In the first of the metalforming operations considered, that of plane-strain side-pressing, the finite-element predicted deformation behaviour of 60-40 brass and 7075 aluminium alloy has been compared with experiment. Both visioplasticity and hardness studies have been performed. The macrohardness survey was found to be the most appropriate in validating the use of the finite-element technique. The numerical calculations of the local stress and strain distributions are then used with a number of previously published continuum fracture criteria to predict the fracture initiation sites. For certain of the successful criteria the level of deformation at fracture has also been predicted using critical values of fracture found experimentally from an axisymmetric tensile test. For the operation of plane-strain side-pressing, very good agreement with both the experimental fracture initiation site, and the level of deformation at fracture, is reported for the criterion of a critical value of generalised plastic strain at fracture, and the equivalent criterion of generalised plastic work. The second metalforming operation considered is simple upsetting. The fracture initiation behaviour of 60-40 brass has been examined for specimens of the four initial aspect ratios of 0.5, 1.0, 1.5 and 2.0. Again, the generalised plastic strain/work criterion has successfully predicted the experimental fracture initiation sites in all cases. However, satisfactory levels of deformation at fracture predictions have only been found for the two lower aspect ratio specimens. A small range of strip compression and tension operations on 60-40 brass compose the third type of metalforming operation considered in this thesis. Yet again the generalised plastic strain/work criterion has successfully predicted the fracture initiation site found experimentally but not the level of deformation at fracture. Finally, the axisymmetric extrusion of 60-40 brass and 7075 aluminium alloy is examined. For the brass using the generalised plastic strain/work criterion, good agreement with experiment has been found for both the fracture initiation site and level of deformation at fracture found experimentally. However, for the aluminium alloy only the correct fracture initiation site has been found. In summary, it appears that the fracture criterion of a critical value of generalised plastic strain/work has successfully predicted the fracture initiation site found experimentally in all the operations considered in this thesis but has been unable to consistently predict the correct level of deformation at fracture. These differences in the predicted and experimental level of deformation at fracture cannot be explained with reference to the finite-element calculated levels of hydrostatic stress. Further work is necessary to explain this difference.


A new type of bimetallic palladium and aluminum incorporated mobile crystalline materials (Pd–Al-MCM-41) as bifunctional catalysts has been hydrothermally synthesized. Characterization shows that these molecular materials exhibit an ordered mesoporous structure, high surface area and a good dispersion of palladium in the frame. The catalytic activity of the Pd–Al-MCM-41 for the dimerization–hydrogenation reaction system of β-pinene in one pot has been systematically studied. Pd0.5–Al30-MCM-41 (SiO2/Al2O3 = 30, 0.5 wt% palladium content) was found to be the best catalyst which gave a dimer yield of up to 64.7%. It is worth noting that palladium shows a good synergic catalytic effect with aluminum in the dimerization reaction and enhances the dimerization yield. Furthermore, the bifunctional catalyst displayed a good activity over 4 runs.


In this study, we have been investigated on joining of titanium-matrix composites reinforced with SiC-CVD fiber (FRM) to FRM by tensile tests of the joints using butt joint, with a doubler and overlap length of 20 mm. The joinability was compared with solid state diffusion bonding and diffusion brazing using commercially pure copper and Ti-37.5Zr-15Ni-10Cu amorphous filler.As for mechanical properties of the joint, even the joint made at 1143 K for 5 min under the joining pressure of 12 MPa, which is slightly higher than that required in solid state diffusion bonding of the same material, was fractured in the base metal with tensile strength of 1400 MPa, resulting a joint efficiency of about 96%. The fiber damage decreases the strength of the joint as the joinging pressure increases. The diffusion brazability using commercially pure copper of 5 μm thickness at 1153 K was obtained good joint efficiency for 3 min under the joining pressure of 2 MPa, lower than that of diffusion bonding. In the diffusion brazability using Ti-base filler metal, the strength of the joint was equal to the strength of the base metal.Butt joint, with a doubler and overlap length of 10 and 15 mm, failed in shear at a tensile stress in the base material, resulting in a shear strength of about 125 MPa. The poor results were attributed to composites material of lower interlaminar shear strength.


Binary sequences such as chaotic-binary (CB) sequences derived from an iterative chaotic equation have been used in selected mapping (SLM) methods to reduce the peak-to-average power ratio (PAPR) in orthogonal frequency division multiplexing (OFDM) systems. Though CB sequences have been shown to produce good PAPR reduction performance, their implementation requires a significant number of complex computations which may increase both design costs and energy requirements. This paper presents an alternative form of binary sequences derived from a Fibonacci series and referred to as Fibonacci-Binary (FB) sequences. Simulations show that although CB sequences produce slightly improved PAPR reduction performance over the proposed FB sequences for larger numbers of applied SLM vectors, both forms of binary sequences produce similar bit-error-rate (BER) performance even in the presence of non-linear power amplifier distortion. In terms of computational complexity however, it is shown that FB sequences have significantly reduced computational requirements over CB sequences and thus may be considered as preferred option for reducing PAPR in SLM based OFDM systems. Key–Words:Fibonacci series, Fibonacci-Binary, Chaotic-Binary, OFDM, PAPR reduction, Selected mapping.


This paper describes research on particular verb valences obtained from actual linguistic data. We created verb valence data using data from the EDR Co-occurrence Dictionary as our source. The EDR Co-occurrence Dictionary is coded with syntactic governing-dependent relation tags and semantic tags. The syntactic governing-dependent relations data in the EDR Co-occurrence Dictionary however, is expressed as individual constituent pairs. In this study, we grouped each of the governingdependent relation pairs according to their verb concepts and then unified them into a number of combinations based on case. After the data was automatically unified from the source data, we manually corrected mistaken governing-dependent relations, and also made changes to case where necessary. By following this procedure, we created basic valence data for each verb. Further, based on this valence data and the verb patterns created from it, we are currently looking into creating semantic groups for nouns on which semantic restrictions are imposed by the verb.


The economic development of South Korea since 1960 is one of the biggest success stories in the history of development. In just a few decades, South Korea transformed itself from an agricultural society to an industrialized nation exporting high-technology products such as cars, TVs, mobile phones or computers. Furthermore, after more than two decades of authoritarian rule South Korea changed relatively peacefully to a democratic society in 1987. On the other hand, many developing countries in Africa, Latin America or South Asia still face economic stagnation and enormous development problems: Poverty, inequality, bad health, a low life expectancy, illiteracy, ethnic and religious conflicts and discrimination of women are a daily occurrence. Observing these large differences in the development level of South Korea and today's developing countries, this article explores, what numerous underperforming countries can learn from the South Korean development model. This article argues that it will be very difficult, if not impossible, for today's developing countries to imitate the South Korean development model by simply adopting similar policies and formal institutions because, apart from conventional explications, informal institutions shaped by Confucianism ("Asian values") and specific historical circumstances played a key role in the economic development of South Korea. Nevertheless, there are still some lessons to be learnt from South Korea.


Objective. To assess the competency levels of the technical staff of the Center for Health Development Calabarzon (CHD 4A) to inform the development of a human resource management plan.
Methods. A cross-sectional assessment design to determine the CHD 4A technical staff's competency level was utilized. The team from the College of Public Health, University of the Philippines Manila invited all the CHD 4A technical staff to complete a self-assessment using the Learning and Development Needs Assessment Tool (LDNA) (version 3-45), rating their perceived competency and the level of importance to their functions on core and functional competencies stipulated in the Department of Health Compendium of Competency Standards. Gaps were identified by comparing perceived competency levels with a predetermined standard for each agency's salary grade or position.
Results. All 67 technical staff took part in the assessment. Entry- and senior-level professionals had minimal deviations from predetermined standards, with gaps in quality service focus and teamwork for the former and planning and political savvy for the latter. In contrast, mid-career professionals had larger gaps in magnitude and number than entry and senior-level staff – the largest being on results orientation – reflective of newly-promoted staff's adjustment period. Of note, these gaps were based on the prevailing competency standards in force at the time of assessment in 2015. Findings may need to be revisited when the agency updates the core and functional competency standards.
Conclusion. The participants perceived core and functional competencies as important, with the level of perceived importance increasing as the salary bracket increases. Core competency gaps were widest in integrity and quality service focus. Simultaneously, results orientation, and planning and organizing were the functional competencies that registered the widest gap and prioritized. Training needs assessments should be conducted in times of change to ensure an organization's training programs' relevance and to develop peak-level employee performance.


In this paper, we design preconditioners for the matrix-free solution of high-order continuous and discontinuous Galerkin discretizations of elliptic problems based on FEM-SEM equivalence and additive Schwarz methods. The high-order operators are applied without forming the system matrix, making use of sum factorization for efficient evaluation. The system is preconditioned using a spectrally equivalent low-order finite element operator discretization on a refined mesh. The low-order refined mesh is anisotropic and not shape regular in $p$, requiring specialized solvers to treat the anisotropy. We make use of a structured, geometric multigrid V-cycle with ordered ILU(0) smoothing. The preconditioner is parallelized through an overlapping additive Schwarz method that is robust in $h$ and $p$. The method is extended to interior penalty and BR2 discontinuous Galerkin discretizations, for which it is also robust in the size of the penalty parameter. Numerical results are presented on a variety of examples, verifying the uniformity of the preconditioner.


This paper presents real-time vibration based identification technique using measured frequency response functions(FRFs) under random vibration loading. Artificial Neural Networks (ANNs) are trained to map damage fingerprints to damage characteristic parameters. Principal component statistical analysis(PCA) technique was used to tackle the problem of high dimensionality and high noise of data, which is common for industrial structures. The present study considers Crack, Rivet hole expansion and redundant uniform mass as damages on the structure. Frequency response function data after being reduced in size using PCA is fed to individual neural networks to localize and predict the severity of damage on the structure. The system of ANNs trained with both numerical and experimental model data to make the system reliable and robust. The methodology is applied to a numerical model of stiffened panel structure, where damages are confined close to the stiffener. The results showed that, in all the cases considered, it is possible to localize and predict severity of the damage occurrence with very good accuracy and reliability.


