Objective. To characterize specters of common and modified lipoproteins (LP) in serum of pts with rheumatoid arthritis (RA) according to age and sex and compare with healthy donors (with normal lipid level). Material and methods. 103 pts with RA (88 female and 15 male) aged 21 to 69 years were included. Specters of common and modified LP in serum and plasma were evaluated with small-angle x-ray scattering. Results. Low level of intermediate density lipoproteins (IDLP) subfractions and very low density lipoproteins (VLDLP) as well as high level of low density lipoproteins (LDLP)30 was revealed in pts with RA. Mean level of LP modification was about 60%. High density lipoproteins (HDLP) subfraction was least and IDLP subfraction – most susceptible to modification. LP modification level increased due to LDLP and VLDLP fractions. This level had a tendency to increase with age because of elevation of atherogenic LP part. Mean values of common LP did not differ between sex and age groups of pts with RA. Unexpectedly low (in comparison with normal lipid content) level of LP modification of the whole fraction of HDLP was the feature of modified LP specter in pts with RA. Conclusion. Level of common and modified LP in blood plasma and serum of RA pts is connected with general state of lipid metabolism and immune defense factors balance. Low level of VLDLP cholesterol and high level of LDLP cholesterol as well as high degree of LP of these fractions modification may be probably considered as markers of RA activity.


Purpose The present study aimed to investigate the relationship between prognosis and the red cell distribution width (RDW) and the RDW-albumin ratio (RAR) in patients with coronavirus diseases 2019 (COVID-19), since serum albumin and RDW levels may reflect inflammatory conditions. Patients and Methods A total of 289 patients who had been diagnosed with severe COVID-19 in the emergency department were retrospectively analyzed. The RAR levels were calculated by dividing RDW-CV by albumin. Patient groups (survivors, dying patients, those who received mechanical ventilation (MV) support or not, and those who needed vasopressors or not) were compared with regard to RDW-SD, RDW-CV and the RAR levels. Results RDW-SD, RDW-CV and the RAR levels were found to be statistically significantly higher in patients who died, and who received MV and vasopressor support, compared to those who survived and did not receive support (p<0.001 for all). In addition, while the cut-off value of RAR was >5.43, the sensitivity was 91.6%, the specificity was 93.7%, NPV was 93.1% and the AUC was 0.965 in predicting mortality (p<0.001). Logistic regression analysis showed that RDW-SD and RAR were independent risk factors for mortality in patients with severe COVID-19. Conclusion Elevated RDW and RAR levels at the time of admission may independently predict mortality and the need for vasopressor or MV support.


In 2002, the Danish government introduced new legislation on family reunification to restrict the transnational arranged marriages that were occurring among some immigrant groups. Since then, thousands of people have emigrated from Denmark to Sweden where, as citizens of the European Union, they are entitled to family reunification. In this article, I introduce the concept of semi-legality to describe the situation whereby Pakistani transnational couples commute on a regular basis between their legal residences in Sweden and their places of work or networks of friends and family in Denmark. The married couples subjected to this mobile lifestyle are always in a process of becoming illegal, which is the consequence of 'overstaying' in Denmark or 'understaying' in Sweden. Besides its legal aspects, a semi-legal status also has significant moral implications that not only restructure marriage patterns and family life among Pakistani immigrants but also have long-lasting effects on the relationship between minorities and majorities in Denmark.


Abstract Objectives: To assess the impact of the colour of a drug's formulation on its perceived effect and its effectiveness and to examine whether antidepressant drugs available in the Netherlands are different in colour from hypnotic, sedative, and anxiolytic drugs. Design: Systematic review of 12 published studies. Six studies examined the perceived action of different coloured drugs and six the influence of the colour of a drug on its effectiveness. The colours of samples of 49 drugs affecting the central nervous system were assessed using a colour atlas. Main outcome measures: Perceived stimulant action versus perceived depressant action of colour of drugs; the trials that assessed the effect of drugs in different colours were done in patients with different diseases and had different outcome measures. Results: The studies on perceived action of coloured drugs showed that red, yellow, and orange are associated with a stimulant effect, while blue and green are related to a tranquillising effect. The trials that assessed the impact of the colour of drugs on their effectiveness showed inconsistent differences between colours. The quality of the methods of these trials was variable. Hypnotic, sedative, and anxiolytic drugs were more likely than antidepressants to be green, blue, or purple. Conclusion: Colours affect the perceived action of a drug and seem to influence the effectiveness of a drug. Moreover, a relation exists between the colouring of drugs that affect the central nervous system and the indications for which they are used. Research contributing to a better understanding of the effect of the colour of drugs is warranted. Key messages The colour of a drug seems to influence its effectiveness, but consistent trends are not apparent Hypnotic, sedative, and anxiolytic drugs avail- able in the Netherlands are more likely than antidepressants to be green, blue, or purple Research contributing to a better understanding of the effect of the colour of drugs is warranted


ZEPLIN-III is a two-phase xenon direct dark matter experiment located at the Boulby Mine (U.K.). After its first science run in 2008 it was upgraded with: an array of low background photomultipliers, a new anti-coincidence detector system with plastic scintillator and an improved calibration system. After 319 days of data taking the second science run ended in May 2011. In this paper we describe the instrument performance with emphasis on the position and energy reconstruction algorithm and summarise the final science results.


Despite the relevance and growth of research into Dynamic Capabilities, certain gaps and criticisms remain. These issues are primarily related to the measurements of Dynanic Capabilities and its impacts on performance. There is a lack of empirical research that is attempting to investigate the existence, development, and orchestration of Dynamic Capabilities to support superior performance. This paper proposes and validates a scale for the measurement of Dynamic Capabilities based on Teece's conceptual dimensions (sense, seizing and reconfiguring) through a survey presented in a highly dynamic industry and market, and by investigating the impact on performance. The results, besides validating the scale, showed Teece ?s three conceptual dimensions exhibited different behavior in relation to each dimension of performance. Sense and Reconfiguration demonstrated a negative relationship with organizational performance while Seize is positively associated with performance. This may help explain some of the fuzzy results of previous studies that used proxies to measure Dynamic Capabilities.


The purpose of the work was to study the features of the influence of power fitness programs different in structure and intensity on the morphometric parameters of the body of women of the second period of adulthood. Materials and methods. We examined 50 women aged 36 to 55 years (the second period of adulthood) who had no contraindications for health reasons to power fitness training. To achieve this purpose, the study participants were divided into 2 research groups (A and B), 25 people each. Each of the groups used the proposed program of power fitness training. Anthropometry and bioimpedancemetry methods were used in the course of the 3-month study to determine the peculiarities of the dynamics of morphometric parameters of the body of women of both groups under conditions of muscular activity of different orientation. Results and discussion. In the process of developing an experimental program of power fitness training for women of the second period of adulthood, mainly the whole training management mechanism was aimed at correcting the parameters of intensity of physical activity, which may allow to maximize the energy potential of the body and the level of functionality in general. Thus, the regulation of the value of load intensity was performed due to the following factors: the level of muscle tension was changed by reducing or increasing the duration of the concentric and eccentric phases of movement; the technique of performing the exercise was partially changed due to the amplitude and position of the body in space; the duration of rest intervals between sets was adjusted; the level of complexity of training exercises complexes and their variability was changed. The use of a generally recognized training program in power fitness, which is based on a set of physical exercises on training devices, helps to reduce the parameters of the circumferential body dimensions of women of the second period of adulthood (group A) by an average of 2.7% (p <0.05). A corresponding tendency towards changes, but with less progression, was revealed when monitoring similar indicators of women in group B. The results of bioimpedancemetry, especially during the second and third months of training, show a decrease by 1.4% (p <0.05) in the indicator of body fat mass in women of group B who in the process of doing fitness used the complex of innovative exercises with own body weight. However, in another group of women, we observe an almost imperceptible tendency towards a decrease in the controlled indicator by 0.2% during two months of power fitness training. A corresponding positive tendency towards changes was revealed in the process of step-by-step control over the indicators of active cell body mass in women of both research groups. Conclusion. The results obtained during the course of research prove that even an anaerobic load under the conditions of using a complex of innovative means of power fitness developed on the basis of exercises with one's own body weight, but with corresponding changes of kinematic, dynamic and rhythmic characteristics of performance technique contributes to the positive dynamics of morphometric indicators almost in the same range as the load of aerobic orientation when using a generally recognized training program in power fitness with a set of exercises on training devices. At the same time, it was found that under the conditions of using the experimental training program, the level of body fat mass shows the most pronounced tendency towards decrease, regardless of age peculiarities


The novel coronavirus reached the United States and Canada almost at the same time. The first reported American case was January 20, 2020, and in Canada it was January 15, 2020 (Canada, 2020; Holshue et al., 2020). Yet, the response to this crisis has been different in the two countries. In the US, President Donald Trump, prominent Republicans, and conservative media initially dismissed the dangers of COVID-19 (Stecula, 2020). The pandemic became politicized from the early days, and even though Trump and Republicans have walked back many of their initial claims, there continue to be media reports of partisan differences in public opinion shaped by that early response. At the same time, the response in Canada has been mostly characterized by across-the-board partisan consensus among political elites (Merkley et al., 2020).


This article presents a mini-review of the recent results in the ultra high-performance liquid chromatography (UHPLC) separation of pharmaceuticals by our group. High performance UHPLC separation employing core-shell particle C18 columns was demonstrated. High performance (high theoretical plate number of approximately 20000/10 cm, low theoretical plate height of 5 μm) was obtained without any specific devices in the conventional HPLC apparatus, only through changing detector sampling times and the inner diameter of the connecting tube. High theoretical plate numbers with low column back pressure obtained by the core-shell particle columns enabled fast separation of the analytes. Methanol, which gives high column pressure drops in the reversed-phase mode HPLC compared with acetonitrile, can be used without any trouble. One analysis of the purity testing of diltiazem hydrochloride was performed within 100 s. One analysis in the photostability testing of mecobalamin (vitamin B_12 analogue) was successful within 180 s.


