This paper describes a dynamic model in which the provision mechanism for a public project is itself the object of locational choice of individuals. Individuals in an ongoing society must choose between a Majority Rule mechanism and a Voluntary Contribution mechanism. Each mechanism determines a funding decision for a local public project which is repeated over time. Generations of individuals asynchronously supercede their \parents," creating an entry/exit process that allows individuals with possibly diierent beliefs to enter society. A self connrming equilibrium (SCE) belief process describes an evolution of beliefs in this society consistent with a self connrming equilibrium of the repeated location/provision game. Due to Fudenberg and Levine (1993), SCE is weaker than Nash as it requires correct forecasts of an individual only along the realized path during the individual's lifetime. Since individuals' beliefs on out-of-equilibrium behavior may vary, an SCE belief process may admit random and heterogeneous forecasts in the form of mutations of beliefs across generations as newborn individuals enter the system. It is shown that the process with belief mutation results in a globally absorbing state in which the Majority Rule mechanism is the unique survivor of the two. Trejos for very helpful comments and discussions. The suggestions of an associate editor are gratefully acknowledged. Any errors, of course, remain my own. Any views expressed here are those of the authors and not necessarily those of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis or the Federal Reserve System.


We consider the underdetermined blind source separation problem with linear instantaneous and convolutive mixtures when the input signals are sparse, or have been rendered sparse. In the underdetermined case the problem requires solving three sub-problems: detecting the number of sources, estimating the mixing matrix, and finding an adequate inversion strategy to obtain the sources. This paper solves the first two problems. We assume that the number of sources is unknown, and estimate it by means of an information theoretic criterion (MDL). Then the mixing matrix is expressed in spheric coordinates and we estimate sequentially the angles and amplitudes of each column, and their order. The performance of the method is illustrated through simulations.


Abstract The cardiorespiratory effects, effectiveness, and reversibility of two injectable anesthetic combinations were compared in captive patas monkeys (Erythrocebus patas). Seven patas monkeys were hand-injected with medetomidine (40 μg/kg, i.m.), butorphanol (0.4 mg/kg, i.m.), and ketamine (3.0 mg/kg, i.m.), and seven were injected with the same dosages of medetomidine and butorphanol plus midazolam (0.3 mg/kg, i.m.). Heart rates decreased in monkeys in both treatment groups and were lower than those previously recorded in patas monkeys anesthetized with either ketamine or ketamine and isoflurane. Mean arterial pressures were highest in ketamine-treated monkeys but remained within normal limits for both groups. End tidal CO2 values increased gradually over time in both groups and were above physiologic norms after 20 min. Respiratory rates were similar between groups and remained constant throughout the procedures. Despite adequate ventilation parameters, initial low percent oxygen-hemoglobin saturation (SpO2) values were suggestive of severe hypoxemia. It was not clear whether these were accurate readings or an artifact of medetomidine-induced peripheral vasoconstriction. Oxygen supplementation restored SpO2 values to normal (>94%) in both groups. Both combinations effectively produced a state of light anesthesia, although spontaneous recoveries occurred after 30 min in three ketamine-treated monkeys. All monkeys were given i.m. atipamezole (0.2 mg/kg) and naloxone (0.02 mg/kg), whereas midazolam-treated monkeys also received flumazenil (0.02 mg/kg, i.v.), which resulted in faster (median recovery time = 5 min) and more complete recoveries in this group. Both combinations are safe to use when supplemented with oxygen, although the midazolam combination provided a longer anesthetic period and was more fully reversible.


Of 1197 renal transplant recipients on the Oxford Transplant Programme, 25 (2%) needed arthroplasties for painful osteonecrosis of the hip. Nine of them had bilateral operations, giving a total of 34 primary total hip replacements (THR). The mean time from onset of symptoms to THR was 2.4 years and from transplantation to THR 5.1 years. The mean follow-up was 5.1 (1 to 14) years. THR relieved the pain in all the patients, but survival analysis indicated a lower survival rate than is usual for primary THR. There were eight major complications. One graft-related problem, early acute tubular necrosis, resolved rapidly after immediate treatment. One patient developed deep infection at 3.5 years after THR which settled with conservative treatment. Five hips developed aseptic loosening requiring revision arthroplasty at a mean of 8.8 years' follow-up. One patient had a non-fatal pulmonary embolism. THR is the treatment of choice for patients with painful osteonecrosis of the hip after renal transplant, but has higher rates of both early and late complications. Surgery should be performed in close association with a renal transplant unit.


The development of automated systems and the integration of industrial robots in to manufacturing processes have increased the work productivity and the product quality Industrial robots have changed production processes as computer have changed office work. The objective of this paper is the study o cooperative robots behaviors that perform some tasks under certain operating conditions in some environments. The future plant requires flexible cells and manufacturing systems well-handled by computers, programmable tools machine and industrial robots rigid and mobile that can perform autonomous and accurately various production tasks‥ Multi-robot systems can perform tasks that no single robot can perform, since ultimately a single robot, no matter how capable, is spatially limited. The groups of robots are constructed with the purpose to study such issues as group architecture, conflict resources, and origin of cooperation, learning and geometric problems. The methods for modeling and simulating manufacturing systems must be flexible to support the dynamic nature of operation of these systems. The study is using Petri nets for the simulations processes because complex and real-time flexible manufacturing systems are hard to be modeled and analyzed. Petri nets provide a graphical notation for modeling systems and performing analysis.


In this paper we deal with new high precision arithmetic units (AUs). These AUs are specialized in the computation of one arithmetic operation (division, addition, etc.), but when hundreds of them are interconnected by a reconfigurable network, a parallel architecture that uses massive digit-level pipelining between floating-point arithmetic units (allowing fast computation of scientific jobs) becomes interesting. In this paper we present several new AUs for the fast computation of arithmetic expressions that will be used on a high precision massively parallel computer.<<ETX>>


Background Objectives To study the main etiological factors associated to cryoglobulinemia in a universitary hospital, to determine the percentage of patients with no evidence of associated disease (?essential? cryoglobulinemia) and to analyse the amount of overlaping between the different etiologies. Methods We analysed 443 consecutive patients with cryoglobulinemia, who tested positive for circulating cryoglobulins in our Department of Immunology between 1991 and 1999. Of these 443 patients, 258 (58%) were women and 185 (42%) men (mean age 54 years, range 14 to 91). Results Infectious diseases were detected in 331 (75%) patients, autoimmune diseases in 94 (24%), haematological disease in 33 (7%) and essential cryoglobulinemia in 49 (11%). Patients with autoimmune diseases showed a cryocrit higher than 5% (26%) more frequently compared with those with haematological processes (24%), HCV infection (16%) or essential cryoglobulinemia (2%) (p = 0.003). HCV infection was found in 321 (73%) patients, HBsAg in 15 (3%) and HIV antibodies in 29 (7%). Forty (9%) patients had SJÖGREN'S syndrome (SS), 30 (7%) systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE), 7 (2%) periarteritis nodosa and 6 (2%) progressive systemic sclerosis. Finally, 16 (4%) patients had a NHL, 3 chronic lymphocytic leukaemia, 3 multiple myeloma and 2 Hodgking lymphoma. When the overlaping of more than one etiological factor was analysed, we found that most patients with HBsAg or HIV infection were also HCV positive. In addition, we observed a strong overlap between HCV and some autoimmune (50% in SS, 67% in PAN) or haematological (50% of NHL) diseases. Conclusion HCV infection was the main etiological factor identified, being present in 73% of patients with cryoglobulinemia. Of the systemic autoimmune diseases, SS and SLE were those frequently associated to cryoglobulinemia, and NHL was the most frequent haematological process found. Associated disease was not found in 11% of patients (essential cryoglobulinemia). Finally, we report a strong overlap between certain etiological factors (HCV, SS and NHL).


Numerical simulations of low-frequency noise are carried out in two technologies of N-channel polysilicon thin-film transistors (TFTs) biased from weak to strong inversion and operating in the linear mode. Noise is simulated by generation/recombination processes. The contribution of grain boundaries on the noise level is higher in the strong inversion region. The microscopic noise parameter that is deduced from numerical simulations is lower than the macroscopic one defined according to the Hooge empirical relationship and deduced from noise measurements. The higher macroscopic value is attributed to the drain-current crowding induced by nonconducting spots in the devices due to structural defects. The ratio of these two noise parameters can be considered as an indicator to qualify TFT technology.


In this paper we present results of the research aimed at designing and manufacturing a prototype of a SHM system that employs Phased Arrays (PA) for generating and receiving Lamb Waves (LW). A linear array was considered first but it appeared that an unequivocal localization of damage on a plane panel requires a 2D array's topology. In this paper we present a new method for theoretical, numerical and experimental investigations of various 2D arrays' topologies for SHM of planar structures. The theoretical evaluation is performed using the frequency-dependent transfer function that affects propagation of Lamb waves (LWs) through the dispersive medium and enables investigation of the arrays' performance for a defined excitation signal. The numerical simulations are conducted using local interaction simulation approach (LISA) implemented on the NVIDIA® CUDA® graphical processing unit (GPU), which considerably accelerates 3D simulations of LWs propagation in a short time period. Finally, scanning laser vibrometer is used to sense the LWs excited by PZT transducers, in multiple points corresponding to the locations of the 2D array elements. In this way performance of various array topologies can be evaluated experimentally in the reception mode without the need of physical prototype a change of topology requires only straightforward modification of the measurement points' distribution at the tested plate. _____________ Lukasz Ambrozinski, AGH University of Science and Technology, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland, firstname.lastname@example.com Tadeusz Stepinski, AGH University of Science and Technology, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland, email@example.com Tadeusz Uhl, AGH University of Science and Technology, al. Mickiewicza 30, 30-059 Krakow, Poland, firstname.lastname@example.com 6th European Workshop on Structural Health Monitoring Th.3.B.3 Licence: http://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-nd/3.0 1 M or e in fo a bo ut th is a rt ic le : ht tp :// w w w .n dt .n et /? id = 14 15 8


The optimum matching characteristics of an exponential line transformer for wide-band matching at low frequencies are given. From these, the information necessary for design of such transformers is derived and presented in a graphical form.


