. The international biomedical community has been currently facing a need to find a simple and most accessible type of analysis that helps to diagnose tuberculosis (TB) with the maximum reliability even before the onset of clinical manifestations. Tuberculosis results in more deaths than any other pathogen, second only to pneumonia caused by the SARS-CoV-2 virus, but the majority of infected people remain asymptomatic. In addition, it is important to develop methods to distinguish various forms of tuberculosis infection course at early stages and to reliably stratify patients into appropriate groups (persons with a rapidly progressing infection, chronic course, latent infection carriers). Immunometabolism investigates a relationship between bioenergetic pathways and specific functions of immune cells that has re-cently become increasingly important in scientific research. The host anti-mycobacteria immune response in tuberculosis is regu lated by a number of metabolic networks that can interact both cooperatively and antagonistically, influencing an outcome of the disease. The balance between inflammatory and immune reactions limits the spread of mycobacteria in vivo and protects from developing tuberculosis. Cytokines are essential for host defense, but if uncontrolled, some mediators may contribute to developing disease and pathology. Differences in plasma levels of metabolites between individuals with advanced infection, LTBI and healthy individuals can be detected long before the onset of the major related clinical signs. Changes in amino acid and cortisol level may be detected as early as 12 months before the onset of the disease and become more prominent at verifying clinical diagnosis. Assessing serum level of certain amino acids and their ratios may be used as additional diagnostic markers of active pulmonary TB. Metabolites, including serum fatty acids, amino acids and lipids may contribute to detecting active TB. Metabolic profiles indicate about increased indolamine 2.3-di-oxygenase 1 (IDO1) activity, decreased phospholipase activity, increased adenosine metabolite level, and fibrous lesions in active vs. latent infection. TB treatment can be adjusted based on individual patient metabolism and biomarker profiles. Thus, exploring immunometabolism in tuberculosis is necessary for development of new therapeutic strategies.


We have used cytofluorometry to examine the formaldehyde sensitivity of the binding of a monoclonal antibody (MAB) to its epitope on glial fibrillary acidic protein in human malignant glioma cells in culture. When acetone-extracted whole cells or cytoskeletons, made by extracting with Triton in stabilizing buffer (Tsb), are fixed with formaldehyde, binding of the MAB Tp-GFAP1 to GFAP is abolished or greatly reduced. Fixation with the bifunctional protein crosslinking reagent dithiobis (succinimidyl propionate) (DTSP) has the same negative effect as formaldehyde. If cytoskeletons are further extracted with Tsb containing 250 mM ammonium sulfate (Thsb), fixation with formaldehyde or DTSP has reduced or no effect on the binding of Tp-GFAP1. The data are consistent with the hypothesis that aldehyde sensitivity of Tp-GFAP1 is caused by the crosslinking of a second protein to GFAP that blocks the binding of the MAB to its epitope. This putative blocking protein is part of the Triton-insoluble cytoskeleton, but it begins to be solubilized in 50 mM ammonium sulfate and it is largely removed in 250 mM ammonium sulfate (Thsb). SDS-PAGE shows that extraction with Thsb also removes a large number of proteins from the cytoskeleton, one of which could be the blocking protein. A second antibody to GFAP, designated Tp-GFAP3, was raised against cytoskeletons which had been fixed with DTSP and in which the epitope recognized by Tp-GFAP1 was presumably blocked. Tp-GFAP3 is not sensitive to fixation by either formaldehyde or DTSP.


From the Publisher:
The Cybercultures Reader brings together articles covering the whole spectrum of cyberspace and related new technologies to explore the ways in which these technologies are reshaping cultural forms and practices at the turn of the century. The reader is divided into thematic sections focussing on key issues such as subcultures in cyberspace, posthumanism and cyberbodies and pop-cultural depictions of human-machine interaction. Key features include:
* section introductions locating the essays in their theoretical and technological context
* editor's introduction and accompanying user's guide
* extensive bibliography


Background Heart transplantation is an established treatment for advanced heart failure. Primary allograft dysfunction (PGD) is reported in up to 40% of transplants and is associated with a poor outcome. Methods As part of Heart Evaluation and Retrieval for Transplantation study, an investigation of the assessment of donor hearts for transplantation, we proposed a clinical definition for cardiac PGD comprising severely impaired systolic function affecting one or both ventricles accompanied by hypotension, low cardiac output, and high filling pressures occurring in the first 72 hours (in the absence of hyper acute rejection and technical surgical factors, such as cardiac tamponade). Here, we examine the prospective application of this definition to 290 heart transplants. We compared the clinical outcome of PGD and non-PGD cases. Results Ninety-four of 290 transplants developed PGD (32.4%). Inotrope use (score) was higher in the PGD group at 24, 48, and 72 hours after transplantation (P < 0.01). In the PGD group, there was a greater requirement for, intra-aortic balloon pump (50% vs 15%, P < 0.01), mechanical support (27% vs 0%, P < 0.01), and renal replacement therapy (61% vs 26%, P < 0.01). Intensive care stay was longer for recipients with PGD (median 14 vs 5 days, P < 0.01) and early mortality was higher (37% vs 4% at 30 days, 42% vs 8% at 1 year, P < 0.01). Conclusions In conclusion, our definition of PGD could be applied in a national multicenter study, and the cases it defined had more frequent complications and higher mortality.


Hair cells conduct auditory transduction in vertebrates. In lower vertebrates such as frogs and turtles, due to the active mechanism in hair cells, hair bundles (stereocilia) can be spontaneously oscillating or quiescent. Recently an amplitude death phenomenon has been proposed [K.-H. Ahn, J. R. Soc. Interface, 10, 20130525 (2013)] as a mechanism for auditory transduction in frog hair-cell bundles, where sudden cessation of the oscillations arises due to the coupling between nonidentical hair bundles. The gating of the ion channel is intrinsically stochastic due to the stochastic nature of the configuration change of the channel. The strength of the noise due to the channel gating can be comparable to the thermal Brownian noise of hair bundles. Thus, we perform stochastic simulations of the elastically coupled hair bundles. In spite of stray noisy fluctuations due to its stochastic dynamics, our simulation shows the transition from collective oscillation to amplitude death as interbundle coupling strength increases. In its stochastic dynamics, the formation of the amplitude death state of coupled hair bundles can be seen as a sudden suppression of the displacement fluctuation of the hair bundles as the coupling strength increases. The enhancement of the signal-to-noise ratio through the amplitude death phenomenon is clearly seen in the stochastic dynamics. Our numerical results demonstrate that the multiple number of transduction channels per hair bundle is an important factor to the amplitude death phenomenon, because the phenomenon may disappear for a small number of transduction channels due to strong gating noise.


During hydrolysis treatments, where the main objective is the solubilization of hemicelluloses, several undesirable reactions may occur. As a result, monomeric sugars and nonsaccharide compounds are obtained in the liquor. In the present study, autohydrolysis liquor resulting from the corn waste hydrolysis treatment (180 °C, 30 min) was filtered successively increasing the membrane cutoff (1, 5, and 10 kDa) to observe the potential of this technology for hemicellulose purification and fractionation by molecular weight. The experimental results showed that the 10 kDa retentate liquor fraction has the highest hemicellulose concentration (6.10 g/L) and it was constituted by defined molecular weight components (Mw = 2880), with low content in smaller compounds and inorganic material. Hemicelluloses have been isolated from each fraction and were analyzed by different analytical techniques (FT-IR, TGA, 1H NMR, and CHNS–O elemental analysis) to determine that it was possible to improve the physicochemical charac...


The summertime formation and burial of low-density, coarse-grained, hoar layers in the snow of central Greenland can be mapped using satellite passive-microwave data. Variations in a signal derived from Special Sensor Microwave/Imager (SSM/I) brightness temperature trends correlate temporally and spatially with hoar complex evolution over ≈120,000 km² of the Greenland ice sheet's dry firn facies. Observations at the Greenland Ice Sheet Project II (GISP2) site indicate that changes in surface conditions and brightness temperatures correspond to four hoar events over two summers, as expected from theory. Following a snowfall, the smooth, high-density surface reflects some emitted, 37 GHz, horizontally-polarized (H) radiation but little vertically-polarized (V) radiation. Progressive surface roughness increases and density decreases during hoar formation cause a gradual decrease in H reflection. Formation and burial of a hoar layer thus causes a slow decrease followed by an abrupt increase in the V/H ratio. Hoar layers have been used to date the GISP2 ice core through the entire Holocene; archived microwave data now can be used to assess the timing and frequency of the formation of these stratigraphic markers in central Greenland.


Variations in the (29)N(2)/(28)N(2) ratio of air bubbles trapped in polar ice cores and their relation to variations of the (18)O/(16)O of the ice allow past surface temperature variations and ice age-gas age differences to be determined. High-resolution measurements of (29)N(2)/(28)N(2) in Dansgaard-Oeschger event 19 (around 70,000 years before the present) in ice from Central Greenland show that at the beginning of the event, the ice age-gas age difference was 1090 +/- 100 years. With the use of a combined firn densification, temperature, and gas diffusion model, the delta(18)O(ice)-temperature coefficient alpha was determined to be 0. 42 +/- 0.05 per mil per kelvin. This coefficient implies a mean surface temperature change of 16.0 kelvin (between 14.3 and 18.1 kelvin), which differs substantially from values derived from borehole temperatures and modern spatial delta(18)O(ice)-surface temperature correlations.


ABSTRACT Ophthalmoplegia is a paralysis or weakness of extraocular muscles that have a variety of different etiologies including and not limited to Leptomeningeal Carcinomatosis (LC). LC is caused mainly by metastatic cancers and can cause a wide variety of symptoms. We present a case of LC with no preexisting condition who presented with a unilateral ophthalmoplegia as initial presentation who was found to have LC secondary to large B-cell lymphoma.


Two tracer-gas pressurization studies were conducted in the Mighty Epic chimney. The objectives of these tests were to evaluate gas flow within the chimney and to measure the flow from the chimney through the surrounding material to the mesa or tunnel complex. The relative gas permeability and accessible gas-filled void volume of the chimney material was estimated from this data. This report describes the test procedures, test results, and chimney material properties as inferred from the test data.


