Placement is one of the most important steps in the RTL-to-GDSII synthesis process as it directly defines the interconnects. The rapid increase in IC design complexity and the widespread use of intellectual-property blocks have made the so-called mixed-size placement a very important topic in recent years. The contributions of this paper include the following: 1) It proposes a flexible and robust mixed-size legalization scheme. Two constraint graphs are constructed from the global placement. Adjustments are iteratively applied to the constraint graphs until the longest paths on both graphs fall within the chip dimension. The macro coordinates are then computed by solving a linear programming (LP) formulation. The LP formulation has also been extended to handle macro spreading for routing density control. Experimental results show that our scheme can effectively legalize macros for all the global placements generated by mPL6 [1] on IBM-MSwPins. Experimental results also show that LP-based macro assignment can significantly reduce the amount of perturbation introduced during legalization compared to a greedy alternative. 2) Starting from the legalization scheme, it further proposes a three-step mixed-size detailed placement algorithm, XDP. An enhanced greedy method is used to remove the overlap between standard cells while preserving the legality of macros. Sliding-window-based cell swapping is applied in the end to further reduce the wirelength. Experiments show that, when compared with Floorist [2] with similar legalization capability, using the global placements generated by mPL6 [3], XDP is seven times faster with 6% shorter wirelength. Experiments also show that, when applied to the set of global placement results generated by APlace 2.0 [4], XDP can produce comparable wirelength to the native detailed placement of APlace 2.0 and 2% shorter wirelength compared with that with Fengshui 5.0 [5]. When applied to the set of global placements generated by mPL6, XDP is the only detailed placement that successfully produces legal placements for all 18 examples, whereas APlace and Fengshui failed for 3 and 16 of them, respectively. Furthermore, when legal placements can be compared, the wirelength produced by XDP is shorter by 8% on average compared with that with APlace. For scalability, XDP is ten times faster than APlace when applied to circuits with more than two million movable objects with comparable wirelength.


Modifications to the EnviroAmp™Legionella detection system are described which permit the rapid analysis of bacterial colonies taken from Legionella selective media. Capillary PCR permitted twice the number of samples to be analysed with a single kit. When PCR was positive for Leg. pneumophila, this result was confirmed by seroagglutination. The reverse dot blot hybridization assay was only used where PCR indicated a Legionella sp. other than Leg. pneumophila, permitting further savings on detection system components. This technique and standard confirmation procedures were applied to 133 isolates arising from 63 water samples plated to Legionella isolation media. Results agreed except for two isolates which gave a positive result for Legionella spp. by PCR and hybridization but were negative using standard procedures. Raising the annealing/extension temperature of the PCR by 2 °C eliminated the false positive result with these two isolates but did not adversely effect the sensitivity of the assay, as determined by re‐testing of 68 environmental isolates and testing of 69 new environmental isolates and 12 Legionella reference species. The modified technique provides a convenient and cost effective alternative to standard confirmation procedures.


Introduction Pancreatic lymphoepithelial cysts are rare benign pancreatic lesions that mimic more common neoplastic mucinous tumours. Preoperative diagnosis may be uncertain, which leads to subsequent resection and confirmation of their identification on pathological examination. Endoscopic ultrasound and biopsy can indicate the nature of this pancreatic cyst, therefore precluding the need for operative intervention. Methods Four consecutive patients with a pancreatic lymphoepithelial cyst were identified over a two-year period (March 2012 to February 2014); three from resected specimens and one from endoscopic ultrasound guided fine needle aspiration biopsy. Details of patient demographics, investigations and management were retrospectively analysed. Results Four male patients aged 45-69 years (mean 59 years) were identified; three underwent pancreatic resection (two distal pancreatectomies and one median pancreatectomy) and one was diagnosed following endoscopic ultrasound guided biopsy. Pathological examination revealed keratin and squamous epithelium in all cases consistent with a lymphoepithelial cyst. Conclusions Lymphoepithelial pancreatic cysts are rare and present a diagnostic dilemma. Definitive preoperative diagnosis is seldom achieved due to their non-specific radiological and endoscopic ultrasound features, combined with variations in tumour marker expression and difficulties in achieving cytological and histological assessment. As a result these lesions tend to be over-treated with pancreatic resection. An increasing awareness of these cysts and the role of endoscopic ultrasound may allow conservative management.


Macromolecular X-ray crystallography (MX) is currently the dominant technique for the structural eluci- dation of macromolecules at near atomic resolution. However, the progression and deleterious effects of radiation damage remains a major limiting factor in the success of diffraction data collection and subsequent structural solution at modern third generation synchrotron facilities. For experiments conducted at 100 K, protein specific damage to particular amino acids has been widely reported at doses of just several MGy, before any observable decay in average diffraction intensities. When undetected, such artefacts of X-ray irradiation can lead to significant modelling errors in protein structures, and ultimately the failure to derive the correct biological function from a model. It is thus vital to develop tools to help MX experimenters to detect and correct for such damage events. This thesis presents the development of an automated program, RIDL, which is designed to objectively quantify radiation-induced changes to electron density at individual atoms, based on Fobs,n − Fobs,1 Fourier difference maps between different dose states for a single crystal. The high-throughput RIDL program developed in this work provides the ability to systematically investigate a wide range of macromolecular systems. To date, damage to the broad class of nucleic acids and nucleoprotein complexes has remained largely uncharacterised, and it is unclear how radiation damage will disrupt the validity of such models derived from MX experiments. This thesis presents the first systematic investigations on a range of nucleic acid, protein-RNA and protein-DNA complex case studies. In general, it is concluded that nucleic acids are highly robust to radiation damage effects at 100K, relative to control protein counterparts across the tested systems. For protein crystals at 100K, cleavage of the phenolic C–O bond in tyrosine has disseminated through the MX radiation damage literature as a dominant specific damage event at 100K, despite the absence of any energetically favourable cleavage mechanism. To clarify the radiation susceptibility of tyrosine, this thesis presents a systematic investigation on radiation damage to tyrosine in a wide range of MX protein radiation damage series retrieved from the Protein Data Bank. It is concluded that the tyrosine C – O bond remains intact following X-ray irradiation, however the aromatic side-group can undergo radiation-induced displacement. This thesis also presents further applications of the RIDL program. A protocol is introduced to calculate explicit half-dose values for the electron density at individual atoms to decay to half of their initial value at zero absorbed dose. In addition, a methodology is developed to detect radiation-induced changes to electron density occurring over the course of the collection of a single MX dataset of diffraction images, all of which are required for structural solution. These protocols aim to advise experimenters of when previously-undetected site-specific damage effects may have corrupted the quality of their macromolecular model. Overall, the work in this thesis is highly applicable to both the future understanding of radiation damage in macromolecular structures, as well as of interest to the wider crystallographic community.


The 12 intracochlear electrode placement is greatly facilitated by using our electrode-bearer which is introduced through the round window via a posterior tympanotomy approach. However, partial or complete ossification of the cochlea may oblige us to use again our first technique of one-by-one electrode placement, using Silastic pieces through 12 cochlear fenestrations. The microconnectors and the receptor are also described.


In this paper, we propose a hand-held mobile projection system that can freely project keystone free content on a general flat surface without any markings. Such a projection system can give the user great freedom of control of the display such as viewing angle and distance without suffering from distortion. We attach a camera to the projector to form a stereo pair. The correction of the display content is then achieved by rectifying the projection region of interest into a rectangular region and pre-warping the display content. Experimental results show that our system can continuously project distortion free content in real time with reasonable precision.


Spectral algorithms are some of the main tools in optimization and inference problems on graphs. Typically, the graph is encoded as a matrix and eigenvectors and eigenvalues of the matrix are then used to solve the given graph problem. Spectral algorithms have been successfully used for graph partitioning, hidden clique recovery and graph coloring. In this paper, we study the power of spectral algorithms using two matrices in a graph partitioning problem. We use two different matrices resulting from two different encodings of the same graph and then combine the spectral information coming from these two matrices. We analyze a two-matrix spectral algorithm for the problem of identifying latent community structure in large random graphs. In particular, we consider the problem of recovering community assignments exactly in the censored stochastic block model, where each edge status is revealed independently with some probability. We show that spectral algorithms based on two matrices are optimal and succeed in recovering communities up to the information theoretic threshold. On the other hand, we show that for most choices of the parameters, any spectral algorithm based on one matrix is suboptimal. This is in contrast to our prior works (2022a, 2022b) which showed that for the symmetric Stochastic Block Model and the Planted Dense Subgraph problem, a spectral algorithm based on one matrix achieves the information theoretic threshold. We additionally provide more general geometric conditions for the (sub)-optimality of spectral algorithms.


In a material of seventy‐two persons over 70 years of age. forty‐seven cases of amyloidosis of the heart were found. In thirty‐nine cases, deposits occurred only in the atria (isolated atrial amyl‐oidosis. IAA), while in eight cases amyloid also was seen in the ventricles (senile cardiac amyloidosis, SCA). In some of the latter cases, small amyloid deposits occurred in other organs, especially the lungs. Some definite differences existed between the amyloid substance in SCA and IAA. Thus, tryptophan was demonstrated histochemically in SCA but not in IAA, and, furthermore, amyloid fibrils isolated from patients with IAA lacked protein ASCA, the fibril subunit protein of senile cardiac amyloid. It is concluded that the ageing heart may be the target of two different forms of amyloid, one only affecting the atria, while the other is more widespread within the heart and sometimes also is found in other organs.


