Due to increasing the demand for multiservice operation and hence broadband access, the reliable and cost effective communication systems that can support anytime, anywhere, any media are needed. Radio over fiber technology is able to alleviate the increasing demand for high-bandwidth services but suffer from performance degradation due to the issue of noise and interference. A feedforward linearisation system is a powerful technique that prefers because can reduce the broadband distortion in microwave/millimeter wave frequencies, reduce the all orders of distortion and the laser relative intensity noise (RIN) simultaneously. This paper investigated the proposed design of feedforward linearisation system of directly modulated laser diode for radio over fiber application at frequency range 5 - 5.8 GHz. The simulation result of the system shows that the simultaneous reduction of IMD3 achieved up to 30 dB and RIN reduction up to 20 dB at frequency with 800 MHz bandwidth linearization. Likewise, the spurious free dynamic range of system was enhanced. In conclusion, the proposed system was suitable for multiservice radio over fiber system with operating frequency range 5-5.8 GHz.


Abstract— In this study, grinding operation was performed on a work-piece with an unknown shape. As the control strategy, hybrid force/velocity control method was utilized using a PID controller and an Active Disturbance Rejection Controller (ADRC). Both control structures were implemented on an experimental setup and the results were compared. Results show that significant amount of effort can be saved in grinding operation on a work-piece with an unknown shape due to the elimination of CAD model dependent path planning processes.


The recA gene of Escherichia coli is the prototype of the recA/RAD51/DMC1/uvsX gene family of strand transferases involved in genetic recombination. In order to find mutations in the recA gene important in catalytic turnover, a genetic screen was conducted for dominant lethal mutants. Eight single amino acid substitution mutants were found to prevent proper chromosome segregation and to kill cells in the presence or absence of an inducible SOS system. All mutants catalyzed some level of recombination and constitutively stimulated LexA cleavage. The mutations occur at the monomer-monomer interface of the RecA polymer or at residues important in ATP hydrolysis, implicating these residues in catalytic turnover. Based on an analysis of the E96D mutant, a model is presented in which slow RecA-DNA dissociation prevents chromosome segregation, engendering lexA-independent, lethal filamentation of cells.


We propose the use of etched optical fibre strain sensors to provide an economical on-board load indicator for minibuses and heavy vehicles. By improving the fabrication process we produced symmetrically etched fibre strain gauges. Manufactured sensors were evaluated experimentally by straining them on a cantilever beam. For strains smaller than 600 microstrain the output of a ten-segment sensor was linear with a typical gauge factor of -57. Bending losses in the fibre sensor became more pronounced for larger strains. This sensor has only two optical components apart from the sensing element. Strain sensors were mounted on the rear axle and on the front torsion bar of a minibus taxi test vehicle. Proper weighting of the outputs of the front and back sensors on the vehicle ensures a monotonic relationship between the sensor output and load. In addition, the reading of the sensor system is virtually independent of the load distribution in the vehicle. Difference-over-sum processing ensures insensitivity to common-mode perturbations such as temperature and source intensity changes.


Membrane protein function is regulated by the cell membrane lipid composition. This regulation is due to a combination of specific lipid-protein interactions and more general lipid bilayer-protein interactions. These interactions are particularly important in pharmacological research, as many current pharmaceuticals on the market can alter the lipid bilayer material properties, which can lead to altered membrane protein function. The formation of gramicidin channels are dependent on conformational changes in gramicidin subunits which are in turn dependent on the properties of the lipid. Hence the gramicidin channel current is a reporter of altered properties of the bilayer due to certain compounds.


Bioenhancers can be defined as chemical entities, which when mixed with drugs promote and augment their bioavailability without showing any synergistic effect with the drug. The factors like toxicity, cost, poor bioavailability and long term administration of drugs give rise to the need of bioenhancers which help overcome most of these problems. Piper species produce a pungent alkaloid named Piperine or 1-peperoyl piperidine. Piperine increases permeability at the site of absorption by modulating lipid environment and membrane dynamics. Piperine has a molecular structure that is suitable for enzyme inhibition. It augments the bioavailability of several drugs like carbamazepine, curcumin, ciprofloxacin, ampicillin, metronidazole, oxytetracycline and many others by inhibiting various metabolizing enzymes. Thus piperine, being an efficacious inhibitor of drug metabolism is a powerful enhancer of absorption. The following review explores the mechanism, metabolism inhibition, influence of structural changes on activity, and drugs bioenhanced by piperine. It provides an insight on the application of piperine as an effective bioenhancer and the superiority of a bioenhanced drug formulation over the one without a bioenhancer. This concept which is found to be beneficial, has its roots in Ayurveda-the traditional Indian system of medicine and has been applied to various drugs. It presents a fine instance of the advantage of amalgamating a traditional system with contemporary medicine.


In-vivo dosimetry is essential to verify the position and the intensity of the radiation therapy, such as cranio-spinal irradiation (CSI) and total body irradiation (TBI). Various kinds of devices, such as a thermo-luminesence dosimeters (TLDs), metal-oxide semiconductor field effect transistors (MOSFETs), semiconductor diodes, and gafchromic films, are used in in-vivo dosimetry, and these have their respective pros and cons. An optically-stimulated luminescent nanodot dosimeter (OSLnD) made of Al2O3: C was developed to measure the radiation dose during diagnostics, but it is now used for clinical purposes. In this study, the characteristics of the OSLnD, such as its dose rate dependency, dose linearity, angular dependency, and field junction, were investigated under a 6 MV X-ray beam. The OSLnD showed a linear response at doses from 20 to 300 cGy in the dose linearity test. Also, the dose rate dependency was shown to be less than 3%, angular dependency to be less than 2%. The experimental results proved the OSLnD to be useful for measurements of the external dose and for intensity modulated radiotherapy (IMRT) in clinical radiotherapy.


Control is pervasive in construction project environments. The management of projects through various planning and control tools has therefore been described essentially as rebureaucratization which increases control over individuals, teams and organizations through ideologies of efficiency and performativity. Yet certain characteristics of the project setting make it an ideal climate for the empowerment of individuals and teams. The manifestations of control in five construction project management teams involved in two ongoing construction projects in Hong Kong are examined. The interpretive and exploratory focus of the study favoured the use of a qualitative research design and the case study approach in particular. Control is viewed as all devices and systems employed to ensure that acts, behaviours, outcomes and decisions of individuals, teams and organizations are consistent with meeting organizational or project goals, objectives and strategies. The findings indicate that a portfolio of control modes is implemented in project teams comprising both formal (i.e. behaviour‐ and outcome‐based) and informal (i.e. clan‐ and self‐based) control mechanisms which are not necessarily incompatible. While formal control remains the primary control mode, a portfolio of control appears necessary to augment the inadequacies of formal control due to the evolving nature of the project environment.


The Big Four music oligopoly practices cultural gate‐keeping for global markets. However, in spite of consolidation in the sector, the music industry is more loosely integrated vis‐à‐vis the rest of the entertainment industry than it was under the Big Five. As the sector concentrated, it also differentiated into two ownership classes. The Big Four are evenly split, two with affiliations with entertainment conglomerates and two without such affiliations. However, the majors as a group continue to share strong market power as a cartel. In the future, the interaction of the two affiliated and unaffiliated dyads in online music markets may divulge coordinated rules for CD pricing and controlling over access to digital catalogs. This paper considers Internet distribution of music as a technology practice contributing to, and perhaps reinforcing, loose integration.


In the context of multi-agent hypothetical reasoning, agents typically have partial knowledge about their environments, and the union of such knowledge is still incomplete to represent the whole world. Thus, given a global query they need to collaborate with each other to make correct inferences and hypothesis, whilst maintaining global constraints. There are many real world applications in which the confidentiality of agent knowledge is of primary concern, and hence the agents may not share or communicate all their information during the collaboration. This extra constraint gives a new challenge to multi-agent reasoning. This paper shows how this dichotomy between "open communication" in collaborative reasoning and protection of confidentiality can be accommodated, by extending a general-purpose distributed abductive logic programming system for multi-agent hypothetical reasoning with confidentiality. Specifically, the system computes consistent conditional answers for a query over a set of distributed normal logic programs with possibly unbound domains and arithmetic constraints, preserving the private information within the logic programs.


RATIONALE
Progressive lung damage in cystic fibrosis (CF) starts in infancy, and early detection may aid preventative strategies.

OBJECTIVES
To measure lung function in infants with CF diagnosed by newborn screening and describe its association with pulmonary infection and inflammation.

METHODS
Infants with CF (n = 68, 6 weeks to 30 months of age) and healthy infants without CF (n = 49) were studied. Forced vital capacity, FEV(0.5), and forced expiratory flows at 75% of exhaled vital capacity (FEF(75)) were measured using the raised-volume rapid thoracoabdominal compression technique. Forty-eight hours later, infants with CF had bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) for assessment of pulmonary infection and inflammation.

MEASUREMENTS AND MAIN RESULTS
In the CF group, the deficit in FEV(0.5) z score increased by -0.77 (95% confidence interval, -1.14 to -0.41; P < 0.001) with each year of age. The mean FEV(0.5) z score did not differ between infants with CF and healthy control subjects less than 6 months of age (-0.06 and 0.02, respectively; P = 0.87). However, the mean FEV(0.5) z score was lower by 1.15 in infants with CF who were older than 6 months of age compared with healthy infants (P < 0.001). FVC and FEF(75) followed a similar pattern. Pulmonary infection and inflammation in BAL samples did not explain the lung function results.

CONCLUSIONS
Lung function, measured by forced expiration, is normal in infants with CF at the time of diagnosis by newborn screening but is diminished in older infants. These findings suggest that in CF the optimal timing of therapeutic interventions aimed at preserving lung function may be within the first 6 months of life.


In the wake of contemporary events, such as the Syrian refugee crisis, and recalling historical events such as the Holocaust, it is important to understand the dynamic between states and international law. In the midst of the current refugee crisis, how might countries decide who accepts and denies refugees into their borders? We answer this by focusing on the laws and regulations that have been implemented since the 1951 Refugee Convention. The attitudes toward refugees and how the crisis is handled are an accurate reflection of the discrepancy between states' responsibilities and states' needs. We investigate the history of the laws and how states have found loopholes through the rules and regulations through court cases. Through this research, we are able to understand the legalities of how refugees reach safety and who takes responsibility when a government ultimately fails its people.


