Abstract : Many existing approaches to machine translation take for granted that the information presented in the output is found somewhere in the input, and, moreover, that such information should be expressed at a single representational level, for example, in terms of the parse trees or of "semantic" assertions. Languages, however, not only express the equivalent information by drastically different linguistic means, but also often disagree in what distinctions should be expressed linguistically at all. For example, in translating from Japanese to English, it is often necessary to supply determiners for noun phrases, and this in general cannot be done without deep understanding of the source text. Similarly, in translating from English to Japanese, politeness considerations, which in English are implicit in the social situation and explicit in very diffuse ways in, for example, the heavy use of hypotheticals, must be realized grammatically in Japanese. Machine translation therefore requires that the appropriate inferences be drawn and that the text be interpreted to some depth (see Oviatt, 1988). Recently, an elegant approach to inference in discourse interpretation has been developed at a number of sites (e.g., Hobbs et al., 1988; Charniak and Goldman, 1988; Norvig, 1987), all based on the notion of abduction, and we have begun to explore its potential application to machine translation. We argue that this approach provides the possibility of deep reasoning and of mapping between the languages at a variety of levels (See also Kaplan et al., 1988, on the latter point.) Abductive inference is inference to the best explanation. The easiest way to understand it is to compare it with two words it rhymes with-deduction and induction. Much of the way we interpret the world in general can be understood as a process of abduction.


Summary form only given. Backscatter absorption gas imaging (BAGI) is a remote sensing technique that uses active imaging to generate real-time video images of chemical vapor plumes. As such, BAGI represents a fusion between absorptive chemical detection LIDAR and imaging laser radar. Plume imaging occurs when a gas that can absorb light at the laser wavelength enters the system field-of-view, thereby attenuating the scene backscatter and causing a cloud image.


This paper describes a photon-counting study of the cavitation luminescence produced by flow over a hydrofoil. This has previously been identified in water saturated with xenon. The four objectives of this study are: to determine whether luminescence can be obtained using air-saturated water; to quantify this emission, if it is present, as a function of flow parameters; to determine whether the photon arrivals occur with random timing, or in 'bursts'; to put limits on the rates associated with any bursts. The flow experiments were performed in a cavitation tunnel capable of achieving flow velocities of up to about 50 m s$^{-1}$ in the test section. The experimental hydrofoil was a NACA 009 blade. Parameters varied were the flow velocity, the incident angle of the hydrofoil and the cavitation index. The results show that significant photon counts are recorded when leading-edge cavitation takes place and U-shaped vortices (cavities) are shed from the main cavity. The photon count increases dramatically as the flow velocity increases or the cavitation index is reduced. Departures from a Poisson distribution in the arrival times of photons at the detector suggest the presence of 'bursts'. These may be related to the way vortices are shed from the main cavity. Limits are inferred on the detection rates associated with bursts.


Purpose of review Testicular germ cell tumours (TGCTs) are the most common solid malignant cancer diagnosed in young males and the incidence is increasing. Understanding the genetic basis of this disease will help us to navigate the challenges of early detection, diagnosis, treatment, surveillance, and long-term outcomes for patients. Recent findings TGCTs are highly heritable. Current understanding of germline risk includes the identification of one moderate-penetrance predisposition gene, checkpoint kinase 2 (CHEK2), and 78 low-to-moderate-risk single nucleotide polymorphisms identified in genome-wide-associated studies, which account for 44% of familial risk. Biomarker research in TGCTs has been challenging for multiple reasons: oncogenesis is complex, actionable mutations are uncommon, clonal evolution unpredictable and tumours can be histologically and molecularly heterogeneous. Three somatic mutations have thus far been identified by DNA exome sequencing, exclusively in seminomas: KIT, KRAS and NRAS. Several genetic markers appear to be associated with risk of TGCT and treatment resistance. TP53 mutations appear to be associated with platinum resistance. MicroRNA expression may be a useful biomarker of residual disease and relapse in future. Summary The biology of testicular germ cells tumours is complex, and further research is needed to fully explain the high heritability of these cancers, as well as the molecular signatures which may drive their biological behaviour.


We measured the effect of treatment of traumatic brain injury (TBI) in the rat with human umbilical cord blood (HUCB) administered IV. HUCB cells were injected into the tail vein 24 h after TBI and the rats were sacrificed at day 28 after the treatment. The Rotarod test and the neurological severity score (NSS) were used to evaluate neurological function. The distribution of the donor cells in the brain, heart, lung, kidney, liver, spleen, bone marrow, and muscle were analyzed in recipient rats using immunohistochemical staining and laser confocal microscopy. HUCB cells injected IV significantly reduced motor and neurological deficits compared with control groups by day 28 after the treatment. The cells preferentially entered the brain and migrated into the parenchyma of the injured brain and expressed the neuronal markers, NeuN and MAP-2, and the astrocytic marker, GFAP. Some HUCB cells integrated into the vascular walls within the boundary zone of the injured area. Our data suggest that IV administration of HUCB may be useful in the treatment of TBI.


How do we know whether a country suffers from vertical fiscal imbalance (VFI)? What should be done about it? Academic appreciation of these issues in general, and the nature of political behaviour in particular, both have major implications for the way federations are fiscally structured. While the latter clearly is a problem of political negotiations, our focus is on the former, that is, conceptual clarity, which precedes meaningful negotiations. Thus, the paper aims to clarify the multiple usages of the symbolically loaded terms VFI and VFG (vertical fiscal gap) by critically engaging the fundamental assumptions and premises underlying these ostensibly similar notions. It proposes an alternative conceptual framework and introduces the concepts of vertical fiscal asymmetry (VFA) and vertical fiscal difference (VFD) that have the potential to better structure public debate on issues of vertical fiscal relations and stimulate a sensible appreciation of the problem and possible remedies.


There is little information regarding the association between alcohol consumption and periodontitis risk. We assessed whether alcohol consumption and ALDH2 genotypes were associated with periodontitis. Subjects' lifestyle was examined by a self-administered questionnaire, and the percentage of pocket depths ≥ 3.5 mm was used as a periodontal parameter. ALDH2 genotypes were determined with the use of a PCR/RFLP method. Multiple logistic analyses showed that alcohol consumption was significantly associated with periodontitis, and its odds ratio was 1.98. There was no significant relationship between periodontal status and ALDH2 genotypes. However, ALDH2*1/*2 subjects who consumed ≥ 33 g/day of alcohol had a significantly greater percentage of pocket depths ≥ 3.5 mm than those whose daily consumption was lower, while there was no significant difference in periodontal status associated with alcohol consumption in ALDH2*1/*1 subjects. Our results suggest that alcohol consumption may be a risk indicator for periodontitis in ALDH2*1/*2 subjects who consume larger amounts of alcohol.


"WWW Resources for Teaching Statistics," Robin H. Lock, Mathematics Department, St. Lawrence University. Presented at a Statistics Education conference of the Boston Chapter of the American Statistical Association in 1998, this paper provides a rich set of resources to support statistics instruction, including online course materials and texts, JAVA demos, ejournals and discussion lists, and lots of data links. http://it.stlawu.edu/~rlock/tise98/onepage.html [3]


The interactions of PM-2 deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) with 20 known antineoplastic agents were studied using agarose gel electrophoresis and fluorescence assay systems. Actinomycin D and adriamycin (and all other anthracyclines studied) induced superhelical conformational changes in PM-2 DNA. Bleomycin A2, tallysomycin, neocarzinostatin, macromomycin, and hedamycin degraded PM-2 DNA under various conditions. The potential utility of PM-2 DNA as an antitumor antibiotic prescreening tool was further studied by examining the effects of 200 broths on PM-2 DNA employing both fluorescence and agarose gel electrophorectic assays. The assays were shown to be sensitive and rapid and to provide information not provided by other prescreens with which the PM-2 DNA assays were compared.


Pastoral counselor performance is considered to impact on client wellbeing. The performance of pastoral counselors refers to their performance in doing counseling. This article explores the performance of pastoral counselors and strategies to improve it. The author examines the concepts and factors that contribute to the performance of counselors. Previous research on performance is reviewed. Based on this review, the author elaborates on some strategies that can help pastoral counselors improve their performance in carrying out pastoral counseling.


Abstract: In previous studies evidence has been presented by photoaffinity labeling that a polypeptide of 145–150 kDa represents the cerebral sulfonylurea receptor. However, covalent incorporation of [3H]glibenclamide or a 125I‐labeled glibenclamide analogue into the sulfonylurea receptor required high amounts of photoenergy and took place with low yield of photoinsertion. To provide a probe with increased photoreactivity a 4‐azido‐5‐iodosalicyloyl analogue of glibenclamide was synthesized. Binding experiments revealed specific and reversible high‐affinity binding of this novel probe to the particulate (KD = 0.13 nM) and solubilized (KD = 0.56 nM) sulfonylurea receptor from cerebral cortex. The novel probe showed >100‐fold higher sensitivity to irradiation at 356 nm than glibenclamide. Sodium dodecyl sulfate‐polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis revealed specific photoincorporation into a cerebral protein of 175 kDa and indicated an efficiency of photoincorporation of 9%. From dissociation binding curves following irradiation photoincorporation was estimated as 28% of specifically bound ligand. Photoincorporation into the 175‐kDa protein following saturation binding of the novel probe to particulate sites from cerebral cortex indicated a KD value of 0.38 nM. Inhibition of photoincorporation into this protein by glibenclamide, glipizide, and tolbutamide revealed KD values for these sulfonylureas of 0.06 nM, 1.6 nM, and 1.2 µM, respectively. These results show that the novel photoaffinity ligand can be used as a probe for detection and characterization of the sulfonylurea receptor and suggest that a 175‐kDa protein represents the cerebral sulfonylurea receptor.