Ionic Liquids are salts with melting temperature below 100 °C. They have fascinating characteristics that made them an eco-friendly replacement for volatile organic solvents. Over years, research has proven the capability of Ionic Liquids to extract heavy metals and organic compounds from water and organic solvents. Researchers have also been able to immobilize Ionic Liquid on Solid support to be used as a catalyst. This study investigates the dissolution of petroleum asphaltenes with ionic liquid. The important parameters governing the ability of ionic liquids for dissolution of asphaltenes are discussed. The ionic liquids based on the cations containing a conjugated aromatic core or the anions which are strong hydrogen bond acceptors are most effective, whereas the ionic liquids containing non coordinating anions such as [BF] and [PF] are nonsolvents for asphaltenes. Increase in the effective anion charge density enhances the ability of ionic liquids to break the extensive asphaltenes associations and thus enhances the solubility of asphaltenes in the ionic liquid. Temperature is found to play an important role on dissolution of asphaltenes and the dissolution can be significantly improved by microwave heating.
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Description Klippel-Trénaunay syndrome is a rare genetic disorder that typically presents as a triad of symptoms consisting of venous malformations (varicosities), capillary malformations (port-wine stain), and limb overgrowth. We followed a 23-year-old African American male with a past medical history of peripheral vascular disease, who was visiting the dermatology clinic for a persistent skin lesion on his thigh. During physical examinations, we noted a subtle port-wine stain on his right leg, right leg hypertrophy, and peripheral vascular disease. Skin findings were difficult to observe on his darker skin tone, Fitzpatrick skin type VI, which may have led to the delayed diagnosis of Klippel-Trénaunay syndrome. The lesion of concern was removed during a follow-up visit and was consistent with an angiokeratoma. Our patient had not suffered any serious complications from his new diagnosis of Klippel-Trénaunay syndrome; however, there was a concern for thrombotic events.


The structure of the capsular polysaccharide of Escherichia coli K5 is identical to that of N-acetyl-heparosan, a nonsulfated precursor of heparin, which makes this E. coli antigen an attractive starting point for the chemical synthesis of analogs of low-molecular-weight heparin. This polysaccharide is synthesized as a high-molecular-weight molecule that can be depolymerized by an enzyme displaying endo-beta-eliminase activity. The eliminase-encoding gene, designated elmA, has been cloned from E. coli K5 by expression in E. coli K-12. The K-12 genome is devoid of the elmA sequence. The elmA gene product is 820 amino acids long. Active recombinant eliminase is produced by K-12 cells in both cell-bound and secreted forms. Deletion analyses have shown that the C terminus and the N terminus are required for activity and secretion, respectively.


In the software engineering test development takes significant resources. A general method for the creation of appropriate test suites could solve the problems of the often ad-hoc and time-consuming test generation process. The recent method uses formal specifications to support systematic derivation of complete test suites. From the formal specification using a special procedure a formalized document, the so-called Test Suite Structure (TSS) and Test Pur-poses (TP) can be created. With the help of this document developers can easily, automatically implement the test suites. The TSS & TP document also enables the persons who perform the tests to under-stand the test criteria and the steps, even if they do not actually know the protocol itself. We present a thorough picture of our test derivation method and show its efficiency on the Wireless Transaction Protocol (WTP) of the Wireless Application Protocol family (WAP). During our work in the validation phase we also found some operational flaws in the protocol specification.


Axons of the trigeminal ganglion convey sensory information from mechanoreceptors, thermoreceptors, and nociceptors in the face and nasal mucosa, then terminate on several groups of neurons including the principal sensory nucleus and the nuclei of the spinal trigeminal tract. To understand guidance mechanisms during the development of trigeminal sensory axons (TA) in the embryonic brain, we first investigated the growth pattern of TA in relation to organization in the hindbrain using flat whole‐mount preparation from rat. We found that the primary TA from the trigeminal ganglion entered the brainstem and grew longitudinally within the hindbrain. Whereas descending axons ran just medial to the primary vestibular axons to innervate the spinal nucleus, ascending axons stayed near the entry point. In flat whole‐mount culture, the TA extended both ascending and descending branches as they do in vivo. Rostral hindbrain was found to be a less permissive substrate for the TA compared to caudal hindbrain. In addition, the nonpermissive property of the ventral hindbrain substrate restricted the invasion of TA along the entire length of the hindbrain. Thus, cooperation of absolute and relative permissiveness of the substrate plays important roles in the guidance of TA to their targets. J. Comp. Neurol. 460:503–513, 2003. © 2003 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


Pulmonary embolism (PE) remains a common and important clinical condition that cannot be accurately diagnosed on the basis of signs, symptoms, and history alone. In the absence of high pretest probability and with a negative high-sensitivity D-dimer test, PE can be effectively excluded; in other situations, diagnostic imaging is necessary. The diagnosis of PE has been facilitated by technical advancements and multidetector computed tomography pulmonary angiography, which is the major diagnostic modality currently used. Ventilation and perfusion (V/Q) scans remain largely accurate and useful in certain settings. Lower-extremity ultrasound can substitute by demonstrating deep vein thrombosis; however, if negative, further studies to exclude PE are indicated. In all cases, correlation with the clinical status, particularly with risk factors, improves not only the accuracy of diagnostic imaging but also overall utilization. Other diagnostic tests have limited roles. The American College of Radiology Appropriateness Criteria are evidence-based guidelines for specific clinical conditions that are reviewed every 2 years by a multidisciplinary expert panel. The development and review of the guidelines include an extensive analysis of current medical literature from peer-reviewed journals and the application of a well-established consensus methodology (modified Delphi) to rate the appropriateness of imaging and treatment procedures by the panel. In those instances in which evidence is lacking or not definitive, expert opinion may be used to recommend imaging or treatment.


In his contribution to this symposium, Stuart Benjamin identifies, elaborates, and evaluates the intuition that there is something troubling about bootstrapping — the process by which an actor can, by doing Y, give itself the power to do Z. That intuition animates much of the opposition to the Patient Protection and Affordable Care Act (ACA). Benjamin argues convincingly that, however bootstrapping is defined, it is not the constitutional threat that some people have imagined it to be. As Judge Jeffrey Sutton of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Sixth Circuit explained in the course of rejecting a different argument against the constitutionality of the ACA, "Sometimes an intuition is just an intuition."In this short response, I attempt to join the projects that Benjamin has set for himself: first, identifying what people mean when they talk about bootstrapping; second, elaborating what people find troubling about that concept; and, finally, evaluating whether those concerns are justified. Although I agree with Benjamin almost completely, I try here to offer a few different points of emphasis, including more of a focus on the distinction between bootstraps and preconditions, four types of concerns regarding bootstrapping (those relating to aggrandizement, formalism, institutionalism, and transparency), and the relevance of the bootstrapper's purpose.


Many surgical methods have been reported for the reconstruction of cryptotia. We have devised a new modified method for surgical correction of cryptotia that uses a skin graft from the retroauricular region, and have treated 15 ears of 14 patients using this method. The method is described and cases are illustrated.


Abstract Polylactic acid (PLA) is a commonly used biodegradable material in medical and increasingly in industrial applications. These materials are often exposed to various flaws and faults due to working and production conditions, and increasing the demand for PLA for various applications requires a full understanding of its fracture behavior. In addition to ABS, PLA is a widely used polymeric material in 3D printing. The gyroid type of filling is advantageous for overcoming the relatively higher brittleness of PLA in comparison with conventional thermoplastic polymers. In this study, the effects of various filling ratios on the fracture toughness of 3D printed PLA samples with gyroid pattern were investigated numerically and experimentally for pure mode I, combined mode I/II, and pure mode II. Two-dimensional finite element modeling was created, and the two-dimensional functions of stress intensity coefficients were extracted in loading mode I, mode I/II, and mode II at varied filling ratios of the gyroid PLA samples. Mixed-mode fracture tests for 3D printed PLA samples with a gyroid pattern at various filling ratios were performed by using a specially developed fracture testing fixture. The results showed that the amount of fracture toughness of the samples under study in tensile mode was much higher than those values in shear mode. Also, as the percentages of the filling ratios in the samples increased, both tensile and shear fracture toughness improved.


Introduction: Recent studies have shown acute cardioprotective effects of cyclosporine. The aim of the present study was to determine the protective role of cyclosporine on the model simulated the rotational nodal arrhythmia (AVNRT) by using extracellular field potential recordings of isolated atrioventricular-node (AV-node) of rabbit. Methods: This study was performed on isolated double-perfused AV-node of male New Zealand rabbits (1.5-2.5 kg) in one group (n=7). Basic and rate-dependent stimulation protocols (recovery, facilitation, fatigue) and arrhythmia threshold (index of refractoriness) and % Gap incidence were measured for assessment of electrophysiological properties of the AV- node. All stimulation protocols were repeated in control step and in the presence of various cumulative concentrations of cyclosporine (0.5 - 10 I¼m). Results: Cyclosporine prolonged the effective refractory period from 114.3±7.9 to 142±7.3 msec at the concentration of 10 I¼m. It also prolonged the functional refractory period from 162±3.3 to 178.6±5 msec and increased the time of Wenckebach at the concentrations of 5 - 10 I¼M. Various concentrations of cyclosporine increased fatigue and reached a significant level at 10 I¼m. Gap incidence was 82%, 16.6% and 20% in the control and treatments with 0.5 and 10 I¼m of cyclosporine, respectively. Conclusion: Block of MPTP by cyclosporine caused inhibition of basic and rate-dependent properties of atrioventricular node. Cyclosporine, by raising the threshold of arrhythmia, could be possibly considered as an anti- AVNRT drug.


