It is reported that expert motor skill performance are superior to less skilled individuals to predict the outcome of an object in striking sport, such as table tennis, due to the ability of using advance information, such as body kinematics cue. Meanwhile, it also revealed that the accuracy would be improved with the visual information (such as the ball trajectory cue). It is unclear the utilization strategies on these two cues in striking sports between expert and novice. PURPOSE: To investigate the utilization of body cue and ball cue in the visual anticipation and compare the utilization strategies among skilled players, less skilled players and non skilled players. METHODS: 74 participants were grouped into Elites group (EG,n=24), Amateur group (AG,n=26) and Novice group (NG,n=24) based on the table tennis and skilled level. Participants were presented with short video-clips of serve that were partially occluded (racket-ball contact (T), 50ms after the contact (T+1), 100ms after the contact (T+2)) and probably congruence or incongruence (T'+1; T'+2) within the body cue and ball cue. The task was to judge whether the ball would land on left or right side and the accuracy was analyzed. RESULTS:The results showed that the EG (.92±.07) had a higher accuracy than the other two groups (AG: .82±.07, p<.001; NG: .78±.10, p<.001) when the video-clips were occluded before the ball cue showed up, while both the EG (T+1: .98±.04; T+2: .97±.04) and AG (T+1: .95±.05; T+2: .95±.07) had a better accuracy than the NG (T+1: .88±.07; T+2: .87±.11) when the ball cue was offered in the video-clips. Meanwhile the accuracy of EG (T'+1: .67±.16; T'+2: .90±.17) and AG (T'+1: .64±.16; T'+2: .90±.14) was sharply decreased in the incongruence video-clips, but their ability to discriminate these two cues was better, comparing with the NG (d-prime: F(2, 68) =10.491, P<.001; EG: -.77±.41; AG: -.61±.41; NG: -.52±.27). CONCLUSIONS:This leads us to argue that experts (both elites and amateur) had the anticipatory advantage than the novice in striking sport. They mainly utilized the body cue to anticipate the outcome, while the novice needed the ball cue to do anticipation. Also, the experience levels of the experts moderated the utilization strategy in visual anticipation. Supported by NSFC (No. 31571151)


Extracellular vesicles (EVs) represent a new reality for many physiological and pathological functions as an alternative mode of intercellular communication. This is due to their capacity to interact with distant recipient cells, usually involving delivery of the EVs contents into the target cells. Intensive investigation has targeted the role of EVs in different pathological conditions, including multiple sclerosis (MS). MS is a chronic inflammatory and neurodegenerative disease of the nervous system, one of the main causes of neurological disability in young adults. The fine interplay between the immune and nervous systems is profoundly altered in this disease, and EVs seems to have a relevant impact on MS pathogenesis. Here, we provide an overview of both clinical and preclinical studies showing that EVs released from blood–brain barrier (BBB) endothelial cells, platelets, leukocytes, myeloid cells, astrocytes, and oligodendrocytes are involved in the pathogenesis of MS and of its rodent model experimental autoimmune encephalomyelitis (EAE). Most of the information points to an impact of EVs on BBB damage, on spreading pro-inflammatory signals, and altering neuronal functions, but EVs reparative function of brain damage deserves attention. Finally, we will describe recent advances about EVs as potential therapeutic targets and tools for therapeutic intervention in MS.


The irruption of the cell-free (CF) massive multiple-input multiple-output (MIMO) network topology has meant taking one step further the concept of massive MIMO as a means to provide uniform service in large coverage areas. A key property of massive MIMO networks is channel hardening, by which the channel becomes deterministic when the number of antennas grows large enough relative to the number of serviced users, easing the signal processing and boosting the performance of simple precoders. However, in CF massive MIMO, the fulfillment of this condition depends on several aspects that are not considered in classical massive MIMO systems. In this work, we address the presence of channel hardening in both CF massive MIMO and the recently appeared user-centric (UC) approach, under a spatially correlated Ricean fading channel using distributed and cooperative precoding and combining schemes and different power control strategies for both the downlink (DL) and uplink (UL) segments. We show that the line-of-sight (LOS) component, spatially correlated antennas and UC schemes have an impact on how the channel hardens. In addition, we examine the existent gap between the estimated achievable rate and the true network performance when channel hardening is compromised. Exact closed-form expressions for both the hardening metric and achievable DL/UL rates are given as well.


Many cellular analytical technologies measure only the average response from a cell population with an assumption that a clonal population is homogenous. The ensemble measurement often masks the difference among individual cells that can lead to misinterpretation. The advent of microfluidic technology has revolutionized single-cell analysis through precise manipulation of liquid and compartmentalizing single cells in small volumes (pico- to nano-liter). Due to its advantages from miniaturization, microfluidic systems offer an array of capabilities to study genomics, transcriptomics, and proteomics of a large number of individual cells. In this regard, microfluidic systems have emerged as a powerful technology to uncover cellular heterogeneity and expand the depth and breadth of single-cell analysis. This review will focus on recent developments of three microfluidic compartmentalization platforms (microvalve, microwell, and microdroplets) that target single-cell analysis spanning from proteomics to genomics. We also compare and contrast these three microfluidic platforms and discuss their respective advantages and disadvantages in single-cell analysis.


Birefringent and nonlinear optical (NLO) crystals play indispensable roles in modern optoelectronics and information communication. Hydro-isocyanurates contain π-conjugated building anions [HxC3N3O3]x−3 (x = 0–3) with strong anisotropic first-order polarizability and large second-order susceptibility, and thus they are proposed as an emerging source of birefringent and NLO crystals. Here, we conducted a systematical exploration of alkaline earth-metal hydro-isocyanurates and successfully obtained eight new compounds: Mg(H2C3N3O3)2·8H2O (I), Mg(H2C3N3O3)2·6H2O (II), Ca(H2C3N3O3)2·3H2O (III), α-Sr(H2C3N3O3)2·2H2O (IV), β-Sr(H2C3N3O3)2·2H2O (V), SrHC3N3O3(VI), SrHC3N3O3·2.5H2O (VII) and Ba(H2C3N3O3)2·2H2O (VIII). Most of them possess larger birefringence (>0.24) than commercial ultraviolet birefringent crystals such as calcite (∼0.16). In particular, among all the reported hydro-isocyanurates, acentric VII exhibits a giant NLO effect (d15 = 5 pm V−1) and desirable birefringence (Δn = 0.341 @ 800 nm) to realize a short phase-matching wavelength, due to the optimal arrangement of anionic groups.


The accuracy to which the physical dimensions of steel pipe threads are machined is important to guarantee the performance of a connection. These dimensions are routinely measured manually with mechanical calipers and gauges specifically designed for that purpose. As the industry evolves to more demanding applications, the thread designs become more complex and manufacturing tolerances are narrowed down (0.001" in many parameters). To obtain this level of accuracy with manual gauges requires a very strict instrument calibration and a great effort from the inspectors. Here, the use of laser displacement sensors is proposed as an alternative method for thread inspection. The main advantages of this technique are the non-contact nature of the sensor, the fast automatic inspection, and high accuracy of the measurements. The major challenges to overcome are the effects of the high reflectivity of the machined surface, the spurious signals when inspecting edges and the hostile industrial environment. Data is presented on the effects of surface condition on the performance of laser displacement sensors and the characterization of the real data rate. Results of the measurement on step height, taper, and pitch standards are shown and their accuracy is discussed.


Cannabis is one of the most widely used drugs in Nigeria. This use has been sustained, in part, by widespread cannabis cultivation and trafficking in certain parts of Nigeria, which have persisted despite the destruction of many hectares of cannabis crops by law enforcement agencies every year. The present study is aimed at exploring the socioeconomic factors that underpin the cultivation of cannabis in selected communities in Nigeria. In-depth interviews and key informant interviews were conducted in two communities in Oyo State. The pool of participants consisted of 68 respondents comprising 52 men (76.5 per cent) and 16 women (23.5 per cent). Focus group discussions were also conducted to get a deeper understanding of some of the factors at play. Results from the interviews and discussions suggest that unemployment, corruption, the relative ease of cultivation, the demand from users ready to buy and relatively higher economic returns are some of the drivers of cannabis cultivation and trafficking. The need for stakeholders to shift focus and address those salient underlying factors in order to achieve a reduction in cannabis cultivation and trafficking was emphasized.


We have successfully demonstrated the formation of lateral p - n junctions via single-step Si-doped GaAs MBE growth over patterned (110) GaAs substrates. Current - voltage measurements indicate that the quality of the p - n junctions is position dependent; those located at the lower facet-flat boundary displayed superior rectification properties compared with the upper facet-flat junctions. Analysis of the lower junction forward characteristics revealed two types of current transport, each dominant over separate voltage ranges. Under low applied voltage, electron tunnelling via mid-gap states is proposed as the main mechanism, while diffusion and generation - recombination currents appear to dominate the device characteristics at higher voltages. In contrast, only tunnelling conduction was seen in the forward characteristics of the upper junctions. These effects are interpreted as due to compensated incorporation of Si in the region of the junctions, resulting from strong Ga diffusion from the (110) plane to the (100) surface. Series resistance values for the upper and lower junctions are consistent with this model, as are the dependences on growth temperature.


Grasses are the most important and widely cultivated crops. Among them, ryegrasses (Lolium spp.) and fescues (Festuca spp.) provide high quality fodder for livestock, are used for turf and amenity purposes, and play a fundamental role in environment protection. Species from the two genera display complementary agronomic characteristics and are often grown in mixtures. Breeding efforts to combine desired features in single entities culminated with the production of Festuca × Lolium hybrids. The so called Festuloliums enjoy a considerable commercial success with numerous cultivars registered all over the world. They are also very intriguing from a strictly cytogenetic point of view as the parental chromosomes recombine freely in hybrids. Until a decade ago this phenomenon was only known in general quantitative terms. The introduction of molecular cytogenetic tools such as FISH and GISH permitted detailed studies of intergeneric chromosome recombination and karyotyping of Festulolium cultivars. These tools were also invaluable in revealing the origin of polyploid fescues, and facilitated the development of chromosome substitution and introgression lines and physical mapping of traits of interest. Further progress in this area will require the development of a larger set of cytogenetic markers and high-resolution cytogenetic maps. It is expected that the Lolium – Festuca complex will continue providing opportunities for breeding superior grass cultivars and the complex will remain an attractive platform for fundamental research of the early steps of hybrid speciation and interaction of parental genomes, as well as the processes of chromosome pairing, elimination and recombination.


