Further, patients with active disease has been recommended to exercise with low intensity. To increase cardiorespiratory fitness, however, high intensity exercise is needed. It is therefore encouraging that recent studies show that patients with active rheumatic disease tolerate intensive cardiorespiratory- and strength exercises and can benefit from such health-enhancing training. Recent research in this field will be presented and discussed. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Research the stability of underground structures that are almost done, can be divided into the frameworks of theoretical processing, basic laboratory analyses and information on previous experiences in the exploitation of deep deposits and, as such, they can serve as a reference for more detailed research. In this paper, the example of the ore body "Borska Reka" in the underground mine Jama Bor, shows one of the ways to get the reliable data on the working environment that can be used to model the rock mass. Therefore, the results will provide a realistic assessment the stability of the analyzed structures.


The SAGA (Spt-Ada-Gcn5-acetyltransferase) is an evolutionary conserved multidomain co-activator complex involved in gene regulation through its histone acetyltransferase (HAT) and deubiquitinase (DUB) functions. It is well studied in Saccharomyces cerevisiae, and recent reports from humans and Drosophila expand its importance from gene transcription regulation to transcription elongation, protein stability and telomere maintenance. In Candida albicans, little is known about the components of the SAGA complex and their influence in morphogenesis and stress response. In this work, we analysed individual components of the SAGA complex, their role in morphogenesis and responses to different signalling cues. We initially analysed conditionally repressed strains of SAGA complex subunits involved in the HAT function of the complex: Tra1, Ngg1, Spt7, Spt8, Taf5, Taf6, Taf9, and Taf10. It appears that the Tra1 might be essential for the viability of C. albicans, as we failed to obtain homozygous deletions although it showed detectible growth in the conditionally repressed strain. Also, we observed that TBP- associated factors are essential in C. albicans, possibly due to their role in the transcription initiation factor TFIID instead of SAGA. We also detected that the Spt8 repressed mutant was extensively invasive in YPD at 300C while a repressed Ngg1 was considerably less invasive compared to its wild type. Also, we have seen that the mutations affecting TBP-binding ability confer susceptibility to drugs, temperature, osmotic, oxidative and DNA damage stress. Further, it seems that the modules of SAGA complex might have antagonistic roles in expression regulation but this needs more in-depth study.


Abstract:

Background: Autoimmune diseases, with emerging clinical concerns, are caused by imbalances in immune system functions. Cytokines are critical components of the immune system produced by various immune and non-immune cells. Objective: We will review the newly-introduced cytokine known as interleukin-27 (IL-27), which has both pro- and anti- inflammatory roles in immunity. Methods: Literature review of the field of immunology and cytokines in autoimmune diseases. Results: IL-27 alters the balance between the different types of T helper (Th) cells through reduction or promotion of their responses to autoimmune diseases including multiple sclerosis, ulcerative colitis, inflammatory bowel disease, rheumatoid arthritis, psoriasis, autoimmune diabetes, systemic lupus erythematosus, Sjogren's syndrome, Behcet's disease, and autoimmune aplastic anemia. Conclusions: The functions of IL-27 are currently unclear because it appears to affect different cells, cytokines, and signaling pathways differently. Further investigations are needed to clarify the role of IL-27 in autoimmune diseases. Hence, this article reviewed the multiple roles of IL-27 in autoimmune diseases and describe the influence of IL-27 on the immune system.


This paper considers the problem of geographic links between the urban flora of steppe zone of Ukraine on the example of the industrial agglomeration Donetsk-Makeyevka, in comparison with urban flora of Kherson and Kirovograd. We presented the detailed description of special features of the composition of geographic elements of the agglomeration flora. It strongly reflects the characteristic features of steppe urban flora, because its territory is affected by the anthropogenic influence at large extend. The spectrum of geographic ranges of species from the agglomeration Donetsk-Makeyevka urban flora numbers 6 types, 12 classes and 130 groups of ranges. The urban flora is both represented by species with wide and local ranges, endemics, that point to its significant heterogeneity. However, compared to the flora of Kherson and Kirovograd, the role of holarctic type of ranges in the agglomeration flora (375 species compared to 400 and 522 species, respectively) is reduced in favor of the polyregional type, reflecting active adventization processes. The holarctic class itself is represented by 150 species (16.7%). It far exceeds the number of species of this class in the regional flora (9.2%), since nearly a half of their number in the observed flora is adventive species. Second place by the number of species in the holarctic class belongs to the European and North American group (13; 1.5%). Apart from this, seven more groups of the class, comprising 1-3 species each, are connected with North America. The polyregional type is represented to a large extent by the species of ruderal habitats. The total number of species of this type is 199. The palaearctic class includes the greatest number of ranges of species from the agglomeration urban flora (31); it consists of 175 species (19.5%), that is less than such index for regional flora (27.3%). The European and Old Mediterranean transition type comprises 97 species (10.8%), that is less than in other urban flora of steppe zone (128; 13.3% in Kherson and 171; 18.0% in Kirovograd). The Nomadic type numbers 132 species (14.7%). One more species – Verbascum marschallianum Ivanina et Tzvelev – is related to the Nomadic and European transition type. The Nomadic and Old Mediterranean transition type includes 93 species (10.4%). This all suggests heterogeneity of urban flora of steppe zone of Ukraine due to their wide geographic connections. On the one hand, they have features of regional flora, which was formed under the great influence of Old Mediterranean flora and has a significant number of narrow-range and endemic species. On the other hand, under the impact of urbanization one can observe the reduction of the role of ranges of the Nomadic type and the enhanced role of the polyregional type due to the significant number of adventive species.


In response to the Global Financial Crisis (2007-2009), the capital regulation was significantly enhanced through the adoption of regulatory measures aimed to improve the resilience of banks, among others, by increasing the required quantity and quality of capital held. Particular emphasis was placed on addressing the "too-big-to-fail" problem seeking to reduce the incentives for large banks to become ever larger and more systemically relevant. The present paper examines whether the banks' size affects the level of applicable capital requirements and the amount of (CET1) capital that banks are required to hold. Based on an analysis of the capital requirements for 108 ECB-supervised banks, it is demonstrated that the arrangements governing the calibration of the bank-specific elements of capital requirements (i.e. Pillar 2 Requirement, systemic buffer, Pillar 2 Guidance), as well as other bank-specific characteristics relevant to capital requirements (i.e. banks' ability to issue AT1 and Tier 2 instruments, RW density) tend to favour G-SIBs and other large banks with assets exceeding €200bn. On average, G-SIBs are subject to a CET1 requirement of c. 3pp lower than banks with assets less than €30bn, mainly due to the fact that they take advantage of the AT1 and Tier 2 allowances granted by CRR/CRDV. Also, given that large banks have a significantly lower RW density, for every billion of assets held, the amount of CET1 capital that G-SIBs are required to hold is nearly half the amount that small banks must keep under the applicable capital requirements.

The discrepancies relating to the approach for the determination of the systemic buffer (i.e. highest of G-SII buffer, O-SII buffer, or systemic risk buffer), which is still determined at national level, contribute to the creation of an unlevel playing field in the Banking Union, as banks with similar asset size and systemic relevance are treated in a different manner because they are located in different Member States. Therefore, the SSMR should be amended to transfer the competence for the determination of the systemic buffer to the ECB to ensure that the Banking Union will be treated as a single jurisdiction and the determination of the systemic buffer will be made based on uniform conditions.

As demonstrated in this analysis, the capital regulation functions as an incentive, rather than as an obstacle, to the further increase of banks' size. In light of the need for further consolidation of the banking sector in the Banking Union, banks subject to lower (CET1) capital requirements, as is the case for large banks, need less CET1 capital to finance potential M&As, mostly by leveraging on their ability to tap capital markets for AT1 and Tier 2 issuances. Thus, from a capital requirements perspective, large banks have every incentive to expand their operations, either on domestic or cross-border basis, at the expense of smaller banks.


By push-pull perfusion technique and RIA of neuro-peptides, it was found that after 20 minutes' electroacupunture (EA), the release of LEK from the RPGL in the EA group was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05). The release of beta-EP from the RPGL in the EA group with higher efficacy was significantly higher than that in the control group (P < 0.05), but no significant changes were found in the EA group with lower efficacy. There was a positive correlation between the changes of release of LEK or beta-EP and the increase of pain threshold. The release of DynA1-13 tends to show a barely significant extent (P > 0.05). The results indicate that acupuncture analgesia is able to increase the release of LEK and beta-EP in the RPGL.


