Some second order in alpha =e2/(h(cross)c) QED corrections are investigated for He-like heavy ions and for the 2p12/-2s shift for the Li-like ions. These corrections correspond to the reducible part of the two-photon exchange Breit-Coulomb graph and to the mixed self-energy-vacuum polarization graph. The calculations show that these corrections are important for the comparison of the recent theoretical and experimental results.


How much time do viewers spend reading subtitles and does it depend on the subtitle speed? By posing these
 questions, in this paper we re-analyse previous data to address this issue while promoting two methodological advancements in
 eye-tracking audiovisual research: (1) the use of proportional reading time (PRT) as a metric of time spent on subtitle reading
 and (2) the analysis of data via linear mixed models (LMMs). We tested 19 Polish L1 viewers with advanced English
 proficiency watching two clips with English soundtrack with Polish subtitles. First, we compared PRT at two different subtitle
 speeds: 12 characters per second (cps) and 20 cps. Then, we used actual subtitle speed rates to better understand the speed-PRT
 relationship. The results showed a significantly higher PRT for 20 cps compared to 12 cps, with the models predicting a PRT of
 45.24% at 20 cps. We have also found strong evidence of the advantage of LMMs over more commonly used statistical techniques.


The present study aimed to explore differences in academic procrastination, self-esteem and optimism among a sample of 10th and 11th female students in Irbid governorate, Jordan. The study sample consisted of 200 students (100 tenth graders, and 100 twelfth graders), selected randomly from two public high schools. The Participants completed three scales, an academic procrastination scale, a self-esteem scale, and an optimism scale. Results indicated that the level of academic procrastination among eleventh graders was significantly higher than that among tenth graders, and the levels of self-esteem and optimism were significantly higher among tenth graders than those among eleventh graders. Furthermore, there were significant negative correlations between academic procrastination and each of self-esteem and optimism, and significant positive correlations between self-esteem and optimism in tenth and eleventh graders.


Five hundred fifty-seven 24-hour urinary creatinine specimens from eight healthy males collected in six-day sequences separated by two- to ten-week intervals over six to ten months were analyzed for factors contributing to the large observed standard deviation and range (14% and 50% of the total mean, respectively). Subject means correlated significantly with weight and surface area. Between-sequence differences were significantly greater than within-sequence differences in all subjects. Statistically significant linear and/or curvilinear time dependences were found in each subject. Elimination of subject variation and pooling yielded one cycle of a biphasic function, approximately 12 months in duration, oscillating about the mean with an amplitude approximately 6% of the mean; the maximum and minimum exhibited a seasonal correspondence. Upper limits to sources of eror are estimated as measurement +/- 3%, biological +/- 6%, mixed biologic-temporal +/- 6%, and random +/- 5%.


As today's marketing graduates formally enter the business profession, they are expected to demonstrate the fruits of their ethics-intensive education. Hence, their professors and future bosses may call upon these graduates to discern and deal with ethical situations that affect various aspects of company and consumer relations. However, students enter the classroom and business environment with their own individual orientations and ideology that help them determine when an issue is ethical and requires a certain response. Here, I examine the influences of the marketing student's personal cultural orientation and ethical ideology on ethical perception and ethical inclination within the context of two hypothetical marketing/sales scenarios. The findings contribute to the ongoing debate about whether or how much business ethics can really be taught.


From approximately 11,200 to 8,000 years ago, the Great Plains of North America were populated by small Paleoindian hunting groups with well developed weaponry and the expertise to successfully hunt large mammals, especially mammoths and bison. Mammoths became extinct on the Plains by 11,000 years ago, and, although paleoecological conditions were worsening, their demise may have been hastened by human predation. After this, the main target of the Plains Paleoindian hunters consisted of subspecies of bison, Bison antiquus and Bison occidentalis. As bison populations gradually diminished, apparently because of worsening ecological conditions, by approximately 8,000 years ago, human subsistence was forced into a greater dependence on small animal and plant foods. Human paleoecology studies of the Paleoindian time period rely heavily on multidisciplinary efforts. Geomorphologists, botanists, soil scientists, palynologists, biologists, and other specialists aid archaeologists in data recovery and analysis, although, with few exceptions, their contributions are derived from the fringes rather than the mainstream of their disciplines.


The Kauman settlement in Yogyakarta is an urban village settlement that is almost three centuries old and located at the heart of the Yogyakarta business and tourism center. The settlement was founded in 1775 by Sri Sultan Hamengkubuwono I as housing facility for the abdi dalem (palace employees) on religious affairs. The settlement has undergone many changes influenced by politics, power and globalization that eventually brought modernization to the settlement. Starting from 1912, the settlement began to be strongly influenced by Muhammadiyah organization. Even though the Kauman settlement is now an open community and no longer part of the palace bureaucracy, its people still practice the way of life based on Javanese cultural values supported by piety in practicing Islamic rules in daily life from generation to generation. The Kauman settlement today exist authentically as both a Muslim society and part of the Javanese traditional culture. This authenticity is visible in the settlement layout and the buildings within, which reflect a calm and cozy urban village settlement with its own characteristics amidst the business and tourism center of Yogyakarta.


Online social networks provide a novel channel to allow interaction between human beings. Its success has attracted interest in attacking and exploiting them through a wide range of unethical activities, such as malicious actions to manipulate users. One of the methods to carry out these abuses is the use of bots on Twitter. Recent examples of bots influencing public opinion in the election process demonstrate their potential harm to the democratic world. Such malicious behavior needs to be checked and its effects should be diminished. Recently, machine learning (ML) classifiers to distinguish between real and bot accounts have proven advances. Thus, in this work four ML algorithms were tested using a public dataset and a few expressive features based on simple user profile counters for the classification of bots on Twitter. We measured their performance compared to one state–of–the–art bot detection work. The classifier accuracy was considered homogeneous with a mean of 0.8549 and 0.1889 of standard deviation. Besides, all multiclass classifiers obtained AUCs greater than 0.9 indicating a practical benefit for bot detection on Twitter.


The major purpose of this study is to investigate the effect of aluminum thin film overlaid on the phosphor layer. The aluminum film patterns consisted of intersecting lines or dotted structure. The results show that the aluminum thin film with patterns on the phosphor anode surface enable us to improve the life time of the phosphor and eliminates the charging-up effect on the phosphor layer of the field emission device. The emission current increases significantly, and after 5 minutes continuous emission, the phosphor brightness decrement can be restrained effectively in the demonstration.


Purpose
This systematic review (SR) aims to investigate plate waste quantity, determinant factors, and food waste costs in Indonesian hospitals.

Design/methodology/approach
This SR was conducted by searching for articles published on the Web of Science, PubMed, Emerald insight, ScienceDirect and hand-searching on nationally accredited journals in Indonesia which consist of 29 journals in nutrition, environment and public health. The inclusion criteria in this review were peer-reviewed articles, original research, research locations in hospitals in Indonesia and articles in English or Bahasa (Indonesian language).

Findings
There were 21 studies (17 observational studies and 4 experimental studies) included in this systematic review. Results from 17 observational studies showed that the median plate waste was 27.6% (14.8%–88.7%). High plate waste was found in this review, particularly in pediatric patients and patients who receive liquid diet orally. Staple food and vegetables have a high contribution to patients' plate waste. Economic costs of plate waste were $0.07–$0.5 per capita per day. Determinant factors of patient's plate waste were patient clinical conditions, food taste and environmental conditions of hospital food service. Results from four experimental studies showed that meal replacement and smaller food portion intervention could reduce significant plate waste. Nevertheless, there is no conclusive evidence for food waste reduction intervention because of small intervention studies in Indonesia.

Research limitations/implications
There was a high disparity in the quantity of plate waste and economic costs between studies included in this review.

Practical implications
Improving food sensory and adjusting food portions particularly for staple food and vegetables can be done as a way to reduce patient's plate waste.

Originality/value
This SR is the first review of Indonesian hospital plate waste.


The article is devoted to the study of the Ilek River basin. The article gives a physical and geographical description of the basin territory. The article considers the hydrological regime of the Ilek River and its tributaries as a result of expeditionary observations in 2018-2019. The article presents results of chemical analyzes of surface water samples from key observation sites located along the perimeter of the river (study area). After two years of fact-finding, a surface water geodatabase was created to integrate data with published literature, for forecasting and modelling geo-environmental zoning. There are also described the main sources of pollution in the Ilek River, and factors in the formation of anthropogenic geosystems. The scientific article also describes the main sources of pollution of the Ilek River, lists the factors of the formation of anthropogenic geosystems.


As the main equipment of flue gas dedusting in coal fired boiler, electrostatic precipitator (ESP) can meet the requirements of emission standard for air pollutants from coal-fired power plants through improving the efficiency of ESP and combining with desulfurization system while not installing wet ESP (WESP). This paper introduces the modifications of ESP cathode structure to improve the efficiency of dust collection by reducing the secondary dust loss at cathode. The application of cathode dust collection provides a reference for the improvement of ESP dust collection efficiency.


Sexual conflict theory predicts that female and male reproductive traits coevolve resulting in disruption of reproductive behaviour upon mating of individuals from diverged populations. We used interfertile species of haplodiploid Nasonia wasps to compare re-mating frequency, longevity, oviposition rate and sperm use of conspecifically and heterospecifically mated females. Females that first mated with a heterospecific male re-mated more often a second time, indicating that conspecific mates reduce female receptivity more. Mating did not affect female lifespan. Lifetime production of sons and daughters was significantly reduced in heterospecifically mated females. Dissection of females confirmed that heterospecific sperm survives equally well as conspecific sperm during storage in the spermatheca. Differences in daily fecundity and age at which females become sperm depleted could in part be explained by species differences in ovariole numbers. We conclude that sexual conflict may play a role in the evolution of female mating rate, fecundity and sex allocation in Nasonia. (C) Koninklijke Brill NV, Leiden, 2009.