The results of 11 captive matings among nine female and six male descendents of six wild-caught female common garter snakes from polymorphic populations near Lake Erie confirm that melanism is inherited as a simple Mendelian trait and is recessive to a striped pattern. The make-up of litters born to 71 wild-caught females from five sites corroborate this result: striped females never produced all melanistic litters and the frequency of entirely striped, mixed, and entirely melanistic litters conforms to expectations based on estimated allele frequencies. Possible explanations for a previously reported non-Mendelian inheritance of melanism include the occurrence of a somatic mutation or bias in sperm production and fertilization ability.


We evaluated the combined prognostic value of cigarette smoking and baseline plasma Epstein-Barr virus deoxyribonucleic acid (EBV DNA) in patients with nasopharyngeal carcinoma (NPC) treated with intensity-modulated radiation therapy (IMRT). Of consecutive patients, 1501 with complete data were eligible for retrospective analysis. Smoking index (SI; cigarette packs per day times smoking duration [years]), was used to evaluate the cumulative effect of smoking. Primary endpoint was overall survival (OS); progression-free survival (PFS), distant metastasisfree survival (DMFS) and locoregional relapse-free survival (LRFS) were secondary end-points. Both cigarette smoking and baseline plasma EBV DNA load were associated with poorer survival (P<0.001). Patients were divided into four groups: low EBV DNA and light smoker (LL), low EBV DNA and heavy smoker (LH), high EBV DNA and light smoker (HL), and high EBV DNA and heavy smoker (HH). The respective 5-year survival rates were: OS (93.1%, 87.2%, 82.9%, and 76.3%, P<0.001), PFS (87.0%, 84.0%, 73.9%, and 64.6%, P<0.001), DMFS (94.1%, 92.1%, 82.4%, and72.5%, P<0.001), and LRFS (92.8%, 92.4%, 88.7%, and 84.0%, P=0.012).OS and PFS were significantly different between the LH and HL groups and HL and HH groups, but not LL and LH groups (pairwise comparisons). The combined risk stratification remained an independent prognostic factor for all endpoints (all Ptrend<0.001; multivariate analysis). Both cigarette smoking and baseline plasma EBV DNA were independent prognostic factors for survival outcomes. Combined interpretation of EBV DNA with smoking led to the refinement of the risks stratification for patient subsets, especially with improved risk discrimination in patients with high baseline plasma EBV DNA.


As is known, if the nonlinear terms in the Navier-Stokes equations for a viscous fluid do not vanish identically then the solution of these equations presents great difficulties, and exact solutions can be obtained only in a very small number of cases. Concerning unsteady Navier-Stokes equation, T. Tao in his article [3] showed that it can have solutions which turn out infinite during finite time (blowup solutions). And if even finite solutions exist they are presented in view of infinite series, that is inconvenient for use in practice. That`s why it is reasonable to seek solutions of steady Navier-Stokes equation in view of elementary functions. Such possibility the equations of analyticity of functions of the spatial complex variable (shortly, the equations of tunnel mathematics) represent since all vector fields, including those obeying the Navier-Stokes equation, satisfy to them. The Navier-Stokes equations themselves are then applied for verification of obtained solutions and calculation the pressure.


ABSTRACT Transcription initiation with CTP is an uncommon feature among Escherichia coli σ70 promoters. The fis promoter (fis P), which is subject to growth phase-dependent regulation, is among the few that predominantly initiate transcription with CTP. Mutations in this promoter that cause a switch from utilization of CTP to either ATP or GTP as the initiation nucleotide drastically alter its growth phase regulation pattern, suggesting that the choice of the primary initiating nucleotide can significantly affect its regulation. To better understand what factors influence this choice in fis P, we made use of a series of promoter mutations that altered the nucleotide or position used for initiation. Examination of these promoters indicates that start site selection is determined by a combination of factors that include preference for a nucleotide distance from the −10 region (8 > 7 > 9 ≫ 6 ≫ 10 > 11), initiation nucleotide preference (A = G ≫ CTP ≥ UTP), the DNA sequence surrounding the initiation region, the position of the −35 region, and changes in the intracellular nucleoside triphosphate pools. We describe the effects that each of these factors has on start site selection in the fis P and discuss the interplay between position and nucleotide preference in this important process.


In the present study, in Zarand district, Kerman province, Iran, we used a Geological Information System (GIS) to explore the relationship between the situation of coal mines, the drainage patterns, the topographic state of the district, the presence increased fluoride levels in ground water, and the prevalence of dental fluorosis. We found a strong relationship to be present between coal mining activities, high groundwater fluoride, and dental fluorosis with similarities in the spatial distributions, or fingerprints, of these parameters.


PURPOSE
To study the efficacy of a single drug in patients with primary open angle glaucoma and ocular hypertension who were receiving timolol XE 0.5%, latanoprost 0.005% and brinzolamide 1% with its discontinuation.

METHODS
Sixty patients with open-angle glaucoma or ocular hypertension who were administered timolol XE, latanoprost, and brinzolamide were studied. One drug consisting of timolol XE, brinzolamide, and latanoprost was discontinued and 8 weeks later, it was resumed. A change in intraocular pressure (IOP) was studied.

RESULTS
Mean IOP at baseline and at 8 weeks after discontinuation of each drug was 15.8 ± 1.3 and 17.3 ± 1.4 mmHg in the timolol XE group, 15.8 ± 1.0 and 20.0 ± 1.4 mmHg in the latanoprost group, and 16.0 ± 1.4 and 18.1 ± 1.4 mmHg, respectively. A significant increase in mean IOP was found after drug discontinuation (timolol XE: P = 0.0012; latanoprost: P<0.0001; brinzolamide: P<0.0001). The mean change in IOP by discontinuation of the drug was +1.6 ± 0.9 mmHg (+9.6% ± 5.6%) in the timolol XE group, +4.3 ± 1.7 mmHg (27.4% ± 12.4%) in the latanoprost group, and +2.2 ± 0.9 mmHg (+13.7% ± 6.1%) in the brinzolamide group. The change in the latanoprost group was significantly greater compared with those in the timolol XE and brinzolamide groups (timolol XE: mmHg and percent: P<0.0001; brinzolamide: mmHg and percent: P<0.0001). The IOP change in the brinzolamide group was significantly greater than that in the timolol XE group (mmHg: P = 0.0417; percent: P = 0.0328). No significant difference was observed in mean IOP between before drug discontinuation and at 8 weeks after drug resumption in any group.

CONCLUSIONS
There was a significant increase in IOP from discontinuation of timolol XE, latanoprost, and brinzolamide in the multiple drug treatment. The hypotensive effect of latanoprost in the combined drug therapy is significantly greater than the effects of timolol XE and brinzolamide.


The once quantitatively estimated metabolism of nucleic acid in various organs has been put under examination, in view to its turnover rate, in terms of P(32), in its progressive form. 1) The ups and downs in nucleic acid amount does not always go parallel with the turnover rate. Therefore, when one considers the co relation between physiological or pathological funtion and nucleic acid, it is necessary to draw a strict distinctive line to tell whether it has certain concern with its quantitative transition, or with its turnover rate. 2) In case any serum has been injected except healthy person's the bone marrow nucleic acid, esp., the DNA wont to show a candid increase in its turnover rate; simultaneouly, if we consider it side by side with the extract administered case, we connot but imagine that the co-relation of bone-marrow nucleic acid metabolism and the number of peripheral blood carpusele should prove comparatively indirect one. 3) The liver DNA, though scarce compared to others, indicates a considerable rate in its turnover phase. From this, it may roughly be concluded that even if it be static nuclear DNA, maintains its metabolism which betrays the mistake in the theory that has termed it as stabilized and has no turnover faculty. 4) In the injection of serum, the spleen nucleic acid, above all, the turnover rate of DNA proves greater than bone-marrow; moreover, at this time, if one realizes the powerful growth of lymph follicles, it might be deemed suggestive of certain relation that exists between DNA turnover and splitting of cells.


Approaches to the Neuropsychology of Art. The Effects of Brain Damage in Established Visual Artists. The Eye and Brain in Artist and Viewer: Alterations in Vision and Color Perception. Special Visual Artists: The Effects of Autism and Slow Brain Atrophy. Musical Art and Brain Damage: I. Established Composers. Musical Art and Brain Damage. II. Performing and Listening to Music. Artists and Viewers: Components of Perception and Cognition in Visual Art. Neuropsychological Considerations of Drawing and Seeing Pictures. Beauty, Pleasure, and Emotions: Reactions to Art Works. Human Brain Evolution, Biology and the Early Emergence of Art. Further Considerations in the Neuropsychology of Art. Conclusion and the Future of the Neuropsychology of Art.


Four granitoid suites are recognized in the region of the Cape Ray Fault Zone of southwestern Newfoundland. The two oldest (Ordovician-Silurian (?)) suites represent partial melts of their enclosing host rocks. The Port aux Basques granite is modelled as a partial melt of the gneissic component of its host, Port aux Basques Complex. The Cape Ray granite forms a dominantly tonalitic terrane derived by partial melting of ophiolitic material. The Red Rocks granite and a megacrystic phase of the Cape Ray granite form coherent lines of geochemical descent from the parental tonalite but show evidence of some continental crust contamination. The Late Devonian Windowglass Hill granite is a subvolcanic equivalent of felsic volcanic rocks in the Windsor Point Group. Both units were derived as partial melts of continental crust. The post-tectonic, Late Devonian to Early Carboniferous Strawberry and Isle aux Morts Brook granites constitute the youngest granitoid suite in the region. These A-type granitoids were derived as partial melts of an underlying depleted granulitic (felsic) crust. The depleted nature of the source may have resulted from previous generation of the Windowglass Hill granite and Windsor Point Group. The only possible protolith for the granulitic source is Precambrian Grenvillian gneiss. The presence of this gneiss beneath the Cape Ray Fault Zone of southwestern Newfoundland implies that the complete series of lithologies is allochthonous.