The utilization of floodwater resources will produce benefits, but it will also pose risks; therefore, it is necessary to strengthen knowledge regarding risk assessment to minimize negative effects. In the present study, the risk factors for the utilization of floodwater resources in water diversion projects were identified, the index system was constructed, and the fuzziness and randomness of the risk were considered. Assessment was performed with respect to the following three projects: water storage, water conveyance, and water pumping. The specific methods to improve the cloud model are as follows: analytic hierarchy process (AHP) is used to calculate subjective weights, entropy weight method and projection pursuit method are used to calculate objective weights, X-conditional cloud is used to calculate index membership degree, and finally combination weight and membership degree are combined to obtain the risk level of flood resource utilization. The above methodology was applied to the risk assessment of floodwater resources utilization in the Jiangsu Province of the East Route of the South-to-North Water Transfer Project. The risk of floodwater resources utilization in high-flow, normal-flow, and low-flow years was evaluated, and the validity and applicability of the assessment method were verified.


Implantable sensors are gaining considerable attention in the research and medical communities due to their potential to enhance the detection and monitoring of medical conditions such as cancer, diabetes, and heart disease. The use of implantable sensors for these exciting applications bring them under the regulatory oversight of the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA). As medical devices intended for long-term implantation that inherently involve some risk, the FDA will carefully evaluate these products prior to allowing them to enter the U.S. market. This paper provides a brief overview of the FDA medical device regulatory framework under which implantable sensors for medical purposes are regulated. It also addresses particular concerns the FDA may raise with respect to these products including, potential sensor breakage and migration in vivo, biocompatibility, electromagnetic compatibility, electromagnetic interference, wireless telemetry, risk/benefit, and clinical utility.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the distribution of Thyroxin (T4) and Thyroid Stimulating Hormone (TSH) values in children of various age groups attending our hospital.

METHOD
We have retrospectively reviewed the T4, TSH levels recorded at our hospital in children from birth to 5 years and evaluated the reference intervals for T4 TSH amongst different ages. Non parametric methods were used to establish a 97.5th, 95th, 50th, 5th and 2.5th centiles.

RESULTS
In T4 (n=1148) and TSH (n=1142) samples reviewed a TSH surge following delivery showed a sharp decline in the first 4 days of life. This was followed by a more gradual downward trend. Data on T4 estimations showed a similar but more gradual downward trend in advancing age groups. The 5th-95th centile reference range for TSH showed values between 1.7-22.5 (0-4 days; n=992), 0.6-13.3 (5-7 days; n=38), 0.9-14.0 (1 week-1 month; n=38), 0.5-13.6 (1 month-1 year, n=38) and 0.4-12.8 (1-5 years; n=38) microlU/mL. The 5th-95th centile reference range for T4 showed values between 10.7-25.0 (0-4 days; n=995), 6.5-20.4 (5-7 days; n=35), 8.0-18.1 (1 week-1 month; n=38), 6.0-16.1 (1 month-1 year; n=41), 6.9-15.3 (1-5 years; n=39) micro gm/dl.

CONCLUSION
We recommend using separate T4 and TSH reference values for children in different age groups. Further large-scale studies should be done in Pakistan to establish these reference values within age groups. A national center for neonatal thyroid screening is highly recommended.


OF THESIS AUTOMATED BODY CONDITION SCORING: PROGRESSION ACROSS LACTATION AND ITS ASSOCIATION WITH DISEASE AND REPRODUCTION IN DAIRY CATTLE Body condition scoring is a technique used to noninvasively assess fat reserves. It provides an objective estimate to describe the current and past nutritional status of the dairy cow and has been associated with increased disease risk and breeding success. Traditionally body condition scores are taken manually by visual appraisal on a 1 to 5 scale, in one-quarter increments. However, recent studies have shown the potential of automating the body condition scoring of cows using images. The first objective was to estimate the likelihood of disease development and breeding success, using odds ratios, associated with body condition score scored automatically at various points in lactation. The second objective of our research was to use a commercially available automated body condition scoring camera system to monitor body condition across the lactation period to evaluate differences between stratified parameters and to develop an equation to predict the dynamics of the body condition score. We found that poor body condition score at different times during the transition period are associated with increased disease occurrence and lower reproductive success. Automated body condition scoring (ABCS) curve during lactation was influenced by many factors, such as parity, ABCS at time of calving, disease occurrence, and milk production.


PART ONE 1. Agricultural subsidies have been defined as a government induced change of relative prices of goods, services and factors of production in the agricultural sector. These agricultural price changes may result from a large number of different government measures varying from direct cash transfers to government trade policy. Workable definitions have been derived by a further classification into specific categories of agricultural subsidies. 2. Agricultural subsidies have been considered to be economically justified when under a system of laissez-faire public welfare decreases. They have been defended on three grounds, viz. the existence of domestic distortions, price instability, and the infant-industry argument. 3. Domestic distortions like monopoly power, pollution and other externalities, can theoretically be overcome by a subsidy policy in the direction opposite to the distortion. 4. Large price fluctuations of basic foodstuffs have a detrimental impact on the economy. Conversely, minor price variations are needed for profit maximization and for attuning supply to demand. The principal problem in designing an appropriate agricultural price policy is how to prevent large price fluctuations without undercutting the function of price as a market signal. 5. The infant-industry argument can not be adequately defended on theoretical grounds as developed by Mill, Bastable, Kemp and Meade. In accordance with modern equilibrium theory, protection has to be based on the existence of dynamic internal economics, i.e. the net positive diffuse impact on welfare stemming from the learning process of the industry under protection. 6. Subsidies do not only have the desired effects. Suboptimal behaviour by subsidized agents often leads to welfare losses. Also, welfare in non-subsidized sectors may decline because of a reallocation of resources towards the subsidized sectors. 7. In theory, the distorting and inter-sectoral impact of agricultural subsidies can best be ascertained by the use of macro-economic models. Total impact analysis, however, has not been very succesful so far, mainly because of the data required. 8. The estimation of welfare effects of agricultural subsidy programs, notably for developing countries, has mostly been based on partial equilibrium analysis. The estimation of elasticities and changes in economic surplus is of great analytical value, because it provides answers to ex-ante questions about who will benefit most from the subsidy, and how cost-effective the subsidy will be in raising farm output. 9. The inaccuracy in approximating welfare changes by changes in economic surplus is an increasing function of the proportion of individual income spent/earned with respect to the commodity or group of commodities in question, the magnitude of the (induced) price change, the interdependency of the goods that are added up in the surplus measure, and the proportion of the value of the commodities concerned as compared to total GNP. 10. Direct farm income subsidies are more geared to relieving the symptoms rather than the basic causes of income inequity. If, however, the major political objective is to guarantee farmers' incomes, direct farm income subsidies seem to be most appropriate since such a policy is less distorting and much cheaper than a policy that guarantees income by direct farm input or direct farm output subsidies. 11. Direct farm output subsidies, studied within a partial equilibrium framework, are either indirect money transfers (i.e. taxes) from consumers to farmers without additional welfare losses to consumers, or direct money transfers from consumers to farmers or government with additional welfare losses to consumers. 12. Generally, it will be uncertain whether farmers will benefit from farm output price stabilization, whereas it is probably true in most cases that consumers will suffer a welfare loss from such a policy (provided we are not dealing with major price fluctuations of basic foodstuffs). 13. It has been suggested that the establishment of active sales agencies and a thorough analysis of markets in developed countries by experts from developing countries may form a better means of boosting farm exports than the imposition of farm export subsidies. 14. When direct farm input subsidies are not accompanied by improved farm technology, the resulting shift in farm output supply will be nothing but parallel and likely to occur at net social cost. 15. Farm input utilization is determined by a large number of different factors affecting the farm input demand and supply side, whereas a farm input subsidy only affects a few of these factors, and to some degree in an unpredictable way. PART TWO 16. The empirical estimation of welfare effects of agricultural subsidies is extremely difficult when a large number of subsidy programs is being implemented at the same time. Hence, an optimal determination of the subsidy mix in terms of cost- effectiveness in meeting the objectives is feasible only when the total number of support measures is limited. Another reason for starting on a small scale with agricultural subsidy programs is that most new subsidy programs suffer from administrative problems in their initial stages. These infant disease costs can be minimized by allowing subsidy programs to benefit as much as possible from the experience gained in earlier subsidy programs. 17. The determination of the optimal subsidy mix in a dynamic context requires adequate subsidy statistics. Therefore, it is advisable to allocate part of the subsidy udget to the collection and organisation of subsidy statistics. 18. The empirical study of farm labour distortions in Trinidad and Tobago has shown how a distinction between distorted and undistorted farm production could be made with the help of estimated production functions. 19. It has been argued that agricultural subsidy programs can be succesful only if farmers are maximizing their profits and hence respond logically to induced changes in relative prices. A practical method to test price-responsiveness, with the help of cross-section data only, is the normalized restricted profit function (NRPF) approach. 20. A serious limitation to the NRPF-approach is that this method cannot be applied when agricultural prices are fixed. It must be noted that if farm prices are fixed, an optimal response to subsidies is doubtful anyway. 21. Elasticities indirectly derived from the NRPF are more reliable than those that are directly obtained from single-equation production functions. Nevertheless, the signs and relative magnitudes of the various elasticities of either approach may match. 22. The empirical analysis shows that farm input subsidies had no impact on input utilization of crop farmers. Apart from monopoly power in farm input supply, four fundamental administrative defects causing this program failure were identified. 23. In the ex-ante analysis of a fertilizer subsidy it was estimated that the shadow price of saving foreign exchange by subsidizing locally produced fertilizer only, would have been relatively high. 24. The computed analysis of production value into a price and a volume component concerning temporary crops, has provided support for a price stabilization program beneficial to farmers. 25. The concept of guaranteed threshold prices has been introduced in the ex-ante analysis of farm output subsidies. A sensitivity analysis within a partial equilibrium framework has been employed to determine the relative cost-effectiveness of different anti-distortive guaranteed threshold price programs.