Cooperative Intelligent Transportation Systems (C-ITS) are a viable solution when it comes to the optimization of the ever-growing population moving in the cities. C-ITS studies have to deal with telecommunications issues and location errors due to the urban environment, while keeping into account realistic mobility patterns. A detailed and state of the art scenario is complex to generate and validate. There is a trade-off between precision and scalability. Additionally, precise information may be problematic to obtain or use due to privacy issues. There are some general-purpose freely-available scenarios, but none of them provides a 3D environment with intermodal traffic. Nonetheless, the 3D environment is a requirement to have reliable C-ITS simulations in a realistic setting, and the importance of intermodal mobility cannot be overlooked in planning the future of smart cities. The Monaco SUMO Traffic (MoST) Scenario aims to provide a state of the art 3D playground with various kind of vehicles, vulnerable road users and public transports to test C-ITS solutions. This paper presents the data requirements, characteristics, possible use cases, and finally, the limitations of MoST Scenario.


In recent decades, there have been many authors who researched about the topic of employee engagement with a variety of approaches and significant findings. This research aims to study factors determining the organizational engagement of office workers. Samples were collected from 253 office workers in Binh Duong Province. The results from this study indicate that five factors that have a positive influence on employee engagement, in descending order, include job characteristics, job fit, rewards and recognition, employee voice, perceived organizational support. Especially, Justice factor is not statistically significant. Besides, testing the difference in the level of employee engagement by individual characteristics suggests that there is no difference in engagement by gender and seniority, yet there is a difference by age, in particular, the group under 25 years has a lower level of engagement than other groups (25 - 34 years, 45 - 54 years old, 55 years and older). Based on the findings, some implications are suggested to improve the human resources management of companies in Binh Duong Province through strengthening the organizational engagement level of office workers.


Public health emergencies in urban India can be caused by natural or man-made disasters. Occurrence of a public health emergency adds to the already stretched health system. This paper looks into the public health emergency conditions in urban India, and our preparedness to tackle them. To address this composite threat to nation's health and development, a concerted public health response is needed, that can ensure efficient delivery in emergency situations
Public health emergency is an occurrence or eminent threat of an illness or health condition caused by bio-terrorism, epidemic or pandemic disease, or novel and highly fatal infectious agent or biological toxin, that possess a substantial risk of a significant number of human facilities or incidents or permanent or long–term disability (1). It is a condition that requires the government to declare a state of public health emergency. The declaration of a state of public health emergency permits the government to suspend state regulations,and change the functions of state agencies (2).
Term "Urban" refers to perplexing variety of environments.  Health circumstances of small cities and town differ in many ways from larger cities and metros. Within cities, change in lifestyle of residents is observed. The urban system is often present with full array of health providers ranging from traditional healer, street drug seller to highly –trained surgeons (3).


Supply chain management constitutes a relatively new and promising field of management science, affecting greatly the efficiency of Greek enterprises. The objective of this research is to detect the range of SCM applications in Greece; the trends and views of Greek enterprises in relation to efficiency, difficulties, costs, benefits and necessity, as these were generated from the implementation of one or more SCM applications. Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) has now proven to be an indispensable backbone for most Greek enterprises. Enterprises on the whole have stated that they have proceeded to a combination of ERP and Best of Bread systems. However, despite the valuable benefits featuring the selection of Application Service Providers – ASP (leasing of SCM applications), it has been found that this solution has not matured yet in the consciousness of Greek companies. The great majority considers it unattractive or slightly attractive.


Depth imaging with anisotropic models has been shown to deliver more geologically plausible models and accurate images. Deriving parameters that describe the anisotropic properties of the subsurface requires incorporating well information. There are, however, vast exploration areas around the world with very limited to no well control that do require high-quality anisotropic imaging to allow adequate interpretation of deeper targets below complex structures. We present a general workflow for building tilted transversely isotropic (TTI) models in areas of very limited well control. We incorporate published knowledge of the area and analysis of data anellipticity, with a derivation of Thomsen's δ in wells from adjacent areas. We use single regional Thomsen's parameter trends hung from the water bottom. Finally, we present a case study that applies this workflow to seismic data from the Kwanza basin offshore Angola where TTI models were built over more than 12000 km2 in two adjacent areas. By accounting for TTI anisotropy, we have produced geologically plausible and interpretable images from relatively old narrow-azimuth streamer data with only moderate offsets of 4.8 km.


An automated sensor system for the continuous and in-line measurement of hydrogen peroxide in industrial applications is described. The hydrogen peroxide concentration can be measured over the entire pH range, over a wide concentration range of hydrogen peroxide (10-3 70 g/l), from 0 to 70°C, and with high precision and accuracy (errors less than 1% ). The system consists of a bypass in which the necessary electrodes are positioned and electronically controlled. The sensor is very selective for hydrogen peroxide, easy to instal, and it is stable for at least two months after calibration. The calibration can be done in the process solution during a running process.


The present study was undertaken during crop years 2004 and 2005 to assess the effect of different treatments and temperatures on the shelf life of Kinnows during storage. The objective of this study was to conduct postharvest management studies of Kinnows through the application of different wax treatments and storage temperatures to extend shelf life and to improve the postharvest quality of Kinnows for export marketing. The treated Kinnows were tested for different physicochemical and sensory parameters. The different parts of Kinnows were subjected to analyses in order to ascertain the presence of different pesticides and fungicides. The Kinnows were treated with two commercially available waxes, i.e., shellac based wax and polyethylene based wax and tested their efficacy during two crop years i.e., 2004 and 2005. The Kinnows were stored at four temperatures to determine the effect of different storage temperatures on life, physicochemical and sensory parameters. The different evaluations regarding the postharvest management were analysis of the Kinnows carried out after an interval of 15 days during the whole course of study up to 105 days storage.


Despite a high potential to improve the productivity, quality and safety and also to reduce costs, automated technologies are not widely spread in the construction sector. This paper presents a simulation-based approach to analyze the technical and economic feasibility of wire robots for automated construction in future investigations. Masonry buildings are considered as an appropriate application case due to repetitive construction procedures and high demands concerning accuracy of construction. A simulation model representing the fundamental mechanics of a wire robot is created. Special focus lies on creating collision-free motion profiles which can be exported to the robot control system. BIM models can be used to set-up the simulation model and to prepare the required input data. Following a modular structure, the model can be applied with different purposes in the exploration of the approach. The construction of a one-story masonry building serves as case study proving the concept's functionality.


Evaluation of the environmental geochemistry needs studying element content in different environmental profiles, for that reason the zinc content has been studied in the soil-plant to fill gaps in Kirkuk City. Ten soil samples (L1–L10) are collected from agricultural fields (0– 20 cm depth), with twelve leafy vegetable samples for four types, and each type has three samples: celery (N1, N2, N3), basil (N4, N5, N6), cress (N7, N8, N9), and arugula (N10, N11, N12) from the fields (L2, L7, L8) which the soil sample were chosen. Samples were analyzed using ICP-MS technique. The results show the average concentration value of Zn in soil samples is 70.91 mg/kg the highest concentration is recorded in sample L7 (169.2 mg/kg), whereas in the plant samples the highest average of Zn was found in cress 67.73> basil 52.53> arugula 38.9> celery 29.3 in mg/kg, respectively. Transfer factor value showed that the highest value in Cress 0.729> TF Basil 0.612> TF Arugula 0.511> TF Celery 0.395, respectively. Igeo result values show that all soil sampling sites are unpolluted with Zn, except L7 is unpolluted to moderate with Igeo value (0.8). The contamination factor values in L7, L8, L9, L10 samples (2.603, 1.284, 1.086 and 1.129) refers to a moderate contamination level with Zn. Target hazard quotient values for children >1 in samples N4, N5, N7, N8, N9, N10, and target hazard quotient values for adult >1 in samples N5, N8, N9, that indicate they are exposed to different health effects. The increase in the concentration of the Zn in soils is due to irrigated field crops with wastewater, and through it, the plant absorbs it by root depending on the type of plant, the location of the sample, and the soil properties.


This research aims to investigate the effects of employing cryo-milled and milled MCrAlY feedstock powders on the oxidation behaviour of low-pressure plasma sprayed (LPPS) and HVOF-sprayed coatings deposited onto a Ni-based superalloy substrate. Commercially-available powders with three different chemical compositions were selected and sprayed both in standard condition and after milling and cryo-milling processes. The LPPS and HVOF coatings, deposited onto an Inconel substrate, were diffusion-treated at 1080 °C (according to the industrial standard) and subjected to isothermal and cyclic oxidation tests. The outcomes of these tests show that transient oxidation is suppressed in the coatings obtained from milled MCrAlY systems, whose overall resistance to cyclic oxidation (number of cycles to failure) is approximately two times greater than that of standard coatings. This difference is not related to the nanostructural features induced on the powder particles by the milling process, because, after the diffusion treatment, all coatings exhibit identical γ-β two-phase microstructure, with no trace of the original nanostructure. The improvement is ascribed to the fine dispersion of nanometric Al2O3 grains within the milled powder particles: in the sprayed coatings, these nanometric oxides act as nuclei and favour the direct formation of an Al2O3 oxide scale.