【The purpose of this research was to reduce the burden of household management and the difficulty of rearing children, which are two most important obstacles for a dual-income family. For this, we suggested a cohousing project, as an alternative concept to conventional housing, where people can socially interact with each other and share mutual cooperation for a better quality of life. We surveyed the lifestyle of dual-income families in Korea, how they understood the cohousing project and their opinions on it. We carried out a survey with the wives from dual income families who were living in the metropolitan areas including Seoul. We contacted 30 wives for the survey to determine the reality of the double income couple family and interviewed them to make a detailed plan for cohousing based on their understanding and needs. In the results, many women who responded to the interview agreed that cohousing was an ideal housing arrangement for the dual-income family. However, they were anxious that it would take too much time and effort to develop their own housing estate by themselves. Therefore, we looked for a way to save time, efforts and cost in developing a cohousing project and came up with the remodeling as a solution.】


The generation of high-power electromagnetic waves is one of the major applications in the field of high-intensity pulsed power. The conventional structure of a pulsed power generator contains a primary energy source and a load separated by a power-amplification system. The latter performs time compression of the slow input energy pulse and delivers a high-intensity power output to the load. Usually, either a Marx generator or a Tesla transformer is used as a power amplifier. In the present case, a system termed "module oscillant utilisant une nouvelle architecture" (MOUNA) uses an innovative and very compact resonant pulsed transformer to drive a dipole antenna. This paper describes the ultracompact multiprimary winding pulsed transformer developed in common by the Université de Pau and Hi Pulse Company that can generate voltage pulses of up to 0.6 MV, with a rise time of less than 270 ns. The transformer design has four primary windings, with two secondary windings in parallel, and a Metglas 2605SA1 amorphous iron magnetic core with an innovative biconic geometry used to optimize the leakage inductance. The overall unit has a weight of 6 kg and a volume of only 3.4 L, and this paper presents in detail its design procedure, with each of the main characteristics being separately analyzed. In particular, simple but accurate analytical calculations of both the leakage inductance and the stray capacitance between the primary and secondary windings are presented and successfully compared with CST-based results. Phenomena such as the core losses and saturation induction are also analyzed. The resonant power-amplifier output characteristics are experimentally studied when attached to a compact capacitive load, coupled to a capacitive voltage probe developed jointly with Loughborough University. Finally, an LTspice-based model of the power amplifier is introduced and its predictions are compared with results obtained from a thorough experimental study.


In this study, an enantioselective analytical method based on microwave-assisted chiral derivatization coupled with ultra high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry was developed for the determination of bambuterol enantiomers in human plasma. The chiral derivatization reaction was greatly accelerated by microwave irradiation. Under the optimized conditions, both the derivatization time and separation time on column was only 3 min, and the lower limit of quantification was 2.5 pg/mL. The recoveries were in the range of 90.1-93.0% without significant matrix effect. Compared with the conventional heating chiral derivatization, microwave-assisted chiral derivatization obtained higher chiral derivatization yields with much shorter time due to the effect of microwave irradiation. Furthermore, the racemization during the derivatization reaction was systematically investigated. The results showed the concentration of acetic acid and the reaction time had significant effects on the racemization, which could be well controlled during microwave-assisted chiral derivatization for the short reaction time. Finally, this novel approach was demonstrated by determining bambuterol in human plasma of a clinical pharmacokinetic study in eight healthy volunteers. On the basis of the results, microwave-assisted chiral derivatization coupled with ultra high performance liquid chromatography and tandem mass spectrometry as a simple and effective enantioselective analysis technique for the determination of chiral drugs in complex biological samples showed great promise.


This paper aims toempower womentomanagement ofIslamic micro financingso thatthe living standards ofthe members of thecongregationmoreincreases.The focus of this paper are, first, what is the problem of women moslem congregation in Tulungagung? Second, how to strengthen the management of Islamic micro finance congregation? Third, How to increase household economic management in the group women moslem congregation in Tulungagung? Fourth, how women's access to finance? Fifth, How to increase women entrepreneurship in the congregation women Moslem congregation in Tulungagung? Sixth, how the implemen¬tation of sharia economic socialization of women moslem congregation in Tulungagung?The method used inthisdevotiontocommunity empower-mentsemitechnicalcommunity basedresearch (CBR) are realized inthe form of trainingandmentoringto the needsof the proposedandimple-mentedby congregation. The first result of this devotion, women moslem congregation problem is the need to strengthen the management of savings, training and venture capital to increase revenue. second, strengthening the management of Islamic microfinance services performed by the savings management training, financing. Thirdly, the management of the household economy with FGD economic management to plan household budgets and spending family. Fourth, access to financing for the congregation performed by allocating funds for Rp.12.150.000 empowerment, - for financing activities, Fifth, increase entrepreneurial skills training conducted with instant ginger, Sixth, socialization of Islamic economics is done with FGD Islamic economics, solidified use saving deposits, murabaha financing and qardh. At the end of the devotion shown an increase in savings, increase saving congregation


Abstract En echelon, bent burrow fabrics are commonly interpreted as an ethological response to high population densities or for filter feeding in conditions influenced by a dominant current direction. However, systematically bent burrows are more likely the result of simple shear on inclined depositional surfaces. A modern example of bent burrows is drawn from tidally influenced point bars situated near the mouth of the Shepody River Estuary, Canada. There the deposits are composed of interbedded silty mud and rare sandy mud beds that dip channelwards. The dipping bedsets are referred to as inclined heterolithic stratification (IHS). Throughout much of the area, the upper 5 to 20 cm of the substrate is unconsolidated and is "soft" to locally fluid. The fine sediment resists resuspension by the tidally generated currents, but it flows (plastically) down depositional slopes. Tension gashes, minor mud flows, and deformed biogenic sedimentary structures attest to consistent downslope shearing of the sedimentary substrate. Below the zone of mobile mud, the sediment is comparatively cohesive (firm). The change in cohesiveness is abrupt. Particularly at the "soft to firm" transition, sediment tends to creep downslope, straining the sedimentary fabric. Burrows that descend through the soft sediment into the comparatively firm substrate are noticeably bent at that contact. Burrows are predictably deformed due to down-slope sediment creep—i.e., they are deformed such that the basal part of the burrows point up dip, indicating downslope movement of the upper mobile layer. Burrow fabrics within the older, firm sediment (i.e., in the historical layers) are generally highly strained. Scrutiny of the modern and historical biogenic fabrics shows that: (1) active infauna display a preference to construct dwellings that are oriented perpendicular to bedding planes; (2) the presence of pristine, undeformed burrows in the active layers contrasts with pervasive deformation observed in the historical layers; (3) the temporal nature of the sediment creep occurs at a slower rate than the animal's ability to maintain the burrow structure, thus the strained burrows observed in the historical deposits were deformed after burrow abandonment; (4) the magnitude of strain varies between 1.5 and 2.1 to 1; (5) strains that exceed 2 to 1 essentially eradicate the biogenic fabric and represent a potential upper limit for the preservation of ichnofossils under similar conditions; (6) the recumbent-appearing ichnofossil assemblage in the historical layers does not specifically indicate a response to population dynamics or a preferred current direction.


This paper presents a new sequential quadratic programming algorithm for solving the optimal power flow problem. The algorithm is structured with an outer linearization loop and an inner optimization loop. The inner loop solves a relaxed reduced quadratic programming problem. Because constraint relaxation keeps the inner loop problem of small dimension, the algorithm is quite efficient. Its outer loop iteration counts are comparable to Newton power flow and the inner loops are efficient interior point iterations. Several IEEE test systems were run. The results indicate that both outer and inner loop iteration counts do not vary greatly with problem size.


Tajik, as opposed to Fārsi and Dari, remained for a century strongly influenced by Russian. As a consequence, its lexicon abounds with borrowings from that language. The article deals with the problem of their pronunciation – are characteristic features of Russian phonology and phonetics preserved in these loanwords? Having analyzed a number of examples one notices that the pronunciation of such words is far from consistent and the idea of a fidelity level may be introduced to explain and classify the differences. This fidelity level depends on various factors, e.g. the education of a native-speaker.


At present, conventional concrete has such a image as "heavy, hard, cold", and has many problems about durability and thermal insulation. And the shortage of natural aggregates has become a serious problem. Thereupon, the authors have developed a special lightweight concrete (MLC) by using formed polystyrene beads with a diameter of less than 1.5mm as an aggregate having no water absorbability. MLC with a low water-binder ratio is an excellent lightweight concrete having excellent properties of durability and thermal insulation. This paper reports the performance of this special lightweight concrete.


In this survey, we discuss the dead-core rates for a family of parabolic equations with strong absorption. This includes the standard heat equation, fast diffusion equation and slow diffusion equation. It is surprising that, even in the case of one space dimension, the dead-core rate can be either self-similar or non-self-similar. Some open problems are also given.