A 6-year-old, castrated male, Labrador Retriever dog presented to the referring veterinarian for acute onset of lethargy. Clinical examination revealed hyperesthesia of the face and blindness in the right eye. The animal died in the hospital and was submitted for postmortem examination. At postmortem examination, a dark red mass (2.0 cm x 1.8 cm x 1.6 cm) had infiltrated the right frontal lobe of the cerebrum. Microscopically, the tumor was composed of small caliber vascular channels lined by neoplastic endothelial cells. Immunohistochemical staining revealed widespread expression of CD31 and the absence of pan-cytokeratin expression in neoplastic cells. The diagnosis of primary cerebral hemangiosarcoma was made. The brain is a rare primary site for hemangiosarcoma in the dog.


BACKGROUND
Oral contraceptive (OC) use is associated with a reduced risk of developing ovarian cancer, but the mechanism for the risk reduction has not been well defined. In this study, we investigate the relationship between the progestin and estrogen potency in combination OCs and the risk of developing ovarian cancer.

METHODS
The study included 390 case subjects with epithelial ovarian cancer and 2865 control subjects, between 20 and 54 years of age, identified from the Cancer and Steroid Hormone Study. Logistic regression was used to calculate odds ratios (ORs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) for the associations between ovarian cancer risk and combination OC formulations while controlling for potential confounders. All statistical tests were two-sided.

RESULTS
With users of high-progestin/high-estrogen potency OC as the referent group, users of low-progestin/high-estrogen potency formulations (adjusted OR = 2.1; 95% CI = 1.2 to 3.7) and low-progestin/low-estrogen potency formulations (adjusted OR = 1.6; 95% CI = 0.9 to 3.0) had a higher risk of ovarian cancer than users of high-progestin/high-estrogen potency formulation. Low-progestin potency OC formulations were associated with a statistically significant higher risk than high-progestin potency formulations (adjusted OR = 2.2; 95% CI = 1.3 to 3.9). This association was seen even among users of short duration.

CONCLUSION
The combination OC formulations with high-progestin potency appear to be associated with a greater reduction in ovarian cancer risk than those with low-progestin potency. Mechanisms underlying this reduction may include inhibition of ovulation and/or some direct biologic effects of the progestin.


Irradiation from diverse sources is ubiquitous and closely associated with human activities. Radiation therapy (RT), an important component of multiple radiation origins, is a common therapeutic modality for cancer. More importantly, RT provides significant contribution to oncotherapy by killing tumor cells. However, during the course of therapy, irradiation of normal tissues can result in a wide range of side effects, including self-limited acute toxicities, mild chronic symptoms, or severe organ dysfunction. Although numerous promising radioprotective agents have emerged, only a few have successfully entered the market because of various limitations. At present, the widely accepted hypothesis for protection against radiation-caused injury involves the Wnt canonical pathway. Activating the Wnt/β-catenin signaling pathway may protect the salivary gland, oral mucosa, and gastrointestinal epithelium from radiation damage. The underlying mechanisms include inhibiting apoptosis and preserving normal tissue functions. However, aberrant Wnt signaling underlies a wide range of pathologies in humans, and its various components contribute to cancer. Moreover, studies have suggested that Wnt/β-catenin signaling may lead to radioresistance of cancer stem cell. These facts markedly complicate any definition of the exact function of the Wnt pathway.


The use of financial models leads to model risk. Some of that risk comes from places in the "model ecosystem" other than the individual model itself. This article points out a few of those extra sources of model risk. Because financial models are always used as part of some financial business, even when each model has been validated successfully, there remain model risks coming from interactions with other parts of the business environment. The article discusses ecosystem risk, governance risk, data source risk, data integrity risk, new version risk, suitability risk, jurisdictional regulatory risk, assumption and override risk, multiple version risk, calibration risk, and model/nonmodel classification risk, with examples of each.


Estimating the probability of failures or accidents with aerospace systems is often necessary when new concepts or designs are introduced, as it is being done for Autonomous Aircraft. If the design is safe, as it is supposed to be, accident cases are very rare. This feature requires some variance reduction technique in the probability estimation and several algorithms exist for that, however some specific model features may cause difficulties in practice, such as the case of system models where independent agents have to autonomously accomplish missions within finite time, and likely with the presence of human agents. For handling these scenarios, this paper presents a novel estimation approach, based on the combination of the well-established variation reduction technique of Interacting Particles System (IPS) with the long-standing optimization algorithm denominated DIviding RECTangles (DIRECT). When combined, these two techniques yield statistically significant results for extremely low probabilities. In addition, this novel approach allows the identification of intermediate events and simplifies the evaluation of sensitivity of the estimated probabilities to certain system parameters.


The common, key tricyclic core of stemona alkaloids parvistemonine (1) and parvistemoline (2), whose synthetic efforts have not reported yet, was constructed through a new strategy in which three contiguous stereogenic centers were set by using Carreira's asymmetric Ir/amine-catalyzed allylation of aldehyde with α-vinylfurfuryl alcohol and Ellman's sulfinamide chiral auxiliary, respectively. The furan ring was especially designed to act as the precursor of the butyrolactone while establishing the significant chirality.


The apparent discrepancy between many previous measurements of polarization and the theoretical predictions at threshold is discussed briefly. The problems of measurement are outlined and a data-logging system which enables long integration times to be combined with a rapid coverage of a suitable range of electron energy is described. The results of the experiment show that light from the 41D–21P, 31P–21S and 33P–23S transitions is polarized to an extent compatible with the theoretical threshold predictions, but that the polarization falls rapidly above threshold. The polarization is found to remain finite as the electron energy is reduced. Light from the 43S–23P transition is unpolarized at all energies.


Alzheimer's disease (AD) is a neurodegenerative disease pathologically characterized by amyloid plaques and neurofibrillary tangles in the brain. Before these hallmark features appear, signs of axonal transport defects develop, though the initiating events are not clear. Enhanced amyloidogenic processing of amyloid precursor protein (APP) plays an integral role in AD pathogenesis, and previous work suggests that both the Aβ region and the C-terminal fragments (CTFs) of APP can cause transport defects. However, it remains unknown if APP processing affects the axonal transport of APP itself, and whether increased APP processing is sufficient to promote axonal dystrophy. We tested the hypothesis that β-secretase cleavage site mutations of APP alter APP axonal transport directly. We found that the enhanced β-secretase cleavage reduces the anterograde axonal transport of APP, while inhibited β-cleavage stimulates APP anterograde axonal transport. Transport behavior of APP after treatment with β- or γ-secretase inhibitors suggests that the amount of β-secretase cleaved CTFs (βCTFs) of APP underlies these transport differences. Consistent with these findings, βCTFs have reduced anterograde axonal transport compared with full-length, wild-type APP. Finally, a gene-targeted mouse with familial AD (FAD) Swedish mutations to APP, which enhance the β-cleavage of APP, develops axonal dystrophy in the absence of mutant protein overexpression, amyloid plaque deposition and synaptic degradation. These results suggest that the enhanced β-secretase processing of APP can directly impair the anterograde axonal transport of APP and are sufficient to lead to axonal defects in vivo.


The above paper describes briefly calculations required in the parallel wire system used by the Bureau of Standards for radio frequency standardization. Formulas involving a correction term are given by means of which the standard frequency can be calculated from the distance between two consecutive maximum settings along the parallel wire system. A numerical example is added, showing the magnitude of the correction term.


In Santa Fe, the central-east area of Argentina, the expansion of fruit tree crops requires the introduction and evaluation of low chilling varieties. The aims of this study was to characterize the phenological behaviour and the reproductive traits of peach (Prunus persica L. Batsch) and nectarine varieties with chilling requirements ranging from 150 to 650 chilling hours (CH). Low chilling varieties ( 500 CH). The phenology of high chilling requirement varieties had the advantage that blooming and fruit set happened after the period of late frost occurrence. However, they did not satisfy their chilling requirement, showing an inadequate vegetative and reproductive behaviour. Low chilling varieties began to sprout during July, and the period of full bloom occurred from July 14th to August 4th. Fruit harvest was initiated on October 19th with the cv. 'Flordastar' and it extended for 58 days. However, on low chilling varieties the harvest time was reduced in ten days. Flower density, fruit set and fruit yield showed a negative relationship with the chilling requirement of the variety.


Background: Colorectal cancer is the second most common cause of death and illness in developed countries. Previous reviews have suggested that obesity may be associated with 30% to 60% greater risk of colorectal cancer, but little consideration was given to the possible effect of publication bias on the reported association. Methods: Relevant studies were identified through EMBASE and MEDLINE. Studies were included if they had published quantitative estimates of the association between general obesity [defined here as body mass index (BMI) ≥30 kg/m2] and central obesity (measured using waist circumference) and colorectal cancer. Random-effects meta-analyses were done, involving 70,000 cases of incident colorectal cancer from 31 studies, of which 23 were cohort studies and 8 were case-control studies. Results: After pooling and correcting for publication bias, the estimated relative risk of colorectal cancer was 1.19 [95% confidence interval (95% CI), 1.11-1.29], comparing obese (BMI ≥30 kg/m2) with normal weight (BMI <25 kg/m2) people; and 1.45 (95% CI, 1.31-1.61), comparing those with the highest, to the lowest, level of central obesity. After correcting for publication bias, the risk of colorectal cancer was 1.41 (95% CI, 1.30-1.54) in men compared with 1.08 (95% CI, 0.98-1.18) for women (Pheterogeneity <0.001). There was evidence of a dose-response relationship between BMI and colorectal cancer: for a 2 kg/m2 increase in BMI, the risk of colorectal cancer increased by 7% (4-10%). For a 2-cm increase in waist circumference, the risk increased by 4% (2-5%). Conclusions: Obesity has a direct and independent relationship with colorectal cancer, although the strength of the association with general obesity is smaller than previously reported. (Cancer Epidemiol Biomarkers Prev 2007;16(12):2533–47)


Phobias are exaggerated fears of objects or specific situations which are often unreasonable andnot based on reality. Phobia is a disorder characterized by persistent fear and irrational to a particular object or situation. This study examines pairs of mothers and children who experience phobic disorders. Thing that makes this case so interesting is phobic about the cause of the formation of a phobia in children and mothers. There are several factors that cause a person is suffering from a phobia. Do children learn in the mother who had already suffered from a phobia
of cats, or indeed the child has experienced a traumatic incident with a cat that caused her phobia of cats experience or is there other factors that cause children to suffer phobias. So how did the mother get her phobias. Therefore, researchers are interested in knowing some more about how the history of the formation of cat phobia in the mother and child.
Researchers used qualitative research method of case studies. The subject of this research are about four people or two pairs of mothers and children. While analyzing the case with the method used is descriptive analysis. Researchers use data collection methods such as interviews,
observation and self report. Validity of the method used was triangulation of data sources and triangulation theory.
Based on research results indicate that the formation process has a phobia of cats on the subject of several similar pattern, for subjects to develop irrational belief that causes the subject to believe that cats are very dangerous, there is a conditioned response by parents, such as shouts, warnings, threats and intimidated to avoid cats, modeling of mothers who also experienced a phobia of cats as well as negative reinforcement in the form of protection in helping the subjects to get rid of cats when it was near the subject. Consequently phobia experienced by four subjects up to now tended to settle. While the difference is the subject of a child is preceded by the traumatic experience that made the subject of fear in cats.