For pt.I see ibid., vol.21, p.783 (1988). Thermodynamic aspects of Schottky contact formation on cleaved GaAs (110) surfaces are examined. It is shown, for 18 different metals, that a simple binary-phase bulk thermodynamic model is a useful semi-quantitative guide to interfacial reactivity, provided both arsenide and gallium alloy formation are considered. Absence of reaction, reaction by arsenide formation alone, reaction by alloying alone and reaction by both arsenide and alloy formation are correctly predicted. In contrast, attempts to correlate any of the thermodynamic parameters, including the interface heat of reaction, with the Schottky barrier height were unsuccessful.


Modernizing our critical infrastructure often involves upgrades with Cyber-Physical Systems (CPS) to enhance efficiency, safety and reliability. New security and resilience requirements and challenges arise given the mission- and time-critical nature of CPS applications. These applications are always targeted by sophisticated persistent attacks exploiting potential cyber-physical integration vulnerabilities. In this paper, we present CyPhyCARD (Cooperative Autonomous Resilient Defense "CARD" platform for Cyber Physical Systems) as a resilient and secure defense cloud. The foundation of CyPhyCARD is our Cell-Oriented Architecture (COA) that enables distributed, dynamically configurable, and runtime-programmable platforms. COA comprises composable intrinsically resilient, active components termed "Cells" that dynamically manage heterogeneous resources and executable software code variants to execute CyPhyCARD defense missions. CyPhyCARD uses our generic Evolutionary Sensory system (EvoSense) to circulate context-driven, functionally customizable sensors and effectors through the target of defense. EvoSense provides cooperative autonomous control and sharing amongst interconnected defense service providers (CyPhyCARD) and/or their target of defense to enhance attack detection and deterrence. Further, CyPhyCARD uses our ChameleonSoft system to secure its infrastructure of cells. ChameleonSoft is a multidimensional software diversity system that autonomously induces runtime confusion and diffusion thereby, in effect, encrypting the spatiotemporal software behavior and realizing a moving target defense. Both EvoSense and ChameleonSoft are built using the COA. CyPhyCARD is designed to increase the cost for the attacker at all times through persistently asymmetric operations achieved, in part, using a moving target defense construction and automated recovery provided by ChameleonSoft; rabid global attack detection and mitigation through EvoSense; and Operation resilience in presence of attacks using attack containment and honeypots defense missions. We demonstrate, using an attack scenario, how our proposed solution reacts to threats targeting CyPhyCARD and/or its target of defense systems.


BACKGROUND
The aim of this research was to perform an epidemiologic survey of esophageal cancer in Ardabil province.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
In this cross-sectional descriptive study, 661 patients diagnosed with EC were studied from March 2002 to May 2011 e. The necessary data were collected with a checklist from the documents in Ardabil Cancer Registry (ACR) and analyzed by statistical methods with SPSS.18 software.

RESULTS
Of the total new cases of EC registered in ARC during study period, 430 (65.1%) of patients were male with the male to female standard ratio was 1.18, with a statistically significant gender bias. The most common morphology of EC was squamous cell carcinoma (SCC, 68.8%) followed by adenocarcinoma (28.5%). It was observed that in most of patients, EC lesions were in the middle third of esophagus. In addition, most patients were rural and about 40% had smoking habits. The age-standardized incidence rate of cancers was 48.4 per 100,000 among females and males. The annual incidence rates in males and females was 7.1 and 6.7 per 100,000; respectively.

CONCLUSIONS
Results showed that the prevalence and annual incidence rate of cancer in Ardabil province is lower than other areas of the country with a male predominance and a relatively high proprortion of adenocarcinomas.


A concept is demonstrated for the development of a phononic surface acoustic wave interdigital transducer (IDT) able to excite acoustic waves in a transverse manner with respect to the applied electric field. The basic principles of the design and fabrication of the transversely coupled phononic transducer are presented. More specifically, the IDT consists of a regular interdigital electrode configuration on which a 2D array of low profile masses is superimposed. The transversely coupled mode of excitation is explained in terms of the specific localization of the elastic energy along with the operation within the complete frequency bandgap of the composite transducer grating. The experimental results provide solid evidence for the suggested mode of operation.


Kalausi and The Cleansing are two films set in Kenya whose storylines touch on death and rituals among the Luo community of Kenya. Both films are in the language of Dholuo and place sharp focus on widowhood and its prevailing dilemmas and anxieties within Luo culture. It is these dilemmas and anxieties that reveal the injustices that culture metes out to women. While Kalausi engages its viewers up until the burial ceremony, The Cleansing starts after the actual burial and focuses on post-burial rituals. Thus, the two films in a way complement each other in the presentation of the injustices and intrigues that a woman faces during and after the demise of a spouse. Dramatic irony as the trope of ambiguity in the two films builds up tension, suspense and comic relief. Consequently, we examine how dramatic irony participates as a socio-cultural device of intervention in the two films. Reading the two films from this perspective, dramatic irony as a signifying trope becomes paramount in unravelling the multiplicities of interpretations evident in the critical moment of death within the Luo community. It is an extremely intricate signifying device as it plays on the contrast between reality and appearance.


Messenger RNA (mRNA) molecules are transcribed in the nucleus and then undergo export into the cytoplasm, where they are translated to produce proteins. Some mRNA transcripts do not immediately undergo translation but, instead, are directed to specific areas for local translation or distribution. This produces an asymmetric distribution of cytoplasmic proteins, providing localized activities in polarized cells or developing embryos. Studies of the localization process in various eukaryotic systems have unearthed numerous nuclear RNA-binding proteins (RBPs) involved. We present here some representative examples from different organisms.


While seemingly a ubiquitous cognitive process, the precise definition and function of surprise remains elusive. Surprise is often conceptualized as being related to improbability or to contrasts with higher probability expectations. In contrast to this probabilistic view, we argue that surprising observations are those that undermine an existing model, implying an alternative causal origin. Surprises are not merely improbable events; instead, they indicate a breakdown in the model being used to quantify probability. We suggest that the heuristic people rely on to detect such anomalous events is randomness deficiency. Specifically, people experience surprise when they identify patterns where their model implies there should only be random noise. Using algorithmic information theory, we present a novel computational theory which formalizes this notion of surprise as randomness deficiency. We also present empirical evidence that people respond to randomness deficiency in their environment and use it to adjust their beliefs about the causal origins of events. The connection between this pattern-detection view of surprise and the literature on learning and interestingness is discussed.


In this article we review the actions that psychologists can take to improve their ability to self-reflect. These activities include building professional networks, engaging in personal psychotherapy, taking part in continuing education, soliciting feedback from patients and colleagues, participating in Balint groups, engaging in expressive writing, and learning mindfulness skills. These activities may be most effective if they involve interactions with other people, expand the amount of information that psychologists receive, and are conducted in a spirit of openness to new experiences.


Considerations of the temporal changes in angular momentum are employed to diagnose air trajectories over large scale distances calculated from the publicly available global data base of NCEP/NCAR. It is shown that outside the Tropics both the total angular momentum and its Lagrangian (material) time‐derivative are dominated by the planetary term, regardless of the direction of the transport, whereas the contribution of the non‐linear term is always negligible. In the Tropics the planetary term and the acceleration terms alternately dominated the angular momentum evolution. These Lagrangian results are reinforced by Eulerian calculations of instantaneous maps of the relative contributions of the various terms in the evolution equation of the angular momentum. The simple equation of angular momentum evolution (compared to the more complex zonal momentum equation) is accurately satisfied by NCEP/NCAR re‐analyzed fields even over Africa, where the data for the reanalysis is scant. The only exceptions to the general dominance of the planetary term over the angular momentum evolution in the extra‐Tropics are along trough‐/ridge‐lines (where the flow changes direction sharply) and at the entrance/exit regions of straight jets, where the flow accelerates/decelerates.


We investigated changes in saccadic reaction time during maintenance of neck flexion in elderly individuals. Subjects comprised 49 volunteers, including 19 young adults and 30 elderly adults. Elderly subjects were separated into 2 groups (trained group: n=18; untrained group: n=12) based on responses to a questionnaire concerning activities of daily living. Saccadic reaction time was measured at angles of neck flexion of 0 degrees (resting position), 10 degrees and 20 degrees , with the chin either resting on a stand (chin-on) or not (chin-off). Reaction time was determined as the latency to the beginning of eye movement toward the lateral target, which was moved at random intervals in jumps of 20 degrees amplitude. In the chin-on posture, the angle of neck flexion had no significant effect on reaction time in any group. In the chin-off posture, the flexion angle significantly affected reaction time in both young and elderly trained groups. Significant shortenings of the reaction time were obtained at 10 degrees and 20 degrees neck flexion in the young group, and at 20 degrees neck flexion in the elderly trained group. No significant shortening of reaction time was noted in the elderly untrained group. These findings suggest that neural function associated with shortening of saccadic reaction time due to neck extensor activity decreases with age, and the decrements become more marked with inactivity in daily life.