There are three categories for anti-aging procedures: lifestyle changes, administration of supplements and hormone replacement therapy. It has been demonstrated that lifestyle changes are effective for healthy aging, in particular mental and physical exercises in combination with a healthy diet, the prevention of risk factors as well as prophylactic measures. Certainly, the administration of high dose vitamins does not delay normal aging. It is not clear whether high dose vitamins are effective in the primary prevention of atherosclerosis. For secondary prevention they are indicated only for a subset of patients. In addition there is no evidence that aging is induced by lowering hormone levels. The process of aging can not be delayed by hormone substitution.


We report measured absolute single and multiple charge-exchange cross sections for Feq+ ions colliding with CO, CO2 and H2O. A retarding-field method is used in two different approaches for charge-state analysis of the ion beam after traversing the stationary target gas cell. The projectile energy is 7q keV. This corresponds to a range of ion velocities of 350 km s−1 for q = 5, to 560 km s−1 for q = 13. This is comparable to solar wind velocities for understanding charge exchange of solar wind ions with cometary neutrals, leading to X-ray emission from the ions.


Peptide ligands capable of mediating nanoparticle adhesion to human red blood cells (RBCs) were identified from a large bacterial display peptide library. Peptides were displayed on the surface of fluorescent Escherichia coli, enabling quantitative measurement of RBC binding and high‐throughput screening using fluorescence‐activated cell sorting. One of the isolated clones remained attached to RBCs under high‐shear stresses equivalent to those encountered in vivo. Furthermore, nanoparticles functionalized with the identified RBC‐binding peptides exhibited nearly 100‐fold increased RBC binding relative to nonfunctionalized particles in the presence of physiologically relevant concentrations of human serum albumin, indicating that peptides remained functional in the absence of the protein scaffold used for display. The RBC‐binding peptides identified here provide new opportunities for sustained therapeutic delivery applications whereby nanoparticulate drug carriers can be attached to RBCs to achieve long‐circulating carrier systems.


Helicobacter pylori (H. pylori) is a Gram-negative curved rod-like or spiral bacterium that chronically infects the human gastric mucosa, and is a major risk factor for gastritis, gastric and duodenal ulcer and adenocarcinoma of the stomach. After partial gastrectomy, some patients may have persistent H. pylori infection for five years or more. In this study, we detected three bacteria, i.e., Klebsiella pneumoniae, Enterobacter aerogenes, and Escherichia coli, in the gastric juice of patients with a remnant stomach. Some of these bacteria produced beta-lactamase. These findings are potentially important since such bacteria could provide H. pylori with the chance to acquire drug resistance and to transfer drug resistance genes. This could be one reason why H. pylori is difficult to eradicate in the remnant stomach.


In the past decade, the scale of e-commerce has continued to grow. With the outbreak of the COVID-19 epidemic, brick-and-mortar businesses have been actively developing online channels where precision marketing has become the focus. This study proposed using the electrocardiography (ECG) recorded by wearable devices (e.g., smartwatches) to judge purchase intentions through deep learning. The method of this study included a long short-term memory (LSTM) model supplemented by collective decisions. The experiment was divided into two stages. The first stage aimed to find the regularity of the ECG and verify the research by repeated measurement of a small number of subjects. A total of 201 ECGs were collected for deep learning, and the results showed that the accuracy rate of predicting purchase intention was 75.5%. Then, incremental learning was adopted to carry out the second stage of the experiment. In addition to adding subjects, it also filtered five different frequency ranges. This study employed the data augmentation method and used 480 ECGs for training, and the final accuracy rate reached 82.1%. This study could encourage online marketers to cooperate with health management companies with cross-domain big data analysis to further improve the accuracy of precision marketing.


Pulmonary arterial hypertension (PAH) is a rare, complex, and progressive disease that is characterized by the abnormal remodeling of the pulmonary arteries that leads to right ventricular failure and death. Although our understanding of the causes for abnormal vascular remodeling in PAH is limited, accumulating evidence indicates that endothelial cell (EC) dysfunction is one of the first triggers initiating this process. EC dysfunction leads to the activation of several cellular signalling pathways in the endothelium, resulting in the uncontrolled proliferation of ECs, pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells, and fibroblasts, and eventually leads to vascular remodelling and the occlusion of the pulmonary blood vessels. Other factors that are related to EC dysfunction in PAH are an increase in endothelial to mesenchymal transition, inflammation, apoptosis, and thrombus formation. In this review, we outline the latest advances on the role of EC dysfunction in PAH and other forms of pulmonary hypertension. We also elaborate on the molecular signals that orchestrate EC dysfunction in PAH. Understanding the role and mechanisms of EC dysfunction will unravel the therapeutic potential of targeting this process in PAH.


The study aims to achieve balance between inventory management and demand forecast to regulate operations effectively and efficiently at a franchise of retail grocery store. The study uses the qualitative research to obtain better results through interviews from resources to analyse the research properly. The main agenda of this research is to control inventory satisfactorily and recommend policies and plans to overcome problems and errors. The study found that there is lack of system running for proper management of inventory and demand forecasting. Lack of these systems affect the business badly by lowering sales revenue and reducing franchise goodwill. The study recommends that there should be an effective model and systems introduced in the operations to curb problems like being out of stock and holding excessive stock, which lead to more cost to the business. Best models for this store could be the just-in-time and the moving-average model. Introducing the systems could help the business to run effectively, but follow-up is the significant factor in applying new systems in any organisation. Developed processes and criteria should be used in implementing these models. Regular checking should be done to see the working of systems.


The objective of present study is to access the coping strategies of adolescent girls coming from low, middle and high socioeconomic status (SES). This research comprised of 201 female students who completed the Youth coping response inventory (YCRI) and Kuppuswammy Socio Economic Status scale. One Way Analysis was used to analyse the data. The results revealed significant differences among different groups of SES on diversion (F=31.625, p<.001), destructive (F=30.377, p<.001) and YCRI (F=3.220, p<.05). Implications: The study reported that individuals high on SES have positive coping strategies whereas individuals low on SES have negative coping strategies. Therefore, it is implicated that school students coming from lower SES need counselling services as they are having high rate of maladjusted coping behaviour. School management must develop programs in order to facilitate such adolescents and provide a platform with healthy competition and impartial academic growth.


Only a few reports on carcinoma arising in lung cysts exist. The literature is reviewed and one new case added, demonstrating the importance of establishing an exact diagnosis by surgery.


textabstractA hernia of the abdominal wall is a permanent or intermittent protrusion of abdominal
contents outside the abdominal cavity through a defect in the abdominal wall.
Approximately 75% of all hernias occur in the inguinal region. Other types of hernias
of the ventral abdominal wall are incisional, umbilical, epigastric and Spigelian
hernia. In chapter 1 an overview of hernias of the abdominal wall is described. The
incidence, clinical implications and treatment options and their complications are
described, based on the available literature regarding this subject.
Since there are numerous methods for abdominal wall hernia repair, without
consensus about the preferred method, we decided to perform a randomized clinical
trial to compare mesh and non-mesh repair for inguinal hernias. This randomized
clinical trial is described in chapter 2.
The preferential method of hernia repair is discussed in an editorial, not only for
inguinal hernias, but also for other types of abdominal wall hernias such as incisional
hernias and large umbilical hernias. Endoscopic hernia repair was included in this
editorial, which is described in chapter 3.


In this paper a systematic approach for weight selection has been applied. A classical phase lead compensator is used as weight (precompensator) in Hinfin loop shaping for design of pitch controller for air vehicle. Analysis has been confined only to bode plots. The analysis and results achieved indicate that Hinfin loop shaping control theory is a viable tool for design and synthesis of attitude control of air vehicle


We investigated the EGL-30 (Gqalpha) pathway in C. elegans by using genetic screens to identify genes that confer phenotypes similar to egl-30 mutants. One such gene, egl-8, encodes a phospholipase Cbeta that is present throughout the nervous system and near intestinal cell junctions. EGL-30 and EGL-8 appear to positively regulate synaptic transmission because reducing their function results in strong aldicarb resistance and slow locomotion rates. In contrast, GOA-1 (Goalpha) and DGK-1 (diacylglycerol kinase) appear to negatively regulate synaptic transmission, because reducing their function results in strong aldicarb hypersensitivity and hyperactive locomotion. A genetic analysis suggests that GOA-1 negatively regulates the EGL-30 pathway and that DGK-1 antagonizes the EGL-30 pathway.


This report describes the development of a new fixing process when attaching a sensor PCB card to a camera assembly. The thesis focused on cameras which requires calibration to find the optimal position of the sensor PCB card, a process called active alignment.

The development process applied for this thesis was derived from the Generic Development Process by Ulrich and Eppinger. Interviewees with project members and experts within Axis Communications AB were the main source of information. From the interviewees' statements, an interpretation into customer needs was performed. Some of the more important identified needs were to simplify production and minimize the sources of error present with the current solutions.

The challenges with the process of fixing the sensor PCB card were broken down to a simpler version, i.e. fixing two arbitrary components. The customer needs were used to evaluate different fixing methods and the most promising methods were selected. A concept generation process was initiated to find possible solutions within each fixing method. The most basic concepts were quickly evaluated through discussion and then later on through a concept scoring, to identify the most promising ideas. Further evaluation of these concepts included more information gathering of the fixing methods and discussions about their implementation into production. Then, the most promising concept was selected.

With this concept, the details of the solution were further optimized. Through further testing, new demands of the concept were found and solved, arriving at the final specifications of the concept. The final design solution was validated through more thorough testing.

The result is a new general process, which uses UV light curable adhesives. By adding a transparent silicone gasket, control over the adhesive is obtained and results in a simplified as well as significantly improved production chain.