Most economic theories on patent pools focus exclusively on patent owners' licensing practices in explaining why patent owners voluntarily form a patent pool. Such an approach ignores the "property" root of patents. Judge Posner emphasized the importance of using economic theories on physical properties to analyze intellectual properties. Led by this spirit, I applied the evolutionary theory of property rights, formulated by Chicago School economist Harold Demsetz, to analyze the formation of patent pools. Demsetz's theory posits that a transition in property rights structures results from interacting parties' efforts to maximize utilities in face of changes in external factors that bear on the parties' benefit-cost calculation. Later studies by various property rights economists have found that the existence of externalities, the cost of enforcing the right to exclude, and the economy of scale can respectively change the benefit-cost calculation of property owners/users, and drive property rights structures towards either privatization or deprivatization. I argued that the formation of patent pools can be understood as deprivatization of patents – a transition from a private property system to a commons system – in response to three phenomena in the patent system: complementary patents, high costs of enforcing patent rights, and excessive patent fragmentation. When transaction costs of patent pooling are outweighed by its benefits, we can expect to see more patent pools being established.


The actomyosin contractile ring involved in separating a dividing cell in two only gets so far. The job is finished, according to work from Adam Gromley, Stephen Doxsey (University of Massachusetts Medical Center, Worcester, MA), and colleagues, by a burst of secretory vesicle fusion.Doxsey's group was looking for a function for a vertebrate centrosomal protein called centriolin. A defect in cytokinesis was not what they expected to find when they knocked down centriolin function, but there it was. "We saw a thin wisp of cytoplasm retained between [daughter] cells," says Doxsey.

Figure

Secretory vesicles (red) pile up on one side of the midbody, and then fuse and split apart the daughter cells.

In wild-type cells, this normally transient wisp harbored a ring of centriolin, which then recruited several components of the secretory pathway, including the exocyst. Later, SNARE proteins followed.

Unlike the actomyosin ring, the centriolin/SNARE ring did not constrict during cytokinesis. Instead, the authors saw, secretory vesicles from one of the daughter cells moved to the ring, piling up on that side. After accumulating briefly, the vesicles apparently fused in a rapid burst. The daughter cells then split apart on the vesicle side of the ring, leaving the cell on the opposite side with an intact lingering ring, similar to the bud scar of yeast. As in centriolin mutants, the cells remained linked when vesicle fusion was impaired.

The triggers for vesicle transport and for fusion are unknown. "It's clearly highly regulated," says Doxsey. "But what the cell is monitoring—DNA, centrosomes, or something else—is still unclear." The group is especially keen to determine how the asymmetric vesicle secretion is generated. They hypothesize that differences in the centrioles—one daughter gets the original and the other a copy—might be involved.

Reference:

Gromley, A., et al. 2005. Cell. 123:75–87. [PubMed]


BACKGROUND
D-3-hydroxybutyrate (D-3-OHB) is a ketone body that serves as an alternative nutritional fuel but also as an important signalling metabolite. Oral ketone supplements containing D/L-3-OHB are becoming a popular approach to achieve ketosis.

AIM
To explore the gut-derived effects of ketone supplements.

METHODS
Eight healthy lean male volunteers were investigated on two separate occasions:i)Following an oral D/L-3-OHB consumption (oral) and,ii)following isoketonemic intravenous ketone (D/L-3-OHB) infusion (iv).An acetaminophen test was performed to evaluate gastric emptying and blood samples were obtained consecutively throughout the study period.

RESULTS
We show that oral consumption of D/L-3-OHB stimulates cholecystokinin release (p=0.02), elevates insulin (p=0.03) and C-peptide (p<0.001) concentrations, and slows gastric emptying (p=0.01) compared with intravenous D/L-3-OHB administration. Measures of appetite and plasma concentrations of glucagon-like peptide 1 (GLP-1) and glucose-dependent insulinotropic polypeptide (GIP) were unaffected by interventions.

CONCLUSION
Our findings show that D/L-3-OHB exert incretin effects and indicate luminal sensing in the gut endothelium. This adds to our understanding of ketones as signalling metabolites and displays the important difference between physiological ketosis and oral ketone supplements.


Period and trend are two main effective and important factors in hydro-climatological time series and because of this importance, different methods have been introduced and applied to study of them, until now. Most of these methods are statistical basis and they are classified in the non-parametric tests. Wavelet transform is a mathematical based powerful method which has been widely used in signal processing and time series analysis in recent years. In this research, trend and main periodic patterns similarity in temperature and vapor pressure has been studied in Babolsar, Tehran and Shahroud synoptic stations during 55 years period (from 1956 to 2010), using wavelet method and the sequential Mann-Kendall trend test. The results show that long term fluctuation patterns in temperature and vapor pressure have more correlations in the arid and semi-arid climates, as well as short term oscillation patterns in temperature and vapor pressure in the humid climates, and these dominant periods increase with the aridity of region.


Jamming attacks have been recently studied as wireless security threats disrupting reliable RF communication in a wireless network. By emitting noise-like signals arbitrarily on the shared wireless medium, a jammer can easily disturb the network. Countermeasures such as Frequency-Hopping Spread Spectrum enable nodes to avoid the jamming attacks by hopping over multiple channels. However, these solutions require pre-key establishment before data transmission, which in turns introduces several constraints. In order to solve the problem, this paper proposes a novel Quorum Rendezvous Channel Hopping (QRCH) scheme1. Nodes are able to hop over random channels independently, bypassing the need for pre-key establishment. Furthermore, by using a quorum system, nodes are guaranteed to meet within a bounded time to exchange pending messages. The scheme also enables nodes to transmit packets to multiple receivers simultaneously. We validate the proposed scheme via extensive simulations and present its robustness and efficiency.


Vanadium is a transition metal that has been added recently to the EU list of Raw Critical Metals. The growing needs of vanadium primarily in the steel industry justify its increasing economic value. However, because mining of vanadium sources (i. e. ores, concentrates and vanadiferous slags) is expanding, so is vanadium environmental contamination. Bioleaching comes forth as smart strategy to deal with supply demand and environmental contamination. It requires organisms that are able to mobilize the metal and at the same time are resistant to the leachate generated. Here, we investigated the molecular mechanisms underlying vanadium resistance in Ochrobactrum tritici strains. The highly resistant strain 5bvl1 was able to grow at concentrations > 30 mM vanadate, while the O. tritici type strain only tolerated < 3 mM vanadate concentrations. Screening of O. tritici single mutants (chrA, chrC, chrF and recA) growth during vanadate exposure revealed that vanadate resistance was associated with chromate resistance mechanisms (in particular ChrA, an efflux pump and ChrC, a superoxide dismutase). We also showed that sensitivity to vanadate was correlated with increased accumulation of vanadate intracellularly, while in resistant cells this was not found. Other up-regulated proteins found during vanadate exposure were ABC transporters for methionine and iron, suggesting that cellular responses to vanadate toxicity may also induce changes in unspecific transport and chelation of vanadate.


A random search for solutions of the phase-shift analysis of pp scattering at 970 MeV is carried out. Solutions were selected according to the correct position of the zero of trajectory I of the Barrelet amplitude f/sub 1/ in addition to the statistical criteria. Two pairs of solutions with similar phase shifts are found as a result. Two of these solutions have been found before.


To clarify the effects of torture trauma and its components on PTSD and other mental health conditions, we investigated the relationship between measures for PTSD, Cumulative trauma disorders CTD, cumulative life trauma, torture and torture severity in a sample of 326 torture survivors. Hierarchical multiple regressions found no significant association between torture and PTSD. However, when we examined the effects of different types of torture we found witnessing and sexual tortures were significant predictors of PTSD and CTD. Path analysis results found that torture trauma and its severity may not be predicative of PTSD; but it is highly predictive of the more complex syndromes of CTD. The implications of the results for treating torture survivors were discussed. One of the important findings is the potential effects of torture on decreased re-experiencing and emotional numbness. Torture trauma may be too emotionally and physically painful experience that tends to be suppressed decreasing re-experiencing and increasing dissociation.


Objective: To determine the association between abdominal obesity and depression among obese people. Design and method: We conducted a cross-sectional study of healthcare workers form Chiang Mai University hospital. Questionnaires, interviews and physical examination were used to collect the data. Multiple logistic regression analyses, adjusted for possible confounders including demographic characteristics, socioeconomic status and underlying disease were performed to identify the association between abdominal obesity and depression. Results: From 3204 participants, 602, 732 and 211 of them were overweight, obese class I and II, respectively. After adjusted for confounders, the odds ratio (aOR) of having depression in participants with abdominal obesity was 1.57 (95% CI, 1.03–2.39) among obese group. For the overweight group, having abdominal obesity was not associated with depression (aOR 1.13, 95% CI 0.44–2.92). In contrast, the individuals who were obese class I with abdominal obesity had higher odds of having depression (aOR1.82, 95% CI 1.05–3.14) compared to those without abdominal obesity. Conclusions: The abdominal obesity was associated with depression among obese individuals. However, this association was not found among overweight individuals. For the obese workers, target interventions to reduce abdominal obesity in order to prevent depression are recommended.


A simple technique is proposed for testing the restriction endonuclease Sfa NI activity in lysates of Streptococcus faecalis cells. The technique was used to study the effect of inorganic phosphate and the growth phase on the enzyme yield. Conditions were chosen that provide a high yield of the Sfa NI activity and a significantly reduced level of nucleases in the cells.


Intuitive sounds such as auditory icons are known to be more efficient than abstract sounds (earcons) in conveying driver relevant information. Further, different traffic situations may be of different urgency levels and also related to the driver's performance. Hence auditory information may have to be changed or manipulated in order to convey the appropriate level of urgency. However, very few authors address the problem of appropriately designing auditory icons and how they should be manipulated to convey different urgency levels. This thesis work has been conducted in order to develop a signal processing tool which could be used for such design and evaluation. The tool is designed to take different sensory data (as distance to a leading vehicle) as the input and use that data to manipulate a catalogue of sound signals. The goal of the thesis is to let these sound signals inform the driver about the current traffic situation with the right level of urgency.