After the Basmalah and Dedication, the Word of Gratitude and Appreciation, and the Index of Contents, I Started with the Introduction and Showed in it that the Family and the School are the two most Important Educational Institutions in Society, and then I Spoke About the Research Plan in Which I Divided the Research into five Chapters: In the first Chapter, what is the Effect of the Family on Educational Achievement of Islamic high School Students. As for the Research Objectives, it is to Identify the Role of the Family in the Educational Process in Order to Raise the Level of Educational Attainment.
 As for the Second Chapter, which is the Theoretical Framework, I Divided it into two Topics, the first Being the Family, the Second in which I talked about the importance of the family and its impact, and the third in which I Explained the functions of the family.
The second topic is academic achievement

 As for the third chapter, I divided it into two topics, the first showed the Factors affecting educational attainment, the second showed the role of parents in academic achievement, and after that I wrote the conclusion, and the fourth chapter mentioned the research community and sample, and the conclusion included presenting the results and their interpretation, recommendations and proposals, then I mentioned the sources and references, then I attached an appendix to one number, Which is the form of the questionnaire, and in conclusion I came out with some recommendations that I explained at the end of the research.


Software process improvement (SPI) is an initiative to avoid the delivery of low quality systems. However, the awareness and adoption of SPI is low. Thus, this study examines the rate of awareness, use, and benefits of SPI initiatives in Canadian software development firms. Using SPSS as the analytical tool, this study found that 59% of Canadian software development firms are aware of SPI programs and 43% of employees use a form of SPI programs to develop software products. Although the sample size is small and the results cannot be generalized, the sample firms that use SPI programs reported an improvement in software product quality as the greatest benefit. These findings confirm the importance of SPI programs as a means of producing higher-quality software products, which can increase the likelihood of software companies winning global contracts.


An assumption in agency costs theory is that agency costs can exert a negative impact on firm performance. In this study, we examine the impact of agency costs on firm performance of Vietnamese listed companies. Our sample includes 736 companies in Vietnam during the period om 2010 to 2015. We find that agency costs exert a negative impact on firm performance. Our results are robust to alternative econometric models, including an instrumental variables technique and a system generalized method of moment model. In addition, we show that a debt instrument can be a useful tool to reduce the negative impact of agency costs on firm performance.


ABSTRACT Technological innovation has become critical for market survival for many companies in the era of digital transformation. However, the organisational perspective to constantly stay up-to-date with technological innovations can become strenuous on an individual level due to the need to constantly adapt to the demands of a permanently changing technological environment. Based on a large-scale online survey of employees in Germany (N = 1,115), we investigated the positive and negative effects of an organisational climate of innovation from a digital stress perspective. Our results indicate that an organisational climate of innovation creates uncertainty in individuals as it supports technological change but can also help to reduce the perception of technological unreliability as it fosters an environment of mutual support. This research, therefore, adds to the idea of a pronounced innovation climate as a double-edged sword and shows that permanently pushing technological innovation should also be viewed in the light of its potential side effects. It follows that innovation initiatives should balance organisational and individual requirements to stay, or become, more competitive, thereby explicitly considering the side effects that too much and/or too fast innovation may have on users.


Field-scale experiments in four crop seasons established the
agronomic performance of biosolids-derived organomineral fertilizers (OMF) for winter wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) production in England. Two OMF formulations (OMF10 10:4:4
and OMF15 15:4:4) were compared with urea and biosolids
granules (≈5:6:0.2) to determine crop responses and fertilizer effects on soil chemical properties. Fertilizers were applied at N rates between 0 and 250 kg ha–1 at regular increments of 50 kg ha–1 N. Average grain yields with OMF10 and OMF15 were higher than with biosolids granules, but lower than with urea (P < 0.05). The optimum N application rates, and corresponding grain yields, were 245 and 7900 kg ha–1 for biosolids, 257 and 9100 kg ha–1 for OMF10, 249 and 9500 kg ha–1 for OMF15, and 225 and 10350 kg ha–1 for urea, respectively. Differences in grain yield between fertilizer treatments were explained by differences in yield components, particularly number of grains and thousand-grain-weight. Grain-N recoveries were 31% for biosolids, ≈40% for OMF, and 52% for urea. Organomineral fertilizers-induced changes in soil extractable P and soil P Index were not significant. Thus, application of OMF replenished P offtake by the crop and therefore supported the choice of the proposed OMF formulations. By contrast, extractable P increased in biosolids and decreased in urea-treated
soils, respectively. Heavy metals in soil were unaffected by fertilizer treatment and lower than permissible limit values. The use of OMF for winter wheat production appears to be a sustainable approach to recycling biosolids to land.


We have developed a rapid and straightforward topical treatment method for dry eye disease (DED) using poly(catechin) capped-gold nanoparticles (Au@Poly-CH NPs) carrying amfenac [AF; a nonsteroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID)] through effective attenuation of ocular surface tissue damage in dry eyes. A dual-targeted strategy based on ocular therapeutics was adopted to simultaneously block the cyclooxygenase enzymes-induced inflammation and reactive oxygen species (ROS)-induced oxidative stress, the primary two causes of DED. The self-assembled core-shell Au@Poly-CH NPs synthesized via a simple reaction between tetrachloroaurate(iii) and catechin possess a poly(catechin) shell (∼20 nm) on the surface of each Au NP (∼60 nm). The anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of AF/Au@Poly-CH NPs were evaluated by DCFH-DA and prostaglandin E2/VEGF assays, respectively. Our results demonstrate that Au@Poly-CH NPs not only act as an anti-oxidant to suppress ROS-mediated processes, but also serve as a drug carrier of AF for a synergistic effect on anti-inflammation. In vivo biocompatibility studies show good tolerability of AF/Au@Poly-CH NPs for potential use in the treatment of ocular surface pathologies. The dual-targeted therapeutic effects of AF/Au@Poly-CH NPs lead to rapid recovery from DED in a rabbit model. Au@Poly-CH NPs loaded with NSAIDs is a promising multifunctional nanocomposite for treating various inflammation- and oxidative stress-related diseases.


: Flameless, also called Moderate or Intense Low-oxygen Dilution (MILD) combustion, is an advanced technology to increase combustion stability, enhance thermal efficiency and reduce pollutant emissions. Flameless combustion of solid fuels has received much less attention than gaseous fuels, and its burning characteristics are not well understood. As solid fuels, particularly pulverized coal, form the majority of available fuel sources, there is a need to extend understanding of flameless combustion to pulverized coals. Furthermore, flameless combustion characteristics of biomass have not been investigated comprehensively. The goal of employing flameless combustion technology to biomass fuels is to eliminate noxious pollutants emissions from renewable and sustainable solid fuels. This chapter presents a technical review of flameless combustion characteristics of solid fuels covering the most recent experimental and computational studies. A complementary experimental case study on the impact of the co-flow oxygen concentration on the flameless combustion characteristics of grape marc as a biomass fuel has been concisely reported. A vitiated co-flow vertical flameless combustion furnace of maximum 60 kW heat capacity is utilized in this experimental campaign. Three different cases with a co-flow oxygen concentration of 6%, 9%, and 12% (v/v) were considered for the investigation. Stable flameless combustion of pulverized grape marc was achieved for all cases. No detectable flame front was observed for any of the experimental cases. A semi-uniform thermal field inside the combustion chamber was measured for all cases. The increase of the co-flow oxygen has a positive effect in reducing the NO emission. A five-fold reduction of exhaust NO was measured for the largest co-flow O 2 case compared with the lowest O 2 case. Future potential research directions on the flameless combustion of solid fuels are described at the end of this chapter.


Two alternative circuits for very low-supply-voltage bandgap voltage references BGR in a flash memory environment are designed and compared. The circuits allow operation at supply voltages as low as 0.9 V, while requiring as low as 5 /spl mu/A current. Sensitivity to supply voltage variations is reduced by means of suitable feedback circuits. Experimental results confirm that the BGR operates correctly and can be employed in future ultra-low-supply-voltage flash memory devices.


The analysis of basic clause structures shows that clauses in Bahasa Siladang consist of verbal and non-verbal predication. The non-verbal predicate can be filled by an adjective, noun, numeral or prepositional phrase. The analysis of the argument structure shows that the intransitive predicate requires one NP argument as the only argument functioning as the grammatical subject, which can be an agent or a patient. Meanwhile, the transitive verb predicate requires two or more arguments. The presence of these arguments in the predicate in transitive sentences is mandatory. The conclusion from the analysis of the grammatical behavior in syntactic construction is that SL is a language which has a grammatical alignment system which gives the same treatment to A and S, and a different treatment to P. It can be categorized as an accusative language, marking the direct object of transitive verbs, making them different from the subject of both transitive and intransitive verbs.
Keywords: clause structure, argument structure, syntactic typology


This letter compares different policies for multiplexing the traffic of online games. In order to achieve bandwidth savings and to alleviate the high packet rate, headers are compressed and a number of native packets are included into a bigger one, using PPPMux and an L2TP tunnel. Small and controlled delays and jitter are added due to retention at the queue of the multiplexer. The policies are compared using real traffic traces of a popular game, and the results show that the savings are significant, while the impairments are not severe.


OBJECTIVES
To report a comparative analysis of outcomes in patients who underwent multiple excisions for unilateral synchronous multifocal renal tumors using both open and robotic approaches.

METHODS
We retrospectively reviewed 110 patients who underwent robotic and open partial nephrectomy and had multiple tumor excisions in an ipsilateral kidney. "Trifecta" was defined as negative surgical margins, no urologic complications, and a glomerular filtration rate (GFR) preservation of ≥90% at last follow-up. Inverse probability of treatment weighting (IPTW) was applied to equilibrate treatment groups, minimize selection bias, and optimize inference on the basis of each patient's clinicodemographic characteristics.

RESULTS
Sixty-eight robotic and 42 open patient approaches had sufficient data for IPTW. After weighting, there were no statistical differences in baseline characteristics between the two groups. On adjusted analyses, robotic partial nephrectomy achieved equivalent rates of trifecta to open surgery (16.3% vs 16.5%, p = 0.99), which persisted on subgroup analyses of patients with two (20.1% vs 23.7%, p = 0.82) or more than two tumors (6.8% vs 7.4%, p = 0.95). There were no differences between robotic and open cohorts for negative margin rates, absence of complications, or GFR ≥90%. The robotic cohort had a shorter mean length of stay (3.4 vs 4.9 days, p < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
Surgical resection remains the mainstay for patients with unilateral, synchronous, and multifocal renal tumors. Our analysis found that both open and robotic approaches to partial nephrectomy are equally likely to achieve the "trifecta" outcome in an equilibrated high-risk group of patients. The robotic approach for these complex patients may be safe and feasible for a carefully selected group of patients.