Forecasts of professional forecasters are anomalous: they are biased, forecast errors are autocorrelated, and predictable by forecast revisions. Sticky or noisy information models seem like unlikely explanations for these anomalies: professional forecasters pay attention con-stantly and have precise knowledge of the data in question. We propose that these anomalies arise because professional forecasters don't know the model that generates the data. We show that Bayesian agents learning about hard-to-learn features of the data generating process (low frequency behavior) can generate all the prominent aggregate anomalies emphasized in the literature. We show this for two applications: professional forecasts of nominal interest rates for the sample period 1980-2019 and CBO forecasts of GDP growth for the sample period 1976-2019. Our learning model for interest rates also provides an explanation for deviations from the expectations hypothesis of the term structure that does not rely on time-variation in risk premia.


2459 Epidemiological studies have concluded that dietary intake of allium vegetables, especially garlic, may lower the risk of different types of malignancies including cancer of the prostate, which is the second leading cause of cancer related deaths among men in the United States. Cancer protective effect of allium vegetables is attributed to organosulfur compounds (OSCs), such as diallyl trisulfide (DATS; CH 2 =CH-CH 2 -(S) 3 -CH 2 -CH=CH 2 ), which are generated upon processing (e.g., cutting or chewing) of these vegetables. Recent studies have indicated that in addition to inhibition of chemically induced cancers in animal models, garlic-derived OSCs including DATS can suppress proliferation of cancer cells in culture by causing apoptosis. However, the sequence of events leading to OSC-induced cell death is poorly defined. In our previous study, we found that DATS-induced cell death in human prostate cancer cells was associated with c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) and extracellular signal-regulated kinase (ERK)-mediated phosphorylation of Bcl-2, which reduced heterodimer complex formation between Bcl-2 and Bax leading to activation of caspase-9 and caspase-3. However, pharmacological inhibition of JNK or ERK activation offered only partial protection against cell death caused by DATS. These results suggested involvement of additional mechanisms in DATS-induced apoptosis. The present study demonstrates that inactivation of Akt, a kinase implicated in cell survival, is a key event in DATS-induced apoptosis in PC-3 and DU145 human prostate cancer cells. Treatment of PC-3 and DU145 cells resulted in dephosphorylation of Akt (Ser473) and inhibition of its kinase activity. The phosphorylation of Bad, a downstream target of Akt, was also reduced upon treatment with DATS. Inactivation of Akt in both cell lines was due to down-regulation of IGF-IR and dephosphorylation of phosphatidylinositol-3'-kinase (an upstream effector of Akt). Ectopic expression of constitutively active Akt in DU145 cells offered significant protection against DATS-induced cell death. In conclusion, the results of the present study indicate that DATS-induced apoptosis in human prostate cancer cells is, at least in part, caused by inhibition of Akt (supported by NIH grants CA101753 and CA076348).


This research was motivated by pregnant women who endured HIV/AIDS during the Covid-19 pandemic. Their self-sufficiency was low or very low because they were incapable generate a readiness to prevent and overcome the disease problems they suffered. The theory of reasoned action (TRA) developed into the theory of planned behavior (TPB). This conceptual framework refers to combining the Kopelmen's with the theory of planned behavior (TPB) in influencing midwives in PMTCT actions on HIV AND AIDS care independence. Data analysis uses Structural Equation Model analysis - SEM. It combines several aspects contained in path analysis and confirmatory factor analysis to estimate several equations simultaneously. The study found that organizational characteristics (X1) effect on the midwives' role (Y) had a positive and significant effect. The work characteristics (X2) effect on midwives' role (Y) is positive and significant. The organizational characteristics (X1) effect on the pregnant women's independence (Z) is positive and not significant. The work characteristics (X2) on the independence of pregnant women (Z) have a positive and significant effect, and the role of midwives (Y) on the independence of pregnant women (Z) has a positive and significant effect. The result of the indirect effect shows that organizational characteristics (X1) through the role of the midwife (Y) have a positive and insignificant effect on the independence of pregnant women (Z), and work behavior (X2) through the role of the midwife (Y) has a positive and significant effect on the independence of pregnant women ( Z). Research recommends improving the reward system, training, and development as well as the leadership of each midwife. To carry out their duties and functions of providing health services to HIV and AIDS care in each Puskesmas as a form of organizational characteristics that affect the role of midwives in PMTCT actions in Makassar City. Maintaining the achievement of performance goals and the resulting feedback as work characteristics of midwives that will affect the role of midwives in PMTCT actions in Makassar City.


We report the formation kinetics of trifluoromethane clathrate hydrate (CH) from less than 75 μm diameter ice particles and CHF3 gas. As previously observed for difluoromethane and propane hydrate formation, the initial stages of the reaction exhibit a strong negative correlation of the reaction rate with temperature, consistent with a negative activation energy of formation. The values obtained for trifluoromethane, ca. -6 kJ/mol (H2O), are similar to those for difluoromethane, even though the two molecules have different intermolecular interactions and sizes. The activation energy is lesser per mole of H2O, but greater per mole of guest molecule, than for propane hydrate, which has a different crystal structure. We propose a possible explanation for the negative activation barrier based on the stabilization of metastable structures at low temperature. A pronounced dependence of the formation kinetics on the gas flow rate into the cell is observed. At 253 K and a flow rate of 15 mmol/h, the stage II enclathration of trifluoromethane proceeds so quickly that the overpressure, the difference between the gas cell pressure and the hydrate vapor pressure, is only 0.06 MPa.


Accountability in public sector is a complex concept. Public administrators are held accountable by multiple mechanisms of accountability. It is unclear in the public health sector in Kenya which of the four mechanisms of hierarchical, professional, legal and political accountability dominates accountability responses of hospital administrators. The objective of this study was to assess which among the competing multiple accountability mechanism is accorded priority in the health sector in Kenya. The study adopted a case study design targeting hospital administrators from 36 public hospitals in 14 Counties in Kenya. The study found out that professional accountability tend to be given precedence over other forms of public accountability in ordinary conditions and hierarchical accountability under crisis situations. The study concluded that hospital administrators are confronted with all the four mechanisms, but their intensity on accountability vary.


The properties of di- and tri-peptides containing 1,2,3,4-tetrahydroisoquinoline-3-carboxylic acid (Tic) in second position suggest that the message domain of opioid peptides can be composed of only two residues [Temussi, P. A., Salvadori, S., Amodeo, P., Guerrini, R., Tomatis, R., Lazarus, L. H., Picone, D. & Tancredi, T. (1994) Biochem. Biophys. Res. Commun. 198, 933-939]. As a crucial test of the possibility that the Tyr-Tic segment be a message domain in longer peptide sequences, we have inserted it in the sequences of two typical opioid peptides: [Leu]enkephalin, a non-selective agonist, and dermorphin, a selective mu agonist. Here we report the synthesis and biological activity of [L-Tic2]enkephalin, [L-Tic2]dermorphin, [L-Tic2]dermorphin carboxylic acid and [D-Tic2]dermorphin: all [L-Tic2]peptides were converted from agonists to delta-selective antagonists. The NMR conformational study in a dimethylsulfoxide/water cryoprotective mixture at low temperature shows diagnostic side-chain--side-chain NOEs in the spectra of all [L-Tic2]peptides and hints that the 90 degrees arrangement of the the two aromatic rings found in the cis-Tyr-L-Tic moiety, typical of N-methyl naltrindole and other delta-selective opiate antagonists, is responsible for the antagonist activity of all these peptides.


The strong coupling is determined using a novel renormalization-group-summed perturbation theory and a non power renormalization-group-summed perturbation theory with a tamed large-order behaviour. In this talk, the main features of these two schemes are presented and are applied to the extraction of αs(M 2 τ ) from the hadronic decay width of the τ lepton. While the renormalizationgroup-summed perturbation theory leads to a value of strong coupling close to that from contourimproved perturbation theory, the non power renormalization-group-summed perturbation theory yields a value closer to the standard fixed-order perturbation theory.


This study measures the value of ecotourism at a tropical rain-forest site in Costa Rica using the travel cost method. By observing travel behavior, the study reveals that Costa Rican visitors are willing to pay considerably for the experience of visiting the site. The present value of the site per hectare, based on domestic and foreign use alone, is found to be 1-2 magnitudes greater than the purchase price currently paid by the reserve for acquisition of new lands. This estimate does not include other potential preservation values such as harvesting of commodities (fruit, latex, etc.), protection of watersheds, or protection of wildlife habitat and rare species.


The organocatalyst- and reagent-controlled highly selective synthesis of diversely functionalized novel 2-hydroxybenzophenone frameworks, such as 2-hydroxy-3′-formylbenzophenones, 7-(2′-hydroxybenzoyl)-2-naphthaldehydes, and 2-hydroxybenzophenones, under green conditions, for the development of potent UV-A/B filters is described. The organocatalyzed benzannulation reactions proceed individually via [3 + 3] cycloaddition for the synthesis of 2-hydroxy-3′-formylbenzophenones and [4 + 2] cycloaddition for 2-hydroxybenzophenones. With this methodology, an unprecedented double benzannulation allows one-pot construction of diverse 7-(2′-hydroxybenzoyl)-2-naphthaldehydes via [3 + 3 + 4] cycloaddition. This protocol features a broad substrate scope, high functional-group tolerance, and operational simplicity in an environmentally benign green solvent. The synthesized compounds are successfully utilized for further transformations and well characterized as potent UV-A/B filters.