One of the original visions for GIS was as a tool for creating designs, but GIS has evolved in numerous other directions. Definitions of geodesign are reviewed, together with a short history of the concept. A distinction is drawn between Design and design, the latter being addressed through spatial decision support systems, and the former being seen as a superset of the latter. Geodesign also has a strong and well-defined relationship with cartography. The vision of landscape architecture propounded by the late Ian McHarg also provides a foundation for geodesign. Two existing gaps in the computation tools available for geodesign are identified: support for sketch and implementation of models representing scientific knowledge of how the world works. Two important areas of research are identified that would address problems that currently impede geodesign.


A remote eye tracker is used to explore its utility for ocular vergence measurement. Subsequently, vergence measurements are compared in response to anaglyphic stereographic stimuli as well as in response to monoscopic stimulus presentation on a standard display. Results indicate a highly significant effect of anaglyphic stereoscopic display on ocular vergence when viewing a stereoscopic calibration video. Significant convergence measurements were obtained for stimuli fused in the anterior image plane.


Methods for analyzing the completeness of earthquake historical catalogs are applied to estimate which part of a historical catalog likely includes all earthquakes of a certain magnitude class after a certain time in a given area. Current methods of catalog completeness estimation are not sufficient in case of long‐term nonstationary seismicity data. Such methods typically require model presumptions, whereas the method described in this study does not. We develop a statistical approach based on a deviation criterion, which is applicable to stationary, nonstationary, and even multimodal nonstationary seismicity rates. The significance of the method is tested using synthetic catalogs extracted from stationary (exponential based on a Poisson process) and nonstationary (mixed bimodal Weibull–Weibull, gamma, and log‐normal) distributions. The method is applied to different parts of the Euro‐Mediterranean region based on long‐term seismicity data.


Precision livestock farming using omics approach to acquire precise and real-time data can help farmers in individual animal management and decision making. Since steroid hormones play a key role for the regulation of reproductive functions, reproduction management could be improved by characterizing the steroidome during reproductive stages. Moreover, saliva collection is a non-invasive, painless, inexpensive and easy sampling method. Thus, this prospective study proposes a steroidomic analysis in mare saliva during reproductive stages, that could help to identify potential biomarkers to accurately detect their reproductive stage in a welfare friendly production system, for real-time decision making at the individual animal level. Correlation between saliva and plasma steroidome was also investigated. Saliva and blood samples from 6 mares were collected in anestrus, in the follicular phase 3 days, 2 days and 1 day before ovulation and the day when ovulation was detected, in the luteal phase 6 days after ovulation and in gestation 18 days after ovulation and insemination. Steroidome analysis was performed by gas chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (GC-MS/MS). We characterized 25 and 36 steroids in saliva and plasma respectively. Pregnenolone concentrations in saliva during gestation were significantly higher than during anestrus or follicular phase and tended to be higher than during luteal phase. Most of the 5α-reduced metabolites of progesterone showed higher salivary concentrations during the luteal phase 6 days post-ovulation and during gestation 18 days post-ovulation compared to anestrus and follicular phase. These steroids could be potential salivary biomarkers of the reproductive stage of the mare. Further studies with a greater number of animals are in progress to confirm the reliability of these potential candidate biomarkers and to develop field-friendly assays.


Percutaneous coronary intervention of heavily calcified lesions can be challenging. Although the ROTAXUS trial did not demonstrate long‐term clinical benefit with routine rotational atherectomy, atherectomy remains an indispensable tool to achieve acute procedural success. Until new data becomes available determining when and how to optimally use coronary atherectomy depends heavily on personal experience and clinical judgment.


The present study was conducted to evaluate the effect of chemical composition of wheat by-products on the TME value to ducks and to establish the prediction models estimating TME. Seven representative samples were selected from 23 wheat by-products millings samples based on the neutral detergent fiber (NDF) content. According to the Sibbald method, male Cherry Valley ducks were chosen to assay the TME of 7 representative samples. Stepwise regression analysis was performed to establish the prediction equations of TME using CP, ether extract (EE), NDF, acid detergent fiber, crude fiber, and gross energy (GE) as independent variables. The NDF, CP, and DM of 23 samples of wheat by-product averaged to be 33.39 +/- 11.04%, 19.2 +/- 3.25%, 87.17 +/- 0.95%, respectively. The TME values of 7 representative samples averaged 12.02 MJ/kg, with much larger CV than GE (17.72 vs. 2.82%). The crude fiber, NDF, acid detergent fiber were highly but negatively correlated with TME (P < 0.01), in which the greatest correlation coefficient (r = -0.969) was observed between NDF and TME. No significant correlation of CP, EE, ash, and GE to TME was found among the 7 representative samples. The optimal equation in terms of R(2) from using a single chemical analysis was obtained in the total group: TME = -0.1564NDF + 17.4696 (R(2) = 0.94, P = 0.0003), and the TME prediction equation was improved by the addition of the EE and CP content to sequential analysis: TME = -0.17NDF + 0.98EE - 0.27CP + 19.31 (R(2) = 0.99, residual SD = 0.35, P < 0.01). The results of present study suggest that NDF could be used as an effective indicator for the prediction of the TME value of wheat by-products for ducks.


Planetesimals embedded in a protoplanetary disc are stirred by gravitational torques exerted by density fluctuations in the surrounding turbulence. In particular, planetesimals in a disc supporting fully developed magnetorotational turbulence are readily excited to velocity dispersions above the threshold for catastrophic disruption, halting planet formation. We aim to examine the stirring of planetesimals lying instead in a magnetically decoupled mid-plane dead zone, stirred only by spiral density waves propagating out of the disc's magnetically coupled turbulent surface layers. We extend previous studies to include a wider range of disc models, and explore the effects of varying the disc column density and external magnetic field strength. We measure the stochastic torques on swarms of test particles in three-dimensional resistive-magnetohydrodynamics stratified shearing-box calculations with ionization by stellar X-rays, cosmic rays, and recombination on dust grains. The strength of the stirring is found to be independent of the gas surface density, which is contrary to the increase with disc mass expected from a simple linear wave picture. The discrepancy arises from the shearing out of density waves as they propagate into the dead zone, resulting in density structures near the mid-plane that exert weaker stochastic torques on average. We provide a simple analytic fit to our numerically obtained torque amplitudes that accounts for this effect. The stirring, on the other hand, depends sensitively on the net vertical magnetic flux, up to a saturation level above which magnetic forces dominate in the turbulent layers. For the majority of our models, the equilibrium planetesimal velocity dispersions lie between the thresholds for disrupting strong and weak aggregates, suggesting that collision outcomes will depend on material properties. However, discs with relatively weak magnetic fields yield reduced stirring, and their dead zones provide safe havens even for the weakest planetesimals against collisional destruction.


This article is dedicated to topical issues related to feedback information technologies. As of now, there is not enough research on the topic of studying the kinematic characteristics of athletes in full-contact martial arts using tracking feedback systems. Research methodology: To test the hypothesis concerning the practicability of modern information technologies application, there was held an experiment with WTF taekwondo martial arts athletes. The researchers examined 4 athletes: 2 highly qualified athletes (elite) and 2 sub-elite athletes. The GPS/LPS RealTrack System by Wimu Pro Spain, was chosen to record the motion parameters. Neryo-Chagi was randomly chosen to assess the kinematic characteristics (exploratory study). Neryo-Chagi was considered as an integral motor action, which consists of two types of movement: 1) swing and 2) shock movement (strike). Research results: At the moment of Neryo-Chagi strike, there is a linear increase in the angular velocity (degrees/sec) from low to maximum. When performing a swing and a shock movement (strike), the angular velocity (deg / s) is different. The maximum angular speed during the swing is observed when strikes the way they are in a fight are compared to the maximum, medium and slow intensity. Swing time (s) with elite athletes is higher compared to sub-elite ones, while the time to perform a strike movement does not differ. Elite athletes have higher maximum angular velocity during the swing and strike movement. Evaluation of the main motor actions of athletes, classified by kinematic characteristics, allows a new assessment of their effectiveness.  Article visualizations:


In order to characterize the epidemiology of American Cutaneous Leishmaniasis (ACL) in a periurban area of the municipality of Sabará in the metropolitan region of Belo Horizonte (MRBH), an area until then considered free of the disease, a cross sectional survey was undertaken in 1990. The survey of the population consisted of 1119 interviews and 881 clinical examinations using Montenegro's skin test (MST). A low prevalence (3.7%) of positive MST was encountered. The disease had been occurring in the area for about 20 years in the form of sporadic cases. The predominant species of sandfly both in domestic areas and nearby areas of secondary vegetation was Lutzomyia whitmani. A canine survey of delayed hypersensitivity to the antigen P10,000 identified only one dog with a positive reaction out of 113 examined. The transmission of ACL in MRBH was confirmed. The occurrence of the disease in women, children and individuals with no contact with forest areas as well as the presence of potential vector species in the domiciliar environment, suggests the transmission of the disease in this environment.


The sheer volume and size of histopathological images (e.g., 106 MPixel) underscores the need for faster and more accurate Regions-of-interest (ROI) detection algorithms. In this paper, we propose such an algorithm, which has four main components that help achieve greater accuracy and faster speed: First, while using coarse-to-fine topology preserving segmentation as the baseline, the proposed algorithm uses a superpixel regularity optimization scheme for avoiding irregular and extremely small superpixels. Second, the proposed technique employs a prediction strategy to focus only on important superpixels at finer image levels. Third, the algorithm reuses the information gained from the coarsest image level at other finer image levels. Both the second and the third components drastically lower the complexity. Fourth, the algorithm employs a highly effective parallelization scheme using adaptive data partitioning, which gains high speedup. Experimental results, conducted on the BSD500 [1] and 500 whole-slide histological images from the National Lung Screening Trial (NLST)1 dataset, confirm that the proposed algorithm gained 13 times speedup compared with the baseline, and around 160 times compared with SLIC [11], without losing accuracy.


Destruction of cartilage in rheumatoid arthritis (RA) is mediated mainly by proteinases which can degrade cartilage matrix including type II collagen and aggrecan. Of these proteinases, matrix metalloproteinases (MMP) play significant roles in RA pathology, however recent studies show that a disintegrin and metalloproteinase (ADAM) families are another candidates. These proteinases are mainly produced from synovial cells and inflammatory cells, and concentrations of these proteinases in synovial fluid are significantly higher in RA than in OA. Several proteinases have been shown to express in chondorocytes of RA and these chondrocytic proteinases are thought to mediate cartilage destruction in RA. Apoptosis which is mediated by nitric oxide (NO) is another pathway of cartilage destruction in RA.