This paper describes the design and implementation of a high-reliability and low-power status monitoring protocol, e.g. for wireless alarm systems. The dual design approach followed consists of an in-depth device characterization with subsequent algorithm development. This allows to understand and leverage the correct design and implementation of the most critical components of the algorithms. The high-reliability status monitoring protocol operates based on monitoring windows with synchronous notification, subsequent acknowledgement rounds and periods of reduced activity, at regular intervals. This leads to deterministic and thus highly reliable operation of the status monitoring protocol implementation on the Tmote Sky platform.


Context. The spectrum of the hydrogen atom was explained by Bohr more than one century ago. We revisit here some of the aspects of the underlying quantum structure, with a modern formalism, focusing on the limit of the Balmer series.
Aims. We investigate the behaviour of the absorption coefficient of the isolated hydrogen atom in the neighbourhood of the Balmer limit.
Methods. We analytically computed the total cross-section arising from bound-bound and bound-free transitions in the isolated hydrogen atom at the Balmer limit, and established a simplified semi-analytical model for the surroundings of that limit. We worked within the framework of the formalism of Landi Degl'Innocenti & Landolfi (2004, Astrophys. Space Sci. Lib., 307), which permits an almost straight-forward generalization of our results to other atoms and molecules, and which is perfectly suitable for including polarization phenomena in the problem.
Results. We analytically show that there is no discontinuity at the Balmer limit, even though the concept of a "Balmer jump" is still meaningful. Furthermore, we give a possible definition of the location of the Balmer jump, and we check that this location is dependent on the broadening mechanisms. At the Balmer limit, we compute the cross-section in a fully analytical way.
Conclusions. The Balmer jump is produced by a rapid drop of the total Balmer cross-section, yet this variation is smooth and continuous when both bound-bound and bound-free processes are taken into account, and its shape and location is dependent on the broadening mechanisms.


Tandem fluorogenic reaction: A new platform for the direct, selective and sensitive detection of formaldehyde and/or secondary aliphatic amines, based on a tandem Mannich-electrophilic amination reaction, is described. Biological applications of hydrophilic, water-soluble fluorescent 2,2-dialkyl-2,3-dihydro-[1,2,4]triazolo[4,3-a]pyridin-2-ium-8-carboxylates (Safarinium P probes) are exemplified by labeling of the amine-containing Ac-AKF-NH2 peptide and Bacillus subtilis spores in aqueous solution.


In Internet-based social networks, the nodes have the most pivotal role in the processes and outcomes of the networks. Whether they pay attention to a message in the network or ignore it defines the fate of the message. One message is shared and re-shared by millions of users and another is left forgotten. The current study tries to shed light on one aspect of the role of the users in a social network: How are people different in the types of messages to which they pay attention? Some 500 Facebook users were interviewed and a creative method were used to find the public Facebook messages on which they had commented. Then, the researchers coded the data into different categories and carried out statistical analyses looking for significant relations between the types of Facebook users and the types of messages on which they commented. The results of the study include 21 significant relations, suggesting that the approach taken by this study can be promising and if completed by several other studies it could help us find local and universal patterns that affect the flow of information. With enough knowledge on social networks we must be able to design specific messages, for specific groups of people.


Taxonomic analysis of inter—and intra—variations of 18 Indian States was done with respect to several agro-economic factors of crops' production classified into five different sets of parameters to examine zonal differences. Reclassification of States of four major geographical zones into larger clusters/groups resulted in different groups for different sets of parameters. The variations noted were not so prominent for southern States as that in case of other three zones. Kerala, Uttar Pradesh, Karnataka, Gujarat, Bihar and Orissa each showed wide diversities from other 17 States for a good number of factors in respective cases. Hill area States of north east and north west regions showed high resemblance for several factors. Punjab and Haryana came out to be highly associated among themselves and they appeared together in same cluster in all the five situations,


The recent development of an oil- immersed, zinc oxide surge arrester meets a need for distribution transformer protection that is immune to environmental factors that frequently cause premature failure of conventional external arresters. This paper describes the design philosophy used to determine the requirements for this device and the tests performed to assure that they were satisfactory. Also discussed are benefits that this unique arrester provides in the form of improved reliability and cost effective surge protection of overhead and underground power distribution systems.


Finding relevant geospatial information is increasingly critical because of the growing volume of geospatial data available within the emerging "Big Data" era. Users are expecting that the availability of massive datasets will create more opportunities to uncover hidden information and answer more complex queries. This is especially the case with routing and navigation services where the ability to retrieve points of interest and landmarks make the routing service personalized, precise, and relevant. In this paper, we propose a new geospatial information approach that enables the retrieval of implicit information, i.e., geospatial entities that do not exist explicitly in the available source. We present an information broker that uses a rule-based spatial reasoning algorithm to detect topological relations. The information broker is embedded into a framework where annotations and mappings between OpenStreetMap data attributes and external resources, such as taxonomies, support the enrichment of queries to improve the ability of the system to retrieve information. Our method is tested with two case studies that leads to enriching the completeness of OpenStreetMap data with footway crossing points-of-interests as well as building entrances for routing and navigation purposes. It is concluded that the proposed approach can uncover implicit entities and contribute to extract required information from the existing datasets.


The intelligent power grid is composed of a large number of industrial control equipment, and most of the industrial control equipment has security holes, which are vulnerable to malicious attacks and affect the normal operation of the power grid. By analyzing the security vulnerability of the firmware of industrial control equipment, the vulnerability can be detected in advance and the power grid's ability to resist attack can be improved. In this paper, a kind of industrial control device firmware protocol vulnerabilities associated technology, through the technology of information extraction from the mass grid device firmware device attributes and extract the industrial control system, the characteristics of the construction of industrial control system device firmware and published vulnerability information correlation, faster in the industrial control equipment safety inspection found vulnerabilities.


This paper proposes a new time division multiple access (TDMA) based multi-hop resource(slots) reservation protocol (TMRR) for tactical mobile adhoc networks (T-MANET). TMRR lets a node reserve the channel resource for multi-hop packet transmission in consecutive order, so that the packet transmission between a source node and a multi-hop away destination node is possible within a superframe. This paper evaluates the performance of the proposed protocol via OPNET simulation in terms of the average end-to-end delay and the average throughput in both static and mobile environments. And this paper compares it to that of the Evolutionary-TDMA (E-TDMA) which is a representative reservation-based medium access control (MAC) protocol considering node mobility in MANET. According to the simulation results of the single-hop scenarios, TMRR gives better packet throughput and delay performance than E-TDMA as the offered traffic is increased. For the multi-hop scenarios, the average end-to-end delay of TMRR nodes meets the multi-hop end-to-end delay requirements because a node can transmit the packets to a multi-hop away node within a superframe.


Using climate scenarios from only 1 or a small number of global climate models (GCMs) in climate change impact studies may lead to biased assessment due to large uncertainty in climate projections. Ensemble means in impact projections derived from a multi-GCM ensemble are often used as best estimates to reduce bias. However, it is often time consuming to run process-based models (e.g. hydrological and crop models) in climate change impact studies using numerous climate scenarios. It would be interesting to investigate if using a reduced number of climate scenarios could lead to a reasonable estimate of the ensemble mean. In this study, we generated a single ensemble-mean climate scenario (En-WG scenario) using ensemble means of the change factors derived from 20 GCMs included in CMIP5 to perturb the parameters in a weather generator, LARS-WG, for selected locations across Canada. We used En-WG scenarios to drive crop growth models in DSSAT ver. 4.7 to simulate crop yields for canola and spring wheat under RCP4.5 and RCP8.5 emission scenarios. We evaluated the potential of using the En-WG scenarios to simulate crop yields by comparing them with crop yields simulated with the LARS-WG generated climate scenarios based on each of the 20 GCMs (WG scenarios). Our results showed that simulated crop yields using the En-WG scenarios were often close to the ensemble means of simulated crop yields using the 20 WG scenarios with a high probability of outperforming simulations based on a randomly selected GCM. Further studies are required, as the results of the proposed ap proach may be influenced by selected crop types, crop models, weather generators, and GCM ensembles.


The paper analyses the impact of tax evasion on government budgets, using a monetary circuit model. It is possible to show that, under specific parameter values, evading taxes on profit becomes an attractive proposition when government policies tax capital and employment in different ways and on different timescales. Without adequate tax enforcement, government is reduced to acting as a financial backer for companies. Furthermore, a lower tax rate on labour income enabling money to flow from households to companies through private consumption reduces incentives for tax evasion. These results hold true even if the government decides to implement a balanced budget fiscal policy.


The study aimed to determine the factors affecting the performance of Bicol University graduates in the Nurses' Licensure Examination (NLE). Specifically, it determined the (1) profile of the graduates such as: pre-admission profile (College Entrance Test or CET, General Weighted Average or GWA in high school) and performance in nursing school (academic performance and Related Learning Experience or RLE); (2) performance of graduates in the NLE; (3) relationship between the profile of the respondents and their performance in the NLE; and (4) predictors to passing the NLE. Using the stratified random sampling design, this descriptive-evaluative research gathered the secondary data of 247 graduates who took the NLE from 2003 to 2007. Fifty-eight percent (58%) of the graduates who passed the NLE had a very satisfactory to superior pre-admission profile and superior academic performance in the nursing program. There is a positive correlation between the NLE rating and the profile of the graduates. Among the profile variables, academic performance was found to be the best predictor in the NLE; thus, students with excellent pre-admission profile who perform well in nursing school are most likely to pass the NLE. It is, therefore, imperative for the college to adhere to the admission policies and to institute teaching-learning strategies in assisting the students to achieve an excellent academic performance to pass the NLE. Keywords: assessment, performance, graduates, profile, Nurses' Licensure Examination


This letter presents the design and implementation of a 24-/60-GHz millimeter-wave dual-band on-chip bandpass filter using a 0.18-mum standard CMOS process. The concept of quarter-wavelength stepped-impedance resonator (lambda/4 SIR) is utilized to realize stopband characteristics at desired frequencies and reduce the chip size. The structure of the open-circuited dual-behavior resonators (OC-DBRs) produces one passband with two transmission zeros on either side. The size of the designed filter is 1.030 times 0.590 mm2.