There is a disconnection between the top-down, elite, nature of sports mega-events and the ostensible redistributive and participatory sustainable development agendas staked out by BINGOs (Business-based International Non-Governmental Organizations) such as the contemporary International Olympic Committee (IOC). Focusing specifically on the London 2012 Summer Olympic and Paralympic Games, we argue that, for all the environmental technology advances offered by sports mega-events, their dominant model remains one of a hollowed-out form of sustainable development. Despite significant technical and methodological innovations in environmental stewardship, the development model of the London Olympics remains predicated on the satisfaction of transnational investment flows. We discuss what this means for claims about the staging of a 'green' Olympic Games.


This paper is aimed at discussing the development of education system based on the Waqf Empowerment. It is an experience of Gontor Modern Integrated Islamic Institution to maintain its existence through the activities of Waqf Enlargement. The spirit of self-reliance which has been implemented by Gontor through various economic enterprise activities inside the campus is the total processes of educational activities, carried out by students and teachers themselves. They act as the subjects and objects of the education at the same time. They teach themselves through various activities, creativities and social interaction for their character and personality building. This learning process is purposely undertaken in Gontor, because the basic principle of this system is to actualize the community orientation through which the students in the campus guided and prepared to have a spirit of self reliance. So when they back to the society to undertake the real life they confidently take their role to develop their society for the sake of Allah and unity of muslim ummah.


Net-spinning caddisfly larvae of the family Hydropsychidae are known to prefer microhabitats with large, stable substrate and high water flow velocity. It is often assumed that net spinners in high-velocity microhabitats have higher feeding or growth rates than larvae in less preferred sites, but there is no direct evidence to support this assumption. We hypothesized that net-spinning caddisflies would select microhabitats that offered the greatest feeding rates. This hypothesis was tested by field experiments in which we determined if net-spinning caddisfly larvae preferred high-velocity sites even when substrate size and type were held constant. We then measured feeding rates of net spinners in microhabitats with different flow characteristics. High-flow positions were selected by 96% of hydropsychid larvae colonizing artificial moss substrates. Artemia nauplii released into the water column were captured by individual larvae in high-flow sites at a rate of 0.01 6%/m, significantly higher than the capture rate in low-flow sites. Combining this rate of prey capture with mean hydropsychid densities of 1125 individuals/, we estimate that hydropsychid larvae in riffles remove drifting invertebrate prey at a rate of 1 8%/m. Assuming exponential prey removal, a prey item in the drift would travel an average of only 5.5 m before being consumed. This study is one of the first to show that the distribution of a stream filter feeder is related to the feeding rates obtainable in different microhabitats.


Robust face detection presents a difficult problem in real interaction scenarios, that, in order to achieve, most often requires employing additional sources of information. In this paper, we consider two such sources: temporal information, available in the form of video sequences, and spatial information, available from multiple calibrated cameras with synchronous, overlapping fields of view of the 3D scene of interest. These two sources are exploited jointly, using a novel dynamic programming approach, for a lecture scenario inside appropriately equipped smart rooms, aiming at robust face detection of the lecturer within the available 2D camera views. Experimental results, reported on the CHIL project database, demonstrate that the proposed approach outperforms purely frame-based face detection


A series of events takes place as wool is heated under vacuum from room temperature to 250 degrees C: Loosely and strongly bound water molecules are removed at temperature at and below 150 degrees C; a glass transition of the amorphous keratin occurs at 160-175 degrees C; helices melt at 215 and 235 degrees C. The structural changes take place between the glass transition and the helix melting temperature are observed as reflected in the low-angle X-ray diffraction patterns: The 39 A meridional reflection is intensified; a 4-point diagram at azimuthal angle of 45 degree with spacing around 46 A appears; the intensity of the 33 A meridional reflection decreases, and the 66 A meridional reflection is the most heat-resistant.


CONTEXT
Recently, prostatic atrophy associated with chronic inflammation has been linked to carcinoma either directly or indirectly by first developing into high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia.

OBJECTIVE
The purpose of our study was to test this hypothesis in autopsies.

DESIGN
A step section method was used to cut the posterior lobe in coronal planes at intervals of 0.3 to 0.5 cm in 100 consecutive autopsies of men older than 40 years. Prostatic atrophy was classified as simple, hyperplastic (or postatrophic hyperplasia), and sclerotic and was analyzed for the presence of chronic inflammation. Prostatic atrophy without (group A) and with inflammation (group B) was correlated with the following variables: age, race, histologic (incidental) carcinoma, high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia, and extent of both these lesions.

RESULTS
Of the 100 prostates examined, 12%, 22% and 66%, respectively, had no atrophy, atrophy without inflammation (group A), and atrophy with inflammation (group B). There was no statistically significant difference between groups A and B for age (P =.55), race (P =.89), presence of histologic (incidental) carcinoma (P =.89), extensive carcinoma (P =.43), presence of high-grade prostatic intraepithelial neoplasia (P =.65), extensive high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia (P =.30), or subtypes of prostatic atrophy. Neither a topographical relation nor a morphologic transition was seen between prostatic atrophy and histologic carcinoma or high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia. Sclerotic atrophy either alone or combined with other subtypes was more frequent in the group with inflammation. A striking morphologic finding was a topographical relation of focal inflammation with sclerotic atrophy in areas with erosion of the epithelium.

CONCLUSIONS
Inflammatory prostatic atrophy does not appear to be associated with histologic (incidental) carcinoma or high-grade intraepithelial neoplasia. One possible cause of inflammatory infiltrate associated with prostatic atrophy may be the extravasated prostatic secretions, which were noted in areas of eroded epithelium, a common finding in the sclerotic type of prostatic atrophy.


Bone marrow samples from 18 patients with myelodysplastic syndrome (MDS) with clonal cytogenetic abnormalities were characterized by combining fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) with in situ end-labeling (ISEL) or with annexin V staining and flow cytometry (AV/FLOW) to determine the clonal nature of hematopoietic cells undergoing apoptosis in marrow cells. Apoptosis occurred in both normal and clonal cells. However, the proportion of clonal cells identified by FISH among apoptotic cells was lower than the proportion among nonclonal cells in 17 of 18 patients, regardless of whether ISEL or AV/ FLOW was used to identify apoptosis.This technique allows us to identify simultaneously clonality (as determined by FISH) and apoptosis in individual cells and shows that although apoptosis occurs predominantly in residual normal (FISH-negative) cells, a proportion of clonal precursors in MDS marrow also die from programmed cell death. Such a mechanism may be responsible for the generally slow expansion of the clone in MDS.


Since late in the nineteenth century, a nearly constant element in the program for the annual meetings of the Society of Biblical Literature (and Exegesis) has been the lecture delivered by the president whose term concludes with that meeting. These presidential addresses have not only provided defining moments for biblical studies as a practice and a profession but also, read together, reveal the growth and development that the Society has experienced since its founding in 1880. The addresses included in this volume, for example, show how a dominant focus on interpreting biblical texts "historically" gave way to a greater appreciation of those texts as literature to an increased recognition of the role the interpreter plays in shaping the "meaning" of any text. One also observes in this documentary history the shift from parochialism to a more inclusive view of biblical studies, a change in focus from narrow theological concerns to broader social concerns, and the gradual erosion of positivistic assumptions about the objectivity of the interpretive process. The twenty-three presidential addresses collected here thus give readers direct access to some of the key moments and broader trends within the history of the SBL.


A growing body of research suggests that movement aids facial expression recognition. However, less is known about the conditions under which the dynamic advantage occurs. The aim of this research was to test emotion recognition in static and dynamic facial expressions, thereby exploring the role of three featural parameters (prototypicality, ambiguity, and complexity) in human and machine analysis. In two studies, facial expression videos and corresponding images depicting the peak of the target and non-target emotion were presented to human observers and the machine classifier (FACET). Results revealed higher recognition rates for dynamic stimuli compared to non-target images. Such benefit disappeared in the context of target-emotion images which were similarly well (or even better) recognised than videos, and more prototypical, less ambiguous, and more complex in appearance than non-target images. While prototypicality and ambiguity exerted more predictive power in machine performance, complexity was more indicative of human emotion recognition. Interestingly, recognition performance by the machine was found to be superior to humans for both target and non-target images. Together, the findings point towards a compensatory role of dynamic information, particularly when static-based stimuli lack relevant features of the target emotion. Implications for research using automatic facial expression analysis (AFEA) are discussed.


Gene therapy for the treatment of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) infection using intracellular immunization strategies is currently being tested in clinical trials. With the continuing development of potent antiretroviral drugs (e.g., reverse transcriptase [RT] and protease [PR] inhibitors), it is likely that HIV-1 gene therapy will be applied to humans concurrently receiving such antiretroviral medication. In this study, we assessed the in vitro antiviral efficacy of two gene therapy strategies (trans-dominant RevM10, Gag antisense RNA) in combination with clinically relevant RT (AZT, ddC) or PR (indinavir) inhibitors. Retrovirally transduced, human T cell lines expressing antiviral gene constructs were inoculated with high doses of HIV-1HXB3 in the presence or absence of inhibitors. The combination of RevM10 or Gag antisense RNA with antiviral drugs inhibited HIV-1 replication 10-fold more effectively than the single antiviral drug regimen alone. More importantly, we also addressed whether gene therapy strategies are effective against drug-resistant HIV-1 isolates. Both the RevM10 and Gag antisense RNA strategies showed antiviral efficacy against several RT inhibitor-resistant HIV-1 isolates equivalent to their inhibition of HIV-1HXB3 replication. In summary, our data demonstrate the greater than additive antiviral efficacy of gene therapy strategies and RT or PR inhibitors, and that gene therapy approaches are effective against drug-resistant HIV-1 viral isolates.