Ancient remains of sea urchins are frequently encountered in archaeological contexts along the Northwest Coast of North America, yet they have not been the focus of synergetic archaeological study. However, these important marine species are important for providing new insights into the deep time of Indigenous marine resource management systems. Motivated in part by current ecological research identifying the importance of sea urchin body size for influencing the range and productivity of kelp forests on the Pacific coast and the importance of urchins as a size selective preferred prey for sea otters (Enhydra lutris) this project involved developing a quantitative methodology to evaluate red sea urchin (Mesocentrotus franciscanus) size variation in the archaeological record based on linear regression. This method was developed to investigate the prevalence of sea otters in the Barkley Sound region from archaeological data to inform contemporary sea otter conservation in coastal British Columbia – a widespread concern across several First Nations' traditional territories today. Specifically, this paper investigates whether urchins of large size are regularly present in archaeological samples from the Broken Group and Deer Group Islands to lend support to the hypothesis that Coastal First Nations actively managed sea otters by excluding them from urchin harvesting areas. This research contributes to the greater socio-cultural context of Coastal First Nations interaction with their marine environments as active participants rather than passive foragers.]


Abstract Deviations of the 1000–500 mb thickness from the 1949–76 mean (the period of record) and from the 1965–76 mean (a period of apparent warning in the lower troposphere) are presented for the Northern Hemisphere (25–85°N), the arctic (70–85°N), and the low-latitude belt (25–40°N). Results are compared with those obtained by other investigators from surface and upper air data. A dramatic drop in the mean temperature of the lower troposphere to the lowest point of the record occurred between January 1975 and August 1976. This cooling followed a slow warming trend between 1965 and 1975 which was greater at low latitudes than in the arctic.


The femoral or cloacal region in lizards and amphisbaenians displays epidermal glands; these are commonly used for purposes of systematics. In spite of being recognized as semiochemical sources (Maderson [1986] Plenum Press, pp. 13–25), their precise role remains uncertain. The glands of lizards are assumed to be principally associated with reproduction and the demarcation of territory. Their function in amphisbaenians remains unknown. The histology of these glands has only been described for lizards. There are no ultrastructural studies of glands of either type. This study concentrates on the fine morphology of the pre‐cloacal glands in Amphisbaena alba using routine histological and ultrastructural techniques. The pre‐cloacal glands of amphisbaenians are, like those of lizards (Chiu and Maderson [1975] J. Morphol. 147:23–40), made up by a layer of germinative cells and various layers of polyhedral cells. The latter display three well‐characterized stages of differentiation. Granules form and pass through two distinct stages. Thereafter, the granules fuse in the third stage. The glandular secretion is formed by cellular units that constitute the plug. Comparison of these morphological data with those available for lizards allows speculation about the function of the glands in amphisbaenians. © 1994 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The international legal discourse, whether in theory or practice, has long focused on how situations gravely affecting the national security of States would impact their legal rights and obligations. In a way, the discourse on threats is essentially about whether international law could retain its validity as a body of neutral rules in situations where extreme emergencies are arguably involved, as has been witnessed in arguments from the ancient notion of self-preservation to modern claims of exceptional legality that are developed in the context of counter-terrorist activities and encompass multiple areas of international law including jus ad bellum, humanitarian law and human rights law. This contribution examines whether the discourse on threats is inherently extra-legal, that is, if it qualifies the validity of law due to policy considerations that are external, and thus alien, to it; or whether and to what extent international law actually provides for the entitlement of States to act in the face of serious national emergencies.


The area planted to Eucalyptus globulus (Labill.) in southern Australia has increased
rapidly. However, robust site selection and productivity prediction models have only
become available recently for this species. The silvicultural and management
questions being explored with these models cover a range of temporal and spatial
scales. The models themselves are complex, data intensive and highly non-linear in
their function. This raises a number of important issues that affect model application.
These issues are explored with a series of applied examples.
Firstly, what is the effect of patchy input data of limited extent? Models designed
using sampling plot data on which soils data are recorded are now applied across broad
landscape extents to make site selection decisions and regional productivity estimates.
The work in this thesis shows in separate examples how terrain analysis can be used to
supplement input surfaces, including surfaces related to waterlogging and soil
nutrition. An approach is developed for dealing with poorly defined soils variables
such as soil depth and used to categorise regional forest productivity based not only on
the expected yield but the co-efficient of variation in that yield. In a further example
this approach is used to define appropriate site surveying procedures for plantation
land assessment.
In addition to examining the effect of model predictive accuracy on the quality of
spatial inputs, input data grain size is examined to identify the scale sensitivity of the
model. This is important because the same forest growth models are used to predict
the yield of individual forest plots and to make continental scale predictions. The
results indicate that forest productivity models like PROMOD are not scale dependent
and even with the use of broad-scale input data provide unbiased estimates of mean
productivity. However, a comparison using fine-scale data (10 x 10 metre) shows that
sub-grid variance at large scales (1000 x 1000 metre) can be very large, particularly for
soil variables that can change abruptly over short distances.
Just as spatial input variables vary in quality and scale so may the temporal
(particularly weather) variables supplied to models. Using rainfall representation in
models as an example, an analysis of the intrinsic input data variability allows a more
sophisticated consideration of site selection that includes risk evaluation as a criteria.
Furthermore, it was shown that incorporating the distributional characteristics of
rainfall markedly affects the prediction of the risk associated with a particular
plantation development.


Muscle function around the shoulder girdle can be impaired by pain, which leads to abnormal movement e.g. elevation. Movement faults should be assessed specifically, therefore individual sport rehabilitation strategies can be implemented. Smart garments are efficient for upper body movement assessment. There is a lack of literature stating that smart textile garments are reliable and valid for shoulder gridle elevation. The purpose of the study was to examine reliability and validity of the DAid smart shirt during shoulder girdle elevation. Twenty-one female volunteers aged 24.3. (SD3.3), body mass index 19.3 (SD 0.5) were recruited. The DAid smart shirt and 2D movement video analysis software Quintic Biomechanics v26, UK were the assessment tools utilized. Cronbach alpha coefficient and Interclass Correlation Coefficient were calculated to assess the within-session test-retest reliability. Bland – Altman analysis was applied to determine validity. Results: reliability for the right side measures: Cronbach alpha coefficient α ≥ 0.9, ICC ≥ 0.9. Reliability for the left side measures: Cronbach alpha coefficient α ≥ 0.9, ICC ≥ 0.91. Bland -Altman analysis presents that DAid smart shirt measures are valid during shoulder girdle elevation. Conclusion: smart shirt measures are reliable and valid during shoulder girdle elevation movements.


Since the using of OFDM in LTE system eliminates the inter-channel interference within cells, inter-cell interference has become the major influence factor of inter-cell resource allocation. Besides, with the increase of types of traffics, different QoS should be provided for different quality of services. A modified algorithm is proposed to ensure multi-traffic QoS by using rate conversion in allocation resources, which take into account both priority of channel and SINR of each channel. Numerical analysis results show that the proposed algorithm is a trades-off scheme between interference and system throughput. It can improve the CEU (cell edge user) throughput while the whole system throughput is ensured.


In Kawasaki disease (KD), endothelial damage and an elevation in coagulant factors provoke thrombosis. Lupus anticoagulant (LA) is strongly associated with the risk of thrombosis in patients with antiphospholipid syndrome; however, there has been no report of positive LA in KD patients. A previously healthy, 2-year-old boy was admitted due to fever, bilateral conjunctivitis, redness of the lips, and unilateral cervical lymphadenopathy. Typical Kawasaki disease was diagnosed on day 5 of illness. Adenovirus antigens were detected in his stool. After the KD symptoms were successfully treated with intravenous immunoglobulin, his activated partial thromboplastin time (APTT) increased to 88 seconds at eight days of illness. The cross-mixing test showed an inhibition pattern, and the presence of LA was proved using diluted Russell's viper venom time. APPT elongation improved due to continued low dose aspirin therapy without thromboembolisms. The possibility of contamination by LA was low because six other patients treated with the same immunoglobulin lot showed no APTT elongation. We speculated that KD-related infections led to the presence of LA, which may have triggered the thrombosis. Further accumulation of data is warranted to elucidate the role of LA in KD patients.


The Plutonium Immobilization Plant (PIP) accepts plutonium (Pu) from pit conversion and from non-pit sources and, through a glass immobilization process, converts the plutonium into an immobilized form that can be disposed of in a high level waste (HLW) repository. The objective is to make an immobilized form, suitable for geologic disposal, in which the plutonium is as inherently unattractive and inaccessible as the plutonium in spent fuel from commercial reactors.