Lionfishes (tribe Pteroini) are eye-catching due to their distinct elongated fins and warning coloration. The monophyly of the Pteroini is supported by recent phylogenetic analyses. However, the interrelationships between inter- and intra-genera of the Pteroini are contentious. In this study, 5,335 bps of two mitochondrial and five nuclear genes were sequenced to reconstruct the phylogeny of lionfishes. Our analyses showed Dendrochirus and Pterois were both not monophyletic and divided into Dendrochirus I, II, and III clades (D. I, II, and III) and Pterois I and II clades (Pt. I and II), respectively. Pt. I was sister to the Pt. II + D. I clades. D. II was the sister group of the Ebosia + Parapterois clade. The D. III clade was at the base of the Pteroini, followed by the genus Brachypterois. Morphologically, we provided combinations of characters to distinguish all clades. According to the molecular and morphological data, we propose a revised taxonomy of the Pteroini. D. I and Pt. I hold the generic names of Dendrochirus and Pterois, respectively. Neochirus gen. n. is proposed as a new genus for the D. II clade. The genera Pteropterus Swainson, 1839 and Nemapterois Fowler, 1938 are revalidated for Pt. II and D. III, respectively.


Operative resection, the standard of care in the radical management of locoregional esophageal cancer, is a major surgical procedure, with a clear learning curve. It should be performed by experienced surgeons with a sufficient annual volume of procedures to maintain competence. Within specialized units esophagectomy can be safely offered to appropriately selected patients of all age groups. So far, the choice of operative approach (transhiatal, limited transthoracic, extended transthoracic) still cannot be based on randomized data with sufficient discriminating power. To date, the role of preoperative neoadjuvant therapy has not been clearly defined. A meta-analysis of five randomized trials did not confirm a substantial benefit for preoperative radiotherapy. A large randomized trial failed to show any benefit for preoperative chemotherapy. Improving systemic therapy, probably in combination with radiotherapy, remains a high priority for the coming years. The recent identification of new, highly active, chemotherapeutic agents shows promising, albeit preliminary, results.


We derive an Ahlfors-Weill type extension for a class of holomorphic mappings defined in the ball B, generalizing the formula for Nehari mappings in the disk. The class of mappings holomorphic in the ball is defined in terms of the Schwarzian operator. Convexity relative to the Bergman metric plays an essential role, as well as the concept of a weakly linearly convex domain. The extension outside the ball takes values in the projective dual to C, that is, in the set of complex hyperplanes.


Introduction : Many women in fertile period of their lives experience some bothering mental and physical symptoms that begin around 7-10 days before menses (lutheal phase) and cease in the first days of menstrual bleeding. After presentation of the Text Revision of the Fourth version of Diagnostic and Statistical Manual of psychiatric disorders (DSM-IV), these symptoms already known as Pre-menstrual syndrome (PMS) were called Pre-menstrual dysphoric disorder (PMDD). This process was associated with addition of some criteria about duration and intensity. The prevalence of PMS has been estimated to be about 40% to 70% but severe signs (PMDD) have lower prevalence. This study has evaluated the frequency of PMS and PMDD and some related factors in students of girls' high schools in Kermanshah. Methods and Materials : In this descriptive-analytic study, 800 students of girls' high schools were chosen by randomized cluster sampling. A researcher made questionnaire assessing PMS and PMDD according to DSM.IV.TR criteria as well as a demographic questionnaire were administered to participants. Data were analyzed running SPSS software -version 11.5. Findings : Frequencies of PMS and PMDD were 41.5% and 9.4% respectively. The disorder was more frequent in students older than 16 years old. Mood symptoms were the most frequent presentation, followed by physical and behavioral symptoms. There was a lower frequency of the disorder despite a higher frequency of the syndrome in students with highly educated mothers. The frequency of PMS was higher in students with positive family history.  Discussion : Because of the potential adverse effects of PMS and PMDD on academic achievement and mental health of students, the high frequency of these problems need urgent attention. Planning mental health evaluations and interventions is necessary for these age group students. Diagnosis of severe cases and referring them should be considered in such programs.  Key words : Premenstrual dysphoric disorder, Premenstrual syndrome, Student


Silicon nitride integrated photonic devices benefit from a wide working spectral range covering the visible and near-infrared spectra, which in turn enables important applications in bio-photonics, optical communications, and sensing. High-quality factor optical resonators are essential photonic devices for such applications. However, implementing such resonators on a silicon nitride platform is quite challenging due to the low refractive index contrast attainable with this material. Here, we demonstrate that silicon nitride photonic cavities comprising a slow-light waveguide bounded by mirrors can in principle exhibit quality factors in the order of several millions despite a relatively low refractive index contrast. We show that the energy stored in such a slow-light cavity exhibits a cubic dependence on the cavity length, which can enable extremely large quality factors with modest-length cavities. We present the design and experimental characterization of silicon nitride slow-light nanobeam-type cavities. Two sets of nanobeam cavities were fabricated to experimentally verify the cubic dependence of the Q factor on the cavity length. The highest measured Q factor in our devices is 4.42 × 105, which is limited by fabrication imperfections.


The increasing importance of corporate social responsibility (CSR) means that companies must consider multi-stakeholder interests as well as the social, political, economic, environmental and developmental impact of their actions. However, the pursuit of profits by multinational corporations has led to a series of questionable corporate actions and the consequences of such practices are particularly evident in developing countries. Adefolake O. Adeyeye explores how CSR has evolved to aid the anti-corruption campaign. By examining voluntary rules applicable for curbing corruption, particularly bribery and analysing the domestic and extra-territorial laws of Nigeria, the United Kingdom and the United States for holding corporations liable for bribery, she assesses the adequacy of international law's approach towards corporate liability for bribery and explores direct corporate responsibility for international corruption. The roles of corporate governance, global governance and civil liability in curbing corporate corrupt practices are given special focus.


Background
This study compares the outcomes of patients undergoing total ankle arthroplasty (TAA) and tibiotalar fusion (ankle arthrodesis) in patients with end-stage osteoarthritis. The primary outcome assessed was Patient Reported Outcome Measures (PROMS); secondary outcomes included the incidence of revision, re-operation, and complications.

Methods
A systematic review of studies examining the outcomes of patients undergoing TAA and/or tibiotalar fusion from 2006 to 2020 was conducted. Individual cohort studies and randomized control trials were included. Outcomes were assessed at two and five years.

Results
21 studies were included: 16 arthroplasty (2,016 patients) and 5 arthrodesis (256 patients) studies. No significant difference in PROMS was evident two years post-surgery - American Orthopaedic Foot and Ankle Society (AOFAS) scores were 78.8 (95% CI-confidence interval: 76.6-80.8; n=1548) and 80.8 (95% CI: 80.1-81.5; n=206 patients) for the arthroplasty and arthrodesis groups respectively. Two years post-surgery the revision rates for the arthroplasty and arthrodesis groups were similar - 3.5% (n=9) and 3.7% (n=61) respectively (OR-odds ratio: 1.05; 95% CI: 0.51-2.13); however, the re-operation rate was 2.5 times higher for the arthroplasty group (12.2%) in comparison to the arthrodesis group (5.1%) (OR: 2.57; 95% CI: 1.43-4.62). Documented complications in the arthroplasty group were half those documented in the arthrodesis group two years post-surgery (OR: 0.53; 95% CI: 0.37-0.77). No arthrodesis studies were found which contained mean 5-year follow-up data within the study period.

Conclusion
Despite recent developments in TAA design, we found no clear evidence as to their superiority over ankle arthrodesis when considering patient outcomes two years postoperatively. However, this conclusion could be debatable in some types of patients such as diabetic patients, posttraumatic patients and patients with stiff hindfoot and midfoot.


The aim of the present investigation is to develop an optimized culture medium for direct induction of adventitious multiple shoots from nodal explants of Bacopa monnieri an important medicinal herb. The nodal explants were excised from the in vivo B. monnieri and were inoculated over different media fortified with cytokinins BAP or KIN alone or in combination with IAA for in vitro response. The rooting was established with Murashige and Skoog media containing with auxin NAA. All the treatments are performed in a controlled aseptic chamber and maintained the cultures at temperature 22oC for 4 and 2 weeks respectively for shoot induction and rhizogenesis. The results are expressed in mean of three replicates with standard error. Adventitious multiple shoots proliferated from nodal explants cultured on all the tested media. The highest percent shoot induction, shoot number per node and shoot length was observed on MS medium containing BAP(1.5mg/l) and IAA(0.5mg/l). The excised shootlets cultured on MS media fortified with various levels of NAA and identified 0.2mg/l NAA was best for maximum rhizogenesis. The rooted plants were successfully transferred to the field. Overall, the present study showed superior results for shoot number per node over previous reports. Therefore, it is hoped that this report will contribute to our knowledge about in vitro mass propagation of medicinal herb B. monnieri.


"The Six-Gun Mystique Sequel" is a revised and considerably expanded edition of "The Six-Gun Mystique," a pioneering study of the Western as a popular genre that has been widely influential since its original publication in 1970. In this expanded version, Cawelti revises his analysis of the structural characteristics of the Western novel and film, synthesizing much of the rich discussion of the Western genre that has appeared since "The Six-Gun Mystique"'s original publication. To this structural analysis he adds a new account of the genre's history and its relationship to the myths of the West that have played such an influential role in American history. "The Six-Gun Mystique Sequel" concludes with an exploration of the continuing influence of Western themes and symbols on many aspects of postmodern American culture, and an assessment of the critical tradition that has developed around the Western genre. The appendices of the book are also revised and expanded to include useful lists of the most important Western novels and films, as well as the best critical and historical studies of different aspects of the genre.