Purpose: analysis of the features of visual decoding of eroded soils and erosion processes according to remote sensing data.

Methods. Remote sensing, field, comparative geographical, historical, cartographic, GIS analysis.

Results. The main attention in the article is paid to the features of visual decoding of linear forms of erosion. Comparative analysis of aerial photographs of 1943 and modern satellite imagery for the Kharkov region shown that in the second half of the 20th century the growth of gullies was almost stopped due to large-scale anti-erosion measures carried out at that time. Currently the main erosion losses occur in sheet erosion and small gully erosion. The article provides a list of decoding features that determine linear forms of erosion in the images. It is shown problems that can arise during automatic decoding. As an example of artifact formations requiring the participation of a human analyst in the decryption process, the so-called "Turkish Wall" is shown, the traces of which can be erroneously diagnosed as a manifestation of linear erosion

Conclusions. Automatic decoding of water erosion processes and an inventory of erosion landforms requires the obligatory monitoring of a qualified analyst to eliminate object identification errors.


Background:Necromenic nematode Pristionchus entomophagus has been frequently found in nests of the invasive European ant Myrmica rubra in coastal Maine, United States. The nematodes may contribute to ant mortality and collapse of colonies by transferring environmental bacteria. M. rubra ants naturally hosting nematodes were collected from collapsed wild nests in Maine and used for bacteria identification. Virulence assays were carried out to validate acquisition and vectoring of environmental bacteria to the ants.Results:Multiple bacteria species, including Paenibacillus spp., were found in the nematodes' digestive tract. Serratia marcescens, Serratia nematodiphila, and Pseudomonas fluorescens were collected from the hemolymph of nematode-infected Galleria mellonella larvae. Variability was observed in insect virulence in relation to the site origin of the nematodes. In vitro assays confirmed uptake of RFP-labeled Pseudomonas aeruginosa strain PA14 by nematodes. Bacteria were highly concentrated in the digestive tract of adult nematodes, a small amount of bacteria were observed in the digestive tract of juveniles with a more significant amount on their cuticle, and none on the cuticle of adults. RFP-labeled P. aeruginosa were not observed in hemolymph of G. mellonella larvae, indicating an apparent lack of bacterial transfer from juvenile nematodes to the insects despite larval mortality.Host species was the primary factor affecting bacterial community profiles. Spiroplasma sp. and Serratia marcescens sequences were shared across ants, nematodes, and nematode-exposed G. mellonella larvae. Alternative to the idea of transferring bacteria from environment to host, we considered whether nematode-exposure might disorder or depauperate the endobiotic community of an insect host. While total bacterial diversity was not statistically lower in nematode-exposed G. mellonella larvae when compared to controls, 16 bacterial sequence variants were less abundant in nematode-exposed larvae, while three were increased, including Serratia, Pseudomonas, and Proteus.Conclusions: This study suggests that transfer of bacteria from nematodes to ants is feasible, although largely serendipitous, and may possibly contributed to ant death and/or collapse of wild colonies in Maine. Hypothetically, the use of an engineered biological control, such as nematodes carrying specifically-seeded bacterial species, may be effective, especially if the pathogenic bacteria are normally found in soil ecosystems and represents a low risk for biosafety control.


The interleukin (IL)-1 superfamily of cytokines comprises 11 pro- and anti-inflammatory cytokines, which play essential roles during the immune response. Several pathogenic pathways are initiated by IL-1RL2 (interleukin 1 receptor-like 2) signaling, also known as IL-36R, in the skin, lungs, and gut. IL-36 cytokines promote the secretion of proinflammatory cytokines and chemokines, upregulation of antimicrobial peptides, proliferation mediators, and adhesion molecules on endothelial cells. In addition, the IL-36-IL-1RL2 axis has an essential role against viral infections, including a potential role in COVID-19 pathology. The evidence presented in this review highlights the importance of the axis IL-36-IL-1RL2 in the development of several inflammation-related diseases and the healing process. It suggests that IL-1RL2 ligands have specific roles depending on the tissue or cell source. However, there is still much to discover about this cytokine family, their functions in other organs, and how they accomplish a dual effect in inflammation and healing.


A method for extracting the effective copper surface roughness of a laminate in situ is introduced. The rough copper attenuation as a function of surface roughness is removed from the total attenuation. The residual loss is fit to coefficients, and an error is calculated based on the remaining apparent surface roughness contribution. When the error is minimized or when the apparent surface roughness contribution is nearest zero, the effective surface roughness is found, and the dielectric attenuation is isolated by subtracting the rough copper attenuation from the total attenuation. Using this value, accurate broadband permittivity values can be extracted by simply measuring the S-parameters of two stripline transmission lines. Further, the extracted dielectric electrical properties are calculated with a higher accuracy than the existing methods that neglect copper surface roughness. A supplementing method to unwrap the phase constant is also included in this work to avoid errors do to the length of the devices. Previous methods of extracting laminate material properties that consider copper surface roughness rely on cutting the sample to make a cross-section and observe the surface roughness directly. In this work, the effective surface roughness is gathered without destroying the sample.


High-voltage lateral RESURF MOSFETs have been fabricated on 4H-SiC with both nitrogen and phosphorus as source/drain and RESURF region implants. Blocking voltages as high as 1200 V and specific on-resistances of 4 /spl Omega/ cm/sup 2/ have been obtained, with the high on-resistance attributed to poor inversion layer mobility. Phosphorus is most appropriate for the source/drain implants due to low sheet resistance and contact resistance with low temperature anneals. However, poor activation of low dose phosphorus implants at 1200/spl deg/C makes nitrogen the preferred choice for the RESURF region.


The authors have applied resonant Raman spectroscopy to two p-type modulation-doped GaAs-GaAlAs multiple-quantum wells (MQW) with well widths dW=10 and 30 nm. In both samples one of the hole intersubband transitions observed is coupling to the quantum-well LO (longitudinal optical) phonon. The influence of an external magnetic field on this coupling phenomenon was investigated. A shift of the intersubband transition energy with excitation energy due to well width fluctuations results in an anticrossing of the two branches of the coupled modes. From the strength of the coupling as well as from the small depolarization shift of the intersubband transitions, the conclusion must be drawn that depolarization field effects are of low importance in p-doped MQW structures. The coexistence of a non-interacting quantum-well LO phonon is discussed in detail.


Abstract Using the unique dataset obtained within the course of the SAURON project, a radically new view of the structure, dynamics and stellar populations of early-type galaxies has emerged. We show that galaxies come in two broad flavours (slow and fast rotators), depending on whether or not they exhibit clear large-scale rotation, as indicated via a robust measure of the specific angular momentum of baryons. This property is also linked with other physical characteristics of early-type galaxies, such as: the presence of dynamically decoupled cores, orbital structure and anisotropy, stellar populations and dark matter content. I here report on the observed link between this baryonic angular momentum and a mass sequence, and how this uniquely relates to the building of the red sequence via dissipative/dissipationless mergers and secular evolution.


Using YBa2Cu3O7-delta (YBCO) thin films, pulsed laser deposited on 1-mm-thick LaAlO3 or SrTiO3 substrates, we made 4times1 pixel arrays of transition edge bolometers with separations between neighboring pixels ranging from 40 mum to 170 mum for testing purposes. We investigated the effects of the YBCO film thickness (200 and 400 nm), substrate material, and back-etching of the substrate, on the crosstalk between the pixels of the arrays. The investigation was based on the analysis of the voltage response of the dc current biased bolometers versus the modulation frequency of a near-infrared laser source. We observed that the bolometer arrays made of 400-nm-thick films had less interpixel thermal crosstalk than the 200-nm-thick films. The effect of substrate thickness on the response of the pixels was investigated by up to 500 mum back-etching of the substrates. The bolometers made on back-etched LaAlO3 substrates had anomalous crosstalk response behavior, which was effective at higher modulation frequencies. In addition, we present an analytical thermal model for explaining the observed effects of the thermal crosstalk on the response characteristics of the pixels of the arrays. We report the measured response and the anticipated thermal crosstalk of the characterized bolometers'. We describe the responses based on the thermal models and discrepancies from the model's predictions


Novel closed-form expressions for the cutoff frequency and the characteristic impedance of finned and ridged waveguides are presented. Agreement with previously published numerical data is better than one percent for all parameters of practical interest. The expressions considerably facilitate computer-aided design and tolerance analysis of ridged waveguide structures without compromise in accuracy.


The explosion of data consumption has led to a renewed interest in byte caching. With studies showing potential reductions in network traffic of 50%, this fine grained caching technique looks like a very good and attractive solution for mobile wireless operators. However, properties of wireless networks actually present new challenges. We first show that a single packet loss, re-ordering or corruption -- all common conditions over the air interface -- can result in circular dependencies and cause existing byte caching algorithms to loop endlessly. To remedy the problem, we then explore a new set of encoding algorithms. Third, we assess the impact of packet losses on byte caching performances, both in terms of byte savings and delay reduction. We found that a mere 1% packet loss can already nullify any delay reduction and instead cause significant increases that users may not be willing to tolerate. Finally, we shared several insights, including interactions between transport layer protocol's mechanisms (e.g., TCP window congestion) and byte caching operations that can cause sophisticated encoding algorithms to perform poorly. We believe that these insights are important for designing more efficient and robust byte caching encoding algorithms.


Before Missionaries came to Groote Eylandt in 1921, people used to stay in family groups. They followed the pattern set by our laws set for marriages, but the strong men took most wives, and others were left without a wife. There were many murders for this reason and because of raids from other mainland tribes. There was plenty of food from the sea and the bush. When the water dried up in smaller creeks there were four rivers where people could get fresh water. They moved around in their own areas on Groote.