The hetero-segmented version of the statistical associating fluid theory for potentials of variable range (hetero-SAFT-VR) is used to develop a predictive molecular-based group-contribution SAFT-VR equation of state (GC-SAFT-VR). The hetero-SAFT-VR approach models molecules composed of segments of different size and/or energies of interaction enabling an accurate description of real molecules composed of different functional groups. The differences in interactions between functional groups are maintained throughout the theory in contrast to other approaches in which the parameters for functional groups are averaged in order to model a molecule as a homonuclear chain with " group-averaged " parameters. Through the GC-SAFT-VR approach we can study the effect of molecular functionality and topology on the thermodynamic properties of real fluid systems, since parameters are determined for each functional group and chain connectivity is explicitly specified. In this initial study GC-SAFT-VR parameters are developed for key organic functional groups (CH 3 , CH 2 , CH 2 CH, C O, C 6 H 5 , OCH 3 and OCH 2) by fitting to experimental vapor pressure and saturated liquid density data for a selected group of compounds that contain these functional groups. The transferability of the parameters obtained is tested by comparing theoretical predictions with experimental data for pure fluids not included in the fitting process and binary mixtures. Using the GC-SAFT-VR approach good agreement is obtained between experimental data and the theoretical predictions for pure substances, including isomers, and their mixtures. The GC-SAFT-VR approach is able to accurately predict the effect of molecular functionality on mixture phase behavior without fitting to any experimental data for the system being studied.


BACKGROUND
Survival of patients with locally advanced carcinoma cervix (LACC) using the current standard of concurrent chemo-radiotherapy (CCRT) has reached a plateau over the last two decades. Loco-regional failure in first two years of treatment completion and distant metastasis in the subsequent years has put the survival curves at a halt. Strategies of induction and adjuvant chemotherapy have yielded little as has any advancement in techniques of delivery of radiation therapy. This article aims at discussing the current existing literature as well as promising novel strategies to enhance radiotherapeutic outcomes in carcinoma of the uterine cervix.

METHODS
The review of English literature included phase I-III trials evaluating either a novel agent, novel application/modifications of an existing treatment regimen or an innovative treatment technique. The studies have been divided in to subsections with summary of most important findings at the end of each section.

RESULTS
Despite CCRT being the 'gold standard' treatment, several issues like optimum drug combination, schedule of drug delivery, combination with molecular targeted agents etc. remain undefined. Taxane, topoisomerase and gemcitabine based regimen needs to be further explored and compared with cisplatin based CCRT regimen. Several approaches like local delivery of cytotoxic agents, use of nano-medicine with CCRT are appearing on horizon with promises for the future. Therapies need to be designed based on the human papillomavirus titers of the patients and incorporation of radiosensitizers as an effective way of palliation with short course of radiotherapy may further enhance the radiotherapeutic outcomes.

CONCLUSIONS
The results of the studies with novel agents and treatment techniques appear promising. Further research in this arena including incorporation of cost-effectiveness analysis and quality of life issues in future trial designs are warranted.


A procedure is described for the preparation and application of gelatin standards in the quantitative elemental analysis of microscopic portions of tissue sections in the electron microprobe x-ray spectrometer. Ten to fifteen per cent gelatin solutions containing varying concentrations of the elements to be measured are quick-frozen in capsules, sectioned in a cryostat at the same thickness as the tissue and freeze-dried. Standard sections are mounted with each tissue section, carbon-coated and analyzed simultaneously. Concentrations of the elements in portions of the tissue as small as 10- 12 liters are then determined directly from a regression curve or equation derived from the standards.


CONTEXT
Chronic supraphysiological glucocorticoid therapy controls the androgen excess of 21-hydroxylase deficiency (21OHD) but contributes to the high prevalence of obesity, glucose intolerance, and reduced bone mass in these patients. Abiraterone acetate (AA) is a prodrug for abiraterone, a potent CYP17A1 inhibitor used to suppress androgens in the treatment of prostate cancer.

OBJECTIVE
The objective of the study was to test the hypothesis that AA added to physiological hydrocortisone and 9α-fludrocortisone acetate corrects androgen excess in women with 21OHD without causing hypertension or hypokalemia.

DESIGN
This was a phase 1 dose-escalation study.

SETTING
The study was conducted at university clinical research centers.

PARTICIPANTS
We screened 14 women with classic 21OHD taking hydrocortisone 12.5-20 mg/d to enroll six participants with serum androstenedione greater than 345 ng/dL (>12 nmol/L).

INTERVENTION
AA was administered for 6 days at 100 or 250 mg every morning with 20 mg/d hydrocortisone and 9α-fludrocortisone acetate.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURE
The primary endpoint was normalization of mean predose androstenedione on days 6 and 7 (< 230 ng/dL [<8 nmol/L)] in greater than 80% of participants. Secondary end points included serum 17-hydroxyprogesterone and testosterone (T), electrolytes, plasma renin activity, and urine androsterone and etiocholanolone glucuronides.

RESULTS
With 100 mg/d AA, mean predose androstenedione fell from 764 to 254 ng/dL (26.7-8.9 nmol/L). At 250 mg/d AA, mean androstenedione normalized in five participants (83%) and decreased from 664 to 126 ng/dL (23.2-4.4 nmol/L), meeting the primary end point. Mean androstenedione declined further during day 6 to 66 and 38 ng/dL (2.3 and 1.3 nmol/L) at 100 and 250 mg/d, respectively. Serum T and urinary metabolites declined similarly. Abiraterone exposure was strongly negatively correlated with mean androstenedione. Hypertension and hypokalemia were not observed.

CONCLUSION
AA 100-250 mg/d added to replacement hydrocortisone normalized several measures of androgen excess in women with classic 21OHD and elevated serum androstenedione.


OBJECTIVE
To study the expression pattern of SDF-1 in the NRK49F cells and the role of TGF-beta1 in mediating the expression of SDF-1.

METHODS
The SDF-1 mRNA and protein expression in the NRK49F cells with or without stimulating by TGF-beta1 was assayed with RT-PCR or Western blot or Immunohistochemistry.

RESULTS
The SDF-1 mRNA expression stimulated by TGF-beta1 appeared in a time-dependent manner. The peak value appeared at 24 hours and was (2.924 +/- 0.235) times as high as the initial level. The dose-course studies suggested that TGF-beta1 stimulation resulted in marked promotion of SDF-1 mRNA expression, which peaked at the concentration of 5 ng/mL. At this concentration, the expression of SDF-1 mRNA was (2.113 +/- 0.314) times as high as that of the control. Corresponding with the pattern of mRNA expression of SDF-1, protein expression of SDF-1 was observed in NRK49F cells. A time-dependent manner was also observed in the protein expression of SDF-1 stimulated by 5 ng/mL of TGF-beta1. The protein expression of SDF-1 at 36 hours was (2.572 +/- 0.238) times as high as that of the control. TGF-beta1 neutralizing antibody reduced the expression of SDF-1 protein.

CONCLUSION
SDF-1 expresses in NRK49F cells. TGF-beta1 up-regulates the mRNA and protein expressions of SDF-1 in NRK49F cells in a time- and concentration-dependent manner. As a chemokine, the increased expression of SDF-1 induced by TGF-beta1 may play an important role in renal inflammation and fibrosis.


The Epipactis helleborine (L.) Crantz group is one of the most taxonomically challenging species complexes within the genus Epipactis. Because of the exceptionally high levels of morphological variability and the ability to readily cross with other species, ninety different taxa at various taxonomic ranks have already been described within its nominative subspecies, but the taxonomic status of most of them is uncertain, widely disputed, and sometimes even irrelevant. The present review is based on results of the most recent research devoted to the E. helleborine group taxonomy. In addition, we analysed data about taxa belonging to this group presented in some research articles and monographs devoted directly to the genus Epipactis or to orchids in certain area(s). Based on the reviewed literature and data collected in four taxonomic databases available online, we propose an updated list of the 10 currently accepted taxa in the E. helleborine group (two species, six subspecies, and two varieties), which includes E. helleborine (L.) Crantz subsp. helleborine; E. helleborine subsp. bithynica (Robatsch) Kreutz; E. helleborine subsp. distans (Arv.-Touv.) R.Engel and P.Quentin; E. helleborine subsp. neerlandica (Verm.) Buttler; E. helleborine var. tangutica (Schltr.) S.C.Chen and G.H.Zhu; E. helleborine subsp. tremolsii (Pau) E.Klein; E. helleborine subsp. voethii (Robatsch) Jakubska-Busse, Żołubak, and Łobas, stat. nov.; E. condensata Boiss. ex D.P.Young; E. condensata var. kuenkeleana (Akhalk., H.Baumann, R.Lorenz, and Mosul.) Popovich; and E. cupaniana C.Brullo, D'Emerico, and Pulv.


BACKGROUND
Vascular calcifications (VCs) contribute to the massive mortality in hemodialysis (HD) patients. We aimed to identify prevalence and risk factors for arterial medial calcifications (AMCs) versus intimal calcifications (AICs) in a single-center HD population.

METHODS
This cross-sectional study included 134 patients, mean age 56.9 +/- 9.7 years, on HD for 8.2 +/- 5.0 years. VCs were scored based on plain radiographs and ultrasonography of the common carotid arteries.

RESULTS
Patients were categorized into groups I (13% without VC), II (10% with an AMC pattern), III (24% with an AIC pattern) and IV (53% with a mixed pattern). AIC and mixed patterns were associated with older age (p=0.006 and p=0.004, respectively), and mixed pattern with longer dialysis vintage (p=0.001). Pulse pressure was significantly higher in patients from group III than group IV, and intima-media thickness (IMT) was higher in both groups with AIC. By multivariate analysis, risk factors for any VC were high serum Ca, phosphate, CaxP product, low total protein, high body mass index (BMI), systolic and diastolic blood pressure, IMT and history of smoking. Elevated calcium and/or phosphate predicted an AMC pattern, and high calcium, BMI and IMT an AIC pattern. Finally, high IMT, systolic blood pressure, BMI and older age were predictors of a mixed pattern.