Nonstochiometric mixed oxides are often of interest for their novel catalytic or material properties yet are often difficult to synthesize in easily characterizable forms. We report on the use of low-temperature epitaxy of Ca and Mg under oxidizing conditions to yield mixed thin film oxides. Low-energy electron diffraction showed that the mixed oxides grew as single crystals over a wide range of compositions. We compare the water adsorption characteristics of the mixed oxide to that of CaO and MgO and find that the mixed oxide behavior is not a linear combination of the two pure oxide systems. The thermal stability of the mixed oxide film was checked by Auger electron ratios for an oxide−oxide "sandwich" after various "flash" anneals. This and water adsorption results suggest intimate atomic-scale mixing exists until flashed above 1100 K.


1.1 Anatomy and knee joint function The knee joint is classified as a modified hinge joint, with its structure providing a highly mobile and complex joint (fig.1). It consists of two condylar joints between the medial and lateral condyles of the femur and the corresponding plateaus of the tibia, and anteriorly a synovial plane patellofemoral joint. The articular surface of the knee is covered by Hyaline cartilage that is supported by subchondral bone. This Hyaline cartilage is very soft and yields its interstitial water easily when compressed yet it is very stiff in tension along planes parallel to the articular surface (Buckwalter and Mow, 2003). Intact cartilage provides a smooth, lubricated gliding surface with a coefficient of friction better than most man-made bearing materials (Buckwalter and Mow, 2003). In the knee articular cartilage distributes the loads of articulation, thereby minimizing peak stresses acting on the subchondral bone whilst the tensile strength of the tissue maintains its structural integrity under loading. These biomechanical properties make the tissue remarkably durable and wear resistant, enabling it to last many decades, even under high and repetitive stresses (Buckwalter and Mow, 2003).


John Updike says: Any act of description is, to some extent, an act of praise, so that even when the event is unpleasant or horrifying or spiritually stunning, the very attempt to describe it is, in some way, part of that Old Testament injunction to give praise. Even though my books strike many people as immoral or morally useless, to me they are really moral investigations of how we live, and harsh, perhaps, because the standards are otherworldly. There was a tradition among my peers for frank and open talk, and I'd always been a rather shy, priggish, unexperienced adolescent. So maybe my revenge as a young adult was to put down all the dirty words that I'd always been a little shy about using. James Plath, a professor of English at Illinois Wesleyan University, is editor-publisher of "Clockwatch Review" and director of Hemingway Days Writer's Workshop and Conference in Key West.


The study of active galaxies in extragalactic X-ray astronomy covers a substantial range of objects between "normalv galaxies, such as our own, and clusters of galaxies. The X-rays from normal galaxies can be considered as the summed emission from individual galactic X-ray sources, as observed in our own galaxy, described as primarily supernova remnants and binary systems containing accreting white dwarfs , neutron stars , or black holes. Clusters of galaxies may contain individual X-ray emitting galaxies, but the emission is dominated by hot intracluster gas. In between these two lie's a zoo of X-ray emitting objects including radio galaxies, emission line galaxies, Seyfert galaxies, BL Lac objects and quasars. The nature of these objects, their energy generating mechanisms and their relation to each other is not fully known. However, i t i s likely that the bulk of the X-ray emission from them all is associated with activity in galactic nuclei. We thus look toward the X-ray observations to help us understand these objects.


We describe a series of programs and scripts under development for the USGS digital cartography and image processing software system ISIS that will make it possible for users to create digital elevation models with single-pixel resolution from images of interest. The key program is an implementation of the two-dimensional photoclinometry (shape-from-shading) algorithm of Kirk (1987) with a graphical user interface designed to reduce the difficulty of operation substantially. Supporting programs and scripts can be used to estimate the surface and atmospheric photometric parameters used in the photoclinometric model, in order to maximize the quantitative accuracy of the results. * Correspondence author.


Studies are needed to correlate central nervous system regenerative events to those degenerative events occurring in the periphery. We need to understand the complex relationship between the reinnervated peripheral end organs and integration of impulses to the central nervous system.


PURPOSE
To review common complications noted with LASIK.

METHODS
Review of personal experience of the author with the procedure and work published in the literature.

RESULTS
The most common complications of the LASIK procedure include flap irregularities, epithelium and other materials within the lamellar interface, irregular astigmatism, regular astigmatism, regression, and overcorrection. Infection is a rare but potentially serious complication.

CONCLUSIONS
LASIK has impressive potential for the correction of myopia and hyperopia. Surgeons who perform the procedure must be familiar with recognition and treatment of potential complications of LASIK.


Nitric oxide (NO) is an important inflammatory mediator produced from arginine. NO has a multitude of functions which could impact favorably on vaso-occlusion in sickle cell disease (SCD) including improvement in endothelial dysfunction, increased blood flow and a decrease in antioxidant stress. SCD patients have low NO and arginine levels. In preliminary animal studies using the sickle mouse model, arginine supplementation decreased the mean corpuscular hemoglobin concentration and the percentage of dense cells via a reduction in Gardos channel activity1. In humans with SCD, oral arginine increased NO levels in patients with vaso-occlusive crisis but not when patients were at well. In an attempt to determine if daily oral arginine would result in an increase in NO and other beneficial effects, the CSCC launched a multi-institution, blinded, phase II study of arginine in SCD. Children and adults were treated for three months with one of two doses of arginine (.05g/kg/day or .1 g/kg/day) or placebo. The pediatric and adult cohorts were analyzed separately. For this phase II study, the following laboratory values were chosen as surrogates for clinical benefit: NOx, RBC Gardos channel activity, RBC density, sVCAM, nitrotyrosine, ektacytometry, endothelin-1, and fetal hemoglobin. To determine the impact of arginine on these laboratory measures, patients had 3 baseline assessments in the 4 weeks prior to starting therapy with arginine. An average of these 3 measurements was used to determine change from baseline during therapy with arginine. Laboratory outcomes after one month and three months of therapy with arginine were compared with the average baseline measurement. This report summarizes the results of the pediatric cohort of patients. Fifty-one children were enrolled in the study and 48 completed at least one month of study drug making them evaluable. Arginine levels did not change significantly during treatment in any of the arms. The average percent change from baseline to 3 months on study drug being +18% for placebo, +35% for low dose arginine, and +19% for high dose arginine). None of the three primary outcome variables (NO, Gardos channel activity, RBC density) changed significantly with arginine therapy after one month or after 3 months of arginine. After 3 months of study drug, the average percentage change from baseline in NO was −33% for low dose arginine, +4% for high dose arginine, and +8% for placebo. Gardos channel activity changes were −1% for low dose, +3% for high dose, and +9% for placebo. RBC density changes were +10% for low dose, +11% for high dose, and −6% for placebo. Similarly, none of the other outcome variables changed with treatment at either one or 3 months. There were no significant differences in adverse events between the three treatment groups. Our data indicate that oral arginine therapy does not seem to provide clinical benefit for pediatric patients with SCD based on assessment of these selected laboratory outcomes. It is possible that the doses of arginine used in this study were not sufficient to produce significant changes in the laboratory measures chosen. It is also possible that children, due to less severe arginine deficiency, did not respond as well as adults with SCD. Supported by NHLBI U54HL070587.


This study was conducted to determine the effect of different concentrations of salicylic acid (SA) (control, 0.01, 0.10, 1.00 mM) on carotenoids and chlorophyll content and its retinol activity equivalents (RAE) value in Ficus deltoidea Jack var. trengganuensis leaves. In this study, 12 seedlings of Ficus deltoidea Jack var. trengganuensis were sprayed with different concentrations of SA. Carotenoid content was determined using High-Performance Liquid Chromatography (HPLC) and chlorophyll content was determined using chlorophyll meter. Retinol activity equivalents were calculated using RAE formulation. From the results obtained, two types of carotenoids, lutein and β-carotene, were detected in HPLC. The highest lutein and β-carotene content present in Ficus deltoidea Jack var. trengganuensis leaves extract was found in 0.10 mM SA treatment (93.50 ± 0.71 μg/g DW) for lutein and (282.00 ± 46.67 μg/g DW) for βcarotene, while the lowest lutein compound was found in 1.00 mM SA treatment (30.25 ± 1.77 μg/g DW) while the least β-carotenoid content was found in (1.00 mM SA) treatment (63.00 ± 0.71 μg/g DW). The same goes for retinol activity equivalents, the highest retinol activity equivalents was recorded in 0.10 mM SA treatment while lowest in 1.00 mM SA treatment. For chlorophyll content, the highest reading was showed in 0.10 mM SA treatment (73.50 ± 0.71 μg/g DW) while the lowest reading was in 1.00mM SA treatment (42.10 ± 1.41 μg/g DW). From this study, it can be concluded that salicylic acid at a certain concentration could increase or improve the carotenoid or chlorophyll content. Thus, it could be an alternative source of carotenoid and chlorophyll for the food and pharmaceutical industry in the future.


The effect of lead anode, rotating cylinder electrode (RCE), amount of 1,2-dihydroxypropane (12-DHP), temperature and rotation on the electrowinning of copper from low concentration acidified copper sulphate solution has been investigated. Copper powder was electrodeposited onto RCE that made of pure copper. From cyclic voltammetry experiments, an empirical parameter called the departure percent, S, was obtained which may represent the stability of the organic additive in the given medium and under the experimental conditions. The inhibition percentage, P, was 0.00 - 89.91% depending on the experimental variables. P was affected by temperature and mole fraction of 12-DHP, while rotation did not show any influence on it. Values of activation energy of electrodeposition process, Ea, were found to be less than 28 kJ mol-1 indicating diffusion controlled process. The overall mass transfer correlations under the present conditions have been computed using the dimensional analysis method. The data were valid for 90 < Sh < 1098, 737 < Sc < 59284 and 271 < Re < 7046 and the results agreed with the previous studies of mass transfer to rotating cylinders in turbulent flow regimes. The effect of time, content of 12-DHP, temperature and the speed of rotation on the morphological changes of the electrodeposited copper powder as well as deposits composition and crystallite size have been studied. Various crystallite sizes ranged 7.1 nm - 250.6 nm were obtained and characterized by EDS and XRD. Different topographs proved that the rate of copper electrodeposition increased by increasing deposition time, temperature and the speed of rotation. Also, they proved that the deposition rate decreased by adding 12-DHP to the solution. Therefore, the results obtained by SEM supported those achieved by measuring the limiting current density and follow the normal manner when organic solvents were added to the electrodeposition bath.