Liver fibrosis is the most important predictor of mortality in nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD). Quantitative risk of mortality by fibrosis stage has not been systematically evaluated. We aimed to quantify the fibrosis stage–specific risk of all‐cause and liver‐related mortality in NAFLD. Through a systematic review and meta‐analysis, we identified five adult NAFLD cohort studies reporting fibrosis stage–specific mortality (0‐4). Using fibrosis stage 0 as a reference population, fibrosis stage–specific mortality rate ratios (MRRs) with 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for all‐cause and liver‐related mortality were estimated. The study is reported according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta‐Analyses statement. Included were 1,495 NAFLD patients with 17,452 patient years of follow‐up. Compared to NAFLD patients with no fibrosis (stage 0), NAFLD patients with fibrosis were at an increased risk for all‐cause mortality, and this risk increased with increases in the stage of fibrosis: stage 1, MRR = 1.58 (95% CI 1.19‐2.11); stage 2, MRR = 2.52 (95% CI 1.85‐3.42); stage 3, MRR = 3.48 (95% CI 2.51‐4.83); and stage 4, MRR = 6.40 (95% CI 4.11‐9.95). The results were more pronounced as the risk of liver‐related mortality increased exponentially with each increase in the stage of fibrosis: stage 1, MRR = 1.41 (95% CI 0.17‐11.95); stage 2, MRR = 9.57 (95% CI 1.67‐54.93); stage 3, MRR = 16.69 (95% CI 2.92‐95.36); and stage 4, MRR = 42.30 (95% CI 3.51‐510.34). Limitations of the study include an inability to adjust for comorbid conditions or demographics known to impact fibrosis progression in NAFLD and the inclusion of patients with simple steatosis and nonalcoholic steatohepatitis without fibrosis in the reference comparison group. Conclusion: The risk of liver‐related mortality increases exponentially with increase in fibrosis stage; these data have important implications in assessing the utility of each stage and benefits of regression of fibrosis from one stage to another. (Hepatology 2017;65:1557‐1565).


Rate-splitting multiple access (RSMA) is a multiple access technique generalizing conventional techniques, such as, space-division multiple access (SDMA), non-orthogonal multiple access (NOMA), and physical layer multi-casting, which aims to address multi-user interference (MUI) in multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) systems. In this study, we leverage the interference management capabilities of RSMA to tackle the issue of inter-carrier interference (ICI) in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) waveform. We formulate a problem to find the optimal subcarrier and power allocation for downlink transmission in a two-user system using RSMA and OFDM and propose a weighted minimum mean-square error (WMMSE)-based algorithm to obtain a solution. The sum-rate performance of the proposed OFDM-RSMA scheme is compared with that of conventional orthogonal frequency division multiple access (OFDMA) and OFDM-NOMA by numerical results. It is shown that the proposed OFDM-RSMA outperforms OFDM-NOMA and OFDMA under ICI in diverse propagation channel conditions owing to its flexible structure and robust interference management capabilities.


Intra-abdominal infections due to penetrating wound through the abdominal wall or rupture of the gastrointestinal tract are acute conditions requiring prompt surgical intervention and the use of appropriate antimicrobial agents. Isepamicin is an effective aminoglycoside against various Gram-negative pathogens causing intra-abdominal infections. The objective of the present study is to compare the efficacy and safety of isepamicin (15 mg/kgBW IV o.d.) with amikacin (7.5 mg/kgBB b.i.d.), in conjunction with metronidazole for both drugs. An open, randomized, parallel design was applied in this trial. The subject allocation ratio for isepamicin: amikacin is 2:1. Out of 50 patients enrolled in this study, 27 fuffilled the criteria for safety and efficacy population, and 46 for intent-to-treat population. In the safety and efficacy population, the clinical success rare for isepamicin and amikacin group did not differ significantly (i.e., 95% and 100%, respectively). In the intent-to-treat population, the clinical success rates for isepamicin and amikacin group were also insignifficantly different (i.e., 97% and 100%, respectively). The rates of bacteriological elimination for isepamicin and amikacin, were 95% and 100%, respectively in the efficacy and safety population, and 90% and 93%, respectively in the intent-to-treat population. Streptococci and staphylococci were the most frequent (40%) pathogens isolated from pus, and  Acinetobacter anitratus (55%) was the most common one isolated from blood. In the efficacy and safety population, the mean (± SD) length of hospital stay in the isepamicin and amikacin groups was 10.7 ± 3.9 and 11.1 ± 3.8 days, respectively, while in the intent-to-treat population, the mean (± SD) length of hospital stay in the isepamicin and amikacin groups was 10.1 ± 3.4 and 10.5 ± 3 days, respectively. In the present study, both aminoglycosides were well tolerated and there was no patient withdrawal associated with side effect. It is concluded that for intra-abdominal infections, intravenous isepamicin given once daily is as effective as intravenous amikacin given twice daily in combination with metronidazole. (Med J Indones 2001; 10: 88-94) Keywords : Isepamicin, amikacin, inta-abdominal infections


Protein classification and characterization often rely on the information contained in the protein secondary structure. Protein class assignment is usually based on X‐ray diffraction measurements, which need the protein in a crystallized form, or on NMR spectra, to obtain the structure of a protein in solution. Simple spectroscopic techniques, such as circular dichroism (CD) and infrared (IR) spectroscopies, are also known to be related to protein secondary structure, but they have seldom been used for protein classification. To see the potential of CD, IR, and combined CD/IR measurements for protein classification, unsupervised pattern recognition methods, Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and cluster analysis, are proposed first to check for natural grouping tendencies of proteins according to their measured spectra. Partial Least Squares Discriminant Analysis (PLS‐DA), a supervised pattern recognition method, is used afterwards to test the possibility to model explicitly each protein class and to test these models in class assignment of unknown proteins. Determination of the protein secondary structure, understood as the prediction of the abundance of the different secondary structure motifs in the biomolecule, was carried out with the local regression method interval Partial Least Squares (iPLS). CD, IR, and CD/IR measurements were correlated to the fraction of the motif to be predicted, determined from X‐ray measurements. iPLS builds models extracting the spectral information most correlated to a specific secondary motif and avoids the use of irrelevant spectral regions. Spectral intervals chosen by iPLS models provide structural information which can be used to confirm previous biochemical assignments or identify new motif‐related spectral features. The predictive ability of the models built with the selected spectral regions has a quality similar to previous classical approaches. Proteins 2006. © 2006 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


The 200-kb linear plasmid pSLA2-L was suggested to be involved in the production of lankamycin and lankacidin in Streptomyces rochei 7434AN4. In this study, we have constructed a physical map for 23 PstI fragments of pSLA2-L, the sum of which was 206 kb. Detailed restriction maps for both ends of pSLA2-L revealed the presence of terminal inverted repeats, the size of which was found to be 2.1 kb by cloning and sequencing of the end-points. Hybridization experiments using two polyketide biosynthetic genes, eryAI and actI, located their homologous regions on PstI fragments A and I, respectively.


ABSTRACT This paper investigates the negotiations between the Yindjibarndi community in the remote north-west of Australia and Fortescue Mining Group over compensation for land use. Mining is a significant industry in Australia providing economic resources and large-scale infrastructure. However, this wealth is not without controversy, especially where disruptions to Indigenous practices exist. Drawing on postcolonialism and the idea of a hybrid space where colonial practices and decolonising resistance are present, we explore, through the use of accounts, a neo-colonial "reality" of land rights and welfarism.


The study of wind turbine wakes is very important for the layout of offshore wind farms. In recent years, the method of reducing the influence on the downstream turbines by setting yaw angles of the upstream wind turbine has received constant attention. In this paper, a numerical method based on OpenFOAM solver combined with an improved actuator line method is applied to study the wake interactions between yaw wind turbine and downstream wind turbine. The improvement of the actuator line method mainly includes two aspects, which are, Gaussian anisotropic body force projection method and integral velocity sampling method. Numerical accuracy is validated with a benchmark wind turbine model (NREL 5MW wind turbine), which provided a certain accuracy guarantee for the wake prediction of the tandem arranged wind turbines. And then, the wake effects from upstream turbine in no yaw condition is simulated, which has good agreements with the published result in the literature. Based on these precision verification efforts, finally, this paper makes a series of predictions of the power coefficients and wake characteristics of two tandem arranged wind turbines in different yaw angles.


Abstract The SPME-GC-MS analysis of the aroma components of Gymnadenia conopsea subsp. conopsea, subsp. densiflora, var. alpina and Gymnadenia odoratissima var. odoratissima, var. idae were reported. The main components of in total 78 found in G. conopsea subsp. conopsea were elemicin, cis-9-hexadecenal, hexadecanal, isoelemicin and (Z)-11-hexadecen-1-ol acetate; in subsp. densiflora benzyl benzoate, eugenol and trans-isoeugenol; in var. alpina benzyl benzoate, methyleugenol and elemicin. In the scent of G. odoratissima var. odoratissima were found 2-phenylethyl acetate, eugenol and pentadecane, in var. idae mainly C15–C21 alkanes and C16, C18 carbonic acids and some isoprenoid-derivatives. As all tested Gymnadenia-taxa are allogamous, the differences in scent composition may play a role in pollinator attraction. Graphical Abstract


The authors sought to explore the prevalence and factors related to nonalcoholic fatty liver disease (NAFLD) among occupational population in Taipei, Taiwan. A total of 8347 healthy adults voluntarily admitted to annual physical check-up. Blood samples and ultrasound-proved fatty liver sonography results were collected. The results showed that the prevalence of NAFLD was 48.4% and revealed a statistically significant increase with increasing population age. Males exhibited a greater prevalence of NAFLD than did females (57.8% vs 32.4%, P < .001). Using multiple logistic regression analysis, in addition to male gender, older age, higher body mass index, higher aspartate aminotransferase level, higher alanine aminotransferase level, presence of hypertension, presence of hyperuricemia, presence of hypercholesterolemia, higher fasting plasma glucose, and presence of hypertriglyceridemia were the significant factors associated with NAFLD. The differences in occupational professions were revealed. In conclusion, occupational populations are asymptomatic, and the diagnosis of NAFLD should be considered with older age, hyperuricemia, higher aspartate aminotransferase level, higher alanine aminotransferase level, and metabolic risk factors.