The impact of increased Underwater Radiated Noise (URN) over the past two decades on marine mammals has resulted in the pressing requirement to reduce it. Shipping contributes immensely to the URN. Propeller noise is a major source of URN. The reduction in Propeller noise can hence significantly help in the reduction of URN. With the sole objective of improving the hydrodynamic performance of propellers ways to prevent cavitation are being developed. However, the reduction of non cavitating noise produced by the propeller would still remain a challenge. The change in the propeller geometry can modify the acoustic characteristics. In this present study, effect of modifying the tip of DTMB4119 propeller on the acoustic and hydrodynamic characteristics is presented. The change in the flow pattern at the tip due to introduction of tip rake is also discussed. The SPL has been calculated by using the two-step Ffowcs William and Hawkings (FW-H) equations from the pressure distribution at various points around the propeller. SPL at various points in the downstream and propeller disk plane are numerically predicted and discussed.


Government regulations to force water conservation have escalated the use of secondary water high in soluble salts for turfgrass irrigation in the arid and semiarid western USA, thus increasing the need for more salt-tolerant turfgrasses. This study was initiated to determine the variability in salt tolerance within and among two Poa species and their hybrids. Two experiments were conducted during 2000 in the greenhouse at Fort Collins, CO, in solution culture to examine the effects of NaCl on leaf firing and shoot and root growth reduction of nine Kentucky bluegrass (KBG; Poa pratensis L.) cultivars representing three ecotypes, three Texas bluegrass (TBG; P. arachnifera Torr.) accessions, and five of their hybrids (P. pratensis x P. arachnifera). In Exp. I, conducted during late winter through spring 2000, overall salt tolerance based on leaf firing and electrical conductivity (EC) of 50% shoot growth reduction (EC shoot 50) placed seven KBG cultivars in the most tolerant group. In Exp. II, conducted during summer though early fall 2000, overall salt tolerance rankings placed 4 KBG and 3 TBG cultivars in the most tolerant group. On the basis of percentage leaf firing and the salinity levels that caused 25 and 50% shoot growth reduction, compact (low, compact growth habit) and aggressive (aggressive, lateral growth habit) KBG ecotypes showed more salt tolerance than common ecotypes in both Exp. I and II. A broad range of variability in leaf firing and shoot and root growth reduction in response to salinity was found to exist within and among these Poa species and their hybrids, indicating that improvement in the salt tolerance of bluegrasses may be possible. Additionally, differences in salt tolerance of KBG and TBG between Exp. I and Exp. II suggested that environmental conditions could affect bluegrass salt tolerance expression.


Abstract. Microorganisms were discovered in clouds over 100 years ago but information on bacterial community structure and function is limited. Clouds may not only be a niche within which bacteria could thrive but they might also influence dynamic processes using ice nucleating and cloud condensing abilities. Cloud and rain samples were collected from two mountains in the Outer Hebrides, NW Scotland, UK. Community composition was determined using a combination of amplified 16S ribosomal DNA restriction analysis and sequencing. 256 clones yielded 100 operational taxonomic units (OTUs) of which half were related to bacteria from terrestrial psychrophilic environments. Cloud samples were dominated by a mixture of fluorescent Pseudomonas spp., some of which have been reported to be ice nucleators. It was therefore possible that these bacteria were using the ice nucleation (IN) gene to trigger the Bergeron-Findeisen process of raindrop formation as a mechanism for dispersal. In this study the IN gene was not detected in any of the isolates using both polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and differential scanning calorimetry (DSC). Instead 55% of the total isolates from both cloud and rain samples displayed significant biosurfactant activity when analyzed using the drop-collapse technique. All isolates were characterised as fluorescent pseudomonads. Surfactants have been found to be very important in lowering atmospheric critical supersaturations required for the activation of aerosols into cloud condensation nuclei (CCN). It is also known that surfactants influence cloud droplet size and increase cloud lifetime and albedo. Some bacteria are known to act as CCN and so it is conceivable that these fluorescent pseudomonads are using surfactants to facilitate their activation from aerosols into CCN. This would allow water scavenging,~countering desiccation, and assist in their widespread dispersal.


The mission of the Super-Duper Education Service District (SDESD) is to provide consultative and support services to county school districts in order to improve their abilities to meet the educational needs of students. The SDESD focuses on those services which can be most efficiently provided on a regional, cooperative basis rather than through the efforts of its 4 component school districts. The following plan focuses on an effort by the SDESD to provide consultative and support services to XX Elementary School on one of its school improvement goals.


A previously developed electron cascade model is extended and used to examine the laser wavelength-dependence on the threshold intensity in laser-induced electrical breakdown of molecular gases. The analysis is based on numerical solution of the time-dependent Boltzmann equation and a set of rate equations describing the population of the involved excited states. The calculations are restricted to molecular hydrogen at atmospheric pressure irradiated with tunable laser radiation ( lambda =720-800 nm) with a pulse duration (FWHM) of 18 ns. The computed threshold intensities are compared with those experimentally measured. The calculated electron energy distribution function and its parameters provide an important correlation between the laser wavelength and the relevant physical processes involved during the interaction.


Background: Neurological disorders are the leading cause disability in Australia and the world. Combating the perceived difficulty of neurology orneurophobia and improving physician education is a key component in addressing this problem. We aim to conduct the first study to identify whether neurophobia exists in medical students and junior doctors in an Australian population and try to identify factors that may contribute to this in this population. Methods: A 24 question online validated survey was distributed via email broadcast to all medical students and junior doctors at a metropolitan tertiary care centre in Australia. Responses were collected over 6 weeks with weekly reminder emails for 4 weeks after the initial invitation email. Results: 114 medical students and junior doctors participated in the study. Participants perceived neurology as the most difficult medical speciality compared to 10 other medical specialties (p=0.001). The top three factors contributing to this perceived difficulty were: a lack of understanding of neuroanatomy, lack of diagnostic certainty and lack of clinical exposure. 65% of the participants stated that they had too little planned teaching in neurology with only 36% of the participants having performed a neurology rotation during medical school. Conclusion: The prevalence of neurophobia in this Australian cohort of medical students and junior doctors is consistent with previous findings from around the world. This concerning finding requires further examination into the contributing factors in order to created trials of targeted interventions in order to resolve this.


We have modified an Atomic Force Microscope (AFM) that allows the detection of cantilever bending as well as torsional vibrations at ultrasonic frequencies. Oscillating either probe tip or sample vertically modulates the normal force about the setpoint force, acting between tip and sample. When the tip contacts the sample, the surface resists the oscillation and deformation of the sample is dependent on the local stiffness or elasticity. For a constant normal force, a soft area deforms more than a hard area and thus the cantilever deflection is less over a soft area. The variations in cantilever vertical oscillation is a measure of relative elasticity of the sample. Elasticity maps with a lateral resolution of better than 100 nm have been taken on alumina-based ceramic composite, and on two metal particle (MP) recording tapes. By vibrating the sample laterally, the shear forces are modulated. Detecting and analyzing the cantilever torsional behavior, we are able to characterize friction and viscosity of thin films used for lubrication of magnetic disks.


With the development and spread of Internet of Things technologies, various types of data for IoT applications can be generated anywhere and at any time. Among such data, there are data that depend heavily on generation time and location. We define these data as spatiotemporal data (STD). In previous studies, we proposed a STD retention system using vehicular networks to achieve the "Local production and consumption of STD" paradigm. The system can quickly provide STD for users within a specific location by retaining the STD within the area. However, this system does not take into account that each type of STD has different requirements for STD retention. In particular, the lifetime of STD and the diffusion time to the entire area directly influence the performance of STD retention. Therefore, we propose an efficient diffusion and elimination control method for retention based on the requirements of STD. The results of simulation evaluation demonstrated that the proposed method can satisfy the requirements of STD, while maintaining a high coverage rate in the area. key words: STD, data retention, diffusion and elimination, dynamic transmission interval control


The aim of this study was to identify the politeness strategies employed by Iraqi EFL undergraduate learners in their request emails to their lecturers during their study period in Malaysia. A content and discourse analysis approaches were conducted to quantitatively and qualitatively analyze the data. Emails were analyzed first for the level of directness following the framework proposed by Blum-Kulka et al. (1989). This contributed to assign the types of the politeness strategy used in students' emails following Brown and Levinson's (1987) politeness theory. The results showed that students used almost a variety of politeness strategies as they used varied levels of directness. Positive politeness strategy was the most prominent as the students mainly expressed their opinion, agreement and disagreement through their requests, which requires positive politeness to save the positive face of the addressee. The findings also showed that Iraqi undergraduate students are mitigating the possible threat to each other's face by using expressions of positive politeness to show solidarity, like-mindedness and friendship


A novel strain, Streptomyces griseiviridis MUM 136JT was recovered from a mangrove forest soil in Malaysia. The Gram-positive bacterium forms strong yellow aerial mycelium and moderate yellow substrate mycelium on ISP 2 agar. A polyphasic approachwas used to determine the taxonomy status of strain MUM 136JT. The strain showed a spectrum of phylogenetic and chemotaxonomic properties consistent with those of the members of the genus Streptomyces. The cell wall peptidoglycan was determined to contain LL-diaminopimelic acid. The predominant menaquinones were identified as MK-9(H8) and MK-9(H6), while the identified polar lipids consisted of lipid, aminolipid, phospholipid, phosphatidylglycerol, phosphatidylinositol, phosphatidylethanolamine, diphosphatidylglycerol, and phosphatidylinositolmannoside. The cell wall sugars consist of ribose, mannose, and galactose. The predominant cellular fatty acids (>10.0 %) were identified as iso-C16:0 (31.6 %), anteiso-C15:0 (14.8 %), iso-C15:0 (12.0 %), and anteiso-C17:0 (11.1 %). Phylogenetic analysis identified that closely related strains for MUM 136JT are Streptomyces leeuwenhoekii DSM 42122T (98.9 %), Streptomyces erythrogriseus JCM 9650T (98.4 %), Streptomyces griseoincarnatus JCM 4381T (98.5 %). The DNA-DNA relatedness values between MUM 136 JT and closely related type strains ranged from 13.3 ± 1.5 % to 17.4 ± 2.0 %. The name Streptomyces griseiviridis sp. nov. is proposed, and the type strain is MUM 136JT (= NBRC 114249T = MCCC 1K04199T).