Abstract Background Major sporting events are postulated to reduce suicide rates by increased social connectedness, by identifying with winning teams, or, conversely, to increase suicide rates by the 'broken promise effect'. Methods In our observational epidemiological study, we investigated changes in suicide rates between 1970 and 2017 in Austria, Germany and Switzerland during the European and World Soccer Championships in general, and on days that the home team played, won or lost. Results Combining all three studied nations no statistically significant change in the incidence of daily suicides during soccer championships compared to a control period was noted (38.29 ± 9.02 vs. 37.33 ± 10.58; incidence risk ratio = 1.03; 95% confidence interval: 1.01–1.05, P = 0.05). Essentially, no differences in the expected directions were found, and none remained statistically significant after correcting for multiple comparisons in subgroups for country, age and gender in all three studied countries. Compared to a control period, neither a significant difference in the respective national suicide rate was found after Germany's four championship victories nor after Austria's emotional only win over Germany. Conclusion Our results do not support the assumption of increased social connectedness and, thus, lowered suicide risk during major sporting events or changes in suicide risk depending on the outcome of important games as predicted by the broken promise effect or changes in self-efficacy by identification with winning teams.


The objective of the present study was to formulate Surface solid dispersions (SSD) of Irbesartan to improve the solubility and dissolution rate to facilitate faster onset of action. Irbesartan is a BCS-II drug having low solubility and low availability. In the present study, SSD's of Irbesartan with four different superdisintegrants (Crospovidone, Croscarmellose sodium, Sodium starch glycolate, Pre-gelatinized starch) with five different drug-carrier ratios were prepared by solvent evaporation method. SSD's were characterized by assay & content uniformity, FT-IR studies, PXRD (Powder X- ray diffractometry, DSC (differential scanning calorimetry), Gas chromatography and in vitro dissolution studies. The dissolution profile of prepared dispersion of Irbesartan: SSG in 1:7 ratio were faster compared to other carriers, DSC studies revealed that there was no interaction between drug: carrier where as the PXRD demonstrated that there was a significant decrease in crystallinity of pure drug present in the surface solid dispersions, which resulted in an increased dissolution rate of Irbesartan.


This study aims to explore the role of actors in presenting financial statements and those who manage assets in performing the presentation of fixed assets figures in the balance sheet. These actors consist of the major parts in various stories. Dramaturgy was employed as a method to analyze the roles, coupled with an analysis of impression management from John and Pittman Taxonomy. A thorough research review was conducted on the front stage. In some scenes, the actors performed intimidation when forcing other actors to present the asset data instantly. In another time, ingratiation was done to cover the weak-nesses when the assets caretaker felt neglected. The role of self-promotion was performed by the Financial Manager of Regional Work Unit (PPK-SKPD) when he wanted to show that he had worked hard to prepare the balance sheet and refuses to bear the errors when the balance sheet presenting assets data was in trouble. Impression management techniques were used entirely by the actors to show the desired self-image, at certain time and in cer-tain circumstances. The roles played by the actors give rise to the phenomenon that the fixed assets figures presented in the balance sheet rest on the condition of incomprehension, dependency, and distrust between the actors. The presentation of fixed assets figures in the balance sheet shows a series of accounting process filled by conflict, as seen throughout the show. This research is expected to increase the study in the context of academic on the topic of fixed assets, particularly in the public sector (government).


Summary: In a screening programme, many new compounds were found that induced myxospore formation in Stigmatella aurantiaca strain Sg a1. The most efficient compounds were indole and indole derivatives, e.g. 3-methylindole. With an inducing concentration of 0.07 mM, this compound was about 2000 times more efficient than glycerol. Indole compounds, which have also been found as natural metabolites of myxobacteria, are thus candidates for auto-inducers within the fruiting bodies. Mutants were isolated that were resistant to particular inducers. They often showed cross-resistance to many other inducers. By the sporulation response of three different mutants, the inducers could be classified into four groups. Strains resistant to inducers of, e.g. group I were still sensitive to inducers of groups II and III, and vice versa. This classification was supported by newly discovered inhibitors of induced sporulation. These inhibitors, oxindole and pyrrole, were specific for inducers of group I. The grouping is further supported by differences in the kinetics of myxospore formation. We postulate that S. aurantiaca has three inducer-specific, independent receptors.


An independent commission that called for radical reform of health and social care and more funding has faced "institutional resistance," its leader had told MPs.

Kate Barker, a business economist at the King's Fund, chaired a review published in September1 that said England should move to a single ringfenced budget for health and social care, with a single commissioner to simplify procedures and rescue a social care system in danger of collapse. She was questioned about the commission's findings by the Commons health select committee on 18 November.

The independent commission recommended that social care should be provided free at the point of use for more people and paid for by tax and welfare changes that would affect middle aged and elderly people. It estimated that providing free social care for all people whose needs …


The size distribution of non-catastrophic flux jumps in cylindrical specimens of Pb + 2 at.~ In alloys in an axial, homogeneous linearly swept magnetic field has been measured as a function of field at 4.2°K. The distribution was found to be of the form N(¢) = N(O) exp(-¢I¢), where the mean bundle size ¢was of the order . 2 4 of 10 ¢ to 10 ¢. The fraction of the entering flux participating ~ . in the jumps was found to have a field dependence approximating that of ¢. When surface superconductivity was present, the jumping per-slsted up to H


Trusted Computing, used as a security technology, can establish trust between multiple parties. One implementation of Trusted Computing Technology standardized by the Trusted Computing Group is the Trusted Platform Module (TPM). We build on the security provided by the TPM to create a trusted variant of Identity Management Systems based on the popular OpenID protocol. We show that it is feasible to bind OpenID identities to the trustworthiness of the device. Our concept and implementation builds on previous work which showed that Trusted Computing can be used to create tickets. In this work, we use such tickets as a building block to establish trust between the identity provider and the device.


Can a case be made for permitting, encouraging and protecting the activity of heckling? Heckling has the effect of disconcerting speakers and preventing them from the presentation of their speech on exactly the terms that they have planned. And that is actually the purpose and the value of heckling. At a time when political choreography dominates public speech, it is a good idea to encourage modes of speech and interaction that do not require a passive audience sitting still to attend to speech on exactly the speaker's own terms. Heckling can be viewed through the lens of suppression of speech, disruption, and the potential for violence ("the heckler's veto"); or it can be viewed through the lens of lively exchange and a more interactive understanding of free speech values. This paper takes the latter perspective, and uses it to analyze and evaluate campus speech issues and questions such as the relation between speakers' rights and listeners' rights.


Abstract. Venice is an iconic place and a paradigm of a huge historical and cultural value at risk. The frequency of flooding of the city centre has dramatically increased in recent decades and this threat is expected to continue to grow and even accelerate through this century. This special issue collects three review papers addressing different and complementary aspects of the hazards causing the flooding of Venice: (1) the relative sea level rise, (2) the occurrence of extreme sea levels, and (3) the flood prediction. It emerges that the effect of compound events poses critical challenges to the forecast of floods, particularly from the perspective of effectively operating the new MoSE mobile barriers. Two strands of research are needed in the future. Firstly, there is a need to better understand and reduce the uncertainty on the future evolution of relative sea level and its extremes at Venice. However, uncertainty might not be substantially reduced in the near future, reflecting uncertain anthropogenic emissions and structural model features. Hence, complementary adaptive planning strategies appropriate for conditions of uncertainty should be explored and developed in the future.


The use of magnetron sputtering film as a diffusion source was recently achieved in the industrial production of important grain-boundary-diffusion magnets. In this paper, the multicomponent diffusion source film is explored to optimize the microstructure of NdFeB magnets and improve their magnetic properties. Multicomponent Tb60Pr10Cu10Al10Zn10 films of 10 μm in thickness and single Tb films of 10 μm in thickness were deposited on commercial NdFeB magnets' surfaces by magnetron sputtering as diffusion sources for grain boundary diffusion. The effects of diffusion on the microstructure and magnetic properties of the magnets were investigated. The coercivity of multicomponent diffusion magnets and single Tb diffusion magnets increased from 11.54 kOe to 18.89 kOe and 17.80 kOe, respectively. The microstructure and element distribution of diffusion magnets were characterized by scanning electron microscope and transmission electron microscopy. The multicomponent diffusion facilitates the infiltration of Tb along grain boundaries, rather than entering the main phase, thereby improving the Tb diffusion utilization. Furthermore, compared to the Tb diffusion magnet, the thicker thin-grain boundary was observed in multicomponent diffusion magnets. This thicker thin-grain boundary can effectively serve as the impetus for the magnetic exchange/coupling between grains. Therefore, the multicomponent diffusion magnets have higher coercivity and remanence. The multicomponent diffusion source has an increased mixing entropy and decreased Gibbs free energy, and it therefore does not easily enter the main phase but is retained in the grain boundary, thus optimizing the microstructure of the diffusion magnet. Our results show that the multicomponent diffusion source is an effective route for fabricating diffusion magnets with high performance.


This paper aims to investigate the presence of feminism in Pakistani fiction in the postcolonial perspective and attempts to glocalize the feministic trends available in Pakistani fiction in terms of the wider scenario of feminism in the world. The women's portrayal in Pakistani fiction shows a remarkable feministic tendency of the writers in accordance with the changing times in Indo-Pak subcontinent under the influence of British colonialism in India. The first change in the portrayal of women came because of the reformist agenda of the Indian Muslims and the second major development took place because of the Progressive Writers Movement, which provided a basis for the new images of women created by the modern Pakistani diaspora writers. Therefore, most of the issues discussed by the Pakistani writers of fiction can be discussed and analyzed with reference to the theory of postcolonial feminism. The paper deals with the differences between Western feminism and postcolonial feminism in the light of views of postcolonial critics regarding various aspects of postcolonial feminism. With reference to this discussion, an endeavor will be made to explore postcolonial feminist fiction to assess the role of fiction writers in representing the issues of women in the context of Pakistani political situation.