Arms control efforts tend to proceed through highly formalized and very visible direct negotiations between the U.S. and U.S.S.R. There is evidence, however, that even when political and technological conditions might otherwise produce agreements, this formal process itself tends to impede the flexibility necessary for compromise and successful negotiations. The examination of the role of process in negotiation is based on the analysis of the particular structures of decision making adopted by the participants, and of the modes of communication they use to convey information, offers, and responses. Given the number of bureaucratic actors generally involved in arms control, full participation by all in a decentralized decision-making process can be expected to lead to slow and inflexible negotiating positions. Similarly, direct communication is likely to highlight concerns for status and bargaining reputation which impede concessions and agreement. In analyzing the Test Ban and Salt I negotiations from this perspective, centrally controlled decision- making, combined with informal and closely held communication, is shown to have contributed to the eventual success of the negotiations. While the formal negotiations of the Test Ban and SALT process frequently became blocked, the informal back-channels, from which most bureaucratic actors were excluded, led to concessions and progress. Centralized decision making and the informal 'off the record' communica tion of proposals and responses, in these cases, facilitated agreements. While these procedures are not cost free, particularly for pluralistic and open societies, they suggest that formal processes of negotiation should not automatically be sought in the context of arms control efforts.


Maternal serum human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) levels were measured during the second and the third trimesters of pregnancy in patients with either systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) or primary antiphospholipid syndrome (APS). All results were expressed in multiples of the gestation‐specific normal medians (MoM). The median MoM level in 17 samples from SLE patients was 1.48 compared with 0.79 MoM in 99 controls of similar gestation (p<0.002, Wilcoxon Rank sum test). In contrast the median MoM level in 19 samples from primary APS patients was only 1.14. These preliminary findings should be further studied to evaluate the implications for Down syndrome screening, detection of SLE cases during pregnancy and the prediction of adverse outcome in SLE gestations. Copyright © 2001 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


To investigate the characteristics of immune cells before and after immunotherapy and their clinical significance in patients with unexplained recurrent spontaneous abortion (URSA), an analysis of 67 URSA patients, 67 sporadic spontaneous abortion (SA) patients, and 22 normal nonpregnant women (as controls) was conducted. URSA patients underwent immunotherapy using paternal lymphocytes. Peripheral blood from patients and controls was examined for lymphocytes and other markers of immune status. Before the immunotherapy, lymphocyte counts, CD4:CD8 cell ratios, and the relative proportion of natural killer (NK) cells were significantly higher in the URSA patient group than in the SA patient and control groups (P < 0.05). After the therapy, all of these three measures were decreased, whereas the percentage of T cells was increased, and statistically significant differences before and after the immunotherapy were detected (P < 0.05). Therefore, the immune system appears to be activated in the URSA patients, and the abnormal immunologic state in the URSA patients is more severe than in the SA patients. The alterations in T and NK cells may be involved in the etiopathogenesis of URSA. Lymphocyte immunotherapy appears to be an effective treatment for URSA patients.


Background: Necrotizing enterocolitis is one of the most common serious surgical disorders of neonates. It is a life-threatening emergency of the gastrointestinal tract in the neonatal period that causes morbidity and mortality of newborns. Although the burden of the disease is high and it is the major cause for neonatal death, there is limited information's about identifying the determinant factors that may help to reduce the neonatal deaths. Thus this study aimed to identify the determinants of necrotizing enterocolitis among admitted neonates in neonatal intensive care unit at referral hospitals of East and West Gojjam Zones of Amhara regional state,Northwest Ethiopia, 2020. Methods: Unmatched case control study design was conducted among 246 neonates (82 cases and 164 controls) in neonatal intensive care unit from February 24 to April 24, 2020. Data was collected through face to face interview and reviewing medical charts of the neonates. Data was entered into Epi data and exported to SPSS for analysis. Bivariable logistic regression analysis was used to identify the candidate variables at p≤0.25 and multivariable logistic regression analysis was employed to identify significant determinants at p value <0.05. Adjusted odds ratio with 95% CI was used to show the strength of association between exposure and outcome variables. Result: A total of 246 neonates were included in the study. Duration of rupture of membrane>18 hours [AOR=4.287; 95%CI (2.157-8.518)], low birth weight [AOR= 3.592; 95% CI (1.742- 7.407)], neonatal sepsis [AOR=3.553; 95% CI (1.76-7.174)] and types of enteral feeding (formula milk only [AOR=3.604; 95% CI (1.548-8.39)] and mixed milk (AOR=2.416; 95% CI (1.103-5.290)]) were determinants for necrotizing enterocolitis.Conclusions: Duration of rupture of membrane, low birth weight, neonatal sepsis and enteral feedings (formula milk and mixed milk) were significantly associated with necrotizing enterocolitis. Encouraging exclusive breastfeeding, providing adequate care for low birth weight babies and using septic precautions to avoid neonatal sepsis are the strategies to prevent necrotizing enterocolitis.


A prospective study compared the perinatal morbidity of 141 normal pregnancies (group I) with that of 108 pregnancies in whom gestational diabetes had been treated early (group II) and 35 with unsatisfactorily treated gestational diabetes (group III). The therapeutic goal in gestational diabetes was to have a postprandial blood-glucose level of less than 130 mg/100 ml. If this was not achievable through diet alone, insulin was injected once daily. Neonatal macrosomia, dystrophy, acidosis, hyperbilirubinaemia, hypoglycaemia and hypocalcaemia had a normal incidence in group II, but in group III macrosomia was twice as frequent as in group II (P less than 0.02), and acidosis (pH less than 7.20) twice as frequent (P less than 0.05). The results indicate that strict metabolic control in gestational pregnancy will achieve a normal rate of perinatal morbidity.


The first part of this chapter briefly characterizes the period
of adolescence. It shows how this developmental period has
changed from the psychological perspective over the past
decades and what is special about adolescence today. Second
part introduces the context of the findings presented in this
volume (Adolescent psychosocial development in Brno: An ELSPAC
study 2005 – 2011) by characterizing the ELSPAC study (European
Longitudinal Study of Pregnancy and Childhood) and locating its
psychological component. Then we continue by describing the
psychological measures or assessment instruments used in the
study and in the book chapters.


Subirrigation (SI), where water is provided to container seedlings from below and rises through the growing media via capillary action, is regarded as an environmentally-responsible method of delivering water and fertilizer to nursery-grown plants, resulting in more uniform crops and improved production efficiency. While a concern around adopting this method is that a potential higher salt concentration in the upper layers of growing media under SI may inhibit root growth and result in decreased plant quality, few studies have focused on how root morphology is altered by SI. Therefore, a balanced two-factor factorial design with three rates of fertilization (50, 100, and 150 mg N seedling−1) and two irrigation methods (SI or overhead irrigation (OI)) was used to examine the growth response of Prince Rupprecht's larch (Larix principis-rupprechtii Mayr) seedlings for one nursery season. Associated changes between rhizosphere electrical conductivity (EC) and root morphology of different root size classes were analyzed. Results show that (1) height, root-collar diameter, and root volume were similar between seedlings grown under SI and OI. However, (2) compared to seedlings receiving OI, SI-seedlings had less root mass, length, and surface area but greater average root diameter (ARD). (3) Morphological differences were evident primarily in root diameter size classes I–III (D ≤ 1.0 mm). (4) Fertilizer rate influenced root length and surface area up to 130 days after sowing but affected ARD throughout the growing season such that seedlings treated with 50 mg N had smaller ARD than seedlings treated with 100 mg N. (5) As the growing season progressed, SI-media had significantly higher EC compared to OI-media and EC increased with increasing fertilizer rate under SI but not under OI. These results indicate that SI can produce larch seedlings of similar height and root collar diameter (RCD) compared to OI, but root systems are smaller overall with fewer small-diameter roots, which may be related to high EC levels in SI-media, which is exacerbated by the use of high rates of fertilizer. Therefore, the EC in the media should be monitored and adjusted by reducing fertilizer rates under SI.


Credit aid programs can be used as a mean to improve the contribution of fishery sector. The impact of such credit on traditional fisheries was determined on the fishery productivity and their traditional fisherman income in Sulawesi Tengah Province. The research result showed that the credit was needed as an additional capital for the fishery sustainability. With such credit, the productivity of the fisheries increased as shown by sufficiently high incremental benefit which the fishermen achieved.  The  credit  also  affected  the  fisherman  household  in  making  decision  related  to  such  economic  behaviors  as productivity  activities,  working  time,  income  and  expenditure.  Thus  these  behaviors  were  analyzed  using  an  econometric approach with a simultaneous equation.


Abstract : Cultural bias in the Intelligence Community (IC) continues to interfere with meeting the mandated requirements of the Intelligence Reform and Terrorism Prevention Act of 2004 and the recommendation of the 9/11 Commission Report due to continued "stovepipe" operations. By the nature of IC's design it is secretive and operates behind the scenes. True intelligence reform entails opening this closed society to organizations that do not routinely interact with the IC. This aspect alone is a sharp deviation from the normal intelligence modus operandi that will have to shift from the current need to know mentality toward a need to share collaborative environment. The IC community is transforming in stride while simultaneously supporting the Global War on Terrorism. The establishment of the first Director of National Intelligence is a progressive step toward unifying the 16 organizations under one centralized management authority. The DNI must quickly establish and publish common tactics, techniques and procedures that will unite the IC's efforts in a collaborative work environment. Predictive analysis will enable the civilian leadership and military warfighters to formulate viable courses of action based on the fidelity of the intelligence collected as prioritized by the National Security Strategy. Change in the intelligence community will take time, but strong leadership coupled with clear guidance from the DNI will focus this diverse community and continue to push reform and transformation initiatives forward to build a strong, integrated coalition of intelligence professionals prepared to address an ambiguous global threat.