Abstract Coccidiosis control for breeding and laying chickens requires the development of immunity against multiple Eimeria species. Only one vaccine was widely available to producers in the European Union (EU) from 1991 until 2015. Recently, 2 new products have been introduced to the market. The 3 vaccines were compared with respect to the onset of immunity in pen studies, where sample birds were challenged at 21, 25, 28, and 32 d of age to determine the time at which lesion scores became significantly different from unvaccinated controls, the "onset of immunity." The vaccines were given by oral gavage to eliminate any effect of application methodology on the onset of immunity. "Complete Immunity," defined as no coccidiosis lesions following challenge, was only achieved for one species (Eimeria tenella) by one vaccine through the final challenge at 32 d. Immunity remained incomplete for all other challenge groups for the duration of the experiment. Onset of immunity was detected by 25 d of age in only one vaccine group for all 5 challenge species tested (E. acervulina, E. maxima, E. tenella, E. necatrix, E. brunetti); and while onset of immunity was detected for some species with the other vaccines by 21 to 32 d of age, neither of the other 2 vaccines demonstrated onset of immunity to all 5 challenge species by the end of the experiment. Delayed onset of immunity could adversely affect pullet weight with early field challenge, as indicated by bird weights taken before and after challenge.


Active galactic nucleus (AGN) feedback provides the link between the central black hole and its host galaxy. We assume AGN feedback driven by radiation pressure on dust, which sweeps up the ambient dusty gas into an outflowing shell, and consider feedback-triggered star formation in the outflow. An upper limit to the characteristic size of galaxies may be defined by the critical radius beyond which radiation pressure on dust is no longer able to drive the shell. The corresponding enclosed mass may be compared with the host galaxy bulge mass. We show that the resulting relation between characteristic radius and mass, of the form $R \propto \sqrt M$, corresponds to the observed mass-radius relation of early-type galaxies. We suggest that such simple physical scalings may account for a number of observed galaxy scaling relations. In this picture, both the size and structural evolution of galaxies can be interpreted as a consequence of AGN feedback-driven star formation, mainly associated with the spheroidal component. The accreting black hole is responsible for triggering star formation in the host galaxy, while ultimately clearing the dusty gas out of the host, thus also contributing to the chemical evolution of galaxies. We discuss the importance of radiation pressure on dust in determining the galaxies large-scale properties, and consider the possibility of the central black hole directly shaping its host galaxy through AGN feedback.


This study has to be considered as another step towards the proposal of assessment/predictive models in software quality. We consider in this work, that a probabilistic model using Bayesian nets constitutes an interesting alternative to non-probabilistic models suggested in the literature. Thus, we propose in this paper a probabilistic approach using Bayesian networks to analyze and predict change impact in object-oriented systems. An impact model is built and probabilities are assigned to network nodes. Data obtained from a real system are exploited to empirically study causality hypotheses between some software internal attributes and change impact. Several scenarios are executed on the network, and the obtained results confirm that coupling is a good indicator of change impact.


Huddersfield's Roll of Honour 1914-1922 is a detailed account of 3,439 service personnel from Huddersfield who lost their lives during the First World War. In the Preface, HRH The Duke of York KG writes:

"This publication represents the lifetime work of Margaret Stansfield who sadly passed away in 2012. Margaret spent 30 years compiling the 3,439 biographical entries giving a poignant insight into the background, working lives and families of those who selflessly left Huddersfield to fight for their country never to return."

Along with the biographical accounts there are many moving letters to the families of soldiers who lost their lives reflecting an attempt to bring comfort amid the darkness that their loss brought to both families and comrades alike.


The transmembrane protein Crumbs/Crb is a key regulator of apico-basal epithelial cell polarity, both in Drosophila and in vertebrates. In most cases studied so far, the apical localisation of Drosophila Crumbs depends on the interaction of its C-terminal amino acids with the scaffolding protein Stardust. Consequently, embryos lacking either Crumbs or Stardust develop a very similar phenotype, characterised by the loss of epithelial tissue integrity and cell polarity in many epithelia. An exception is the hindgut, which is not affected by the loss of either gene. The hindgut is a single layered epithelial tube composed of two cell populations, the boundary cells and the principal cells. Here we show that Crumbs localisation in the principal cells depends on Stardust, similarly to other embryonic epithelia. In contrast, localisation of Crumbs in the boundary cells does not require Stardust and is independent of its PDZ domain- and FERM-domain binding motifs. In line with this, the considerable upregulation of Crumbs in boundary cells is not followed by a corresponding upregulation of its canonical binding partners. Our data are the first to suggest a mechanism controlling apical Crumbs localisation, which is independent of its conserved FERM- and PDZ-domain binding motifs.


—This paper examines the stability and distributed stabilization of signed multi-agent networks. Here, positive semidefiniteness is not inherent for signed Laplacians, which renders the stability and consensus of this category of networks intricate. First, we examine the stability of signed networks by introducing a novel graph-theoretic objective negative cut set , which implies that manipulating negative edge weights cannot change a unstable network into a stable one. Then, inspired by the diagonal dominance and stability of matrices, a local state damping mechanism is introduced using self-loop compensation . The self-loop compensation is only active for those agents who are incident to negative edges and can stabilize signed networks in a fully distributed manner. Quantitative connections between self- loop compensation and the stability of the compensated signed network are established for a tradeoff between compensation efforts and network stability. Necessary and/or sufficient conditions for predictable cluster consensus of compensated signed networks are provided. The optimality of self-loop compensation is discussed. Furthermore, we extend our results to directed signed networks where the symmetry of signed Laplacian is not free. The correlation between the stability of the compensated dynamics obtained by self-loop compensation and eventually positivity is further discussed. Novel insights into the stability of multi-agent systems on signed networks in terms of self-loop compensation are offered. Simulation examples are provided to demonstrate the theoretical results.


Hegel, the philosopher most responsible for linking philosophy to history, appropriately argued that in his own day there simply could not be Platonists, Aristotelians, Stoics, or Epicureans, that one could not bring back an earlier stage of thought. In this massive two volume study Vittorio Hösle argues that, in the spirit of Hegel himself, there also cannot be contemporary Hegelians. But there can be "philosophers who attempt to mediate the tradition of objective idealism from Plato to Hegel with post-Hegelian philosophy and with contemporary science", (p 57n) In the past many of the philosophers who have attempted such a "mediation" have concentrated on one or another aspect of Hegel's project, usually his philosophical anthropology, his social theory or political theory, his critique of modernity, theory of alienation, etc. Hösle ambitiously takes up what looks to be the most unlikely candidate for any "contemporary mediation," Hegel's entire systematic attempt to link together "Logic", "Philosophy of Nature" and "Philosophy of Spirit". Often Hösle's study is simply a survey of Hegel's systematic enterprise, providing paraphrase and plausibility where possible, summarising claims, excusing or pointing out excesses, pausing to debate other commentators, or complain about prominent mis-readings. He introduces his account with a long historical and theoretical discussion of Hegel's Encyclopedia system, and then offers a running commentary on its three major parts, devoting the largest blocks of attention to the Logic and the philosophy of objective spirit in the Rechtsphilosophie. But there is throughout one great thematic problem at issue that sets the tone of the book at the beginning and is returned to again and again.


The renal and hemodynamic effects of intravenously administered fenoldopam mesylate, a novel dopamine-1 receptor agonist, were compared with those of sodium nitroprusside in 28 patients (18 male; 26 black, two white; average age, 49 +/- 3 years) with an average blood pressure of 219/137 mm Hg, most of whom presented with acute target organ damage. Fenoldopam and nitroprusside lowered blood pressure safely to an average pressure of 176/105 mm Hg; highly significant dose-response relations were found for the 13 patients receiving fenoldopam and the 15 receiving nitroprusside. Volume and sodium, potassium, and creatinine concentrations were measured in freely voided urine specimens both before and during intravenous therapy. In the fenoldopam-treated patients, there were significant increases in urinary flow (92 +/- 21 to 168 +/- 37 ml/hr, p less than 0.003), sodium excretion (227 +/- 73 to 335 +/- 90 mu eq/min, p less than 0.001), and creatinine clearance (70 +/- 11 to 93 +/- 13 ml/hr, p less than 0.003). In the nitroprusside-treated group, however, all these parameters decreased, but not significantly. For direct comparison of the two agents, the increments in urinary flow rate (+76 +/- 20 vs. -16 +/- 15 ml/hr, fenoldopam vs. nitroprusside), sodium excretion (+109 +/- 28 vs. -39 +/- 28 mu eq/min), and creatinine clearance (+23 +/- 6 vs. -11 +/- 7 ml/min) were significantly greater (p less than 0.001 for each) in the fenoldopam-treated group. Significant differences were also obtained when these parameters were calculated as percentage increase over baseline. Fenoldopam and nitroprusside are effective therapies for severe, accelerated, or malignant hypertension, but fenoldopam had additional salutary renal effects in these patients.