Collaborative networks are typically formed by heterogeneous and autonomous entities, and thus it is natural that each member has its own set of core-values. Since these values somehow drive the behaviour of the involved entities, the ability to quickly identify partners with compatible or common core-values represents an important element for the success of collaborative networks. However, tools to assess or measure the level of alignment of core-values are lacking. Since the concept of 'alignment' in this context is still ill-defined and shows a multifaceted nature, three perspectives are discussed. The first one uses a causal maps approach in order to capture, structure, and represent the influence relationships among core-values. This representation provides the basis to measure the alignment in terms of the structural similarity and influence among value systems. The second perspective considers the compatibility and incompatibility among core-values in order to define the alignment level. Under this perspective we propose a fuzzy inference system to estimate the alignment level, since this approach allows dealing with variables that are vaguely defined, and whose inter-relationships are difficult to define. Another advantage provided by this method is the possibility to incorporate expert human judgment in the definition of the alignment level. The last perspective uses a belief Bayesian network method, and was selected in order to assess the alignment level based on members' past behaviour. An example of application is presented where the details of each method are discussed.


There is perhaps no purgative with which the gastroenterologist is more familiar than liquid petrolatum. This familiarity results in thoughtlessness in its use. Our study of the deleterious effects of this type of drug makes us wonder whether or not the almost routine prescribing of liquid petrolatum has not bred through thoughtlessness and ignorance a serious disregard for the patient's welfare. The wide use of liquid petrolatum seems to be based on empirical considerations which make little sense when examined critically. Its chemistry is to say the least uncertain and its pharmacologic action a matter of dispute. Some contend that it acts by mechanically softening the feces 1 ; others hold that it undergoes emulsification 2 and still others assert that it speeds up peristalsis by its irritative action on the mucous membrane. 3 On the other hand, mechanistic conditioning in a machine age has produced the current concept by analogy


Background: Glioblastoma (GBM) is the most aggressive primary malignant brain tumor in adults. Approximately 50% of GBM patients are resistant to standard therapy with temozolomide (TMZ) because their tumors express the DNA repair protein O6-methylguanine methyltransferase (MGMT), which repairs tumoral DNA damage induced by TMZ. GBM, a highly vascularized tumor, consistently displays a locally invasive phenotype, which contributes to biological aggressiveness and clinical recurrence. Therefore, use of the anti-angiogenic and anti-invasive agent sunitinib malate could be a promising strategy for GBM treatment. We showed that sunitinib-based treatment significantly improved the response of MGMT-positive, but not MGMT-negative, cells and this differential effect was reversed upon MGMT depletion with O6-benzylguanine. In the present study, we investigated the relationship between the expression of MGMT and the angiogenic and invasive profile of GBM cell lines. Experimental Design: We performed microarray gene expression analysis and quantitative real-time RT-PCR and analyzed the differential expression of transcripts in GBM cell lines with differential expression levels of MGMT: U87 empty vector (MGMT-negative), its counterpart U87/MGMT (MGMT-positive) (stable transfection), and T98G (constitutively expressing MGMT). We also investigated the effect of MGMT expression on GBM angiogenesis by assessing vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) secretion and the ability of growth factors secreted in the GBM conditioned media to induce endothelial tube formation in vitro, and the effect of MGMT expression on GBM invasiveness by examining F-actin organization, and migration and invasion in vitro. Results: The gene chip microarray showed differential mRNA expression of transcripts involved in angiogenesis, invasion, and response to sunitinib in U87/MGMT cells compared to U87/EV cells. These results were confirmed for several transcripts by quantitative real-time RT-PCR or western blotting. Additionally, we also showed that MGMT-positive cells have reduced angiogenic and invasive potential compared to MGMT-negative cells based on decreased VEGF bioavailability, decreased endothelial tube formation, altered morphology, and decreased invasion and migration in vitro. Conclusion: Our study is the first to show a direct link between MGMT expression and decreased angiogenicity and invasiveness of GBM cells. This altered phenotype may account for the preferential in vitro efficacy of sunitinib malate in MGMT-positive GBM cell lines. Our data provide the rationale to further investigate the role of MGMT in the regulation of the angiogenic and invasive profile of GBM. Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1290.


Bayesian decision theory can be used to model animal behaviour. In this paper we give an overview of the theoretical concepts in such models. We also review the biological contexts in which Bayesian models have been applied, and outline some directions where future studies would be useful. Bayesian decision theory, when applied to animal behaviour, is based on the assumption that the individual has some sort of "prior opinion" of the possible states of the world. This may, for example, be a previously experienced distribution of qualities of food patches, or qualities of potential mates. The animal is then assumed to be able use sampling information to arrive at a "posterior opinion", concerning e.g. the quality of a given food patch, or the average qualities of mates in a year. A correctly formulated Bayesian model predicts how animals may combine previous experience with sampling information to make optimal decisions. We argue that the assumption that animals may have "prior opinions" is reasonable. Their priors may come from one or both of two sources: either from their own individual experience, gained while sampling the environment, or from an adaptation to the environment experienced by previous generations. This means that we should often expect to see "Bayesian-like" decision-making in nature.


TRISO-Model (tridimensional integrated software development model) is a 3-D integrated software engineering methodology proposed to deal with the problems caused by the increasing complexity and dynamic in current software development. In TRISO-model, to maintain the semantic consistency among multiple models and reuse the common model operations, there is the need for semantic-consistent model management. This paper proposes an MDA-based model management method: MDA-MMMethod (MDA based model management method). Based on the common semantic definition—MOF (meta object facility), the implementations of MDA (model driven architecture) standards can be reused in the development of model applications in TRISO-model. The corresponding supporting system, MDA-MMSystem (MDA based model management system), is developed. Based on the system, this method is implemented in SoftPM project. Compared with the traditional solutions, the development efficiency is greatly improved and the cost is reduced. Finally, one example of the model applications and model merging is provided.


UNLABELLED
Indium-111-DTPA-octreotide (111In-DTPAOC) is used successfully for imaging somatostatin receptor-positive lesions. A new and promising application is its use in peptide-receptor radionuclide therapy (PRRT). For the latter purpose, [DOTA0,D-Phe1,Tyr3]octreotide (DOTATOC), which is suitable for stable radiolabeling with 90Y, is probably even more promising. Significant renal uptake of these octreotide analogs exists, however, reducing the scintigraphic sensitivity for detection of small tumors in the perirenal region and limiting the possibilities for PRRT. We showed that the renal uptake of 111In-DTPAOC could be reduced to about 50% of control by L-lysine administration in vivo in rats. This study compares the effects of several doses and different methods of administration of D- and L-lysine, in addition to time-related effects of D-lysine, on kidney uptake of 111In-DTPAOC and 90Y-DOTATOC.

METHODS
Male Wistar rats (200-250 g) were given 111In-DTPAOC (0.2 MBq, 0.5 microg-0.5 mg intravenously, intraperitoneally or orally) in the presence or absence of D- or L-lysine. At 1, 4 or 24 hr, the rats were killed, and the organs were isolated and counted for radioactivity. In different experiments, male Wistar rats (200-250 g) were given 90Y-DOTATOC (1 MBq, 0.5 microg intravenously) in the presence or absence of D-lysine. At 24 hr, the rats were killed, and the organs were isolated and counted for radioactivity.

RESULTS
Administration of D- or L-lysine in a single intravenous dose of 400 mg/kg, resulted in more than 50% inhibition of kidney uptake of 111In-DTPAOC at all time points tested, independently of the mass of 111In-DTPAOC used. Higher or repeated doses of lysine did not give a significantly higher percentage inhibition. D-lysine, given orally in a dose of 400 mg/kg at 30 or 15 min before 111In-DTPAOC injection, resulted in 30% and 20% inhibition of kidney uptake, respectively. L-lysine, given orally 30 min before 111In-DTPAOC administration, resulted in 30% inhibition as well. Inhibition of kidney uptake of 111In-DTPAOC by L-lysine after intraperitoneal administration was 40%. After L-lysine administration, 111In-DTPAOC was decreased in the kidneys and in somatostatin receptor-positive organs such as the pancreas and adrenal glands. In contrast, D-lysine did not have a significant effect on uptake in octreotide receptor-positive organs. Renal uptake of 90Y-DOTATOC was reduced by 65% by intravenous D-lysine, whereas radioactivity in blood, pancreas and adrenal glands was not affected.

CONCLUSION
D-lysine may be preferred to L-lysine for reduction of renal uptake of radioactivity during scintigraphy and PRRT because of its lower toxicity and because it should not interfere with the natural amino acid metabolic balance.


BACKGROUND
Inflammation is an important feature of atherosclerotic lesions and increased production of the acute-phase reactant. The contribution of coagulation factor to the development of coronary artery disease has not yet been clearly established.

OBJECTIVES
To test whether C-reactive protein, fibrinogen and antithrombin-III are associated with angiographic CAD, history of myocardial infarction and extensive atherosclerotic involvement.

METHODS
Blood samples were tested for CRP, fibrinogen and AT-III levels from 219 individuals undergoing coronary angiography.

RESULTS
CRP was higher in patients with CAD (0.95 +/- 1.31, n = 180, vs. 0.39 +/- 0.61 mg/dl, n = 39, P < 0.0001) and in those with a history of MI (1.07 +/- 1.64, n = 96, vs. 0.65 +/- 0.72 mg/dl, n = 84, P < 0.05) than in control subjects. The patients who developed unstable angina had higher CRP levels than the patients with stable CAD (2.07 +/- 2.38, n = 7, vs. 0.80 +/- 1.13 mg/dl, n = 173, P < 0.001). Fibrinogen was significantly higher in patients with CAD than in those without CAD (298 +/- 108 vs. 258 +/- 63 mg/dl, P < 0.01). In patients with CAD, mean AT-III value was less than in patients without CAD, but this difference was not statistically significant (P = 0.08). No difference was found in CRP, fibrinogen and AT-III values among the patients with single, double or triple vessel disease.