We present the case of a male patient with sepsis and a chronic discharging sinus in a multirevised total hip replacement. Following extensive debridement, the reimplanted hip became unstable. With the patient's long-term desire to return to work and ride a bicycle with his children, the patient agreed to proceed with a novel, custom-designed, constrained dual mobility liner which allowed unrestricted movement. In 2017, the patient underwent revision surgery with this novel dual mobility constrained prosthesis. The patient was very quickly able to regain independence. After 16 years of unemployment, he managed to return to gainful employment as a cleaner rapidly regaining function as well as finally being able to ride a bike with his children for the first time.


»So – ethical criticism is back«, declares Marshall W. Gregory in his contribution to the debate initiated by the Journal of Literary Theory concerning the long-term relations between literature and ethics (Gregory 2010, 282). Gregory argues that ethical criticism has received a »second chance« after being »killed, crushed, annihilated« throughout the 20th century (ibid., 274). To avoid squandering this opportunity, he suggests, it is crucial to identify »what's at stake in ethical criticism« (ibid., 282). In this article, we join Gregory and subsequent contributors in the effort to rethink the role of ethical criticism in the context of contemporary literary scholarship (Rabinowitz 2010; Groeben 2011; Titzmann 2012). We wish to turn attention to an issue that has thus far been largely ignored in this debate: the role of postmodern criticism in shaping the new face of ethical criticism. In particular, we challenge the concept of empathy and the assumption that empathy is a fundamental element of ethical reading.


Relations are derived for the photon-scattered particle angular correlation in the case of collisional p-state excitation from an initial p-state. The treatment is aimed at optimization and analysis of the charge exchange experiment H++Na(3p0.+or-1) to H(2p0.+or-1)+Na+. The spin polarization of the active electron in case of optical pumping with circularly polarized laser light is taken into account.


Under study was the dynamics of clinical and morphological changes of 348 portions of the repaired skin in 266 patients in different periods after plasty. Recommendations are proposed to prevent secondary cicatricial deformities.


Introduction/Background In many cases surgery of LMS is performed under the indication of presumed leiomyoma (LM) resulting frequently in morcellation. This study analysed it's influence on prognosis. Methodology Investigations included: Kaplan-Meier analysis, age, tumour size, mitosis index, estrogen receptor and 5-year-overall survival prediction. In order to exclude the impact of primary extrauterine spread on prognosis, only LMS stage pT1ab were analysed. Results From 215 stage pT1ab LMS150 (69.8%) were operated under the indication of LM. In summary, 89 (41.4%) tumors were morcellated. In this group local-relapse-free interval (LFI) was significantly shorter than without morcellation with the highest difference between 2 to 7 years, which becomes irrelevant after 8 years. In contrast, patients with morcellation had a significantly longer distant-metastasis-free interval (MFI). The difference in MFI stayed over the whole-time range without becoming similar to the not morcellated tumours. Considering the latter and the results of the other investigated prognosis factors including the overall survival (OS) probability, the morcellated LMS have had a better prognosis primary. A joint analysis of MFI and LFI (figure 1) showed no differences and the negative effect of morcellation is also after 8 years not relevant. In the same way OS (figure 2) does not change after the morcellation. In conclusion, the primary better prognosis of morcellated LMS becomes identically with the worse prognosis of not morcellated tumours. Additionally, analysis of time from the first locoregional relapse or metastasis to death shows that women with primary local recurrence have a shorter OS. Conclusion Morcellated vs not morcellated LMS show a significant shorter LFI with significantly longer MFI. Combined LFI and MFI like OS are not affected. Due to morcellation the preoperatively better prognosis of morcellated LMS measured by other prognostic factors equals the worse prognosis to tumors without morcellation. Disclosure Nothing to disclose. Abstract P108 Figure 1 Joint analysis of MFI and LFI Abstract P108 Figure 2 Overall survival


Crystal structures of 5-aminoimidazole ribonucleotide (AIR) synthetase, also known as PurM, from Thermus thermophilus (Tt) and Geobacillus kaustophilus (Gk) were determined. For TtPurM, the maximum resolution was 2.2 Å and the space group was P21212 with four dimers in an asymmetric unit. For GkPurM, the maximum resolution was 2.2 Å and the space group was P21212 with one monomer in asymmetric unit. The biological unit is dimer for both TtPurM and GkPurM and the dimer structures were similar to previously determined structures of PurM in general. For TtPurM, ∼50 residues at the amino terminal were disordered in the crystal structure whereas, for GkPurM, the corresponding region covered the ATP-binding site forming an α helix in part, suggesting that the N-terminal region of PurM changes its conformation upon binding of ligands. FGAM binding site was predicted by the docking simulation followed by the MD simulation based on the SO4 (2-) binding site found in the crystal structure of TtPurM.


We introduce an extension of Strategy logic for the imperfect-information setting, called SLii, and study its model-checking problem. As this logic naturally captures multi-player games with imperfect information, the problem turns out to be undecidable. We introduce a syntactical class of "hierarchical instances" for which, intuitively, as one goes down the syntactic tree of the formula, strategy quantifications are concerned with finer observations of the model. We prove that model-checking SLii restricted to hierarchical instances is decidable. This result, because it allows for complex patterns of existential and universal quantification on strategies, greatly generalises previous ones, such as decidability of multi-player games with imperfect information and hierarchical observations, and decidability of distributed synthesis for hierarchical systems. To establish the decidability result, we introduce and study QCTLii*, an extension of QCTL (itself an extension of CTL with second-order quantification over atomic propositions) by parameterising its quantifiers with observations. The simple syntax of QCTLii* allows us to provide a conceptually neat reduction of SLii to QCTLii* that separates concerns, allowing one to forget about strategies and players and focus solely on second-order quantification. While the model-checking problem of QCTLii* is, in general, undecidable, we identify a syntactic fragment of hierarchical formulas and prove, using an automata-theoretic approach, that it is decidable. The decidability result for SLii follows since the reduction maps hierarchical instances of SLii to hierarchical formulas of QCTLii*.


The Australian genus Eutermiphora Lea is characterised by a forward cxtension of the anterior dorsal region of the abdomen, which obscures most of the thorax from view. This gave rise to the erroneous statement that both wings and halteres were missing in this genus. An amplified description of E. abdominalis is provided and its correct placement in Schmitz's (1929) key to world genera indicated.


The following research paper presents an analysis of the history of studying and evaluating the creative heritage of one of the founders of the Yakut literature A.I. Sofronov. Based on the archive database search and biographical methods, we gained and are sharing an experience in systemizing the periods of life and creative journey of the writer; we also provide a description of these specific time segments without any ideological imperatives. The given research implements and introduces into the scientific use the archive and periodical materials published at the beginning of the 20 th century as well as the literary critics materials written by the social activists of the republic and forbidden for a considerable amount of time. The study presents a genuine description of the impact caused by the decrees of the political party, which reflect the political situation in the country, and the impact it had on the evaluation of the writer's works. This paper also contains an analysis of the previous researches on the interpretation and opinions on the creative method of A.I. Sofronov. The research is theoretically and methodologically based on a cultural-historical approach, which suggests that specific cultural-historical circumstances and social life have a formative impact on literature, and a biographical method, according to which a writer's personal life experience and biography play a key role in study of his creative work. As no literary process is possible without the writers as individuals, it is important to study their creative writing through biographical method in order to develop a specific concept of the national literature history and to single out the periods of its development. The present study justifies that the renown social and creative activist of Yakutia A.I. Sofronov is one of the key figures, whose creative writing played a significant role in forming and establishing Yakut national culture and literature; it also defined the entire trend of its development in the 20 th and 21 st centuries. The suggested timeline of the life and creative path of the writer is subdivided into six time-periods, which coincide with the social and political changes in the life of the society: I. 1914-1925; II. 1925-1942; III. 1942-1952; IV. 1952-1962; V. 1962-1986; VI. 1986 – present days.  As a result, the given research helped to single out the features in studying and evaluating the creative writing journey of the writer covering various periods of the literary and critical works development in Yakutia: the principles and approaches, which remained unknown to reader earlier as well as the real existing literary and social-political events.


Abnormal alpha7 nicotinic acetylcholine receptor activity contributes to sensory gating and cognitive deficits in schizophrenic individuals. Negligible differences in alpha7 mRNA levels between disease and control states have led to conclusions that cholinergic dysfunction in schizophrenia (SZ) must occur post-transcriptionally. Alternatively, we propose that the dysregulation of splice variants of the alpha7 receptor could account for cholinergic deficiencies observed in this disease. Here, we isolated multiple alpha7 splice variants including exon deletions and those associated with a novel 124-127 base insertion following exon 4. Transcripts containing this new exon originated from sense strand-oriented RNA (vs. antisense), and in silico translations produced putative subunits with unique amino termini. Quantitative real-time polymerase chain reaction analyses indicated that one novel isoform was significantly downregulated (P < or = 0.03) in post-mortem prefrontal cortex of individuals with SZ (n = 35) compared with controls (n = 34). Ten brain regions (cerebellum, thalamus, corpus callosum, caudate, putamen and five areas of the cortex) were further screened for alpha7 isoforms in three individuals of each group. Semiquantitative analyses showed that each alpha7 mRNA subtype was present in each brain region, but all were particularly deficient in the corpus callosum in schizophrenics vs. controls (P < or = 0.0002 to 0.05 for different isoforms). Our data demonstrate that alpha7 transcription is altered in several ways in SZ, suggesting that transcription-level mechanisms could account in part for the impaired cholinergic neurotransmission observed in this disease.