The Nancy Grace Roman Space Telescope Coronagraph Instrument will enable the polarimetric imaging of debris disks and inner dust belts in the optical and near-infrared wavelengths, in addition to the high-contrast polarimetric imaging and spectroscopy of exoplanets. The Coronagraph uses two Wollaston prisms to produce four orthogonally polarized images and is expected to measure the polarization fraction with measurement errors<3% per spatial resolution element. To simulate the polarization observations through the Hybrid Lyot Coronagraph (HLC) and Shaped Pupil Coronagraph (SPC), we model disk scattering, the coronagraphic point-response function, detector noise, speckles, jitter, and instrumental polarization and calculate the Stokes parameters. To illustrate the potential for discovery and a better understanding of known systems with both the HLC and SPC modes, we model the debris disks around Epsilon Eridani and HR 4796A, respectively. For Epsilon Eridani, using astrosilicates with 0.37+/-0.01 as the peak input polarization fraction in one resolution element, we recover the peak disk polarization fraction of 0.33+/-0.01. Similarly, for HR 4796A, for a peak input polarization fraction of 0.92+/-0.01, we obtain the peak output polarization fraction as 0.80+/-0.03. The Coronagraph design meets the required precision, and forward modeling is needed to accurately estimate the polarization fraction.


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Objective: To evaluate user satisfaction about Physical Therapy services in the city of Teresina, State of Piauí, Brazil, and to characterize users' sociodemographic profi le and evaluate their satisfaction regarding the time required to setting up appointments and to provide services, reception, trust, ambiance, humanization, accessibility, effectiveness and expectations relating to the services received. Methods: The sample was comprised of 376 patients who were selected at three physical therapy clinics in the private, municipal and state networks. A questionnaire on sociodemographic characteristics, access to services and user satisfaction was administered. Averages for continuous variables were compared by means of Kruskal-Wallis and Student-Mewman-Keuls tests. Results: Most of the users were women (62.5%), with a mean age of 49.5 years. They were married and illiterate, had family income between one and three minimum wages and were dependent on the national health system. They considered that they had easy access to the services. The means of transportation most used was buses, and it took them on average 28.8 minutes to arrive at the service location. The services users indicated that they did not have any diffi culty with the service, but 14% mentioned that setting up appointments and waiting times were problems they faced in the municipal and state services. Medical indication was the main reason for choosing the service. They trusted the service they received, and the expected treatment results were achieved. Conclusions: Despite the dissatisfaction shown, the majority (75.5%) were satisfi ed with the treatment they received and they said they would recommend the services to other users. Article registered in the Australian New Zealand Clinical Trials Registry (ANZCTR) under the number ACTRN12609000830291.


Interval variables can be measured on very different scales. We first remind a general methodology used for measuring the dispersion of a variable from an optimal center and we define two measures of dispersions associated to two optimal "centers" for interval variables. Then we study the relations between the standardization of a data table and the use in clustering of a normalized distance. Finally we define two normalized distances between hyper-rectangles and their use in two normalized k-means clustering algorithms.


Part 1
The platelet receptor CLEC-2 is a ligand for the transmembrane protein podoplanin, which is present on human lymphatic endothelial cells (HLEC). Mice lacking CLEC-2 or podoplanin display a blood-lymphatic mixing phenotype, possibly due to incomplete separation of the developing vessels. Previous work demonstrated that podoplanin mediates polarised migration of HLEC in response to VEGF-C and that platelets inhibit HLEC migration. Therefore, the aim of this work was to assess whether the interaction between podoplanin and CLEC-2 altered the migration of HLEC. Transfilter migration assays were used to assess the effect platelets and an anti-human podoplanin antibody on HLEC migration.

We found that platelets inhibit VEGF-C mediated HLEC migration in a count-dependent manner and that crosslinking podoplanin with a specific antibody and an appropriate secondary also gave a reduction in HLEC migration. Crosslinking podoplanin in the presence of the Rho kinase inhibitor Y27632 gave no further inhibition of migration. Using Y27632 in conjunction with platelets gave a partial recovery in the effect of platelets, suggesting platelets require activation of the RhoA signalling pathway to exert their anti-migratory effects.

In summary, crosslinking podoplanin with platelets or antibodies inhibits VEGF-C mediated HLEC migration and this may be dependent on the RhoA signalling pathway.

Part 2
Tetraspanins are transmembrane proteins that are thought to have a number of roles in the organisation of cell surface proteins. The platelet collagen receptor GPVI has been identified as a component of tetraspanin microdomains. Similarly, its sheddase, ADAM10, has been shown to be tetraspanin-associated and previous work has found that ADAM10 is regulated by a specific subgroup of tetraspanins, known as the 8-Cys tetraspanins. Therefore, the aim of this work was to determine whether ADAM10 activation altered its localisation within the tetraspanin microdomain. We also wanted to confirm whether ADAM17 was associated with CD9 and assess whether the megakaryocyte-like HEL cell line would be a suitable model in which to study tetraspanin regulation of GPVI cleavage by ADAM10.

We found that ADAM10 was associated with platelet tetraspanins regardless of its activation state. From our data, ADAM17 does not appear to be associated with CD9 in platelets, but this may be due to low ADAM17 expression on these cells. HEL cells are not a suitable for studying GPVI cleavage and ADAM10 regulation by tetraspanins. Attempts to knockdown ADAM10 with siRNA were not successful and GPVI staining was lower than in platelets.


Administration of exogenous L‐arginine (L‐Arg) attenuates angiotensin‐II (AngII)‐mediated hypertension and kidney disease in rats. The present study assessed renal hemodynamics and pressure diuresis–natriuresis in anaesthetized rats infused with vehicle, AngII (20 ng/kg per min i.v.) or AngII + L‐Arg (300 μg/kg per min i.v.). Experiments in isolated aortic rings were carried out to assess L‐Arg effects on the vasculature. Increasing renal perfusion pressure (RPP) from ˜100 to 140 mmHg resulted in a nine‐ to tenfold increase in urine flow and sodium excretion rate in control animals. In comparison, AngII infusion significantly reduced renal blood flow (RBF) and glomerular filtration rate (GFR) by 40–42%, and blunted the pressure‐dependent increase in urine flow and sodium excretion rate by 54–58% at elevated RPP. Supplementation of L‐Arg reversed the vasoconstrictor effects of AngII and restored pressure‐dependent diuresis to levels not significantly different from control rats. Dose‐dependent contraction to AngII (10−10 mol/L to 10−7 mol/L) was observed with a maximal force equal to 27 ± 3% of the response to 10−5 mol/L phenylephrine. Contraction to 10−7 mol/L AngII was blunted by 75 ± 3% with 10−4 mol/L L‐Arg. The influence of L‐Arg to blunt AngII‐mediated contraction was eliminated by endothelial denudation or incubation with nitric oxide synthase inhibitors. Furthermore, the addition of 10−3 mol/L cationic or neutral amino acids, which compete with L‐Arg for cellular uptake, blocked the effect of L‐Arg. Anionic amino acids did not influence the effects of L‐Arg on AngII‐mediated contraction. These studies show that L‐Arg blunts AngII‐mediated vascular contraction by an endothelial‐ and nitric oxide synthase‐dependent mechanism involving cellular uptake of L‐Arg.


In the summer of 2010, the excessive growth of Cladophora laetevirens along the southwestern shoreline of Istanbul, which carries great importance for tourism, drew major attention. The aim of this study was to investigate the excessive growth of Cladophora laetevirens , some ecological parameters, and the number of total coliform bacteria of surface waters in this region during the summer of 2010. During this period, this species multiplied and mucilage like environment was formed and the total coliform bacteria values were found to be between 10 5 and 10 8 MPN/100 mL. Due to the lack of available evidence prior to the sampling, it is possible that the excessive mucilage formation may have been trigged by Cladophora laetevirens . Cladophora samples were collected on different sampling dates during the 2010 summer (July and August). On these sampling days, the temperature, salinity and dissolved oxygen levels of the seawater ranged between 26.6-28°C, 14-33 ppt, and 8.2-9.7 mg/L, respectively. Nitrate+nitrite-N (0.21- 0.26 μg-at/L), Ammonium-N (0.43-0.94 μg-at/L), Phosphate-P (0.53-3.50 μg-at/L), Silicate-Si (9.63- 15.30 μg-at/L) and Chlorophyll a (3.68-14.11 μg/L) concentrations were measured.


