Introduction Glomerella cingulata (anamorph. Colletotrichum gloeosporioides) is a phytophatogenic fungus produces cutinase enzyme causing anthracnose disease of a wide range of plants in the tropics and subtropics. Cutinases are hydrolytic enzymes that are able to hydrolyse ester bonds in the cutin polymer of higher plants which is a polyester composed of hydroxyl and epoxy fatty acids. It has been presented as a versatile lypolytic enzyme, showing interesting properties for industrial products and processes, such as household detergents, in the dairy industry for the hydrolysis of milk fat, in the oleochemical industry, in the synthesis of ingredients for personal-care products and pharmaceuticals, and in the biodegradation of plastics (e.g. polycaprolactone) (Carlvaho et al. 1999). Majority of cutinase studies have been done with a fungal pathogen, Fusarium solani f. sp. pisi to elucidate its physiological and biochemical properties from molecular level to bioprocess development (Carlvaho et al. 1999). However, studies on G. cingulata cutinase has not been extensively investigated (Abu Bakar et al. 2001). In order to elucidate G. cingulata cutinase molecular properties and to obtain the knowledge of the cutinase structure, we proposed to express the recombinant cutinase in the methylotrophic yeast, Pichia pastoris. This methylothropic yeast has been developed as an expression system for highlevel production of recombinant protein and high-yield expression of various proteins by secretion into the culture supernatant or by intracellular localization (Cregg et al. 2000). Pichia offers the features of (i) methanolinduced expression of heterologous genes integrated into the genome adjacent to the alcohol oxidase 1 (AOX1) gene promoter, (ii) high cell density in inexpensive, chemically defined media, and (iii) the capacity to carry out post-translational modifications resembling those of mammalian cells, correctly folded and glycosilated (Fidler et al. 1998). Because of these characteristics, P. pastoris might be a suitable expression system for the production of biologically active recombinant cutinase. In this study we describe the cloning and expression of the G. cingulata cutinase recombinant gene in P. pastoris.


The logic TK was introduced as a propositional logic extending the classical propositional calculus with a new unary operator which interprets some conceptions of Tarski's consequence operator. TK-algebras were introduced as models to TK . Thus, by using algebraic tools, the adequacy (soundness and completeness) of TK relatively to the TK-algebras was proved. This work presents a neighbourhood semantics for TK , which turns out to be deductively equivalent to the non-normal modal logic EMT4 . DOI:10.5007/1808-1711.2011v15n2p287


With studying on the technical parameters of cryo-sectioning in floral organs of four plant species, we established a suitable cryo-sectioning method for floral organs of plants. The procedure consisted of several steps as follows.The materials were taken out and fixed in solution contained cryo-protected reagent (sucrose). The fixed samples were embedded, frozen in liquid nitrogen and cryo-sectioned. Then, the sections were dried, stained or not and photographed. This method was better than single liquid freezing or sucrose-protecting or direct cryo-section. The fine structures of ovaries, anthers and shoot apical buds in four plant species were displayed by the sucrose-protecting and liquid nitrogen frozen cryo-sectioning technique. One important point is that the different concentrations of sucrose were used during fixing because of varied plant tissue structures and osmotic pressure, and the sucrose level suitable for the floral organs of the four species were also investigated.


This paper describes a portable software package implementing a variation of the dot-matrix plot for genetic sequence comparison in conjunction with highly interactive image manipulation and examination techniques. Visualization is a qualitative method of analyzing and exploring data by presenting data in a pictorial form with an effective interface. Visualization techniques can be applied to molecular sequence comparisons to highlight both the similarities and the differences in a qualitative and descriptive manner. The method used for displaying the sequence comparisons is the correlation image (CI). Among the topics explored in this paper are the generation of correlation images, filtering CIs to visually enhance certain sequence relationships, the handling of large correlation images, and providing an effective interface for the manipulation and exploration of the sequences and their resulting images.


We present a framework for defining automata for unordered data trees that is parametrized by the way in which multisets of children nodes are described. Presburger tree automata and alternating Presburger tree automata are particular instances. We establish the usual equivalence in expressiveness of tree automata and MSO for the automata defined in our framework. We then investigate subclasses of automata for unordered trees for which testing language equivalence is in P-time. For this we start from automata in our framework that describe multisets of children by finite automata, and propose two approaches of how to do this deterministically. We show that a restriction to confluent horizontal evaluation leads to polynomial-time emptiness and universality, but still suffers from coNP-completeness of the emptiness of binary intersections. Finally, efficient algorithms can be obtained by imposing an order of horizontal evaluation globally for all automata in the class. Depending on the choice of the order, we obtain different classes of automata, each of which has the same expressiveness as Counting Mso.


[1] The MHD tomography analysis, an advanced version of the computer-assisted tomography (CAT) analysis for interplanetary scintillation (IPS) observational data, is presented. When combined with a MHD simulation, the CAT analysis can reconstruct the MHD-based three-dimensional solar wind structure within 1 AU from the IPS line-of-sight integrated velocity data. At the same time, the MHD code can simulate the actual conditions in the heliosphere beyond 1 AU by utilizing the results of the MHD tomography analysis and extrapolate to r ≥ 1 AU. The present MHD tomography aims to reconstruct the global structure of corotating solar wind, under the assumption that the global solar wind does not vary significantly in time during one Carrington rotation. The reconstructed three-dimensional solar wind variables including interplanetary magnetic field (IMF) are compared with the in situ measurement data made at the Ulysses spacecraft and nearby Earth, and good correlations are obtained. We anticipate that the combination of MHD simulation and the IPS tomography will enhance solar wind research and space weather prediction algorithms.


The research was carried out before and after use of complex of pharmaceutical products, that included adaptogen "Pantocrine Forte", amino acid complex "Tavamine" and enterosorbent "Polyphepanum" by track and field athletes and handball players. Administration of pharmaceutical products caused rebuilding of mechanisms of heart rate's vegetative regulation, central hemodynamics component and myocard's bioelectric activity affected by sportsmen's optimal level of fitness state's achievement. The aim of the research is to study the influence of pharmaceuticals on the functional state of the cardiovascular system of athletes and handball players. To characterize the systemic circulation was used hardware-software complex "Impercard-M". The following parameters were studied: HR (bpm) – heart rate; SAP, DAP, APmean. (mmhg), – respectively, systolic, diastolic, mean blood pressure; SV (ml) – stroke volume; CO (l/min) – cardiac output, TPR (dyn×s×сm-5) – total peripheral resistance, LV filling pressure (mmhg) – pressure filling the left ventricle, сardiac index, l/(min×м2). The study of bioelectric activity of a heart was carried out to determine the level of functional reserve of metabolism, the level of myocardial hyperfunction on the device "Poly-Spectrum 8E/LLC". To assess the bioelectric activity of the heart, the time and amplitude parameters of the functional state of the myocardium were used: the duration of the intervals P (ms), p–Q (ms), QRS (ms) respectively, intracardiac, atrialventricular and intraventricular conductivity; Q–T (ms) – electrical systole; angle of alpha in degrees (axis QRS, °). To study the parameters of heart rate variability the software and hardware complex "Poly-Spectrum" was used. The main characteristics were determined: Mo (ms) – mode, AMo (%) – mode amplitude, dRR (ms) – variational scale, SDNN (ms) – standard deviation of RR intervals, stress index (relative units) – voltage index of regulatory systems, HF (%) – high frequency (High Frequency), LF (%) – low frequency (Low Frequency) ), LF/HF – criterion of sympatho-vagus balance, the ratio of activity levels of the central and autonomous circuits of regulation, VLF (%) – very low frequency waves (Very Low Frequency). The study involved 10 athletes and 9 handball players aged from 17 to 21 years, with 1st category qualification, Candidates for Master of sport. The selected group of athletes with different orientation of the training process. The study was conducted before and after the use of a complex of drugs, which included the adaptogen "Pantocrine Forte", amino acid complex "Tavamine" and enterosorbent "Polyphepanum". These drugs were taken in a certain dosage for 10 days. On the basis of the study of the impact of pharmaceuticals on the state of the cardiovascular system, the manifestation of economization of heart activity (a tendency to reduce heart rate, SAP, DAP and mean AP) was observed in two groups of patients. The above data indicate that the use of pharmacological drugs has caused the restructuring of the mechanisms of autonomic regulation of heart rate, the central level of hemodynamics and bioelectric activity of the myocardium, while achieving the optimal level of training of athletes. Keywords: cardiovascular system, central hemodynamic, electrocardiography, heart rate variability, athlete, complex of drugs. DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.15823/sm.2018.19


The lesser bamboo rat is a fossorial rodent within the monotypic genus Cannomys, family Spalacidae and is found in Indochina. The present work provides the first detailed description of the morphology of its digestive system, as examined by gross dissection and histological examination. The oesophagus was lined by a heavily keratinized epithelium and contained mostly striated muscles in the muscularis externa. The stomach was of the unilocular-hemiglandular type with a cornified squamous area at the fundus separated from the glandular area by the limiting ridge. The length ratio of the small intestine to the entire intestine was relatively low compared to that in other rodents. The caecum contained five to seven haustra and numerous lymphoid tissues, but no distinct appendix. Within the long colon, two non-papillated longitudinal folds forming a colonic groove, V-shaped mucosal folds like fishbones and abundant goblet cells were apparent. A five-lobed liver with a gallbladder and a diffuse pancreas were evident. These findings may indicate that the lesser bamboo rat is a caecal fermenter capable of feeding on highly abrasive plant material. Fermentation may take place via a mucus-trap colonic separation mechanism without coprophagy. The digestive system of the lesser bamboo rat is somewhat different from that of spalacid relatives.


ABSTRACT:Background: Substantial evidence supports community health workers' (CHWs) contributions to improving health and reducing inequities. Common evaluation indicators can strengthen the evidence base and support the profession.Objectives: We describe the development of a 6-year community–academic partnership to identify common CHW process and outcome indicators.Methods: Methods include interviews, focus groups and a survey conducted in Michigan, a Summit in Oregon, consultations at national conferences, and regular conference calls.Results: Using popular education as a primary strategy, we have honed our original goal, identified a set of 20 recommended constructs, developed a national constituency with international connections, and obtained dedicated funding.Conclusions: Participatory identification, development, and uptake of a set of common indicators (CI) for CHW practice will allow data to be aggregated at multiple levels, potentially leading to more sustainable financing of CHW programs. Given that measurement drives practice, a set of common CHW indicators can help to preserve the flexibility and integrity of the CHW role.