Objective: Melanoma is a highly heterogeneous disease. A certain subgroup of patients with primary melanomas exhibits a greater potential to develop metastatic disease and thus has worse survival. The present study attempts to identify the molecular features shared by metastatic melanomas and the subgroup of primary melanomas, and use the information to assist clinicians to design personalized therapy for primary melanoma patients. Patients and methods: Seven previously reported biomarkers, including BRAF, Dicer, Fbw7, KAI1, MMP2, p27 and Tip60, were investigated. A training cohort with 250 melanoma patients (145 primary melanomas and 105 metastatic melanomas) and an independent cohort with 92 primary melanoma patients were used for the study. Logistic regression analysis was used to identify discriminate biomarkers of metastatic melanoma from primary melanoma. Kaplan-Meier survival and multivariate Cox proportional hazard regression analysis were performed to assess the significance of the molecular signature in the prognosis of melanoma. Results: In the training cohort, we found the loss expression of KAI1 and p27 to be most significant between metastatic and primary melanoma. The primary melanoma patients with loss expression of both KAI1 and p27 had poor 5-year survival in both training cohort (P = 0.002) and independent cohort (P = 0.03). Multivariate Cox regression analysis showed that the KAI1-/p27- signature was an independent factor for disease- specific survival (P = 0.004). More important, compared to KAI1 and p27 as an individual prognostic marker, the KAI1-/p27- signature is more closely associated with melanoma patient survival: the P value is 0.004 for KAI1-/p27-, and 0.044, 0.181 for KAI1 and p27, respectively. Conclusion: Loss of both KAI1 and p27 defines a subgroup of primary melanoma patients with poor prognosis, and the combination signature is better than individual biomarker. The clinical significance of KAI1 and p27 warrants further assessment in prospective clinical trials. Citation Format: Yabin Cheng, Guohong Zhang, Yun Tang, Guangdi Chen, Gholamreza Safaee, Annand Rotte, Magdalena Martinka, Kevin McElwee, Youwen Zhou. Loss of tumor suppressors KAI1 and p27 identifies a unique subgroup of primary melanoma patients with poor survival. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the AACR Special Conference on Advances in Melanoma: From Biology to Therapy; Sep 20-23, 2014; Philadelphia, PA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2015;75(14 Suppl):Abstract nr A33.


Accurate mapping and monitoring of savanna and semiarid woodland biomes are needed to support the selection of areas of conservation, to provide sustainable land use, and to improve the understanding of vegetation. The potential of geostatistical features, derived from medium spatial resolution satellite imagery, to characterize contrasted landscape vegetation cover and improve object-based image classification is studied. The study site in Brazil includes cerrado sensu stricto, deciduous forest, and palm swamp vegetation cover. Sentinel 2 and Landsat 8 images were acquired and divided into objects, for each of which a semivariogram was calculated using near-infrared (NIR) and normalized difference vegetation index (NDVI) to extract the set of geostatistical features. The features selected by principal component analysis were used as input data to train a random forest algorithm. Tests were conducted, combining spectral and geostatistical features. Change detection evaluation was performed using a confusion matrix and its accuracies. The semivariogram curves were efficient to characterize spatial heterogeneity, with similar results using NIR and NDVI from Sentinel 2 and Landsat 8. Accuracy was significantly greater when combining geostatistical features with spectral data, suggesting that this method can improve image classification results. © 2017 Society of PhotoOptical Instrumentation Engineers (SPIE) [DOI: 10.1117/1.JRS.11.036004]


We have presented an alternate ANN structure called functional link ANN (FLANN) for nonlinear dynamic system identification using the popular backpropagation algorithm. In contrast to a feedforward ANN structure, i.e., a multilayer perceptron (MLP), the FLANN is basically a single layer structure in which nonlinearity is introduced by enhancing the input pattern with nonlinear functional expansion. With proper choice of functional expansion in a FLANN, this network performs as good as and in some cases even better than the MLP structure for the problem of nonlinear system identification.


Native cytochrome c (cyt c) has a compact tertiary structure with a hexacoordinated heme iron and functions in electron transport in mitochondria and apoptosis in the cytoplasm. However, the possibility that protein modifications confer additional functions to cyt c has not been explored. Disruption of methionine 80 (M80)-Fe ligation of cyt c under nitrative stress has been reported. To model this alteration and determine if it confers new properties to cyt c, a cyt c mutant (M80A) was constitutively expressed in cells. M80A-cyt c has increased peroxidase activity and is spontaneously released from mitochondria, translocating to the cytoplasm and nucleus in the absence of apoptosis. Moreover, M80A models endogenously nitrated cyt c because nitration of WT-cyt c is associated with its translocation to the cytoplasm and nucleus. Further, M80A cyt c may up-regulate protective responses to nitrative stress. Our findings raise the possibility that endogenous protein modifications that disrupt the M80-Fe ligation (such as tyrosine nitration) stimulate nuclear translocation and confer new functions to cyt c in nonapoptotic cells.


This study sought to determine the critical success factors for knowledge management in the Jordan financial sector. These factors were identified via extensive literature review and through descriptive and inferential statistics. Using a cross-sectional survey design, data were collected from 310 respondents, where the majority (48%) were middle-level managers followed by first-line managers and top-level managers, who accounted for 42 and 10%, respectively. All managers had taken part in identifying knowledge, sharing knowledge, and using knowledge. The findings highlighted that organization, organizational leadership, information technology infrastructure, and human resource management practice significantly affect knowledge management. Further structure equation modeling showed that organizational leadership significantly affects the organizational structure, which significantly affects knowledge management. Organizational leadership significantly affects information technology infrastructures that significantly affect knowledge management, and organization leadership affects human resource management practices, affecting knowledge management. There should be an evaluation of how the current organization structure, human resource management practices, leadership, and information technology infrastructure are likely to affect the successful implementation of knowledge management initiatives.


PURPOSE
A potential financial relationship between investigators and pharmaceutical manufacturers has been associated with an increased likelihood of reporting favorable conclusions about a sponsor's proprietary agent in pharmacoeconomic studies. The purpose of this study is to investigate whether there is an association between financial relationships and outcome in economic analyses of new targeted therapies in oncology.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
We searched PubMed (last update June 2011) for economic analyses of targeted therapies (including monoclonal antibodies, tyrosine-kinase inhibitors, and mammalian target of rapamycin inhibitors) in oncology. The trials were qualitatively rated regarding the cost assessment as favorable, neutral, or unfavorable on the basis of prespecified criteria.

RESULTS
Overall, 81 eligible studies were identified. Economic analyses that were funded by pharmaceutical companies were more likely to report favorable qualitative cost estimates (28 [82%] of 34 v 21 [45%] of 47; P = .003). The presence of an author affiliated with manufacturer was not associated with study outcome. Furthermore, if only studies including a conflict of interest statement were included (66 of 81), studies that reported any financial relationship with manufacturers (author affiliation and/or funding and/or other financial relationship) were more likely to report favorable results of targeted therapies compared with studies without financial relationship (32 [71%] of 45 v nine [43%] of 21; P = .025).

CONCLUSION
Our study reveals a potential threat for industry-related bias in economic analyses of targeted therapies in oncology in favor of analyses with financial relationships between authors and manufacturers. A more balanced funding of economic analyses from other sources may allow greater confidence in the interpretation of their results.


BACKGROUND
The combination of structural and functional analyses is a biologically valid approach that offers methodological advantages in ASD neuroimaging science. The paucity of studies combining these methods constitutes an important knowledge gap. In this study, we investigate structural abnormalities and their associated functional differences in a developmentally homogeneous ASD cohort.
 Methods: Whole-brain VBM analyses were performed on 28 ASD participants and 38 age-matched typically developing healthy controls (HC) to derive gray matter (GM) volume differences. The anatomically relevant clusters identified by voxel-based morphometry (VBM) served as seed regions of interest (ROI) for resting-state functional-connectivity (RsFc) analysis.

RESULTS
Whole-brain VBM analyses revealed significant right lateralized GM volume abnormality in the ASD group with lower GM volumes in cerebellar lobules VIIb/VIIIa (cluster 1) and significantly higher GM volumes in posterior middle/superior temporal gyrii (BA 21/22, cluster 2) as compared to HC. Whole-brain RsFc analysis in HF-ASD revealed significant hypo-connectivity of the cerebellar VBM cluster with the right cerebral cortical regions of superior parietal lobule (BA7) and occipital pole (BA19) (overlapping with dorsal attention and visual networks, respectively). Cerebral cortical VBM cluster (cluster 2) revealed significant hypo-connectivity in HF-ASD with other task-positive cerebral cortical including the left lateral prefrontal cortex (frontoparietal network) and some aspects of the insula (ventral attention network) and ectopic positive connectivity (lack of anti-correlations) with posterior cingulate cortex and medial prefrontal cortex (default mode network).

CONCLUSIONS
The cerebro-cerebellar intrinsic functional dysconnectivity based on the whole-brain VBM-derived ROIs may advance our understanding of the compensatory mechanisms associated with ASD and offer cerebellum as a potential target for diagnostic, predictive, prognostic, and therapeutic interventions in ASD. Our findings also provide additional support indicating that functional abnormalities as indexed by RsFc exist in ASD, and highlight that there is likely a relationship between structural and functional abnormalities in this disorder.
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Abstract Red‐naped sapsuckers (Sphyrapicus nuchalis) are functionally important because they create sapwells and cavities that other species use for food and nesting. Red‐naped sapsucker ecology within aspen (Populus tremuloides) has been well studied, but relatively little is known about red‐naped sapsuckers in conifer forests. We used light detection and ranging (LiDAR) data to examine occupancy patterns of red‐naped sapsuckers in a conifer‐dominated system. We surveyed for sapsuckers at 162 sites in northern Idaho, USA, during 2009 and 2010. We used occupancy models and an information‐theoretic approach to model sapsucker occupancy as a function of four LiDAR‐based metrics that characterized vegetation structure and tree harvest, and one non‐LiDAR metric that characterized distance to major roads. We evaluated model support across a range of territory sizes using Akaike's information criterion. Top model support was highest at the 4‐ha extent, which suggested that 4 ha was the most relevant scale describing sapsucker occupancy. Sapsuckers were positively associated with variation of canopy height and harvested area, and negatively associated with shrub and large tree density. These results suggest that harvest regimes and structural diversity of vegetation at moderate extents (e.g., 4 ha) largely influence occurrence of red‐naped sapsuckers in conifer forests. Given the current and projected declines of aspen populations, it will be increasingly important to assess habitat relationships, as well as demographic characteristics, of aspen‐associated species such as red‐naped sapsuckers within conifer‐dominated systems to meet future management and conservation goals.