Background and objectives: Despite the serious concerns of patients about the role of food in triggering or ameliorating their intestinal disease, there are few studies dealing with patients' beliefs and practices regarding diet in inflammatory bowel disease (IBD). The aim of this study was to investigate how the disease affected the dietary habits of patients with IBD, and to assess if patients' food restrictions were responsible for low bone mineralization. Materials and Methods: For this study, 90 consecutive patients referred for IBD were interviewed regarding their dietary habits. Demographic features and clinical characteristics potentially associated with the dietary habits were collected. A validated and self-administered survey questionnaire dealing with dietary habits and patients' beliefs and perceptions regarding food was analyzed. Multivariate logistic regression analysis was performed in order to identify risk factors for dietary restrictions among participants and to evaluate the relationship between dietary restrictions and low bone mineral density (BMD). Results: Among the 63 (70%) patients who claimed a self-prescribed dietary restriction, 84% avoided dairy products. Significant risk factors (adjusted odds ratio (OR), 95% confidence interval (CI)) for the dietary restrictions were a younger age (p = 0.02), a higher level of education (p = 0.007), and a higher visceral sensitivity index (p = 0.009). Most (80%) of the patients displayed an inadequate calcium intake, and an abnormal result at dual-energy X-ray absorptiometry (DXA) scan accounting for low BMD was reported in 46 (51%) of them. Dietary restrictions (p = 0.03), and in particular avoiding dairy products (p = 0.001), were significant risk factors for a low BMD, along with female gender (p = 0.001), smoking (p = 0.04), and steroid abuse (p = 0.03). Almost all (86%) patients changed their diet after IBD diagnosis, as 8% believed that foods could have been a trigger for IBD and 37% that a proper diet was more important than drugs in controlling disease. Although 61% of the patients claimed to have received nutritional advice, 78% of the participants showed interest in receiving more. Conclusions: Dietary habits of IBD patients should be investigated by healthcare professionals as part of the routine visit. Clinicians are invited to provide nutritional recommendations to these patients in order to avoid unnecessary self-prescribed dietary restrictions.


Background Bee pollen (BP) is full of useful nutrients and phytochemicals.Its chemical components and bioactivities depend mainly on the type of floral pollen. Methods Monofloral BP from Camellia sinensis L., Mimosa diplotricha, Helianthus annuus L., Nelumbo nucifera, Xyris complanata, and Ageratum conyzoides were harvested. Crude extraction and partition were performed to yield solvent-partitioned extracts of each BP. Total phenolic content (TPC) was assayed by the Folin-Ciocalteu method, while the flavonoid content (FC) was measured by the aluminium chloride colorimetric method. Antioxidant capacity was measured by the (i) 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl (DPPH) radical scavenging activity, (ii) 2,2'-azino-bis (3-ethylbenzthiazoline-6-sulphonic acid) (ABTS) scavenging activity and its Trolox equivalent antioxidant capacity (TEAC), and (iii) ferric reducing antioxidant power (FRAP). All samples were tested for lipoxygenase inhibitory (LOXI) activity. The most active sample was enriched by silica gel 60 column chromatography (SiG60-CC) and high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), observing the chemical pattern of each fraction using thin layer chromatography. Chemical structure of the most active compound was analyzed by proton nuclear magnetic resonance and mass spectrometry. Results Dichloromethane (DCM)-partitioned BP extracts of H. annuus L. and M. diplotricha (DCMMBP) showed a very high TPC, while DCMMBP had the highest FC. In addition, DCMMBP had the strongest DPPH and ABTS radical scavenging activities (as a TEAC value), as well as FRAP value. Also, DCMMBP (60 µg/mL) gave the highest LOXI activity (78.60 ± 2.81%). Hence, DCMMBP was chosen for further enrichment by SiG60-CC and HPLC. Following this, the most active fraction showed higher antioxidant andLOXI activities with an EC50 for DPPH and ABTS of 54.66 ± 3.45 µg/mL and 24.56 ± 2.99 µg/mL (with a TEAC value of 2,529.69 ± 142.16 µmole TE/g), respectively, and a FRAP value of 3,466.17 ± 81.30 µmole Fe2+/g and an IC50 for LOXI activity of 12.11 ± 0.36 µg/mL. Triferuloyl spermidines were revealed to be the likely main active components. Conclusions TPC, FC, and spermidine derivatives played an important role in the antioxidant and antilipoxygenase activities in M. diplotricha bee pollen.


Controllable access to the hybrid plasmonic nanostructures built of small metal nanoparticles and organic spacer offers a tempting set of electronic excitations, which proper handling promises valuable applications and bright fundamental prospect. Here, we report on remarkable plasmonic properties of the AuxC60 hybrid nanostructures formed through self-assembling the depositing mixture of metal and fullerene. Using optical absorption spectra, we demonstrate establishing of quantum plasmon (QP) excitations upon the controllable increase of spatial density and size of the Au clusters formed in the films. Detection of two plasmonic modes evidences the QP hybridization enabling by nm-scaled proximity of the neighboured Au clusters. Variation of the QP mode parameters with gradual decrease of the inter-cluster spacing ΔL to the sub-nanometre scale driven by the Au concentration in the film x allowed us to evidence the quantum tunnelling regime in the QP hybridization launching at ΔL ≈ 0.9 nm. The later result designates an important role of the C60 molecules, separating the Au clusters, in design of plasmonic and transport properties of the hybrid films. The obtained results represent the self-assembled AuxC60 nanocomposites as the promising plasmonic materials with potential for application in nanoplasmonics, nanoelectronics, and nanomedicine.


This paper analyze the variation of the inertial parameters of the powertrain based on the orthogonal test, and their effect on the vibration characteristics of the system. Then the paper designs a test plan of the two levels orthogonal test with 6 facts by establishing a mathematical model of 6-dof in engine-mount system. We spend 8 times having done the orthogonal computation with MATLAB. The experiment results bring us the average of the changes of two levels decoupling owned by the mounting system's 6 rank inherent characteristics on each direction .And this changes are caused by the fluctuating of inertial parameters. Finally, we analyze the variation of the rotational inertial and the inertial integrated parameters, and their influence on the quality level of the sensitivity on the all decoupling parameters in engine-mounting system on each direction. Combined with the calculation examples in the thesis, we discuss the individual inertial parameters of the engine-mounting system ,which is the crucial design parameters of sensitivity analysis, and have provided a parameter basis for the design of engine-mounting system.


In this paper, presented an OFDM performance evaluation with the Non-uniform Coded-Modulation in the underwater acoustic channel in shallow water. A row of binary information is encoded by BCH code (7.4) for error correction and combined with Non-uniform modulation which is the result of modification of the subcarrier arrangement of the OFDM standard IEEE 802.11a. Modeling uses 52 subcarriers consisting of 4 pilots and 48 subcarrier data which are divided into three parts, i.e.: 24 subcarrier data with 16-Quadrature Amplitude Modulation (16-QAM) modulation, 12 subcarrier data with Quadrature phase-shift keying (QPSK) modulation and 12 other data subcarriers with Binary key-shift keying (BPSK) modulation. The channel type used describes the Additive White Gaussian Noise (AWGN) condition and is the result of measurement data. The analysis is done in terms of Signal-to-Noise-Ratio (SNR) and Bit Error Rate (BER) show that the value of the error rate of 0.001, modulation of BPSK, QPSK, 16-QAM, and Non-uniform modulation required the power each 5 dB, 8.5 dB, 10.3 dB, and 7.9 dB. However, the proposed system is able to suppress the required power up to 6 dB. The proposed system also shows better performance than fixed modulation and Non-uniform Modulation, which in this case with low power to achieve the same error rate. In addition, the proposed system has a coding gain of 1.9 dB compared to a non-uniform modulation system. Real testing is also done with measurement data at Mangrove estuary, Surabaya. The results show performance similar to simulations performed on Gaussian noise channels.


Out of 6 patients having air-borne-contact dermatitis, 2 showed a positive patch test with eucalyptus oil, while out of 26 patients having contact dermatitis due to other agents such an cosmetics, topical drugs and wearing apparel taken as controls, only one was positive with eucalyptus oil.


In the preceding paper it was shown that the disturbance of rhythm produced by a premature beat introduced in the latter part of a normal cycle or of a premature beat cycle is a comparatively simple and regular one : the cycle following the premature beat so introduced is lengthened by an amount that varies with the degree of curtailment of the preceding cycle. The subsequent cycle is normal, or, when the shortening of the curtailed normal cycle is more marked, it may be slightly lengthened. This paper will deal with the dis turbances of rhythm produced by a premature beat introduced earlier in a normal cycle or a premature beat cycle ; they are more complex and less regular. Responses of this type have previously been observed by Drury and Brow (1926), who called them re-entrant beats, and by Miki and Rothberger (1922), but no attempt has been made to elucidate the mechanism of their production. The method used was that described in the previous paper, p. 308.


In three-dimensional (3-D) space perceptual functioning of the human visual system, occlusion cues play an important role. Two types of occlusion cues in binocular fusion were postulated and investigated using the newly discovered 3-D illusion. One type is called the contour occlusion cue, in which the visibility of occluded objects changes at the border where they pass beyond the occluding object contour. The second type is newly postulated and is named the bulky occlusion cue, which applies to volumetric occlusion, in which the visibility of occluded objects changes at the boundary where they pass through the object surface from the outside space to the inside space of the occluding object. These newly postulated and clarified occlusion cues are closely related to the visual perception of 3-D-space in binocular viewing, and they are expected to provide clues to revealing the mechanism underlying the 3-D-space perceptual ability of the human visual system.