This study, for the fi rst time, aims to integrate brand attachment as an antecedent of brand love and both, affective commitment and brand trust as mediators between brand love and loyalty. It is also the fi rst time that differences between male and female consumers ' perceptions on this topic have been compared in literature. On the basis of previous research, a model was developed and validated using consumers who bought one of three car brands: Toyota, Ford and Renault. Living in three regions of Portugal, the sample consisted of consumers who bought a new car 2 years before the research and had declared being satisfi ed with the purchase. The model is tested in the context of a non-hedonic product, differing from the common perspective that focuses on hedonic products. Hypotheses were tested by employing multi-group structural equation modeling. Findings suggest that brand attachment is positively related to brand love. Brand love reinforces the trust, interest in continuing a relationship and faith in the future of the brand. Women exhibited trust and placed more importance on dyadic relationships than did men. Men, however, desired to identify socially with the brand.


The paper presents the results of studies of the properties of hardened surface layers formed by micro-arc oxidation on the workpiece surfaces of aluminum alloy Al-12Si-Mg-Cu-Ni. The authors attempted to determine the influence of micro-arc oxidation modes on the properties of the modified layers. Investigation of the adhesion strength of the surface layers formed at different concentrations of electrolyte components and analysis of the change in coatings adhesion characteristics after thermal cycling were presented.


Section XI of the ASME Boiler and Pressure Vessel Code includes methods to analyze the continued operating safety of nuclear power plant components. For the reactor pressure vessel (RPV) a means to account for the effects of neutron irradiation embrittlement on the mechanical properties of vessel steels constitutes a key part of this analysis. Nevertheless, Code guidance on this topic remains imprecise. Over time regulations in various countries have filled this gap. While functional, this practice means that the structural integrity practices for nuclear RPV safety management depend on an amalgam of Code and regulatory documents. This diminishes the clarity with which safety margins are addressed and inhibits adoption of new technologies for fracture toughness and embrittlement characterization. During the February 2019 ASME Code week, the Section XI Working Group on Operating Plant Criteria (WGOPC) initiated an effort to develop a Code Case to address this deficiency. This paper summarizes an Electric Power Research Institute Report (MRP-462) recently provided to the WGOPC as a single source technical basis for the proposed Code Case on this topic. The report reviews relevant previous national and international work, both within the Code as well as licensing applications made using Master Curve techniques. The report proposes a single, unified, method to estimate an irradiated reference temperature (RTIRRAD) that can be used to position a Code-approved bounding curve (either a RTNDT or RTTo indexed KIc curve, or a T0 indexed 5th percentile Master Curve) using whatever input information (Charpy-based or Master Curve-based) is available.


Purpose: To investigate the changes of effector-related phenotypic markers and the natural killer (NK)-like effector functions of CD8brightCD56+ T cells in patients with Behçet uveitis after combined cyclosporine and prednisone (Cs/Pd) treatment. Methods: Ten patients with active Behçet panuveitis and 10 healthy controls were prospectively recruited in this study. The effector-related surface markers (CD27, CD62L, CD11b, HLA-DR, CD94, NKG2D), chemokine receptors (CXCR1, CXCR3, CCR4, CCR5), and intracellular perforin of circulating CD8brightCD56+ T cells were determined by flow cytometric analysis before and after two months' treatment. NK-like cytotoxicity of ex vivo CD8brightCD56+ T cells against K562 was measured by standard 51Cr release assay. Results: The expression levels of effector-related molecules on CD8brightCD56+ T cells normalized after treatment. The expression levels of CXCR1 and CCR5 were down-regulated on CD8brightCD56+ T cells after treatment. The amounts of preformed intracellular perforin of CD8brightCD56+ T cells were reduced to the normal levels. Furthermore, the NK-like cytolytic capacities of CD8brightCD56+ T cells were decreased after treatment. Conclusions: Our results suggest that the combined Cs/Pd treatments in active Behçet uveitis may downregulate the NK-like effector functions of CD8brightCD56+ T cells.


: An enzyme immunoassay (EIA) test system has been developed for the detection of tick spotty fever (TSF) group Rickettsia. A long scheme of immunization in an isogenic system on rabbits has been used with an adjuvant without bacterial components, and based on aluminum hydroxide. This EIA test system detects whole soluble R. akari, R. sibirica, and R. conorii antigens and is at least 10-20 times more sensitive than the indirect hemagglutination test. Treatment in a temperature gradient permits the detection of the corpuscular antigen. A considerable vector infection rate has been revealed in individual examinations of ticks in foci of tick rickettsiasis, whereas such studies carried out in nonendemic areas brought negative results.


This paper analyses how a cluster of clothing firms in Peru fared over a 15 year period. The question is how and why this cluster has changed. We collected data for 1993 and 2007, comparing clustered and dispersed firms. The cluster grew significantly in terms of the number of firms and employment, due to the attraction of trade activities towards the cluster. The productivity of clustered producers fell somewhat, although they maintain an advantage over dispersed firms. This is due to static advantages falling into a producer's lap once located in the area and developing at the level of transacting inputs and output. Clustered producers do not use profits to upgrade businesses but rather invest in real estate. On the whole, they are struggling. Enhancing the quality of cluster governance is critical to prevent a further decline of the production part of the cluster.


A novel scheme for representing unbound variables was proposed by Taylor: that aliased unbound variables are represented as circular chains of cells. Unfortunately, few details were given on its implementation and the involved trade o s. We compare the proposed scheme to that of Warren's abstract machine, and nd that Taylor's scheme (a) leads to increased trailing, (b) makes stack allocation more di cult, (c) requires more expensive copying of heap cells at times, and (d) has a more expensive variable binding mechanism. On the positive side, a very strong advantage is that Taylor's scheme entirely dispenses with pointer chain dereferencing. We conclude by enumerating the data ow properties a global analyzer should nd in order to eliminate these di culties.


Background Road Traffic Accidents (RTAs) account for more than 1500 mortalities every year in Sri Lanka (SL). Although pedestrian fatalities have decreased, a recent increase in driver and passenger fatalities has been observed. The SL jurisdiction is exploring the possibility of implementing legislations to necessitate the use of seat belts. Methodology This is a cross sectional observational study carried out in Kandy, the second capital of SL. Vehicles entering the city from all the major entrances from 06:00 to 12:00 h were surveyed. The observations were recorded by two independent observers and analysed using SPSS version 13. Results A total of 20 066 Vehicles were included in the study. The overall prevalence of seatbelt use is 10.87%. The vehicle type significantly (p<0.001) affected seatbelt use, with highest prevalence seen in passengers in cars (17.62%) and lowest in vans (1.84%). Seatbelt use was significantly high during rush hours (p<0.05). Statistically there was an influence on the usage of SB by one front seat passenger on the other (p<0.001). Discussion When compared to developed countries seatbelt use is minimal in SL. Thus seatbelt use needs to be made more popular. More research is needed to identify patterns of seatbelt use and to determine what makes people not to use seatbelts. We suggest implementation of new legislations as well as launching public awareness programs.


ABSTRACT BACKGROUND: In brachial plexus birth palsy (BPBP), botulinum toxin may be utilized to prevent glenohumeral dysplasia and to maintain the stable growth of the glenohumeral joint. Repeated injections may cause muscular atrophy and their functional effects are uncertain. The aim of this study was to compare the microstructure and the function of the muscles that received two injections before transfer with the muscles that were not injected. METHODS: BPBP patients that were operated between January 2013 and December 2015 were included in the study. Latissimus dorsi and teres major muscles were transferred to humerus in standard fashion. Patients were divided in two groups according to botulinum toxin status. Group 1 was toxin negative whereas Group 2 was toxin positive. For each patient, mean latissimus dorsi myocyte thickness (LDMT) was measured with electron microscopy and pre-operative and post-operative active shoulder abduction, flexion, external and internal rotation, and Mallet scores were evaluated with goniometry. RESULTS: Fourteen patients (seven patients per group) were evaluated. Five patients were female whereas nine were male. Mean LDMT was not affected significantly (p>0.05). The operation improved shoulder abduction, flexion, and external rotation significantly (p<0.05), independent of the toxin status. The internal rotation decreased significantly only in Group 2 (p<0.05). The Mallet score increased in both groups, but it was not significant (p>0.05), independent of the toxin status. CONCLUSION: Botulinum toxin that was applied twice prevented glenohumeral dysplasia and it did not cause permanent latissimus dorsi muscle atropy and function loss in late period. It augmented upper extremity functions by alleviating internal rotation contracture.


Among 160 samples collected from rice paddy of the Guilan province including rice plant, seed, rhizospher, paddy's soil, paddy's water and sclerotium of the causal agent of rice sheath blight (Rhizoctonia solani), 610 bacterial strains were isolated. 71 bacterial strains (11.64%) had the ability of inhibition mycelial growth fungus in dual culture test on PDA medium. According to two characteristics of inhibition zone in dual culture and the inhibition percent from vegetative growth of causal agent of sheath blight in antifungal volatile metabolites production test, 37 antagonist strains were grouped in cluster analysis. The strains of antagonist which placed in the highest group on the based of antagonistic ability, identificated and selected for next experiments. Disease severity of sheath blight were evaluated under greenhouse conditions by the seed, soil and plant treatments at the presence of the antagonist strains. Results showed that there was significant difference between the plant treatment to other methods. The 152 (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) and 7S (Pseudomonas fluorescens bv3) strains with 26.59% and 33.59% on the reduction of disease severity respectivility showed the highest effect and placed in seperated group in comparison with control. Among three methods used, 152 (Pseudomonas aeruginosa) strain with 14.46% on the reduction of disease in comparison with control showed the lowest disease severity


In former publications1attention was called to the curative effect of the ketogenic diet on infections of the urinary tract. Particularly striking has been the success in cases of anomalies of the urinary tract which had proved refractory to other modes of medical treatment. In a study of the literature, I found that Nielson,2in 1920, fed a cream mixture in the treatment of urinary infections with good results. He ascribed the beneficial action to the increased acidity of the urine which inhibits the growth of the colon bacillus. In vitro experiments, he stated, showing the growth of colon bacilli at aphof 5 cannot disprove the beneficial clinical results of the diet. It is evident, he continued, that it is impossible to cure a patient with urinary retention because the acidity of the urine only inhibits growth, but the inhibition is sufficient in uncomplicated cases


An analytical model is described for predicting the gain and performance of CW singly resonant optical parametric oscillators with strong idler absorption, strong pump depletion, and thermally induced dephasing. Pump and signal beam focusing effects are included by using the Guha et al. h/sub sm/ parameters. It is shown that significant parametric gain can be generated with an idler absorption-length product exceeding 10, and in some cases idler absorption is seen to enhance the pump depletion by impeding back conversion. The model accurately predicts current experimental results with weak idler absorption. Validation with strong idler absorption awaits experimental measurements to be completed.