We examined whether ((1S)-1-((((1S)-1-benzyl-3-cyclopropylamino-2,3-di-oxopropyl)amino)carbonyl)-3-methylbutyl)carbamic acid 5-methoxy-3-oxapentyl ester (SNJ-1945), a new orally available calpain inhibitor, might reduce retinal cell death in vivo and/or in vitro. Retinal cell damage was induced in vivo in mice by intravitreal injection of N-methyl-d-aspartate (NMDA), and SNJ-1945 was intraperitoneally or orally administered twice. NMDA-induced calpain activity (measured as the cleaved products of α-spectrin) and its substrate, p35 (a neuron-specific activator for cyclin-dependent kinase 5), in the retina were examined by immunoblotting. In RGC-5 (a rat retinal ganglion cell line) cell culture, cell damage was induced by a 4-h oxygen-glucose deprivation (OGD) treatment followed by an 18-h reoxygenation period. In mouse retinas, SNJ-1945 (30 or 100 mg/kg i.p., 100 or 200 mg/kg p.o.) significantly inhibited the cell loss in the ganglion cell layer (GCL) and the thinning of the inner plexiform layer induced by NMDA. Furthermore, the number of positive cells for terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase dUTP nick-end labeling was significantly reduced in the GCL and the inner nuclear layer of retinas treated with SNJ-1945 compared with vehicle-treated retinas 24 h after NMDA injection. Levels of cleaved α-spectrin products increased and p35 decreased 6 h after NMDA injection or later, and their effects were attenuated by SNJ-1945. In vitro, SNJ-1945 (10 and 100 μM) inhibited the OGD stress-induced reduction in cell viability. In conclusion, SNJ-1945 may afford valuable neuroprotection against retinal diseases, because it was effective against retinal damage both in vitro and in vivo. Our results also indicate that calpain activation and subsequent p35 degradation may be involved in the mechanisms underlying retinal cell death.


Abstract Topographic forcing over the hills and small mountains of southern New England plays an important role in determining the distribution of pre-warm-front precipitation from winter cyclones. Upslope regions receive 20–60% more precipitation than do nearby downslope or coastal regions. Both the intensity and duration of precipitation contribute to the positive upslope anomalies. The magnitude of the upslope anomalies, the details of the precipitation intensity distributions at proximal upslope and downslope gauges, and the results of simple models indicate that precipitation scavenging in orographic clouds can explain the orographic enhancement. Also, the existence of a positive precipitation anomaly over the coastal plain suggests that frictional convergence may be generating weak, but persistent vertical motions.


Since the first application of fuzzy logic in the field of control engineering, fuzzy logic control has been successfully employed in controlling a wide variety of applications, such as commercial appliances, industrial automation, robots, traffic control, cement kilns and automotive engineering. The human knowledge on controlling complex and non-linear processes can be incorporated into a controller in the form of linguistic expressions. Despite these achievements, however, there is still a lack of an empirical or analytical design study which adequately addresses a systematic auto-tuning method. Indeed, tuning is one of the most crucial parts in the overall design of fuzzy logic controllers and it has become an active research field. Various techniques have been utilised to develop algorithms to fine-tune the controller parameters from a trial and error method to very advanced optimisation techniques.
The structure of fuzzy logic controllers is not straightforward as is the case in PID controllers. In addition, there is also a set of parameters that can be adjusted, and it is not always easy to find the relationship between the parameters and the controller performance measures. Moreover, in general, controllers have a wide range of setpoints; changing from one value to another requiring the controller parameters to be re-tuned in order to maintain a satisfactory performance over the entire range of setpoints.
This thesis deals with the design and implementation of a new intelligent algorithm for fuzzy logic controllers in a wireless network structure. The algorithm enables the controllers to learn about their plants and systematically tune their gains. The algorithm also provides the capability of retaining the knowledge acquired during the tuning process. Furthermore, this knowledge is shared on the network through a wireless communication link with other controllers.
Based on the relationships between controller gains and the closed-loop characteristics, an auto-tuning algorithm is developed. Simulation experiments using standard second order systems demonstrate the effectiveness of the algorithm with respect to auto-tuning, tracking setpoints and rejecting external disturbances. Furthermore, a zero overshoot response is produced with improvements in the transient and the steady state responses.
The wireless network structure is implemented using LabVIEW by composing a network of several fuzzy controllers. The results demonstrate that the controllers are able to retain and share the knowledge.


While the problem of hemorrhage has been a major consideration in prostatic surgery for as long as that field of endeavor has existed, the urological surgeon has devised a number of effective methods which almost always lead to its successful management. Apart from direct ligation of bleeding vessels in open operative approaches, electrocoagulation, inflatable bags serving as tampons, and direct packing have all been utilized and proved invaluable. The medical literature, on the other hand, contains numerous accounts of the employment of more radical measures to control other types of pelvic hemorrhage. These have principally dealt with uterine hemorrhage due to neoplastic disease or operative trauma; however, such measures have also been applied in controlling the blood loss from extensive bladder neoplasms. In these situations bilateral internal iliac artery ligation has been performed after failure of all other measures. One decisive consideration attends all procedures in any part of the


Unresectable pancreatic cancers have an extremely dismal prognosis and chemoresistant nature. The treatment of pancreatic cancer is still problematic. Gemcitabine is a promising new agent that has been studied recently for palliation of advanced pancreatic cancer. However, the response rates have been highly variable, and are often irreproducible. To improve this low response rate, various treatments are needed because no standard treatment exists. Intra-arterial chemotherapy is considered to take advantage of the first pass effect of the drug, generating higher local drug concentrations in tumor cells with lower toxicity. Regional intra-arterial chemotherapy may provide high levels of cytostatic concentrations within the tumor and, simultaneously, a low rate of systemic side effects compared with systemic administration of anti-neoplastic drugs. Intra-arterial chemotherapy has been introduced as an alternative treatment for advanced pancreatic cancer. Further clinical trials of this method should be subjected to a prospective randomized controlled study for advanced pancreatic cancer.


Deep raft foundations below a high groundwater table always have hydrostatic uplift pressure problems. Conventional solutions such as dead weight, tension pile, or anchors are costly, inefficient, and time-consuming. Thispaper presents a rational approach by using a geosynthetic system to control and relieve the hydrostatic uplift force within the impervious strata. Filtration, clogging, transmissivity, and other pertinent properties of geosynthetic materials are specified to assure the dissipation of uplift hydrostatic pressure in the long run. The design concept was applied in practice to a multi-story commercial complex. Based on the site experience, the installation of this system was found to be rapid, simple, and cost effective. The results of long-term (3 years) site monitoring made to date have shown good performance of this system.


A large aneurysm of the superior mesenteric artery was the presumed cause of abdominal pain in an 11-year-old girl with Ehlers-Danlos syndrome. This aneurysm was readily identified by ultrasonography, suggesting that this method could be the diagnostic technique of choice in this disorder.


Nowadays, one of the main objectives of the fruit and vegetable industry is to develop innovative novel products with high quality, safety, and optimal nutritional characteristics in order to respond with efficiency to the increasing consumer expectations. Various emerging, unconventional technologies (e.g., pulsed electric field, pulsed light, ultrasound, high pressure, and microwave drying) enable the processing of fruits and vegetables, increasing their stability while preserving their thermolabile nutrients, flavour, texture, and overall quality. Some of these technologies can also be used for waste and by-product valorisation. The application of fast noninvasive methods for process control is of great importance for the fruit and vegetable industry. The following Special Issue "Safety, Quality, and Processing of Fruits and Vegetables" consists of 11 papers, which provide a high-value contribution to the existing knowledge on safety aspects, quality evaluation, and emerging processing technologies for fruits and vegetables.