Consider a situation where a known number, n, of objects appear sequentially in a random order. At each stage, the present object is presented to d ≥ 2 different selectors, who must jointly decide whether to select or reject it, irrevocably. Exactly one object must be chosen. The observation at stage j is a d-dimensional vector R (j) = (R 1(j),…, R d (j)), where R i (j) is the relative rank of the jth object, by the criterion of the ith selector. The decision whether to stop or not at time j is based on the d-dimensional random vectors R (1),…, R (j). The criteria according to which each selector ranks the objects can either be dependent or independent. Although the goal of each selector is to maximize the probability of choosing the best object from his/her point of view, all d selectors must cooperate and chose the same object. The objective studied here is the maximization of the minimum over the d individual probabilities of choosing the best object. We exhibit the structure of the optimal rule. For independent criteria we give a full description of the rule and show that the optimal value tends to d -d/(d-1), as n → ∞. Furthermore, we show that as n → ∞, the liminf of the values under negatively associated criteria is bounded below by d -d/(d-1).


The examination of the possible direct link between environmental protection and firm performance has generally produced mixed results. This paper contributes to the literature by considering the antecedents of hotel managers' environmental attitudes to check whether perceptions of the external and internal factors are behind the adoption of a proactive environmental management. The study also tests whether or not the resource-based view of the hotel mediates the positive relationships of proactive environmental management and improved environmental performance with competitive advantage and financial performance. This contribution is original because this study develops a comprehensive whole picture of this path process, which has previously only been partially discussed in the literature. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


In this letter, we have studied quantum tunneling of two-species cold bosonic atoms in an optical lattices. When the optical lattice is not infinitely long and the spin excitations are not in the long-wavelength limit, quantum tunnelings are presented.


The traditional query languages used in database management systems require precise and unambiguous queries only. Fuzzy querying was introduced to relax this rigidity and allow the user more natural information retrieval. In this article we suggest how to enrich fuzzy querying by the use of IF‐sets. © 2007 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Int J Int Syst 22: 587–597, 2007.


Multi-agent formation control is the process in which the teams formed by multiple agents move to specific target or specific direction. The formation method of the linear formation and circular formation are given in this paper, based on the geometric characteristics of the formation formed by multi-agent. The process in which 5 agents arrived at the designated target point and formed a linear formation is achieved through simulation; and 4 agents formed a circular formation and cooperated to carry heavy weights. The result of the three-dimensional simulation shows the feasibility of the method to form multi-agent formations in different environments and different tasks. Keywords-Multi-agent; Cooperation; Formation, CLC: TP242 WM: A


Background Little is known regarding the treatment practices of rheumatologists with respect to biologic initiation as monotherapy versus combination therapy with nonbiologic disease modifying anti-rheumatic drugs (nbDMARDs) such as methotrexate (MTX). We explored treatment patterns at the time of biologic initiation as well as 1 year after initiation. Methods In a large US patient registry (CORRONA), we identified patients with a diagnosis of rheumatoid arthritis who were initiated on their first biologic between 10/2001-9/2012. Patients at time of initiation are divided into three therapy groups: Biologic Monotherapy - no other nbDMARD (Mono); Combination Therapy with a nbDMARD (Combo-nbDMARD) which could be MTX (Combo-MTX); or another nbDMARD (Combo-non-MTX DMARD). Patients using MTX + another nbDMARD are included in Combo-MTX. Patient demographic and clinical characteristics are estimated within each group. Within each therapy group, those initiators with a one year follow-up visit (1 year ±2 months from initiation) are divided into their current therapy at one year. Results The CORRONA registry, as of 9/3/2012, had 33,959 RA patients with at least one clinical visit. There were 3,987 patients who initiated their first biologic among biologic naïve RA patients. Of these initiations, monotherapy represented 18%, combination therapy with MTX in 69%, and combination with a non-MTX nbDMARD in 13%. Demographic and clinical characteristics were similar among the three therapy groups of Mono, Combo-MTX, Combo-non-MTX DMARD: Average Age (57.0, 57.3, 58.1), CDAI (21.4, 21.2, 20.2), mHAQ (0.51, 0.49, 0.49). Average duration of disease was higher in the Combo-nbDMARD (9.7 yrs) vs Combo-MTX (7.8 yrs, p<0.001) and Mono groups (8.4yrs, p=0.02). Combo-MTX had 95.9% with prior use of MTX while Mono and Combo-nbDMARD had 70.7% and 70.6%, respectively. As shown in Figure 1, between 22 and 30% of patients in each category were not on biologic therapy at the one year follow-up. The majority of Combo-MTX and Combo-non-MTX DMARD users were still on combination therapy at 1 year while only 45% of monotherapy users still received a biologic without a nbDMARD. Of the Combo-MTX group, 55.6% remained on exactly the same medications while only 36.1% for Mono and 37.3% for Combo-DMARD. Figure 1. Initiation to year 1 – Patterns of therapy. Conclusions Rheumatologists initiate biologic agents in combination with nbDMARDs in the majority of patients with most persisting on combination therapy at 1 year. Additionally, one-quarter of monotherapy users switched to combination therapy during follow-up. Of note, a substantial number of biologic initiators, regardless of monotherapy or combination nbDMARD initiation discontinued biologic therapy. Acknowledgements The CORRONA RA registry has been supported through contracted subscriptions in the last 2 years by AbbVie, Amgen, AstraZeneca, Genentech, Horizon Pharma, Eli Lilly, Novartis, Pfizer, Vertex and UCB. The design, study conduct, and financial support for the study was provided by AbbVie. AbbVie participated in the interpretation of data, review, and approval of the abstract. Disclosure of Interest G. Reed Employee of: CORRONA, Inc., A. Ganguli Shareholder of: AbbVie, Employee of: AbbVie, K. Saunders Employee of: CORRONA, Inc., R. Magner Employee of: UMASS Medical School, J. Greenberg Shareholder of: CORRONA, Inc., Consultant for: AstraZeneca, Pfizer, Employee of: CORRONA, Inc. DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.1544


Summary

A new dominant white allele was suspected when two Thoroughbred horses with minimal white marking on the coat produced a colt with a large amount of coat depigmentation. Because of its association with similar patterns in other horses, the KIT gene was selected as a candidate gene, and all 21 exons were sequenced in the colt. A novel 5-bp deletion was discovered in exon 3 and was confirmed with allele-specific PCR. The mutation introduced a pre-mature stop codon, resulting in truncation of the protein. The deletion was not present in either parent and is suspected to be responsible for the extensive white coat colour in the colt. Additionally, a previously described missense mutation was detected in exon 14 of both the colt and sire but is not believe to be causative. Parentage testing was conducted as required by The Jockey Club for Thoroughbred registration, and the foal qualified for the stated parentage. This novel deletion in exon 3 is the 12th discovered dominant white allele in the horse.


Heparin has been shown to act as a competitive inhibitor of inositol 1,4,5-triphosphate (InsP3) receptors in various cell types. Because InsP3 is one of the second messengers involved in stimulus-secretion coupling in mast cells, it is possible that heparin may inhibit mast cell-mediated reactions. Therefore, in allergic sheep, we tested this hypothesis in two mast cell-mediated reactions induced by immunologic and nonimmunologic stimuli: immediate cutaneous reaction (ICR) and acute bronchoconstrictor response (ABR). In 12 sheep allergic to Ascaris suum antigen, the surface area of the skin wheal was determined 20 min after intradermal injection (0.05 ml) of increasing concentrations of specific antigen, compound 48/80, and histamine, without and after pretreatment with heparin (100, 300, or 1,000 U/kg i.v.). Antigen, compound 48/80, and histamine produced concentration-dependent increases in ICR. Heparin "partially" inhibited the ICR to antigen and compound 48/80 in a dose-dependent manner without modifying the ICR to histamine. The heparin preservative benzyl alcohol was ineffective. In 11 additional sheep, specific lung resistance was measured before and after inhalation challenges with antigen, compound 48/80, and histamine without and with aerosol heparin pretreatment (1,000 U/kg). Heparin blocked the antigen- and compound 48/80-induced bronchoconstriction without modifying the airway effects of histamine. In isolated human uterine mast cells, heparin inhibited the anti-immunoglobulin E- but not the calcium ionophore- (A23187) induced histamine release. These data suggest that heparin inhibits the ICR and ABR induced by stimuli that produce immunologic and nonimmunologic mast cell degranulation without attenuating the effects of histamine.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Objective: To compare the angles of both hemibodies and movements associated with sporting gestures in road cyclists. Methods: Fifteen right-handed male road cyclists, with a mean age of 27 ± 4.25 years, participated in the study. Subjects who were younger than 18 years old or were previously diagnosed with posture impairment, motor disorders, and cognitive or mental deficits were excluded. Measurement procedures were performed using biophotogrammetry and kinemetry to analyze the angles and biomechanics of sporting gestures during the activities. Results: Based on the results of biophotogrammetry, the angles measured showed symmetry among the participants. The kinematics analysis revealed that the trunk flexion did not show any significant differences between the angles when the sporting gestures were performed. When the triple maximum flexion of the lower limbs and the maximum extension of the lower limbs were analyzed, a statistical significance (p < 0.05) between the angles in both sitting and standing positions was found. However, the results showed a direct association with the desired physiological movement, which did not affect the function. Conclusion: The results showed that the biomechanics of the angles between both hemibodies and the sporting gestures in cyclists were not affected. This finding is directed in particular to the implementation and planning of training practices that will raise the awareness among cyclists of their bodies and the appropriate adjustments of the bicycle components.