Starting from very simple and obviously necessary axioms on a (derivator enhanced) four-functor-formalism, we construct derivator six-functor-formalisms using compactifications. This works, for example, for various contexts over topological spaces and algebraic schemes alike. The formalism of derivator six-functor-formalisms not only encodes all isomorphisms between compositions of the six functors (and their compatibilities) but also the interplay with pullbacks along diagrams and homotopy Kan extensions. One could say: a nine-functor-formalism. Such a formalism allows to extend six-functor-formalisms to stacks using (co)homological descent. The input datum can, for example, be obtained from a fibration of monoidal model categories.


The superconducting transitions of the highly anisotropic metals TaSe/sub 3/ and NbSe/sub 3/ were investigated using SQUID magnetometers. The observed diamagnetic susceptibility showed similar unusual field and temperature dependences for both materials. In particular, the susceptibility of the samples in low fields increased greatly at temperatures far below the transition temperature of the material (as indicated by the onset of temperature dependent diamagnetism and the upper limit of flux trapping). The measurements suggest the presence of a second transition at low tempeatures where small superconducting regions of the sample become coupled throughout larger volumes.


Because combustion in direct injection engines is strongly influenced by the details of the fuel spray in thes engines, the authors have begun a broad research effort of jet breakup experiments and modelling of these high pressure sprays. The main objective of this effort is to better understand fuel injection from the study of the spray-jet breakup process and the associated fuel-oxidant mixing. The focus of this paper is the development of specific models for atomization of the spray-jet. These models are then compared to each other and to preliminary data from the spray-jet breakup experiments. Initial results indicate that KIVA with this proposed spray model shows good agreement with low pressure data (69 MPa) but underestimates spray penetration for higher pressures (104 MPa).


Gastric outlet obstruction is one of the most common clinical presentations of carcinoma of the stomach, especially in South-West Asia. Although gross gastric dilatation is common in benign obstruction of the pylorus due to peptic ulcer disease, a hugely dilated and distended stomach can be a very rare presentation in a patient with malignancy. A 65-year-old female patient presented with recurrent episodes of vomiting immediately after food, ball-rolling movements in the abdomen, and loss of appetite and significant weight loss in the past 1 month. Upper gastrointestinal endoscopy revealed a dilated stomach and an ulceroproliferative growth in the antropyloric region. A biopsy of the growth revealed moderately differentiated adenocarcinoma of the stomach. Contrast-enhanced computed tomography of the abdomen and pelvis showed proliferative growth at antrum and the hugely dilated stomach reaching up to the pelvis. The patient underwent exploratory laparotomy. Intraoperative findings were that of a dilated and thickened stomach with growth at the antropyloric region of the stomach. Metastatic omental deposits were also seen, and thus, palliative gastrojejunostomy was carried out. This case is being reported to highlight that occasionally malignant gastric outlet obstruction may lead to a massive dilatation of the stomach.


Using the informative view of advertising as their theoretical lens, the authors propose that advertising provides information to investors in financial markets, analogous to its role for customers in product markets. The authors extend previous marketing–finance research, which has focused on how advertising affects firms' risk and returns, and investigate a novel outcome variable, stock price synchronicity. Consistent with their proposed theory, the authors find that firms that advertise more relative to competitors have lower stock price synchronicity, implying that these firms' stock price movements are driven more by information that is specific to the firm rather than general industry- and market-wide trends. The effect of advertising investments on stock price synchronicity is moderated by the information demand versus supply about firms in financial markets given firms' product characteristics and ownership structure, and the likelihood of spillover effects between product and financial markets given firms' marketing strategies. The authors illustrate the relevance of their findings for marketing managers through an event study in which they demonstrate that firms with high stock price synchronicity are "tarred with the same brush" and experience negative abnormal returns when competitors have a product recall, whereas firms with low stock price synchronicity are not affected.


Abstract We present an overview of the Middle Ages Galaxy Properties with Integral Field Spectroscopy (MAGPI) survey, a Large Program on the European Southern Observatory Very Large Telescope. MAGPI is designed to study the physical drivers of galaxy transformation at a lookback time of 3–4 Gyr, during which the dynamical, morphological, and chemical properties of galaxies are predicted to evolve significantly. The survey uses new medium-deep adaptive optics aided Multi-Unit Spectroscopic Explorer (MUSE) observations of fields selected from the Galaxy and Mass Assembly (GAMA) survey, providing a wealth of publicly available ancillary multi-wavelength data. With these data, MAGPI will map the kinematic and chemical properties of stars and ionised gas for a sample of 60 massive (
${>}7 \times 10^{10} {\mathrm{M}}_\odot$
 ) central galaxies at
$0.25 < z <0.35$
 in a representative range of environments (isolated, groups and clusters). The spatial resolution delivered by MUSE with Ground Layer Adaptive Optics (
$0.6-0.8$
 arcsec FWHM) will facilitate a direct comparison with Integral Field Spectroscopy surveys of the nearby Universe, such as SAMI and MaNGA, and at higher redshifts using adaptive optics, for example, SINS. In addition to the primary (central) galaxy sample, MAGPI will deliver resolved and unresolved spectra for as many as 150 satellite galaxies at
$0.25 < z <0.35$
 , as well as hundreds of emission-line sources at
$z < 6$
 . This paper outlines the science goals, survey design, and observing strategy of MAGPI. We also present a first look at the MAGPI data, and the theoretical framework to which MAGPI data will be compared using the current generation of cosmological hydrodynamical simulations including EAGLE, Magneticum, HORIZON-AGN, and Illustris-TNG. Our results show that cosmological hydrodynamical simulations make discrepant predictions in the spatially resolved properties of galaxies at
$z\approx 0.3$
 . MAGPI observations will place new constraints and allow for tangible improvements in galaxy formation theory.


In this paper we address the ethics of adopting delusional beliefs and we apply consequentialist and deontological considerations to the epistemic evaluation of delusions. Delusions are characterised by their epistemic shortcomings and they are often defined as false and irrational beliefs. Despite this, when agents are overwhelmed by negative emotions due to the effects of trauma or previous adversities, or when they are subject to anxiety and stress as a result of hypersalient experience, the adoption of a delusional belief can prevent a serious epistemic harm from occurring. For instance, delusions can allow agents to remain in touch with their environment overcoming the disruptive effect of negative emotions and anxiety. Moreover, agents are not blameworthy for adopting their delusions if their ability to believe otherwise is compromised. There is evidence suggesting that no evidence-related action that would counterfactually lead them to believe otherwise is typically available to them. The lack of ability to believe otherwise, together with some other conditions, implies that the agents are not blameworthy for their delusions. The examination of the epistemic status of delusions prompts us to (1) acknowledge the complexity and contextual nature of epistemic evaluation, (2) establish connections between consequentialist and deontological frameworks in epistemology, and (3) introduce the notion of epistemic innocence into the vocabulary of epistemic evaluation.


Previous research on zakat has shown findings that suggest a positive relation of zakat on the welfare of mustahiq. However, it can be deduced that there is no specific research about the relationship of zakat and an integrated welfare indicator such as a human development index. This chapter looks to contribute to this research area by examining survey data from the beneficiaries of productive-based zakat and non-zakat that have received funding from zakat institutions in the region of the capital city of Indonesia, Jakarta, and secondary data primarily from the World Health Organization and Badan Pusat Statistik (Indonesia Statistical Office). A regression analysis is performed to see whether productive-based zakat has an effect on the Human Development Index (HDI) and its components. This data analysis method shows that HDI can be disaggregated into household level, which can further be utilized to evaluate welfare across the household level of mustahiq and can be expanded so that it is not restricted to only mustahiqs as the object of measurement.


Wang J., Shi L., Zhu L., Li X., Liu D. (2014): Genetic analysis and molecular mapping of leaf rust resistance genes in the wheat line 5R618. Czech J. Genet. Plant Breed., 50: 262–267. The wheat (Triticum aestivum L.) line 5R618, bred at the China Agricultural University, is resistant in the seedling stage to the majority of the current Chinese pathotypes of wheat leaf rust (Puccinia triticina). To identify and map the leaf rust resistance gene in the 5R618 line, F2 plants and F2:3 families from a cross between 5R618 and Zhengzhou5389 (susceptible) were inoculated in the greenhouse with the Chinese P. triticina pathotype THJP. Results from the F2 and F2:3 populations indicate that a single dominant gene, temporarily designated  Lr5R, conferred resistance. Using the molecular marker method, Lr5R was located on the 3DL chromosome. It was closely linked to the markers Xbarc71 and OPJ-09 with genetic distances of 0.9 cM and 1.0 cM, respectively. At present only one designated gene (Lr24) is located on the 3DL chromosome. The genetic distance between Lr5R and Lr24 confirms that Lr5R is a new leaf rust resistance gene.