Purpose: Weight gain often coincides with aging. Post pancreas transplant, can allografts compensate to the added body mass?
 Methods: We conducted a retrospective review of pancreas transplant at CUIMC from 1/1/08-11/1/22. All were >18 yo and underwent simultaneous kidney pancreas transplant, pancreas after kidney, or pancreas alone. Patients with <1yr graft survival were excluded. We compared recipient and donor factors of recipients with functional grafts (FF) vs those with post-transplant graft dysfunction (PTGD).
 Results: 121 patients were included. BMI at evaluation 24.2±3.2kg/m2. 11.6% had T2DM. Pre-operative A1C was 8.2±1.7%. Donor age was 24.7±11yo with BMI 23.7±6kg/m2. 20 (17%) of recipients developed PTGD defined as an A1C>6.5% or need for diabetes medication. 50% of PTGD had BMI gain >5kg/m2 vs 25% FF (p=0.01). Most recent A1C 6.8±4% PTGD vs 5.3±3.5% FF (p<0.01). Donor age was higher in PTGD vs FF (29.6±10.5 vs 23.7±10.9 yo, p=0.03) On subanalysis of those who increased BMI >5kg/m2, donor age >30yo was associated with PTGD (p=0.03) (Fig 1). Comparing donor age >or<30yo, odds of PTGD with BMI gain was 12X with donors >30yo vs 1.2X with donors <30yo. Factors associated with BMI increase were age <40yo at transplant and BMI >25kg/m2 at evaluation.
 Conclusions: When transplanting a patient <40yo with a BMI>25kg/m2, consider that they have an increased risk of weight gain after transplant and use a graft <30yo.

 K.R.Mccune: None.


Session-based recommendation (SR) has become an important and popular component of various e-commerce platforms, which aims to predict the next interacted item based on a given session. Most of existing SR models only focus on exploiting the consecutive items in a session interacted by a certain user, to capture the transition pattern among the items. Although some of them have been proven effective, the following two insights are often neglected. First, a user's micro-behaviors, such as the manner in which the user locates an item, the activities that the user commits on an item (e.g., reading comments, adding to cart), offer fine-grained and deep understanding of the user's preference. Second, the item attributes, also known as item knowledge, provide side information to model the transition pattern among interacted items and alleviate the data sparsity problem. These insights motivate us to propose a novel SR model MKM-SR in this paper, which incorporates user Micro-behaviors and item Knowledge into Multi-task learning for Session-based Recommendation. Specifically, a given session is modeled on micro-behavior level in MKM-SR, i.e., with a sequence of item-operation pairs rather than a sequence of items, to capture the transition pattern in the session sufficiently. Furthermore, we propose a multi-task learning paradigm to involve learning knowledge embeddings which plays a role as an auxiliary task to promote the major task of SR. It enables our model to obtain better session representations, resulting in more precise SR recommendation results. The extensive evaluations on two benchmark datasets demonstrate MKM-SR's superiority over the state-of-the-art SR models, justifying the strategy of incorporating knowledge learning.


A new lipid emulsion for parenteral nutrition, Elolipid, was evaluated for in vitro stability as a component of an all-in-one nutrition solution and, in an open prospective investigation, for clinical tolerance and utilisation in intensive care patients with a broad spectrum of underlying diseases and organ dysfunctions. In vitro stability was determined by photon correlation spectroscopy (mean particle diameter) and Coulter Counter cell sizing (particle size distribution) after 0, 24, 48, 96 h of storage at temperatures of 4 degrees C and 25 degrees C. Mean particle diameter of 330 nm was not altered at any storage time or temperature. The portion of particles with an diameter of greater than 1,000 nm increased mildly during storage of 96 h at room temperature. 31 critically ill patients (mean age 55 +/- 3 years) entered the clinical study: 23 subjects were on artificial ventilation, 15 acquired septicemia, 9 renal insufficiency, and 7 acute or chronic hepatic failure. Fat was given as a component of an all-in-one solution at a rate of 1 g/kg b.w./day for a mean duration of 10 +/- 2 days. Plasma triglycerice concentrations rose mildly between days 3 and 5 only, but in none of the patients the infusion had to be stopped. Lipid-related disturbances of glucose or electrolyte metabolism, hepatic function, cholestasis, induction of disseminated coagulation, impairment of pulmonary gas exchange or renal function were not seen. 7 of 31 patients (22%) died. Side effects of complications attributable to the fat infusion could not be identified. It is concluded that the new lipid emulsion Elolipid is stable as a component of an all-in-one parenteral nutrition solution, is free of side effects and is well-tolerated and utilized even in critically ill patients with multiple organ dysfunctions.


Low soil fertility is recognized as the major constraint to rainfed cereal production in the Sahel. Given that most farmers can not afford enough fertilizer to cover all their fields, it is important to fine-tune the recommendations to maximize the fertilizer economic return at farm level while minimizing economic risks linked to climate fluctuations. This study was designed to help draw site/year/farm specific recommendations regarding hill placed application of mineral fertilizer either combined or not with organic amendments. A three year, multi-factorial experiment was conducted on-farm on three sites from 2003 to 2005 to test the effect of hill-placed application of small doses of DAP fertilizers on three pearl millet (Pennisetum glaucum (L.) R. Br.) genotypes for a range of organic amendments. Results showed a consistent grain yield increase due to fertilizer application for the no-manure plots on 2 sites, the fertility level of the third site being good enough to mask to effect of mineral fertilizer with the exception of 2004, marked by an early drought. In normal conditions, no synergism was detected between organic and mineral fertilizer. However it became apparent in the case of re-sowing or late sowing with a larger effect of mineral fertilizer on manure plots.


We provide a general framework for characterizing the trade-off between accuracy and robustness in supervised learning. We propose a method and define quantities to characterize the trade-off between accuracy and robustness for a given architecture, and provide theoretical insight into the trade-off. Specifically we introduce a simple trade-off curve, define and study an influence function that captures the sensitivity, under adversarial attack, of the optima of a given loss function. We further show how adversarial training regularizes the parameters in an over-parameterized linear model, recovering the LASSO and ridge regression as special cases, which also allows us to theoretically analyze the behavior of the trade-off curve. In experiments, we demonstrate the corresponding trade-off curves of neural networks and how they vary with respect to factors such as number of layers, neurons, and across different network structures. Such information provides a useful guideline to architecture selection.


This article contrasts the liberal idea of a "sleeping sovereign" with the democratic one of a "sovereign awakened." The right to protest is defended as an expression of popular sovereignty, envisaged as a right to popular "self-awakening" instigated by an imperative call of duty not reducible to a set of liberal individual rights. In contrast to some approaches of agonistic democracy, it is argued that democratically breaking the rules of the game of liberal democracy is an indispensable dimension of democratic protest. Taking into account Étienne Balibar's thoughts about a rule-breaking right to have rights, it is suggested we revisit the French Constitution of 1793, in which a popular duty to insurrection is enshrined. The article ends with the proposal to supplement insurrectionary accounts of sovereignty with a Gramscian view that would insist on the necessity of hegemonically constructing a democratic "collective will."


This article addresses important results for the consolidation of the microemulsification-based method (MEC), an approach recently proposed by these authors, which represents a powerful output for the deployment of point-of-use technologies. In MEC, the detection is conducted in a solution with the naked eyes. It relies on the effect of the analyte on the formation of microemulsions (MEs). The minimum volume fraction of amphiphile needed to obtain ME (ΦME) is the analytical response whose measurement is based on binary chemical information: the cloudy-to-transparent transition that occurs with microemulsification. Accordingly, this signal can be precisely detected with the naked eye, thus enabling precise determinations. The experiments that were accomplished are as follows: robustness investigation and the direct determination of ethanol in fermentation broths of sugar cane. Dispersions were composed of water, oleic acid, and ethanol as hydrophilic (W), hydrophobic (O), and amphiphilic (AP) phases, respectively. Standards of analyte were added to the W phase before the addition of AP in the W–O mixture to attain the analytical curves. For application, the samples were directly used as the W phase. Our approach was somewhat robust with regard to deviations in volumetric preparation of the dispersions and changes in temperature and conductivity. Lastly, the reliability of the MEC was evaluated in the determination of ethanol in fermentation broths of sugar cane. The results were astoundingly accurate after direct analyses with the naked-eye detection. Usually, for these samples the dilution and separation steps require tools such as chromatography and electrophoresis. Limit of linearity, analytical sensitivity, and limit of detection were 70.00% v/v ethanol to water, −0.39, and 1.34% v/v, respectively. MEC stands out in relation to the other methods reported in literature for the determination of ethanol in alcoholic beverages and fermentation broths when considering parameters of wide linearity and low-cost. Indeed, our method is unique in ensuring precise determinations without instrumental detection, requiring only the naked eye. It represents a remarkable aspect for point-of-use measurements. In contrast, MEC is not applicable for trace chemical analyses because of its poor limit of detection.


In this paper, we demonstrate a surfactant-free method to fabricate large-area SWCNT film based transparent conductive (SWCNT-TC) electrodes with uniform properties (optical and electrical) via the fusion of layer-by-layer (LBL) deposition. The optical and electrical properties of SWCNT-TC electrodes are comparable to those of typical metal oxide electrodes after the SWCNT-TC electrode is further treated by acid (HNO3/H2SO4) and SOCl2. The sheet resistance of SWCNT-TC electrodes is measured to be ∼34.9 Ω/sq and the transmittance is ∼71.9% at 550 nm. Moreover, our work addressed a long-term argument regarding whether the improvement in conductivity of SWCNT-TC electrodes after acid treatment is, as was proposed, attributed to sufficient removal of surfactant; our result implicitly indicates that the improved conductivity may be due to the down-shifting of the Fermi level induced by the charge transfer between the SWCNTs and doped species after acid treatment. In addition, the high quality (I(D)/I(G) < 1) a...