Pediatricians (Peds) are vital to early hearing detection and intervention programs (EHDIPs). Peds should educate families about programs and encourage them to comply with professionals' recommendations. Surveying Peds at local levels is important for ensuring that they meet benchmarks. This study used a revised questionnaire to assess Peds at Rush University Medical Center (RUMC) about EHDIPs. Of all 115 Peds at RUMC, 21 responded ¼ 18.6% response rate; 57% (12) were residents and 42.9% (9) were attending physicians. Most had knowledge about, experience with, and positive attitudes toward EHDIPs, but could use additional information. Results expanded on earlier surveys by using an updated questionnaire relevant to latest EHDIPs goals and Peds at a precise hospital and provided information for audiologists conducting physician outreach programs to help Peds prevent children from being lost to follow up.


Water quality of surface and subsurface sources of densely populated regions of the world has been undergoing marked changes over the past few decades consequent to rapid economic development and /or urbanisation. Lack of adequate base-line data on the status of water quality is a major setback challenging wise use and management of these life sustaining systems. The situation is rather alarming in the small rivers of many tropical countries as these systems are more responsive to economic developments. In the present investigation, an attempt has been made to examine the chemical quality of the various water sources in a small river basin in the south western coast of India- the Neyyar River Basin (NRB) in Kerala State- as an example. The region including the basin area of Neyyar is undergoing fast economic development since early 1970's. A total of 17 chemical parameters (pH, EC, DO, alkalinity, chloride, sulphate, Ca, Mg, Na, K, total hardness, NO2-N, NO3-N, P-inorg, SiO2, TSS and TDS) has been studied in the different water sources such as river (Reservoir, Mainstream and Estuary), irrigation canals (Left and Right Bank Canals), wells and springs of the NRB during summer season, which is the drinking water deficit period in the region. The study reveals that except pH and DO of a few samples, all the other water quality parameters are well within the water quality standards set by various national and international agencies. A comparative evaluation of the hydrochemical parameters of NRB with that of the other important minor and major rivers shows that except chloride, all the other parameters are recorded in lower concentrations in NRB as well as the other small mountainous rivers in the south-western coast of India.


OBJECTIVE
The optimal follow-up interval for postoperative ultrasonography (US) surveillance after hemithyroidectomy in patients with papillary thyroid microcarcinoma (PTMC) is unclear. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the prevalence of tumor recurrence/persistence and to investigate the appropriateness of postoperative US surveillance in PTMC patients who underwent hemithyroidectomy.

METHODS
Our institutional review board approved this retrospective study. From 2000 to 2011, 800 patients underwent hemithyroidectomy as treatment for PTMC, as well as at least one session of postoperative follow-up US, at four different institutions. The images and data of postoperative US surveillance were retrospectively investigated by experienced radiologists at each institution. Based on the follow-up US and histopathologic results, locoregional tumor recurrence/persistence was determined.

RESULTS
Of the 800 patients, 82.2% had T1a, 17.8% had T3, and none had T1b, T2, T4a, or T4b disease; 6.9% had unknown N stage, 80.1% had N0, 13% had N1a, and none had N1b, based on histopathology. There were also no cases of distant metastasis after hemithyroidectomy. Among the patients, 784 (98%) showed no tumor recurrence/persistence, and 16 (2%) showed locoregional tumor recurrence/persistence during the follow-up period. The patients differed in the number of sessions and the intervals of postoperative follow-up US. In the 16 patients with tumor recurrence/persistence, the mean interval of postoperative follow-up US since the first US detection of tumor recurrence/persistence was 42.9 ± 25.9 months. All recurrence/persistence cases were subcentimeter.

CONCLUSION
Postoperative US surveillance at 1-or 2-year intervals may be unnecessary because of the very low recurrence rate in PTMC.

ABBREVIATIONS
EMR = electronic medical record; PTMC = papillary thyroid microcarcinoma; TNM = tumor, node, metastasis; US = ultrasonography; US-FNA = ultrasonography-guided fine-needle aspiration.


In this paper we examine how the differences in modelling between different data driven systems performing the same NLP task can be exploited to yield a higher accuracy than the best individual system. We do this by means of an experiment involving the task of morpho-syntactic wordclass tagging. Four well-known tagger generator (Hidden Markov Model, Memory-Based, Transformation Rules and Maximum Entropy) are trained on the same corpus data. After comparison, their outputs are combined using several voting strategies and second stage classifiers. All combination taggers outperform their best component, with the best combination showing a 19.1% lower error rate than the best indvidual tagger.


Animal and plant colouration presents a striking dimension of phenotypic variation, the study of which has driven general advances in ecology, evolution, and animal behaviour. Quantitative Colour Pattern Analysis (QCPA) is a dynamic framework for analysing colour patterns through the eyes of non-human observers. However, its extensive array of user-defined image processing and analysis tools means image analysis is often time-consuming. This hinders the full use of analytical power provided by QCPA and its application to large datasets. Here, we offer a robust and comprehensive batch script allowing users to automate many QCPA workflows. We further provide a set of useful R scripts for downstream data extraction and analysis. These scripts will empower users to exploit the full analytical power of QCPA and facilitate the development of customised semi-automated workflows. Such quantitatively scaled workflows are crucial for exploring colour pattern space and developing ever-richer models of visual perception in animals other than humans. These advances will, in turn, facilitate the testing of hypotheses on the function and evolution of vision and signals, which are otherwise computationally unfeasible.


This paper shows that heterogeneity in bank capitalization rates plays a crucial role in the transmission of monetary policy to bank lending. First, I offer new empirical evidence on the dependence of bank lending responses to monetary policy shocks on their capitalization rates. Highly-capitalized banks reduce their lending more after a monetary tightening, even after controlling for bank liquidity, size, and market power in the deposit market. I also document that highly capitalized banks have a riskier portfolio, as measured by loan charge-off rates, and default rates on their loans increase relatively more after a tightening in monetary policy. I then construct a dynamic macroeconomic model that rationalizes the empirical evidence through the interaction of heterogeneous recovery technologies of banks facing a risk-weighted capital constraint. In particular, after an increase in the policy rate, the model predicts that loan rates and default probabilities increase in both sectors. Higher-capitalized banks with a riskier portfolio are more sensitive because the risk-weighted capital constraint affects them more, so they contract lending more. In a counterfactual analysis, I find higher capital requirements amplify the effects of monetary policy. *I owe my sincere gratitude to my advisors Jaroslav Borovicka, Simon Gilchrist, and Ricardo Lagos for invaluable guidance, encouragement, inspirational mentoring, and support throughout this project. This paper has greatly benefited from discussions with Jorge Abad, Milena Almagro, Jose Berrospedi, Saki Bigio, Corina Boar, Carlos Burga, Matias Covarrubias, Dean Corbae, Josue Cox, Tomas Dominguez-Iino, Vadim Elenev, Mark Gertler, German Gutierrez, Gazi Kara, Nobuhiro Kiyotaki, Simone Lenzu, Sydney Ludvigson, Elena Manresa, Virgiliu Midrigan, Galo Nuno, Pablo Ottonello, Daniel Paravisini, Diego Perez, Rafael Repullo, Phillipp Schnabl, Stijn Van Nieuwerburgh, Venky Venkateswaran, Olivier Wang, and Christian Wolf. I owe special thanks to seminar participants at NYU macro lunch, and the ITAM Alumni Conference for their comments and suggestions. Any errors or omissions are my own. Department of Economics, New York University. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com


There is presented the assessment of the impact of occupational risk factors on the health status of workers, carried out on the results of hygienic analysis of working conditions and the clinical and laboratory examination of workers.


We develop the foundations for a theory of patterns of safety case argument structures, clarifying the concepts involved in pattern specification, including choices, labeling, and well-founded recursion. We specify six new patterns in addition to those existing in the literature. We give a generic way to specify the data required to instantiate patterns and a generic algorithm for their instantiation. This generalizes earlier work on generating argument fragments from requirements tables. We describe an implementation of these concepts in AdvoCATE, the Assurance Case Automation Toolset, showing how patterns are defined and can be instantiated. In particular, we describe how our extended notion of patterns can be specified, how they can be instantiated in an interactive manner, and, finally, how they can be automatically instantiated using our algorithm.


Background The current standard for assessing the severity of portal hypertension is the invasive acquisition of hepatic venous pressure gradient (HVPG). A noninvasive US-based technique called subharmonic-aided pressure estimation (SHAPE) could reduce risk and enable routine acquisition of these pressure estimates. Purpose To compare quantitative SHAPE to HVPG measurements to diagnose portal hypertension in participants undergoing a transjugular liver biopsy. Materials and Methods This was a prospective cross-sectional trial conducted at two hospitals between April 2015 and March 2019 (ClinicalTrials.gov identifier, NCT02489045). This trial enrolled participants who were scheduled for transjugular liver biopsy. After standard-of-care transjugular liver biopsy and HVPG pressure measurements, participants received an infusion of a US contrast agent and saline. During infusion, SHAPE data were collected from a portal vein and a hepatic vein, and the difference was compared with HVPG measurements. Correlations between data sets were determined by using the Pearson correlation coefficient, and statistical significance between groups was determined by using the Student t test. Receiver operating characteristic analysis was performed to determine the sensitivity and specificity of SHAPE. Results A total of 125 participants (mean age ± standard deviation, 59 years ± 12; 80 men) with complete data were included. Participants at increased risk for variceal hemorrhage (HVPG ≥12 mm Hg) had a higher mean SHAPE gradient compared with participants with lower HVPGs (0.79 dB ± 2.53 vs -4.95 dB ± 3.44; P < .001), which is equivalent to a sensitivity of 90% (13 of 14; 95% CI: 88, 94) and a specificity of 80% (79 of 99; 95% CI: 76, 84). The SHAPE gradient between the portal and hepatic veins was in good overall agreement with the HVPG measurements (r = 0.68). Conclusion Subharmonic-aided pressure estimation is an accurate noninvasive technique for detecting clinically significant portal hypertension. © RSNA, 2020 Online supplemental material is available for this article. See also the editorial by Kiessling in this issue.