An aqueous solution of dikegulac-sodium at 0, 2000, 4000, 6000, or 8000 mg a.i./liter was sprayed on a mature Murraya paniculata hedge as the first leaves expanded on newly developing lateral shoots after trimming. The lateral shoots from each 0.09-m 2 hedge surface elongated less and the coefficient of variation (cv) decreased as the growth regulator concentration increased. Application of dikegulac-sodium at 4000 mg a.i./liter to the most distal leaf on topped, single-leader seedlings inhibited the elongation of distal shoots while it enhanced proximal shoot growth. Dikegulac-sodium spray between 4000 and 6000 mg a.i./liter to the hedge decreased apical dominance among lateral shoots and enhanced uniform regrowth without causing visible damages. The cv reduction was attributed to the growth regulator-induced weakening of apical dominance. Chemical name used : sodium salt of 2,3 :4,6-bis-O-(1-methylethylidene)-α-L-xylo-2-hexulofuranosonic acid (dikegulac-sodium).


The author explains the need to document medical records to provide protection in litigation and to enhance medical care. Practical tips to make documentation easier and more efficient are given.


Purpose: Investigate use of standardized non-coplanar arcs to improve plan quality in lung Stereotactic Body Radiation Therapy(SBRT) VMAT planning. Methods: VMAT planning was performed for 9 patients previously treated with SBRT for peripheral lung tumors (tumor size:12.7cc to 32.5cc). For each patient, 7 VMAT plans (couch rotation values:0,5,10,15,20,25,and 30 deg) were generated; the coplanar plans were pushed to meet the RTOG0915 constraints and each non-coplanar plans utilized the same optimization constraints. The following plan dose metrics were used (taken from RTOG 0915): D-2cm: the maximum dose at 2 cm from the PTV, conformality index (CI), gradient index (GI), lung volume receiving 5 Gy (V5) and lung volume receiving 20 Gy (V20). The couch collision clearance was checked for each plan through a dry run using the couch position from the patient's treatment. Results: Of the 9 cases, one coplanar plan failed to meet two protocol guidelines (both gradient index and D-2cm parameter), and an additional plan failed the D-2cm parameter. When introducing at least 5 degree couch rotation, all plans met the protocol guidelines. The largest feasible couch angle available was 15 to 20 degrees due to gantry collision issues. Non-coplanar plans resulted in the average (standard deviation) reduction of the following metrics: GI by 7.3% (3.7%); lung V20 by 11.1% (3.2%); D-2cm by 12.7% (3.9%). The CI was unchanged (−0.3%±0.6%), and lung V5 increased (3.8%±8.2%). Conclusion: The use of couch rotations as little as 5 degrees allows for plan quality that will meet RTOG0915 constraints while reducing D-2cm, GI, and lung V20. Using default couch rotations while planning SBRT cases will allow for more efficient planning with the stated goal of meeting RTOG0915 criteria for all clinical cases. Gantry clearance checks in the treatment room may be necessary to ensure safe treatments for larger couch rotation values.


BACKGROUND
Preclinical and clinical evidence suggest that the neuropeptide oxytocin may be of value in treating alcohol use disorder, by either reducing the rewarding effects of alcohol or reducing negative affect induced by alcohol withdrawal. However, the effect of a single dose of oxytocin on subjective and psychomotor responses to alcohol in social drinkers is not known.

METHODS
This study examined the effect of intranasal oxytocin on subjective, behavioral, and physiological responses to a moderate dose of alcohol (0.8 g/kg) in young adult social drinkers. Participants (N = 35) completed 2 study sessions at which they consumed beverages containing alcohol (ALC; N = 20) or placebo (NoALC; N = 15) in combination with intranasal oxytocin (40 IU with a 20 IU booster) or placebo. They received oxytocin at one session and placebo at the other session (order counterbalanced) 20 minutes before consuming beverages. Subjective mood and drug effects ratings, heart rate and blood pressure, and 4 behavioral tasks (flanker task, digit span, go/no-go, and pursuit rotor) were the primary outcome measures.

RESULTS
ALC produced its expected subjective and behavioral effects; including feeling intoxicated and impaired performance on the digit span and go/no-go tasks. Oxytocin alone had no significant subjective or physiological effects, and it did not affect responses to alcohol on any measure.

CONCLUSIONS
We can conclude that, under these conditions, a single dose of intranasal oxytocin does not alter the effects of acute alcohol in healthy young adult social drinkers. Further research is needed to determine whether oxytocin alters responses to alcohol under different conditions, and to determine its potential as an aid in treatment for substance use disorders.


Background COPD exacerbations and hospitalizations have been associated with poor prognosis for the COPD patient. Objective To evaluate the frequency and risk factors of COPD exacerbations, hospitalizations, and admissions to intensive care units (ICUs) in Greece by a nationwide cross-sectional study. Materials and methods A nationwide observational, multicenter, cross-sectional study was conducted in the clinical practice setting of respiratory medicine physicians over a 6 month-period (October 2010 to March 2011). A total of 6,125 COPD patients were recruited by 199 respiratory physicians. Results Participants had a median age of 68.0 years, 71.3% were males, and 71.8% suffered from comorbidities. The median disease duration was 10.0 years. Of the patients, 45.3% were classified as having GOLD (Global initiative for chronic Obstructive Lung Disease) stage III or IV COPD. Patients with four or more comorbidities had 78.5% and threefold-higher than expected number of exacerbations and hospitalizations, respectively, as well as fivefold-higher risk of admission to the ICU compared to those with no comorbidities. Obese patients had 6.2% fewer expected exacerbations compared to those with a normal body mass index. Patients with GOLD stage IV had 74.5% and fivefold-higher expected number of exacerbations and hospitalizations, respectively, and nearly threefold-higher risk of admission to the ICU compared to stage I patients. An additional risk factor for exacerbations and hospitalizations was low compliance with treatment: 45% of patients reported forgetting to take their medication, and 81% reported a preference for a treatment with a lower dosing frequency. Conclusion Comorbidities, disease severity, and compliance with treatment were identified as the most notable risk factors for exacerbations, hospitalizations, and ICU admissions. The results point to the need for a multifactorial approach for the COPD patient and for the development of strategies that can increase patient compliance with treatment.


This study aims to analyze and describe the Marketing Mix variable and the Domestic Attractiveness Negeri di Atas Awan – Lolai, Toraja on the interest of domestic tourists to visit. The data collection technique is by distributing questionnaires to respondents who have visited Negeri di Atas Awan and assessing the tourist attractiveness of the destination. The sampling technique is non-probability sampling with an accidental approach. The results of this study indicate that the marketing mix affects the interest of domestic tourists visiting by 0.428 units with a calculated T value of 3.285 > T table of 1.660. Tourist attraction affects the interest of domestic tourists to visit because the regression coefficient value is 0.388 with the calculated T value of 2.965 > T table of 1.660. Overall. The influence of the marketing mix and tourist attraction on the interest of domestic tourists to visit is 61.7%, and other factors influence the remaining 38.3%.


Background: Endothelial injury, activation and dysfunction play an important role in atherosclerosis progression and development of cardiovascular disease. Aim: To evaluate biochemical markers assessing the vascular endothelium state in patients with coronary artery disease. Material and methods: We examined 57 patients with coronary artery disease (CAD): 27 patients with acute myocardial infarction (AMI) and 30 patients with stable angina pectoris (SA). The control group comprised 23 patients without symptoms of CAD. The concentration of von Willebrand factor (vWF), thrombomodulin (sTM), endothelin-1 (ET-1), and adhesion molecules (soluble intercellular adhesion molecule-1 (sICAM-1) and soluble vascular cell adhesion molecule-1 (sVCAM-1)) was analysed in plasma or serum. Results: A significant increase in vWF, sICAM-1, sVCAM-1 and ET-1 concentrations was found in AMI compared to the control group. Increased vWF and sICAM-1 concentrations were found in SA compared to the control group. The AMI group was characterized by significantly higher vWF concentration than the SA group. Thrombomodulin concentration did not differ significantly between any patient groups and the control group. There was a positive correlation between vWF concentration and sVCAM-1 and sTM concentrations, and an inverse correlation between ET-1 and sICAM-1 concentrations in AMI. A sICAM-1 correlated positively with sVCAM-1 concentration in SA. Conclusions: von Willebrand factor is more useful than sTM, endothelin-1, and cell adhesion molecules sICAM-1 and sVCAM-1 to assess endothelium state in patients with CAD. The increase in plasma vWF concentration confirms endothelial injury and/or activation in CAD and indicates a greater severity of these disorders in AMI than in SA.


We present the case of a 3‐year‐old female liver transplant recipient with a history of Caroli disease who presented with positive severe acute respiratory syndrome coronavirus 2 (SARS‐CoV‐2) reverse transcription polymerase chain reaction (RT‐PCR) test and was ultimately diagnosed with multisystem inflammatory syndrome in children (MIS‐C) complicated by portal vein thrombosis. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case report of MIS‐C in a pediatric solid organ transplant (SOT) recipient. Based on our patient, MIS‐C could be a potential complication of Coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID‐19) in SOT recipients and may have a negative outcome on transplant graft function.


Rationale : Small airways are relevant to the pathophysiology of asthma Objective : We investigated the relationship between small airway function, as assessed by IOS and spirometry, bronchodilator response, disease control and fractional exhaled nitric oxide (FeNO) values, in asthmatic patients. Methods: We studied 38 patients with asthma (24 F, age range 16-70 yr). The fall in resistance from 5 to 20 Hz (R5–R20) and reactance at 5 Hz (X5) in kPa s l 1 by IOS and spirometry at baseline and after 400 mcg of salbutamol were measured. Asthma Control Test (ACT) and FeNO (in ppb) were also recorded. Results: R5-R20 and X5 were significantly related to spirometry, with FEF 25-75 being the parameter stronger related. By the ROC curve method, the FEF 25-75 cut-off point, which better identified patients with an increase in R5-R20 was ≤ 38% of pred (0.95 sensitivity and 0.78 specificity). When the bronchodilator responses were considered, only the post-bronchodilator FEV 1 percent changes correlated to the corresponding R5-R20 values ( p ). ACT score, but not FeNO values was related to R5-R20 ( p ) and X5 ( p ) values. Logistic regression analysis showed that increased R5-R20 was independently associated with poor controlled asthma ( p ). Conclusions: We found that R5-R20 and X5 were related to FEF 25-75 , as baseline values but not as percent change after bronchodilator. The increase in peripheral airway resistance was associated with a poor asthma control, but not with FeNO values. These results further confirm the value of IOS as investigative tool in asthma.