Intrasellar arachnoid cysts represent around 1% of all selar lesions. Generally, patients are asymptomatic and when they exhibit visual and/or hormonal disturbances, the indication for surgery is prompted. A 51-year-old woman with a known purely intrasellar arachnoid cyst diagnosed 23 years prior to presentation, evolved with gradual campimetric evaluation. Magnetic resonance imaging showed significant growth of the lesion, now extending into the left middle fossa through the cavernous sinus. The patient underwent cyst fenestration via the transsphenoidal approach. This is the first case in the literature of a patient with an intrasellar arachnoid cyst extending into the middle cranial fossa.


In this paper, the existing Fisher equation research is extended to time series on the Canadian nominal interest rate and inflation to test the validity of the Fisher hypothesis and related hypotheses. The evidence suggests a significant long-run equilibrium between nominal rates and inflation in Canada but that this relationship has not been completely stable over the last three decades.


In 1916 the South African government received a request from the Imperial government for the provision of non-combatant African labour for work in France. Despite opposition from white opinion on both political and economic grounds, the South African Native Labour Contingent was formed and recruiting commenced. Although recruiting had the active support of African political leaders, it was not as successful as had been hoped. Distrust of the government's intentions was one important reason for this. The South African government had agreed to the Imperial government's request for labour only on the condition that S.A.N.L.C. units were to be kept segregated from both other military units and the French civil population, and numerous measures (particularly the construction of compounds) were devised to facilitate this. But in practice this proved impossible to implement properly, and South African officers did not have the degree of control over their units that had originally been envisaged. On the African side, there was a considerable amount of dissatisfaction with conditions, and in one incident thirteen Africans were shot dead by their own officers. When the South African government decided to bring the 'experiment' to an end early in 1918, many Africans suspected that the reasons for this were not purely military as was claimed. Service in the S.A.N.L.C. was of importance both in terms of the individual experiences of those Africans directly involved, but it acquired also a wider political and symbolic importance, attached particularly to the sinking of the transport, S.S. Mendi , in February 1917 with the loss of over 600 African members of the S.A.N.L.C.


Abstract. Soils in arid countries predominantly suffer from salinity and drought related to environmental problems that can lead to crop stress and low productivity. In this study, true-color aerial images from an unmanned aerial vehicle were used to assess the effect of soil and water salinity on date palm growth. Random soil samples (n  =  75) and irrigation water samples were collected from five sites and chemically analyzed. The custom algorithms were developed in ENVI® and MATLAB.® Green leaf index (GLI) was implemented to determine crop canopy attributes. Two segmentation methods namely between-class variance and foreground pixels were used to recognize the vegetation cover from other image pixels. The image analysis demonstrated that the mean value of GLI increased as the salinity levels decreased, R  =  0.96 and 0.92 for soil electrical conductivity (EC) and water EC, respectively. The percentage of area covered with vegetation was correlated to soil EC and water EC with about 70% accuracy. On the other hand, the percentage of area covered with palm trees only was used accurately to evaluate the soil EC by R2  =  0.89 and the water EC by R2  =  0.86. The findings of this research can set foundations for the development of aerial color imaging on salinity stressed date palm monitoring, providing useful information for decision makers on salinity management.


Background : Respiratory failure and domiciliary NIV requirement is not well defined in patient with SLE and respiratory muscle weakness. Patients with SLE can develop ventilatory failure from muscle weakness due to a combination of myopathy and vasculitis induced neuromuscular compromise. Our NIV service caters to a national referral Centre for lupus. We have come across 6 SLE patients within last 4 years who presented with respiratory compromise. The predominant cause of respiratory compromise seemed to be significant and progressive diaphragmatic weakness. Case 1: 31 years female who had diaphragmatic weakness, which was diagnosed at early stage and substantially reversed with early aggressive immunosuppression and currently stable on NIV. Case 2: 41 years female developed respiratory sepsis within one month of NIV introduction and has required longterm tracheostomy and remains ventilated. Case 3: 46 years female succumbed to global and progressive respiratory weakness while on NIV and died. Case 4: 79 years male with neuromuscular weakness died within few days of initiating NIV. Case 5: 46 years female on NIV for last 24 months doing well with stable lung function. Case 6: 67 years male on NIV for 31 months doing well with stable lung function. Conclusion; SLE related diaphragmatic myopathy seems to have a reversible component and needs to be aggressively managed. NIV is effective in managing ventilatory impairment in shrinking lungs. Respiratory and rheumatology pathway needs to be developed with a low threshold in investigating and managing lupus patients with early signs of respiratory impairment.


In this study, a research conducts upon the weighting of risk factors of bank roadbed security along Three Gorges. Based on the rough set theory, a weighting model of risk factors is established. Based on the resources and information of the Yuba bank road, this study provides a method to make sure the weight of the factors through the analysis of the actual bank road instances, and provides a strong support to the follow process of risk management.


This research work mainly deals with processing and characterization of bagasse fiber reinforced epoxy composite. Effective Thermal conductivity and sound absorption coefficient of bagasse fiber reinforced epoxy composites are analysed experimentally by consuming the bagasse fiber from sugarcane waste stock in fabricating the sound absorber material by simple hand layup technique. In the first part their acoustic properties such as sound absorption coefficient (α) are examined and compared with experimental values. In second part the results are compared with the effective thermal conductivity (Keff) values obtained from experiment by using the established models such as Rule-of-Mixture (ROM), Maxwell's model, bruggeman equation, Lewis and Nielsen. The thermal conductivity values are measured with the UnithermTM model 2022 tester according to the ASTM standard E-1530 whereas, absorption coefficient values are measured in impedance tube machine. According to the research analysis the reinforcement of the bagasse fiber results in reduction of thermal conductivity of epoxy as well as increased in the sound absorption coefficient on increment of filler volume fraction. With up gradation in heat insulation and sound absorption capacity, these reinforced epoxy composites can discover their application in wall insulation, food container, thermos- flask and other similar thermal and acoustic insulation applications


Fifty children consecutively attending a clinic for coeliac disease co-operated in a trial; 10 found to have flat mucosa were excluded. Forty children of mean age 9.8 years, whose duodenal or jejunal mucosa had returned to normal or near normal appearance after a mean of 5.8 years on gluten-free diets, were put back on normal diets. In 37, mucosal occurred in a mean of 16.9 months (four to 74 months). Four of the 37 had serial biopsies, in which mucosal enzymes (particularly lactase) fell and interepithelial lymphocyte counts rose before the mucosal morphology was regarded as definitely 'coeliac'. Three children had normal mucosal appearance after 58 to 73 months on normal diets, one of whom showed temporary mucosal abnormalities, another having occasionally low enzymes, in both suggesting underlying gluten sensitivity. Lactase suppression and raised IEL counts appear to be sensitive indicators of gluten intolerance. In our experience, a diagnosis of coeliac disease based on severe mucosal damage and a satisfactory response to a gluten-free but milk-containing diet implies a very strong likelihood of permanent or prolonged gluten intolerance, but with a striking variability in its expression.


Background: Lesbian, gay, bisexual, and transgender (LGBT) individuals experience health disparities in breast cancer screening related to multiple socioeconomic factors, including stigma and discrimination. Since 2001, the Avon Breast Health Outreach Program (Avon BHOP) has granted almost $60 million to 240+ organizations to promote breast cancer screening. Avon BHOP beneficiaries collect a standardized set of de-identified, self-reported client level health and demographic data to ensure that programs reach their target population. Prior to 2011, no data on client gender or sexual orientation were collected. Methods: From 2009–2010, the Avon BHOP conducted a review of the standard confidential client intake form (CIF), last revised in 2006. Based on stakeholder input, including the Avon Foundation for Women and Avon BHOP beneficiaries, the CIF was updated in 2011 to incorporate variables for gender and sexual orientation. Proposed revisions were presented to current beneficiaries in June 2010 for feedback. Although the CIF has historically included many sensitive elements such as race/ethnicity and income, several programs expressed concern that clients or program staff would be uncomfortable addressing questions on gender and sexual orientation in particular. In response, the Avon BHOP Coordinating Center provided standard language that programs could use to help ease the concerns of staff and clients that incorporated three key messages: 1) the same form is used for all clients and programs funded by the Avon BHOP to help ensure funds are reaching clients in need; 2) all responses are kept confidential; and 3) clients may skip any question they are not comfortable answering. Results: Preliminary CIF data for January-March 2011 were analyzed for 20,672 clients from 109 programs. Overall, 96.6% (n=19,966) indicated female gender; 0.5% (n=101) self-reported gender as follows: 75 male, 8 transgender, 12 "other", and 6 "unknown"; and 2.9% (n=605) did not respond to this question. For sexual orientation, 77.7% (n=16,067) of clients selected "heterosexual". Of the remaining 22.3% (n=4,606), 175 (0.8%) selected "lesbian, gay or bisexual", 431 (2.1%) selected "other", 1045 (5.1%) selected "unknown", and 2,954 (14.3%) did not respond to this question. By program, the non-response rate ranged from 0% to 40.2% for gender, and from 0% to 81.9% for sexual orientation. Discussion: Avon BHOP programs were able to collect sensitive information on client gender and sexual orientation during the first three months during which this information was requested. Despite concerns expressed among staff, overall response rates were high and rates of "unknown" (which may indicate that a staff person did not ask a client to complete the question) were low. Beneficiaries receive a quarterly summary of their own CIF data, which allows program staff to review client responses and ensure that client needs are met in a culturally sensitive manner. The Avon BHOP is committed to supporting diversity among funded programs; requesting data on client gender and sexual orientation may help improve services for LGBT clients by giving them a voice and reducing stigma. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2011;71(24 Suppl):Abstract nr P1-11-14.