With the rapid development of the computer industry and computer software, the risk of software vulnerabilities being exploited has greatly increased. However, there are still many shortcomings in the existing mining techniques for leakage source research, such as high false alarm rate, coarse-grained detection, and dependence on expert experience. In this paper, we mainly use the c/c++ source code data of the SARD dataset, process the source code of CWE476, CWE469, CWE516 and CWE570 vulnerability types, test the Joern vulnerability scanning function of the cutting-edge tool, and propose a new cascading deep learning model VMCDL based on source code control flow to effectively detect vulnerabilities. First, this paper uses joern to locate and extract sensitive functions and statements to form a sensitive statement library of vulnerable code. Then, the CFG flow vulnerability code snippets are generated by bidirectional breadth-first traversal, and then vectorized by Doc2vec. Finally, the cascade deep learning model based on source code control flow is used for classification to obtain the classification results. In the experimental evaluation, we give the test results of Joern on specific vulnerabilities, and give the confusion matrix and label data of the binary classification results of the model algorithm on single vulnerability type source code, and compare and verify the five indicators of FPR, FNR, ACC, P and F1, respectively reaching 10.30%, 5.20%, 92.50%,85.10% and 85.40%,which shows that it can effectively reduce the false alarm rate of static analysis.


ABSTRACT Perhaps more than any other occupation, police witness the context and aftermath of domestic abuse but little is known about the police-victim overlap with regard to domestic abuse. This paper, based on survey responses from approximately one-quarter of the workforce in an English police force (weighted n = 876) addresses this gap. In the survey, respondents described personal characteristics, colleague and personal experience of domestic abuse victimisation. Weighting the data to address non-response patterns, we found lifetime prevalence of domestic abuse in the police workforce around 22%. Females were more likely than males to experience domestic abuse (relative risk (RR) 1.61, confidence interval (CI) 1.25–2.08). Of victims, 47% disclosed their victimisation to a colleague, while 37% disclosed to a line manager and 27% were abused by a partner who also worked in policing. Although there was no difference in disclosure between males and females, disclosure to a colleague (RR 1.66, CI 1.24–2.13) or a line manager (RR 1.79, CI 1.24–2.58) was more likely if the abuser worked in policing. This paper – the most comprehensive description of domestic abuse victimisation in a policing population – demonstrates that, despite their occupational role as guardians and enforcers of the law, the police workforce experience domestic abuse in similar ways as do the general population. As with the general population, this frequency of victimisation, coupled with the repetitive and continuous nature of domestic abuse and the harm it causes, represents a widespread problem and threat to the wellbeing of the police workforce.


ABSTRACT Using malaria and the watershed of the River Tiber as an example, this essay demonstrates how the principles of landscape epidemiology – taking the natural and human landscapes as a whole – can guide investigations into historic landscapes of disease. 'Roman fevers' have been legendary since Antiquity, and Italy's malarial landscape was one of the most well known in the world. As this essay will illustrate, the Late Antique Tiber Valley was primed to support an intense malarial landscape continuing from Imperial Rome forward to medieval Italy with a continuing role in an urban syndemic, the convergence of two or more diseases into a larger problem. Studies by Sallares, Aldrete and others have provided the evidence needed to apply the principles of landscape epidemiology to Rome and the Tiber Valley. Taking into account climate, landscape features, animal species and human activity provides a more complete or holistic assessment of how an infectious disease functioned in the region.


(57) Abstract: The present invention, cell survival, proliferation, and / or development of cultured cells under conditions that promote differentiation of the cells. The present inventors have found that reducing the apoptosis to promote growth when compared to the environmental oxygen conditions conventionally used in cell culture methods were growing the cells in hypoxic. Furthermore, the present inventors have found that a very large number and percentage when the differentiation of precursor cells to specific fate promoted with low oxygen, the ex was panned John and differentiation midbrain precursors hypoxia conditions It found that the dopaminergic neurons obtained. That is, proliferation and differentiation of CNS precursors is accelerated by a more physiological oxygen levels, hypoxia effectively assist the ex vivo generation of specific neuronal types. The methods and compositions utilizing these findings have been described.


Lung adenocarcinoma (LAD) and lung squamous cell cancer (LSCC) are two most common histological types of lung cancer, while they differ in many aspects. Recent evidence shows that long non-coding RNAs (lncRNAs) play an important role in the process of cancer initiation and progression. Thus, characterization of LAD and LSCC associated lncRNAs may help understand the difference between LAD and LSCC. Here, we analyzed three sets of RNA-seq data, including LAD RNA-seq data from TCGA project. We identified a novel lncRNA, long intergenic non-protein coding RNA 1207 (LINC01207) which was significantly up-regulated in LAD tissues compared with paired non-tumor tissues (5.78 fold increase, P<0.05), while there was no significant differences between LSCC tissues and adjacent non-tumor tissues. The expression level of LINC01207 was associated with TNM stage of LAD patients, and higher LINC01207 level indicated advanced TNM stage (P<0.05) and shorter survival (HR=2.53, P<0.05). By small interfering RNA (siRNA) mediated knockdown of LINC01207, we determined the biological function of LINC01207 in A549 cell line. After knockdown of LINC01207, cell proliferation ability was inhibited. Further analysis showed that after silence of LINC01207, the percentage of apoptotic cells significantly increased. By RNA immunoprecipitation and Chromatin immunoprecipitation assay, we demonstrated that LINC01207 could bind with EZH2 and mediated trimethylation of histone 3 lysine 27 at the promoter region of Bad, an important pro-apoptotic gene. Finally, we developed xenograft tumor models in nude mice and xenograft tumors derived from A549 cells transfected with siRNA-LINC01207 had significantly lower tumor weight and smaller tumor volume. In summary, the novel lncRNA, LINC01207 is specifically up-regulated in LAD but not in LSCC; and LINC01207 could promote LAD cell growth both in vivo and in vitro.


An increase in the transradiancy of a part of a lung may be due to a giant cyst or bulla, compensatory or obstructive emphysema, or a decrease in the pulmonary blood flow. Such a change in blood flow may result from pulmonary embolism and less frequently from thrombosis of the pulmonary artery. On rare occasions, congenital absence or hypoplasia of the pulmonary artery with or without intracardiac anomaly and compression of the artery by a mediastinal mass can cause diminished perfusion of the lung. In 1953, Swyer and James 1 reported, under the partial title "Unilateral Pulmonary Emphysema," the case of a 6-year-old boy with recurrent bronchitis and bronchiolitis and a hyperlucent lung. Pulmonary angiograms revealed a hypoplastic right pulmonary artery, but hypoplasia was not demonstrable in the resected lung. There was, however, widespread obliteration of the peripheral lung capillaries and bronchitis with bronchiolitis. The authors presumed a functional in


Introduction: Osteopenia and osteoporosis are common conditions in the United States. The health consequences of low bone density can be dire, from poor surgical outcomes to increased mortality rates following a fracture. Significance: This article highlights the impact low bone density has on spine health in terms of vertebral fragility fractures and its adverse effects on elective spine surgery. It also reviews the clinical importance of bone health assessment and optimization. Results: Vertebral fractures are the most common fragility fractures with significant consequences related to patient morbidity and mortality. Additionally, a vertebral fracture is the best predictor of a subsequent fracture. These fractures constitute sentinel events in osteoporosis that require further evaluation and treatment of the patient's underlying bone disease. In addition to fractures, osteopenia and osteoporosis have deleterious effects on elective spine surgery from screw pullout to fusion rates. Adequate evaluation and treatment of a patient's underlying bone disease in these situations have been shown to improve patient outcomes. Conclusion: With an increased understanding of the prevalence of low bone mass and its consequences as well an understanding of how to identify these patients and appropriately intervene, spine surgeons can effectively decrease the rates of adverse health outcomes related to low bone mass.


Background/Aims: Polymorphisms of a single nucleotide in RETN have been associated with indexes of insulin resistance. Our aim was to analyze the effects of the rs1862513 RETN gene polymorphism on insulin resistance, insulin levels, and resistin levels changes after 3 months of a low-fat hypocaloric diet. Design: A Caucasian population of 133 obese patients was analyzed before and after 3 months on a low-fat hypocaloric diet. Results: Fifty-six patients (42.1%) had the genotype GG (wild group) and 77 (57.9%) patients had the other genotypes; GC (59 patients, 44.4%) or CC (18 patients, 13.5%; mutant group). In wild and mutant genotype groups, weight, body mass index, fat mass, waist circumference, and systolic blood pressure decreased. In the wild genotype group, the decrease in total cholesterol was -13.1 ± 25.3 mg/dL (vs. -4.4 ± 13.7 mg/dL in mutant group: p = 0.004 for group deltas), low density lipoprotein (LDL)-cholesterol was -13.0 ± 21.5 mg/dL (-4.3 ± 10.5 mg/dL: p = 0.007), glucose -7.2 ± 3.5 mg/dL (-0.8 ± 0.2 mg/dL: p = 0.01), insulin -5.6 ± 2.5 mUI/L (-2.9 ± 1.2 mUI/L: p = 0.03) and homeostasis model assessment-insulin resistance (HOMA-IR) -2.5 ± 1.1 (-0.6 ± 1.4: p = 0.02). Leptin levels decreased in both genotypes (-10.1 ± 9.5 ng/dL in wild type group vs. -13.1 ± 0.2 ng/dL in mutant type group: p > 0.05). Conclusion: The present study suggests that the G/G genotype of RETN rs1862513 could be a predictor of the reduction of HOMA-IR, insulin, fasting glucose and LDL cholesterol secondary to a hypocaloric diet in obese subjects.


A patient with M5b acute nonlymphoblastic leukemia (ANLL) and a 47,XXX del(11) (q23) karyotype is described. Partial remission was obtained after treatment with daunorubicin, arabinosylcytosine and VP-16. Subsequently, two courses of chemotherapy for resistant ANLL were administered without achieving complete remission. Abnormalities of chromosome 11 are typical of M4 and M5 ANLL. X trisomy is one of the most common human aneuploidia; however, correlation with increased incidence of hematological neoplasia has not been described.