It is with a modest measure of satisfaction that I retire from the office to which you generously elevated me in 1950. To the new incumbent, my close friend, Professor Anatol Rapoport, I extend my heartiest felicitations. Perhaps the most welcome piece of information I can now give is the news that, despite occasional scoffers and the disquieting activities of that earnest but lunatic fringe which plagues every new proposition for dealing with the problems of the world, general semantics has enjoyed during the past three years a steady spread of influence in all circles - the arts and sciences, education, philosophy, the humanities, and the everyday pursuits of the man in the street. Its aims, messages, and technics are ever more frequently quoted in the daily press and in public places. Not least important is our awareness that general semantics has slowly won the respect of many who were at an earlier time suspicious that ours is but another messianic cult. Applications of general semantic principles are now being made in military circles, on police forces, in progressive business enterprises of many varieties, and wherever communication is recognized as integral to the sane conduct of human affairs. Courses in general semantics for the public are steadily increasing in number. This gratifying circumstance is in part reflected by our roster of ISGS members. There are now 1,673 paid-up members distributed over the face of the earth - a new high for the Society - and there are 881 subscribers to our journal, ETC.: A Review of General Semantics. Some 300 foreign libraries now receive ETC. and from this source alone we have had a welcome influx of new members and new subscribers from abroad. Meanwhile, the financial stability of the Society has been improved. Although still precarious, our financial status has for the first time in its history been transferred from the red to the black side of the ledger. This is owing to the skill and untiring efforts at economy exhibited by the executive secretary, Jean Taylor, and the membership secretary, Evelyn Rochetto, with the counsel and assistance of the secretary-treasurer, Karl Hauch. To all of them I express deep gratitude for the courage they have shown in the face of persistent personal deprivation and for their patience and ingenuity. The spiraling of operating costs and the expansion of services rendered by the central office in Chicago, not only to individual members and chapters of the Society but to the ever-increasing number of non-members interested in general semantics, necessitated in 1952 an increase in minimal membership dues. Though small, this increase was reluctantly implemented by the Governing Board. ... Our official journal, ETC., which has now completed ten years of publication, has flourished gratifyingly under the expert guidance of Editors Hayakawa, Rapoport, and Smith. Several of the recent issues (e.g., that devoted to metalinguistics) have marked new "highs" in the history of a journal which has already earned an enviable respect in scholarly circles. The difficulties of editing such a journal and of maintaining high standards are enormous. Among other things required are countless hours of heavy spade work, much editorial skill, the possession of a large fund of general information, the ability to suppress one's own "irrational prejudices," and an abundance of tact. That our staff possesses such attributes is cause for rejoicing. May they long continue with us! RUSSELL MEYERS, M.D., REPORT OF THE RETIRING PRESIDENT, INTERNATIONAL SOCIETY FOR GENERAL SEMANTICS: 1950-1953 Growing like a mushroom, science fiction has in a few years achieved the status of a major literary genre in its own right. It has hardly yet, however, been subjected to systematic investigation. One of the first problems to be faced would be that its rapid sprouting must, obviously, be a symptom of whatever it is that is peculiar about the present state of our civilization. …


OBJECTIVE
To determine the relationship between prior antibiotic use and the development of acute mastoiditis (AM) in children.

DESIGN
Retrospective review.

SETTING
Tertiary pediatric center.

PATIENTS
We identified 129 patients with AM who were admitted to our center between 1996 and 2005.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
Proportion of children who developed AM.

RESULTS
A total of only 67 patients (51.9%) had undergone any antimicrobial treatment prior to hospital admission. In 1996, 64% of patients with AM had received antibiotics for acute otitis media (AOM) prior to admission (n = 7 of 11), but this percentage had steadily decreased to 27% by 2005 (n = 4 of 15). The yearly number of cases of AM treated in our institution has remained stable over this period. A subperiosteal abscess was identified in 45 patients (34.9%), while the remainder (n = 84) had postauricular inflammation only (65.1%). Nineteen patients with a subperiosteal abscess (42%) and 48 patients without a subperiosteal abscess (57%) had undergone prehospitalization antimicrobial therapy for suppurative AOM. There was no significant difference in antibiotic use between the numbers of patients with or without a subperiosteal abscess. Regarding the sensitivity of bacteria isolated from patients with a subperiosteal abscess, only 1 patient was infected with an organism that was not sensitive to the prehospitalization antibiotic prescribed.

CONCLUSION
Use of antibiotics to treat suppurative AOM in children might not influence the subsequent development of AM.


ABSTRACT In this contribution, we analyze residential segregation not just on the basis of dimenions of migration background and income but also according to educational level, class fractions, labor market status, and the employment sector . We use individual-level geocoded data for the entire population of the Metropolitan Area of Amsterdam to analyze residential orientations of households at eight different neighborhood types based on different levels of social mix, taking into account their employment sector, their age, educational attainment, income, type of contract, and migration background. We find that segregation based on income is relatively moderate but segregation on the basis of migration background and educational attainment level is relatively high. Multinomial regression models show that different class fractions are oriented to very different residential milieus. We conclude that a combination of dimensions of social positions yields a more nuanced and better conceptual framework for understanding the social geographies of urban areas.


The verbal paradox attributed to Grelling offers an insight into the construction and possible interpretation of the classic Stroop effect and related phenomena. Heterological and autological relationships, as Grelling used those terms, suggest stimulus display pairings that are likely to show Stroop-like interference.


There have been many tests of the convergence hypothesis yielding many different estimates of B (the speed of convergence). Narrative reviews of the convergence literature hint at possible reasons for the study-to-study variation in the value of B, but such reviews are selective and informal. In contrast, meta-regression analysis provides a more formal and objective review of the literature. It is shown that study design and methodology are important determinants of the reported convergence rate, especially in cross-national studies. There is also evidence of general misspecification in the literature.


Magnesium (Mg) is an abundant and important cation in cells. Plants rely on Mg transporters to take up Mg from the soil, and then Mg is transported to anthers and other organs. Here, we showed that MGT6+/− plants display reduced fertility, while mgt6 plants are fertile. MGT6 is expressed in the anther at the early stages. Pollen mitosis and intine formation are impaired in aborted pollen grains (PGs) of MGT6+/− plants, which is similar to the defective pollen observed in mgt5 and mgt9 mutants. These results suggest that Mg deficiency leads to pollen abortion in MGT6+/− plants. Our data showed that mgt6 organs including buds develop significantly slower and mgt6 stamens accumulate a higher level of Mg, compared with wild-type (WT) and MGT6+/− plants. These results indicate that slower bud development allows mgt6 to accumulate sufficient amounts of Mg in the pollen, explaining why mgt6 is fertile. Furthermore, we found that mgt6 can restore fertility of mgt5, which has been reported to be male sterile due to defects in Mg transport from the tapetum to microspores and that an additional Mg supply can restore its fertility. Interestingly, mgt5 fertility is recovered when grown under short photoperiod conditions, which is a well-known factor regulating plant fertility. Taken together, these results demonstrate that slow development is a general mechanism to restore mgts fertility, which allows other redundant magnesium transporter (MGT) members to transport sufficient Mg for pollen formation.


This paper describes an early memory yield prediction model using a memory sensitive area model. The proposed sensitive area prediction model calculates the sensitive area of a memory block for a given process technology and memory capacity. The model is capable of predicting the yield of a memory block in the early design phase without the derailed knowledge of the physical layout. The use of such a model in the early design stage helps to improve product quality and to reduce cost.


The review discusses the role of mental disorders in oncology practice, their types, prevalence and clinical features. Problems of using drugs and psychoactive substances as a factor in the development of mental disorders in cancer patients are also considered in this review. Studies showing clinical and psychological problems (pain, fear, anxiety) that reduce the quality of life in cancer patients have been presented. Results of pharmaco-and psychotherapy in relieving psychopathology are discussed.


ABSTRACT The mechanisms that lead to the tegumentation of herpesviral particles are only poorly defined. The phosphoprotein 65 (pp65) is the most abundant constituent of the virion tegument of human cytomegalovirus (HCMV). It is, however, nonessential for virion formation. This seeming discrepancy has not met with a satisfactory explanation regarding the role of pp65 in HCMV particle morphogenesis. Here, we addressed the question of how the overall tegument composition of the HCMV virion depended on pp65 and how the lack of pp65 influenced the packaging of particular tegument proteins. To investigate this, we analyzed the proteomes of pp65-positive (pp65pos) and pp65-negative (pp65neg) virions by label-free quantitative mass spectrometry and determined the relative abundances of tegument proteins. Surprisingly, only pUL35 was elevated in pp65neg virions. As the abundance of pUL35 in the HCMV tegument is low, it is unlikely that it replaced pp65 as a structural component in pp65neg virions. A subset of proteins, including the third most abundant tegument protein, pUL25, as well as pUL43, pUL45, and pUL71, were reduced in pp65neg or pp65low virions, indicating that the packaging of these proteins was related to pp65. The levels of tegument components, like pp28 and the capsid-associated tegument proteins pp150, pUL48, and pUL47, were unaffected by the lack of pp65. Our analyses demonstrate that deletion of pp65 is not compensated for by other viral proteins in the process of virion tegumentation. The results are concordant with a model of pp65 serving as an optional scaffold protein that facilitates protein upload into the outer tegument of HCMV particles. IMPORTANCE The assembly of the tegument of herpesviruses is only poorly understood. Particular proteins, like HCMV pp65, are abundant tegument constituents. pp65 is thus considered to play a major role in tegument assembly in the process of virion morphogenesis. We show here that deletion of the pp65 gene leads to reduced packaging of a subset of viral proteins, indicating that pp65 acts as an optional scaffold protein mediating protein upload into the tegument.


Abstract Our goal is to find top-k lists of nodes with the largest degrees in large complex networks quickly. If the adjacency list of the network is known (not often the case in complex networks), a deterministic algorithm to find the top-k list of nodes with the largest degrees requires an average complexity of , where n is the number of nodes in the network. Even this modest complexity can be very high for large complex networks. We propose to use a random-walk-based method. We show theoretically and by numerical experiments that for large networks, the random-walk method finds good-quality top lists of nodes with high probability and with computational savings of orders of magnitude. We also propose stopping criteria for the random-walk method that requires very little knowledge about the structure of the network.


The morphology and the connectivity of neuronal structures formed during early development must be actively maintained as the brain matures. Although impaired axon stability is associated with the progression of various neurological diseases, relatively little is known about the factors controlling this process. We identified Brain tumor (Brat), a conserved member of the TRIM-NHL family of proteins, as a new regulator of axon maintenance in Drosophila CNS. Brat function is dispensable for the initial growth of Mushroom Body axons, but is required for the stabilization of axon bundles. We found that Brat represses the translation of src64B, an upstream regulator of a conserved Rho-dependent pathway previously shown to promote axon retraction. Furthermore, brat phenotypes are phenocopied by src64B overexpression, and partially suppressed by reducing the levels of src64B or components of the Rho pathway, suggesting that brat promotes axon maintenance by downregulating the levels of Src64B. Finally, Brat regulates brain connectivity via its NHL domain, but independently of its previously described partners Nanos, Pumilio, and d4EHP. Thus, our results uncover a novel post-transcriptional regulatory mechanism that controls the maintenance of neuronal architecture by tuning the levels of a conserved rho-dependent signaling pathway.