Users of natural language interfaces should conveniently be able to express the commands and queries that the background system can deal with, and the system should react quickly and accurately to all input. Among other things this means that the interface must be able to cope with connected dialogue. Furthermore, the design of natural language interfaces must take into consideration the characteristics of human-computer interaction instead of trying to mimic human interaction. This paper presents a dialogue manager for such natural language interfaces. To control the interaction it uses a dialogue grammar with information on the functional role of an utterance as conveyed in the linguistic structure. Focus structure is handled using dialogue objects recorded in a dialogue tree which can be accessed by the various modules for interpretation, generation and background system access. The Dialogue Manager is designed to facilitate cus-tomization to the sublanguage utilized in various applications. The paper also discusses the possibilities of generalizing the Dialogue Manager to other modalities.


Abstract : Research shows that continuing competitive pressure applied during development and production leads to better industry performance, often at reduced cost. However, the entrenched practice of one-time competition for an entire program life-cycle often endows the winner with a very strong monopolistic power that lasts for decades. This paper describes continuous competition as leverage to acquire more effective results. It offers an alternative method for continuous competition-Multi-sourcing with Distributed Awards-under an applicable set of conditions and an appropriate business case.


Composite films containing different amounts of potassium sorbate (KS) were prepared by using fish scale collagen (Col) and polyvinyl alcohol (PVA). Fourier transform infrared spectroscopy (FTIR), light transmittance, mechanical, water vapor transmission rate (WVTR), and the antibacterial properties of the composite films were analyzed. The results showed that the addition of Col significantly reduced the light transmittance of the composite film, but KS had no significant effect on the light transmission. The tensile strength decreased first and then increased with the addition of KS, while the WVTR increased first and then decreased. The composite film exhibited a certain degree of antibacterial properties against E. coli and S. aureus. In addition, we found that ultrasonic treatment reduced the WVTR, and also improved tensile strength and elongation at break of the composite films, but had no significant effect on other properties. The KS/Col/PVA films have the potential to be used as antimicrobial food packaging.


Numerical simulation of multicomponent alloy solidification demands accuracy of thermophysical properties in order to obtain a numerical representation as close as possible to the physical reality. Some alloy properties are only seldom found in the literature. In this paper, a solution of Butler's formulation for surface tension is presented for Al-Cu-Si ternary alloys, allowing the Gibbs-Thomson coefficient to be calculated as a function of Cu and Si contents. The importance of the Gibbs-Thomson coefficient is related to the reliability of predictions furnished by predictive microstructure growth models and of numerical computations of solidification thermal variables that will be strongly dependent on the values of the thermophysical properties adopted in the calculations. A numerical model based on Powell hybrid algorithm and a finite difference Jacobian approximation was coupled with a ThermoCalc TCAPI interface to assess the excess Gibbs energy of the liquid phase, permitting the surface tension and Gibbs-Thomson coefficient for Al-Cu-Si hypoeutectic alloys to be calculated. The computed results are presented as a function of the alloy composition.


This study aimed to evaluate the levels of CXCL8 and its receptor (CXCR2) in gingival tissue neutrophils from patients with chronic periodontitis compared to periodontal healthy subjects using Real Time PCR method.

 The test group consisted of 21 patients with chronic periodontitis and the control group consisted of 18 healthy individuals. In both groups, gingival tissue samples were obtained during periodontal surgery.CXCL8 and CXCR2 RNA in tissue samples were examined by PCR method, and then the levels of genes expression were measured. Mann-Whitney U nonparametric test was used for statistical analysis.

 CXCL8 gene expression in the gingival tissue of the test group with chronic periodontitis was significantly higher than the control group (p=0.028). CXCR2 gene expression in the gingival tissue of the test group with chronic periodontitis was significantly lower than the control group (p=0.043). In both test and control groups, there was a negative correlation between CXCL8 and CXCR2 gene expression. This correlation was statistically significant in the test group (p=0.001), but there was no significant correlation in the control group (p=0.431).

 The results of this present study suggested that the level of gene expression for CXCL8 was greater in patients with chronic periodontitis and CXCR2 was greater in healthy individuals. Although in people with chronic periodontitis, CXCR2 decreases slightly as CXCL8 levels increase.


Medical missions focus on assessing the medical needs of the population encountered and providing medical opinions/ consultation, medications and surgeries. These missions are necessary due to a lack of sustainability principles and limited capacity building opportunities and institutional development in developing nations. These mission have led to increased volunteerism of highly skilled medical practitioners from the diaspora collaborating with medical professionals based in the local communities where these mission occur. The mission reported here assessed the medical needs and provided health care to 14 communities in Cross River State Nigeria concretely documenting demographic data and prevalence of medical conditions among the population managed. Two thousand eight hundred and fifty five (2855) patients were evaluated during the medical mission. The predominant complaints by clients/patients presenting during the medical mission were arthritis (28.43% ± 0.62), malaria (28.32% ± 0.91), hypertension (34.78% ± 0.22) and body pains/headaches (34.57% ± 1.06). The presentation of varying ailments varied within the communities with Igonigoni having the highest incidence of arthritis and hypertension for new and established patients at 39.53 and 29.45% respectively. Provision of medications though not sustainable was usefully for immediate care and monitoring of those living with chronic diseases like hypertension and diabetes promoting the United Nations Development Program's sixth and eighth millennium development goal, that is, combating HIV, malaria and other diseases and developing global partnerships for development.

 Key words: Medical mission, Cross River State, hypertension, diabetes


The subject of this article deals with the manner in which emotions have so far been considered in sociological migration studies. Existing works focus primarily on emotions in a pathological or therapeutic way, so it has to be stated, that the often postulated emotional turn in social sciences has not yet fully reached the area of migration. So the valuable analytical potential of a perspective based on the sociology of emotions is not completely exploited because that would imply focusing on the general functions of emotions in contexts of migration. This article introduces interesting works which already deal with the carrying concepts of emotion work and emotional transnationality and suggests guidelines on how to broaden these analytical views in a non-pathological direction.


Current helicity, Hc, and magnetic helicity, Hm, are two main quantities used to characterize magnetic fields. For example, such quantities have been widely used to characterize solar active regions and their ejecta (magnetic clouds). It is commonly assumed that Hc and Hm have the same sign, but this has not been rigorously addressed beyond the simple case of linear force-free fields. We aim to answer whether HmHc ≥ 0 in general, and whether it is true over some useful set of magnetic fields. This question is addressed analytically and with numerical examples. The main focus is on cylindrically symmetric straight flux tubes, referred to as flux ropes (FRs), using the relative magnetic helicity with respect to a straight (untwisted) reference field. Counterexamples with HmHc < 0 have been found for cylindrically symmetric FRs with finite plasma pressure, and for force-free cylindrically symmetric FRs in which the poloidal field component changes direction. Our main result is a proof that HmHc ≥ 0 is true for force-free cylindrically symmetric FRs where the toroidal field and poloidal field components are each of a single sign, and the poloidal component does not exceed the toroidal component. We conclude that the conjecture that current and magnetic helicities have the same sign is not true in general, but it is true for a set of FRs of importance to coronal and heliospheric physics.


Researchers are currently showing interest in molybdenum disulfide (MoS2)-based solar cells due to their remarkable semiconducting characteristics. The incompatibility of the band structures at the BSF/absorber and absorber/buffer interfaces, as well as carrier recombination at the rear and front metal contacts, prevents the expected result from being achieved. The main purpose of this work is to enhance the performance of the newly proposed Al/ITO/TiO2/MoS2/In2Te3/Ni solar cell and investigate the impacts of the In2Te3 BSF and TiO2 buffer layer on the performance parameters of open-circuit voltage (VOC), short-circuit current density (JSC), fill factor (FF), and power conversion efficiency (PCE). This research has been performed by utilizing SCAPS simulation software. The performance parameters such as variation of thickness, carrier concentration, the bulk defect concentration of each layer, interface defect, operating temperature, capacitance–voltage (C–V), surface recombination velocity, and front as well as rear electrodes have been analyzed to achieve a better performance. This device performs exceptionally well at lower carrier concentrations (1 × 1016 cm–3) in a thin (800 nm) MoS2 absorber layer. The PCE, VOC, JSC, and FF values of the Al/ITO/TiO2/MoS2/Ni reference cell have been estimated to be 22.30%, 0.793 V, 30.89 mA/cm2, and 80.62% respectively, while the PCE, VOC, JSC, and FF values have been determined to be 33.32%, 1.084 V, 37.22 mA/cm2, and 82.58% for the Al/ITO/TiO2/MoS2/In2Te3/Ni proposed solar cell by introducing In2Te3 between the absorber (MoS2) and the rear electrode (Ni). The proposed research may give an insight and a feasible way to realize a cost-effective MoS2-based thin-film solar cell.


This paper attempts to probe the scope of tourism in India, which can help in shaping our society. Tourism is considered as one sector that shall propel growth, contribute foreign exchange, enhance employability and result in community development. The most important dimension of tourism is the cultural exchange among various nationalities that visit the country and the cross cultural interface that shall pave way for universal peace and harmony. As on one hand tourism is seen as an economic option and on the other side the greater social and human effect There is vast scope tourism in India. The government should encourage private enterprises to promote tourism in in various less popular areas. For developing tourism in such areas, we need to understand the environment, demography, socioculture, economic and political background of any place for making it an attractive tourist spot. To develop a strategic marketing plan for tourism we have to understand the target customer their needs and wants and how to match it with our tourist spots' infrastructure.