This paper describes an apparatus for forming an angled convex surface at the ferrule endface by polishing the ferrule endface utilizing an elastic polishing plate performing orbital and rotational motion. When the diameter of the ferrule tip was greater than approximately 0.4 mm and when the Shore hardness of the elastic plate was approximately softer than 95, the formed convex radius on the ferrule endface was found to be an unique function of both the deformed depth of the elastic polishing plate and the diameter of the ferrule tip. The backreflection of the light beam from the polished optical fiber endface was as low as less than -64 dB for all tested samples when singlemode optical fibers were polished at a slanted angle of 8 degrees.


The taxonomic status of psychopathy is controversial. Whereas some studies have found evidence that psychopathy, at least its antisocial component, is distributed as a taxon, others have found that both major components of psychopathy-callousness/unemotionality and impulsivity/antisocial behavior-appear to distribute as dimensions and show little evidence of taxonicity. In the present study, recent advances in taxometric analysis were added to P. Meehl's (1995) multiple consistency tests strategy for assessing taxonicity, and they were applied to Psychopathy Checklist-Revised (R. D. Hare, 2003) ratings of 4,865 offenders sampled from multiple forensic settings. The results indicated that both the individual components of psychopathy and their interface are distributed dimensionally. Both the implications of these results for research in psychopathy and the integration of these findings with previous taxometric studies of psychopathy are discussed.


The orexins/hypocretins are novel neuropeptides synthesized by neurons whose cell bodies are located in the lateral hypothalamus. Although these neurons are few in number, they send projections widely throughout the central nervous system (Kilduff & Peyron, 2000). There has been great excitement about the orexins/hypocretins from both the scientific and medical community. These peptides are remarkable in that they were discovered using state-of-the-art molecular techniques before their physiological actions were studied. Furthermore, there has been an exponential progress in our scientific knowledge of these peptides culminating in the orexins/hypocretins being linked to the sleep disorder, narcolepsy. With the importance of the orexins/hypocretins in sleep and arousal being increasingly recognized, it is likely that these peptides are altered by or contribute to several medical and psychiatric disorders.


Abstract Clonal differences in the number of male and female strobili were determined for five consecutive years in a clonal seed orchard of Pinus thunbergii in Korea. The effects of relatedness and clonal differences in reproductive development on gene diversity of seed (in terms of accumulated relatedness by status number) were estimated. While clonal differences were found, fertility variation was not large through all studied years. The orchard clones were divided into different regions and locations based on the geographical distribution and distance of natural stands that plus trees were selected from. Assuming that there was no relatedness among regions, locations and clones, the status number (Ns) was varied from 47.6 to 55.5 for five successive years. On average (pooling), Ns was 92% of census number (N). Assumed relatedness among regions, locations and/or clones decreased the status number. Effect of parental selection on relatedness and orchard management was also discussed.


The present study was conducted to develop a rapid and accurate method of evaluating chemical composition of total mixed ration (TMR) for dairy cows using near infrared reflectance spectroscopy (NIRS). A total of 253 TMR samples were collected from TMR manufacturers and dairy farms in Korea. Prior to NIR analysis, TMR samples were dried at for 48 hour and then ground to 2 mm size. The samples were scanned at 2 nm interval over the wavelength range of 400-2500 nm on a FOSS-NIR Systems Model 6500. The values obtained by NIR analysis and conventional chemical methods were compared. Generally, the relationship between chemical analysis and NIR analysis was linear: and standard error of calibration (SEC) were 0.701 (SEC 0.407), 0.965 (SEC 0.315), 0.796 (SEC 0.406), 0.889 (SEC 0.987), 0.894 (SEC 0.311), 0.933 (SEC 0.885) and 0.889 (SEC 1.490) for moisture, crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, crude ash, acid detergent fiber (ADF) and neutral detergent fiber (NDF), respectively. In addition, the standard error of prediction (SEP) value was 0.371, 0.290, 0.321, 0.380, 0.960, 0.859 and 1.446 for moisture, crude protein, ether extract, crude fiber, crude ash, ADF and NDF, respectively. The results of the present study showed that the NIR analysis for unknown TMR samples would be relatively accurate. Use of the developed NIR calibration curve can obtain fast and reliable data on chemical composition of TMR. Collection and analysis of more TMR samples will increase accuracy and precision of NIR analysis to TMR.


OBJECTIVE
To determine predictive factors for residual disease in uterine cervix after large loop excision of the transformation zone (LLETZ) in patients with cervical intraepithelial neoplasia III (CIN III).

MATERIAL AND METHOD
Medical records of patients who underwent LLETZ with CIN III between September 1, 1992 and December 31, 2001 in Ramathibodi Hospital were reviewed. Demographic data, colposcopic findings, and pathologic parameters were analyzed to identify the predictive factors for residual disease in uterine cervix.

RESULTS
The total of 541 cases were enrolled in this study. Managements after LLETZ are 1) repeated LLETZ, 2) hysterectomy, and 3) Papanicolaou smear. Residual disease was detected in a total of 156 patients (28.84%), there were 21 cases of CIN I (13.46%), 22 cases of CIN II (14.10%), 107 cases of CIN III (68.59%), and 6 (3.85%) cases of microinvasive squamous cell carcinoma of cervix. 1) Age > or = 50 years old was significant factor associated with residual disease. The incidence of residual disease was 50.00%. 2) Unsatisfactory colposcopy was significant factor associated with residual disease with 38.44% incidence of residual disease. 3) Margins involvement of LLETZ specimen was the only pathological predictive factor identified. The incidence of residual disease with clear margin, endocervical margin, ectocervical margin, and both margins involvement were 14.74, 52.63, 57.14, and 74.19% respectively. Other parameters, including gravidity, parity, menopausal status, cervical gland involvement, and number of quadrants involvement were not predictive of residual disease.

CONCLUSION
1) Age > or = 50 years old, 2) unsatisfactory colposcopy, and 3) margins involvement of LLETZ specimens were the predictive factors for residual disease in uterine cervix.


In light of the world's lack of resources and the weather changes caused by man's misuse and exploitation of his environment and the impact of our current lifestyles on the environment lead us to depletion of the natural resources of the earth. The way to deal with this situation is either to preserve natural resources or to simulate this nature which is inherently sustainable by taking nature as a model and scale. The process of mimicking nature, simulated, or biologically inspired designs as a tool and strategy for sustainability involves finding solutions to design problems by simulating the natural world. The nature of the systems, materials, processes, and structures, which have long been the ideal means and writers whose ideas are inexhaustible to inspire the solutions to the needs of successive generations and problems of design through the times To sustainable sustainability in a way that addresses design challenges more sustainably and more effectively. It is also an indicator of nature's work systems and thus a productive and inspirational tool to re-visualize the built-up world.
  Hence, Nature can be inspired most as the experience of it is more than 3.8 billion years in the evolution process, so the idea can be taken and used to change the whole idea. In bio-mimicry itself, it is to develop an evolutionary process to enhance life, by creating new technology for mankind.  The basic idea is to make a combination between technology and engineering by helping humanity to treat nature in better harmony, so that the entire world user can create better products by developing greener and more sustainable technologies, without harming nature.


The noctuid moth Spodoptera littoralis (Boisduval) is an important pest of many cultivated plants worldwide and five different geographical Nucleopolyhedrovirus (NPV) strains of this pest have been isolated to date. Two of these, a plaque-purified variant of the S. littoralis NPV from Morocco (SpliNPV-M2) and a SpliNPV isolated from field-infected S. littoralis larvae found in Turkey (SpliNPV-TR1), were compared biologically in terms of infectiveness (median lethal dose, LD50) for third instars and in terms of virulence (median lethal time, LT50) for neonates and third-instar S. littoralis larvae. The LD50 values of SpliNPV-TR1 and SpliNPV-M2 were 20.73 and 185.21 occlusion bodies (OBs)/larva, respectively, with non-overlapping confidence limits indicating they were significantly different. Thus, SpliNPV-M2 was found to be significantly less infective (about nine times higher LD50) than SpliNPV-TR1. The LT50 values of neonates for SpliNPV-M2 and SpliNPV-TR1 were 37 and 43.9 h at a concentration of 10(6) OBs ml(-1), respectively. For these same isolates, the LT50 values at a concentration of 3 x 10(6) OBs ml(-1) were calculated as 35.6 and 41.7 h, respectively. The LT(50) values of third instars for SpliNPV-M2 and SpliNPV-TR1 were 147.4 and 160.5 h, respectively, at a dose of 3000 OBs/larva and 145.4 and 152.4 h, respectively, for the same isolates at a dose of 20,000 OBs/larva. On the other hand, Helicoverpa armigera (Hübner) and Agrotis ipsilon (Hufnagel) revealed a lack of lethality of the SpliNPV-TR1 isolate.


Migraine is a common complex neurological disorder with a well‐known but poorly characterized genetic liability. The search for migraine susceptibility genes has been the focus of intense research. It is now believed that common migraine is not a single gene disorder, but attributable to several potentially interacting genetic variants. These variants may differ in each sufferer and interact with environmental factors to set the individual migraine threshold. This genetic liability may play an important role in the clinical heterogeneity seen in migraine and also in the variability of treatment response. This review will look at genetic loci implicated in migraine to date and consider their current or prospective role in migraine therapy. To elucidate the complex nature of migraine genetic liability, approaches that consider detailed endophenotypic profiles that encompass treatment response may provide much more relevant information than simple end diagnosis. Drug Dev Res 68:282–293, 2007. © 2007 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


We demonstrate the migration of small water droplets from the side wall of a micropillar onto its top surface during dropwise condensation without application of an external force. The observed droplet migration occurs due to the difference in wettability between the hydrophobic sides and hydrophilic top surfaces of the micropillars imposed by a novel fabrication process. The movement of condensate from the pillars' side walls onto their tops is suggested as a method for shifting condensate from a Wenzel to a Cassie-Baxter state to promote droplet detachment. In this communication, we also emphasize the use of combined surface texturing and wettability patterning to prompt the migration of condensate on pillars for the effective design of surfaces for high condensation heat transfer performance.