The growth of malignant tumors of lungs among elderly patients together with overall increase of people older then 70, aroused new problems in surgery and anesthesiology. Nowadays, modern medicine succeeded minimal postoperative mortality and lethality among such patients, 19,7 and 6,4%, respectively. 3 and 5-year survival among operated patients was 68 and 42%. Actually, overall lethality rate was determined mainly by relative and conquering diseases. Lobectomy should be considered a method of choice, although sublobar resection is appropriate by lung tumors of stages 1 and 2.


While scholarly treatments of Paul rightly understand his cosmology and anthropology as interconnected, two disjunctive tendencies are seldom reconciled. On the one hand, there is a general trend toward viewing Paul's cosmology through the lens of a Jewish apocalypticism that is dualistically configured; on the other, Paul's anthropology is usually seen as essentially monistic. This paper redresses this dualism/monism incongruence. By locating Paul within an overlapping matrix of Jewish and Greek traditions of antiquity, we can see the apostle as working within a dualistic framework that is characterized by partitive interrelation rather than opposition. This argument is conceptualized and articulated with an eye toward notions of folk dualism, which cognitive scientists suggest is a natural by-product of human embodiment. Attention is specifically given to 1 Cor. 15:30–50, where Paul envisions a risen existence that is cosmologically and somatically fashioned vis-a-vis such integrative tension.


The management of thrombocytopenia associated with human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) includes therapy with prednisone and zidovudine and, in cases unresponsive to medical therapy, splenectomy. 1 We recently attended an HIV-infected patient who had symptomatic thrombocytopenia that did not reverse after triple antiretroviral therapy. The patient was a 42-year-old man who had had HIV primary infection without thrombocytopenia 4 years before. Three months after diagnosis, pneumococcal and Haemophilus influenzae conjugate vaccine were administered. He has not had opportunistic infections or other conditions defining acquired immunodeficiency syndrome to date. On April 1994, zidovudine monotherapy was started because of a decline in platelet and CD4 cell counts ( Figure ). Results of tests for antiplatelet antibodies were negative. His platelet count at that time was 16×10 9 /L. The patient transiently responded to zidovudine therapy, but he also needed short courses of prednisone therapy. However, each time prednisone use was discontinued, platelet counts decreased. During


Adequate water, sanitation, and hygiene(WASH) facilities in schools are vital, especially for girls. This study addresses a gap in assessing the adequacy of WASH facilities' repair at schools affected by natural hazards. Central Sulawesi was used as a case study where principal interviews were conducted at 26 schools, and structured observations were made at 18 schools, 3 years after the earthquake in September 2018. Of the 26 principals, 10 reported no damage to the toilets from the events of September 2018. Among those who reported damage, a third felt that the fixes insufficiently met basic needs and that they did not deliver WASH services as well as they used to. Structured observations revealed that most toilets lacked soap, open water reserves were placed next to non-flush latrines, posing a high potential for vector-breeding, and there were inadequate facilities for menstrual hygiene management, including no bins. Recommendations include ensuring a supply of soaps, adding lids to water storage containers for hygiene, and providing sanitary napkins and lidded bins. It was noted that private schools provided a better level of WASH service than state schools, and state schools in more hazardous zones did not take long to recover and offer lower-quality WASH facilities.


The HIV/AIDS epidemic in Mauritius remains fairly concentrated. With fewer than one thousand people estimated to be living with HIV/AIDS (700 as of the end of 2001) Mauritius HIV/AIDS prevalence rate (the percent of people living with the disease) is significantly lower than many of its neighboring countries and among the lowest in the sub-Saharan African region overall. However there are signs of an increasing trend in HIV/AIDS cases in recent years in this middle-income country. In 1987 the Mauritius Ministry of Health and Quality of Life implemented a National AIDS Control and Prevention Programme. The Government of Mauritius also formed a National Coordinating Committee on HIV/AIDS and is currently operating under its National Strategic Plan for HIV/AIDS 2001-2005. (excerpt)


Using a novel automated Mueller matrix polarimetric imaging system we acquired and generated the Mueller matrix images of normal, benign, and cancerous tissue from a Sinclair swine. A polar decomposition of these Mueller matrices yields the retardance, diattenuation, and depolarization parameters for each skin sample. The results, presented in this paper, from the retardance decomposition indicate the ability to use this parameter to discriminate between benign and cancerous lesions.


The objective of this study was to evaluate periprandial plasma concentrations of glucagon-like peptide-2 (GLP-2), glucose, and β-hydroxybutyrate (BHB) in response to a milk meal in preweaning dairy calves. Nineteen Holstein heifer calves were fed either a high (10 L/d; n = 9) or low (5 L/d; n = 10) amount of pasteurized whole milk from d 2 to 50 of life. Calves were housed in individual pens for the first 19 ± 3 d and fed only milk before being moved to a group pen, where they remained on their respective milk treatment and offered calf starter ad libitum. Blood samples were collected sequentially for 240 min following their milk meal at wk 3, 5, and 7 of life to characterize the periprandial response in plasma concentrations of GLP-2, glucose, and BHB. Baseline plasma glucose concentrations were increased, when a high amount was fed; however, we found no difference in area under the curve. Feeding a high amount of whole milk had no effect on baseline or periprandial plasma BHB concentrations. Baseline plasma GLP-2 concentrations decreased as calves aged. Feeding a high amount of whole milk tended to significantly increase baseline GLP-2 concentrations throughout compared with calves fed a low amount. The periprandial response of GLP-2 was not biphasic until calves were 7 wk old. In conclusion, feeding a high amount of milk may increase GLP-2 concentrations in preweaning calves, although its exact mechanism is unknown.


In 1994, the United States and Japan agreed to permit reciprocal fresh apple imports after decades of negotiations. However, U.S. apple exports to Japan were a commercial failure. Initial sales peaked in 1995, then quickly declined, and no U.S. apples have been shipped to Japan since 1997. The United States blames unfair regulations for this failure. This Comment reviews the history of the U.S.-Japan apple dispute, analyzes Japan's apple import regulations, and concludes that those regulations aggravated, but did not cause the commercial failure of U.S. apple exports to Japan. Instead, U.S. apple exports failed because of unexpected price competition from Japanese apples, insufficient marketing efforts, and consumer rejection of the only two varieties registered for export. Unless these underlying problems are also addressed, efforts to reduce Japan's regulatory restrictions on apples will not lead to successful exports.


In order to determine the pathogenesis of fever in solid tumors, we studied the association of fever at diagnosis in children with solid tumors (malignant lymphoma, rhabdomyosarcoma, and neuroblastoma), serum levels of interleukin 1 (IL-1), and tumor necrosis factor. Thirteen of 20 patients (65%) with solid tumors were complicated with fever at diagnosis. There was no difference in C-reactive protein or IL-1 levels between the patients with and without fever, while the erythrocyte sedimentation rate and TNF levels were higher in the former than in the latter by Wilcoxon's rank sum test (p less than 0.01). These findings suggest that most febrile episodes at diagnosis in children with solid tumors are associated with the release of tumor necrosis factor.


GOAL
The aim of this pilot study was to investigate the changes of circulating epithelial cells in the blood of patients with differentiated thyroid cancer after radioiodine-therapy with I-131.

METHODS
The cells were detected by fluorescence-microscopy via the epithelial-cell-adhesion-molecule (EpCAM), a molecule described to be over-expressed in most carcinoma tissues and also present on circulating cells deriving from primary site. Epithelial cells were assessed before radioiodine-therapy, as well as 2 days, 14 days, and 3 months after therapy. 2 patient groups were examined: 1) patients with thyroid cancer receiving a first radioiodine-therapy after thyroidectomy (RITfirst, n=13), and 2) patients with thyroid cancer in need of repeated radioiodine-therapy due to local or metastatic recurrences (RITrep, n=15). Circulating epithelial cell changes were correlated to changes of serum-thyroglobulin and to clinical response evaluated 3 months after therapy.

RESULTS
Patients with an early decrease of cells after radioiodine-therapy (RITfirst 7/13; RITrep 2/15) showed an increase of serum-thyroglobulin in most of the cases (RITfirst 5/7; RITrep 2/2). In the RITrep group, a decrease in cell counts 2 days after radioiodine-therapy indicated a clinical response in 90% of the cases.

CONCLUSIONS
This study indicates that the number of circulating epithelial cells in differentiated thyroid cancer undergo changes in response to radioiodine-therapy. The destruction of cells through radioiodine-therapy may induce a short-term release of thyroglobulin in the blood. A clear relationship between the clinical outcome and the cell changes could not be found, but early cell decreases may help identifying patients more likely to respond to radioiodine-therapy.


Civil engineering is the science that focuses on the design of the infrastructure of society, including transportation, housing and construction. Civil engineers design bridges, roadways, tunnels, and airports.


Quite recently, Tassa introduced an ideal and perfect secret sharing scheme realizing conjunctive hierarchical threshold access structures motivated by the problem of sharing a private key among three employees of a bank, at least one of whom must be a department manager, for the purpose of signing an electronic funds transfer. We ask the natural question concerning "What if there are two branches of banks that are needed to be involved in the signing process?" In such a case, one might encounter the presence of two distinct hierarchies involved in the same access structure. In this paper, being motivated by such a sample scenario, we describe a new generalization, what we name nested multipartite access structures, which may involve the well-known compartmented or hierarchical access structures as substructures. The corresponding generic scheme we describe employs multivariate interpolation and is ideal, linear and perfect with probability 1 − O(q−1) on a finite field Fq. We describe the scheme in particular for the trivariate case as an example. Such an approach is hopefully useful not only for the initial motivating example, but also for a variety of interesting scenarios. In particular, we propose a non-nested generalization for the conventional compartmented access structures, which depicts a stronger way of controlling the additional t − (t1 + … + tm) participants.