CONCLUSIONS
CRP is elevated in patients with CAD and a history of MI. Elevated levels of CRP at the time of hospital admission is a predictive value for future ischemic events. There is an association between higher levels of fibrinogen and CAD. The association of AT-III levels with CAD needs testing in further studies.


The left internal thoracic artery (ITA) is currently an artery of choice for revascularization of coronary arteries. Ultrasonographic duplex scanning (USDS) and ultrasound Doppler flowmetry (UDF) are sequential techniques to control patency of the ITA at stages of rendering care for patients on restoring coronary blood flow. We compared two methods of measuring the volumetric blood flow velocity: by means of USDS and UDF. The obtained results were statistically processed. It was determined that transthoracic USDS and intraoperative UDF in the assessment of the volumetric blood velocity through the ITA in patients with coronary artery disease are comparable methods, provided the patients have similar parameters of central haemodynamics.


An adaptive approach for dynamic voltage scheduling on processors is presented based on workload prediction by filtering a trace history. The effects of update frequency and filtering strategy on the energy savings is analyzed. A performance hit metric is defined and techniques to minimize energy under a given performance requirement are outlined. Our results demonstrate that up to two orders of magnitude energy savings is possible with dynamic voltage scheduling depending on workload statistics.


ABSTRACT Because social media have become a primary means by which fake news is received and disseminated, verifying the accuracy of such news has become an increasingly critical practice for individual users. Drawing on the dual-information-processing model, this study uses two-wave panel survey data collected in Taiwan to investigate users' verification processes. Results reveal three user-types based on motivation for Facebook use—omnivores, entertainment-oriented mixers, and leisure-convenience seekers—and show that omnivores who are high in all motivations are more likely to engage in elaborative processing and subsequent verification of news than leisure-convenience seekers who use Facebook mainly for leisure and convenience purposes. Further, the indirect effects are weaker for entertainment-oriented mixers with higher levels of mobile Facebook use, compared to leisure-convenience seekers.


Digital signature is one of the most important public key cryptographic primitive for message authentication. In a digital signature scheme, receiver of a message-signature pair gets assurance about the fact that the message belongs to the sender and neither receiver nor any third party can manipulate the message. In the current state of art, most of the existing digital signatures' security relies on classical cryptographic assumption based hard problems, such as discrete log, integer factorization, etc. However, rapid development of quantum computing creates a security threat to these classical digital signature schemes. It indicates the recruitment of an alternative solution which can prevent quantum attacks. We focus on this concern by implementing a post-quantum secure isogeny based digital signature scheme without making use of SIDH and CSIDH. Our scheme achieves uf-cma security under a hard problem in isogeny. The proposed signature scheme incurs 256 byte public key size and 128 byte signature size to achieve 128-bit security level (NIST-1 level of security). In particular, the size of signature of our design is smaller than all other IBC based signature schemes at the 128-bit security level.


Purpose of review In recent years, there has been an increased appreciation of gender and sex differences in mental illness. This perspective has included attention to sex differences in neurobiology, neurochemistry, sex steroids, endocrine sex reactivity and psychosocial stressors. However, emerging research investigating gene–environment interactions presents another layer of complexity in understanding sex differences in epidemiology, clinical features and treatment of mental disorders across the lifespan. Recent findings The main themes in the current literature point to gene–environment interactions underlying sex-specific differences in the psychiatric sequelae of both early childhood and current life stress. Evidence related to the serotonin-linked polymorphic region (5HTTLPR) polymorphism is strongest, but evidence exists for other candidate genes. There is also emerging support for genetic factors that increase susceptibility of some women to hormonal changes of the reproductive life cycle. The interaction of these genetic factors with various environmental stressors, many of which are more common in women, may increase the risk of mental illness, especially mood disorders. Summary Further research into sex-specific gene–environment interactions across the lifespan is needed with the goal of improving preventive efforts and optimizing treatment in women's mental health.


Soybean Phytophthora root rot (Phytophthora sojae) is a severe disease all over the world. Soybean germplasm from central and southern China for resistance has been evaluated by American researchers on a large scale. P. sojae has been found frequently in northeast of China in recent years, but not systematic evaluation of soybean germplasm for resistance has occurred there. By means of hypocotyl inoculation, 922 cultivars/lines from northeast of China were screened and evaluated for their response to race 1, and 25 of P. sojae. Generally resistance was less frequent in northeast of China than in central and southern China. Five cultivars/lines were identified that confer resistant responses to race 1, 3, 8, 25 and four additional isolates of P. sojae. These cultivars/lines may provide valuable sources of resistance for future breeding programs.


In this paper, we present a method for estimation of the fundamental frequencies, or pitches, of several periodic sources. This difficult estimation problem occurs, for example, in speech and audio processing whenever multiple speakers or tones are present. The presented method is an extension of a recently proposed method for estimation of the fundamental frequency of a set of harmonically related sinusoids based on the MUSIC criterion. The estimator takes into account that the number of harmonics and sources may vary. The performance of the proposed method is evaluated in Monte Carlo simulations using synthetic signals under various conditions.


Abstract. We present a newly developed reduced-order biogeochemical flux model that is complex and flexible enough to capture open-ocean ecosystem dynamics, but reduced enough to incorporate into highly resolved numerical simulations with limited additional computational cost. The reduced-order model, which is derived from the full 56 state variable Biogeochemical Flux Model (BFM56; Vichi et al. (2007)), follows a biological and chemical functional group approach and allows for the development of critical non-Redfield nutrient ratios. Matter is expressed in units of carbon, nitrogen, and phosphate, following techniques used in more complex models. To reduce the overall computational cost and to focus on open-ocean conditions, the reduced model eliminates certain processes, such as benthic, silicate, and iron influences, and parameterizes others, such as the bacterial loop. The model explicitly tracks 17 state variables, divided into phytoplankton, zooplankton, dissolved organic matter, particulate organic matter, and nutrient groups. It is correspondingly called the Biogeochemical Flux Model 17 (BFM17). After providing a detailed description of BFM17, we couple it with the one-dimensional Princeton Ocean Model (POM) for validation using observational data from the Sargasso Sea. Results show good agreement with the observational data and with corresponding results from BFM56, including the ability to capture the subsurface chlorophyll maximum and bloom intensity. In comparison to previous reduced-order models of similar size, BFM17 provides improved correlations between model output and field data, indicating that significant improvements in the reproduction of in situ data can be achieved with a low number of variables, while maintaining the functional group approach.


ABSTRACT There is an ever increasing amount of evidence to support the hypothesis that complement C1q, the first component of the classical complement pathway, is involved in the regulation of cancer growth, in addition to its role in fighting infections. It has been demonstrated that C1q is expressed in the microenvironment of various types of human tumors, including breast adenocarcinomas. This study compares carcinogenesis progression in C1q deficient (neuT-C1KO) and C1q competent neuT mice in order to investigate the role of C1q in mammary carcinogenesis. Significantly accelerated autochthonous neu+ carcinoma progression was paralleled by accelerated spontaneous lung metastases occurrence in C1q deficient mice. Surprisingly, this effect was not caused by differences in the tumor-infiltrating cells or in the activation of the complement classical pathway, since neuT-C1KO mice did not display a reduction in C3 fragment deposition at the tumor site. By contrast, a significant higher number of intratumor blood vessels and a decrease in the activation of the tumor suppressor WW domain containing oxidoreductase (WWOX) were observed in tumors from neuT-C1KO as compare with neuT mice. In parallel, an increase in Her2/neu expression was observed on the membrane of tumor cells. Taken together, our findings suggest that C1q plays a direct role both on halting tumor angiogenesis and on inducing apoptosis in mammary cancer cells by coordinating the signal transduction pathways linked to WWOX and, furthermore, highlight the role of C1q in mammary tumor immune surveillance regardless of complement system activation.


Mining of coal is believed to be an environmentally unfriendly activity as all the components of environment are affected adversely. Out of these, air environment in particular is getting deteriorated significantly by various mining and associated activities, thereby causing severe harmful consequences to the exposed population. In spite of this, coal mining is essential for the development of the nation as coal forms the back-bone for electricity generation. The main emphasis of this research study has been given on the assessment of the respirable particulate matters (PM10, PM2.5, PM1)generated due to variety of mining activities specifically drilling, loading & unloading, movement of heavy duty vehicles in haul road, mine fire, etc by Grimm 1.109 Portable Aerosol Spectrometer. The study included three - hour of sampling events at three selected sampling location during peak working hours in an Opencast project (OCP) of Jharia coal field(JCF). Meteorological data during study period were also collected. The emission rate (Q) for the two selected locations in OCP was evaluated. The first location reflects drilling operation whereas second location represents the emission due to combined effect of loading/unloading operation along with mine fire. The results from Grimm 1.109 Portable Aerosol Spectrometer revealed high concentration of particulate matter (respirable, thoracic and alveoli fractions) due to various mining activities. The SEM-EDX analysis of PM10 samples collected on a fiberglass filter using a Respirable Dust Sampler was also performed in order to determine morphological/elemental status of particulate matter.


The problems arising in the choice of additives that will improve the temporal and thermal stability of the non-crystalline state of materials are discussed. Transition metal oxides and amorphous metal alloys form suitable subjects for studying the effect of crystal-chemical and energy factors on the stabilisation of amorphous substances. Data on the stabilisation of the amorphous matrix by introducing alloying additives which form solid solutions with isovalent and heterovalent substitution in the cationic sublattice, chemical compounds, and alloys, are reviewed. Criteria for selecting inhibitors that will stabilise the amorphous state of a material are formulated. The bibliography includes 63 references.


The recent news items on the loss of stored grains in the godowns of the Food Corporation of India (FCI) created a huge uproar not only due to the wastage of grains but also because it was the time when the Government was planning the National Food Security Act amidst increasing inflation in the prices of edible commodities. In this article, an effort has been made to outline the various facets of grain management in India and to suggest a holistic approach for the same.