Abstract Allopolyploidy is common in angiosperms, but only rarely involves different genera. One hypothesized case of intergeneric allopolyploidy is Hylocereus megalanthus, a member of Cactaceae tribe Hylocereeae, a group of vine cactus species, some of which are known for their edible fruits ("pitahaya" or "dragon fruit"). This polyploid species has been interpreted as morphologically intermediate between Hylocereus and Selenicereus. Plastid and nuclear ribosomal DNA ITS sequences from all H. megalanthus individuals sampled are either identical (plastid), or form a monophyletic clade despite considerable intraindividual polymorphism (ITS). Plastid and ITS phylogenies both show H. megalanthus nested within a well-supported Hylocereus, which in turn is nested within a paraphyletic Selenicereus. The absence of more than one lineage of ITS in H. megalanthus is consistent with autopolyploidy, but could be due to inter-homoeologue concerted evolution. Numerous low-copy nuclear genes were tested for utility in these vine cacti, and two (phyC and Vatp1) were sampled from H. megalanthus and a subset of Hylocereus and Selenicereus species. In both cases, H. megalanthus haplotypes were more closely related to each other than to other Hylocereus or Selenicereus haplotypes. Thus, we found no evidence for allopolyploidy, let alone intergeneric allopolyploidy, in H. megalanthus.


The introns of animal nuclear genes and of viral genes encoding protein possess at their 3' splice-site the consensus sequence (CT)11NTCAG (Mount, S.M. (1982) Nucl. Acids Res. 10, 459-472; Green, M.R. (1986) Ann. Rev. Genet. 20, 671-708). However, the total 39 introns of the 5 imported mitochondrial proteins of higher eucaryotes whose gene structure has been determined to date show a predominance of 44% for base T at position -4. Apparently, a variant consensus sequence, i.e. (CT)11TTCAG, characterizes the genes of nuclear encoded mitochondrial proteins.


We have combined collaborative didactic techniques, virtual laboratories and intelligent tutors to improve the process of learning mobile robotics. The students learn the basic concepts in mobile robotics, first by experimenting in a virtual laboratory and later by building a small mobile robot for a competition. The course is based on the project-oriented learning (POL) didactic strategy. Throughout the course the students design, build and program a small mobile robot to participate in student competitions. Here we present an evaluation of the virtual lab and of the tutor, and of the course in general.


Manihot is a neotropical genus with about 70 species in Brazil. Considered an important source of starch, the wild species are useful in cassava breeding programs. Taxonomic studies on this genus are scarce, and several species are endangered. The Embrapa Cassava and Fruit Collection contain wild cassava species of Maniho t from different regions in Brazil, although many have uncertain taxonomic identifi cations. The present study reviewed the taxonomy of these specimens and provides descriptions and illustrations for each collection/species. Thirteen species were identifi ed. The best represented biome in the collection was the Cerrado (eight species), followed by the Caatinga (fi ve species). Four taxa are distributed in more than one ecosystem, while six species are on red lists, indicating the importance of their conservation in germplasm banks.


Cochlear implant surgery is regarded as safe for the auditory rehabilitation of individuals suffering from profound/severe hearing loss. Complications may arise from the surgery. The complications of implant cochlear surgery reflect the operation complexity, the skill of the surgical team and the inherent risks of the procedure itself. Aim To establish and discuss the postoperative complications in implanted patients from the Cochlear Implant Program of Rio Grande do Norte - Brazil. Study design Retrospective analysis. Materials and methods This paper discusses the clinical records of 250 patients implanted between August 2000 to December 2008. All patients were implanted by the same surgeon. The postoperative complications were classified in minor as those that resolved with minimal or no treatment and major as those requiring additional surgery or hospitalization. Results In our sample, 33 patients (13.2%) had postoperative complications. Minor complications affected 20 cases (8.0%), while major complications occurred in 13 cases (5.2%). Hematomas, device failures and infections had the highest clinical relevance. Conclusion This review reinstates the safety of the surgical procedure in relation to the possible occurrence of postoperative complications and emphasizes the need for continuous surgeon education and training.


The problem of aiding children who have been bereft of parental care, which is common to all the countries of the world, is an especially acute one in Russia. The difficult material condition of most of the population, rising alcoholism and narcotics abuse, and the marginalization of society have created terrible burdens on the family. In the middle of the 1990s, the number of children deprived of parental care comprised about 400,000. Only 5 percent of this number have no parents; the rest are social orphans—children whose parents have left them to the mercy of fate. They are generally backward in development, and they easily serve as the breeding ground for the manifestation of a variety of forms of deviant behavior. Begging, prostitution, theft, and swindling come to be the means by which abandoned adolescents survive, and these activities often determine their future lives.


Patients with complications after surgery often pose enormous challenges to physicians. We report the case of a young lady developing fever, oliguria and intractable ascites refererred to us after undergoing abdominal surgery. She was diagnosed subsequently to have a urinoma with urinary ascites masquerading as a case of sepsis. Percutaneous nephrostomy followed by definitive repair and reimplantation of ureter later led to subsidence of the symptoms.


A boson sampler implements a restricted model of quantum computing. It is defined by the ability to sample from the distribution resulting from the interference of identical bosons propagating according to programmable, non-interacting dynamics. Here, we demonstrate a new combination of tools for implementing boson sampling using ultracold atoms in a two-dimensional, tunnel-coupled optical lattice. These tools include fast and programmable preparation of large ensembles of nearly identical bosonic atoms ($99.5^{+0.5}_{-1.6}\;\%$ indistinguishability) by means of rearrangement with optical tweezers and high-fidelity optical cooling, propagation for variable evolution time in the lattice with low loss ($5.0(2)\;\%$, independent of evolution time), and high fidelity detection of the atom positions after their evolution (typically $99.8(1)\;\%$). With this system, we study specific instances of boson sampling involving up to $180$ atoms distributed among $\sim 1000$ sites in the lattice. Direct verification of a given boson sampling distribution is not feasible in this regime. Instead, we introduce and perform targeted tests to determine the indistinguishability of the prepared atoms, to characterize the applied family of single particle unitaries, and to observe expected bunching features due to interference for a large range of atom numbers. When extended to interacting systems, our work demonstrates the core capabilities required to directly assemble ground and excited states in simulations of various Hubbard models.


Introduction: The usefulness of performing a cytocentrifuge preparation (CCP) analysis on cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) containing less than 5 cells has never been studied. To determine if the CCP analysis has a clinical impact on central nervous system (CNS) management of patients with CSF samples containing less than five cells, we correlated the result of CCP to cytomorphology and flow cytometry. Methods: From November 20th 2005 to July 18th 2007, CCP analysis were performed on 105 CSF consecutive samples containing less than 5 cells from patients with various cancers. For each of these samples, a research via computerized data was conducted to obtain cytomorphology and flow cytometry results. If results were positive or inconclusive, the clinical history and treatment were reviewed. Results: All 105 samples had negative CCP results. Of the 105 samples, 74 (70,5%) had available cytomorphologies, with 5 (6,8%) being positive, confirming central nervous system infiltration. All 5 patients received treatment for their CNS involvement. The sensitivity of cytomorphology was 83,3%(5/6) and its specificity 100% (68/68).Of the 105 samples, 23 (21,9%) had available flow cytometries: 4 of the 23 (17,4%) cytometries were positive, 2 correlated by positive cytomorphology and treated. 2 had negative cytomorphology with one patient receiving treatment. The sensitivity of cytometry was 75% (3/4) and the specificity 94,7% (19/20). Conclusion: We found no advantage to performing CCP analysis on CSF samples of less than 5 cells. However, this suggests that performing both cytomorphology and flow cytometry allows a better detection and management of CNS infiltration.


Designing efficient metallic nanostructures can help in realizing bright single photon emission in the visible and near-infrared ranges. We propose a novel nanostructure design that combines the benefits of plasmonic hot spot generation in the near-field and the concept of antennas developed in the radio-frequency range. The antenna is formed by a vertical stack of metallic and dielectric nanocylinders. When used for controlling the far-field emission of a localized source, its key features are moderate losses in the metal, relatively large Purcell factors, as well as a low sensibility to the lateral position of the emitter. A redirection process necessary for these vertical structures is proposed, based on the versatility of the vertical geometry, and allows an efficient redirection of the emitted light even for antennas on dielectric substrates.


The paper refers to similarities and differences in the position of local self-government in two countries of Central and Eastern Europe, Lithuania and the Slovak Republic. The results of contribution are based on a system of public administration applied in each country, territorial and administrative division of the countries as well as the basic legal norms governing the status and role of local self-government. In the final part it refers to creating and the competences of individual local self-government bodies and the relationships among them. In terms of the status of local self-government Lithuania belongs to the countries that implemented the consolidation of settlement structure. Performance of local self-government is being implemented through 60 municipalities where the number of inhabitants ranges from 4.400 to 580.000. Slovakia is characterized by high fragmentation of settlement structure (2.890 municipalities) with high proportion of small villages. Each municipality in Slovakia is a separate self-governing unit, where the scope of the population living in them ranges from 11 to 413.192.


In this paper, new training sequences and frame structure are proposed to estimate time-varying channel for MIMO OFDM systems. The training sequences named modulatable orthogonal polyphase sequences have both good autocorrelations and cross-correlations. They are used as guard interval instead of cyclic prefix, which not only improve the transmission efficiency but also make the channel estimator can track time-varying channel. The channel impulse response can be obtained by measuring the correlation between the received training sequence and the locally generated training sequence. The simulation results show that the proposed estimation method has better performance than conventional methods in fast time-varying channel.