Background: India is facing a mental health crisis but to change community stigma, we need to address historical trauma. This article discusses the issue of community stigma toward mental health care in India. Objective: The research aimed to trace the roots of community stigma toward mental health care facilities. Method: This study primarily used the archival method of data collection in constructing its narrative. Primary sources including colonial records, some vernacular newspapers, and a few Indian sources were analysed. The Maharashtra State Archives and the National Archives of India, New Delhi, served as the main repository of primary sources. Additionally, India Office Records at the British Library, London, provided further evidence for this research. Digitized copies of Annual Asylum Reports made available by the National Library of Scotland added to the evidence. The study also involved fieldwork at the Thana, Yerawada, and Ratnagiri mental hospitals in 2014. Results: Community stigma to the use of mental health care facilities is a historical problem. The establishment of lunatic asylums in India (as they were referred to in the 19th century, the nomenclature changed in 1921 to the term mental hospitals) caused disruption to local communities and families and left a legacy of trauma and fear. Conclusions: Acknowledging the trauma will disrupt patterns of coercion and cultures of abuse within mental health institutions and it will enable new narratives in mental health care.


Dehydration is a common condition characterized by a decrease in total body water. Acute dehydration can cause physical and cognitive impairment, heat stroke and exhaustion, and, if severe and uncorrected, even death. The health effects of chronic mild dehydration are less well studied with urolithiasis (kidney stones) the only condition consistently associated with it. Aside from infants and those with particular medical conditions, athletes, military personnel, manual workers, and older adults are at particular risk of dehydration due to their physical activity, environmental exposure, and/or challenges in maintaining fluid homeostasis. This review describes the different approaches that have been explored for hydration assessment in adults. These include clinical indicators perceived by the patient or detected by a practitioner and routine laboratory analyses of blood and urine. These techniques have variable accuracy and practicality outside of controlled environments, creating a need for simple, portable, and rapid hydration monitoring devices. We review the wide array of devices proposed for hydration assessment based on optical, electromagnetic, chemical, and acoustical properties of tissue and bodily fluids. However, none of these approaches has yet emerged as a reliable indicator in diverse populations across various settings, motivating efforts to develop new methods of hydration assessment.


Non-steady-state (NSS) chambers are widely used to measure trace gas emissions from the Earth's surface to the atmosphere. Unfortunately, traditional interpretations of time-dependent chamber concentrations often systematically underestimate predeployment exchange rates because they do not accurately represent the fundamental physics of diffusive soil gas transport that follows chamber deployment. To address this issue, we formally derived a time-dependent diffusion model applicable to NSS chamber observations and evaluated its performance using simulated chamber headspace CO2 concentration data generated by an independent, three-dimensional, numerical diffusion model. Using nonlinear regression to estimate the model parameters, we compared the performance of the non-steady-state diffusive flux estimator (NDFE) to that of the linear, quadratic, and steady-state diffusion models that are widely cited in the literature, determined its sensitivity to violation of the primary assumptions on which it is based, and addressed some of the practicalities of its application. In sharp contrast to the other models, NDFE proved an accurate and robust estimator of trace gas emissions across a wide range of soil, chamber design, and deployment scenarios. N


Improve the quality of life for people with dementia, their families and carers, with our activities for people with dementia.


To determine if the insulin sparing effect of a low-fat, high-starch, and high-fiber diet might be mediated through changes of cellular insulin receptor binding, we have in a clinically controlled diet study examined insulin receptors on erythrocytes and monocytes from 40 patients with insulin-dependent diabetes meilitus. Twenty diabetic subjects were treated with a weight-maintaining, low-fat, high-starch, and highfiber diet for 4 wk (alternative diet group) while a comparable group of another 20 diabetic subjects was treated with a conventional high-fat, low-carbohydrate diet (control diet group). In the alternative diet group the intake of starch increased by 56% (P < 0.001) with unchanged intake of simple carbohydrates, the intake of indigestible carbohydrates (fibers) increased by 90% (P < 0.001), the intake of saturated fat was reduced by 32% (P < 0.01) with unchanged intake of polyunsaturated fat, and the cholesterol consumption decreased by 39% (P < 0.01). Food intake remained constant in the control diet group. During the first 2 wk after change of diet the patients in the alternative diet group had frequent clinical signs of increased insulin sensitivity (hypoglycemia) demanding significant reductions (about 25%) of insulin requirement (P < 0.005 after week 1 and P < 0.001 after weeks 2-4). In the same group of diabetic subjects insulin binding to monocytes at insulin tracer concentration increased 25% (P < 0.05) after week 2 and 34% (P < 0.01) after week 4. In contrast insulin receptors on erythrocytes were unchanged. Moreover, significant reductions were shown in fasting plasma concentrations of free insulin (P < 0.02 after weeks 3 and 4) and ketone bodies (P < 0.05 after week 3 and P < 0.01 after week 4), and fasting serum concentration of total cholesterol (P < 0.001 after weeks 2 and 4). No significant changes occurred in the alternative diet group in the following quantities: fasting plasma and 24-h urine glucose concentrations, percentage of glycosylated hemoglobin, fasting plasma concentrations of FFA, or fasting serum concentration of triglyceride. No significant changes in any of the measured variables were found in the control diet group. We conclude that the insulin sparing effect of a low-fat, high-starch, high-fiber diet in insulin-dependent diabetic subjects may be partly mediated through an increased insulin binding. Improved metabolic control was obtained as judged by the significant fall of the plasma concentration of ketone bodies while glycemia and glucosuria were unchanged.


Perturbations in the sequences of pitch periods and amplitudes of the signals picked up by a throat contact microphone are investigated for the purpose of the detection of laryngeal pathology with special emphasis on the detection of cancer of the vocal folds. The subjects consist of 101 patients with various laryngeal pathologies, including 42 patients with cancer of the vocal folds, and 39 normal speakers for control purposes. The data are statistically analyzed with two acoustic measures: Koike's quotient[3] and a novel index which is derived from reflection coefficients obtained by the maximum entropy method for spectral estimation of the sequences. It is shown that when the TNM classification of UICC is employed to describe the physiological status of the larynx of patients with cancer of the vocal folds, the T2-T4 cancers can reliably be detected with each of the two measures.


This paper deals with the problem of control of partially known nonlinear systems, which have an open‐loop stable equilibrium, but we would like to add a PI controller to regulate its behavior around another operating point. Our main contribution is the identification of a class of systems for which a globally stable PI can be designed knowing only the systems input matrix and measuring only the actuated coordinates. The construction of the PI is carried out invoking passivity theory. The difficulties encountered in the design of adaptive PI controllers with the existing theoretical tools are also discussed. As an illustration of the theory, we consider a class of thermal processes. Copyright © 2015 John Wiley & Sons, Ltd.


In multilingual labor markets agents with high proficiency in more than one language may be selected into occupations that require high levels of skill in communicating with customers or writing reports in more than one language. In this paper we measure this effect in Catalonia, where two languages, Catalan and Spanish, coexist. Using census data for 1991 and 1996, and controlling for endogeneity of Catalan knowledge, we find that proficiency in speaking, reading and writing Catalan reinforces selection into communication intensive jobs/positions such as entrepreneurial, trade, and service activities; white-collar occupations; and permanent employment. Interestingly, the effect of language on occupational selection is stronger for women than for men.


Background : The use of antiseptics to inhibit or destroy microorganisms through synthetic or natural substances helps speed the healing process. Herbal derivatives of ricinoleic acid extracted from castor beans ( Ricinus communis ), is an important ally in the treatment of wounds of various animal species during the different stages of the healing process. This study investigates the use of a castor oil based ointment as an antiseptic and wound healing agent to treat an extensive lacerating wound in a senile horse. Case : A 17-year-old Quarter Horse presenting laceration located in the region of the semitendinosus and semimembranosus muscles of the right hindlimb. No changes were observed upon clinical examination while the haematological parameters creatine kinase and fibrinogen increased due to changes. The lesion initially was 35 cm long, and 19 cm wide and second intention healing was the treatment of choice after evaluation. The experimental use of the phytotherapic based on castor oil (Ricinus Assept®) was suggested. This choice was based on the horse owner request for a low-cost treatment. Following the decision, the treatment started with injury debridement by removing devitalized tissue followed by application of castor oil. This treatment was performed twice a day during 24 weeks, with curettage every 7 days to determine the progress of the healing process. The monitoring of the wound shrinking was performed using a measuring tape. Length and width were measured every seven days, which started on the first day of treatment. In the first week of treatment, there was a significant decrease in purulent secretion, indicating that contamination was subsiding. However, the measurements between the 8th and 9th weeks, after treatment had started, showed the greatest difference in wound length and width. During the 24th week of treatment, the wound was fully recovered, and completely healed, without clinical signs of hypersensitivity to the drug used. After one year, the owner was contacted and reported that the horse did not show any abnormal change where the healing took place and was in perfect health. Discussion : Much of the clinical practice is spent treating accidental wounds and with post-surgery care. To understand the complexity of the wound healing and the effect of chemicals is essential when making decisions about the most appropriate treatment due to the unique healing nature of wounds in horses. Wound healing is a complex sequence of biochemical and physiological events that can be become even more complicated at advanced age. There are, currently, on the market a large number of topical medications for wounds. The use of phytotherapics in inflammatory and regenerative processes is very promising, as evaluated and proven in other studies with Triticum vulgare , Aloe vera , Stryphnodendron bartatimao , Calendula officianalis and Symphitum officinalis . Countless studies show that the medium chain triglycerides, which are also constituents of castor oil, act positively in the healing process. Castor oil has been shown to be an alternative to treat wounds having bactericidal, chemical debridement, healing, repellent and larvicide properties. This study describes the case of an old animal, and age is an important factor when it comes to the healing process of skin wounds. Despite this fact, castor oil was effective to heal an extensive wound, in addition to being easy to apply and low cost, promoting good antisepsis and the healing process.