Summary Herpes simplex virus type 2 (HSV-2) is considered as a major co-factor of both sexual transmission and acquisition of the human immunodeficiency virus (HIV). The HIV epidemic in Senegal is characterized by a remarkable and stable low prevalence. Whether HSV-2 may also constitute a possible co-factor favouring the spreading of HIV epidemic in Senegal is yet unknown. This prompted us to evaluate the HSV-2 seroprevalence in the sentinel population of pregnant women in Senegal. Two hundred and sixty pregnant women attending Roi Baudouin maternity in the capital city Dakar (n = 135) and the antenatal clinic in Kaolack (n = 125), the third city of Senegal, were prospectively recruited between March and August 2003. Fifty-six women (22%) were positive for HSV-2 serology. The prevalence of HSV-2 seropositivity was higher in women living in Dakar (26%) than in those living in Kaolack (16%) (P < 0.01). Only two women from Dakar and two other from Kaolack were found to be HIV-1-infected. Our observations suggest a seemingly low seroprevalence of HSV-2 infection in adult women Senegal, comparable with those usually reported in Western countries. Further, epidemiological surveys are needed to confirm these results in the general population.


Acrylonitrile is used as the main raw material for manufacturing acrylonitrile butadiene styrene resin. It is usually found as pollutant in the petrochemical wastewater. In this research an aerated submerged fixed-film reactor was developed to treat a synthetic acrylonitrile butadiene styrene unit wastewater containing acrylonitrile. Laboratory experiments were conducted using a bioreactor with 44.2 L capacity operated at different hydraulic and organic loading rates. Stationary submerged biofilms were attached to net-type media (polypropylene) under diffused aeration. The specific surface area and porosity of media were 324 m 2 /m 3 and 87%, respectively. In the first phase the reactor was operated in hydraulic retention times of 9, 7, 5 and 4 h with soluble chemical oxygen demand of 300 mg/L. Then the experiments were continued with the constant retention time of 4 h and variable chemical oxygen demand concentrations of 350, 400 and 450 mg/L. In stable condition of operation and loading rates of 0.8 to 2.4 kg/m 3 d the removal efficiencies of reactor for soluble chemical oxygen demand reached to 95 to 99%. At the organic loading rate up to 2.4 kg/m 3 d the soluble chemical oxygen demand was less than 50 mg/L which was lower than the Iranian national discharge standards (chemical oxygen demand<60 mg/L). The increase of organic and surface loading to 2.7 kg/m 3 d and 23.16 g/m 2 d, respectively, caused the system becoming unstable and the soluble chemical oxygen demand removal efficiency decreased to 66%. Finally, the kinetic coefficients of the aerated submerged fixed-film reactor for treating of acrylonitrile were determined using a separate pilot unit. According to the results, it was concluded that the aerated submerged fixed-film reactor can be used as suitable approaches for treating of petrochemical effluents contain acrylonitrile.


Ultrafast vertical external-cavity surface-emitting lasers (VECSELs) are versatile laser sources and feature high-power operation. To date the best modelocking results have been achieved with a semiconductor saturable absorber mirror (SESAM). Ultrafast optically pumped semiconductor disk lasers (SDLs) are compact, cost-efficient and provide excellent beam quality at gigahertz pulse repetition rates for applications such as for example multi-photon imaging, ultrafast communication and in particular self-referenced gigahertz frequency combs. The highest peak power obtained with an ultrafast VECSEL is 4.35 kW in 400-fs pulses and the shortest pulses until now are 107 fs at 3 mW average output power. Here we present a SESAM-modelocked VECSEL with pulses as short as 96 fs and 100 mW average output power. These are to the best of our knowledge the shortest pulses achieved by a fundamentally modelocked SDL and result in a very high peak power of 0.56 kW at a pulse repetition rate of 1.63 GHz. The short pulse duration was achieved by introducing a small amount of positive group delay dispersion with a single path through an external 2-mm thick ZnSe window plate that compensated the initially negatively chirped 107-fs output pulses. Currently the power is limited by the transition from fundamental modelocking to multi-pulse operation, which reduces the pulse peak power and introduces additional noise. Therefore, we present a study of the multi-pulse behavior of the high-power 100-fs SDL resulting from the complex modelocking mechanism. This study also provides an insight into special issues of pulse characterization that may suggest stable fundamental modelocking even if this is not the case.


A lyophilized human pool serum was distributed to Scandinavian clinical chemical laboratories for routine quantitation of different serum proteins. The analytical repertoir of the laboratories, and the methods and reference materials used, were registered. For almost all proteins the results varied considerably between the laboratories (CV 8--29%). The reasons for this variation are discussed together with possible recommendations to improve the accuracy of protein measurements.


The thesis gives a short introduction to HRA and SPAR-H and continues by presenting SPAR-H's Performance Shaping Factors in more detail. This is followed by an evaluation of SPAR-H's PSFs relevance to software development. The recommended PSFs from the evaluation is then used as independent variables in an 2*2 factorial experiment which studies whether SPAR-H's PSF actually affects the performance of a software development scenario. The experiment concludes that both of the independent variables used in the experiment affects the results, but with remarks of low statistical power due to the small sample size of participants. Finally, the thesis conclude and shortly discusses further work.


The study presents a new gas sensor made of a novel organic diode with vertical nano-junctions and its low-power, area-efficient readout circuit. There are seven parts included in the readout system. First part is a preamplifier, which is composed of trans-impedance to convert the output current of a gas sensor into voltage. Second part is a peak-detect-and-hold circuit. It can detect the maximum voltage and holds its value, the initial value. Third part is a divider, which is used to calculate the ratio of saturation current to initial current. Fourth part is the saturation detector, which is used to detect when the output current of the VNJ-P3HT diode doesn't change anymore (that is, the responses are saturated). Fifth part is the auto-reset circuit, which is used to detect when the sensor device starts to react with gas and reset the voltage value of the peak detect-and-hold circuit. Sixth part is a logic gate and a buffer. When the sensor device is reacting with gas and the responses are saturated, the response result is outputted through the logic gate and buffer. Otherwise, the zero is outputted. Seventh part is a micro-processor control unit (MCU). STM32 is the CPU of proposed MCU by ALIENTEK. The ADC of MCU is used to transform the output data of readout circuit. Then the LCD displays the results. The designed circuit is accomplished by Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company (TSMC) 0.35μm 2P4M 3.3V mixed-signal CMOS process.


Neoadjuvant chemotherapy is an interesting option in the therapy of some breast cancer cases. Cases in which the timing for sentinel lymph node biopsy is controversial. Co-expression of estrogen receptors and Her2/neu (c-erbB-2) in breast cancer may imply hormone resistance, especially to tamoxifen. We present a clinic case with co-expression of estrogen receptors and Her2/neu that was treated with neoadjuvant chemotherapy and previous sentinel lymph node biopsy followed by breasttumorectomy with axillar lymphadenectomy, radiotherapy and hormonotherapy with letrozol, geserelina and trastuzumab. A good treatment response was found.


Introduction In sub-Saharan Africa, youth living with HIV, especially those who have lost one or both parents, face economic, socially and psychological challenges that hinder adherence to ART, ultimately leading to poor health outcomes. Partners In Health/Inshuti Mu Buzima implemented an Adolescent Support Group (ASG) to support HIV-positive youth aged 15–25 years. During the evaluation of the ASG program, we sought to better understand youths' lived experiences to improve our delivery of HIV care. Methods We conducted qualitative in-depth, semi-structured individual interviews with youth enrolled in the ASG program. All interviews were conducted in-person or by telephone. Thematic analysis applying the framework approach with parallel inductive coding in Kinyarwanda and English was used. Results We interviewed 35 youth who ranged in age from 16 to 29 years. The main themes related to the lived experiences of youth were (a) Experiences living with HIV, including disclosure, stigma, interactions with the health care system, and medication adherence; (b) external challenges, defined as challenges that were not related to the implementation of the ASG program; and (c) personal vision. Almost all youth reported acquiring HIV from their mothers and disclosure of HIV status occurred around the age of 10. Disclosure was often unintentional and followed by internalized and enacted stigma. Many reported poor past medication adherence which improved following enhanced counselling. External challenges were overwhelmingly economic in nature, and orphanhood was a root cause of other challenges such as difficulty accessing education, lack of transport to health facility, and lack of insurance fees. Despite these challenges, youth have an optimistic view of the future with dreams of health, economic attainment, marriage, and children. Conclusion Healthcare providers should empower caregivers to support HIV disclosure. Supporting youth as they face many economic challenges could help address socio-economic barriers to good health and promote holistic well-being.


The XUV spectra from laser-produced germanium plasma are investigated. The energy levels of the 2s22p53l and 2s2p63l states with l = 0, 1, 2 and the oscillator strengths for the transitions between these levels are calculated by the relativistic configuration-interaction (RCI) method. A high-resolution (λ/Δλ ~ 16 000) grazing-incidence spectrometer is used to measure the spectra in 185–300 A. The wavelengths of the five lasing lines in Ne-like Ge and the wavelengths of the nonlasing lines have been determined with ±0.04 A accuracy. The observed lines are assigned to the 3–3 transitions in Ne-like and Na-like Ge ions. The energies of the excited states in Ne-like Ge ions derived from the spectroscopic measurements are compared with the RCI and other theoretical calculations.


At present, wavelet transform is gradually used in the processing of video and image. But the algorithm of 2D wavelet transform is too burdensome and complicated to process huge amount of image data in real-time. To the problem, this paper proposes a novel method to process video and image real-timely based on DSP. At the aspect of wavelet algorithm, the method changes the traditional image convolution mode, which is based on the cross filtering of rows and columns. According to the feature of lifting wavelet transform, 2D image data is firstly linearized in some scanning order to the 1D sequence. Subsequently the 1D sequence is decomposed by lifting wavelet transform. At the other aspect of hardware, the program structure of DSP is optimized to exert the operation power with the in-chip memorizer of DSP. The experiment results show that the implementation meets the real-time requirement of image coding, so is a feasible and efficient DSP solution.