CONCLUSION
We observed a very high prevalence of VC, mostly with a mixed AIC+AMC pattern. Apart from well-known risk factors, the data stress the importance of smoking, an under-recognized cause of AMC, and systolic blood pressure for AIC+AMC.


Several modern applications in the field of Artificial Intelligence exploit deep learning to make accurate decisions. Recent work on compression techniques allows for deep learning applications, such as computer vision, to run on Edge Computing devices. For instance, quantizing the precision of deep learning architectures allows Edge Computing devices to achieve high throughput at low power. Quantization has been mainly focused on multilayer perceptrons and convolution-based models for classification problems. However, its impact over more complex scenarios, such as image up-sampling, is still underexplored. This paper presents a systematic evaluation of the accuracy achieved by quantized neural networks when performing image up-sampling in three different applications: image compression/decompression, synthetic image generation and semantic segmentation. Taking into account the promising attitude of learnable filters to predict pixels, transposed convolutional layers are used for up-sampling. Experimental results based on analytical metrics show that acceptable accuracies are reached with quantization spanning between 3 and 7 bits. Based on the visual inspection, the range 2–6 bits guarantees appropriate accuracy.


The increasing capacity of power systems and the continuing growth in interconnections within transmission networks to improve the reliability may cause the short-circuit fault current level of the equipment in the system, including the existing circuit breakers, to exceed their rated capacities. Therefore, the equipment must be either upgraded or replaced, which is costly and requires time-intensive procedures. Fault current-limiting techniques offer benefits to the system in such cases. Using passive elements, such as current-limiting reactors, is a well-known practice in power systems: however, they impact the power flow under normal operation, cause voltage drop, and might reduce the transient stability. Alternatively, resonant fault current limiters (RFCL) offer a dynamic solution based on proven technologies of current-limiting reactors and series capacitors. This paper presents a comprehensive framework to design RFCLs in bulk power systems. The presented approach uses a combination of mathematical analyses and numerical time-domain simulations to design the RFCL elements, and its effectiveness is assessed in test power systems.


In recent years, development organizations have spent substantial resources on programs to reduce the problems associated with soil erosion. Many programs have focused on the use of incentives to induce conservation and have maintained a top-down approach to conservation. Quite often this is ineffective and farmers abandon conservation measures once incentives are withdrawn. In Ecuador, CARE International has offered an alternative approach that embeds conservation in the agricultural system. By offering agricultural diversification and intensification with a complementary program that enhances short-term benefits of conservation, CARE induces farmers to maintain sustainable practices. Using data from a sample of participant and non-participant Ecuadorian households, we show the success of the CARE approach. Participants in the CARE program are found to have high rates of adoption of conservation practices and to simultaneously change their agricultural system. Results indicate that with a strong extension service and a menu of adaptable technologies, conservation is enhanced when presented with complementary changes in agriculture.


Thin-film deposition from chemically reactive multi-component plasmas is complex, and the lack of electron collision cross-sections for even the most common metalorganic precursors and their fragments complicates their modeling based on fundamental plasma physics. This study focuses on understanding the plasma physics and chemistry in argon (Ar) plasmas containing lithium bis (trimethylsilyl) amide used to deposit Li x Si y thin films. These films are emerging as potential solid electrolytes for lithium-ion batteries, and the Li-to-Si ratio is a crucial parameter to enhance their ionic conductivity. We deposited Li x Si y films in an axial flow-through plasma reactor and studied the factors that determine the variation of the Li-to-Si ratio in films deposited at various points on a substrate spanning the entire reactor axis. While the Li-to-Si ratio is 1:2 in the precursor, the Li-to-Si ratio is as high as 3:1 in films deposited near the plasma entrance and decreases to 1:1 for films deposited downstream. Optical emission from the plasma is dominated by Li emission near the entrance, but Li emission disappears downstream, which we attribute to the complete consumption of the precursor. We hypothesized that the axially decreasing precursor concentration affects the electron energy distribution function in a way that causes different dissociation efficiencies for the production of Li and Si. We used Li line intensities to estimate the local precursor concentration and Ar line ratios to estimate the local reduced electric field to test this hypothesis. This analysis suggests that the mean electron energy increases along the reactor axis with decreasing precursor concentration. The decreasing Li-to-Si ratio with axially decreasing precursor concentration may be explained by Li release from the precursor having lower threshold energy than Si release.


This study evaluated the microhardness of a dual resin cement under the influence of thickness and shade of a feldspathic ceramic. Ninety-five bovine incisors were selected; the crowns, with the roots removed, were embedded in a polystyrene resin and were randomly divided into 19 groups (n=5). On the buccal surface, a standardized cavity, 4.0 mm in diameter and 1.0 mm in depth, was prepared. Ceramic restorations (Noritake Ex 3) were manufactured with 4.0 mm diameter and 1, 2 and 4-mm thicknesses at shades A1, A2, A3, A3.5 and A4. A dual resin cement (Rely X-ARC) was inserted into the prepared cavity. A mylar strip was positioned over the prepared cavity, and light curing was performed for 40 seconds following the protocols: controls-without insertion of the restoration at distances of 0.0, 1.0, 2.0 and 4.0 mm. The remaining groups had the restorations positioned between the resin cement and light source during polymerization. The Vickers hardness test was performed on the cement layer with 50 g of load application for 30 seconds, with 5 indentations for each sample. Two-way ANOVA (5 x 3) and Tukey test (alpha = 0.05) were used to compare the results. The chemical curing of the dual resin cement was not sufficient to compensate for the energy attenuation promoted by the interposition of A3.5 and A4 ceramic material with 4-mm of thickness. The thickness had a greater influence on the cement microhardness than the ceramic restoration shade.


Achilles tendon injuries are treated with progressive weight bearing to promote tendon healing and restore function. Patient rehabilitation progression are typically studied in controlled, lab settings and do not represent the long-term loading experienced during daily living. The purpose of this study is to develop a wearable paradigm to accurately monitor Achilles tendon loading and walking speed using low-cost sensors that reduce subject burden. Ten healthy adults walked in an immobilizing boot under various heel wedge conditions (30{degrees}, 5{degrees}, 0{degrees}) and walking speeds. Three-dimensional motion capture, ground reaction force, and 6-axis inertial measurement unit (IMU) signals were collected per trial. We used Least Absolute Shrinkage and Selection Operator (LASSO) regression to predict peak Achilles tendon load and walking speed. The effects of using only accelerometer data, different sampling frequency, and multiple sensors to train the model were also explored. Walking speed models outperformed (mean absolute percentage error (MAPE): 8.41 {+/-} 4.08%) tendon load models (MAPE: 33.93 {+/-} 23.9%). Models trained with subject-specific data performed significantly better than generalized models. For example, our personalized model that was trained with only subject-specific data predicted tendon load with a 11.5 {+/-} 4.41% MAPE and walking speed with a 4.50 {+/-} 0.91% MAPE. Removing gyroscope channels, decreasing sampling frequency, and using combinations of sensors had inconsequential effects on model performance (changes in MAPE < 6.09%). We developed a simple monitoring paradigm that uses LASSO regression and wearable sensors to accurately predict Achilles tendon loading and walking speed while ambulating in an immobilizing boot. This paradigm provides a clinically implementable strategy to longitudinally monitor patient loading and activity while recovering from Achilles tendon injuries.


Separation of surfactants from oil or water is essential for many research and industrial applications, such as in emulsions for biphasic catalysis and oil pipeline transportation. However, it is difficult to efficiently remove or recycle surfactants from the above systems due to their amphiphilic nature. Here, we report on redox-responsive Pickering emulsions stabilized by alumina nanoparticles and a selenium-containing surfactant at concentrations as low as 0.1 wt% and 1 × 10−6 M (≈0.001 cmc), respectively. Rapid demulsification can be achieved after the surfactant is converted from bola-type to trimeric form by a redox reaction, and the oil phase can be separated with minimal surfactant contamination (<0.005 ppb). In addition, the alumina nanoparticles together with the surfactant return to the aqueous phase after demulsification and are fully recoverable and re-usable.


This paper offers a case history of the BBC's ambivalent engagement with dance music during the Second World War. It examines what 'dance music' meant to the BBC, musicians, and the public, and how they contested and performed those meanings in the context of new social dance practices and the growing popularity of what became known as 'swing' in Britain. Although broadcasting in effect disembodied music closely associated with the physical, the BBC was a primary way for people to access dance music which supported their bodily acts of leisure and regimentation. The BBC's study and regulation of dance music centred around two goals: pleasing important groups in national service and broadcasting morale-boosting music. The problem of whether these goals were congruent lay at the heart of the issue, for the youth active in national service emerged as the primary audience for the two genres – 'swing' and 'sentimentality' – about which the BBC felt most dubious.


The concept of fast-track or ambulatory surgery appeared to facilitate early recovery and discharge from the hospital and early resumption of normal daily activities after elective surgical procedures as well to reduce the health-care costs. Multimodal/balanced analgesia is an increasingly popular approach for this. The use of conventional modalities including central neuraxial blockade and opioids cannot be extended to patients undergoing fast-track surgery. Hence, an aggressive perioperative analgesic regimen/protocol is required for effective pain relief, with minimal side effects and which could be managed easily by the patient or the relatives at home away from the hospital setting. Pharmacological therapy and regional anesthesia techniques have been utilized for postoperative pain management. The use of perineural, incisional, and intra-articular catheters and local anesthetic administration through elastomeric and electronic pumps is promising approach for effective pain management at home. The key to successful pain management of such procedures requires individually tailored education to patients or caregivers including information on treatment options for postoperative pain and use of multimodal analgesia. This review provides an overview of the current armamentarium of drugs and modalities available for effective management of patients undergoing day care surgeries and sheds light on newer modalities available.