BACKGROUND: The most common consequence of radical treatment of breast cancer is postmastectomy syndrome a complex of changes in the lymphocirculatory system, central and peripheral nervous system, skeletal and muscular apparatus, that significantly reduce the quality of life and working capacity of women. In recent years, special attention has been paid to the study of psycho emotional disorders in this group of patients. A promising method for preclinical diagnosis of anxiety and depressive disorders in patients with postmastectomy syndrome may be positron emission computed tomography with fluorine-18 labeled glucose 2(18F)-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose, which makes it possible to deduce typical patterns of changes in glucose metabolism in cerebral structures in various depressive and anxiety states.
AIM: The purpose of this study is to study the relationship between brain metabolism and psycho emotional status in patients with postmastectomy syndrome.
MATERIALS AND METHODS: In our work, the sample consisted of 28 patients who underwent radical treatment for breast cancer, who underwent an assessment of the psycho-emotional state using the State-Trait Anxiety Inventory and Zung scales for self-assessment of depression. Positron emission tomography was also performed with 18-fluorodeoxyglucose.
RESULTS: The study revealed that 71% of patients showed an increased level of anxiety, 64% showed signs of depression. Positron emission tomography data revealed the following areas of hypometabolism in patients with anxiety-depressive disorders: parietal cortex, inferior parietal lobule, precuneus, superior temporal gyrus, prefrontal cortex, posterior cingulate cortex.
CONCLUSION: Thus, typical zones of changes in glucose metabolism in patients with psycho emotional disorders have been identified, which makes it possible to improve the accuracy of diagnosing these conditions, as well as to develop the most effective ways to prevent and treat them.


One-class classification (OCC) aims to train a classifier only with the target class data and attracts great attention for its strong applicability in real-world application. Despite a lot of advances have been made in OCC, it still lacks the effective OCC loss functions for deep learning. In this paper, a novel logarithmic barrier function based OCC loss (LBL) that assigns large gradients to the margin samples and thus derives more compact hypersphere, is first proposed by approximating the OCC objective smoothly. But the optimization of LBL may be instability especially when samples lie on the boundary leading to the infinity loss. To address this issue, then, a unilateral relaxation Sigmoid function is introduced into LBL and a novel OCC loss named LBLSig is proposed. The LBLSig can be seen as the fusion of the mean square error (MSE) and the cross entropy (CE) and the optimization of LBLSig is smoother owing to the unilateral relaxation Sigmoid function. The effectiveness of the proposed LBL and LBLSig is experimentally demonstrated in comparisons with several state-of-the-art OCC algorithms on different network structures. The source code can be found at https://github.com/ML-HDU/LBL_LBLSig.


In an effort to improve information literacy initiatives at Texas Christian University, we sought to understand faculty members' expectations and perceptions of undergraduate student research skills. We conducted three faculty focus groups (n=21) and an online survey (n=100) of faculty members. This study reveals a set of nine core research skills that faculty members expect students to possess. The study compares faculty members' expectations against their perceptions of student capability for each of these nine core skills. Furthermore, this study examines who (librarians, faculty, or both) should have responsibility for teaching which research skills. These findings will inform the library's information literacy initiatives, as well as have a strong influence on the library's marketing and reference services.


The United Kingdom has the highest age-standardized incidence of oesophageal cancer in Europe. This study projects the number of cases of oesophageal cancer arising in England over a 25-year period. Data from National Statistics were used to determine the number and incidence of oesophageal cancers diagnosed during 2001–2007 (separated by age and sex). These data were used with population projections to model the number of cancers that would develop in the future. Variant estimates were undertaken with high/low rates of migration and life expectancy and by varying the rate of change in the incidence of oesophageal cancer. The principal projection showed that, compared with the 2007 baseline, the number of oesophageal cancers in men is predicted to rise by 20% by 2014 and by 40% by 2020. In women, after an initial predicted decline, the number of cancers is predicted to rise above the 2007 baseline by 2012 and to be 5% higher by 2023. The variant projections showed that only a small effect was likely to be caused by changes in net migration (<1% change by 2030) and life expectancy (1% change by 2020). The effect of a 1% increase or decrease in the rate of change of incidence had a more marked effect (10% change by 2017 or 2018). None of the modelled scenarios resulted in an overall decrease in the number of projected cases because of the change in population demographics. The number of cases of oesophageal cancer in England is likely to continue to increase.


In the field of research on the Jewish background of NT Christology, exalted patriarchs (famous OT figures endowed with transcendent characteristics) play a prominent role. One key figure has been almost overlooked in such comparative work: Job as portrayed in the Testament of Job. As a king with a glorious heavenly throne, a position at the right hand of God, and an eternal kingdom, this Job bears a profile on par with—if not exceeding—that of other important figures in post-biblical Jewish literature (Adam, Abel, Enoch, Melchizedek, Joseph, and Moses). This study argues that Job should be added to the roster of such Jewish figures for future work on early Christology.


A review of marine and terrestrial animal and plant fossils fails to reveal convincing evidence of a global catastrophe at the Triassic-Jurassic boundary, although this time marked the final disappearance of ceratite ammonites and conodonts, together with the extinction of most calcareous demosponges; important groups of bivalves and brachiopods went extinct. Because of facies problems, however, there is no stratigraphic section that reveals a clear-cut disappearance over a short distance. Other marine animal groups except perhaps the radiolarians fail to reveal a notable extinction of global extent immediately across the boundary. On the other hand, there was a substantially higher extinction rate among marine animals in the Rhaetian as compared with the previous stage. On the land, the record is equivocal. Dramatic changes across the T-J boundary have been claimed for plants in particular areas, such as eastern North America and East Greenland, but only gradual change has been recognized elsewhere. Similarly, claims of a T-J boundary vertebrate mass extinction have not been supported by others. For the Rhaetian as a whole, however, the turnover rate of reptiles was high. Although much remains to be learned, it seems evident that the fossil record of the latest Triassic is more consistent with a gradual scenario extended over time than a 'geologically instantaneous' impact catastrophe.


Nash functions are those real analytic functions which are algebraic over the polynomials. Let M⊂Rn be a Nash manifold, N(M) the ring of Nash functions on M and O(M) the ring of analytic functions on M. The following problems have been open for at least twenty years: (1) Separation problem: Let G be a prime ideal of N(M); is G⋅O(M) a prime ideal? (2) Factorisation problem: Given f∈N(M) and an analytic factorisation f=f1⋅f2, do there exist Nash functions g1,g2 on M and positive analytic functions φ1,φ2 such that φ1⋅φ2=1 and f1=φ1g1, f2=φ2g2? (3) Global equations problem: Is every finite sheaf I of ideals of N generated by global Nash functions? (4) Extension problem: For the same I as above, is the natural homomorphism H0(M,N)→H0(M,N/I) surjective? The main results of this paper are: Theorem. For any Nash manifold M, Problem 1 has a positive answer if and only if Problem 3 (or Problem 4) have a positive answer. Problem 3 has a positive answer for any locally principal finite sheaf if and only if Problem 2 has a positive answer. It is interesting to remark that the authors, in a recent paper, have proved that the above problems have a positive answer under the hypothesis that M be compact.


"Life is short, the art long,
Opportunity fleeting,
Experimentation treacherous,
Judgement difficult"

This aphorism from Hippocrates perhaps sums up the issues that arise in teaching and assessing medicine both from a clinical as well as holistic viewpoint. It is also particularly prescient when we consider teaching and assessing professionalism.
    The origin of medical ethics and professional behaviour harks back to ancient times. The first known code of ethics was incorporated into the Code of Hammurabi in 2000BC and later found form in the Hippocratic Oath in the 5th century BC. This oath forms the basis for the modern medical oath that is used up to this day.


BACKGROUND
Stereotactic radiosurgery (SRS) is an effective option in the management of brain metastases, offering improved overall survival to whole-brain radiation therapy (WBRT). However, given the need for active surveillance and the possibility of repeated interventions for local/distant brain recurrences, the balance between clinical benefit and economic impact must be evaluated.

OBJECTIVE
To conduct a systematic review of health-economic analyses of SRS for brain metastases, compared with other existing intervention options, to determine the cost-effectiveness of this treatment across different clinical scenarios.

METHODS
The MEDLINE, EMBASE, Cochrane, CRD, and EconLit databases were searched for health-economic analyses, according to PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses) guidelines, using terms relevant to brain metastases and radiation-based therapies. Simple cost analysis studies were excluded. Quality analysis was based on BMJ Consolidated Health Economics Reporting Standards (CHEERS) checklist.

RESULTS
Eleven eligible studies were identified. For lesions with limited mass effect, SRS was more cost-effective than surgical resection (6 studies). In patients with Karnofsky performance scale (KPS) >70 and good predicted survival, SRS was cost-effective compared to WBRT (7 studies); WBRT became cost-effective with poor performance status or low anticipated life span. Following SRS, routine magnetic resonance imaging surveillance saved $1326/patient compared to symptomatic imaging due to reduced surgical salvage and hospital stay (1 study).

CONCLUSION
Based on our findings, SRS is cost-effective in the management of brain metastases, particularly in high-functioning patients with longer expected survival. However, before an optimal care pathway can be proposed, emerging factors such as tumor molecular subtype, diagnosis-specific graded prognostic assessment, neuroprognostic score, tailored surveillance imaging, and patient utilities need to be studied in greater detail.


The recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic hit shows the emergence of increase in quality of life across various parts of the world. With this lifestyle change, people are looking towards high quality food. Fish being a major source of protein, the industry producing fish from aquaculture is booming. The proposed smart aerator system provides an integrated array of underwater systems for selective aeration of the water body. The smart system ensures targeted aeration to guarantee optimal levels of dissolved oxygen at all times. This is beneficial for perfect survival, growth, and reproduction of fishes. The strategically placed spider aerators are turned on when readings from the dissolved oxygen level at the location is below the optimum range of values. The air blower system consists of an intelligent switching system to activate the right aerator based on the requirement. The sensor data is relayed to the cloud with a wireless communication module. This data can be used for useful insights and all-round monitoring of the water body. The respective aerators have IR sensor to detect movement alongside on-board LEDs to indicate functioning status. Overall, this ensures maximum accelerated growth of healthy fishes. Thus, the solution aims at efficiently boosting the ability of the aquaculture industry to meet the ever-growing demand of consumers.