Adequate fluid therapy in the acute brain injured (ABI) patient is essential for maintaining an adequate brain and systemic physiology and preventing intra- and extracranial complications. The target of euvolemia, implying avoidance of both hypovolemia and fluid overloading (or "hypervolemia," by definition associated with fluid extravasation leading to tissue edema) is of key importance. Primary brain injury can be aggravated by secondary brain injury and systemic deterioration through diverse pathways which can challenge appropriate fluid management, e.g. neuroendocrine and electrolyte disorders, stress cardiomyopathy (also known as cardiac stunning) and neurogenic pulmonary edema. This is an updated expert opinion aiming to provide a practical overview on fluid therapy in the ABI patient, partly based on more recent work and stressing the fact that intravenous fluids should be regarded as drugs, with their inherent potential for both benefit and (unintended) harm.


Developing lithium oxygen (Li–O2) batteries is critical to achieve high energy density in energy storage devices. Benefiting from the low weight of the cathode reagent, oxygen, Li–O2 batteries possess a high theoretical energy density of 3500 W h kg−1 based on the formation of Li2O2. However, they face several challenges from the metal anode, the air electrode, and the unstable electrolyte. Although most studies have focused on the air electrode, the importance of the anode protection should not be neglected. In this review, we aim to understand the challenges on the lithium anode in Li–O2 batteries, which include Li dendrite growth, parasitic reactions between Li and active species in the electrolyte, and the oxygen crossover effect. Also, recent advances on the Li protection in Li–O2 batteries will be introduced. This review emphasizes the importance of anode protection especially in an oxygen rich environment and could provide guidance for future development of Li–O2 batteries.


The threshold behaviour of electron impact ionization of argon atoms and nitrogen molecules is investigated state selectively using the translational energy spectrometry (TES) method. A power law of the form sigma (Eel) varies as (Eel-Ethr)kappa can be fitted to the measured ionization functions. For double ionization of Ar and N2 the authors found good agreement with the theoretical predictions based on the Wannier theory for the electron triple escape process. Coefficients for the triple ionization of Ar are closer to those predicted by a statistical model.


Abstract The relationships of ovarian blood flow (OBF) to ovarian function, body weight, cyclic state, and age of the corpus luteum were studied in aging rats with acutely implanted electromagnetic blood flow probes. Ovarian function was monitored by estimation of serum 17-β-estradiol (E2) and progesterone (P) levels during (i) different stages of body maturation as indexed by body weight, and (ii) various stages of the estrous and pseudopregnancy (PSP) cycles. A distinct elevation in basal OBF rates was observed to occur in relation to body weight/age. Basal OBF rates and body weight exhibited a near linear correlation (r = 0.985; P ≤ 0.001) between 200 and 260 g, with a rise in mean basal OBF rates from 1.1 to 3.2 ml/min occurring in Day-8 PSP rats (Day 0 = ovulation). In weight-regulated (≥ 250 g) cycle rats, OBF increased in parallel with serum E2 levels during the proestrus-estrus period in association with ovulation, and subsequently declined to basal levels on diestrus. In PSP rats, OBF remained elevated between Days 1 and 8, during the period of peak luteal function. Between Days 8 and 12, both OBF and luteal function declined in a parallel manner as the ovary prepared for the subsequent ovulatory period. These results indicate that during the estrous cycle, OBF rates and serum E2 levels rise in a parallel manner, whereas during PSP, serum P levels and OBF are positively correlated. The parallel decline in OBF and serum P during luteolysis suggest that both parameters are functionally related and may be regulated by either a systemic or intraovarian controlling mechanism.


Since the sprouting of the personal computers, around 1980, computer science has been gaining importance, becoming a supporting instrument for other daily activities of ours. With the introduction of computing in a certain area or activity, barriers and difficulties can be overcome. Consequently, new paradigms, possibilities and challenges are created. In education it is not different, computing is more and more present, assisting the learning process in a variety of ways, creating new challenges ABStrAct


For students, high-quality feedback consists of the following: • Clear criteria against which to judge the feedback. A feedback rubric articulates criteria and relative weights for assignment components and can be shared with students when the assignment is introduced so they are aware of how you will assess their work. • Comments that are detailed and related to specific aspects of their work. Consider developing a master feedback form that can be used on multiple student responses. This way, the students receive individual and consistent attention. • Comments that are improvement-focused.


Nitrodibenzofuran (NDBF) groups are used as photolabile "caging" groups to temporarily mask the Watson-Crick interaction of dA and dC residues. They show improved masking capabilities and are photodeprotected 12 times more efficiently than 1-(o-nitrophenyl)-ethyl (NPE) caging groups in these positions. Furthermore, NDBF groups can be removed wavelength-selectively in the presence of NPE groups. This will allow more complex (un)caging strategies of oligonucleotides--beyond the usual irreversible triggering.


Objective: To report the outcomes of pediatric cataract surgery over a 7-year period in a mission hospital in northern Nigeria. Patients and Methods: We retrospectively examined the notes of 230 consecutive children aged 16 years and younger, who underwent bilateral cataract surgery by a single surgeon. The patients' demographic, preoperative, and postoperative clinical details were analyzed. Details regarding the eye with the better postop vision were used in the analysis. Results: A total of 230 patients were included, of which 148 (64.4%) were boys. Age at presentation ranged from 1 month to 16 years, with a mean of 4.89 years and standard deviation of 4.21 years. Median delay for presentation was 12 months, with an interquartile range of 4–36 months. Visual acuity at presentation in the selected operative eye was normal in 2 (0.91%) patients and blind in 179 (81.4%) patients. Best-corrected postop vision was normal in 63 (31.5%) patients, visually impaired in 62 (31.0%) patients, severely visually impaired in 23 (11.5%) patients, blind in 52 (26.0%) patients, and not recorded in 30 (13.0%) patients. A total of 114 (49.8%) patients were prescribed glasses. Median follow-up was 1 month (interquartile range 0.5–3 months). Conclusion: Although a majority of the children were blind in the operative eye prior to surgery, over a quarter achieved normal vision after surgery. Factors that may improve outcomes in this setting include prescribing glasses to all and facilitating increased follow-up.


A relatively simple method for calculating accurately the third-order electron transport properties of nitrogen and air thermal plasmas is presented. The electron transport properties, such as the electrical conductivity and the electron thermal conductivity, were computed with the best and latest available collision cross-section data in the temperature and pressure ranges of T = 300 - 15000 K and p = 0.01 - 1.0 atm, respectively. The results obtained under the atmospheric pressure condition showed good agreements with the experimental and the high-accuracy theoretical results. The presently-introduced method has good application potential in numerical simulations of nitrogen and air inductively-coupled plasmas.


Methods that increase processing efficiency to save energy costs and to improve yield and volume must be evaluated in terms of maintaining or improving final product quality. Shear tests measure the force to cut through fibers of cooked samples. They are the simplest and most common tests used to document cooked meat texture. However, information obtained from shearing devices that perform in a similar way may not be interchangeable. In this study, three shearing devices were assessed. Eight treatments were imposed on broiler breasts processed under commercial conditions to represent ranges of texture characteristics. Treatments included electrical stimulation (S), or no stimulation (NS) of carcasses; postchill deboning at 2 or 6 h; and marination (M), or no marination (NM). Shear force values of cooked breasts were obtained from the benchtop Warner-Bratzler (BT-WB) machine, the Warner-Bratzler blade attachment (TA-WB) and a 45 degrees chisel-end blade attachment (TA-WD). The TA-WB and TA-WD were attached to Model TA.XT2 texture analyzer. For each device, shear value differences were significant (P < 0.05) for deboning time. Marination effects were significant (P < 0.05) for BT-WB and TA-WB. Stimulation by debone interactions were significant (P < 0.05) for BT-WB and TA-WD. The TA-WD values varied the greatest over all treatments (SD = 5.52; SE = 0.65). Variations of BT-WB and TA-WB shear values were similar (SD = 3.25, 2.97, respectively; SE = 0.38, 0.35).


This paper presents a deep network based on unrolling of a diffusion process with morphological Laplacian. The diffusion process is an iterative algorithm that represents time evolution of a partial differential equation with Laplacian. We introduce the morphological Laplacian to the basic diffusion and unwrap to the deep network. The morphological filters are nonlinear operators and have parameters that are referred to as structuring elements. By the training using error back propagation, the network of the morphology can be adapted to image processing applications. Since the morphological filters is realized with addition, max and min, the error due to bit-length of data is not amplified. By this property, the morphological parts of the network are implemented in unsigned 8-bit integer with Single instruction multiple data set (SIMD) to achieve fast computation on the small micro processors. We applied the proposed network to Gaussian denoising and image completion. The results are compared with other de-noising algorithm and networks.


Focus groups of mental health practitioners, service users and carers, designed to test the competence of staff to deliver modern services, revealed wide discrepancies in perceptions. Staff saw the persistence of the medical model, and the risk-averse culture of trusts, as obstacles to delivering effective care. Users and carers felt generally uninvolved in care planning.


The photochemistry of a series of 9,10-anthraquinones with multiple benzyloxy substituents was investigated. In polar solvent, the expected Blankespoor oxidative cleavage reaction is the major reaction pathway, but in most cases, several minor products were observed. In nonpolar solvents, the abundance of these minor products increases dramatically. Four types of product were observed with the favored reaction pathway shifting with minor changes in substitution on the anthraquinone. Several types of product require cleavage of the C-O bond on the benzyloxy group and, apparently, follow a photo-Claisen-type mechanism. Others involve the expected 1,5-diradical but do not exhibit the single-electron transfer usually observed in the Blankespoor-type reaction. The results indicate the importance of considering the medium and photoredox behavior in anthraquinone photochemistry.