Model-based tools enable developers to produce prototype user interface designs from a model of the system. Existing model-based tools do not enable a developer to work from an abstract specification of the system to produce a prototype design. Consequently, much design work focuses prematurely on the concrete visual appearance of the user interface. To address this issue, patterns are discussed that provide a formal model-based design process commencing from an abstract specification.


Aramid fiber-reinforced polymer (AFRP) tendons, which are inherently corrosion-resistant, can be used to replace steel prestressing strands in bridge girders to enhance bridge sustainability. Despite ongoing experimental research, there is a lack of uniformity and consistency in testing procedures, definitions of material characteristics, and results. Therefore, a robust computational model is needed to perform a refined nonlinear analysis of full-scale AFRP prestressed girders. This paper presents the development of a computational model to numerically evaluate the flexural behavior of an AASHTO (American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials) I-girder (Type I) prestressed with AFRP tendons in comparison to its conventional prestressing steel counterpart. Numerical results match experimental test data with a high degree of accuracy and reveal that an AASHTO I-girder prestressed with AFRP meets service and strength limit states. Numerical results also show that the deflection equation in ACI 440.4R overestimates the maximum deflection of the AFRP prestressed girder.


It is nowadays well-established that locomotion can be written as a large and complex optimal control problem. Yet, current knowledge in numerical solver fails to directly solve it. A common approach is to cut the dimensionality by relying on reduced models (inverted pendulum, capture points, centroidal). However it is difficult both to account for whole-body constraints at the reduced level and also to define what is an acceptable trade-off at the whole-body level between tracking the reduced solution or searching for a new one. The main contribution of this paper is to introduce a rigorous mathematical framework based on the Alternating Direction Method of Multipliers, to enforce the consensus between the centroidal state dynamics at reduced and whole-body level. We propose an exact splitting of the whole-body optimal control problem between the centroidal dynamics (under-actuation) and the manipulator dynamics (full actuation), corresponding to a re-arrangement of the equations already stated in previous works. We then describe with details how alternating descent is a good solution to implement an effective locomotion solver. We validate this approach in simulation with walking experiments on the HRP-2 robot.


Against the background of Max Weber's and Karl Jaspers' outstanding historical contributions to the conceptual development of different typologies, the importance of a psychiatric typology is examined. The term "ideal type" was introduced into social science by Weber as an analytical construct to describe and classify cultural phenomena. This concept was adopted for the psychiatric context by Jaspers who proposed to establish a typological system in the field of psychotic disturbances without an organic correlate. He emphasized the importance of the course of psychopathological symptoms for such a typological system. The concept of typology can be regarded as a promising heuristic approach in psychiatry, providing a classification system for complex psychopathological symptoms. Even though several historic typologies exist in psychopathology, their usefulness in the fields of therapy and prognosis needs to be critically assessed. Also, new typologies will have to be developed, taking into account neurobiological knowledge now available.


Background: In 2004, activities related to the reorganization of the hospital units of the Department of Radiation Oncology at the Institute of Oncology Ljubljana were initiated. The need for reorganization arose from the dissipation of different types of management currently followed in all four hospital units of the Department. The aim of our article is to present an approach which we used when planning above mentioned reorganization. Methods: In December 2004 and January 2005, two separate applicative studies were performed, i.e. the cross-sectional studies »Hostel« and »Palliative Care«. The studies were being carried out in three (altogether 124 beds) of the four hospital units of the Department of Radiation Oncology with a total bed capacity of 138. Considering the type and complexity of the nursing care, the patients were categorized by the preliminarily determined criteria into three groups: Group 1 – patients hospitalized in a standard hospital unit, Group 2 – patients hospitalized in the »Hostel«, and Group 3 – patients hospitalized in the unit for palliative care. The control of the criteria and of their fulfillment was made daily by a therapist and registered nurse during the morning rounds. Results: Average number of patients eligible for hostel care was 16.5, which represented 16.7 % of the patients hospitalized daily at that time. Average number of patients in the »palliative care« category was 36.8, or 39.6 % of the hospitalized patients. During the performance of »Palliative Care« cross-sectional study, it was realized that 61.7 % of hospitalized patients were partly or completely dependent upon the nursing staff in performing routine personal activities. The higher dependence on nursing staff was confirmed by the statistically significant higher percentage of patients in the categories II-IV (more complex nursing care) than it was established for the other patients at the Institute of Oncology (87.8 % vs. 63.7 %, chi-squared test, P < 0.0001). Conclusions: With the proposed categorization of patients, the number of hospital beds at the Department of Radiation Oncology could be reduced by 39.1 % (54/138): a large percentage of the patients hospitalized at the Department (on average 36.8 %) should be referred to the unit for »palliative care«, whereas lower percentage (16.5 %) to the »hostel«. Furthermore, it was also established that palliative care in oncology meets the criteria of the »acute hospital management« and should therefore be included in the system of Diagnosis-Related Groups.


In a molecular, microbiologic, and case-control study to describe the epidemiology of ceftazidime-resistant Klebsiella pneumoniae and Escherichia coli bloodstream infection, 32 unique isolates were recovered over 31 months from the blood of patients hospitalized in a 900-bed hospital in Chicago. Multivariate analysis revealed cases occurred more frequently in debilitated nursing home patients with central venous catheters than in younger, healthier patients. Mortality rates were similar for cases and controls. Case-patients were less likely to die if they received appropriate antibiotic treatment within 3 days of bacteremia onset (P = .02). Pulsed-field gel electrophoresis analysis indicated a polyclonal outbreak, with strain-specific temporal and geographic clustering. Isoelectric focusing results suggested that a predominant enzyme, TEM-10, was responsible for the ceftazidime resistance. The resistance gene was usually carried on a large conjugative plasmid. The polyclonality of the resistant strains suggests that ceftazidime resistance due to TEM-10 is now endemic in Chicago.


Robust circuit design techniques with respect to soft errors gain importance in the era of very deep submicron technologies. On-line testing will play an important role towards this direction. In this paper we propose a hierarchical architecture for concurrent soft error detection. This architecture is based on current sensing techniques and provides very low area overhead, small detection times and negligible performance penalty on the functional circuit under check.


From the early 1980s, the U.S. environmental breast cancer movement has championed the goal of eradicating the disease by emphasizing the importance of reducing - even eliminating - exposure to chemicals and toxins. "From Pink to Green" chronicles the movement's disease prevention philosophy from the beginning. Challenging the broader cultural milieu of pink ribbon symbolism and breast cancer 'awareness' campaigns, this movement has grown from a handful of community-based organizations into a national entity, shaping the cultural, political, and public health landscape. Much of the activists' everyday work revolves around describing how the so-called 'cancer industry' downplays possible environmental links to protect their political and economic interests and they demand that the public play a role in scientific, policy, and public health decision-making to build a new framework of breast cancer prevention. "From Pink to Green" successfully explores the intersection between breast cancer activism and the environmental health sciences, incorporating public and scientific debates as well as policy implications to public health and environmental agendas.


ABSTRACT Places of worship in the Christian tradition are often considered to retain fixed and static identities. However, circuits of globalization and global mobilities are increasingly present within such sites and drawn upon to construct new forms of place and geographies filtered through the individual church's channels of mobilities. Following on from the new mobilities paradigm and relational approaches to 'place', this paper explores how the global and the local become implicated in places of worship. Using participant-observation and diary-interview methods based in Baptist churches in Bristol, UK, and framing the findings through Urry's framework (Mobilities, Cambridge: Polity, 2007), the research examines the multiple interdependent mobilities of imaginary travel, communication, virtual travel, and corporeal travel. Whilst global mobilities were present within the sites, locality and local mobilities also featured prominently. The combination of interdependent mobilities, produced unique place identities in each of church that engaged with the global yet retained local circuits and community identity.


The energies and intensities of thermal-neutron capture γ-rays from natural neon have been measured with a Ge(Li) detector in pair and anti-coincidence spectrometer arrangements. Internal target of neon gas has been used. The reaction Q-value and excitation energies have been determined. Cross sections for thermal neutron capture in 20Ne and 22Ne have been deduced. The level schemes of 21Ne and 23Ne are discussed on the basis of the Nilsson model. Calculations with and without inclusion of Coriolis interaction have been made for 23Ne. These are compared with corresponding calculations on 25Al and 23Na.


In this paper a new efficient laser pump consisting of a tube and two axicons is discussed. The pumping system is simple in fabricating and alignment. Its efficiency is first estimated using geometrical optics and it seems to compare favorably with the well-known elliptical pump. Then experimental data were given which give qualitative agreement with the prediction.


In this research we discuss the relationship between CEO and top management team (TMT) member compensation, and explore the implications of TMT pay for firm performance. Specifically, we suggest that firm performance may benefit due to agency and group behavioral issues when top management team member pay is aligned—alignment is defined as the degree to which TMT member pay reflects (1) shareholder interests and (2) key political and strategic contingencies within the firm. In support of our theorizing, we found CEO pay to be related to TMT pay; TMT compensation, in turn, predicted performance (i.e., return on assets and Tobin's q) when aligned with shareholder interests and internal contingencies. Moreover, the effect of CEO pay on future firm performance was dependent on top team pay. Copyright © 2002 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


Background: Parathyroid hormone (PTH) mobilizes calcium by increasing calcium resorption from bone and by raising calcium reabsorption in the proximal kidney tubule. Primary hyperparathyroidism (PHP) results from inappropriate overproduction of parathyroid hormone from one or many parathyroid glands and presents with hypercalcemia. In the surgical management of PHP intraoperative PTH (IO-PTH) assays have been shown to improve the success of parathyroid gland surgery. Minimally invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) has replaced the traditional four-gland bilateral exploration as the procedure preferred by many institutions. Hence; the present study was undertaken for assessing the outcome of surgery in patients with PHP. Subjects and Methods: The present study included assessment of outcome of surgery in patients with PHP. Once the suspicious parathyroid was identified, careful dissection with blunt instruments was done to free gland from surrounding fascia. Bipolar was used to ligate the vascular supply and the specimen was removed. Patients with above mentioned inclusion criteria underwent preoperative localization with USG neck and technetium Tc-99m (99mTc) Sestamibi scan (CT/ MRI Neck when required). Based on results of MIBI and USG neck, the findings were defined as concordant and discordant. Patients with concordant findings of USG neck and Sestamibi scan underwent MIP. All the results were summarized in Microsoft excel sheet and were analyzed by SPSS software. Results: CT/MRI was done in only 4 patients where 50% of the patients showed involvement of right superior and inferior glands. Minimal invasive parathyroidectomy (MIP) was done in 95.2% patients (20/21) while bilateral neck exploration (BNE) was done in only 1 case of multiple adenoma. The USG neck (n=20) was able to accurately localize abnormal parathyroid glands in 17 patients (85%). Conclusion: In patients undergoing surgical treatment for PHP, Minimal Invasive Parathyroidectomy has excellent prognosis.