Protein phosphorylation, one of the most ubiquitous post-translational modifications of proteins, is reversibly controlled by protein kinases and phosphatases, and regulates a variety of cell functions through cellular signal transduction pathways. These signals are involved in various diseases such as cancer, and often cause the disease itself or its progression. Phosphoproteomics has been explored to analyze protein phosphorylation comprehensively and has been applied to monitoring the entire network of cellular signal transduction. In this review, the frontlines of phosphoproteomics as well as its application to cancer molecular targeting drug discovery, therapy and diagnostics are described.


The generation of petroleum is a thermal process dependent on the maximum temperature and on the duration of the maximum heating phase attained by the source rock. The coalification process, which is governed by the same factors, offers a convenient means of determining the stage of thermal alteration of organic matter, because coals form a continuous metamorphic series ranging from peat to graphite. The LOM scale (level of organic metamorphism) devised by Hood and Gutjhar is used to correlate a variety of measures of End_Page 772------------------------------ organic metamorphism; under ideal conditions, LOM is nearly linear with maximum burial depth. Comparison of reflectance data of vitrinite obtained from coal-bearing with other strata provides the most satisfactory method of describing the progression of organic metamorphism through a major segment of the coal-rank scale. Vitrinite reflectance studies in noncoal-bearing sequences are commonly complicated by the presence of higher reflectance vitrinite, which may result from the physical incorporation of vitrinite from older rocks or from oxidation caused by winnowing action or bioturbation. Interpretation of the reflectance data strongly hinges on a sequence of samples, a knowledge of the lithology, and knowledge of the depositional environment. Geochemical maturity parameters, such as the n-paraffin ratio and the naphthene-ring index, indicate that the generation of petroleum is at a maximum for a source rock with a thermal history corresponding to a high-volatile B to medium-volatile bituminous coal rank (LOM 9 to 11.5), which falls within a vitrinite reflectance (Ro) of 0.72 to 1.20%. Studies in California and Alaska Tertiary basins show that the onset of geochemical maturity occurs at LOMs of 9-11. The depths to this zone range from 10,000 to 17,000 ft; the differences depend chiefly on variations in geothermal gradient. End_of_Article - Last_Page 773------------


: Objective: To determine the frequency of anti-Hepatitis C virus antibodies in pregnant ladies attending Services hospital, Lahore and to analyze risk factors for disease acquisition in them. Study Design: Cross sectional study. Place and Duration of Study: Department of gynecology and obstetrics Services hospital, Lahore from July, 2018 to June, 2019. Material and Methods: All pregnant ladies attending Military Hospital Rawalpindi were tested for anti HCV antibodies by third generation ELISA method and evaluation of potential risk factors for acquisition of HCV infection was done. Results: 636 (6.95%) of patients were found to be positive for anti HCV antibodies. Conclusion: Six point nine five percentage of study pregnant ladies were found to have anti HCV antibodies. These HCV positive pregnant women were more likely to have history of blood transfusion, therapeutic injection use and surgery. Conclusion: In our study, we observed that many pregnant ladies have positive anti HCV antibodies. Moreover, unsafe blood transfusion, therapeutic injection use and surgical intervention were found to be strongly associated with HCV infection.


2. INTERNATIONAL GEOGRAPHICAL INDICATIONS REGIMES A. PRECURSORS TO TRIPS 2.01 1. Paris Convention for the Protection of Industrial Property 1883 2.03 2. Madrid Agreement for the Repression of False or Deceptive Indications of Source of Goods 1891 2.11 3. International Convention on the Use of Appellations of Origin and Denominations of Cheeses ('Stresa Convention') 1951 2.16 4. Lisbon Agreement for the Protection of Appellations of Origin and their Registration 1958 2.21 5. The International Wine Organization 2.32 B. THE WTO TRIPS AGREEMENT 2.39 1. Protection of geographical indications 2.40 2. Geographical indications and trade marks 2.53 3. Additional protection for geographical indications for wines and spirits 2.63 4. TRIPS revision 2.84 5. The TRIPS GIs disputes 2.94 6. TRIPS enforcement 2.101 7. TRIPS rights under European law 2.183 C. REVIVAL OF THE LISBON AGREEMENT 2.191 1. Protocol to the Lisbon Agreement 2.191 2. WIPO proposals 2.192 D. BILATERAL AND PLURILATERAL AGREEMENTS 2.217


The clouded apollo Clouded Apollo (Parnassius mnemosyne) is formerly used to have a widely distributed, Eurasian butter�y species that shows declining population numbers in many different regions. Within Sweden, both thewider distribution range and the population size has decreased dramatically over the latest decades and the species is now only found in Fenno Scandia but is in Sweden at present one of the most endangered butter�ies con�ned to three geographically isolated regions. separated regional metapopulations: Blekinge, Roslagen and Västernorrland. Especially the Blekinge population have in recent years declined and show low numbers of adults (N<10 in some localities). It is subjected to a species action plan which includes habitat restorations and keeping a breeding population at the zoo Nordens Ark aimed at producing individuals for release and reintroductions. Here, we apply whole-genome resequencing of clouded apollo individuals collected in the three natural populations and athe captive population in Sweden and apply population genomic approaches to get a better understanding of the genetic structure and levels of genetic diversity in the species. We �nd that the clouded apollo populations in the different geographic regions have similar, but comparatively low levels of genetic diversity and we �nd evidence for signi�cant genetic differentiation between the northernmost population and the populations in southern Sweden. Additional analysis, including previously available mitochondrial data unveil that a bi-directional re-colonization of Fennoscandia after the latest glacial maximum most likely is the explanation for the considerable differentiation between some Swedish populations. Finally, we �nd evidence for population sub-structure in one of the Swedish populations. The results provide insights into the genetic consequences of population size declines and fragmentation in general and provide important information for direct conservation actions for the clouded apollo in Sweden in particular.


For many sensor network applications such as military surveillance, it is necessary to provide full sensing coverage to a security-sensitive area while at the same time minimizing energy consumption and extending system lifetime by leveraging the redundant deployment of sensor nodes. It is also preferable for the sensor network to provide differentiated surveillance service for various target areas with different degrees of security requirements. In this paper, we propose a differentiated surveillance service for sensor networks based on an adaptable energy-efficient sensing coverage protocol. In the protocol, each node is able to dynamically decide a schedule for itself to guarantee a certain degree of coverage (DOC) with average energy consumption inversely proportional to the node density. Several optimizations and extensions are proposed to provide even better performance. Simulation shows that our protocol accomplishes differentiated surveillance with low energy consumption. It outperforms other state-of-the-art schemes by as much as 50% reduction in energy consumption and as much as 130% increase in the half-life of the network.


The importance of biomechanical forces in regulating normal chondrocyte metabolism is well established and the mechanisms whereby mechanical forces are transduced into biochemical responses by chondrocytes are beginning to be understood. Previous studies have indicated that cyclical mechanical stimulation induces increased aggrecan gene expression in normal but not osteoarthritic chondrocytes in monolayer. It remains unclear, however, whether these effects on gene expression are associated with changes in proteoglycan production and whether any changes in proteoglycan expression is dependent on integrins or integrin associated proteins. Normal and osteoarthritic articular chondrocytes in monolayer were exposed to 0.33 Hz mechanical stimulation for 20 min in the absence or presence of function modifying anti-integrin antibodies. Following stimulation GAG and proteoglycan (PG) synthesis was assessed by DMMB assay and western blotting. Mechanical stimulation of normal chondrocytes resulted in increased GAG synthesis that was blocked by the presence of antibodies to alpha5 and alphaVbeta5 integrins and CD47. Electrophoretic patterns of PGs released from normal chondrocytes following mechanical stimulation showed an increase in newly-synthesized aggrecan that was not fragmented or degraded. Chondrocytes from osteoarthritic cartilage showed lower levels of GAG production when compared to normal chondrocytes and synthesis was not influenced by mechanical stimulation. These studies show that chondrocytes derived from normal and OA cartilage have different matrix production responses to mechanical stimulation and suggest previously unrecognised roles for alphaVbeta5 integrin in regulation of chondrocyte responses to biomechanical stimulation.


Water distribution networks are such structures, which maintain the distribution of the water necessary for use in the city-life to its users. Among the facilities, which maintain the transmission of the utility water from its resource to the users, water distribution networks are known to have quite high ratio of cost to the overall cost. Certain limitations in the water distribution networks, excessiveness of the parameters being in use in the design, and the high amounts of cost being incurred, have altogether necessitated the cost optimization in the water distribution networks. In this study, cost optimization using the Artificial Bee Colony (ABC) optimization method, which is a novel method, was performed on Alperovits and Shamir network, Hanoi city water distribution network as well as New York city water distribution network as a rehabilitation practice, which were previously used by numerous researchers, and the results were evaluated.


The effect of Tween 80 on the growth of Mycobacterium avium complex (MAC) in liquid culture condition was investigated. Observation of the colony‐forming units (CFU) and the morphology of MAC with transmission and scanning electron microscopy showed that Tween 80 at 0.05% in the medium (ca. 0.5 mg/ml) had bacteriostatic action and caused cell elongation. Tween 80 at 0.5% or more in the medium (ca. 5 mg/ml) reduced the quantity of MAC glycolipids and also led to false positive or positive results in biochemical tests for mycobacterial identification using nitrate reductase, urease, or arylsulfatase. To determine whether or not surfactants could reduce the MAC permeability barrier, the minimal inhibitory concentration (MIC) of antituberculosis drugs on MAC was determined in liquid medium with or without several kinds of surfactants including Tween 80. Five surfactants including Tween 80 increased the activity of antituberculosis drugs to MAC. These findings suggest that Tween 80 acts directly on the cell wall of MAC.