Nowadays large transparent surfaces are widely used in office and public buildings. The positive effect of great views and natural light on people's comfort is well known, but the high glazed ratio of building facades can lead to excessively high cooling energy demands. The heat load can be reduced by using glazing with high reflexion coating outwards and low emission coating inwards, triple panes and inert gas between the panes. Choosing proper thermal mass can further help in reducing the amplitude of the indoor operative temperature. In this paper the effects of solar factor of glazing, heat transfer coefficient of windows, windows area and thermal mass were analysed in an imaginary room with 3.0×4.0×2.8 m dimensions. As the results show the effect of the overall heat transfer coefficient is negligible. The effect of solar factor depends on the orientation. The expected differences between the amplitudes of the operative temperature are between 0.5 to 6 K for the analyzed room, depending on the thermal...


The crystal structure of the title Schiff base compound, C19H20Br2N2O2, contains two crystallographically independent molecules (A and B) in the asymmetric unit, with similar conformations. Intramolecular O—H⋯N (× 4) and C—H⋯N (× 5) hydrogen bonds form six- and five-membered rings, producing S(6) and S(5) ring motifs, respectively. One of the N atoms in molecule A acts as a trifurcated acceptor, the rest of the N atoms being bifurcated acceptors. The dihedral angles between the benzene rings in molecules A and B are 47.83 (17) and 61.11 (17)°, respectively. The molecular conformation is stabilized by intramolecular O—H⋯N and C—H⋯N hydrogen bonds. The short distances between the centroids of the benzene rings [3.7799 (19)–3.890 (2) Å] indicate the existence of π–π interactions. In addition, the crystal structure is further stabilized by an intermolecular C—H⋯O hydrogen bond, C—H⋯π interactions, and short intermolecular Br⋯Br and Br⋯O contacts [3.4786 (5) and 3.149 (3) Å, respectively].


The functional utility of regional parameters of the corpus callosum (CC) derived from factor analysis has been demonstrated in the rat and the human. In this study, we have utilized factor analysis to compare CC structure between two independent groups of human subjects. Tracings of the CC were taken from the midsagittal MRIs of two human samples consisting of 103 healthy volunteers and 146 neurological patients. CCs were digitized and factor analyses were performed on 99 widths, area, axis length, and perimeter. The factor structures of these two data sets were highly congruent except that one factor analysis yielded a seven-factor solution, whereas the factor analysis of the other subject population gave six factors. Further study determined that the six-factor structure could be attributed to the presence of non-consistent right-handed males whose wider CCs in the isthmus region biased the correlations. When CC parameters of consistent and non-consistent right-handed subjects were standardized, a seven-factor structure resulted. Reproducibility of the factor structure indicates that there are shared neuroanatomical characteristics of CC morphology among two disparate populations of humans in spite of variability in CC size due to sex, age, hand preference, and hand consistency.


A wind Doppler lidar was deployed next to three aerosol lidars during the SAMUM–2 campaign on the main island of Cape Verde. The effects of the differential heating of the island and the surrounding ocean and the orographic impact of the capital island Santiago and the small island on its luv side, Maio, are investigated. Horizontal and vertical winds were measured in the disturbed maritime boundary layer and compared to local radiosoundings. Lidar measurements from the research aircraft Falcon and a 3-D Large Eddy Simulation (LES) model were used in addition to study the heating effects on the scale of the islands. Indications are found that these effects can widely control the downward mixing from greater heights to the surface of African aerosols, mainly Saharan dust and biomass-burning smoke, which were detected in a complex layering over the Cape Verde region.


Diel changes in bacterial ingestion by a mixotrophic flagellate, Cryptomonas sp., and heterotrophic nanoflagellates (HNF) were examined in situ at 4‐h intervals for 2 d in the epilimnion and metalimnion of Lake Biwa using bacteria‐sized fluorescent microspheres as a tracer food. Clearance rates of HNF for the microspheres ranged between 1.3 and 4.5 nl cell−1 h−1, but the average rate did not differ between day and night. In contrast, clear diel changes were observed in the clearance rate of Cryptomonas sp. in the epilimnion from <0.5 nl cell−1 h−1 at midnight to >3 nl cell−1 h−1 at noon. In the metalimnion where light intensity was lower, however, the clearance rate of Cryptomonas sp. was always <0.5 nl cell−1 h−1 through the study period. Thus, bacterial ingestion of Cryptomonas sp. is not to acquire supplementary energy or carbon at low phototrophic activities. During the study period, both inorganic phosphorus and nitrogen concentrations were less than or close to the detection limits (10 nM P and 1 µM N) in the epilimnion, but much higher in the metalimnion. The results strongly support the idea that Cryptomonas sp. utilizes N and P from bacteria as substitutable nutrients when photosynthesis takes place under conditions of nutrient depletion. To assess the grazing effect of mixotrophic algae on bacterial populations, it is essential to consider diel changes in their phagotrophic mode of nutrition that are induced by light regime and nutrient concentrations in ambient water.


Small-angle neutron scattering (SANS) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM) have been used to investigate the correlation between photoluminescence properties and particle size distributions in laser synthesized Si nanopowders, of interest for application in optoelectronics. The Si nanoparticle volume distributions obtained from the SANS data are in good agreement with the TEM histogram for particle diameters ranging between 30 and 200 A approximately. Furthermore the SANS data confirm that, as it is known from photoemission spectra, in the case of highly luminescent powders a secondary distribution of particles ranging between 10 and 20 A approximately (hardly visible by TEM) is present. Finally the SANS data analysis suggests that tiny inhomogeneities (5-10 A in diameter), possibly micropores which may have relevant consequences on material performance, are also present in all the investigated samples.


Internet of Things (IoT) is a way of providing data with the physical thing that interconnected to the network, which is the Internet. The IoT devices connected to the internet, broadcast of the data to the broker or a server, becomes an open route for attackers to gain the data and making the data becomes vulnerable. Thus, the data could be altered or spoofed by an attacker which led to security issues especially on data integrity. Therefore, the data security collected from the sensors is as important as on the servers that eventually become the big data. However, most sensors are low powered devices in term of CPU, storage, memory and batteries that cryptographic algorithm computations might give overhead to the sensors and reduce the batteries even faster than it is supposed to be. Instead of looking at symmetric encryption scheme, this paper tries to explore the capabilities of the asymmetric scheme on resource constrained devices communications. Thus, this paper presents an RF communication analysis of a low consumption asymmetric encryption, the AAβ (AA-Beta) that promising to implement on the IoT devices to secure the IoT networks. The result shows only 14% size increased in ciphertext from plaintext and the RF simulation communications show a better result in Raspbian OS environment compare to windows environment even though with same configurations


Mobile Ad hoc Networks (MANETs) have unique mobility characteristics and are used for many applications similar to wired networks. These networks are capable of providing services to the users at acceptable standards and have become highly essential in our daily life. The performance of MANETs is largely dependent on routing protocols. With high traffic load, the processing of queued packets has significant effect on overall end-to-end performance and congestion avoidance. The data packets that are to be transmitted from a node are queued in a single line and forwarded using First in First out (FIFO) or using a Weighted Fair Queuing (WFQ) model. The Optimized Link State Routing protocol is an optimization of pure link state routing protocol and it is designed mainly for mobile ad hoc networks. It has a table driven approach i.e. it exchanges the information with other nodes of the network. Among routing protocols available to deliver data packets from source to destination, OSLR protocol constantly updates topology information and routes which are available. It is observed that the control traffic overhead decreases with modifications in OLSR routing protocol using traffic shaping based on packet priority. Investigations are carried out for multimedia traffic with FIFO and WFQ for various Quality of Service QoS parameters namely PDR, end to end delay, jitter and no. of TC packets.


A critical gap in existing literature is the lack of detailed knowledge about the experience of hospitals undergoing the process of collaboration. A primary purpose of this study is to close this gap by gaining a deeper understanding of a hospital's experience living through such a change—i.e., perceptions about key issues, concerns, and performance differences during implementation. Two primary research questions were explored: (1) How do health care organizations undergoing collaboration manage the change process? (2) What are the key success factors for collaboration? This research compared the processes of two very different collaborative efforts: the merger of the Beth Israel Hospital and the New England Deaconess Medical Centers into the Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center (BIDMC) and the alliance of the Brigham and Women's Hospital and the Massachusetts General Hospital into Partners HealthCare System (PHCS).


Oral and i.v. antibiotic combination more effective than oral antibiotics alone. Researchers assert benefits outweigh the risks of drug resistance. At least 12 months needed to get accurate read on risks of resistance.


Background: Radiologic findings in the viral community-acquired pneumonia (CAP) are poorly characterized. Aims and objectives: To describe and compare the radiologic findings of patients with bacterial (BP) vs those with viral pneumonia (VP). Methods: Adults with CAP admitted for at least 24h in a 500-bed acute care hospital from November 2009 to October 2010 were included. Diagnostic methods were blood and sputum cultures, antigen urinary detection, sputum analysis by polimerase chain reaction for 4 respiratory bacteria and 15 respiratory viruses. Initial chest radiographs (CR) were reviewed by a team of radiologists. We defined consolidation as not well-defined opacities with aerial bronchogram, multifocal distribution as more than 1 separated areas affected and diffuse distribution as >60% of the parenchyma affected. Results: 125 patients with CAP were included. 43 (34.4%) were BP, 23 (18.4%) VP and 21 (16.8%) co infection (BP and VP). 40.3% of patients had bilateral infiltrates. Consolidation pattern was seen in 90.3%; the rest presented with interstitial affectation. 47.2% presented multifocal distribution, 43.4% focal distribution and 9.4% diffuse distribution. Pleural effusion was seen in 14.1%. No statistical significant differences were found in the comparison of the CR according to the etiology (BP vs VP). Conclusions: Viral CAP presented frequently with a consolidation in the initial CR. Unilateral, multifocal and consolidation pattern without pleural effusion was the most frequent radiologic finding. CR is not a good tool to discriminate between BP and VP.