Paraconsistent mathematics, also called Inconsistent Mathematics, is considered as the study of common mathematical objects, such as sets, numbers and functions, where some contradictions are allowed. Within certain conditions, Paraconsistent logic (PL), which is a non-classical Logic, presents as main property tolerance contradiction in its fundamentals without that the conclusions are invalidated. The PL in its structural form, which uses two annotation values-PAL2v, can be used to substantiate a Differential Calculus with Paraconsistent derivative of first and second order. We introduce here the Paraconsistent Partial Differential Equation (PPDE) aligned with processes of numerical methods for an example application in analysis with Explicit solution of temperature distribution in one-dimensional way. To obtain the results was used an analogy of application of PPDE with the law of heat conduction of Fourier, considering the same mathematical procedures of finite differences.


In this letter, a simple switchable multiwavelength erbium-doped fiber laser is proposed and demonstrated. The wavelengths are determined by a multimode fiber Bragg grating which has a wavelength separation of 0.8 nm. Five-wavelength operation at room temperature can be achieved by employing a highly nonlinear photonic crystal fiber to induce four-wave mixing effect. The proposed laser can operate either in a stable five-wavelength mode or wavelength switching modes by varying the states of polarizations of the laser cavity.


The meaning of "ethos" comes from Greek (ethos) which means character or character. Overall, the notion of ethos includes characteristics and attitudes, habits and beliefs, and so on, which are specific about an individual or group of people. From the words "ethos" will appear the words "ethics" and "ethical" which refer to the meaning of "morality / behavior" or are "morality", namely the essential quality of a person or a group, including a group of nations. It is also said that "ethos" means the distinctive soul of a group of people, which from that distinctive soul will develop the nation's view of good and bad, that is, its ethics. Ahmad Janan Asifudin, citing In the Hand Book of Term Psycology stated that ethos is interpreted as a distinctive view of a social group, a value system that lies behind the customs and procedures of a community. Whereas, Taufiq Abdullah defines it as an evaluative aspect which is a self-assessment of work originating from self-identity which is a sacred value that is the religious spiritual reality that he believes. Whereas the difference between ethos and ethics. The term ethics, theoretically can be divided into two senses. First, ethics comes from the Greek word ethos which means custom (character). In this sense, ethics is related to good life habits, both in oneself and in a society or community group that is passed on from one person to another or from one generation to another. The definition of work, as in the Big Dictionary of Indonesian Language is interpreted as an activity of doing something. El-Qussy as quoted by Ahmad Janan Asifuddin argues that human activities or actions are of two types. First, actions that are related to mental activities, and both actions are done accidentally. The first type has a characteristic of interest, namely to achieve the purpose or realize certain goals. While the second type is a random movement as seen in small baby movements that appear irregular, reflection movements and other movements that occur without the will of the will or thought process. Tata tasmara in his work ethic of a Muslim has an ethos formulation as follows In the form of axioms, Toto summarizes them in the form of a formula: KHI = T, US (M, A, R, A), KHI = Islamic Quality of Life, T = Tawhid, US = Charity piety, M = Motivation, A = Direction of Goals (Aim and Goal / Objectives), R = Taste and Ratio (Thinking and Recitation), A = Action, Actualization.


Survival models are used in various fields, such as the development of cancer treatment protocols. Although many statistical and machine learning models have been proposed to achieve accurate survival predictions, little attention has been paid to obtain well-calibrated uncertainty estimates associated with each prediction. The currently popular models are opaque and untrustworthy in that they often express high confidence even on those test cases that are not similar to the training samples, and even when their predictions are wrong. We propose a Bayesian framework for survival models that not only gives more accurate survival predictions but also quantifies the survival uncertainty better. Our approach is a novel combination of variational inference for uncertainty estimation, neural multi-task logistic regression for estimating nonlinear and time-varying risk models, and an additional sparsity-inducing prior to work with high dimensional data.


Funded by the Department of Health and managed by
the African HIV Policy Network, the National African
HIV Prevention Programme (NAHIP) works mainly with
African-led organisations to deliver HIV prevention
interventions across England. NAHIP aims to enable
Africans to access appropriate information and services
to equip them to make informed sexual health decisions
and to fight discrimination and stigma. The NAHIP partner organisations have worked closely
with Sigma Research to devise this consensus document.
It articulates the central issues for planning sexual HIV
prevention interventions targeting Africans living in
England. This document describes some of the obstacles
to meeting HIV prevention need and focuses on
overcoming these barriers in order to achieve change.
This document is a plan for action.
Many different people influence sexual HIV transmission
to and from African people living in England. They
include Africans (with HIV and without HIV), people
planning and delivering HIV prevention interventions,
community leaders, health care providers, faith leaders,
educators, police, commissioners of services, charitable
funders, legislators and researchers – the actions of
each can make significant contributions to meeting HIV
prevention needs and thereby decreasing the likelihood
of HIV transmission.
One of the aims of this document has been to foster a
sense of common purpose among a very diverse group
of organisations undertaking HIV prevention, treatment
and care interventions with African people living in
England. The result of this collaborative process is a plan
of action that offers a clear and purposeful vision. We
are proud of the commitment to partnership that this
plan embodies and are hopeful that it will support all
those who are concerned with HIV infection and who
have the capacity to influence it.


Background Musculoskeletal conditions (MSKs) are one of the largest causes of physical disability in the UK and, while it affects people of all ages including children, it particularly affects older people. Although large numbers of people are affected by MSKs, there is little specific data which show how people are affected by age, type of MSK and what support they seek. We felt an analysis of these issues could be examined. Objectives We analysed all contacts reporting to a national helpline during 2013 with the aim of exploring how people with MSKs are affected in different age groups, their additional health problems (AHPs) and the type of support requested. Methods Every contact by telephone, email, letter or online forum received by the helpline was anonymised and logged onto a secure, confidential database, complying with the UK Data Protection Act. Where age was self-reported, it was analysed in conjunction with the type of arthritis and the support sought. Results 86.8% of 6,141 had self-reported MSKs. Of all the callers with an MSK, there were 10.1% in the 26-44 age group, 40.2% in the 45-64 group, 14.5% in the 65-69 group, 9.9% in the 70-74 group, 8.5% in the 75-79 group, 6.8% in the 80-84 group, 4.6% in the 85-89 group, 1.8% in the 90-94 group and 0.3% in the 95-99 group. 1,089 (20.4%) of the callers with arthritis had AHPs. Of these, 0.6% were in the 18-25 age group, 7% in the 26-44 group, 39.4% in the 45-64 group, 13.6% in the 65-69 group, 12.2% in the 70-74 group, 9.0% in the 75-79 group, 8.1% in the 80-84 group, 6.9% in the 85-89 group, 2.0% in the 90-94 group and 0.2% in the 95-99 age group. 3,886 (44.4%) of all contacts wanted information were about pain: 0.5% were in the 18-25 age group, 4.6% in the 26-44 group, 17.3% in the 45-64 group, 6.4% in the 65-69 group, 4.4% in the 70-74% group, 3.9% in the 75-79 group, 3.3% in the 80-84 group, 2.2% in the 85-89 group, 1% in the 90-94 group and 0.1% in the 95-99 age group. Next, 2,469 (28.2%) requested information about types of arthritis: 0.4% in the 18-25 group, 2.8% in the 26-44 group, 11.2% in the 45-64 group and 4.3% in the 65-69 group, 2.5% in the 70-74 group, 2.3% in the 75-79 group, 2.1% in the 80-84 group, 1.2% in the 85-90 group, 0.5% in the 90-94 group, and 0.1% in the 95-99 age group. Thirdly, 2,113 (24.2%) requested emotional support: 3.6% in the 26-44 group, 10.4% in the 45-64 group, 2.6% in the 65-69 group, 2.0% in the 70-74 group, 1.7% in the 75-79 group, 1.4% in the 80-84 group, 0.9% in the 85-89 group, 0.3% in the 90-94 group and 0.1% in the 95-99 age group. Conclusions 1. The incidence of co-morbidities increases with age from the 26-44 group to the 45-64 age group and declines thereafter. 2. As people with MSKs get older their need for print information on pain declines. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.4308


The present study examines the different ways we morally evaluate first-party (victims) and third-party (uninvolved observers) in judgement scenarios; when given the opportunity to punish or forgive a moral perpetrator. Participants were asked to read an interaction of individuals playing an economic game where one player cheats the other. Participants then read one of four accounts of either the player who was cheated punishing or forgiving the offender, or a thirdparty observer punishing or forgiving the offender. After reading the account the participants evaluated the judger in their scenario; we found that people are okay with victims who forgive or punish and third parties who punish, but participants saw third-parties who forgave as extremely immoral and sanctioned them for their decision. The results of this study support the theory that we hold third and first-parties to different moral norms; expecting third-parties to uphold what society believes is just, making punishment a rational protective choice for third-parties.


Vancouver Island" (p. 422). Despite the existence of national and regional dictionaries and style guides, CE remains largely understudied (p. 424), which unfortunately renders some of their generalizations questionable. A number of phonological and grammatical features characteristic of CE are discussed, including Canadian raising, the [ V ]/[ W ] merger and discourse eh. As a result of increasing influence from French, the English spoken in Quebec is said to be somewhat distinct from standard CE (pp. 425, 439), though more recent empirical studies of this variety (e.g., Boberg 2002; Poplack and Walker 2002) suggest that this claim is exaggerated. Similarly, the view that increasing multilingualism in the major urban centres (Toronto, Montreal, Vancouver) is likely to promote the maintenance of "ESL varieties" which will change standard CE in the future (p. 426) remains empirically untested. Although containing a number of assertions which specialists in the field may find misleading or controversial (e.g., the discussion of Labov's study of New York City [p. 76]), the volume is relatively comprehensive and should be accessible to the general educated public. The inclusion of a list of phonetic symbols (pp. xxx–xxxii) and a glossary of linguistic terms (pp. 497–515) will be particularly helpful to those without a training in linguistics. Despite the abovementioned focus on American English, this volume serves as a good introduction to the various diachronic and synchronic issues in the origins, development and status of varieties of English spoken in North America.