The invasive macroalgae Gracilaria vermiculophylla has appeared increasingly in otherwise nonindigenous areas including seven geographically separated fjords in Denmark. These fjords now contain large quantities of G. vermiculophylla. In our study several eco-physiological traits of G. vermiculophylla were investigated in order to examine if it has competitive advantages over local macroalgal species, therefore posing a threat to the environment. Also, to assess the possible future distribution of G. vermiculophylla in Danish estuaries based on these traits. The results showed that G. vermiculophylla has a competitive advantage over native algal species. The grazing preference experiments showed that the two local grazers Idotea baltica and Littorina littorea preferred the local macroalgae Ulva lactuca and Fucus vesiculosus over G. vermiculophylla. G. vermiculophylla showed high tolerance to a broad range of salinities (from 10 to 45ppt) and can grow and probably prosper in most of the Danish estuaries, but does not seem to have a competitive advantage based on salinity alone. A light experiment where G. vermiculophylla was grown at various irradiances (0 to 163 μmol photons ms) showed that G. vermiculophylla is able to utilize low amounts of light (40 μmol photons ms), while maintaining maximum growth rate, which is an advantage in the eutrophic Danish estuaries, where the irradiance is limited. Nitrogen experiments showed that G. vermiculophylla is able to utilize small concentrations of nitrogen (approximately 0,5μM) and still maintain maximum growth. It is very probable that G. vermiculophylla has sufficiently competitive abilities to keep pace with the native macroalgae as it is already well established in some Danish estuaries. It may very well be able to out-compete some native species with consequences to the ecosystems.


In this paper options for on-board storage and home refueling of natural gas vehicles are presented and discussed. The on-board natural gas storage options considered are: storage at 2.2 MPa (300 psig) in activated carbon-filled cylinders, and 7.0 MPa (1000 psig) and 16.7 MPa (2400 psig) in hollow cylinders. Information is presented on small home refueling compressors designed to compress the natural gas to the above mentioned storage pressures. Also shown are data on the density and energy density of natural gas at pressures up to 21 MPa (3000 psig). It is found that to achieve a range of 160 km (100 miles), a 12.7 km/L (30 mpg) vehicle requires 232, 170 and 62 liters (8.2, 6.0 and 2.2 cu ft), respectively, of natural gas storage volume at the three pressures considered. A preliminary comparison of the three storage options suggests that storage above 7.0 MPa is preferred.


Background: Primary care physicians are positioned to promote early recognition and treatment of men at risk for osteoporosis-related fractures; however, efficient screening strategies are needed. This study was designed to validate the Male Osteoporosis Risk Estimation Score (MORES) for identifying men at increased risk of osteoporosis. Methods: This was a blinded analysis of the MORES, administered prospectively in a cross-sectional sample of men aged 60 years or older. Participants completed a research questionnaire at an outpatient visit and had a dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan to assess bone density. Sensitivity, specificity, and area under-the-curve (AUC) were estimated for the MORES. Effectiveness was assessed by the number needed-to-screen (NNS) to prevent one additional major osteoporotic fracture. Results: A total of 346 men completed the study. The mean age was 70.2 ± 6.9 years; 76% were non-Hispanic white. Fifteen men (4.3%) had osteoporosis of the hip. The operating characteristics were sensitivity 0.80 (95% confidence interval [CI], 0.52–0.96); specificity 0.70 (95% CI, 0.64–0.74), and AUC of 0.82 (95% CI, 0.71–0.92). Screening with the MORES yielded a NNS to prevent one additional major osteoporotic fracture over 10 years with 259 (95% CI, 192–449) compared to 636 for universal screening with a DXA. Conclusion: This study validated the MORES as an effective and efficient approach to identifying men at increased risk of osteoporosis who may benefit from a diagnostic DXA scan.


The high resolution He I photoelectron spectrum of the (a12t25)2T2 < - (a12t26)1A1 transition in methane has been recorded and analyzed and a value has been obtained for the adiabataic ionization potential. The electron spectrum resulting from ionization of a t2 electron is a composite of at least three overlapping electronic bands which are separated by several tenths of an eV. These bands are the split components of the 2T2 electronic state of the CH4+ ion which is distorted by strong Jahn-Teller forces. The symmetry of the molecule in these three electronic states is believed to be, in order of increasing energy, D2d<C3e<D2h. The active vibration which causes the Jahn-Teller splitting is the r2(e) mode. The adiabatic ionization potential of methane is certainly below 12.62 eV. Our extrapolated value is approx- 12.51 eV. Four different vibrational progressions have been found, one of which shows vibronic splittings.


As the global temperature keeps rising, the demand for reliable and effective energy alternatives is increasingly urgent. Among the developing alternative energy resources, hydrogen is recognized as a clean and recyclable energy carrier and is considered one of the major energy sources in the future. Hydrogen fermentation is a non-pollutant way of producing H2. Among fermentative H2 production processes, the H2 production rate by dark fermentation is higher than photo fermentation, thereby having higher viability for commercial applications. In this study, an indigenous isolate Clostridium butyricum CGS2 able to convert sugar (such as glucose, fructose, sucrose and xylose) into hydrogen was used the bacterial H2 producer. Using sucrose as the carbon source in a batch process, C. butyricum CGS2 gave a maximum H2 production rate (vH2) and H2 yield (YH2) of 262.2 ml/h/l and 2.26 mol H2/mol sucrose, respectively. Response surface methodology (RSM) was employed to identify the optimal conditions for hydrogen production of C. butyricum CGS2 using sucrose concentration, temperature and pH as the primary operation parameters. With a performance index of YH2, the optimum condition predicted from RSM analysis was: pH, 5.2; temperature, 35.1 °C; sucrose concentration, 22.5 g COD/l. Under this condition, the hydrogen content in the biogas was 58.5%, H2 was 0.54 l/h/l, total hydrogen production was 7.2 l, and YH2 was 2.91 mol H2/mol sucrose. On the other hand, when H2 was used as the performance index, the optimum condition was: pH, 5.36; temperature, 35.1C; sucrose concentration, 26.1 g COD/l. This condition gave a hydrogen content of 63.3%, a YH2 of 3.26 mol H2/mol sucrose, a total hydrogen production of 10.5 l, and a H2 of 0.50 l/h/l. The validity of RSM predictions was confirmed by additional experiments, suggesting that using RSM design could attain an optimal culture condition for C. butyricum CGS2 to enhance its hydrogen production performance.