Stream flow records and irrigation delivery and return flows are typically estimated with the use of stage-discharge ratings. These ratings may be for channel control or for measurement structures. The conventional rating method relates stage to discharge; however at sites prone to flow reversals, changes in stream bed roughness, backwater, or tidal effects, the relation between stage and discharge is not unique and a velocity-index rating is often developed. A velocity-index rating relates the mean velocity in the cross section to an index-velocity determined from velocity measurements at defined locations in the cross section. Application of velocity index ratings assumes that the relation between the measured index velocity and the mean velocity in a cross-section is constant. This assumption is not valid if the channel experiences significant flow disturbances. This paper presents a virtual flow meter developed to evaluate the effect of hydraulic factors such as vegetation growth, obstacles, variable backwater, etc. on the stability of velocity-index ratings for different instrument and measurement configurations. A three-dimensional computational fluid dynamics (CFD) model was used to simulate velocity distributions that would result from various flow and channel conditions modeled. The virtual flow meter allowed for different instrument configurations (i.e. number of acoustic beams, angle between beams, orientation of instrument, location of instrument, etc.) by specifying an instrument configuration and then sampling the simulated velocity field at locations based on the specified configuration. The index velocities sampled by the virtual flow meter and the mean velocity at the cross section were used to develop velocity-index ratings and examine the effect of changing hydraulic factors on the uncertainty in the discharges determined from the rating. The analytical tool described in this paper provide insight to both the effect of changes in flow and channel conditions, as well as changes in instrument configuration, on velocity-index ratings.


This paper reports results of a study of magnetic and acoustic properties of a ferrofluid, EMG-605. The measurements were performed for three samples of the same ferrofluid differing in concentration. The magnetic susceptibility was measured as a function of an external magnetic field for each sample, which allowed us to determine the magnetization curves and saturation magnetization. The results provide information on the mean magnetic moment and the mean radius of the magnetite grain. In the samples subjected to an external magnetic field, the anisotropy of the ultrasonic wave absorption coefficient was determined. The mechanisms of ultrasonic wave energy dissipation through the translational and rotational degrees of freedom were established for some ferrofluid concentrations.


Five papers on aspects of fund-holding practice management were entered into the Practice Managers' Forum at the joint IHSM/Radcliffe Medical Press First National Practice Managers' Conference, of which this contribution was judged the best. Its author, Miranda Lonsdale, received the Radcliffe Award for the presentation.


Zahour, Ayah. M.S.A.A., Purdue University, December 2016. Helical Strakes on High Mast Lighting Towers and their Effect on Vortex Shedding Lock-In. Major Professor: Dr. Steven H. Collicott. An experimental study on the effect of helical strakes on vortex induced vibrations and the lock-in phenomenon in High Mast Lighting Towers (HMLTs) is investigated. Two multi-sided tapered scaled models are clamped in place in a subsonic wind tunnel that is equipped with a hot-wire sensor and a traverse mechanism. The shedding frequency data is collected for the models with and without helically patterned strakes with the use of two different ropes. The responses of the tower models, for a Reynolds number of 44, 000, are compared and discussed under different configurations including: two directions of the model with respect to the direction of the flow, and changes in the ratio of strake height to HMLT diameter. Four major aspects of the spectrum of the hot-wire signal from the wake are studied: the vortex shedding frequency, signal strength, characteristic spectral peak area, and characteristic spectral peak width. It is observed that, for most cases, no specific method produces a decisive outcome. However, some of the results for the 12-sided model provide supporting evidence that the vortex induced vibrations may be mitigated with the use of helical strakes.


Background Sleep disturbances are frequent during pregnancy and postpartum. However, detailed research of sleep in couples during pregnancy and postpartum is lacking. Objective Changes of sleep for primi- and multiparous pregnant women and their partners from late pregnancy to three months postpartum. The particular focus of this study is on sex differences in sleep, sleep problems, mutual sleep influence of couples, and the influences of parity and feeding methods on couples' sleep. Materials and Methods The sample included 69 pregnant couples in the last trimester of pregnancy (t1) and three months after birth (t2). Sleep was measured with sleep diary for both times of measurement. The Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) assessed sleep disturbances. Other variables as parity and infant feeding type were determined by questionnaire. Besides results for woman and men, also dyadic data are calculated. Results Over the time women had a worse sleep quality than men. They had a prolonged sleep onset latency, higher frequency and longer duration of night wakings than men. Sleep efficiency for women was prepartal 83.32% and postpartal 83.6% below the clinically cut-off value of 85%. For 56.52% of women at t1 and for 55.07% at t2 PSQI scores exceeded the clinically cut-off of 5. However, men suffered from a sleep loss after birth of their child, too. In pregnancy and postpartum men reported lower total sleep time at both times of measurement in comparison to women. For 30.43% of men at T1 and for 24.64% at T2 PSQI score exceeded the clinically cut-off of 5. Sleep efficiency for men was prepartal 90.96% and postpartal 90.69%. Results indicate predictive links between prepartal PSQI of couples to postpartal PSQI. Neither parity nor feeding method could explain variance in postpartal PSQI-score. Conclusion This is one of the very rare studies incorporating dyadic data. Results show the need of diagnosing and treating existing sleep problems in pregnancy to prevent future sleep problems postpartum.


The model of the educational process presented by means of Rastrigin's modified model is offered in the paper. The analysis of verification results of students' initial level of knowledge and their competence is given. The system of testing that allows to estimate students' knowledge and competence is offered as one of the methods to check their mastering of a material. It is offered to account the time needed to answer to each question while analyzing testing results. Such approach will allow receiving a more detailed analysis of testing results and moreover, it will allow the teacher to correct his training process in proper time. It is also offered to include business games in the training process. The general concept of working out and application of business games for the development and estimation of professional competence in the sphere of information technologies is stated.


Summary: The aim of this article is to review the pharmacokinetics of perindopril and its active metaholite perindoprilat in high-risk populations in comparison with their basic features in healthy volunteers. As it has been shown that the kinetics of perindoprilat are mainly affected by renal insufficiency, a dosage reduction is therefore recommended on initiation of treatment in elderly patients and in those with renal failure according to the degree of renal failure. In patients with chronic heart failure, the kinetics of both perindopril and perindoprilat were shown to have been altered, also indicating the need for an initial dosage reduction in such patients. Hepatic impairment had no significant effect on the kinetics of either the prodrug or the active metaholite.


This document discusses the applicability of the Shim6 IPv6 protocol
and associated support protocols and mechanisms to provide site
multihoming capabilities in IPv6.


The effect of compression and decompression rates of high hydrostatic pressure (HHP) on Escherichia coli O157:H7 was investigated. Samples of orange juice, skimmed milk and Tris buffer were inoculated with E. coli O157:H7 and subjected to 600 MPa for 3 min at 4°C with fast, medium and slow compression and decompression. Analyses immediately after HHP treatment revealed that E. coli in milk and juice treated with fast compression suffered more than slow compression rates. Slow decompression resulted in higher inactivation of E. coli in all matrices. After overnight storage, highest stress-recovery (1.19 log cfu/mL) was observed in Tris buffer. Healthy cells were<1 log cfu/mL in milk and buffer samples, but no growth was detected in orange juice for any of the treatments immediately after HHP. After 15 days at 4°C, E. coli cells in skimmed milk and Tris buffer recovered significantly, whereas the recovery of sublethally injured cells was inhibited in orange juice.


The Arabic language has a rich history of literary criticism and theory, starting from the 8th century ce up to the 21st century. This literary criticism and theory engages with a poetic tradition that dates back to pre-Islamic times. The inquiry into literary quality was motivated by an interest in evaluating poetry, a general concern with eloquent speech, whether in verse or prose, and by the desire to articulate the beauty of the Quran. The transmission of Aristotle's Poetics into Arabic also spurred interest in the poetic, particularly in Arabic philosophy. The study of eloquence crystallized into a standardized science by the 13th century ce, with branches focusing on (1) the role of syntax in literary beauty (the science of meanings); (2) simile, metaphor, and metonymy (the science of elucidation); and (3) rhetorical figures (the science of rhetorical figures).
 The aesthetic developed in the early criticism of the 9th and 10th centuries was concerned with articulating the merits of an idealized classical style of pre-Islamic poetry, from which the "modern" poets of the early Abbasid period diverged. This classically oriented aesthetic was dominated by a concern with the truthfulness and naturalness of poetry, typical of the style of the "ancients," on the one hand, and the limits of unrealistic imagery and affected artificiality, which characterized the more ornate modern Abbasid style, on the other. This binary outlook shifted after the 10th century, however, to an aesthetic of wonder. A theory of aesthetic experience began to develop, therefore, which was based on the ability of poetic language to evoke wonder in the recipient. As a result, wonder-enhancing characteristics such as strangeness, the unexpected, and the rare became essential components of aesthetic judgment. Moreover, the ability of language to make meaning manifest in ways that allow for an experience of discovery and hence wonder, became the foundation of aesthetic inquiry in post-10th century Arabic literary theory.


These hefty collections of favorite authors feature their best work, reset from the original first editions that were approved by the authors themselves.