Background: Atherosclerosis has emerged as the leading cause of death in developed countries. At present, human umbilical vein endothelial cells (HUVEC) are most commonly used for the investigation of Endothelial cells (EC). However, HUVEC are not found in arteries but only in veins. Currently there are many reports on methods used to isolate EC;, most of these methods require special equipment to remove contaminating smooth muscle cells (SMC). Materials and Methods: The method described here may be used to isolate not only ECs but also SMCs;,the approach presented here did not require special equipment. Rat aorta was treated with 2 mg/ml of type II collagenase solution for 45 minutes. The isolated cells from the aorta were incubated in medium G for a week;, only ECs could be separated. After the collagenase treatment, the rest of aorta was cut lengthwise, and left undisturbed to obtain SMCs in the culture dish for 10 days. To verify the purity of the isolated cells, we performed immunofluorescence and evaluated the results with transmission electron microscopy analysis. Results: The immunofluorescence study demonstrated specific expression of CD31 and -smooth muscle actin in the isolated ECs and SMCs, respectively. Cultured ECs and SMCs showed their own fine structure characteristics. Conclusion: These results suggest that this method for isolating ECs and SMCs may be especially useful for the study of atherosclerosis.


Shared Mobility Services (SMS), e.g., Demand-Responsive Transit (DRT) or ride-sharing, can improve mobility in low-density areas, often poorly served by conventional Public Transport (PT). Such improvement is mostly quantified via basic performance indicators, like wait or travel time. However, accessibility indicators, measuring the ease of reaching surrounding opportunities (e.g., jobs, schools, shops, ...), would be a more comprehensive indicator. To date, no method exists to quantify the accessibility of SMS based on empirical measurements. Indeed, accessibility is generally computed on graph representations of PT networks, but SMS are dynamic and do not follow a predefined network. We propose a spatial-temporal statistical method that takes as input observed trips of a SMS acting as a feeder for PT and summarized such trips in a graph. On such a graph, we compute classic accessibility indicators. We apply our method to a MATSim simulation study concerning DRT in Paris-Saclay.


In this article we review the theory of cosmological inflation with a particular focus on the beautiful connection it provides between the physics of the very small and observations of the very large. We explain how quantum mechanical fluctuations during the inflationary era become macroscopic density fluctuations which leave distinct imprints in the cosmic microwave background (CMB). We describe the physics of anisotropies in the CMB temperature and polarization and discuss how CMB observations can be used to probe the primordial universe.


What is legislation? What is law? A great deal of ink has been spilled on these questions. In this essay I wish to investigate the answers that have been provided in international law. Two theses are advanced. First, there is a misunderstanding in international law about what legislation is. This can be seen, for instance, in the popular claim that the United Nations Security Council has begun to "legislate" on the international plane. The second thesis attempts to specify how this misunderstanding has come about; I suggest that international law writing tends to evince a more basic mistake about what law is. If these two theses are true, the literature on international law-making stands in need of revision.


Although the topic of analog-to-digital (A/D) conversion should fundamentally be part of the signal processing area, paradoxically, very little signal theory has been devoted to it. One reason is that the main technique currently used in data acquisition, called /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ modulation, consists of coarse quantization with feedback. This prevents the normal resolution of the output of the system in terms of its input, contrary to the case of linear feedback systems. The paper introduces new tools to solve this problem and enable rigorous signal error analysis of /spl Sigma//spl Delta/ modulators.


One of the essential backstories of Donna Haraway's essay "Teddy Bear Patriarchy" is the biography of celebrated collector/taxidermist Carl Akeley, and his vision for the African Hall at the American Museum of Natural History (AMNH) in New York. The "Authors and Versions" section of Haraway's essay examines expedition stories recorded by Carl Akeley, his first wife, Delia Denning Akeley, and his second, Mary Jobe Akeley, to interrogate the issue of authorship, and build a case for an alleged cover-up of Delia's contributions by "the official scientific community". The present article pursues a reading of "Authors and Versions" against a more robust historical background, including published sources, and primary archival materials, in order to deepen, and correct, the broader story of the authorship and intellectual labour behind the AMNH African Hall, in particular the purported suppression of Delia Akeley's voice and labour.


Electric Vehicles have been increasingly integrated into the power system and would take a lager proportion of load in the future. This research examines the influences of the large-scale EV on multi-energy system in terms of cost, renewable energy accommodation and carbon emission reduction. The multi-energy system optimal operation dispatch model is proposed to dispatch the different energy conversion devices and energy storage devices considering EV integration. We establish the EV models considering the controlled charging scheme and V2G scheme into the dispatch model. The multi-energy system carbon emission flow theory is used to track carbon emissions and allocate the carbon emission on end-use energy including EV. The results show that the large-scale EV integration helps enhance system economic profits and effectively reduce carbon emissions.


This paper reports on the theoretical perspectives underpinning the design of a 3D geometry software environment called 3DMath. The idea of 3DMath is to develop a dynamic three dimensional geometry microworld, which enables (i) students to construct, observe and manipulate geometrical figures in 3D space, (ii) students to focus on modeling geometric situations, and (iii) teachers to help students construct their understanding of stereometry. During the developmental of 3DMath, the key elements of visualization (mental images, external representations, and the processes and abilities of visualization) are being carefully taken into consideration. The aim of this paper is to illustrate how the design of the 3DMath software is informed by these key elements of visualization, as well as by theories related to the philosophical basis of mathematical knowledge and to semiotics. Thus, the paper describes how the features of the software are designed to enhance the elements of visualization, and to satisfy the characteristics of instructional techniques that are appropriate to these theoretical perspectives.


Atorvastatin and ezetimibe are frequently co-administered to treat patients with dyslipidemia for the purpose of low-density lipoprotein cholesterol control. However, pharmacokinetic (PK) drug interaction between atorvastatin and ezetimibe has not been evaluated in Korean population. The aim of this study was to investigate PK drug interaction between two drugs in healthy Korean volunteers. An open-label, randomized, multiple-dose, three-treatment, three-period, Williams design crossover study was conducted in 36 healthy male subjects. During each period, the subjects received one of the following three treatments for seven days: atorvastatin 40 mg, ezetimibe 10 mg, or a combination of both. Blood samples were collected up to 96 h after dosing, and PK parameters of atorvastatin, 2-hydroxyatorvastatin, total ezetimibe (free ezetimibe + ezetimibe-glucuronide), and free ezetimibe were estimated by non-compartmental analysis in 32 subjects who completed the study. Geometric mean ratios (GMRs) with 90% confidence intervals (CIs) of the maximum plasma concentration (Cmax,ss) and the area under the curve within a dosing interval at steady state (AUCτ,ss) of atorvastatin when administered with and without ezetimibe were 1.1087 (0.9799–1.2544) and 1.1154 (1.0079–1.2344), respectively. The corresponding values for total ezetimibe were 1.0005 (0.9227–1.0849) and 1.0176 (0.9465–1.0941). There was no clinically significant change in safety assessment related to either atorvastatin or ezetimibe. Co-administration of atorvastatin and ezetimibe showed similar PK and safety profile compared with each drug alone. The PK interaction between two drugs was not clinically significant in healthy Korean volunteers.


111 this investigation the working out and the standardisation of tlie x-ray contrast method for determination of the germinability of Piceci abies (L.) Karst. seed is described. Eighty-four samples from different countries and with various germination values were used for the study. Treatment of a sample with a 40 per cent solution of sodium iodide for 15 minutes at room temperature was found to be suitable for calculating its germinability. Seeds with both embryo and endosperm free of impregnation or those with embryo unimpregnated and the endosperm impregnated in not more than 25 per cent of its projected area on the x-ray film were considered as germinable. The development of the embryo and the endosperm was also taken into consideration for determining the germinabilitj of a seed. The results of the germinability of the samples calculated by the x-ray contrast method were found to agree well with their germination percentages on Jacobsen apparatus, which were used as the standard in this study. Ms. reccived 20 November 1970


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the prevalence and epidemiologic characteristics of seronegative spondyloarthritis (SpAs) in Chinese army force in different areas.

METHODS
4-phase survey was conducted in 21 750 Chinese army, including: face-to-face interviews with standardized COPCORD questionnaires (Phase I screening); further examination on the suspected cases; identification of inflammatory joint and spinal diseases (Phase II); identification of SpAs (AS and uSpA) by more than two experienced specialists in rheumatology; further examination with X-rays and laboratory detection of HLA-B27 (Phase III); and data analysis (Phase IV).

RESULTS
Among 21 750 army men, 21 cases of RA, 106 cases of SpAs were identified, with prevalence rates of 0.966 per thousand, 4.87 per thousand respectively. In 106 cases of SpAs, there were 46 cases of ankylosing spondylitis (AS), 52 cases of undifferentiated SpAs (uSpAs) with the prevalence rates of 2.11 per thousand and 2.39 per thousand respectively. Few cases of reactive arthritis (ReA) and Reiter's syndrome (RS) were identified (6 and 1 cases respectively). The prevalence of AS, uSpAs were higher in navy than that in the ground force or the air force. Soldiers in cold and damp areas had higher prevalence rates than that in the plain and drought areas.

CONCLUSION
The prevalence of SpA (especially AS and uSpA) in Chinese army force was similar to that in the civilians. SpA (AS and uSpA) was more prevalent seen in the Navy. The incidence of SpA (AS and uSpA) was influenced by environmental factors such as coldness and dampness.


We estimate the loading rate in southern California and the change in stress induced by a transient slip event across the San Andreas fault (SAF) system in central California, using a model of static fatigue. We analyze temporal properties of aftershocks in order to determine the time delay before the onset of the power law aftershock decay rate. In creep-slip and stick-slip zones, we show that the rate of change of this delay is related to seismic and aseismic deformation across the SAF system. Furthermore, we show that this rate of change is proportional to the deficit of slip rate along the SAF. This new relationship between geodetic and seismological data is in good agreement with predictions from a Limited Power Law model in which the evolution of the duration of a linear aftershock decay rate over short time results from variations in the load of the brittle upper crust.