Intimate partner violence is a pervasive and highly detrimental phenomenon. One common aspect of abusive relationships is a reluctance to leave one's partner. With this in mind, the current study explored the role of Stockholm syndrome in abusive relationships. Study 1 and 2 surveyed 508 diverse adults. Study 1 submitted the Stockholm syndrome scale to psychometric testing and confirmed a 3-factor solution for the scale. The three components are Core, justifying an abuser through cognitive distortions; Damage, ongoing psychological effects of abuse; and Love, the belief that one's survival depends on the love of an abuser. Study 2 tested the predictive qualities of the scale and found that its components are linked to relationship violence in a predictable fashion. These links may be moderated by insecure attachment. Study 3 analysed dyadic data from 86 couples and found positive associations between levels of Core and relationship violence, both within and across partners. Implications and future directions are discussed. TRAUMATIC BONDING AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 6 Traumatic Bonding and Intimate Partner Violence "None are more hopelessly enslaved than those who falsely believe they are free." Goethe, Die Wahlverwandtschaften. Intimate partner violence is a major health and criminal justice issue on a global scale (Abel, 2001). Although domestic violence has historically been trivialized or ignored, the costs of these abusive relationships can be measured in terms of loss of human life, serious injury, decline of physical and psychological wellbeing, and the consequences for children raised in such toxic environments. In addition to the human costs, there are significant economic costs to the individual, the family, and society as a whole (Snively, 1995). In New Zealand, approximately half of all homicides are the result of family and intimate partner violence, with an average of 14 women, seven men, and 10 children losing their lives at the hands of a family member each year. In 2013, there were 95,080 family violence incidents and offences recorded by police (Statistics New Zealand, 2014). As of 1995, it was estimated that the financial costs of family violence reached 1.2 billion dollars per year (Snively, 1995). Much research has been undertaken in order to understand and find possible solutions to this major social and legal issue. Previous research has revealed the existence of multiple, repeat, and chronic victims of crime, including victims of intimate partner violence. Multiple victims of crime are those who experience two or more crimes in the space of 12 months, regardless of the type of offense, whereas repeat victims experience the same type of crime more than once in a 12 month timeframe. "Chronic victims" describes people who experience five or more crimes in one calendar year (New Zealand TRAUMATIC BONDING AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 7 Ministry of Justice, 2010). Together, the crimes experienced by these three groups (multiple, repeat and chronic victims) capture 85% of all crime. The New Zealand Crime and Safety Survey (New Zealand Ministry of Justice, 2010) found that victims of intimate partner violence are typically repeat victims, and 20% of these repeat victims become chronic victims. This small group (3%) of victims experiences 88% of all intimate partner violence. A natural question often posed is why people stay in abusive and violent relationships. The current study attempts to answer this question by investigating some of the psychological features linked to intimate partner violence, with a particular focus on a form of traumatic bonding known as Stockholm syndrome. A number of theoretical constructs and research underpin the current study, including attachment theory, pathological attachment in the form of traumatic bonding (i.e. Stockholm syndrome), cognitive dissonance theory, and prior work on the Stockholm syndrome scale. Attachment Theory Attachment theory, based on the work of John Bowlby and Mary Ainsworth (Bretherton, 1992), explains how the different attachment styles of infants continue into adulthood. Attachment theory was partly based on a study in which researchers observed the attachment styles of infant monkeys. The young monkeys were isolated from their mothers at birth and were given mechanical "mothers" with or without a terry cloth covering (Bowlby, 1977). The researchers noted that the baby monkeys preferred the terry clothed mother even when it was not a source of food. This led the researchers to conclude that bonding with a caregiver was an innate need and was attributable to TRAUMATIC BONDING AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 8 evolutionary processes that had developed to facilitate survival, i.e. ensuring proximity to a caregiver. Ainsworth (1970) later carried out observational studies on the interactions between human toddlers and their mothers. The mothers would enter and leave the room for a few minutes at a time, interchanging with strangers. This was intended to replicate interactions with familiar and unfamiliar figures in the child's life. Observations were based on the toddlers' reactions to the mothers' unexpected exits and returns. From these observations, three main attachment types were identified: secure, avoidant, and anxious. Children of the secure attachment type (70% of the sample) regarded their mothers as a "secure base" from which they could explore the world and return to at any time. The securely attached child would interact with the stranger in the presence of his or her mother but not in her absence. This child would show moderate distress when his or her mother left the room but be positive and happy on her return. It was determined that a secure attachment was created by a primary caregiver who was sensitive to the signals of the infant and responded to his or her needs appropriately and consistently. Avoidantly attached infants (15% of the sample) would play with the stranger with or without the presence of their mothers, showed little interest in the exit or return of their mothers, and were able to be soothed by either the stranger or their mothers. Avoidant attachment was produced by a neglectful caregiver who was emotionally and/or physically unavailable to tend to the child's needs, to the point of even ignoring the child's needs. Such caregiving produced a very detached and independent child. The third, anxious attachment type (15% of the sample) exhibited a mix of distressed behaviours. The anxiously attached child showed extreme levels of distress when his or her mother left the room but, on her return, would display unusual behaviour TRAUMATIC BONDING AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 9 such as such as clinging to and hitting his or her mother at the same time. These children would cry far more and explore less than securely or avoidantly attached children. This was usually a response to intermittent caregiving, i.e. a caregiver who was not consistent in attending to his or her child's needs. Shaver, working with Hazan (Hazan & Shaver, 1987), and Mikulincer (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007) made the first steps to extend attachment theory from infants to adult romantic relationships by noting 17 features that are present in both types of bonding. These features include, among others, eye contact, physical affection, playing together, distress on separation, and feeding each other (Fletcher, Simpson, Campbell, & Overall, 2013). This theory sparked the creation of a huge body of literature with hundreds of studies replicating the finding of three distinct attachment styles (Mikulincer, 2007). These styles can be subdivided into secure or insecure (anxious or avoidant) styles, which roughly correspond to the infant attachment styles previously mentioned (Ainsworth & Bell, 1970; Bowlby, 1977). A securely attached adult (~60% of the general adult population) has struck a golden balance between closeness and independence and is more likely to express high levels of commitment to his or her relationship (Frei & Shaver, 2002). Securely attached adults also experience better health and survival (Beckes & Coan, 2013), less conflict (Campbell, Simpson, Boldry, & Kashy, 2005), fewer depressive symptoms (Lee & Hankin, 2009), and more coping skills in the face of stressful events (Berant, Mikulincer, Shaver, & Segal, 2005). An adult with a secure attachment views one's self, partners, and relationships in a relatively positive light. The anxious, insecurely attached adult (~20% of the general adult population) demands extreme levels of intimacy from his or her partner (often unreciprocated) and TRAUMATIC BONDING AND INTIMATE PARTNER VIOLENCE 10 constantly seeks approval and responsiveness. This may result in an overly dependent relationship. These individuals have issues regarding trust in their relationships, are extremely emotionally expressive (which may border on hysteria), and show high levels of impulsiveness. They also tend to have less favourable views of themselves and their partners (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007). The avoidant, insecurely attached adult (~20% of the general adult population) desires such high levels of independence as to appear undesiring of a relationship at all. Theses adults feel uncomfortable with close relationships and may even deem them unnecessary. An avoidantly attached adult's typical response to any stressful event in his or her relationship is to distance himor herself from one's partner, whom he or she typically holds in poor regard (Mikulincer & Shaver, 2007). Fortunately, attachment styles are not static and can evolve over time (Letherby, 2008). Traumatic Bonding Insecure attachment theory also provides insight into traumatic bonding. Dutton and Painter (1993) suggested that intermittent abuse corresponds to a traumatic bonding type of attachment. This theory may explain how repeat victimisation as well as a number of risk factors (e.g. addictions, social skills deficits, anger) combine to produce a


Section 340B of the Public Health Service Act requires drug manufacturers to enter into price agreements with the Department of Health and Human Services. These agreements result in variation in the price paid to acquire a drug by sector, which complicates the price used in cost-effectiveness analyses. We describe the transactions and sectors in a 340B agreement using a multiple sclerosis drug. Cost-effectiveness estimates were calculated for the drug using drug prices from the manufacturer and payer perspective. We found the amount paid to the manufacturer (340B price) was a good value ($118,256 per quality-adjusted life-year); however, from the payer drug cost perspective, good value ($196,683 per quality-adjusted life-year) was not achieved. Given that emerging value frameworks incorporate cost-effectiveness, these price variations may have downstream negative consequences, including inaccurate coverage and reimbursement policy recommendations. Upcoming policy changes to the 340B program should incentivize pricing schemes hinged on transparency and value.


The present study proposes to reconcile the different spatial and temporal scales of regional species production and local constraint on species richness. Although interactions between populations rapidly achieve equilibrium and limit membership in ecological communities locally, these interactions occur over heterogeneous environments within large regions, where the populations of species are stably regulated through competition and habitat selection. Consequently, exclusion of species from a region depends on long-term regional-scale environmental change or evolutionary change among interacting populations, bringing species production and extinction onto the same scale and establishing a link between local and regional processes.


Background Best practice recommendations support the implementation of perioperative geriatric care models that tailor to the specific needs of older adults undergoing surgery. The objective of this study was to describe the current proactive perioperative geriatric programs and pathways in Canadian hospitals. Methods A survey of geriatricians, surgeons, and anesthesiologists practicing in Canada combined with phone interviews of a subset of participants were used to determine characteristics of perioperative geriatric pathways or programs including eligibility, team composition, and intervention elements. Results Analysis of 132 survey respondents and 24 interviews showed 47% (40 out of 85) of hospitals described had elements of a perioperative geriatrics program and 20% had two or more elements. Eleven themes emerged including: how perioperative geriatric care programs built geriatric competencies in other health-care providers; geriatric assessment identified risks not captured in standard perioperative risk assessment; perceived value for patients and the health-care team; delirium prevention was addressed; most programs were reactive; most programs were informal; virtual care may be used to meet demand; successful implementation required system buy-in with collaboration across subspecialties; mechanisms to drive improvement were accountability and data evaluation; few clinicians with geriatric expertise; and other priorities limited program implementation. Conclusions There were few hospitals in Canada with perioperative geriatric care models and even fewer with elements spanning the entire perioperative pathway. Strengths, weaknesses, opportunities, and threats to inform the implementation and sustainability of perioperative geriatric care in the Canadian context were identified in this national environmental scan.


Proceedings of the International Conference on Business Management & Information Systems, 2012 Compensation is formulated based on internal consistency and pay level relative to the market. An effective and just compensation policy can act as a stimulant for an organization to gain a competitive edge. Employees' with perception of higher levels of procedural and distributive justice are more likely to feel obliged and perform their roles by putting in discretionary effort. The fairness of an internally aligned and externally competitive pay structure is judged in terms of organizational justice ie. distributive and procedural justice. The present study seeks to analyze the impact of Compensation components in terms of Rewards and Benefits and Organizational Justice on Turnover Intentions and the role of Job Satisfaction in terms of Pay. This study has been done for the Indian Retail Industry with special reference to Retail Store Operations. From the study it was seen that Rewards and Organizational Justice in terms of Distributive and Procedural Justice impact Job Satisfaction which in turn affects and could be ascribed as one of the reasons for high attrition rates. In addition, there could be other reasons such as challenging work role, role of supervisor, training and development opportunities etc. which could impact turnover intentions of employees in the Indian Retail industry and the same needs to be further researched. The research also showed that employees believed in having a clear and transparent compensation system reflective of performance and productivity and they were keen that the Management should be willing to address any pay issues. Job satisfaction in terms of pay was seen to be impacted by pay received in relation to referent others and the Management should be conscious of attempting to maintain parity amongst employees and relative to other Companies in the Retail industry. The independent factors of Financial (base pay, merit pay, incentive, bonus etc.), non Financial Reward (discount coupons, employee of the month), Benefits, Distributive and Procedural Justice impact Job Satisfaction which in turn impacts absenteeism and attrition rates in the Retail industry. It is interesting to see that there is no difference in Job satisfaction levels between male and female employees which works in favor of Store Operations management. Compensation influences key outcomes like job satisfaction, attraction, retention, performance, skill acquisition, co-operation, motivation and turnover intent of employees. Retention and motivation of personnel has become a major concern for HR especially in the Indian Retail industry. Compensation & Benefits have been ascribed to be one of the factors responsible for the high attrition rate. Study of pay and turnover intent, shows that there is a negative relationship between the two factors. Compensation, used as rewards for excellent job performance affect an employee's job satisfaction level, morale and turnover intentions. In compensation studies, process of social comparison with relevant others are a major determinant of job satisfaction. Put into the context of pay satisfaction, Adams' equity theory argues that one compares one's job input/pay ratio with certain referents. Heneman and Schwab conceptualized pay satisfaction as a multidimensional construct. Pay satisfaction is an important determinant of turnover and an employee's intent to leave the organization. Keywords:  Compensation, Distributive Justice, Procedural Justice, Job Satisfaction, Turnover Intent


The study describes a dental health education campaign and reports the epidemiology and prevalence rates of dental caries among male and female primary-school children in Jeddah. Over a 2-year period, all 296 public primary schools in Jeddah were visited by dentists conducting a health education campaign. A total of 82,250 children in the first and fourth grades were screened. The rate of detected dental caries was 83%, with significantly higher rates detected among females and first-grade children. Lower social class was significantly associated with higher rates of dental caries. The study emphasizes the importance of health education programmes and the value of school health surveys for targeting this young group.