In the Netherlands the state does not take direct responsibility for the care of archaeological monuments. Instead, the emphasis is on supporting private owners to look after monuments in their care. This article focuses on the range of non-governmental trust organisations that have been established to care for built heritage in the Netherlands. One such organisation is the Utrechts Landschap Foundation, established in 1927, which has recently championed what can be termed a 'triple heritage helix' to describe the role played by the foundation, public government and civil society. In this triple heritage helix model, all three partners have a role, but Utrechts Landschap is the central, lead partner that provides the long-term vision, skills and administration to ensure that the heritage sites under the trust's care are managed and protected effectively.


Abstract As one of the oldest Asian American groups in the USA, most Japanese Americans are of the third and fourth generations and have become well integrated in mainstream American society. However, they are still racialized as foreigners simply because of their Asian appearance. Their Asian phenotype continues to have a foreigner connotation because of large-scale immigration from Asia and an American national identity that is racially defined as white. This paper analyses how later-generation Japanese Americans are racialized as outsiders in their daily interaction with mainstream Americans, which is often accompanied by essentialized assumptions that they are also culturally foreign. In response, they engage in everyday struggles for racial citizenship by demanding inclusion in the national community as Americans despite their racial differences. It is uncertain whether such attempts to contest their racialization will cause current mono-racial notions of American identity to be reconsidered in more inclusive and multiracial ways.


X-ray phase-contrast topography has been improved by using phase modulation and computing techniques to determine lattice distortions inside near-perfect Si monocrystals. The technique presented is based on the detection of the spatially varying phase shift at the output of a monolithic x-ray interferometer of the triple Laue type using phase modulation and a multi-element detector. Information was obtained about the degree of perfection of crystals being used in the determination of the (220) lattice plane spacing of silicon and of the Avogadro constant.


Under manufacturing process variation, a path through a net is called longest if there exists a process condition under which the path has the maximum delay among all paths through the net. There are often multiple longest paths for each net, due to different process conditions. In addition, a local defect, such as resistive open or a resistive bridge, increases the delay of the affected net. To detect delay faults due to local defects and process variation, it is necessary to test all longest paths through each net. Previous approaches to this problem were inefficient because of the large number of paths that are not longest. This paper presents an efficient method to generate the set of longest paths for delay test under process variation. To capture both structural and process correlation between path delays, we use linear delay functions to express path delays under process variation. A novel technique is proposed to prune paths that are not longest, resulting in a significant reduction in the number of paths. In experiments on International Symposium on Circuits and Systems (ISCAS) circuits, our number of longest paths is 1-6% of the previous best approach, with 300/spl times/ less running time.


In this study, the sperm activation potential of various regions of male reproductive system of Spodoptera litura (F.) has been evaluated by in-vitro bioassay. This has been done using their respective secretions as sperm activator for the sperm derived from the duplex of 2-3 days old virgin male moths. The results revealed that the prostatic part elicited a significantly pronounced sperm activity profile (in terms of proportion of active sperm and their activity intensity), as compared to the subregions of the prostatic part. The sperm activity profile by the prostatic part secretions was further observed to be reinforced by the addition of secretions of accessary glands. The sperm activity peak plateau reached around 30-90 min during the sperm activation bioassay. Further studies are in progress towards identification and characterization of potential biomolecule(s) responsible for sperm activity in the secretions of male prostatic part of the ejaculatory duct. This study has pragmatic application in exploring the anti-reproductive potential of various biorationals and optimization of radiogenetic IPM methods that are based on sperm dynamics and mating competitiveness.


Knowledge about the brain and the impact of trauma has increased significantly in recent years. Counselors must understand brain functioning and the effects of trauma in order to choose the most effective methods for working with clients. Creative arts therapies offer a nonthreatening way for clients to access and express their trauma, creating a corrective experience in the brain. Activities that incorporate body movement can be particularly helpful by providing a corrective emotional experience for those clients with an immobilized response to a traumatic event. This article offers a model for the assessment and treatment of trauma through the use of creative arts.


In the title complex, [Cu(C9H9NO4S)(C12H8N2)(H2O)], the CuII ion is coordinated in a distorted square-pyramidal geometry by the two N atoms from a 1,10-phenanthroline ligand, one N atom from the deprotonated amino group of an N-tosylglycinate ligand, one O atom from the carboxylate part of the N-tosylglycinate ligand and a water O atom. Intermolecular O—H⋯O hydrogen bonds involving the water H atoms link neighboring molecules into supramolecular chains along [010]. Weak π–π stacking interactions [centroid–centroid distances of 3.456 (1) and 3.691 (1) Å] between the benzene rings of 1,10-phenanthroline ligands of adjacent molecules extend the chains into a layer structure parallel to (001).


Single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) in and around the nicotinamide N-methyltransferase (NNMT) gene are associated with a range of cancers and other diseases and conditions. The data on these associations have been assembled, and their strength discussed. There is no evidence that the presence of either the major or minor base in any SNP affects the expression of nicotinamide N-methyltransferase. Nevertheless, suggestions have been put forward that some of these SNPs do affect NNMT expression and thus homocysteine metabolism. An alternative idea involving non-coding messenger RNAs (mRNAs) is suggested as a possible mechanism whereby health is influenced. It is postulated that these long, non-coding NNMT mRNAs may exert deleterious effects by interfering with the expression of other genes. Neither hypothesis, however, has experimental proof, and further work is necessary to elucidate NNMT genetic interactions.


Epidemiological evidence demonstrates that cannabis use is associated with an increased risk of psychotic outcomes, and confirms a dose‐response relationship between the level of use and the risk of later psychosis. High‐potency cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids carry the greatest risk. Experimental administration of tetrahydrocannabinol, the active ingredient of cannabis, induces transient psychosis in normal subjects, but this effect can be ameliorated by co‐administration of cannabidiol. This latter is a constituent of traditional hashish, but is largely absent from modern high‐potency forms of cannabis. Argument continues over the extent to which genetic predisposition is correlated to, or interacts with, cannabis use, and what proportion of psychosis could be prevented by minimizing heavy use. As yet, there is not convincing evidence that cannabis use increases risk of other psychiatric disorders, but there are no such doubts concerning its detrimental effect on cognitive function. All of the negative aspects are magnified if use starts in early adolescence. Irrespective of whether use of cannabis is decriminalized or legalized, the evidence that it is a component cause of psychosis is now sufficient for public health messages outlining the risk, especially of regular use of high‐potency cannabis and synthetic cannabinoids.


ABSTRACT This article explains in detail the state space specification and estimation of first and higher-order autoregressive moving-average models in continuous time (CARMA) in an extended structural equation modeling (SEM) context for N = 1 as well as N > 1. To illustrate the approach, simulations will be presented in which a single panel model (T = 41 time points) is estimated for a sample of N = 1,000 individuals as well as for samples of N = 100 and N = 50 individuals, followed by estimating 100 separate models for each of the one-hundred N = 1 cases in the N = 100 sample. Furthermore, we will demonstrate how to test the difference between the full panel model and each N = 1 model by means of a subject-group-reproducibility test. Finally, the proposed analyses will be applied in an empirical example, in which the relationships between mood at work and mood at home are studied in a sample of N = 55 women. All analyses are carried out by ctsem, an R-package for continuous time modeling, interfacing to OpenMx.


Common bean ( Phaseolus vulgaris L. ) is a legume crop, and its seed is rich in various essentialamino acids.It can be used as a source of protein, folic acid, dietary fiber, and complex carbohydrates and is one of the plant foods that provide significant amounts of the indispensable amino acid viz lysine.This amino acid is a key component for proper growth and development of animals and plays a critical role in various plant and animal biological and metabolic pro-cesses.The amount and proportion of amino acids in the diet is very important as they are the building blocks of proteins and have fundamental role in the formation, stability and function of proteins. As such there is need to look look for the sources of this essential amino acid in various food and the role of lysine in animal, humans and plant growth and development and its involvement in variousbiological processes. Keeping this in mind, we are in process of screening common bean germplasm for theseed lysine content. In the present mini review we highlight the importance of common bean as a source of lysine and its role in various biological process in the human and plants.


Non-invasive ventilation in pressure support (NIV) is well described in the adult and child over 5 years. However, its use in children less than 1 year of age remains anecdotal. We report our preliminary experience with the use of NIV in six children aged from 5 days to 10 months. NIV was delivered with a flow generator (VPAP IIST, Resmed Ltd, North Ryde, NSW, Australia) in association with specific tubings and a nasal mask. The use of NIV resulted in a significant decrease of both the respiratory rate (from 53 to 39 breaths per min, p < 0.01) and the PvCO(2) (from 9.33 to 6.28 kPa, p < 0.01). These results show that NIV can be used in children under 1 year of age with improvement of physiological parameters.


Progress towards advanced systems for assisted and autonomous driving is leveraging recent advances in recognition and segmentation methods. Yet, we are still facing challenges in bringing reliable driving to inner cities, as those are composed of highly dynamic scenes observed from a moving platform at considerable speeds. Anticipation becomes a key element in order to react timely and prevent accidents. In this paper we argue that it is necessary to predict at least 1 second and we thus propose a new model that jointly predicts ego motion and people trajectories over such large time horizons. We pay particular attention to modeling the uncertainty of our estimates arising from the non-deterministic nature of natural traffic scenes. Our experimental results show that it is indeed possible to predict people trajectories at the desired time horizons and that our uncertainty estimates are informative of the prediction error. We also show that both sequence modeling of trajectories as well as our novel method of long term odometry prediction are essential for best performance.


Photovoltaic (PV) modules convert renewable and sustainable solar energy into electricity. However, the uncertainty of PV power production brings challenges for the grid operation. To facilitate the management and scheduling of PV power plants, forecasting is an essential technique. In this paper, a robust multilayer perception (MLP) neural network was developed for day-ahead forecasting of hourly PV power. A generic MLP is usually trained by minimizing the mean squared loss. The mean squared error is sensitive to a few particularly large errors that can lead to a poor estimator. To tackle the problem, the pseudo-Huber loss function, which combines the best properties of squared loss and absolute loss, was adopted in this paper. The effectiveness and efficiency of the proposed method was verified by benchmarking against a generic MLP network with real PV data. Numerical experiments illustrated that the proposed method performed better than the generic MLP network in terms of root mean squared error (RMSE) and mean absolute error (MAE).