Five adult male volunteers were fed a diet containing (as percent of calories) 16% protein, 40% fat, and 44% carbohydrate, a diet similar to that consumed by many American males. Twenty-six grams of soft white wheat bran or corn bran were added to the daily bread, and the effects on zinc, iron, and copper balance were assessed during the last 12 days of each 30-day study period. The soft white wheat bran appeared to decrease retention of zinc in four subjects but not significantly so. Iron retention was similar in all three treatments. Copper balance was improved by addition of soft white wheat bran and to a lesser degree by corn bran. An apparent copper requirement of 1.28 mg/day for the volunteers was calculated by regression analysis.


The pressure plate method is a standard method for measuring the pF curves, also called soil water retention curves, in a large soil moisture range from saturation to a dry state corresponding to a tension pressure of near 1500 kPa. However, the pressure plate can only provide discrete water retention curves represented by a dozen measured points. In contrast, the measurement of the soil water retention curves by tensiometer is direct and continuous, but limited to the range of the tensiometer reading: from saturation to near 70-80 kPa. The two methods stem from two very different concepts of measurement and the compatibility of both methods has never been demonstrated. The recently established thermodynamic formulation of the pedostructure water retention curve, will allow the compatibility of the two curves to be studied, both theoretically and experimentally. This constitutes the object of the present article. We found that the pressure plate method provides accurate measurement points of the pedostructure water retention curve h(W), conceptually the same as that accurately measured by the tensiometer. However, contrarily to what is usually thought, h is not equal to the applied air pressure on the sample, but rather, is proportional to its logarithm, in agreement with the thermodynamic theory developed in the article. The pF curve and soil water retention curve, as well as their methods of measurement are unified in a same physical theory. It is the theory of the soil medium organization (pedostructure) and its interaction with water. We show also how the hydrostructural parameters of the theoretical curve equation can be estimated from any measured curve, whatever the method of measurement. An application example using published pF curves is given.


OBJECTIVE
To observe the regulatory effect of Bushen Jianpi Recipe (BSJPR) on cellular immunity the of primary liver cancer patients of Gan-Shen yin-deficiency and Pi qi-deficiency syndrome type after intervention therapy.

METHODS
According to the multi-center randomized controlled principle, 117 patients after transcatheter arterial chemoembolization (TACE) were assigned to two groups, 60 in the treated group and 57 in the control group, who were treated respectively with BSJPR and liver protecting remedy (silymarin and vitamin c) for 12 weeks. Changes in TCM syndrome, quality of life (QOL), immediate effect on tumor size and survival time were observed. Meantime, the cellular immune function was also observed, including the T lymphocyte response determined by 3H-TdR, expression of MHC class I/II and B7 molecule detected by FACS, and interleukin 10 and 12 (IL-10, IL-12), interferon-gamma (IFN-gamma) tested by ELISA.

RESULTS
In the treated group after treatment, the efficacy for improving TCM syndrome reached 73.33% (44/60 cases), their half-year survival rate being 83.33% (50/60 cases); while those in the control group were 52.63% (30/57 cases) and 70.18% (40/57 cases) respectively, significant difference was shown between the two groups (P <0.05). The patients' QOL was improved in the treated group after treatment, with no obvious adverse reaction. However, the clinical benefit rate in the control group (92.7%, 51/55 cases) was higher than that in the treated group (78.0%, 46/59 cases, P =0. 035). Laboratory examination showed increases of MHC class II (CD14+/HLA-DR) expression on monocyte surface as well as IFN-gamma and IL-12 production in the treated group.

CONCLUSION
Using BSJPR together with TACE could enhance patients' cellular immune function to elevate the clinical curative effect on primary liver cancer.


This case study describes the promises and pitfalls of studying social audit data in the context of a global private labor governance program in the apparel industry, the Fair Labor Association. The case underlines how a thorough study and knowledge of both governing organization and local environment are essential for the sensible analysis of audit data. The case thus showcases examples in which audit data cannot be correctly interpreted without prior knowledge of existing local legal standards, industry specificities, mechanisms of auditing, and other contextualities. The case further discusses when and where it makes sense to include secondary data for analysis and what the benefits and challenges of primary data encoding are. In this context, it also demonstrates how the process of mining and encoding of social audit data can be structured to minimize mistakes and guarantee consistency and quality in results. Generally, the case study encourages strongly to embed the analysis of quantitative audit data in a thorough literature review, and if possible to supplement it with a quantitative study of the governing bodies' organizational mechanisms to guarantee the correct interpretation of social auditing results.


The induced geoelectric fields and telluric currents generated during geomagnetic storms will be distorted by lateral variations of the Earth conductivity.The power system located at the coastal area near the coastline or at the interface of different continental plates is more sensitive to this distortion.So far the"coast effect"has been considered as the most important effect for GIC research which explains the geoelectric field enhancement at the inland near the coast.Analytical methods such as plane wave method or complex image method cannot be used to model the conductivity structure with lateral variations or calculate the geoelectric field near the conductivity horizontal interface. Numerical methods are useful tools to analyze complicated electromagnetic field problems.In this paper,a thin sheet current with infinite width located at100 km above the Earth′s surface is assumed to represent the source of geomagnetic variations and is harmonic with the amplitude of 1A/m at different frequencies.Three Earth conductivitystructures are modelled where the basic model is horizontal uniform for results comparisons.The second structure has the same exact thicknesses and conductivity values with the basic one on one side and five times greater values on the other side to represent conductivity varying from low to high.Similar structure representing conductivity from high to low can be obtained by assuming five times lower values on the other side.The Galerkin finite element method is applied to analyze the case where the induced telluric currents are flowing parallel to the conductivity interface and four-node quadrilateral element is chosen to mesh the conductivity regions.The computational results show that the abrupt changes of conductivities have influences on the induced telluric currents,which can be classified as proximity effect and skin effect.The proximity effect shows that the geoelectric field and the induced current density decrease when the conductivity varies from low to high.The minimum of geoelectric field occurs at the interface.The geoelectric fields decrease 15%,38%,and 27% separately when the frequencies are0.03 Hz,0.003 Hz and 0.0005 Hz.This trend can be characterized by horizontal extent which is defined by the distance to the interface where the value becomes 1/e(=0.368)times reference value which is the difference compared to uniform structure.The horizontal extents under three frequencies are 26 km,106km,and 256 km.While for the case when the conductivity varies from high to low,the skin effect governs geoelectric fields at the interface by increasing 37%,40%,and 27% at these three frequncies.The corresponding horizontal extents are 35 km,164 km,and 283 km separately.The geoelectric field variations then increase or decrease GIC in the power systems located at the basic conductivity structure side and the mechanism is different with the impact of "coast effect".These trends and effects can be observed not only at the Earth′s surface but also under the surface till the depth of 150 km.There is need to emphasize again that for GIC research in power systems,especially for those systems at coastal areas,geoelectric field and GIC should be determined taken the extension directions of transmission line and coast into consideration.Both of the proximity effect and skin effect should be considered along with coast effect in research of GIC impacts during geomagnetic disturbances.The Galerkin finite element method applied in this paper is a suitable method when modelling the more complicated conductivity structure with 3D variations.Boundary conditions discussed in this paper can be varied depending on different modelling techniques and the scales of conductivity structure models.


Postmenopausal bleeding can be the first clinical sign of an endometrial abnormality. Because of an increased risk of malignancy, evaluation is advocated. Polyps are reported up to 40% in women with postmenopausal bleeding. These polyps carry a risk of 6% for a focal (pre-) malignancy. To perform complete diagnostic work-up, recent guidelines recommend endometrial sampling and a saline infusion sonography if a previous transvaginal ultrasound shows an endometrial thickness of more than 4 mm. The current guideline shows no consensus of the sequence of both diagnostic procedures. Hypothetically, the fluid of the saline infusion sonography (SIS) could affect the quality of the endometrial sample. We designed a randomized trial (the ESPRESSO Trial; Trial Registration No. NTR5690) to investigate the quality of the endometrial sample (Pipelle®) when performed before or after SIS in postmenopausal women. We will perform a randomized trial comparing two diagnostic work-ups (SIS and subsequent Pipelle® versus Pipelle® and subsequent SIS) in women with postmenopausal bleeding. The study will be performed in one teaching and one Academic hospital in the Netherlands. Women with postmenopausal bleeding and an endometrial thickness of more than 4 mm are eligible. The gynecologist will evaluate quality of the SIS and the quality of the Pipelle® will be evaluated by a pathologist (possible to diagnose or not). Furthermore, the incidence and intensity of pain will be evaluated. The results will give insight whether the quality of the Pipelle® is influenced by the SIS or not.


There is today a contradiction to be seen in the foreign policy of the Reagan administration. On the one hand, President Reagan is expected to join Premier Gorbachev in December in signing a treaty to eliminate all land-based intermediate-range nuclear forces (INF) in Europe and Asia. On the other hand, President Reagan, ostensibly to protect Kuwaiti tankers flying the U.S. flag, has assembled a huge armada of some thirty U.S. warships in the Persian Gulf, and by this means is carrying on an active military intervention in the affairs of the peoples of the Mideast, bringing the United States to the verge of war with Iran. This would be a war to keep the royal family of Saudi Arabia and the other feudal rulers of the Persian Gulf on their thrones and so to preserve the profitable deals the U.S. oil corporations have made with them.This article can also be found at the Monthly Review website, where most recent articles are published in full.Click here to purchase a PDF version of this article at the Monthly Review website.


Replicated architecture is widely used for concealing network delay. However, consistency maintenance in fully replicated architecture is a major technical challenge. In this paper, we report a Mark & Retrace based method in replicated groupware systems. Compared with the Operation Transformation technique, it does not adjust the operation's position but retraces the document's address space to the state at the time of the operation's generation. Then the operation can be executed directly in this address space. Mark & Retrace method can not only achieve the same goal of consistency maintenance but also provide a better support for Undo. This paper provides the proof of the algorithm's correctness of consistency maintenance, in which both the orders of character nodes and marks of each node at all sites are kept consistent. Furthermore, the amortized efficiency can reach O(log n).