Patients with posttraumatic stress disorder (PTSD) might have white matter abnormalities. However, less is known about white matter changes after exposing a specific traumatic event. The purpose of this study was to explore the abnormalities of diffusion in cerebral white matter and its relationship with the clinical symptoms in patients with PTSD by using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Diffusion-weighted imaging of the cerebrum was performed in typhoon survivors with (n = 27) and without PTSD (n = 33) and healthy controls (HCs) (n = 30). Differences in fractional anisotropy (FA), mean diffusivity (MD), axial diffusivity (AD), and radial diffusivity (RD) were calculated among groups using voxel-based analysis of the DTI data. Correlations between diffusion indices and clinical symptoms in patients with PTSD were also assessed. Both patients with PTSD and trauma-exposed control (TEC) group showed increased FA in the anterior limb of the internal capsule, forceps of the corpus callosum, and corona radiata relative to the HC group. Additionally, there was a negative correlation between FA values in the white matter and the clinical symptoms. Trauma exposure may result in disruption of cerebral white matter in individuals with or without PTSD, particularly in the frontal fibers. Aberrant white matter alterations may be associated with the severity of PTSD symptoms.


Objective The aim of this study was to investigate the distribution of genotypes and the frequency alleles of plasminogen activator inhibitor-1 (PAI-1) 4G/5G polymorphism in patients with hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC). Background PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism involves a guanosine insertion/deletion in the promoter region of SERPINE1 gene at the –675 bp position. Patients and methods This study was conducted on 49 HCC patients (39 male and 10 female). Their ages ranged between 44 and 84 years. They were selected from the inpatient and outpatient clinics of Shibin El-Kom Fever Hospital. Patients were genotyped for PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism using PCR. Results In HCC patients, there were no statistically significant differences when comparing carriers of the three genotypes (5G/5G, 4G/5G, and 4G/4G) as regards sex, Child score, total bilirubin, direct bilirubin, albumin, serum glutamate pyruvate transaminase, alkaline phosphatase, γ-glutamyltranspeptidase, international normalized ratio, prothrombin, and α-fetoprotein (P = 0.81, 0.76, 0.46, 0.054, 0.99, 0.92, 0.22, 0.58, 0.49, 0.42, 0.54, and 0.85, respectively). On comparing the three genotypes (5G/5G, 4G/5G, and 4G/4G) among HCC patients as regards serum glutamic oxaloacetic transaminase, there was a statistically significant difference among them (P = 0.02). On comparing carriers of the three genotypes (5G/5G, 4G/5G, and 4G/4G) as regards different tumor characters (tumor size, tumor number, tumor side, and Barcelona Clinic Liver Cancer staging system), there were no significant differences among them (P = 0.16, 0.59, 0.42, and 0.14, respectively). Rate of thrombosis in the HCC group was 62.5% in 4G/5G genotype versus 41.2 and 12.5% in 5G/5G and 4G/5G genotype, respectively; there was a statistically significant difference (P = 0.04). Conclusion It could be concluded that PAI-1 4G/5G polymorphism was not associated with HCC.


The purpose of this paper is to present the results of the authors' questionnaire survey focused on the comparison of study motivation and job expectations of full-time and part-time students of Russian universities and identify main problems of higher education and graduate employment and suggest their possible solutions.,The authors' questionnaire survey was conducted from March to October 2018. The respondents were full-time and part-time bachelor's and master's students from 30 regions across Russia. The relevant data were obtained from 1,051 students. The data analysis was based on the calculation of relative frequencies (as a share from the total number of respondents) and the evaluation of the dependence of responses on the form of study (full-time students and part-time students) using contingency tables and χ2 tests of independence.,The results of the authors' questionnaire survey support the assumption that the current generation of full-time and part-time students of Russian universities studies to succeed in the future. Surveyed university students certainly have a high motivation to study, but at the same time, they seem to have too high expectations about their future work and career, which can negatively affect their future success in their jobs if they do not have appropriate knowledge, skills and abilities.,The results of the authors' questionnaire survey show some unique tendencies in the Russian university students' attitudes to study, work and career that are worth attention both from the point of view of universities and from the point of view of employers and their current approaches to the education and the employment of the current generation of young people. The results open up new possibilities for further research focused on the higher education and the employability of the new generation of work force.


The development of information and communication technology application is growing rapidly. It has motivated the use of mobile devices for various social networking mobile services such as android based multimedia disaster information transmission. Disaster multimedia information is important for quick response and recovery phases of the disaster management. In previous work, an online disaster information system based on location (we called it ASIKonLBS) has been proposed. However, it was only providing the coordinate information of the disaster location by using short message service (SMS) gateway and global positioning system (GPS). In this paper, we propose the design of prototype for online disaster multimedia data transmission based on android. Such that, the ASIKonLBSv2 can provide not only the information of the location, but also the situation of the disaster area including news, picture, and video. The research method refers to a spiral model that begins with conceptual design, prototype development and evaluation. The result shows that the designed prototype can be implemented for online disaster multimedia data transmission (news, photo and video) using Android Developer Tools. Furthermore, the prototype can be installed in the android-based smartphone and map the disaster multimedia data onto the web of ASIKonLBS. Therefore, the proposed prototype is useful for the disaster agencies and practitioners in order to give the first aid for the victim in the disaster area


Participation in sports is a fundamental right for persons with disabilities and is facilitated by the use of specialized Assistive Technology (AT). However, little is known about the role every-day AT plays in promoting sport participation. This study explores how the 50 priority assistive products on the World Health Organization's Assistive Products List can promote participation in sports, using a mixed-methods online survey with AT users, caregivers, and coaches (n=96). We used a thematic analysis for qualitative responses describing the use of assistive products in facilitating sport participation. Results suggest every-day assistive products are required for participation in sport for persons with disabilities. We present a conceptual model of assistive product use for sport participation. We found persons with disability participate in a range of sports, contributing to community engagement. Access to every-day assistive products is therefore integral to achieving rights of persons with disabilities for participation in sport.


Background: A subset of patients with ductal carcinoma in situ (DCIS) will develop invasive breast cancer (IBC). To date, there are no effective predictive biomarkers for identifying this subset with worse prognosis whose lesions are essentially indistinguishable histologically from those with favorable outcomes. We hypothesized that measurable parameters that discriminate DCIS from DCIS with concurrent invasion may serve as diagnostic biomarkers (BM) of progressive cancer in situ (CIS). Methods: Using a novel imaging-based method of tissue testing, we measured the relative expression levels of three candidate BM proteins specifically implicated in IBC progression - the insulin-like growth factor I receptor (IGF-IR), Ras-related protein 1 (Rap1), and Vav2 oncoprotein. Protein profiles were compared in 42 histologically normal mammary epithelial samples, 71 CIS (35 without/36 with invasion either on diagnostic biopsy or final surgical excision), and 98 IBC of known estrogen receptor (ER), progesterone receptor (PR) and human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2) status. Groups were compared using one-way analysis of variance (ANOVA) followed by pair-wise t-tests with Tukey9s correction for multiple testing. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were constructed to evaluate how well each BM can predict tumor type. Results: The levels of the IGF-IR and Rap1 protein expression were significantly elevated in ER-positive (ER+/PR+/-/HER2 -) DCIS relative to normal epithelium (P Conclusions: This study describes the use of a novel imaging method for archival tissue testing, which may inform the status of protein BM in archived tissue and may help to stratify a women9s individual risk for tumor invasiveness to avoid potential over- or under-treatment. Despite the apparent limitation of our study DCIS cohort size, our novel findings hold promise for utilizing Vav2 as a predictive BM of progressive DCIS and a target for cancer therapy. Citation Format: Marina A. Guvakova, Yun Qing Jiang, Indira Prabakaran, Fei Wan, Nandita Mitra, Paul J. Zhang, Douglas L. Fraker. Vav2 oncoprotein up regulation may predict the aggressive subtype of ductal carcinoma in situ. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 106th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2015 Apr 18-22; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(15 Suppl):Abstract nr 5283. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2015-5283


The brain tumors, are the most common and aggressive disease, leading to a very short life expectancy in their highest grade. Thus, treatment planning is a key stage to improve the quality of life of patients. Generally, various image techniques such as Computed Tomography (CT), Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) and ultrasound image are used to evaluate the tumor in a brain, lung, liver, breast, prostate…etc. Especially, in this work MRI images are used to diagnose tumor in the brain. However the huge amount of data generated by MRI scan thwarts manual classification of tumor vs non-tumor in a particular time. But it having some limitation (i.e) accurate quantitative measurements is provided for limited number of images. Hence trusted and automatic classification scheme are essential to prevent the death rate of human. The automatic brain tumor classification is very challenging task in large spatial and structural variability of surrounding region of brain tumor. In this work, automatic brain tumor detection is proposed by using Convolutional Neural Networks (CNN) classification. If tumor is detected system classified the tumor and conveys patient the stage of tumor he is probably suffering.


In this correspondence, first it is pointed out that introducing time delay of one sampling interval in digital phase-locked loop considerably eases restriction on operating times of digital circuits in the loop. Then statistical analyses are performed for first- and secondorder loops with time delay of one sampling interval in order to see the effect of the time delay on their performances. Approximate analytic expressions are obtained for the steady-state phase error probability density and phase error variance, and their validity is confirmed by numerical analysis. Increase in the phase error variance due to the introduction of the time delay is found to be of tolerable order for sufficiently high input SNR, and thus the delayed sampling scheme proposed here is considered to be effective in easing the restriction on the operating times of the digital circuits in the loop.