ABSTRACT Very little empirical attention has been given to the mobility constraints linked to accessibility to and upgrading within home ownership. Both are central to the operation of the housing market and can be seen within a framework of housing careers. This paper places them also in the context of changing housing market conditions and in particular the role of housing cycles. The research simulates, in purely financial terms, the behaviour of the average first-time buyers in each region of the UK over three decades. The analysis finds the accessibility mobility constraint is more psychological than financial but is also dependent on interest rates and the scale and duration of market downturns. The analysis of the upgrading constraint through housing cycles demonstrates that the ease of moving in the upturn fuels a boom but the subsequent inabilities to accumulate the capital necessary for such a move brings a long muted recovery.


Adhesion mediated by fimbriae is thought to play an important role in the pathogenesis of urinary tract infections (UTI) by Escherichia coli. The majority of clinical isolates of E. coli from UTI are able to express type 1 fimbriae. However, the importance of these fimbriae as a virulence factor has been controversial. To investigate the expression of type 1 fimbriae in vivo during UTI, mice were transurethrally infected with uropathogenic E. coli C175-94 and type 1 fimbrial expression was determined directly by two independent methods at 2 h, 1 d and 3 d after infection. By use of an assay combining in situ rRNA hybridization and immunofluorescence, all bacterial cells detected in urine, bladders and kidneys from mice sacrificed 1 and 3 d after onset of infection were found to express type 1 fimbriae. In contrast, the majority of cells in the suspension used for infection of mice and specimens from mice sacrificed 2 h after inoculation were found to be non-fimbriated. Similar results were obtained with a PCR assay revealing the orientation of the invertible promoter driving the transcription of type 1 fimbrial genes. Whilst the promoter in both ON and OFF positions could be amplified from the suspension used for infection and specimens from mice sacrificed 2 h after inoculation, at 1 and 3 d after onset of infection only the promoter in the ON orientation could be amplified. These results show that introduction of E. coli C175-94 into the mouse urinary tract leads to markedly enhanced expression of type 1 fimbriae.


Tourism is growing rapidly and is one of the most important industry in many developing countries. The tourism sector has become major factor of importance in the world GDP because of its rapid growth and development. It is a power force of change in the economy. So, development of tourism influences the development of other sector such as agriculture, food processing, handicraft etc. which can contribute to the well-being of the entire community. Tourism development is strongly related to local communities. Local people are a key element that helps in the development of tourism. They are the important component that influence the future development of tourism destination. The development of certain area or place is impossible without the help of people living in that area. Therefore, the involvement and participation of local people is very important for the development of any sector. Tourism development is one of the important components for the economic growth of the country. In this respect, the perception and attitude of local people plays the most important role. So, the present study provides an idea about the tourism development by the local people perception and explore the need of the tourist by identifying their problems and study the involvement of local people for its development. Based on the survey, the analysis revealed that the facilities like internet, parking facilities, information center, sanitation, safety and security, good food, pure drinking water are the most needed facilities. This study also analyzed that government sector plays a significant role and is required in the development of tourism through infrastructure and hospitality. The infrastructure like road and transport, electricity, water and hospitality like communication, accommodation, and food and beverages. This study also explains that the involvement of local people through various activities like trade and business, maintaining good environment, hospitality, cultural program. The major problems like lack of sanitation, information center, shops in every place in unmanaged way, lack of infrastructure was also revealed by this study.


An updated Monte Carlo procedure for Typhoon simulation is presented to estimate the extreme wind speed at typhoon prone southern and western coasts in Korea. The reconstructed wind field model for typhoon in this study is compared with measured typhoon data for validation. The fitness of the proposed probability distribution models for typhoon parameters are tested by using data for the typhoon passed near the specific site. The simulated maximum wind speed associated with various return periods along southern and western coasts indicate that the extreme wind speed gradually increases inversely according to latitude of the coast, and that the basic wind speeds given in Korea Bridge Design Code are excessive compared with present results.


This paper describes the use of the new tunnel diode in a down converter. An experimental UHF circuit converting from a signal frequency of 210 mc to an intermediate frequency of 30 mc is used to illustrate the feasibility of this new converter. Conversion power gain of 22 db with less than 3 db noise has been achieved with gallium arsenide diodes. The circuit analysis proceeds from the basic nonlinear resistance of the tunnel diode I-V characteristic. Equations are developed for conversion gain, bandwidth and noise figure. From these equations, criteria are derived for the choice of diode characteristics and circuit parameters to obtain optimum performance.


Therapeutic monoclonal antibodies (mAbs) have become one of the fastest growing classes of drugs in recent years and are approved for the treatment of a wide range of indications, from cancer to autoimmune disease. Perhaps the best studied target is the pan B-cell marker CD20. Indeed, the first mAb to receive approval by the Food and Drug Administration for use in cancer treatment was the CD20-targeting mAb rituximab (Rituxan®). Since its approval for relapsed/refractory non-Hodgkin's lymphoma in 1997, rituximab has been licensed for use in the treatment of numerous other B-cell malignancies, as well as autoimmune conditions, including rheumatoid arthritis. Despite having a significant impact on the treatment of these patients, the exact mechanisms of action of rituximab remain incompletely understood. Nevertheless, numerous second- and third-generation anti-CD20 mAbs have since been developed using various strategies to enhance specific effector functions thought to be key for efficacy. A plethora of knowledge has been gained during the development and testing of these mAbs, and this knowledge can now be applied to the design of novel mAbs directed to targets beyond CD20. As we enter the "post-rituximab" era, this review will focus on the lessons learned thus far through investigation of anti-CD20 mAb. Also discussed are current and future developments relating to enhanced effector function, such as the ability to form multimers on the target cell surface. These strategies have potential applications not only in oncology but also in the improved treatment of autoimmune disorders and infectious diseases. Finally, potential approaches to overcoming mechanisms of resistance to anti-CD20 therapy are discussed, chiefly involving the combination of anti-CD20 mAbs with various other agents to resensitize patients to treatment.


A user creates a Shoebox into which photographs (or other images) may be placed. These can be grouped by the user into "rolls" of arbitrary size. Functions are supplied to correct basic colour properties, rotate images, and send the photographs to any image manipulation tools for further editing. Photographs may be printed, sent via email, or published as a set of web pages together with their accompanying annotations.


The O-acyl group at C-1 of two C19-diterpenoid alkaloids 2 and 5 was transferred to the secondary amine nitrogen to form amides 3 and 6 in the basic condition. This kind of O-to-N intramolecular acyl migration could be caused by the near distance between the nucleophilic nitrogen atom and the carbonyl group of the ester at C-1 in the C19-diterpenoid alkaloids, which is consistent with the conformation of rings A and E in the C19-diterpenoid alkaloids.


In this paper we report superconductivity in single crystals of the new iron-pnictide system CaFe2−xIrxAs2 (x=0, 0.05, 0.10, 0.13) grown by a self-flux solution method and characterized via X-ray, transport and magnetic measurements. The magnetic ordering associated with a structural transition at 160 K present in CaFe2As2 is completely suppressed by substitution of Fe with Ir and superconductivity is induced at a critical temperature Tc=22 K in the sample with x=0.13. We also determined the upper critical fields along the ab-plane and c-axis. The anisotropy of the CaFe2−xIrxAs2 superconductors determined by the ratio of Habc2 and Hcc2 is estimated to be 1.5–2.2. Our results suggest that superconductivity can also be easily induced in the CaFe2As2 family by substituting the Fe with Ir, at almost the similar maximum transition temperatures as for Co, Ni and Rh doping.


Introduction: Prostaglandins E2 and D2 (PGE2 and PGD2) play an important role in the pathophysiology of asthma, especially in aspirin-induced asthma (AIA). In the airways, PGE2 has bronchoprotective, and PGD2 . proinflammatory effect. By the analysis of exhaled breath condensate (EBC) the pulmonary synthesis of these eicosanoids can be assessed. Objective: To evaluate the role of PGE2 and PGD2 in the pathogenesis of asthma, especially in aspirin-induced asthma. Methods: 67 aspirin tolerant asthmatics (ATA), 79 patients with AIA and 66 healthy subjects (HC) were enrolled into the study. EBC and detailed clinical data were obtained from the participants. The patients performed spirometry. Concentrations of PGE2, PGD2 and their metabolites (9ƒz,11s-PGF2 and tetranor-PGE-M) in EBC were measured by chromatography/spectrometry and, for standardization, recalculated on palmitic acid concentration.Results: There was higher level of PGD2 in EBC in groups of asthma than in HC group. AIA group was characterized by elevated 9ƒz,11s-PGF2 and tetranor-PGE-M levels and raised PGD2/PGE2 ratio in EBC. ATA patients with increased concentration of PGE2 in EBC had less severe asthma, with better control of disease, higher FEV1 and FEV1/FVC. Conclusions: In the stable disease PGD2 may be involved in maintaining the asthmatic inflammation. The feature of AIA may be increased mast cell activation. The imbalance between PGD2 and PGE2 may contribute to asthmatic attacks after aspirin and may result from increased metabolism of PGE2. PGE2 seems to play protective role in the respiratory system of patients with ATA.