Safety leadership is critical in high-risk industries such as shipping since inadequate leadership can cause marine accidents, resulting in injuries, fatalities, damage to property and environmental pollution. One of the aspects of good and effective safety leadership is creating good human relations and satisfaction among crewmembers, considered a precondition for effective teamwork. Officers on board ships should establish effective teamwork and implement adequate safety leadership, positively affecting safety culture, increasing safety in general and improving marine environment protection. Safety leadership onboard ships comprises several characteristics, including maintaining safe work performance, carrying out safety training, and encouraging crewmember morale. Therefore, it is essential for all stakeholders in shipping industries that officers onboard ships can identify those characteristics, adapt, and apply them adequately. This paper presents the characteristics and skills that shipboard officers need to apply in order to be excellent leaders and serve with adequate safety leadership abilities. One tool for recognizing those characteristics and skills was a survey carried out among experienced professional seafarers. Analysis of the survey data revealed latent factors, these being transformational and transactional leadership elements affecting safety leadership onboard ships.


The present study was developed in response to the need to further investigate politeness and politeness strategies in Persian context. The overarching goal was to extract and categorize the range of politeness strategies used in Iranian culture to see if they conform to the framework Brown and Levinson (1987) claim to be universal. The study also sought to investigate the potential effect that the two variables of gender and socioeconomic status may have on politeness strategies used in Iranian culture. An open-ended questionnaire was used as a modified version of the Discourse Completion Test to collect a number of requests from a sample of 120 male and female native Persian speakers. The analysis of strategy types and frequencies revealed that, in Iranian culture, speakers seem to prefer negative politeness strategies when making requests. As for the second part of the study, it was found that gender and socioeconomic status of Persian speakers have no significant effect on the type and frequency of politeness strategies used in performing requestive speech act. On the whole, the results indicated that all the politeness strategies used in making requests chime with Brown and Levinson's politeness framework and that Brown and Levinson's politeness theory can account for politeness strategies used in Persian.


Abstract
A five year prospective study of equine ovarian problems requiring surgical correction was undertaken at the Ontario Veterinary College. Thirty mares were studied, of which 14 had granulosa cell tumors, six were with anovulatory persistent follicular "structures", five had ovarian hemotoma, two presented ovarian hypoplasia and one each of ovarian dysgerminoma, teratoma and abscessation. The clinical signs manifested by the affected animals were varied. The affected ovaries were removed via flank or midline laparotomy or through colpotomy. Their morphology was studied and representative portions of affected ovaries submitted for laboratory diagnosis. Postsurgical recovery and resumption of reproductive activity were satisfactory.


With the environment increasingly worsening, global warming has become an environmental problem challenged around the world. The cognition of low carbon and environmental protection has been widely spread and applied in urban planning construction. Universities are the frontiers of scientific research. At university such aspects like construction energy conservation and the use of new material have been put into practice, and under the guidance of planning, construction, management departments and others, the ideas of low carbon and ecology is promoted to build the campus with sustainable development. Universities play a leading role for all walks of life in society.


Land subsidence resulting from the overexploitation of groundwater is an important issue in the Choshui River Basin, Taiwan. In the current study, we employed system dynamics simulation in modeling the supply of surface and groundwater, as well as the demand for water by industry, water deficits, and mechanisms underlying land subsidence. The proposed model was then used to estimate the magnitude of land subsidence and evaluate various management strategies. Our simulation results revealed that the vigorous enforcement of well sealing would have a modest effect on land subsidence; however, it would also have notable adverse effects on the agricultural community. We determined that reducing the demand for irrigation water (e.g., by switching to less water-intensive crops) would reduce land subsidence, while preserving profitability in those areas. In the future, this policy could be complemented by promoting the adoption of advanced irrigation technology and automatic systems to further slow the excessive exploitation of groundwater, with a corresponding effect on land subsidence.


Female, aged 48, unmarried. In 1932 the patient first became jaundiced and since then the condition has persisted on and off. Infections appear to deepen the jaundice. Skin irritation has been troublesome for the past two years, but began several years before. Six years ago nausea and vomiting with abdominal pain diagnosed as gastric ulcer. Nails brittle, deformed and did not require cutting. In 1937, while an in-patient, there was no jaundice but brown pigmentat:on on the abdomen, and the liver and spleen were slightly enlarged. Inzvestigations (performed in 1937): Blood-count: R.B.C. 4,010,000 ; Hb. 72% ; C.I. 09; W.B.C. 5,800. Polys. 64%, lymphos. 33%, monos. 3 ,'. MXean diameter of red cells 7 6 ,u. Van den Bergh : Delayed direct reaction slightly positive. Indirect reaction 0 9 mgm.% bilirubin-later 1 mgm.°00. Fragility: Hiemolysis begins 0.4% saline and is complete 0*25% saline. Erythrocyte sedimentation rate: 38 mm. at end of one hour. Wassermann reaction and Kahn test negative. Galactose tolerance test: Total excretion in five hours1-4 grm. The patient has been abstemious and has not been abroad. Menopause occurred in 1936. There is no history of jaundice in the family, though one brother is said to have a particularly sallow complexion. On examination-.-Small woman with moderately severe jaundice and diffuse uniform brown pigmentation of the skin, but not of mucous membranes. Nails atrophic and thickened. Liver greatly enlarged, reaching right iliac fossa, firm, smooth and not tender. Notch in anterior border. Spleen enlarged one hand's breadth below costal margin. No ascites. Diminished breath sounds at both lung bases due to high diaphragm. Bloodpressure 112/70.


One of the important milestones of information security, block ciphers, are symmetric-key encryption algorithms that encrypt fixed-length inputs. The main purpose of this research is to analyze software implementations of block ciphers using the research method of the systematic literature review (SLR) proposed in software engineering and analyze them based on their implementation performances. During this process, a total of 39 block ciphers were extracted from 36 papers. The primary studies were reviewed considering the block cipher structures, while the implementation performances were classified according to the encryption throughput and memory utilization. The review results showed that the performance may depend on the clock frequency where low clock frequency might cause a bottleneck in some implementations even though the algorithm was designed using fast mathematical operations. Moreover, it is observed that Feistel structures mostly resulted in average and consistent implementation performances, whereas the block ciphers having Substitution and Permutation Layer (SPN) structure had a wide range of implementation performance results. As another result of this study, memory efficiency is shown as inversely proportional to the throughput in many software implementations. Additionally, some block ciphers having a high-performance software implementation might be able to replace the hardware implementations due to the convenience of the software platforms in many applications.


The characteristic facies, joint contractures, muscular hypotonia, and growth and developmental delay of the Marden-Walker syndrome were present in a 19-month-old boy. Extensive evaluation of the neuromuscular system failed to identify a specific abnormality. Electromyography was normal with low amplitude. Light and electron microscopy of a skeletal muscle biopsy was normal. Histochemical study of this biopsy material was also normal. The pathogenesis of the syndrome is discussed.


Acupuncturing the ST36 acupoint can evoke the response of the sensory nervous system, which is translated into output electrical signals in the spinal dorsal root. Neural response activities, especially synchronous spike events, evoked by different acupuncture manipulations have remarkable differences. In order to identify these network collaborative activities, we analyze the underlying spike correlation in the synchronous spike event. In this paper, we adopt a log-linear model to describe network response activities evoked by different acupuncture manipulations. Then the state-space model and Bayesian theory are used to estimate network spike correlations. Two sets of simulation data are used to test the effectiveness of the estimation algorithm and the model goodness-of-fit. In addition, simulation data are also used to analyze the relationship between spike correlations and synchronous spike events. Finally, we use this method to identify network spike correlations evoked by four different acupuncture manipulations. Results show that reinforcing manipulations (twirling reinforcing and lifting-thrusting reinforcing) can evoke the third-order spike correlation but reducing manipulations (twirling reducing and lifting-thrusting reducing) does not. This is the main reason why synchronous spikes evoked by reinforcing manipulations are more abundant than reducing manipulations.


This study examines the reactions of market makers and investors to large dividend increases to identify the motives for dividend increases. Uniquely, this study simultaneously tests the signaling and agency abatement motivations as explanations of the impact of dividend increases on stock prices and bid-ask spreads. The agency abatement hypothesis argues that increased dividends constrict management's future behavior, abating the agency problem with shareholders. The signaling hypothesis asserts that dividend increases signal that managers expect higher or more stable cash flows in the future.

Mean stock price responses to dividend increase announcements during 1995 are examined over both short ( _1, 0) and long ( _1, 504) windows. Changes in bid-ask spreads are examined over a short ( _1, 0) window and an intermediate (81 day) period. This study partitions dividend increases into a sample motivated by agency abatement and a sample motivated by cash flow signaling. Further, this study examines the agency abatement and cash flow signaling explanations of relative bid-ask spread responses to announcements of dividend increases. Estimated generalized least squares models of market reactions to sampled events support the agency abatement hypothesis over the cash flow signaling hypothesis as a motive for large dividend increases as measured by Tobin's Q and changes in the distribution of cash flows.