The effect of free cholesterol on the fatty acid composition and growth of rat fetal enterocytes was investigated in the absence and presence of 10% (v/v) fetal calf serum. Cholesterol caused a significant reduction of cell number after 6 and 12 h in culture. The fatty acid composition of enterocytes cultured in the presence of serum was also changed by the presence of 20 microM cholesterol. The fatty acid profile was determined by HPLC using fluorescence detection (325 nm excitation and 395 nm emission). Cholesterol (20 microM) increased the proportion (given in percentage of the total fatty acids) of the following fatty acids in cultured cells: lauric (by 42%), oleic (by 34%), linoleic (by 44%) and gamma-linolenic (by 20%) acids and reduced the proportion of palmitic (by 12%), stearic (by 20%), arachidonic (by 21%) and docosahexaenoic (by 44%) acids. In addition to modifying the content of individual fatty acids, cholesterol increased the polyunsaturated/saturated fatty acid ratio from 0.48 to 0.67 and the unsaturation index from 67.12 to 75.30. This is the first evidence that cholesterol modifies fatty acid composition possibly via de novo fatty acid synthesis and desaturation.


Quality of work life is becoming an imperative issue to achieve the goals of the organization in every sector whether it is education, service sector, banking sector, tourism, manufacturing, etc. Attrition, employees commitment, productivity etc. depend upon the dimensions of Quality of work life i.e. job satisfaction, organizational commitment, reward and recognition, participative management, work life balance, proper grievances handling, welfare facilities, work environment, etc. An organization provides a better QWL then it develops the healthy working environment as well as satisfied employee. High QWL can give a result in better organizational performance, effectiveness, innovativeness, etc. Consequently, to contribute better life for all those peoples whom organizational members serve and with whom they deal and interact. Today, quality of work life also affects the corporate social responsibility. Quality of work life is the corroboration between the employees and their organization it improves the family life as well as work life of the individual. This paper focuses and analyses the literature review on the quality of work life and their dimensions.


Capacitive Micromachined Ultrasonic Transducer (CMUT) provides an alternative to commercial piezoelectric-based ultrasonic transducers due to its wide bandwidth, improved efficiency, sensitivity, and design flexibility [1, 2]. In this paper, Finite Element Method-based design and simulations of circular capacitive micromachined ultrasonic transducer (CMUT) is presented. The FEM simulation of air-coupled CMUT was accomplished by using MEMCAD tools CoventorWare® and COMSOL™. The resonance frequency of 3.9 MHz was achieved for the designed circular CMUT device. A favourable agreement was found for the resonance frequency and pull-in voltage of the device using MEMSCAD tools and analytical calculations. For the proposed CMUT design, a circular cavity will be formed inside the glass substrate. Then, a free-standing membrane will be released using active layer of silicon-on-insulator (SOI) wafer. The bulk silicon of SOI wafer will be removed after bonding it on the glass substrate using anodic bonding technique as described in fabrication process flow for CMUT.


In order to be able to measure and validate an antenna design in the mm-wave frequency range it must be connected to a Vector Network Analyzer or Spectrum Analyzer. One of the challenges is to interconnect such a small antenna and the measurement equipment without influencing the antenna measurements. A commonly used method for interconnection is making use of a connector or a probe. The problem is that the connector as well as the probe are often many times larger than the antenna under test itself and are located close to the radiating part of the antenna structure. This means that the antenna measurements will be influenced. Therefore, the paper focuses on the disturbing effects of the probe as a reflective and obstructive object on mm-wave antenna pattern measurements, specifically in the 60 GHz band, and how they can be reduced.


Bacteriocins are ribosomally synthesized antibacterial peptides which have the potential to be used as natural food preservatives as well as alternative to antibiotics. Here, we report the production of bacteriocin-like inhibitory substances (BLIS) from the indigenous strains of Bacillus thuringiensis . Deferred antagonism bacteriocin assay and agar well diffusion methods suggested that several of the tested strains have high levels of bacteriocin-like activity against the common food-borne pathogens, Listeria monocytogenes , Staphylococcus aureus and Bacillus cereus . These bacteriocins are generally produced at the mid-logarithmic phase of growth with optimum temperature of 37 oC, pH-7.0 and 24 h of incubation. Heat stability assay demonstrated that the bacteriocins produced from the strains are highly heat stable and can retain activity up to 100 oC. Our study suggests that these bacteriocins may be potential candidates for use as biodegradable natural food preservatives and alternative antimicrobial agents to solve the increasing trends of problems of antibiotic resistance. Bangladesh Pharmaceutical Journal 18 (2): 149-156, 2015


Biomarker analysis of patient biopsies is essential for identifying biomarkers that have predictive or prognostic value. Such analyses not only have the potential for helping us understand the molecular mechanisms underlying response to therapy, but also in personalizing healthcare based on biomarker profiles in patient sub-populations. Patient biopsies are commonly preserved by formalin-fixing and paraffin-embedding (FFPE). Ability to evaluate nucleic-acid-based biomarkers in FFPE tissue is limited by the fact that formalin-fixing degrades the quality of nucleic acids. RNA and miRNA are further degraded in FFPE blocks as time passes. Hence, there is the basic need to find methods for stabilizing nucleic acids in FFPE tissues so that nucleic-acid-based biomarkers can be evaluated in archival tissue samples. We have evaluated various methods of tissue lysate preparation to identify ones that are optimal for stabilizing nucleic acids in storage, and for efficient recovery of DNA, RNA and miRNA. We also evaluated the quality and quantity of DNA and RNA recovered from these lysates across time. We will present a method that preserves quality of nucleic acids across time, and is compatible with protocols for DNA, RNA and miRNA isolation. This method is currently used in our laboratories to prepare tissue lysates from clinical trial samples and has enabled the development of molecular diagnostic assays.


An anatomical study of uterine malformations has become quite frequent in obstetrics and gynaecology because of the increasing use of corrective surgery. More than 100 cases were reviewed and the authors discuss some examples in order to present all kinds of uterine malformations which can be detected by ultrasound together with hysterosalpingography. A comparison of the diagnostic data obtained with the two methods shows US to be able to solve several cases. Hysterosalpingography is mandatory in female infertility when there is a need for examining Fallopian tube patency in addition to the morphological characteristics of the uterine cavity. The results obtained with the two methods in the study of uterine malformations allow the formulation of a diagnostic protocol concerning the study of infertile women. First of all, US must be performed, in order to exclude some causes of ovarian infertility and major uterine malformations. Hysterosalpingography should be performed when US does not prove to be totally reliable.


The current wars in the Middle East have resulted in between 10-20% of U.S. service members with mild traumatic brain injury (mTBI). While anecdotal reports have associated hyperbaric oxygen (HBO2) with improved outcomes after mTBI, controlled research is lacking. The Department of Defense (DoD), in collaboration with the Department of Veterans Affairs (DVA), has a comprehensive program examining this issue. The DoD's four randomized controlled trials will enroll a total of 242 service members with post-concussion syndrome and expose them to a range of control, sham and HBO2 conditions for 40 sessions over a period of eight to 11 weeks. Compression pressures will range from 1.2 atm abs (sham) to 2.4 atm abs, and oxygen concentration will range from room air (sham and control) to 100%. Outcomes measures include both subjective and objective measures performed at baseline, at exposure completion, and at three to 12 months' follow-up. This integrated program of clinical trials investigating the efficacy of HBO2 in service members with persistent symptoms following mTBI exposure will be important to define practice guidelines and, if needed, for the development of definitive clinical trials in this population.


Abstract Why are Chinese people moving abroad in unprecedented numbers? Using unique experimental and survey data, this research finds that Chinese citizens with more positive perceptions and, especially, overestimation of foreign socioeconomic conditions are more interested in going abroad. Moreover, correcting socioeconomic overestimation of foreign countries reduces their interest in leaving China, indicating that there is a causal effect from rosier perceptions of foreign conditions to higher interest in going abroad, and emigration does not always represent well-informed "voting with the feet." The relationship between international political knowledge and exit intentions, on the other hand, is not significant or consistent, suggesting that Chinese citizens' interest in going abroad is more socioeconomic than political in nature. These results contribute to the study of citizen misinformation, challenge a prevalent assumption in the international migration literature, and help us understand one of the most important social trends in the world's largest developing and authoritarian country.


There have been many outbreaks of hydropericardium syndrome (HPS), which is characterized by pericardial effusion and hepatitis, in Chinese chicken farms since June 2015. HPS was mainly found in miscellaneous meat-type chickens, Ma chickens, layer chicks and Three-yellow chickens, while it was occasionally found in white broilers. To determine the specific causative pathogen and pathogenicity of HPS in chickens, we collected 25 suspected cases and performed clinical pathology and aetiology analyses. The results showed that the 25 cases exhibited multifocal hepatitis with intra-nuclear inclusion bodies and 70 nm-latticed viral particles in the cell nuclei. All samples were positive for fowl adenovirus (FAdV), and sequencing results showed that the hexon gene shared the highest nucleotide similarities with the hexon gene of group 1 serotype 4 (FAdV-4). FAdV-4 was highly pathogenic to embryos and specific pathogen-free chickens, causing 100 and 70 % mortality rates, respectively. Thus, FAdV-4 is associated with HPS outbreaks in China.


The goal of this study was to assess the dehydration curve and nutritional value of Tifton 85 bermudagrass at two cutting heights from ground level (4 and 8 cm) during 120 days of storage in a closed shed. The dehydration curve was determined using samples from the entire plant at eight different times. The experimental design consisted of randomized blocks with plots subdivided per times and five replicates. The second step consisted of assessing the nutritional value of the stored Tifton 85 bermudagrass in randomized blocks with plots subdivided per times and two treatments per plot: cutting height of four and eight centimeters from the ground, and five different times for the subplots, with five replicates. Dehydration of Tifton 85 bermudagrass at the two heights occurred in 48 hours, considered an ideal time for hay drying. The dry matter content responded quadratically to the time of storage of the two heights, only differing during baling and after 120 days of storage. Crude protein content had a quadratic behavior in the two cutting heights, with the smallest value after 30 days of storage (107.0 g kg-1) and the largest after 90 days (147.8 g kg-1) in the cutting height of eight centimeters. The ether extract exhibited a quadratic behavior in the two cutting heights, only differing after 90 days of storage. The neutral detergent fiber content had linear positive response according to the time of storage, with no difference between the cutting heights. For the neutral detergent fiber content in the two cutting heights, the quadratic regression model was the best fit to the data, differing between the heights after 30 and 60 days of storage. In vitro dry matter digestibility and in vitro cell wall digestibility values of the stored hay were lower than the values obtained at the time of cutting. Cutting performed at four centimeters from the ground was the most suitable for hay production due to higher dry matter production and nutritional value without difference between bailing treatments. Hay storage caused undesirable changes in the nutritional value, especially in fiber content and in vitro digestibility.