Hepatitis C virus (HCV) is responsible for the majority of cases of post transfusion non-A non-B (NANB) hepatitis in thalassaemia major (TM). Fifteen multi-transfused TM patients with serological, biochemical, histological and molecular biological evidence of HCV infection have been treated for six months with recombinant alpha interferon (IFN). Eleven (73%) responded, 8 (53%) had complete response (CR), 3 (20%) partial response (PR) and 4 (27%) did not respond (NR) to IFN. Natural killer (NK) cell activity 24 hours after the first dose of IFN was significantly increased in responders as compared to non-responders. Liver histology showed an overall reduction of portal inflammation and periportal necrosis in the responding patients. HCV RNA disappeared from serum in 8 (15) responders and partial responders. Non responders remained positive. HCV RNA was tested and found to be positive in liver tissue material in 7 patients, five of those were re-tested after IFN treatment. Two became negative (both CR) 3 remained positive despite biochemical response to IFN. The degree of induction of peripheral blood mononuclear cell 2'5' oligoadenylate synthetase messenger RNA (2-5 OAS mRNA), an enzyme induced by IFN, after the first dose of IFN did not correlate with response neither was any significant interaction with cytokines observed; tumour necrosis factor (TNF), interleukin-1. (IL-1) and CD4:CD8 ratios did not change. We conclude that IFN should be given to all TM patients with chronic active hepatitis due to HCV.


BACKGROUND: How to disclose an impairment during the hiring process is an important question for disabled people, yet the associated employer perspective remains overlooked in the literature. OBJECTIVE: The article investigates whether, when and how employers prefer jobseekers to disclose their impairment during the recruitment process. Stigma and impression management is used as a theoretical lens to interpret employer responses. METHODS: The article uses interview data from 38 Norwegian employers paired with behavioral data from a recruitment situation. Prior to the interviews, the employers were subjected to a field experiment wherein pairs of fictitious applications were submitted for real job listings. In these, one of the applicants disclosed either a mobility impairment or a mental health condition. RESULTS: The findings show that disability disclosure is a balancing act between appearing candid and demonstrating competence and that employers favor identity management strategies that present disability in a positive and unobtrusive manner and downplay the impairment. The employers favored disclosure but expected wheelchair users to disclose their impairment earlier than people with mental health conditions. Furthermore, employers with a relational view on disability were found to be more open to hiring disabled people. CONCLUSIONS: The article illustrates how disclosure expectations can represent a significant disability penalty, thus hampering employment advancement for disabled people.


Despite the fact that small to medium sized enterprises play an important role in the Japanese economy, these companies have severe problems with respect to corporate sustainability. We have investigated a small company called ldquoHaneronrdquo in detail. This company was founded as a technology oriented manufacturing company and it has survived more than 30 years. The company developed strength in the area of mixed technology of analog, digital and mechatronics in the early stage of start-up. The case study shows that so-called diversification in product/market expansion grid is effective if existing technology is applied to new products. Also, the case study shows that the strategy to keep corporate size relatively small and to change business model in response to environmental and market changes is a key factor for the organization to survive. An engineering management approach for corporate sustainability was discussed and a hypothetical model to describe organization survival was proposed.


In common with many African countries, Ethiopia has a very limited cytological service, smears are only taken in a hospital or clinic setting and until very recently most had to be sent abroad for analysis. We describe the results of a clinical and cytological investigation of 2111 women attending hospitals and clinics in Addis Ababa: 33 invasive or microinvasive cancers and 10 dysplasias (CIN) were detected. the prevalence of invasive cervical cancer in that population was 15.6/1000. Risk factors were shown to be age over 35 (especially over 50), parity over six (especially more than 10), very low income or subsistence economy, particularly in those from the rural areas, and prostitution. Less significant factors, possibly related to age, were sexual activity of more than 20 years and first coitus before the age of 15; and more than five sexual partners. Most (66%) of women with invasive cancer were at stage 3 or 4.


It is a strange fact that among the countless books published on Chinese subjects no adequate attempt up to now has been made to give a general survey of ancient Chinese philosophy. This book is therefore all the more welcome, and it is satisfactory to learn that it is the forerunner of a more detailed and comprehensive study from the same pen. Avowedly writing for those who are not specialists in Chinese matters, Sig. Tucci wisely refrains from entering into details of chronology and biography. He confines his attention to a tentative summary of the thought characterizing various schools up to the end of the Han dynasty in their several relationships and he appends translations of distinctive utterances attributed to the great philosophers of those early times.


Recently, UV(ultra-violet rays) camera has attracted a great deal of interest from the view point of easy judgement in inspections and diagnoses of the safety of power equipment. Especilly, UV camera is applied the inspection of UV with corona discharge. One of the most important and difficult problems is the basic research of filter design, materials and corona discharge. In this paper, we will report on the UV generation, corona pulse count and the polarity effect of positive and negative DC surface discharge in air. Also, corona discharge characteristics are analyzed using prototype UV camera of Korea. UV generation and corona pulse count due to surface discharge in positive needle is higher than that of negative needle.


Tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy and adenotonsillectomy are among the commonest surgical procedures undertaken in children. The notes of 413 consecutive children having tonsillectomy, adenoidectomy or adenotonsillectomy were analysed retrospectively to determine complication rates. Of the total number of children, 5.6% had at least one complication, the most common of which was haemorrhage occurring as a first complication in 3.9% (16 children). Three children with bleeding required active treatment (0.7%), one requiring transfusion and two requiring a return to theatre, all within 3 1/2 hours of operation. The incidence of reactionary bleeding was not associated with the grade or seniority of the surgeon. Six children (1.5%) developed a fever post-operatively, of which one required antibiotic treatment. On the basis of these results it is feasible for such procedures to be carried out on a day-care basis.


OBJECTIVE
--To review our experience with lung transplantation, emphasizing recipient selection, choice of procedure, functional results, and outcome.

DESIGN
--Retrospective review of patients who received lung transplants at Barnes Hospital, St Louis, Mo, between July 1, 1988, and January 31, 1991.

SETTING
--Washington University School of Medicine, St Louis, Mo, and Barnes Hospital, a medical school and its affiliated referral hospital, respectively.

PATIENTS
--Sixty-nine lung transplant procedures were performed in 66 recipients. Patients with clinically and physiologically severe lung disease were selected according to predetermined guidelines. Underlying diseases in the recipients included chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, alpha 1-antitrypsin deficiency emphysema, cystic fibrosis, pulmonary fibrosis, primary pulmonary hypertension, Eisenmenger's syndrome associated with an atrial septal defect, bronchiectasis, eosinophilic granuloma, and lymphangiomyomatosis.

INTERVENTION
--Double-lung, bilateral sequential, and single-lung transplantations were performed. Eight patients underwent en bloc double-lung transplantations or a modification of this procedure with separate bronchial anastomoses. Thereafter, the bilateral sequential approach to replacement of both lungs was performed in 26 patients. Thirty-two patients underwent single-lung transplantations.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
--Pulmonary function tests, arterial blood gas levels, pulmonary artery pressure, pulmonary vascular resistance, and actuarial survival.

RESULTS
--Actuarial survival at 1 year for the 66 lung transplant recipients was 79%. Actuarial survival at 1 year was 82% for the bilateral lung transplant recipients and was 90% for the single-lung transplant recipients. In patients with either restrictive or obstructive lung disease, pulmonary function tests and arterial blood gas levels improved markedly after lung transplantation. In patients with primary pulmonary hypertension or Eisenmenger's syndrome, the pulmonary artery pressure decreased and the cardiac index increased into the normal range after single-lung transplantation.

CONCLUSIONS
--In carefully selected patients with end-stage lung disease, single-lung and bilateral lung transplantations can significantly improve functional capacity, with promising early actuarial survival statistics after 1 year.


Prediction and control of the thermal distortion is particularly important for the design and manufacture of welded thin metal structure. In this study, numerical computations are performed to analyze effect of structure section shape and weld line location on distortion. In addition, this study aims to develop a thermal elasto-plastic simulation using finite element method to predict distortion, with particular emphasis on bending deformation generated in outline welding of a thin box structure. From the numerical analysis, it was revealed that the section shape and weld line location play an important role on the welding distortion. Among 3 types of section shape design proposed in this study, the least deformation remained in the two path welded structure.


An introduction to the special section is given. The new database of experimental data used in this section is also introduced. This database can be accessed from this article's Multimedia Enhancements page.


Discovered by Hess during some experiments about air ionization, cosmic rays are constituted by particles coming from the space. In the past, cosmic rays allowed the development of Particle Physics; indeed, thanks to their high energy not achievable in laboratories, they enabled new particles discovery. Today, interest about this radiation concerns both Astrophysics and Particle Physics. Indeed on the one hand, their knowledge allows formulation about new models of Universe structure and evolution or to acquire new knowledge about final objects of stars evolution; on the other hand cosmic rays allows us to study fundamental processes, as for example acceleration and interaction mechanisms of particles at energies not achievable in laboratories. Although it has passed more than a century after their discovery, there are many questions to which it isn't possible to answer yet or to which there isn't certainty about formulated theories. Some examples are about objects that can accelerate particles to high energy and acceleration mechanisms; indeed, even if there are some theories, we don't have experimental certainty. Moreover, although measured in many experiments, energy spectrum shows, especially in the region called "Knee", some differences between measuring made by experiments. Since magnetic fields deflect charged particles, their observation doesn't allow to go back to the source, so in cosmic rays study it's very important γ rays observation because they aren't deflected by magnetic fields. In 1989 Whipple experiment allowed to observe, for the first time, TeV energy γ rays coming from Crab Nebula. Thanks to many experiments made to answer questions about cosmic rays, more than 100 Very High Energy (VHE) γ rays sources were observed since then; 60 out of 100 have galactic origin, as for instance Supernova Remnants or Pulsars; for the rest, apart from those not identified, they have extra-galactic origin. In this work some simulations, made by National Nuclear Physics Institute (INFN) subdivision of Torino (Italy) using Cosmic Ray SImulations for KAscade (CORSIKA), were analyzed to study differences between Extensive Air Shower (EAS) produced by γ rays and EAS produced by protons.


Time and space assembly line balancing considers realistic multiobjective versions of the classical assembly line balancing industrial problems, involving the joint optimization of conflicting criteria such as the cycle time, the number of stations, and/or the area of these stations. The aim of this contribution is to present a new multiobjective memetic algorithm based on ant colony optimization for the 1/3 variant of this family of industrial problems. This variant involves the joint minimisation of the number and the area of the stations, given a fixed cycle time limit. The good behaviour of the proposal is shown in nine problem instances.