The pathogenetic mechanisms underlying Bell's palsy remain obscure, despite the extensive relevant research. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) studies have strongly indicated that facial nerve edema cannot be regarded as the sole etiologic factor, because it might persist long after full clinical recovery, or might be demonstrated in the clinically unaffected side or healthy controls. The aim of this study was to investigate the hypothesis that a narrow facial canal might be implicated in the pathophysiology of Bell's palsy.


Water is a vehicle for disseminating human and veterinary toxoplasmosis due to oocyst contamination. Several outbreaks of toxoplasmosis throughout the world have been related to contaminated drinking water. We have developed a method for the detection of Toxoplasma gondii oocysts in water and we propose a strategy for the detection of multiple waterborne parasites, including Cryptosporidium spp. and Giardia. Water samples were filtered to recover Toxoplasma oocysts and, after the detection of Cryptosporidium oocysts and Giardia cysts by immunofluorescence, as recommended by French norm procedure NF T 90-455, the samples were purified on a sucrose density gradient. Detection of Toxoplasma was based on PCR amplification and mouse inoculation to determine the presence and infectivity of recovered oocysts. After experimental seeding assays, we determined that the PCR assay was more sensitive than the bioassay. This strategy was then applied to 482 environmental water samples collected since 2001. We detected Toxoplasma DNA in 37 environmental samples (7.7%), including public drinking water; however, none of them were positive by bioassay. This strategy efficiently detects Toxoplasma oocysts in water and may be suitable as a public health sentinel method. Alternative methods can be used in conjunction with this one to determine the infectivity of parasites that were detected by molecular methods.


Introduction: Androgenetic alopecia (AGA) is the most common alopecia affecting both genders leading to a potential decrease in quality of life and self-esteem. A current concern in trichology is how to accurately measure clinical response in both daily medical practice and academic research. Hair-to-hair (H2H)-matching technology™ has recently emerged as a technique to evaluate variations in follicular units, hair shaft number, and thickness. This study aimed to describe the methodology employed in a clinical trial using this technology to test the efficacy of botulinum toxin (BT) for male AGA. Methods: This pilot study is a triple-blind, randomized, split scalp, placebo-controlled clinical trial. Patients enrolled were submitted to injections half of the scalp with 50 IU of BT and the other half with 1 mL of normal saline as a control. The trial involved three visits (weeks 0, 12, and 24) and 8 global clinical photographs followed by H2H-matching trichoscopy were captured before the injections at each visit. Paired t test analysis was employed for matched pairs of the following parameters: total hair count, the total number of terminal hair strands, average shaft thickness, and the number of hairs lost or gained during each visit. Then, the software compared the differences between the two sides (BT vs. placebo) per scalp zone and a long time. Conclusion: The combination of manually corrected image processing, follicular map, and H2H-matching technology™ appears to be the most precise way to evaluate changes in hair count and thickness over time. The design is reproducible and can help other researchers and dermatologists in their clinical practice to obtain reliable results in similar scientific research.


Heyde's syndrome encompasses the triad of aortic stenosis (AS), angiodysplasia, and acquired Von Willebrand's disease (aVWD). The disease itself is a rare association that affects a small subset of patients who suffer from aortic stenosis. Nonetheless, it represents a vital area of clinical interest and is woefully underreported in the literature. Patients with Heyde's syndrome develop gastrointestinal bleeding (GI) as a result of angiodysplasia and due to lack of adequate hemostasis, they tend to be positively predisposed toward developing gastrointestinal hemorrhage. Due to the glaring lack of comprehensive literature on Heyde's syndrome, this systematic review aims to bridge the gap by elucidating the various diagnostic and treatment options available to clinicians for Heyde's syndrome patients as well as to give a detailed account of the pathophysiology of the disease. This systematic review was done in accordance with the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analysis (PRISMA) guidelines. Google Scholar, Gulf Medical University (GMU) e-library, and PubMed were thoroughly searched for studies done in the last 10 years, which corresponds with our outlined inclusion and exclusion criteria. Relevant studies were then selected on the basis of their abstracts and titles. These studies then underwent a comprehensive quality assessment in which any papers which did not meet this study's eligibility criteria were omitted. Overall, 18 studies fulfilled the criteria of this systematic review.


Purpose
Industrialized construction (IC) is promoted to address some of the ills associated with the processes and products of the traditional construction approach. With several successful projects, IC is progressively becoming a preferred alternative construction approach and spurred the interest of contractors, developers and housing authorities in the technology. Increasingly, these stakeholders are keen to ascertain the compatibility and feasibility of using IC in their projects. This paper aims to develop a knowledge-based decision support framework for implementing industrialized construction projects (ICPs) that can facilitate better and informed decision-making when deciding to implement ICPs.

Design/methodology/approach
A comprehensive literature review was implemented to recruit 40 decision support factors (DSFs) and grouped into project requirements, location and site attribute, labour considerations and organizational factors. A 3-member expert panel validated the relevance of 35 DSFs, which became candidates for a structured questionnaire survey of experts in 18 countries. Statistical techniques are used to evaluate and prioritize the DSFs, leading to the development of a conceptual framework.

Findings
Statistical analysis revealed 33 significant DSFs. The top five most significant factors that could influence the decision to implement IC in a project include a stringent requirement for project quality control, suitability of the design for IC, organizational readiness and competencies in ICPs, client receptivity to IC and the need to minimize field construction time. A framework of project requirements, location and site attributes, labour considerations and organizational factors was proposed as decision support.

Practical implications
The proposed framework may help to inform decision-making regarding the implementation of IC in a project. It has wider applicability because it includes technical, managerial and operational aspects of and the required competencies for IC, which are shared between project types and territories. The prioritized DSFs could be used as a guide when implementing IC, especially in countries where bespoke decision support systems cannot be developed.

Originality/value
The paper delineated the most important DSFs that are shared between IC project types and territories and can be used to investigate the compatibility of using IC in a proposed project. This research constitutes the first exclusive attempt at delineating, quantifying and ranking the sets of decision-making factors, drawing on international data set and contributes to the empirical checklist of DSFs for ICPs.


ABSTRACT This research aimed to examine the influence of Corporate Social Responsibility and Good Corporate Governance on the company's performance in the banking sector. Corporate Social Responsibility used disclosure standards of the Global Reporting Initiative (GRI). Meanwhile Good Corporate Governance consisted of three variables, i.e the board of commissioners, audit committee and board of directors. The company's performance is measured by using the Return On Assets. In this research, four hypotheses were establihed based on the correlation between corporate social responsibility and good corporate governance on the company's performance in the banking sector. Based on the purposive sampling method, this research used 10 samples of banking companies listed on the Indonesia Stock Exchange (IDX) from 2012 to 2014. The hypotheses were tested using the multiple regression analysis. The results of the research indicated that Corporate Social Responsibility had a positive and significant influence on the company's performance. Good Corporate Governance represented by the audit committee and the board of directors had a positive insignificant influence on the company's performance. Meanwhile, Good Corporate Governance represented by the board of commissioners had no positive and significant to the influence on the company's performance. Keywords : Corporate Social Responsibility, good corporate governance and company's performance


This article deals with the reasons why we recommend to the Government that electrification of the Government Railroads should be carried out as quickly as possible under the present situations.Most important reasons for the necessity of railroad electrification are the characteristics of energy-construction in Japan and the fact that the thermal efficiency of the steam locomotives is the lowest among the big consumers of coal in Japan.Hereupon the electrification will enable us to promote the economic rehabilitation as the result of the improvement of energy-construction in Japan.


A cranial vault Osteoma is relatively common benign tumor. Mushroom shaped skull osteoma is, however, extremely rare. Twenty seven years old female developed slow growing hard mass posterior to the ear. CT scan revealed a mushroom shaped osseous mass approximately 2.5 cm in diameter protruding from the temporal bone at the site of asterion. And the tumor was located over the right sigmoid sinus. The sigmoid sinus engraved approximately 4mm to the tumor and had a branching to one emissaries' vein. Operation was performed under general anesthesia. The tumor was excised first by cutting the base of the tumor, and then residual tumor was grinded using a round head cutting bar. A chisel dissection was not recommended because of underlining sinus. Histological findings were consistent with a benign osteoma. The postoperative course was uneventful. CT examination immediately done after operation revealed no evidence of intracranial hemorrhage, or injury of vessels. Osetoma was excised, and the surface of cranial bone at the operation site was smooth and cosmetically acceptable. At 6-months follow up, patient remains asymptomatic and recurrence free. CT examination with Multi Planer Reconstruction imaging or 3D reconstruction is highly recommended for the operational planning of cranial osteoma.