The authors present three VLSI chips-a processor (PU) chip, a cache memory (CU) chip, and a network control (NU) chip-for a large-scale parallel inference machine. The PU chip has been designed to be adapted to logic programming languages such as PROLOG. The CU chip implements a hardware support called 'trial buffer' which is suitable for the execution of the PROLOG-like languages. The NU chip makes it possible to connect 256 processing elements in a mesh network. The parallel inference machine (PIM/m) runs a PROLOG-like network-based operating system called PIMOS as well as many applications and has a peak performance of 128 mega logical inferences per second (MLIPS). The PU chip containing 384000 transistors is fabricated in a 0.8 mu m double-metal CMOS technology. The CU chip and the NU chip contain 610000 and 329000 transistors, respectively. They are fabricated in a 1.0 mu m double-metal CMOS technology. A cell-based design method is used to reduce the layout design time. >


Does cultural consolidation among ethnic groups lead to nationalist mobilization? Extant research in the study of nationalism suggests a tight connection between the two. My article addresses this question by operationalizing cultural consolidation through language standardization and by providing an empirical analysis. I argue that not all ethnic groups that consolidate their culture build institutions toward sovereignty and propose that cases that fail to invest in institutions make strong contributions to the existing framework in the literature. Following a brief survey on the Bulgarians as a case of successful mobilization, I document evidence from an in-depth study on the Occitans, a minority ethnic group in France, as a failed case. Findings from a process-tracing approach indicate that although the Occitans standardized their language by 1900, their leading intellectuals grew content became content with the situation and failed to make the next move. I contribute by operationalizing cultural consolidation and by introducing "institution-building" as a crucial outcome between cultural consolidation and state-building. My article suggests that decisions of ethnic elites matter to understand why some groups start nationalist mobilization.


ABSTRACT
 The stable fly, Stomoxys calcitran. (L.), is a serious ectoparasite affecting animal production and health of both animals and humans. Stable fly control relies largely on chemical insecticides; however, the development of insecticide resistance as well as environmental considerations requires continued discovery research to develop novel control technologies. MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are a class of short noncoding RNAs that have been shown to be important regulators of gene expression across a wide variety of organisms, and may provide an innovative approach with regard to development of safer more targeted control technologies. The current study reports discovery and initial comparative analysis of 88 presumptive miRNA sequences from the stable fly, obtained using high-throughput sequencing of small RNAs. The majority of stable fly miRNAs were 22–23 nt in length. Many miRNAs were arthropod specific, and several mature miRNA sequences showed greater sequence identity to miRNAs from other blood-feeding dipterans such as mosquitoes rather than to Drosophilids. This initial step in characterizing the stable fly microRN Aome provides a basis for further analyses of life stage-specific and tissue-specific expression to elucidate their functional roles in stable fly biology.


In this article we describe an analytical model for estimating performance degradations caused by non-ideal transponder implementation for coherent modulation formats based on parametric fitting of back to back measurements. We discuss in detail several reasons for implementation penalties (IP) such as noise in the transmitter and the receiver, non-ideal filtering, and quantization in the analog-to-digital converter, and how the fitting parameters depend on these penalties. We consider how to combine the IP model and the Gaussian noise (GN) model of nonlinear propagation which includes Amplified Spontaneous Emission (ASE) and Nonlinear Interference (NLI) noise impacts. We modify the Signal to Noise Ratio (SNR) expression of the GN model to include any performance impairments from a non-ideal transponder and additional link components apart from the transponder. In this article we consider transponders based on 16QAM and 2ASK/4PSK-8QAM modulation formats. Then we compare the modeling results obtained with the IP and GN models with experimental data for erbium doped fiber amplifier (EDFA) and Raman-assisted transmission systems. We find that this modeling approach demonstrates good agreement experiment data.


Phenotyping of single cells has dramatically lagged advances in molecular characterization and remains a manual, subjective, and destructive process. We introduce COSMOS, a platform for phenotyping and enrichment of cells based on deep learning interpretation of high-content morphology data in realtime. By training models on an atlas of >1.5 billion images, we demonstrate enrichment of unlabeled cells up to 33,000 fold. We apply COSMOS to multicellular tissue biopsy samples demonstrating that it can identify malignant cells with similar accuracy to molecular approaches while enriching viable cells for functional evaluation. We show high-dimensional embedding vectors of morphology generated by COSMOS without any need for complex sample pre-processing, gating, or bioinformatics capabilities, which enables discovery of cellular phenotypes, and integration of morphology into multi-dimensional analyses. One sentence summary A novel platform capable of high-throughput imaging and gently sorting cells using deep morphological assessment.


An exciting development in empirical macroeconometrics is the increasing use of external sources of as-if randomness to identify the dynamic causal effects of macroeconomic shocks. This approach – the use of external instruments – is the time series counterpart of the highly successful strategy in microeconometrics of using external as-if randomness to provide instruments that identify causal effects. This lecture provides conditions on instruments and control variables under which external instrument methods produce valid inference on dynamic causal effects, that is, structural impulse response function; these conditions can help guide the search for valid instruments in applications. We consider two methods, a one-step instrumental variables regression and a two-step method that entails estimation of a vector autoregression. Under a restrictive instrument validity condition, the one-step method is valid even if the vector autoregression is not invertible, so comparing the two estimates provides a test of invertibility. Under a less restrictive condition, in which multiple lagged endogenous variables are needed as control variables in the one-step method, the conditions for validity of the two methods are the same. *This work was presented by Stock as the Sargan Lecture to the Royal Economic Society on April 11, 2017. We thank Mark Gertler, Oscar Jordà, Daniel Lewis, Mikkel Plagborg-Møller, José Luis Montiel Olea, Valerie Ramey, Morten Ravn, Giovanni Ricco, Neil Shephard, Leif Anders Thorsrud, and Christian Wolf for helpful comments and/or discussions.


How accurately can one estimate a random parameter subject to unknown deterministic nuisance parameters? The hybrid Cramér-Rao bound (HCRB) provides an answer to this question for a restricted class of estimators. The HCRB is the most popular performance bound on the mean-square-error (MSE) for random parameter estimation problems which involve deterministic parameters. The HCRB is useful when one is interested in both the random and the deterministic parameters and in the coupling between their estimation errors. This bound refers to locally weak-sense unbiased estimators with respect to (w.r.t.) the deterministic parameters. However, if these parameters are nuisance, it is unnecessary to restrict their estimation as unbiased. This paper is the first of a two-part study of Bayesian parameter estimation in the presence of deterministic nuisance parameters. It begins with a study on order relations between existing Cramér-Rao (CR)-type bounds of mean-unbiased Bayesian estimators. Then, a new CR-type bound is developed with no assumption of unbiasedness on the nuisance parameters. Alternatively, Lehmann's concept of unbiasedness is employed rather than conventional mean-unbiasedness. It is imposed on a risk that measures the distance between the estimator and the minimum MSE (MMSE) estimator which assumes perfect knowledge of the nuisance parameters. In the succeeding paper, asymptotic performances of some Bayesian estimators with maximum likelihood based estimates for the nuisance parameters are investigated. The proposed risk-unbiased bound (RUB) is proved to be asymptotically achieved by the MMSE estimator with maximum likelihood estimates for the nuisance parameters, while the existing CR-type bounds are not necessarily achievable.


The study contributes to the emerging debate on the open innovation ecosystems by sharing insights and knowledge on the open innovation practices in life sciences sector, using the example of Cambridge cluster and its linkages with AstraZeneca. The authors applied descriptive data analysis and case study method. The study shows that decentralisation of corporate R&D process and investments into building an open innovation culture enabled AstraZeneca to exploit its local knowledge and information more effectively. The example of AstraZeneca allows to understand better the phenomenon of open innovation and shares some of the open innovation instruments, which could be adopted by other firms.


In clinical settings, it is important that measurements of joint range of motion (ROM) are reliable. ROM is often used to monitor disease progression and evaluate treatment in patients with problems in the musculoskeletal system. The aim of this study was to evaluate inter-tester reliability of active hip ROM with an inclinometer (Myrin® goniometer) in a clinical setting. Twenty-four patients with rheumatic diagnosis participated in the study. Three different testers recorded five movements for active hip ROM on two occasions. The relative reliability was interpreted from ICC and absolute reliability from SEM, SEM% and Bland–Altman plots. We interpreted that measurements of extension and external rotation were reliable with the Myrin goniometer when taken by different testers. The reliability was not conclusive for the other motions. For clinical use, the reproducibility between the two sessions could be improved by using the mean value of repeated measurements of each movement.


Purpose – Although proactive fault handling plans are widely spread, many unexpected data center outages still occurred. To rescue the jobs from faulty data centers, the authors propose a novel independent job rescheduling strategy for cloud resilience to reschedule the task from the faulty data center to other working- proper cloud data centers, by jointly considering job nature, timeline scenario and overall cloud performance. Design/methodology/approach – A job parsing system and a priority assignmentsystem are developedto identify the eligible time slots for the jobs and prioritize the jobs, respectively. A dynamic job rescheduling algorithm is proposed. Findings – The simulation results show that our proposed approach has better cloud resiliency and load balancing performance than the HEFT series approaches. Originality/value – Thispaper contributesto the cloudresilienceby developinganoveljob prioritizing, task rescheduling and timeline allocation method when facing faults.