In Parts I and II of this work [1], [2], the resonant modes of GaAs lasers, as predicted from a proposed model, are found to be in very good agreement with experimental results that emphasize the frequency domain. This paper, Part III, supplements the previous work by investigating the spatial field distributions of junction-laser beams. For the first time, the propagation characteristics of the beams are described mathematically in a manner that is consistent with detailed beamwidth measurements in the Fresnel and Fraunhofer regions of the diffraction field. This correlation between theory and experiment is made possible by the use of a lens-slit combination that ensures the generation of reproducible beams with rectangular symmetry. The astigmatic beam solutions describing the propagation characteristics beyond the slit include beam-broadening effects produced both by the lens and by phase variations at the laser mirror, along the junction plane. These latter variations have not been previously reported. Their existence is deduced from our measurements beyond the slit, which show a greater beam expansion along the junction plane than can be theoretically accounted for by the lens system alone. Near threshold, at a distance of one beamwidth from the center of the mirror illumination, the phase lag is found to have a current-dependent magnitude of a few degrees.


This research aimed at observing the effects of different combinations of prescription ofinvigorate blood and diffuse Bi formula (IBDB) on resisting myocardial ischemic injury and adjusting blood lipid to seek for the best combination for IBDB. The research used the model of hyperlipidemia rats with isoproterenol-induced myocardial ischemic injury and treated by gavage with 8 different combinations of IBDB using orthogonal design to observe the effects of different combinations on electrocardiogram (ECG), heart function, Superoxide dismutase (SOD), malondialdehyde (MDA) and total antioxidation capacity (T-AOC) of serum and myocardium and blood lipid of acute ischemia and thus find out the best combination with mathematical method. The result indicated that different combinations of IBDB could protect ischemic myocardium and the heart function of rats and directly work against myocardial injury and adjust blood lipid at different levels. Comparison between all treated groups suggests that the 7th, 6th and 3rd combinations are superior than the 4th and 5th in improving ECG (P<0.05) and the 7th and 8th are superior than the 1st in improving FS (P<0.05), the 2ndis superior than the 5th and 7th in increasing SOD of serum (P<0.05), the 7th combination is superior in decreasing MDA of serum and myocardium and every combination except the 8thcan reduce CHO without significant difference. Through the comparison of prescription effects, it is found out that Combination 7 is the best for IBDB.

 Key words: Invigorate blood and diffuse Bi formula, combination, myocardial ischemic injury, selection from direct comparison, Traditional Chinese Medicine.


Colour studies attracts an increasingly wide range of scholars from across the academic world. Contributions to the present volume offer a broad perspective on the field, ranging from studies of individual languages through papers on art, architecture and heraldry to psychological examinations of aspects of colour categorization, perception and preference. The chapters have been developed from papers and posters presented at a conference on Progress in Colour Studies (PICS08) held at the University of Glasgow. The volume both updates research reported at the earlier PICS04 conference (published by Benjamins in 2006 as Progress in Colour Studies volumes 1 and 2), and introduces new and exciting topics and developments in colour research. In order to make the articles maximally accessible to a multidisciplinary readership, each of the six sections following the initial theoretical papers begins with a short preface describing and drawing together the themes of the chapters within that section. There are seventeen colour illustrations. 2011. xii, 462 pp. Hb 978 90 272 1188 0 EUR 105.00 E-book 978 90 272 8485 3 EUR 105.00


Locomotor capacity is often considered an excellent measure of whole animal performance because it requires the integrated functioning of many morphological, physiological (and biochemical) traits. However, because studies tend to focus on either structural or functional suits of traits, we know little on whether and how morphological and physiological traits coevolve to produce adequate locomotor capacities. Hence, we investigate the evolutionary relationships between morphological and physiological parameters related to exercise physiology, using tropidurine lizards as a model. We employ a phylogenetic principal component analysis (PCA) to identify variable clusters (factors) related to morphology, energetic metabolism and muscle metabolism, and then analyze the relationships between these clusters and measures of locomotor performance, using two models (star and hierarchical phylogenies). Our data indicate that sprint performance is enhanced by simultaneous evolutionary tendencies affecting relative limb and tail size and physiological traits. Specifically, the high absolute sprint speeds exhibited by tropidurines from the sand dunes are explained by longer limbs, feet and tails and an increased proportion of glycolytic fibers in the leg muscle, contrasting with their lower capacity for overall oxidative metabolism [principal component (PC1)]. However, when sprint speeds are corrected for body size, performance correlates with a cluster (PC3) composed by moderate loads for activity metabolic rate and body size. The simultaneous measurement of morphological and physiological parameters is a powerful tool for exploring patterns of coadaptation and proposing morphophysiological associations that are not directly predictable from theory. This approach may trigger novel directions for investigating the evolution of form and function, particularly in the context of organismal performance.


Giant round pink inclusions (=2 jam)were seen in neutrophilic myeloblasts, promyelocytes, and myelocytes from three pa tients with acute myelogenous leukemia. On preliminary ex amination of the bone marrow smears, these inclusions looked like ingested red blood cells in that they were pink and not azurophilic. The bone marrow specimens were processed for the electron microscopic demonstration of peroxidase with 3,3'-diaminobenzidine and H2C>2at pH 7.6. In all three cases, the inclusions were determined to be large peroxidase-positive granules since they were limited by a single unit membrane and, unlike endocytized red blood cells, were not contained within phagocytic vacuoles. The granules were homogeneously dense for peroxidase and showed no obvious crystalline struc ture when examined stained or unstained on grid. We believe that they correspond to the giant pink round granules Van Slyck and Rebuck observed in immature leukemic granulocytes in 1974 and termed the pseudo-Chediak-Higashi anomaly. Like the giant purple granules seen in leukemia with this anomaly, these granules also appear to be an abnormal variant of per oxidase-positive azurophil (primary) granules. Their lack of azurophilia is due to the absence of sulfated glycoaminogly-


While the current generation of mobile and fixed communication networks has been standardized for mobile broadband services, the next generation is driven by the vision of the Internet of Things and mission-critical communication services requiring latency in the order of milliseconds or submilliseconds. However, these new stringent requirements have a large technical impact on the design of all layers of the communication protocol stack. The cross-layer interactions are complex due to the multiple design principles and technologies that contribute to the layers' design and fundamental performance limitations. We will be able to develop low-latency networks only if we address the problem of these complex interactions from the new point of view of submilliseconds latency. In this paper, we propose a holistic analysis and classification of the main design principles and enabling technologies that will make it possible to deploy low-latency wireless communication networks. We argue that these design principles and enabling technologies must be carefully orchestrated to meet the stringent requirements and to manage the inherent tradeoffs between low latency and traditional performance metrics. We also review currently ongoing standardization activities in prominent standards associations, and discuss open problems for future research.


We consider a multilayer rod such that waves through this medium are described by the one-dimensional wave equation. We give a reconstruction formula for identifying the physical properties of the rod by a measurement at its one side of the boundary. Our reconstruction formula is based on the explicit solution formula to the mixed problem.


Terrorism is a threat in the Sahel region, where peoples and rulers seem to be losing control of the situation. Yet, the true origins of the instability are questionable. Ethnical conflicts and the religious differences, especially those related with the spreading of Islamic extremism among the local population, are two of the main reasons. This research paper analyzes different theories so as to attain some answers to these issues.


The COVID-19 pandemic has had an undeniable impact on the practice of psychotherapy. Many psychotherapists made a rapid decision to convert to videoconference psychotherapy (VCP) early in the pandemic, but few had effective 'how to' instructions in the optimal setup of a VCP practice. Many psychotherapists find VCP to be convenient, practical, and effective in working in various psychodynamic modalities. But others have complained that the true intimacy of the emotional relationship of psychotherapy is lacking on the computer screen. This article seeks to define the optimal VCP setup in a practical way. We also review the literature to date on how technology impacts psychodynamic psychotherapy in general and transference in particular. We discuss the transference from the lens of Davanloo's Intensive Short-term Dynamic Psychotherapy. We review the existing literature (both pre- and post-pandemic) on the effectiveness of VCP and note the paucity of empirical evidence (specifically randomized controlled trials) to support its use during global pandemics. Despite this lack of evidence, there seems to be enough anecdotal evidence to support that VCP is certainly better than no therapy at all, and in some cases, quite effective in maintaining the parameters of a highly charged and emotionally rich patient/therapist dyad. We support its use and anticipate future research.


Techniques being developed to purify, fractionate, and classify complex organic chemical residues will simplify the detection of these residues and provide more comprehensive data about them. These techniques include an integrated series of chromatographic processes, new technology in mass spectrometry, advances in glass capillary-gas chromatography, and chemical derivatization. Gel permeation chromatography increases the efficiency of sample cleanup. Additional cleanup and selective separation of residues are achieved by adsorption chromatography (Florisil, silica gel, and carbon foam). An important finding which results from the use of this methodology is the identification of potentially toxic chlorinated dibenzofurans in fish tissue. An analytical scheme for isolating and detecting acidic pollutants was developed: derivatization of phenols and other acidics to pentafluoro benzyl ethers enhances their chromatography and detection. Partial automation of the sample cleanup and enrichment of residues reduces the time required for analyses, and the new separation techniques increase the number of components that are identifiable from a tissue matrix.


Underfloor heating system is more suitable for space heating because of its unique temperature gradient profile. If solar radiation can be utilized for heating of water in radiant floor heating system, the cost of electricity can be reduced. Because of the sufficient availability of solar radiation in Kathmandu Valley during winter season, underfloor heating with solar water heating can be a viable technology for residential buildings. So this paper is focused on identifying suitable system/or domestic radiant floor heating system. Compound parabolic concentrator (CPC) water heating system is more suitable for heating water because tracking system is not required and sufficient water temperature can be achieved. It is also found that more studies are necessary to make the system cost effective and suitable for the residential buildings in Kathmandu.