Endogenous adenosine in the brain may inhibit central sympathetic tone and thereby restrain renin release, a mechanism that may be particularly important when sympathetic activity is enhanced. The purpose of our study was to test the hypothesis that the adenosine receptor antagonist caffeine increases renin release in part by disabling the central nervous system (CNS) adenosine brake on renin release. This hypothesis was tested by conducting three protocols in anesthetized rats. In the first protocol, intracerebroventricular (i.c.v.) infusions of caffeine (10 micrograms/kg/min) did not alter either bradycardic responses to intravenous (i.v.) infusion of N6-cyclopentyladenosine (CPA, A1-receptor agonist) or depressor responses to i.v. infusions of CGS21680 (A1-receptor agonist). However, i.c.v. caffeine did block bradycardic responses to i.c.v. boluses of CPA and depressor responses to i.c.v. boluses of CGS21680, thus demonstrating that i.c.v. caffeine at the dose used blocks CNS but not peripheral adenosine receptors. In the second protocol, hydralazine (1 and 10 mg/kg, administered intraperitoneally) significantly enhanced both the renal secretion of renin and the renal spillover of norepinephrine (NE), thus confirming that hydralazine can increase renin release by unloading arterial baroreceptors and increasing sympathetic tone to the kidneys. In the third protocol, the effects of i.c.v. caffeine (10 micrograms/kg/min) on hydralazine-induced (1 and 10 mg/kg, administered intraperitoneally) changes in renal secretion of renin and renal NE spillover were investigated. In this protocol, i.c.v. caffeine did not alter baseline values for either the renal secretion of renin or NE. In contrast, i.c.v. caffeine significantly (p = 0.03) enhanced the increase in renal renin secretion induced by 1 and 10 mg/kg hydralazine (for 1 mg/kg hydralazine delta of 6.4 +/- 46.7 and 142.4 +/- 142.9 renin activity/min/kg body weight in control and caffeine-treated animals, respectively; for 10 mg/kg hydralazine, delta 227.8 +/- 73.9 and 600.8 +/- 168.9 renin activity/min/kg body weight in control and caffeine-treated animals, respectively). The enhanced renin-secretion response to hydralazine in caffeine-treated rats was accompanied by augmented hydralazine-induced increase in renal NE spillover (p = 0.035). These data strongly support the hypothesis of a CNS adenosine brake on renin release that is disabled by caffeine.


PurposeThe significant impact of innovation in stimulating economic growth cannot be overemphasized, more importantly from policy perspective. For this reason, the relationship between innovation and economic growth in developing economies such as the ones in Africa has remained topical. Yet, innovation as a concept is multi-dimensional and cannot be measured by just one single variable. With hindsight of the traditional measures of innovation in literature, we augment it with the number of scientific journals published in the region to enrich this discourse.Design/methodology/approachWe focus on an approach that explores innovation policy qualitatively from various policy documents of selected countries in the region from three policy perspectives (i.e. institutional framework, financing and diffusion and interaction). We further investigate whether innovation as perceived differently is important for economic growth in 25 economies in sub-Saharan Africa over the period 1990–2016. Instrumental variable estimation of a threshold regression is used to capture the contributions of innovation as a multi-dimensional concept on economic growth, while dealing with endogeneity between the regressors and error term.FindingsThe results from both traditional panel regressions and IV panel threshold regressions show a positive relationship between innovation and economic growth, although the impact seems negligible. Institutional quality dampens innovation among low-regime economies, and the relation is persistent regardless of when the focus is on aggregate or decomposed institutional factors. The impact of innovation on economic growth in most regressions is robust to different dimensions of innovation. Yet, the coefficients of the innovation variables in the two regimes are quite dissimilar. While most countries in the region have offered financial support in the form of budgetary allocations to strengthen institutions, barriers to the design and implementation of innovation policies may be responsible for the sluggish contribution of innovation to the growth pattern of the region.Originality/valueSegregating economies of Africa into two distinct regimes based on a threshold of investment in education as a share of GDP in order to understand the relationship between innovation and economic growth is quite novel. This lends credence to the fact that innovation as a multifaceted concept does not take place by chance – it is carefully planned. We have enriched the discourse of innovation and thus helped in deepening understanding on this contentious subject.


This exploratory study seeks to understand the diffusion of disinformation by examining how social media users respond to fake news and why. Using a mixed-methods approach in an explanatory-sequential design, this study combines results from a national survey involving 2501 respondents with a series of in-depth interviews with 20 participants from the small but economically and technologically advanced nation of Singapore. This study finds that most social media users in Singapore just ignore the fake news posts they come across on social media. They would only offer corrections when the issue is strongly relevant to them and to people with whom they share a strong and close interpersonal relationship.


Temporal and spatial correlations between auditory and visual stimuli facilitate the perception of unitary events and improve behavioral responses. However, it is not clear how combined visual and auditory information is processed in single neurons. Here we studied responses of multisensory neurons in the barn owl's optic tectum (the avian homologue of the superior colliculus) to visual, auditory, and bimodal stimuli. We specifically focused on responses to sequences of repeated stimuli. We first report that bimodal stimulation tends to elicit more spikes than in the responses to its unimodal components (a phenomenon known as multisensory enhancement). However, this tendency was found to be history-dependent; multisensory enhancement was mostly apparent in the first stimulus of the sequence and to a much lesser extent in the subsequent stimuli. Next, a vector-strength analysis was applied to quantify the phase locking of the responses to the stimuli. We report that in a substantial number of multisensory neurons responses to sequences of bimodal stimuli elicited spike trains that were better phase locked to the stimulus than spike trains elicited by stimulating with the unimodal counterparts (visual or auditory). We conclude that multisensory enhancement can be manifested in better phase locking to the stimulus as well as in more spikes.


We take a look at the problem of collective evolution, and set the following goal : designing an algorithm that could allow a given population of agents to evolve incrementally, while they are performing their (possibly collaborative) task, with nothing more than a global fitness function to guide this evolution. We propose a simple algorithm that does just that, and apply it to a simple test problem (aggregation among animats controlled by feed-forward neural networks). We then show that under this form, this algorithm can only generate homogeneous systems. Seeing this as an unacceptable limitation, we modify our system in order to allow it to generate heterogeneous populations, in which semi-homogeneous sub-populations (i.e. sub-species) emerge and grow (or regress) naturally until a stable state is reached. We successfully apply this modified algorithm to a very simple toy-problem of simulated chemistry.


Background: Occupational noise is the most common hazards in the workplaces. Noise exposure may induce tinnitus (ringing in the ears), which seriously affects workers' normal life, even impair their work performance. To investigate associations between if respondents are awareness of tinnitus induced by occupational noise (Knowledge), what the viewpoint they have (Attitude) and how they cope with it (Practice). Methods: A questionnaire based cross-sectional study was conducted. 519 noise-exposed workers in railway transportation mechanical manufacturers were recruited as the exposed group. 515 non noise-exposed workers as the control group. To investigate the effects of noise exposure level, the exposed group was classified into 4 subgroups according to sound level measurements reported by industrial hygienists., while the exposed group was categorized into 3 subgroups according to usage of personal hearing protection device (PHPD). Questionnaire was focused on medical history, occupational history, life habits and tinnitus for all participants. Qualified audiologists assessed hearing threshold by using standardized audio-metric procedures assuring at least 48 h of noise avoidance.Results: The prevalence of tinnitus were 36.6% and 18.8% in the exposed group and in the control group, respectively. The difference was statistically significant (c2=40.725, P<0.05). The prevalence of tinnitus were 36.2%, 20.5% and 41.7% in 3 using PHPD subgroups of the exposed group. The difference was statistically significant (c2=6.072, P<0.05). The prevalence of tinnitus were 34.7%,8.3%,63.6% and 54.0% in 4 sound level subgroups. The difference was statistically significant (c2trend=30.491, P < 0.05). The percentage of clinic visit for tinnitus was 15.8% in the exposed group. 93.2% workers claimed tinnitus symptoms were unimproved since they still heard buzzing or ringing in ears. 81.05% of them gave up treatment. The percentage of clinic visit for tinnitus was 7.2% in the control group and 99.0% workers claimed tinnitus symptoms were unimproved. Conclusions: Only when workers have awareness of tinnitus and tinnitus treatment can they have positive attitude and better practice. Noise-exposed workers should periodically attend educational courses on "taking care of your ears" and should be under the supervision.


When repeating chewing force is applied to the dental implant, gap is often generated at the interface surface between the abutment and the fixture, and results in some deteriorations such as loosening of fastening screw, dental retraction and fixture fracture. To cope with such problems, this study focuses on the design of the interface surface shape of the abutment, and proposes a new sealing-type abutment so as to have a number of grooves along the conical-surface circumference. To show the effectiveness of the proposed method, a number of simulations are carried out by a finite element method in consideration of external chewing force and pretention between the abutment and the fixture. The simulation result shows that the proposed sealing-type abutment shows a better sealing effect than a conventional one.


Children with attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) often exhibit comorbid specific learning disorders. In clinical samples, comorbidity in girls with ADHD tends to be more common than in boys with ADHD. However, this is not the case in studies of random samples. In this paper gender differences in the comorbidity of ADHD symptoms and learning disorders in reading, spelling and math are explored in a population-based sample of 2605 3rd and 4th graders (1304 girls) without symptoms of ADHD and 415 (141 girls) with symptoms of ADHD. Girls with ADHD symptoms had higher ratios of comorbid math disorders than boys with ADHD symptoms, but not with reading or spelling disorders. Math achievement was predicted by gender and by symptoms of inattention. Girls with ADHD symptoms and math disorders received the same amount of additional support from teachers or therapists as boys with ADHD symptoms and math disorders. Our results highlight the importance of exploring the increased comorbidity of specific learning disorders in children with ADHD symptoms and especially with math disorders in girls with ADHD symptoms. Implications for providing suitable interventions and preventing the accumulation of academic problems are discussed.