Background It is vital to share details of concrete experiences of conducting a nationwide survey, so that the global health community could adapt it to expand geographic mapping programs, eventually contributing to the development of control and elimination strategies with limited resources. A nationwide survey of schistosomiasis and nine other intestinal helminthiases was conducted from December 2016 to March 2017 in Sudan. Objectives We aimed to describe details of the key activities and components required for the nationwide survey of schistosomiasis and other intestinal helminthiases and to analyze its costs. Methods We estimated financial and economic costs from the provider's perspective. Cash expenditures incurred to implement the survey were defined as financial costs. We took into account all of the resources invested in the survey for economic costs, including the components that were not paid for, such as vehicles and survey equipment provided by the Ministry of Health, Sudan and the opportunity costs of primary school teachers' time spent on the survey. We ran one-way sensitivity and probabilistic analyses using Monte-Carlo methods with 10,000 draws to examine the robustness of the primary analysis results. Results A total of USD 1,465,902 and USD 1,516,238 was incurred for the financial and economic costs, respectively. The key cost drivers of the nationwide survey were personnel and transportation, for both financial and economic costs. Personnel and transportation accounted for around 64% and 18% of financial costs, respectively. Conclusions The cost is expected to vary depending on the quantity and quality of existing laboratory facilities, equipment, and consumables, and the capability of laboratory technicians and sample collectors. Establishing central-level and independent supervision mechanisms to ensure the quality of the survey is equally important. We expect the global health community to draw on this study when developing nationwide surveys of schistosomiasis and other intestinal helminthiases. Author Summary Although large-scale mapping of schistosomiasis and other intestinal helminthiases has been conducted in some countries, little is known about the details of nationwide surveys, such as the necessary scale of the workforce, logistics, and the cost of conducting a nationwide survey. A nationwide survey of schistosomiasis and nine other intestinal helminthiases was conducted from December 2016 to March 2017 in Sudan. A total of 105,167 students participated in the survey from 1,772 primary schools in 183 districts of all 18 states of Sudan. Herein, we present the activities that were necessary to prepare and conduct a nationwide neglected tropical disease survey, along with details on the types and amounts of personnel, survey equipment, and consumables that are required. In addition, through an analysis of the costs of the nationwide survey, we generated average costs at the district and sub-district level. The key cost drivers were personnel and transportation, both of which were recurrent costs. Establishing a steering committee to develop and reach consensus on a survey protocol, assessing the capacities of potential staff (particularly laboratory technicians), and training laboratory technicians and data collectors were key components required to prepare a nationwide survey. If a government finds a way to mobilize existing government officials with no additional payment using the health system already in place, the cost of a nationwide survey would be remarkably lower. We expect the global health community to draw on this study to develop nationwide surveys for schistosomiasis and other intestinal helminthiases.


C193 Background: Gefitinib, an inhibitor of epidermal growth factor receptor-tyrosine kinase, has shown favorable anti-tumor activity to a subset of patients with advanced non-small-cell lung cancer (NSCLC). However, gefitinib failed to significantly prolong survival in comparison to placebo in unselected population. Consequently, selection of patients who will benefit from this treatment is clinically important. We previously identified gefitinib-resistance related genes (GRRGs) by cDNA microarray analyses and reported that the responsiveness of NSCLC patients to gefitinib could be accurately evaluated by expression of 12 GRRGs. The goal of this study is to develop clinically useful and reproducible biomarker to predict clinical outcome of NSCLC patients treated by gefitinib. Methods: Tumor specimens obtained by mainly transbronchial biopsy from 41 advanced NSCLC patients treated with gefitinib were evaluated for the expression of GRRGs by quantitative RT-PCR, named quantitative RT-PCR evaluating EGFR-TKI efficacy of NSCLC (QUEEN). Gene expression score determined by QUEEN (called as QUEEN score) was calculated based on weighted vote method and this numerical scoring system was validated by leave-one-out approach and additional 24 test cases. Results: Gefitinib-efficacy prediction system was developed based on the GRRGs expression levels of 17 learning cases (seven partial response (PR) cases and 10 progressive disease (PD) cases). This numerical scoring system could correctly judge the responses to gefitinib in 88.2% (15/17) of learning cases and 94.1% (16/17) of additional test cases (seven PR cases and ten PD cases) for validation. Notably, this system could judge three stable disease (SD) cases who successfully controlled by gefitinib more than four months as responders. By contrast, four patients who determined clinically as SD but showed disease progression within three months were judged as non-responders. Moreover, the gefitinib-treated patients identified as responders by this system had a significantly better progression-free survival (PFS) (p Conclusion: Our scoring system based on the expression levels of GRRGs may thus be clinically useful as a predictive biomarker of gefitinib-treated NSCLC patients, in terms of the responses, PFS, and overall survival duration.


Objective The aim of this study was to evaluate the facial dimensions of young adult women with a preferred facial appearance and compare the results with those from the general population. Methods Twenty-five linear, nine angular, and three area measurements were made and four ratios were calculated using a sample of standardized frontal and lateral photographs of 46 young adult women with a preferred facial appearance (Miss Korea group) and 44 young adult women from the general population (control group). Differences between the two groups were analyzed using multivariate analysis of variance (MANOVA). Results Compared with the control group, the Miss Korea group exhibited a significantly greater facial height, total facial height (TFH; trichion-menton), facial width (tragus right-tragus left), facial depth (tragus-true vertical line), and trichion-nasion/TFH ratio and smaller subnasale-menton/TFH and facial width/TFH ratios. Furthermore, the control group had smaller intercanthal and interpupillary widths. Conclusions The Miss Korea group exhibited longer, wider, and deeper faces compared with those from the general population. Furthermore, the Miss Korea group had larger eyes, longer but less protruded noses, longer and more retruded lower lips and chins, larger lip vermilion areas, and smaller labiomental angles. These results suggest that the latest trends in facial esthetics should be considered during diagnosis and treatment planning for young women with dentofacial abnormalities.


Vertebral hydatidosis is a relatively silent and slowly progressive disease with a latent period of many years. The prognosis for neurologic recovery in hydatid disease of the spine generally is regarded as poor and posterior surgical decompression is associated with a high recurrence rate. Reported here are the results after a long-term followup of four patients with hydatid disease of the spine with neurologic deficit which significantly improved after anterior surgical decompression and anthelmintic therapy. Adequate preoperative evaluation with magnetic resonance imaging and computed tomography scanning is essential in localizing the lesions and planning the surgical approach. The authors recommend radical excision of the involved vertebra and anthelmintic drugs to control the disease process.


The primary objective of this study is to formulate a multiple regression equation for predicting the November average price of Grade A, white, large eggs delivered in Detroit, Michigan. To accomplish the objective, several equations will be tried. The equation with the highest predicting power will be chosen to predict November price in 1970 as of October of that year. October was chosen on the basis that October price difference between medium and large size affected the November price considerable. Therefore, the factor just could not be dropped. The secondary objective in the study is to examine demand elasticities for eggs. Egg producers and policy makers may have the base in making decisions if egg marketing order is ineffective in the future.


Young adolescents who encounter difficulties with peers can consult with their parents to help solve these problems. In this context, this study examines the contribution of adolescents' disclosure, parental advice giving, and parental intrusiveness into adolescents' social and behavioral adjustment. Young adolescents (N = 93; 49% girls; mean age = 12.9) and their parents took part in a problem-solving task in which adolescent disclosure, parental advice giving, and intrusiveness where observed. Several indicators of social and behavioral adjustment were measured concurrently and 1 year later by using adolescents' self-reports and teacher ratings. Results indicated that adolescent disclosure and advice giving were associated with adjustment, whereas intrusiveness was concurrently and longitudinally associated with maladjustment.


AIM
The main objective of this study was to explore community pharmacists' knowledge of substandard and falsified medicines (SFs).

METHOD
A descriptive cross-sectional study was conducted with community pharmacists in the Kingdom of Saudi Arabia using a pre-validated electronic survey.

KEY FINDINGS
Ninety-two community pharmacists participated in this study. Many of the respondents (68.5%) had no experience with identifying SFs. We identified a concerning trend of under-reporting SFs (P < 0.003). Respondents reported that SFs constitutes 1-5% of medicines, with weight loss medicines being the most targeted for falsification. Most of the respondents had a low level of awareness about the newly implemented anti-counterfeit system in Saudi Arabia called the 'Drug Track and Trace System' (28.3% not really, 23.1% not at all). Respondents showed low levels of knowledge about technologies available to detect SFs (P < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
Community pharmacists' self-reported awareness and knowledge of SFs in Saudi Arabia was inadequate; this deficiency may affect their ability to protect their patients from potential harm by combating SFs. As a regulatory body responsible for issues related to SFs, the Saudi Food and Drug Authority should develop an action plan to equip community pharmacists with training in SFs to enhance their ability to respond to SFs.


Abstract In this study, protease-producing capacity of Bacillus pumilus D3, isolated from hydrocarbon contaminated soil, was evaluated and optimized. Optimum growing conditions for B. pumilus D3 in terms of protease production were determined as 1% optimum inoculum size, 35 °C temperature, 11 pH and 48 h incubation time, respectively. Stability studies indicated that the mentioned protease was stable within the pH range of 7–10.5 and between 30 °C and 40 °C temperatures. Surprisingly, the activity of the enzyme increased in the presence of SDS with concentration up to 5 mM. The protease was concentrated 1.6-fold with ammonium sulfate precipitation and dialysis. At least six protein bands were obtained from dialysate by electrophoresis. Four clear protein bands with caseinolytic activity were detected by zymography. Dialysate was further purified by anion-exchange chromatography and the caseinolytic active fraction showed a single band between 29 and 36 kDa of reducing conditions.


The main goal of mechanical ventilation in patients with acute distress respiratory syndrome (ARDS) is to provide an adequate oxygenation, and respiratory support and supplemental oxygen are necessary measures in most patients (1). It has been previously reported that, among ARDS survivors, the prolonged exposure to even moderate hypoxemia can determine neurological complications and cognitive disfunction (2). Supplemental oxygen is also part of the acute management of different critical conditions including cardiac arrest and circulatory shock, in order to compensate the imbalance between oxygen supply and requirements (3).


deterioration of judgment,executive dysfunction,language disturbances, visuospatial disorientation, which sometimes is obvious even at the initial stages of the disease, behavioral and mood disturbances associated with personality alterations and progressively autonomic dysfunction, changes in the endocrine system and physical decline, which become particularly prominent as the disease advances [3].


The traditional blind source separation algorithm of speech requests non-Gaussian, stable and independent speech signals, however, the actual speech signals are not ideal. A blind separation algorithm based on Wigner-Ville is proposed, first pre-white the mix speech signals, and then compute the Wigner-Ville Distribution matrix, finally estimate source speech signals by joint diagonalization algorithm. Simulation results show that the actual non-stable speech signals can be separated well using the proposed algorithm, even in noise environment that the SNR is below 20dB.