Jenkins' (2018) attempt to defend the theorists I snidely called concept snatchers (based on a 1978 movie on "The Invasion of the Body Snatchers") is beside the point: They did not take or steal ideas. They presented their version of the continuity hypothesis "without any mention of the original meaning of the concept . . ." (Domhoff, 2017, p. 15). They buried the original ideas by ignoring them, which is what led to the critique, not simply their adoption of the term. By talking about the everyday usage of the term continuity, Jenkins (2018) exculpated these theorists from a deficiency in their scholarship: a failure to address the full scientific literature in their articles. Moreover, the word "continuity" was not used in the study of dreams (the relevant usage domain) in the 6 decades before Bell and Hall (1971) proposed it. A search of PsycINFO for both "continuity" and "dream" anywhere in any record between 1806 and 1970 found only four relevant records. All of them appeared 60 years or more before the concept of a continuity hypothesis was introduced, only one comes close to it in substance, and none had any later impact on the cognitively based continuity hypothesis. Nor were there any mentions of "continuity hypothesis" and "dream" before 1971. The continuity of personal concerns between waking thought and dreaming is now well-established (Domhoff, 2018, Chapters 3 and 4). Incorporation theorists and emotion-assimilation theorists can gladly use the phrase "continuity hypothesis" if they can replicate their questionable empirical claims, which is doubtful.


At the deeper coal mines in Hokkaido, Japan, the coal of working faces became hard frequently prior to coal outbursts and the gas concentration decreased unusually. In order to make clear the above phenomena the effects of temperature on strain hardening and gas permeability of stressed coal were investigated experimentally and theoretically in this study. Practically, the applicability of WLF equation to the effects of temperature and stress on creep strain rate were considered on the basis of the results of creep tests of confined coal. From this consideration it was proved that the reducibility existed between the effect of temperature and that of stress. Furthermore, creep strain and gas permeability of coal were expressed as a function of the effective stress compensated by adding the reduced stress of the effect of temperature to the applied stress. As these results, creep strain and gas permeability of coal increased and decreased rapidly under the depth of 500 m. The effects of earth temperature on strain hardening and gas permeability of stressed coal gave a reasonable explanation to the reason of frequent occurrence of coal outbursts at the mining of deep level coal seams.


The issue of Internally Displaced Persons (IDPs) is a global crisis yet little research has been focused on the issue of the livelihoods of IDPs. Providing short-term emergency assistance is not enough when the period of displacement becomes permanent or longer than expected. IDPs need long-term solutions in order to resume a normal life. Pursuing appropriate livelihoods in urban areas is a big challenge yet constructing potential livelihoods is fundamental to achieving decent living not only for short-term situations but also for the long run. The lack of access to livelihoods is one of the most serious obstacles to durable solutions for IDPs, and long-term livelihood strategies are needed to lay the foundation for future development.  This study explores Kachin IDPs in Myanmar and their livelihood strategies and activities in urban camps by applying qualitative methods, the study focuses on how IDPs have been building their livelihoods during their displacement and who has been involved in supporting their livelihoods. This research also seeks insight into the effectiveness and sustainability of those livelihood activities and other potential strategies.   Results show that most livelihood activities are supported by both local and international humanitarian and development agencies and are mainly undertaken through local organisations. Agriculture and livestock rearing are preferred livelihoods of IDPs although getting appropriate land is challenging in urban areas. Income-generating programmes such as food processing, carpentry and bamboo handicrafts are also popular and successful activities. Moreover, tailoring, brick making, and pig rearing are also effective and helpful livelihoods for individuals. Those who are involved in livelihood support activities receive benefits and advantages for their family and daily needs while the majority of IDPs are working in day labouring. Respondents believe current livelihood activities can become sustainable as long as they maintain the quality of the products. Some IDPs have adapted to the city environment quite well by applying their capacity and the skills they learnt from humanitarian organisations. Supporting livelihood strategies may not resolve the problems of IDPs, however, it is an effective partial solution.


In the emerging markets like India, there is a clear need to provide accessibility of rural markets to multiple service providers and make multiple options available to rural consumers at affordable prices. In this paper, we analyze various requirements on such a platform that provide accessibility to rural people in emerging markets. The objective of the platform is to facilitate the emergence of a vibrant ecosystem of rural businesses, government agencies and non-profit organizations to offer various services, including collaboration, for the rural masses. We refer to this platform as a Smart Rural Aggregation Platform (SRAP). SRAP aims to have three key functionalities: 1) Allow businesses and service providers to register and expose their services, 2) Enable service consumers to access these services through multiple end points such as kiosks and mobile phones, and 3) Enable rural masses and service aggregators to channelize these services and facilitate collaboration between them.


Vitamin D is an essential nutrient for various physiological functions, including immunity. While it has been suggested that higher vitamin D levels/supplementation are associated with a better immune response to COVID-19 vaccination, conflicting data exist. Therefore, we aimed to investigate the association between vitamin D (25-hydroxyvitamin D) deficiency/supplementation, and SARS-CoV-2 antibody responses post-vaccination in nursing home residents (NHRs) and staff (NHS). Blood samples were collected from 115 NHRs and 254 NHS at baseline and 14 days after primary course BNT162b2 vaccination. Baseline samples were assessed for serum 25-hydroxyvitamin D levels, while follow-up samples were analyzed for spike protein S1 receptor-binding domain (S1RBD) IgG antibody concentrations and 50% pseudoneutralization titers. Vitamin D supplementation status was obtained from NHRs medical records. We compared immune responses between (severe) vitamin D-deficient and -sufficient NHRs/NHS and between supplemented and non-supplemented NHRs, stratified for history of SARS-CoV-2 infection and participant type. No significant differences in either binding or neutralizing COVID-19 vaccine antibody response were found between groups. The prevalence of vitamin D deficiency (<20 ng/mL) was 45% (95% CI: 36–54%) among NHRs and 60% (95% CI: 54–66%) among NHS. Although we showed that vitamin D status may not be related to a better COVID-19 vaccine antibody response, addressing the high prevalence of vitamin D deficiency in the nursing home population remains important.


Magnesium is an attractive candidate for orthopedic implants due to its similar mechanical properties to human bone and biodegradability. However, the high corrosion rate of magnesium accompanying with high pH value and poor osteogenic activity hinder its further application. In this study, we employed micro arc oxidation (MAO) to improve corrosion resistance by introduce nanoporous coating on AZ91 magnesium. Meanwhile, we added lithium, an angiogenic and osteogenic element, to the coating (named as Li-MAO) by reaction in a lithium-containing electrolyte to simultaneously enhance angiogenic and osteogenic activity of AZ91. The favorable corrosion resistance of Li-MAO was verified by electrochemical and immersion test in vitro. Better biocompatibility was observed in Li-MAO samples by cell counting kit-8 (CCK-8) and live/dead assay. The in vitro results of immunofluorescence staining, Alizarin red staining and osteogenic-related genes expression indicated better osteogenic ability of Li-MAO group, which may result from the activation the Wnt/β-catenin pathway. In vitro angiogenic tests also demonstrated better angiogenesis in Li-MAO group. A bone defect repair model was built to evaluate the in vivo osseointegration of samples. The outcomes of micro-computed tomography (Micro-CT) scanning, sequential fluorochrome labeling and Van Gieson staining suggested better in vivo bone repair ability of Li-MAO than other groups. Our promising results both in vitro and in vivo demonstrated that lithium-containing nanoporous coating can improve corrosion resistance, angiogenesis and osseointegration of magnesium alloy, which may forward the clinic application of Li-MAO magnesium.


This study evaluated the cellular immune response against Brucella species cytoplasmic protein (CP) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) of 25 patients with brucellosis. In vitro proliferation and cytokine gene expression and production were investigated. PBMC from 14 patients proliferated in response to CP (responder patients [RPs]) and cells from 11 patients did not (nonresponder patients [NRPs]). CP-specific interleukin (IL)-2 and interferon-gamma were significantly induced in PBMC from RPs, compared with cells from NRPs. No significant differences were found in the production of IL-10 between the 2 groups. CP did not induce IL-4 production. A close relationship was observed between the clinical status of the patients and the T cell response against CP. Patient with acute infections responded to CP and induced production of T helper 1 (Th1) cytokines, whereas chronically infected patients did not. Diminished production of Th1 cytokines may contribute to T cell unresponsiveness in chronic human brucellosis.


The developed method of determining KS from pH metric data has a number of advantages compared to those used traditionally. First, in place of the residual concentrations of the salt components, only the pH value of the saturated solution is used in the derived expressions. Thus, the number of independent variables, which need to be measured experimentally, is reduced. Furthermore, the potentiometric method, used to determine the pH, is sufficiently accurate, simple and universal and does not necessitate the use of ion-selective electrodes. At the same time, the residual concentrations are usually measured by chemical methods, which are inferior in most cases, for several reasons, compared to the potentiometric method. Second, the KS value calculated by the developed method has a thermodynamic character. The organization of the experiment must be appropriate to the applied equations. Therefore, it is necessary to draw attention to the need for high accuracy in the process of preparing the initial solutions, because the initial concentrations of the precipitate components are included in the calculation formulas. The developed method for determining Ks can be applied for systems of any degree of complexity, which contain additional complexing agents.


The concept of effective particles as degrees of freedom in a relativistic quantum field theory is defined using a non-perturbative renormalization group procedure for Hamiltonians. However, every candidate for a basic physical theory appears to require an initial perturbative search for the set of interaction terms that may provide a basis with which the full effective theory Hamiltonian could be constructed in a series of successive approximations. This article describes the required perturbative expansion and illustrates it with a set of general 4th-order formulae. IFT/12/01


IRS 5, an embedded young stellar object in the nearby Corona Australis molecular cloud, was recently detected as an X-ray source with the ASCA and ROSAT satellites. We report here the detection of circularly polarized continuum emission from IRS 5 at centimeter wavelengths. Already known to be a highly variable radio source, the polarization fraction is seen to range from V/I≃10% to ≃37% on a day timescale. This demonstrates that radio emission from protostars, previously attributed in most cases to ionized thermal outflows, can sometimes arise instead from nonthermal processes, i.e., gyrosynchrotron emission from particles accelerated in situ by magnetic reconnection flares. Together with the X-ray data and indications of MeV particles in the solar nebula obtained from meteoritic materials, it contributes to the growing evidence for high-energy processes during the earliest stages of low-mass star formation.