The purpose of this study was to determine if oxylipins – oxygenated bioactive lipid metabolites of ω-3 and ω-6 fatty acids with varying roles in inflammation and pain – correlate with aromatase inhibitor-associated arthralgia (AIA) and quality of life (QOL) in early stage breast cancer (ESBC) patients. Methods: ESBC patients on AI therapy were enrolled to an open-label study of sulindac, a non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drug (NSAID), for 12 months (n = 47). Pre-intervention arthralgia and physical function were assessed using the Western Ontario and McMaster Universities Osteoarthritis (WOMAC) questionnaire, where higher scores indicate worse symptoms. The Functional Assessment of Cancer Therapy – General (FACT-G) questionnaire was used to assess QOL, where higher scores indicate better QOL. A total of 53 plasma oxylipins in plasma were quantified by mass spectrometry. Pearson's correlation was used to measure the association between pre-intervention oxylipin concentrations, arthralgias and QOL. Results: Prior to initiating sulindac, baseline levels of 17 oxylipins were found to be significantly correlated with QOL scales. This included inverse associations between QOL and seven pro-inflammatory products of ω-6 fatty acid metabolism. Notably, prostaglandin E2, the primary target of NSAIDs, was negatively correlated with Social Well-Being (rho = −0.30; P = 0.04). Conversely, resolvin D1, a potent anti-inflammatory lipid, was positively associated with Total FACT-G (rho = 0.31; P = 0.03) and Emotional Well-Being (rho = 0.37; P = 0.01). Two ω-3 metabolites with unknown mechanisms were correlated with both QOL and WOMAC; 19,20-DiHDPE was positively correlated with Total (rho = 0.34; P = 0.02) and Social FACT-G (rho = 0.32; P = 0.03), and inversely with Total WOMAC (rho = -0.303; P = 0.04) and Stiffness (rho = −0.32; P = 0.03); and 5(6)-DiHETE was inversely correlated with Social FACT-G (rho = −0.33; P = 0.02) and positively with Total WOMAC (rho = 0.31; P = 0.04). Conclusions: This is the first evidence that plasma oxylipin metabolites of ω-3/ω-6 fatty acids correlate with QOL and arthralgia symptoms in patients on AIs and suggests oxylipins as a potential novel target for improving QOL and adherence to AI therapy in patients with ESBC.


In the industrial revolution 4.0, firms and SMEs are required to have dynamic capabilities to respond to environmental changes and increasing competitive pressures. Reconfiguring ICT and knowledge resources and capabilities is a must for firms in order to achieve performance and competitive advantages. This study aimed to bridge the research gap between knowledge resources and performance with absorptive capacity as an intervening variable. Moreover, this study also examined the effect of knowledge resources and ICT on absorptive capacity and performance. This study collected primary data from SMEs in Jepara, Rembang, and Semarang, Indonesia, through questionnaires, in-depth interviews, and focus group discussions. 285 SME owners participated. The data were analyzed employing SEM with multiple regression, which revealed that ICT significantly affected absorptive capacity and SME performance. Knowledge resources had a significant effect on absorptive capacity and SME performance. Furthermore, absorptive capacity had a significant effect on SMEs performance.
Keywords: knowledge resource, ICT, dynamic capability, performance, SMEs


Recent studies in multilingual and translanguaging pedagogies have shifted the focus from investigating how students engage their multilingual repertoires to exploring how teachers understand and implement these pedagogical directions in their practice. In this article, the authors report on a national online survey on the multilingual perspectives and practices of teachers of French in Australia. The overall goal of the survey discussed here was to comprehensively capture how teachers of French understand the teaching and learning of languages in general, and of French in particular. The study revealed several tensions between the language teachers' beliefs and practice. While most of the survey participants expressed strong support for innovative pedagogies such as translanguaging (García & Wei, 2014), and keen motivation to engage the full multilingual repertoire of their learners, a closer reading of the data indicated that most of them felt restricted in their practice by "the normative terms and conditions of an understanding of languages education that remains rooted in parochial, monolingual and pecuniary perspectives" (Weinmann & Arber, 2017, p. 173). In particular, the findings indicate that (self-)perceptions of "non-native" language teachers as "culturally deficient" continue to frame the notion of what constitutes a "good" language teacher (Holliday, 2015). For teachers to feel more confident and better equipped to effectively implement translanguaging pedagogies in their practice, teachers' perceptions of their own multilingual identities and how these are shaped within the systems they work in (Young, 2017) need to be better understood.
Keywords: Languages teaching, languages education, translanguaging, native language teacher, non-native language teacher, linguistic repertoire, multilingualism, Australia


In this letter, we investigate the sum rate performance of a generic one-pico-inside OFDMA network with opportunistic scheduling policy and the best-M partial feedback design. By a detailed examination of the statistical property of the selected user's signal-to-interference-plus-noise ratio and its interplay with intercell interference, we derive the exact closed form expression for the sum rate under partial feedback. The general expression incorporates the special interference limited and noise limited scenarios as special cases. The result explains the exact interaction with partial feedback and the approach can be generalized and applied to many related problems.


The diagnosis and surgical treatment of aneurysms of the descending thoracic aorta is difficult and some aspects of management remain controversial. We report 53 patients treated in the period 1983-1988; 25.9% of them had previously been erroneously diagnosed as having mediastinal cysts or tumours. Duplex scanning and computerised tomography were valuable adjuncts in establishing the correct diagnosis, which was confirmed by aortography in 52 patients. Of 49 patients operated upon electively three died with a mortality rate of 6.1%; of the 4 patients operated upon as emergencies 2 died. Fifty patients survived the operative procedure and of the 3 operated upon under normothermia 1 developed paraplegia, whereas of the 47 patients operated upon under moderate hypothermia (30 degrees-31 degrees C) only 1 developed paraplegia.


This work describes EcoExpert, a knowledge–based module supporting data validation and integrated into a system for environmental data management. The paper describes the integration of knowledge– based system technology and data monitoring networks for environment management purposes by means of influence graphs. EcoExpert has been designed to communicate directly with the air quality monitoring network managed by a Pilot Operating Unit. It is considered an example for achieving an integrated environment management system using knowledge–based technology and qualitative reasoning techniques to solve problems involving data validation, intelligent alarms filtering, network diagnosis, network configuration and maintenance scheduling.


The open trade tendency, currently, emphasizes the importance of the high-quality contents and the advanced marketing techniques in terms of the export of Korean cultural service. Although many researchers have considered the factors for export performance of goods and services, few studies have been specifically conducted to find the predictors of Korean drama exports. Therefore, this study carried out an empirical analysis of the factors affecting the export of the Korean drama industry. Specially, this study focused not only on electronic word-of-mouth (eWOM) analyzing its volume and user rating, but on qualitative analysis from user review data that crawled by text mining. As a result of the analysis, we found that qualitative user reviews from the sentimental analysis have greater impact on sales of Korean drama than quantitative user ratings. Moreover, this study revealed that casting famous stars and using the way of co-production with foreign capital also contributed greatly to the performance of export. Finally, we found that users from Asian culture are more affected by eWOM than the users from Western culture. This study provides not only various practical implications to people in charge of Korean film industry and policy makersengage in the international trade, but academic contribution applying qualitative methodology to quantitative domain.


Graphene quantum dots (GQDs) have been widely used as fluorescence probes to detect metal ions with satisfactory selectivity. However, the diverse chemical structures of GQDs lead to selectivity for multiple metal ions, and this can lead to trouble in the interpretation of selectivity due to the lack of an in depth and systematic analysis. Herein, bare GQDs were synthesized by oxidizing carbon black with nitric acid and used as fluorescent probes to detect metal ions. We found that the specific ability of GQDs to recognize ferric ions relates to the acidity of the medium. Specifically, we demonstrated that the coordination between GQDs and Fe3+ is regulated by the pH of the aqueous GQDs solution. Dissociative Fe3+ can coordinate with the hydroxyl groups on the surface of the GQDs to form aggregates (such as iron hydroxide), which induces fluorescence quenching. A satisfactory selectivity for Fe3+ ions was achieved under relatively acidic conditions; this is because of the extremely small Ksp of ferric hydroxide compared to those of other common metal hydroxides. To directly survey the key parameter for Fe3+ ion specificity, we performed the detection experiment in an environment free of interference from the buffer solution, noninherent groups, and other complex factors. This study will help researchers understand the selectivity mechanisms of GQDs as fluorescence probes for metal ions, which could guide the design of other GQD-based sensor platforms.


P-glycoprotein (Pgp) is an efflux pump important in multidrug resistance of cancer cells and in determining drug pharmacokinetics. Pgp is a prototype ATP-binding cassette transporter with two nucleotide-binding domains (NBDs) that bind and hydrolyze ATP. Conformational changes at the NBDs (the Pgp engines) lead to changes across Pgp transmembrane domains that result in substrate translocation. According to current alternating access models (substrate-binding pocket accessible only to one side of the membrane at a time), binding of ATP promotes NBD dimerization, resulting in external accessibility of the drug-binding site (outward-facing, closed NBD conformation), and ATP hydrolysis leads to dissociation of the NBDs with the subsequent return of the accessibility of the binding site to the cytoplasmic side (inward-facing, open NBD conformation). However, previous work has not investigated these events under near-physiological conditions in a lipid bilayer and in the presence of transport substrate. Here, we used luminescence resonance energy transfer (LRET) to measure the distances between the two Pgp NBDs. Pgp was labeled with LRET probes, reconstituted in lipid nanodiscs, and the distance between the NBDs was measured at 37 °C. In the presence of verapamil, a substrate that activates ATP hydrolysis, the NBDs of Pgp reconstituted in nanodiscs were never far apart during the hydrolysis cycle, and we never observed the NBD–NBD distances of tens of Å that have previously been reported. However, we found two main conformations that coexist in a dynamic equilibrium under all conditions studied. Our observations highlight the importance of performing studies of efflux pumps under near-physiological conditions, in a lipid bilayer, at 37 °C, and during substrate-stimulated hydrolysis.