The date palm (Phoenix dactylifera L.) fruit is of major importance for the nutrition of broad populations in the world's desert strip; yet this crop is sorely understudied. Understanding the mechanisms regulating date fruit development and ripening is essential to customise this crop to the climatic change, which elaborates yield losses due to often too early occurring wet season. This study aimed to elucidate the mechanism regulating date fruit ripening. To that end, we followed the natural process of date fruit development and the effects of exogenous hormone application on fruit ripening in the elite cultivar 'Medjool'. The results of the current study indicate that the onset of fruit ripening occurred once the seed had reached maximum dry weight. From this point until fruit harvest, the pulp endogenous abscisic acid (ABA) turned up and its levels consistently increased. The final stage in fruit ripening, the yellow-to-brown transition, was preceded by an arrest of xylem-mediated water transport into the fruit. Exogenous ABA application enhanced fruit ripening when applied just prior to the green-to-yellow fruit color transition. Repeated ABA applications hastened all fruit ripening processes, resulting in a significantly earlier harvest. The emerging pivotal role of ABA in the regulation of date fruit ripening is thoroughly discussed. Highlights The plant hormone abscisic acid (ABA) promotes date fruit ripening, as indicated by the enhanced change in fruit color, from green to yellow, and the enhanced rate of sugar accumulation.


There are practical reasons for controlling systems in such a way that variances of selected inputs and outputs are kept within specified limits. One way of designing control laws that achieve these objectives is by using a linear quadratic Gaussian (LQG) (or optimal /spl Hscr//sub 2/) control design method with an appropriate choice of the input and output weighting matrices. Since the LQG controller is of the same order as the plant being controlled, its practical implementation tends to be very difficult for higher order plants unless the controller order is reduced. This letter considers the design of /spl Hscr//sub 2/ optimal reduced order controllers to meet a set of variance constraints. This problem also involves the proper choice of the weighting matrices in the cost function. The fuzzy algorithm previously developed for the full-order variance constrained problem is shown to be applicable to the reduced order variance constrained problem. Three reduced order design schemes are developed and compared. Two schemes involve direct reduced order design and one scheme involves reduced order design using modified balanced truncation. The three schemes are compared using numerical experiments. The results clearly demonstrate the feasibility of reduced order /spl Hscr//sub 2/ optimal design that satisfy variance constraints on the system.


In the present study uranyl selective electrodes in polyvinyl chloride (PVC) matrix membrane were prepared based on a complex of uranyl ion (UO2) with carboxybenzotriazole (CBT) as ligand. The effect of the nature of plasticizer in PVC matrix were evaluated using three different plasticizers, these are dibutyl phthalate (DBP), dioctyl phthalate (DOP) and bis(2-ethylhexyl) sebacate (BHS). The results of this study indicated that the best plasticizer could be used is the DBP, which may be attributed to its lowest viscosity value compared to DOP and BHS. The electrodes with DBP as plasticizer exhibits a Nernstian response with a slope of 28.0 mV/ decade, over a wide range of concentration from 3.0×10-5-6.0×10-2 M and a detection limit of 4.0×10-6 M. It can be used in the pH range of 4.0-10.0 with a response time of less than 10 s for DBP and 25 s for both DOP and BHS. The effects of ions interferences on the electrode response were evaluated. The di- and tri-valent cations were found to interfere less than univalent cations, which was attributed to the high diffusion and the exchange rate between the univalent ions and the uranyl ion solution. The electrodes were characterized by Fourier Transform Infrared Spectroscopy (FTIR) and Scanning Electron microscopy (SEM). The results of the standard addition method were satisfactory with errors less than 7%. The developed electrode was found to be fast, sensitive and reliable indicated its potential use in measuring the uranly ion concentration in the field.


The quantum Hall effect and associated quantum transport phenomena in low-dimensional systems have been the focus of much attention for more than a decade. Recent theoretical development of interesting quasiparticles - `composite fermions' - has led to significant advances in understanding and predicting the behaviour of two-dimensional electron systems under high transverse magnetic fields. Composite fermions may be viewed as fermions carrying attached (fictitious) magnetic flux. Here we review models of the integer and fractional quantum Hall effects, including the development of a unified picture of the integer and fractional effects based upon composite fermions. The composite fermion picture predicts remarkable new physics: the formation of a Fermi surface at high magnetic fields, and anomalous ballistic transport, thermopower, and surface acoustic wave behaviour. The specific theoretical predictions of the model, as well as the body of experimental evidence for these phenomena are reviewed. We also review recent edge-state models for magnetotransport in low-dimensional devices based on the composite fermion picture. These models explain the fractional quantum Hall effect and transport phenomena in nanoscale devices in a unified framework that also includes edge state models of the integer quantum Hall effect. The features of the composite fermion edge-state model are compared and contrasted with those of other recent edge-state models of the fractional quantum Hall effect.


Parenting children with disabilities has consistently been reported to be associated with stress, and even more so among mothers who are primary caregivers. In non-Western contexts such as the United Arab Emirates (UAE), there is a dearth of research on maternal mental health in relation to raising children with disabilities and related mitigation strategies. During the COVID-19 pandemic (2020–2021), the Federal Government of the UAE used the Save the Child's Stress Checklist to assess the stress levels of 635 mothers who were raising children with disabilities in the northern part of the country. In the pre-test, an estimated 6% (36/635) of the mothers were found to be experiencing high levels of stress. Consequently, virtual stress management training was conducted, and 12 of the 36 mothers completed the full training. Wilcoxon's ranked test showed a reduction in their total, physical, emotional and cognitive stress at the end of the training. This study demonstrates the pressing need for ongoing training programmes to improve the mental health of mothers of children with disabilities in the UAE and similar contexts.


The toe of rubble mound structures is important since toe structures need to provide support to the armour layer and prevent scour to occur directly beneath the armour layer. In Van Gent and Van der Werf (2014) an expression for the prediction of the required stone size in toe structures has been derived. This prediction formula was derived for toe structures that consist of rock in combination with rock slopes. Additional tests have been performed a) to analyse the influence of the slope of the rock armour layer, b) to analyse the influence of the roughness of the armour layer, and c) to analyse the potential use of interlocking toe blocks, either in combination with rock slopes or slopes that consist of Cubes in a single layer. It appeared that the derived prediction method is accurate for 1:1.5 slopes and 1:2 slopes, that the roughness of the slope plays an important role and can be incorporated in the prediction method as well, and that interlocking toe blocks with a V-shape are an alternative to rock toe structures.


Multiplier is one of the key hardware blocks in most digital signal processing (DSP) systems. Typical DSP applications where a multiplier plays an important role include digital filtering, digital communications and spectral analysis. Many current DSP applications are targeted at portable, battery-operated systems, so that power dissipation becomes one of the primary design constraints. Since multipliers are rather complex circuits and must typically operate at a high system clock rate, reducing the delay of a multiplier is an essential part of satisfying the overall design.. This paper puts forward a high speed multiplier ,which is efficient in terms of speed, making use of UrdhvaTiryagbhyam[1], a sutra from Vedic Maths for multiplication and half adder for addition of partial products. The code is written in VHDL and results shows that multiplier implemented using Vedic multiplication is efficient in terms of area and speed compared to its implementation using Array and Booth multiplier architectures.


: Based on the related existing research on group psychology, this study presents a comprehensive psychological mechanism model of a harmonious doctor-patient relationship by integrating the structural characterization and dynamic construction process of a doctor-patient relationship. It advocates that, (1) the structure of a harmonious doctor-patient relationship could be regarded as the basic observation index of medical satisfaction, intergroup trust between doctors and patients, and compliance with medical programs, and (2) the dynamic construction process of a harmonious doctor-patient relationship could include the intergroup level doctor-patient relationship that existed before medical treatment and the instant interpersonal level doctor-patient relationship that forms during the process of doctor-patient interaction. These two progressive components interact and integrate into each other gradually. Among them, the construction of the intergroup level harmonious doctor-patient relationship is mainly influenced by the spread of the doctor-patient public opinion, trust in the medical system, and intergroup relationship factors such as intergroup cognitive biases and group identifications. Meanwhile, the interpersonal trust level and communication mode between the doctors and patients mainly influence the construction of an interpersonal level doctor-patient relationship. Based on such theoretical models and empirical research, the strategy of promoting a harmonious doctor-patient relationship is presented. This research has important theoretical significance and practical value in the development and promotion of a harmonious doctor-patient relationship.


This paper introduces a new encryption/decryption scheme based on a dynamic substitution box concept. Values of the proposed S-Box are different for each sample depending on the behavior of a memristor-based chaotic system. MATLAB simulations and FPGA implementation for the circuit are presented with throughput 4.266 Gbit/s. Also, FPGA realization for encryption/decryption scheme is proposed. Entropy, MSE, correlation coefficient tests are applied on two different input files to examine the efficiency of this cryptosystem.


The pelvic floor is one of the most complex structures of the human body. Historically, the approach to pelvic floor disease has been "vertical": the anterior compartment was the domain of urologists, the middle compartment was the domain of gynecologists with frequent incursions into the female anterior compartment, and the posterior compartment was reserved for surgeons. In the last few years, a change has occurred in the philosophy underpinning the management of these diseases with the development of an integrative "cross sectional" approach which affects the physiology, physiopathology, and the definition of these diseases as an integrated structure, and which includes urinary and fecal incontinence, pelvic organ prolapse, alterations in the perception of urinary tract emptying, chronic constipation, sexual dysfunctions, and several chronic pain syndromes in the perineal area. We believe that the efforts of the various professionals involved in the treatment of these disorders should be pooled and that pelvic floor units should be created. These units should be characterized by a multidisciplinary approach, since the skills and knowledge necessary for the management of these patients requires teams composed of professionals with a broad range of competencies.