INTRODUCTION The approaches usually used to increase knowledge about rock-c1imbing are numeraus and different : psychological, physiological , biomechanical, psychosensorimotor aspects, Though the goal of these different approaches is to compare expert climbers and non expert climbers, none of these tries to compare behaviours of climbers through automate control to show the different strategies for instance -, It is therefore necessary to record the movements of members (hands and feet), and secondly to describe climbers' movement by adequate statistical objects and then to propose statistical methods that allow to compare c1imbers. METHODS The experiment consists in c1imbing an artificial rock-climbing wall at a maximum speed, The scene of the cameras is defined by a threemeters-wide and three-meters-high part of the wall (Dupuy and col). The studied population consists of eight expert climbers and seven non expert climbers. The expert c1imber level reaches more than "7a / 7a+" and a non expert level doesn't overrun " 7a". The ascent of the wall is recorded by two synchronized cameras, both of them connected to a videotape recorder (50 Hz), During the experiment. a set of data is collected in a hyperparallepiped (Loslever 95) aiming at recording the climbers' movements, With this set of data, it is necessary to build, for each subject, a chronology of situations where the extremity of the four members is in contact with the wall, These situations, called "quadricontacts" are defined by a precise position of the four members, each of them occupying a hold, In these conditions, all of the studied statistic units, i.e. 13*3=39 c1imbercondition have to be taken into account. Between two following quadricontacts, generally only one member (RH: right hand, LH : Jett hand, RF : right foot, LF : left foot) has moved, In order to underline the different strategies in the movements, we count the frequency at which a member m' (m'=1 ..4) moves, between the quadricontact i and i+1, Therefore an intersegmental association table is built for each c1imber. The value T(m.m') gives the number of times that a member moves after a member'. RESULTS The number of variations of quadricontacts is about nine to fifty (average=19, ect=8), Globally, we notice that the more frequent associations are first between the two feet t(RF,LF)=15% and t(LF;RF)=14% • second along the two ' diagonals hand -foot" t(LH,RF)=12%, t(RH,LF)=9%, There is practically no "hand-hand" association. The average number of associations between expert and non expert group is nearly the same (13, 14 respectively), that seems to show that differences don't proceed from the number of quadricontacts, The C.FA shows that among the sixteen possible types of associations, the most discriminate ones are respectively LHLF, RHLH, LFLF et RHLF, It seems that the associations LHLF, LFLF, RHLH are more frequent for the non expert (77% against to 23% on the set of this association type), The association RHLF is more frequent for the experts (61% vs to 39%). CONCLUSION It seems that the differences between expert and non expert athletes could be due to the way they alternate the successive positions of hands and feet; experts prefer the association "hand to foot" though non experts would rather the association "hand-hand" or "foot-foot". The expert is thought to try to perform the most efficient and the most economic movement, The expressed hypothesis is that his mental card of the environment is very near to the reality so the expert has a better control of the informational incertainty, REFERENCES Hardy L., Martindale K. 1982. Some physiological parameters in rock-c1imbing.Physical Education Review, 5,1, 41-44 Loslever P., Flahaut J.J. 1995. Biomechanical data characterizing for multifactor and multivariate statistical analysis, I,S,B,S, 1995, Thunder Bay, Dupuy C., Ripoll H., Flahaut J.J. 1992 Organisation spatio-temporelle de la motricite en escalade sportive, ISBN 2-906411-07-8. Recherche en A.P,S. Marseille Luminy, 3 , 233253


Abstract This paper presents new scientific data on the spread of mountain elements in the plains of the northwestern part of Romania, species that managed to survive in this area since the last glacial period. Previous studies revealed that the northwestern part of Romania does not exhibit vegetation specific to the region of forest steppe, hills or low mountain areas, as expected. Many species common to mountainous regions were previously observed not only in Carei Plain, but also in Ier Plain, Tur Plain, Tăşnad Hills or Oaş region across Satu Mare, Bihor and Sălaj counties. The same observations were made in other parts of Carei Plain in Hungary, and conclusions were drawn that the area was a glacial refuge. On the Hungarian side of the Carei Plain, the ecosystems were also better preserved comparative to the Romanian side, where most of the natural ecosystems of the Carei Plain were destroyed due to the conversion to agricultural land starting with the 19th century and culminating in the communist period during the 20th century. The study is also intended to be a complement to the data on "Natura 2000" sites, whose goal is the protection of biodiversity in Europe along with their conservation in the most favorable conditions. An update of these sites is becoming increasingly necessary since in recent decades they have been greatly impacted by human activities.


Objective Thyroid function may recover in patients with Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT). Design To investigate thyroid function and the need to resume l-thyroxine treatment after its discontinuation. Setting Nine Italian pediatric endocrinology centers. Patients 148 children and adolescents (25 m and 123 f) with HT on treatment with l-thyroxine for at least one year. Intervention and main outcome measure Treatment was discontinued in all patients, and serum TSH and fT4 concentrations were measured at the time of treatment discontinuation and then after 2, 6, 12 and 24 months. Therapy with l-thyroxine was re-instituted when TSH rose >10 U/L and/or fT4 was below the normal range. The patients were followed up when TSH concentrations were between 5 and 10 U/L and fT4 was in the normal range. Results At baseline, TSH was in the normal range in 139 patients, and was between 5 and 10 U/L in 9 patients. Treatment was re-instituted after 2 months in 37 (25.5%) patients, after 6 months in 13 patients (6.99%), after 12 months in 12 patients (8.6%), and after 24 months in an additional 3 patients (3.1%). At 24 months, 34 patients (34.3%) still required no treatment. TSH concentration >10 U/L at the time of diagnosis was the only predictive factor for the deterioration of thyroid function after l-thyroxine discontinuation. Conclusions This study confirms that not all children with HT need life-long therapy with l-thyroxine, and the discontinuation of treatment in patients with a TSH level <10 U/L at the time of diagnosis should be considered.


Fruit ripening is a developmental process that is associated with increased susceptibility to the necrotrophic pathogen Botrytis cinerea. Histochemical observations demonstrate that unripe tomato (Solanum lycopersicum) fruit activate pathogen defense responses, but these responses are attenuated in ripe fruit infected by B. cinerea. Tomato fruit ripening is regulated independently and cooperatively by ethylene and transcription factors, including NON-RIPENING (NOR) and RIPENING-INHIBITOR (RIN). Mutations in NOR or RIN or interference with ethylene perception prevent fruit from ripening and, thereby, would be expected to influence susceptibility. We show, however, that the susceptibility of ripe fruit is dependent on NOR but not on RIN and only partially on ethylene perception, leading to the conclusion that not all of the pathways and events that constitute ripening render fruit susceptible. Additionally, on unripe fruit, B. cinerea induces the expression of genes also expressed as uninfected fruit ripen. Among the ripening-associated genes induced by B. cinerea are LePG (for polygalacturonase) and LeExp1 (for expansin), which encode cell wall-modifying proteins and have been shown to facilitate susceptibility. LePG and LeExp1 are induced only in susceptible rin fruit and not in resistant nor fruit. Thus, to infect fruit, B. cinerea relies on some of the processes and events that occur during ripening, and the fungus induces these pathways in unripe fruit, suggesting that the pathogen itself can initiate the induction of susceptibility by exploiting endogenous developmental programs. These results demonstrate the developmental plasticity of plant responses to the fungus and indicate how known regulators of fruit ripening participate in regulating ripening-associated pathogen susceptibility.


We review the Monte Carlo method to model semi-classical carrier transport in advanced semiconductor devices. We report examples of the use of the Multi-Subband Monte Carlo method to simulate MOSFETs with III-V compound semiconductor channel. Monte Carlo transport modeling of graphene-based transistors is also addressed.


The medical records of 40 client-owned miniature dachshunds were reviewed to analyze the clinical features of miniature dachshunds with inflammatory colorectal polyps (ICRPs) and to evaluate the therapeutic effects of surgical treatment involving the mucosa-submucosal pull-through technique. All the dogs underwent a physical examination, digital rectal examination, complete blood count, serum chemistry, colonoscopy, endoscopic ultrasound, radiography, abdominal ultrasonography, surgical treatment (with the mucosa-submucosal pull-through technique), and postoperative care, including non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (NSAIDs). Typical clinical signs included hematochezia (100%), tenesmus (75%), and large intestinal diarrhea (70%). Colonoscopies revealed that the lesions were located only in the rectum in 18 cases (45%), involved the descending colon in 21 cases (52.5%), and involved the transverse colon in 1 case (2.5%). Endoscopic ultrasounds showed that the lesions were located within the mucosal layer in all dogs. The mucosa-submucosal pull-through technique was feasible in all cases without intraoperative complications. Short-term complications were observed; however, they rapidly resolved. No long-term complications were noted. Most dogs were prescribed NSAIDs and mesalazine for long-term postoperative medical management. The mortality rate was 0%; the recurrence rate was 12.5%. Our study described the clinical features of ICRPs in miniature dachshunds and revealed that the lesions were located in the mucosa-submucosal layer even in cases of adenocarcinoma. Our findings suggest the mucosa-submucosal pull-through technique improves the prognosis of miniature dachshunds with ICRPs.


Solutions of the cationic amino-acid arginine (Arg+) in contact with a phospholipid monolayer are investigated by molecular dynamics simulations. The results show that Arg+ binds strongly to the lipid/water interface, with adsorption free-energies ranging from −43.8 to −22.2 kJ mol−1, depending on the amino-acids concentration. The large binding energies are attributed to hydrogen bonding between the charged moieties Arg+ and the phosphate and carbonyl groups of the phospholipids, that compensate for changes in the levels of hydration upon adsorption. We show that a concentrated layer of Arg+, tightly bound to the interface, has little effect on the compression isotherm and the lateral mechanical properties of the monolayer, while having a substantial impact on the interfacial electrostatic potential and the lateral mobility of the lipids. These effects are readily explained in terms of the arrangement that the amino-acids adopt when bound to the monolayer.