In this work, both experimental and computational studies have been performed to investigate the flame dynamics and combustion instability of a laboratory buoyant jet diffusion flame from different prospects. The motivation behind this study was to obtain a better understanding of the dynamics of jet diffusion flames, as part of a long-term effort in achieving flexible fuel utilisation such as interchangeable fuels and achieving more effective combustion control such as better combustion efficiency.In the experimental study of jet diffusion flames, the influences of parameters such as nozzle exit diameter, fuel flow rate, fuel types and burner geometries have been investigated, where the focus was on the effects of fuel mixture on the flame dynamics. The frequency spectra, flame vortex development and flickering frequencies were measured using flow visualisation techniques and data acquisition systems. It was observed that the fuel jet velocity and the type of burner had a weak influence on the pulsation frequency for all the tested diameters. In contrast it has been found that both the ambient condition and fuel variability do have significant effects on the flame flickering frequency. Flame structure and dynamics are very different for the methane, propane and mixed fuel jet flames. Since the measurements of variables such as entrainment properties are difficult to obtain under experimental conditions, it is more effective to deal with such problems numerically. In the second part of this study, the dynamics of the buoyant jet diffusion flame has been investigated by idealised axisymmetric direct numerical simulations (DNS). The physical problem is a fuel jet issuing vertically into an oxidant ambient. Taking the advantages of idealised computational conditions, the effects of nozzle velocity profile, initial momentum thickness, Froude number, Reynolds number and co-flow on the near-field dynamics of a jet diffusion flame have been investigated. The computational cases have shown the development of different vortical structures, which suggest that vortical structures depend on both buoyancy and jet nozzle velocity profile. The flickering frequency and flickering energy results provide supportive evidence of the above finding. The results of the co-flow case indicate no significant flame-vortex interaction, and the flame oscillation is being suppressed. In general, the study suggested that the velocity shear plays a significant role in the near-field flame dynamics, apart from the buoyancy effects.


Abstract Introduction Symptoms of depression, anxiety and distress are common in the first years after a cancer diagnosis, but little is known about the prevalence of these symptoms at the long term. The aim of this review was to describe the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and distress in long‐term cancer survivors, five or more years after diagnosis, and to provide implications for primary care. Methods We performed a systematic literature search in the PubMed, PsycINFO and CINAHL databases. Studies were eligible when reporting on the prevalence of symptoms of depression, anxiety and/or distress in long‐term cancer survivors (≥5 years after diagnosis), treated with curative intent. Results A total of 20 studies were included. The reported prevalence of depressive symptoms (N = 18) varied from 5.4% to 49.0% (pooled prevalence: 21.0%). For anxiety (N = 7), the prevalence ranged from 3.4% to 43.0% (pooled prevalence: 21.0%). For distress (N = 4), the prevalence ranged from 4.3% to 11.6% (pooled prevalence: 7.0%). Conclusion Prevalences of symptoms of depression, anxiety and distress among long‐term survivors of cancer do not fundamentally differ from the general population. This is reassuring for primary care physicians, as they frequently act as the primary physician for long‐term survivors whose follow‐up schedules in the hospital have been completed.


We investigated the effects of fire on population growth rate and invasive spread of the perennial tussock grass Molinia caerulea. During the last decades, this species has invaded heathland communities in Western Europe, replacing typical heathland species such as Calluna vulgaris and Erica tetralix. M. caerulea is considered a major threat to heathland conservation. In 1996, a large and unintended fire destroyed almost one-third of the Kalmthoutse Heide, a large heathland area in northern Belgium. To study the impact of this fire on the population dynamics and invasive spread of M. caerulea, permanent monitoring plots were established both in burned and unburned heathland. The fate of each M. caerulea individual in these plots was monitored over four years (1997-2000). Patterns of seed dispersal were inferred from a seed germination experiment using soil cores sampled one month after seed rain at different distances from seed-producing plants. Based on these measures, we calculated projected rates of spread for M. caerulea in burned and unburned heathland. Elasticity and sensitivity analyses were used to determine vital rates that con- tributed most to population growth rate, and invasion speed. Invasion speed was, on average, three times larger in burned compared to unburned plots. Dispersal distances on the other hand, were not significantly different between burned and unburned plots indicating that differences in invasive spread were mainly due to differences in demography. Elasticities for fecundity and growth of seedlings and juveniles were higher for burned than for unburned plots, whereas elasticities for survival were higher in unburned plots. Finally, a life table response experiment (LTRE) analysis revealed that the effect of fire was mainly contributed by increases in sexual reproduction (seed production and germination) and growth of seed- lings and juveniles. Our results clearly showed increased invasive spread of M. caerulea after fire, and call for active management guidelines to prevent further encroachment of the species and to reduce the probability of large, accidental fires in the future. Mowing of resprouted plants before flowering is the obvious management tactic to halt massive invasive spread of the species after fire.


The 22q11.2 deletion syndrome is typically caused by haploinsufficiency of a 3 Mb region that extends from LCR22‐A until LCR22‐D, while the recurrent recombination between any of the LCR22‐D to H causes the 22q11.2 distal deletion syndrome. Here, we describe three patients with a de novo atypical ∼1.4 Mb 22q11.2 deletion that involves LCR22‐C to a region beyond D (LCR22‐C to D/E), encompassing the distal portion of the typical deleted region and the proximal portion of the distal deletion. We also review six previous published patients with the same rearrangement and compare their features with those found in patients with overlapping deletions. Patients with LCR22‐C to D/E deletion present a recognizable phenotype characterized by facial dysmorphic features, high frequency of cardiac defects, including conotruncal defects, prematurity, growth restriction, microcephaly, and mild developmental delay. Genotype–phenotype analysis of the patients indicates that CRKL and MAPK1 genes play an important role as causative factors for the main clinical features of the syndrome. In particular, CRKL gene seems to be involved in the occurrence of conotruncal cardiac anomalies, mainly tetralogy of Fallot. © 2016 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


OBJECTIVES
This study aimed to assess the long-term outcomes and investigate the factors related to left ventricular (LV) reverse remodelling after aortic valve replacement (AVR) in patients with chronic aortic regurgitation (AR).

METHODS
A total of 246 patients who underwent AVR for chronic AR at our institution were included in this retrospective study. Primary end-points included all-cause mortality, cardiac mortality and major adverse cerebral and cardiovascular events. Secondary end-points included cardiac function on echocardiography 1 year after surgery. We explored the predictive factors for reverse remodelling 1 year after surgery.

RESULTS
The 10-year survival rate was 86.0%, with no cardiac deaths in 93.8% and no major adverse cerebral and cardiovascular events in 79.9% of patients. Postoperative LV function and symptoms were significantly improved 1 year after surgery, but 34 patients (13.8%) did not recover normal function and structure. A significant negative correlation was found between the incidence of cardiac death and major adverse cerebral and cardiovascular events and reverse remodelling. Multivariate logistic regression identified preoperative LV ejection fraction (P = 0.001, odds ratio = 1.057) and LV end-systolic dimension index (P = 0.038, odds ratio = 0.912) as significant predictive factors of reverse remodelling 1 year after surgery.

CONCLUSIONS
Preoperative LV ejection fraction and LV end-systolic dimension index were predictive factors for reverse remodelling after surgery, which was associated with late outcomes. Earlier surgery may thus help to restore normal LV function and achieve better late outcomes after AVR for AR.


This report describes the characteristics of the Great Lakes, the interests they support, and possible threats to lake levels. It analyzes the federal laws and policies that regulate the diversion, withdrawal, and consumptive use of water from the Great Lakes. Also included is a discussion of the final Compact and Agreement and some of the issues raised by various interest groups. This report concludes with a general discussion on the relationship between compacts, federal law, and the Congress.


BACKGROUND AND OBJECTIVES
To evaluate corneal topographic changes induced by excision of two pterygia and a perilimbal dermoid.

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Using the EyeSys Corneal Analysis System, we retrospectively analyzed the changes in astigmatism, mean central corneal power, and other topographic parameters of three corneas before and after surgical removal of two pterygia and a perilimbal dermoid.

RESULTS
Marked corneal steepening occurred along the preoperative flat meridian after the excision of the pterygia and dermoid cyst. For each patient, surgery increased the mean central corneal curvature and decreased total astigmatism.

CONCLUSION
Surgical excision can ameliorate abnormal corneal topographic changes produced by limbal lesions.


After a brief discussion of the importance of reliable establishment of design Earthquake Ground Motions (EQGMs) for efficient Earthquake-Resistant Design (EQ-RD) of structures, this paper reviews how the effects of local site conditions are presently considered in the practice of EQ-RD. The paper then summarizes the results of a study in which linear and nonlinear response spectra for strength and displacement of a single-degree-of-freedom system (SDOFS) to 124 EQGMs recorded on different site conditions (rock, alluvium and soft soil) were computed and analyzed statistically. A comprehensive study of the strength reduction factors (R μ ) resulting from the nonlinear behavior shows that the R μ are strongly influenced by site soil conditions, period of the structure (T), and amount of tolerable nonlinear deformation (represented by the ductility ratio, μ). Analysis of the results obtained in the study of linear and nonlinear spectra for displacement shows that the commonly-accepted practice of using linear elastic spectra to estimate inelastic displacement demands can lead to significant errors, particularly in the case of soft-soil EQGMs. Finally, the paper briefly discusses a promising new procedure for evaluating the damage potential of EQGMs based on an energy approach and the use of damage functions or damage indices.


This note is a brief summary of how credit-rating agencies do their job. It includes historical information on rates and capital spreads. The note serves as a useful supplementary reading for students encountering, for the first time, bonds in a capital-structure case, a capital-markets case, or a cost-of-capital case. The note is designed for both undergraduate and executive audiences.