Bacteria-derived enzymes that can modify specific lignin substructures are potential targets to engineer plants for better biomass processability. The Gram-negative bacterium Sphingobium sp. SYK-6 possesses a Cα-dehydrogenase (LigD) enzyme that has been shown to oxidize the α-hydroxy functionalities in β-O-4-linked dimers into α-keto analogues that are more chemically labile. Here, we show that recombinant LigD can oxidize an even wider range of β-O-4-linked dimers and oligomers, including the genuine dilignols, guaiacylglycerol-β-coniferyl alcohol ether and syringylglycerol-β-sinapyl alcohol ether. We explored the possibility of using LigD for biosynthetically engineering lignin by expressing the codon-optimized ligD gene in Arabidopsis thaliana. The ligD cDNA, with or without a signal peptide for apoplast targeting, has been successfully expressed, and LigD activity could be detected in the extracts of the transgenic plants. UPLC-MS/MS-based metabolite profiling indicated that levels of oxidized guaiacyl (G) β-O-4-coupled dilignols and analogues were significantly elevated in the LigD transgenic plants regardless of the signal peptide attachment to LigD. In parallel, 2D NMR analysis revealed a 2.1- to 2.8-fold increased level of G-type α-keto-β-O-4 linkages in cellulolytic enzyme lignins isolated from the stem cell walls of the LigD transgenic plants, indicating that the transformation was capable of altering lignin structure in the desired manner.


Human γδ T cells expressing the Vγ9Vδ2 gene segments are activated polyclonally by phosphoantigens found on a wide variety of pathogenic organisms. After ligand exposure, Vγ9Vδ2 T cells proliferate and rapidly secrete large amounts of cytokines and chemokines that contribute to the innate immune response to these pathogens. Neither APCs nor costimulatory molecules are required. In this study we examined whether these phosphoantigens activate protein kinase Cθ (PKCθ). This novel PKC isoform is essential for Ag signaling through the αβ TCR in a costimulation-dependent fashion. The results showed that isopentenyl pyrophosphate (IPP), a soluble phospholigand released by mycobacteria, led to the rapid and persistent activation of PKCθ in γδ T cells, as determined by evidence of translocation and phosphorylation. In contrast, no ligand-dependent response was detected for PKCα/β or PKCδ. Using the inhibitors Gö6976 and rottlerin, a role for both conventional and novel PKC isoforms in IPP-induced proliferation, CD25 expression, and cytokine and chemokine production was demonstrated. Gel-shift assays indicated that the transcription factors NF-κB and AP-1 were downstream targets of PKC activation. IPP also induced the rapid and persistent phosphorylation of extracellular signal-regulated kinases 1 and 2, p38 mitogen-activated kinase, and stress-activated kinase/c-Jun N-terminal kinase, but only an inhibitor of conventional PKCs blocked these responses. We conclude that the γδ T cell response to phosphoantigens is regulated by both novel and conventional PKC isoforms, with PKCθ being more responsive to ligand stimulation and PKCα/β to growth-factor availability.


Reverse psychology, also known as psychological reactance, is a social influence tactic that encourages people to act the opposite of what it is suggested. This technique has been applied by marketers in advertising in which a negative message or tagline (e.g., "you don't buy the product) is used to motivate consumers to make purchase. Psychological reactance theory advocates that reactance occurs when people react to restore a freedom when it is eliminated or threatened to be eliminated. The expected response to an advertising message of not doing something is to do it. An experiment was designed to measure if 52 subjects were comfortable with negative advertising messages yet felt interested in them. Results showed that 49.7% of subjects were interested in these messages, although 76.6% of them were uncomfortable with the negative advertising messages. Results suggested that the application of reverse psychology tactic in advertising enable marketers to create awareness and raise interest of consumers. It is also interesting to find out that 40.8% of subjects were uncomfortable with the messages but showed interest in them. The practical way of using reverse psychology in advertising is discussed at the end of paper with an example for illustration.


References to the concept of evil can be found scattered throughout Agatha Christie's novels. It is, however, rare to encounter this as a prevalent theme, especially in the novels which feature her private detectives Poirot, Marple and Tommy and Tuppence. It is my contention in this article that it is not until two of her late novels Endless Night (1967) and The Pale Horse (1961) that Christie foregrounds the issue of evil and concurrent themes of psychotic and obsessive love and desire. Of course, there are multiple examples of the intersections between love and evil, involving betrayal, trickery and duplicity throughout her work, but these are generally secondary to plot structure and, in the case of love, romantic and often neat endings. The article contends that a 'new' Christie starts to emerge late in her work, one who has, however obliquely still, begun to engage with evil as a fundamental question, post-WW2 and the Holocaust.


The Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) is amending its regulation concerning the manner in which VA determines that a veteran is catastrophically disabled for purposes of enrollment in priority group 4 for VA health care. As amended by this rulemaking, the regulation articulates the clinical criteria that identify an individual as catastrophically disabled, instead of using the corresponding International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision, Clinical Modification (ICD-9-CM) and Current Procedural Terminology (CPT[registered trademark]) codes. The revisions ensure that the regulation is not out of date when new versions of those codes are published. The revisions also broaden some of the descriptions for a finding of catastrophic disability. Additionally, the final rule does not rely on the Folstein Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) as a criterion for determining whether a veteran meets the definition of catastrophically disabled, because we have determined that the MMSE is no longer a necessary clinical assessment tool.


Buried double-layered nitride structures in single-crystal (100) silicon have been produced by the implantation of doses of 0.75 × 1018 N+ cm-2 at 350 keV and 200 keV, respectively. Observations by RBS and channelling on the structure before and after high-temperature annealing and by TEM after annealing have shown two distinct buried nitride layers of different thicknesses. The mechanisms responsible for the formation of such a structure are discussed, together with possible routes for nitrogen migration. The processing conditions to form multilayer structures which are suitable for device applications are proposed.


Background:  Habitat loss and fragmentation continue to threaten the survival of many species. One such species is the Blue Swallow  Hirundo atrocaerulea , a critically endangered grassland specialist bird species endemic to sub-Saharan Africa. Objectives:  Past research has shown a serious decline in range and abundance of this species, predominantly because of habitat transformation and fragmentation. Method:  The influence of land cover on Blue Swallow habitat and foraging home range, in both natural and transformed habitats, was investigated by radio tracking adult birds. Results:  Results showed that tracked birds spent over 80% of their forage time over grasslands and wetland habitats, and preferentially used these ecotones as forage zones. This is likely owing to an increase in insect mass and abundance in these habitats and ecotones. There was reduced selection and avoidance of transformed habitats such as agricultural land, and this is a concern as transformed land comprised 71% of the home range with only 29% of grassland and wetland mosaic remaining for the Blue Swallows to breed and forage in, highlighting the importance of ecotones as a key habitat requirement. The results indicate that management plans for the conservation of Blue Swallows must consider protecting and conserving natural habitats and maintaining mosaic of grassland and wetland components to maximise ecotones within conserved areas. Conclusion:  To this end, the stewardship programme spearheaded by local conservation agencies, which aims to formally conserve privately owned patches of untransformed grassland and other natural habitats, may have a strong impact on the long-term persistence of Blue Swallow populations.


Global software development teams can collaboratively create Unified Modeling Language (UML) profiles, the primary mechanism for defining domain-specific variants on top of the UML. Usually, parts of UML profiles are separately elaborated to speed up the UML tailoring process, but at sometimes the parts built in parallel need to be brought together to construct a full UML profile. Although many model composition techniques have been proposed in the last decades, no one deals with issues required to combine UML profiles, e.g., matching and integration of UML stereotypes. Consequently, little is known about how to support the composition of UML profiles. Even worse, academia and industry have overlooked the elaboration of composition methods to support the integration of UML profiles, as well as the formal representation of such methods. This study, therefore, presents a composition mechanism, as well as introduces a lightweight UML extension to support the specification of composition relationships between UML profiles. The semantics of the extension and mechanism proposed was carefully represented in Alloy, a formal modeling language based on first-order logic. Then, we used the Alloy Analyzer to check the specification generated in Alloy for some specific algebraic properties, including idempotency, uniqueness, commutativity, and associativity.


NBS1 plays an important role in the maintenance of genomic integrity, by being involved in cellular response to DNA damage. The NBS1 rs1805794 G>C polymorphism has been investigated in several studies, but its function still remains unclear due to some controversial results. The present work aimed to evaluate the role of this polymorphism in prostate cancer progression, by performing a case-control study comparing 239 patients who were diagnosed with early disease to 186 who presented advanced disease. We also assessed NBS1 mRNA expression among the different groups by quantitative real time (qRT)-polymerase chain reaction. We found that the GG carriers presented an almost two fold increased risk for advanced prostate disease (odds ratio [OR] = 1.87; confidence interval [CI] = 1.26-2.79; p = 0.002). Further, high tumor grade (OR = 3.02; CI = 2.32-3.92; p<0.001) and high serum prostate specific antigen (PSA) (OR = 6.48; CI = 4.48-9.38; p<0.001) were consistently associated to advanced disease. Regarding NBS1 mRNA expression, we did not find any association with the different outcomes nor genotypes (p = 0.926; p = 0.894, respectively). Our results suggest for the first time that rs1805794 GG genotype appears to be associated with a higher risk for advanced prostate cancer, thus, suggesting a possible new role for NBS1 in prostate cancer progression.