High genetic variation within sugar beet (Beta vulgaris L.) varieties hampers reliable classification procedures independent of the type of marker technique applied. Datasets on amplified fragment length polymorphisms, sequence tagged microsatellite sites, and cleaved amplified polymorphic sites markers in eight sugar beet varieties were subjected to supervised classifiers, methods in which individual assignments are made to predefined classes, and unsupervised classifiers, defined afterward on the similarity in marker composition from sampled individuals. Major issues addressed are (i) which classification method gives the most consistent results when three marker techniques are compared, and (ii) given different classification techniques available, for which marker technique is the output generated least constrained by the way data analysis is performed. Assignment tests showed a higher consistency across classifications independent from the marker technique. A good allocation to the proper variety was obtained, together with a reliable allocation pattern among the other varieties. Both aspects deal with the variation within a variety and the distance to other varieties. Assignment data were transformed into an average similarity measure, similarity by assignment (Sax,y), which is a new genetic distance measure with interesting properties


Staphylococci are common and important bacteria within veterinary medicine. Two of the most important species are Staphylococcus aureus and Staphylococcus pseudintermedius. The bacteria can cause skin infections, wound infections and urinary tract infections, but can also be a part of the normal flora of the skin and mucosa of healthy animals and humans. Resistance among bacteria are an increasing problem globally, also among staphylococci. Several studies have demonstrated the existence of methicillin resistant staphylococci in the environment at small animal clinics, equine clinics and within human health care facilities. Both MRSA and MRSP has been proven to exist in the environment in small animal clinics. The existence of methicillin resistant staphylococci in the environment has been connected to presence of infections with methicillin resistant staphylococci amongst the patients, making it an important factor to surveillance and control in the environment of health care facilities.

This study is a follow up after a study by Gustafsson (2010) where the presence of methicillin resistant staphylococci in the environment of the small animal clinic at the veterinary teaching hospital in Uppsala, Sweden (UDS) were examined. Since then the clinic has moved to new facilities and the knowledge about methicillin resistant staphylococci has increased. The aim of this study is to examine the presence of methicillin staphylococci at the small animal clinic at UDS and examine if there is a connection between the presence of methicillin resistant staphylococci and the localisation.

In the study 68 environmental samples were taken and classified as either human contact surfaces or animal contact surfaces. The bacteria were cultured on blood agar plate, MAST agar plate and chromogenic agar plate. The identification of bacteria was made with MALDI-TOF. One isolate from each sampling site were analysed using PCR regarding presence of the nuc, mecA, mecC, or PVL genes.

S. aureus were present in 41 of 68 samples and S. pseudintermedius in three of 68 samples. All the S. aureus isolates carried the nuc gene, but none of the S. pseudintermedius carried the nuc gene, which was expected. Neither mecA, mecC nor PVL could be detected in any of the samples, thus excluding the presence of any methicillin resistant staphylococci.

In conclusion no methicillin resistant staphylococci could be detected in the environment of the small animal clinic at UDS. However, to exclude the presence of methicillin resistant staphylococci in the environment, further sampling will be needed. No significant correlation was established between the location and presence of staphylococci.


This paper supplements the existing climatic analyses for Darwin and the surrounding region, by providing a classification of years in terms of amount and distribution of rainfall, and highlighting the extreme, episodic rainfall events that have occurred in the period 1870 to 1983 inclusive. Approximately 77% of years have had significant departures from the two most frequent rainfall patterns and these are described. Much of the variation between years or groups of years lies in the dry and dry-wet transition periods. While the reliability of rainfall in the wet-dry tropics has been emphasized, rainfall variability over both the dry and wet seasons would seem to be an equally important characteristic, at least for the biota. In an environment such as the wet-dry tropics, where moisture is the primary limiting factor, rainfall variability has important implications for the design and interpretation of faunal and floristic surveys, monitoring programs and field experiments.


Most of the industries in the country generate a considerable amount of waste which are either open dumped or disposed without due consideration of the environment and ecosystem. The haphazard disposal of the untreated waste is growing in to a major problem in the country due to high cost of treatment for industries, lack of infrastructure for industrial waste management, ineffective enforcement of environmental regulations and insufficient capacity for waste management of local authorities. This paper presents a study conducted to analyse waste generation patterns, types and quantities in local industrial sector. Further discuss the application potential of Industrial Symbiosis of Sri Lankan industrial-sector to identify secondary usage of waste, avoiding direct discharge in to the environment. Data were collected using different appropriate methods. Results showed that textile and apparel, food, ceramic and rubber industries are the major effluent treatment sludge producers, totalling to 50,000 Mt per annum amounting to 80% of the ETP (Effluent Treatment Process)-sludge generated. Textile sector generate around 40,000 Mt of fabric off-cuts including cotton, polyester, nylon and mixed material. In addition, rubber sector disposes around 37,000 Mt of waste per annum during different manufacturing stages. The results from the analysis indicate some support to the theories that industrial symbiosis can have benefits both from an economical and an environmental point of view. The overall conclusion is that most of the industries in the country generate waste which can be used for an alternative usage and much could be done by the private sector to increase the use of this waste, if government policy were to support the effort. Keywords: Industrial symbiosis, Industrial ecology, Eco industrial park, Ecosystem


Imaging of the phase and magnitude of the piezoelectric strain in Pb ~ Zr 0.3 , Ti 0.7 ! O 3 ~ PZT ! capacitors is performed with an atomic force microscope. The imaging reveals a significant spatial dependence of the ferroelectric properties of both fatigued and unfatigued PZT films. We propose that the variation is related to the domain structure of the PZT. Through the measurement of local piezoelectric hysteresis loops and imaging of the piezoelectric strain, areas are observed in fatigued PZT that exhibit hysteresis loops shifted along the polarization axis. In some regions of fatigued samples, the hysteresis loops are shifted such that both remanent points of the hysteresis curve have the same polarization direction. These results have important implications for the scalability of nonvolatile ferroelectric random access memory to higher device densities. © 2000 American Institute of Physics. @ S0021-8979 ~ 00 ! 09811-X #


Resource allocation problems arise in application domains such as logistics, networking, manufacturing, and C4I systems. The discrete nature of resources to be allocated makes such problems combinatorially complex. In addition, uncertainties in the times when resources are requested and relinquished introduce additional complexities often necessitating the use of simulation for modeling and analysis purposes. In this paper, we present two approaches for solving such problems, the first based on ordinal optimization and the second on the idea of replacing the original discrete allocation problem by a `surrogate model' involving a continuous allocation problem. The latter is simpler to solve through gradient-based techniques and can be shown to recover the solutions of the original problem. Concurrent simulation is used to estimate the gradients required in this approach, leading to extremely fast solutions for many problems in practice.


A Review of:
Barr-Walker, J., Hoffner, C., McMunn-Tetangco, E., & Mody, N. (2021). Sexual harassment at University of California Libraries: Understanding the experiences of library staff members. College & Research Libraries, 82(2), 237. https://doi.org/10.5860/crl.82.2.237
Abstract
Objective – To identify whether academic library workers at the University of California Libraries (UCL) system experienced or observed sexual harassment and to measure their reporting and disclosure behavior.
Design – Anonymous online survey with open and closed-end questions.
Setting – All UCL system campuses (Berkeley, Davis, Irvine, Los Angeles, Merced, Riverside, Santa Barbara, Santa Cruz, San Diego, and San Francisco).
Subjects – All 1610 non-student employees working in UCL system were invited to participate, 579 (36%) responded.
Methods – The authors engaged multiple stakeholder groups to refine and promote this census of UCL non-student workers. The survey was distributed via REDCap and remained open for six weeks of November to December 2018. All questions were optional. Certain demographic information was not collected because respondents might have been identified via deductive disclosure. The first author conducted descriptive statistical analysis and pairs of authors conducted thematic analysis.
Main Results – More than half of respondents experienced or observed sexual harassment in the workplace; women were more likely to experience than observe and vice versa for men. Harassment was most likely to be exhibited by a coworker. Less than half of respondents felt that the UCL system administration considered the issue important. Nearly three out of every four respondents who had experienced harassment at work chose not to report or disclose; this did not vary significantly between women and men.
Conclusion – Sexual harassment of library workers, often by other library workers, is widespread. Staff training and policies should incorporate the reality of gender harassment and commenting on a person's appearance—the two most common forms of harassment exhibited and observed.


Aim. The aim of this study was to examine the longitudinal clinical result of the use of cast posts and cores and crown restorations in endodontically treated teeth over a 44year period. Materials and methods. Out of 130 randomly selected patients, 95 had had 297 teeth rehabilitated with cast posts and cores and crown restorations. The endodontic rehabilitation was considered successful when the tooth remained functional with no clinical or radiographic pathology. Results. The success rate was 90% (268) and the failure rate 10% (29). Cohen's Kappa index ranged between 0.78 and 1. Conclusions. In this 44-year retrospective study, the clinical success rate was 90%. The mean survival time of the studied teeth was 19 years. The failure rate was 10%; tooth fractures were the most prevalent failures (5% of all restored teeth).


Low coercivity and its large temperature dependence of a Nd2Fe14B magnet with respect to its magnetic anisotropy field have been addressed as the coercivity problem. To elucidate the physical origin of this problem, we have investigated the temperature dependence of the magnetization reversal behavior in the Nd-Fe-B hot-deformed magnet. Based on the analysis of the energy barrier evaluated from magnetic viscosity measurements, the coercivity problem is discussed in terms of the following three aspects: magnetization reversal process, intrinsic coercivity without thermal demagnetization effect, and energy barrier height. The analyses lead us to conclude that domain wall pinning is dominant in the magnetization reversal in the Nd-Fe-B hot-deformed magnet. The temperature dependences of the intrinsic coercivity and the energy barrier height are explained by the grain boundary model with an intermediate layer. These analyses would be utilized to discuss the detailed structure and magnetic properties of the grain boundary, which gives a new insight to overcome the coercivity problem.


The purpose of this study was to determine the effectiveness of a parent education program on parents' awareness about the Independent Autistic Children Education Centre (ACEC: in Turkish OCEM). The program was offered through a distance education program. Participants of the study included parents of 72 children with autism who were receiving education in one of the ACEC in Istan bul. The study was carried out during 2005-2006 school year. The research study was experimental including a pre and a post-test to determine the effectiveness of the program. The Parent Education Program included five VCDs, each of which incorporated about 20 minute-presentation on various topics about Autism and the ACEC, and five handbooks. Participants in experimental and control groups were randomly assigned. The experimental group took a five-week training while the control group did not receive any training. Data were gathered by ACEC Knowledge Test developed by the researchers. The results indicated that significant differences were found between preand post-test scores of the experimental group. The findings showed that parent education programme offered through the distance education about Independent Autistic Children Education Centre was significantly effective.