Accurate methods for the identification of closely related species or breeds in raw and processed meats must be developed in order to protect both consumers and producers from mislabeling and fraud. This paper describes the development of DNA markers for the discrimination and improvement of Korean native pig (KNP) meat. The KIT gene is related to pig coat color and is often used as a candidate marker. A 538 bp fragment comprising intron 19 of the pig KIT gene was amplified by PCR using specific primers, after which the PCR amplicons of a number of meat samples from KNP and three major improved breeds (Landrace, Duroc and Yorkshire) were sequenced in order to find a nucleotide region suitable for PCR-RFLP analysis. Sequence data showed the presence of two nucleotide substitutions, g.276G>A and g.295A>C, between KNP and the improved pig breeds. Digestion of KIT amplicons with AccII enzyme generated characteristic PCR-RFLP profiles that allowed discrimination between meats from KNP and improved pig. KNP showed three visible DNA bands of 264/249, 199, and 75 bp, whereas DNA bands of 249, 199, and 90 bp were detected in the three improved pig breeds. Therefore, the 75 bp DNA fragment was specific only to KNP, whereas the 90 bp DNA fragment was specific to the improved breeds. The breed-specific DNA markers reported here that target the KIT gene could be useful for the identification of KNP meat from improved pig meats, thus contributing to the prevention of falsified breed labeling.


INTRODUCTION
Mild to moderate blunt laryngeal injuries are frequent. Under the present management regimens patients are hospitalized for 24h observation due to the potential risk of developing endolaryngeal oedema. This group of patients is poorly described in the literature, and the aim of this study was to estimate the incidence of acute and especially tardive endolaryngeal oedema as well as the association between type of injury, symptoms and findings to improve existing evaluation criteria and treatment regimens.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A retrospective analysis of 130 cases exposed to mild to moderate laryngeal injury was performed. The mechanism of injury, symptoms, findings and treatment were registered.

RESULTS
Strangulation was the most common type of injury which was seen in 43% of cases, while stranglehold, fall and blow were observed in 29, 14 and 14%, respectively. Dysphagia was reported by 55%, while hoarseness was observed in 17% and stridor in 5%. Fibreoptically, 33% had endolaryngeal pathology. Twenty cases received treatment, 110 were observed. Immediate intubation was performed in 2.3% of the cases. In the observation-group, more patients were exposed to self-inflicted strangulation (p = 0.01). Fall and blow accidents were more frequent in the treatment than in the non-treatment group (p = 0.03). More patients in the treatment group had dyspnoea (p < 0.001), stridor (p = 0.001), hoarseness (p = 0.007) and endolaryngeal pathology (p < 0.001) than in the non-treatment group.

CONCLUSIONS
In general, mild to moderate blunt external laryngeal injuries seem rather harmless and should need no further treatment. Nevertheless, any injury against the paediatric larynx and injuries related to fall-accidents or genuine hangings are associated with an increased risk of a respiratory threat. No patients in this study developed tardive laryngeal oedema.


Background Our study aims to characterise hepatitis C virus (HCV) epidemiology in Afghanistan, as part of the Middle East and North Africa (MENA) HCV Epidemiology Synthesis Project. The MENA HCV Epidemiology Synthesis Project is an ongoing effort to characterise HCV epidemiology and inform research, policy, and programming priorities in MENA countries. Methods We systematically reviewed and synthesised HCV prevalence and incidence data following PRISMA guidelines. Meta-analyses using DerSimonian-Laird random effects model with inverse weighting were implemented to estimate HCV prevalence among populations at various risk of HCV infection. A risk of bias assessment was incorporated. Results Our search identified 48 HCV prevalence and one HCV incidence measures. Our meta-analyses estimated HCV prevalence at 0.7% among the general population (range: 0.0–4.0%; 95% CI: 0.3–1.3%), 31.8% among people who inject drugs (PWID; range: 9.5–70.0%; 95% CI: 24.1–40.1%), and 2.5% among populations at intermediate risk (range: 0.0–8.3%; 95% CI: 1.4–3.9%). Among PWID, HCV incidence at 6 months was assessed at 66.7 per 100 person-years in one study. Geographic and temporal variations in HCV prevalence among PWID and prisoners appear to be present. While prevalence among PWID appeared to decline over few years from 36.0% to 27.6% in Kabul, from 12.5% to 9.5% in Jalalabad, and from 24.1% to 18.8% in Mazar-i-Sharif, it increased from 49.1% to 70% in Herat. Among prisoners, HCV prevalence appeared to increase from 1.7% to 4.6% in Kabul and declined from 4.1% to 1.4% in Herat. Risk factors among PWID included a range of injecting behaviours and socio-demographic characteristics. Conclusions HCV prevalence among the general population in Afghanistan is comparable to developing and developed countries globally. There is an immediate need for increasing access to harm reduction programs among specific populations at risk, specifically PWID and prisoners. Disclosure of interest statement This publication was made possible by NPRP grant number [NPRP 4–924–3–251] from the Qatar National Research Fund (a member of Qatar Foundation). Additional support was provided by the Biostatistics, Epidemiology, and Biomathematics Research Core at the Weill Cornell Medical College in Qatar. The statements made herein are solely the responsibility of the authors. The funders had no role in the design, conduct, or analysis of the study. The authors have no conflicts of interest to declare.


This paper describes a method using a subspace algorithm that can be used to discriminate between signals. Discrimination is necessary to ensure that the same transient from different data records is used in processing. The subspace discrimination algorithm was tested against synthetic transients and found to discriminate well at high signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs).


Oysters play a pivotal role in the bay living ecosystem and are considered the living filters for the ocean. In recent years, oyster reefs have undergone major devastation caused by commercial over-harvesting, requiring preservation to maintain ecological balance. The foundation of this preservation is to estimate the oyster density which requires accurate oyster detection. However, systems for accurate oyster detection require large datasets obtaining which is an expensive and labor-intensive task in underwater environments. To this end, we present a novel method to mathematically model oysters and render images of oysters in simulation to boost the detection performance with minimal real data. Utilizing our synthetic data along with real data for oyster detection, we obtain up to 35.1 % boost in performance as compared to using only real data with our OysterNet network. We also improve the state-of-the-art by 12.7%. This shows that using underlying geometrical properties of objects can help to enhance recognition task accuracy on limited datasets successfully and we hope more researchers adopt such a strategy for hard-to-obtain datasets.


N+ GaAs-n GaInP lattice-matched heterostructures, grown by metalorganic vapour phase epitaxy, have been studied by capacitance-voltage, current-voltage and current-temperature techniques. This allowed the determination of the conduction band offset in three different and independent ways. The value obtained (0.24-0.25 eV) has been verified by photoluminescence and photoluminescence excitation on a 90 angstrom thick GaAs well in GaInP grown under the same conditions.


The aim of this article is to present a clinical picture of congenital optic nerve anomalies, which occur quite frequently in the general population, may cause low vision and visual field defects. These abnormalities can coexist with central nervous system defects or the other ocular abnormalities. Some of them may be misdiagnosed as papilloedema during the episode of intracranial fluid pressure elevation or glaucomatous neuropathy. Diagnosing the congenital nerve optic disc defects coexisting with multiorgans anomalies requires multidisciplinary medical care especially in babies. developmental optic disc anomalies, congenital eye abnormalities, differential diagnosis.


Research Findings: The present study evaluated the impact of a working memory (WM) stimulation program on the development of WM and early literacy skills (ELS) in preschoolers from socioeconomically deprived rural and urban schools in Chile. The sample consisted of 268 children, 144 in the intervention group and 124 in the comparison group. The computer-based intervention comprised 16 sessions of 30 min each. Children in the intervention group demonstrated significantly more progress in WM than those in the comparison group when we evaluated them 3 months after exposure to the program and controlled for initial differences with an analysis of covariance. ELS were significantly stronger in children who were exposed to the stimulation program, which supports a link between WM and ELS. Practice or Policy: Results suggest that children's WM can be improved from an early age regardless of socioeconomic context or geographic location (rural or urban). This has direct implications for early education and may compensate for some of the difficulties that children experience when starting school.


. The sustainability of limited freshwater resources in coastal settings requires an understanding of the processes that affect them. This is especially relevant for freshwater lenses of oceanic islands. Yet, these processes are often obscured by dynamic oceanic water levels that change over a range of time scales. We use regression deconvolution to estimate an Oceanic Response Function (ORF) that accounts for how sea-level fluctuations affect measured groundwater levels, thus providing a clearer understanding of recharge and withdrawal processes. The method is demonstrated using sea-level and groundwater-5 level measurements on the island of Norderney in the North Sea (Northwest Germany). We expect that the method is suitable for any coastal groundwater system where it is important to understand processes that affect freshwater lenses or other coastal freshwater resources.


Under conditions of present demographic situation in the USSR with a view of scientific substantiation of priority directions in the development of regional programmes of medico-social activities in the field of maternal and child health the major importance is being given to the valid information on the health status of mothers and factors of social environment determining the conditions for intrauterine development of foetus and the formation of child health at early stages of life under conditions existing in specific regions. For this purpose simultaneously in Panevezhis, Lipetsk and Fergana which are representatively reflecting the specificity of regions with low, average and high infant mortality, on the basis of unified methodology a complex socio-hygienic survey of three cohorts of children of 1986 year of birth and their mothers during the present period of pregnancy and delivery was conducted. The data suggested the rise in the level of pathology identified during pregnancy and delivery among Fergana women as compared with Lipetsk and especially Panevezhis women.


Glass defects are a major reason for poor quality and of embarrassment for manufacturers. It is a tedious process to manually inspect very large size glasses. The manual inspection process is slow, time-consuming and prone to human error. Automatic inspection systems using image processing can overcome many of these disadvantages and offer manufacturers an opportunity to significantly improve quality and reduce costs. In this paper we review various glass defects and the possible automated solutions using image processing techniques for defect detection..