This work identifies electrical field-induced concentration polarization (CP) as a key physical mechanism influencing the retention behavior of charged analytes in electrochromatography with fixed beds of porous adsorbent particles. Due to an insufficient screening of intraparticle surface charge, under most general conditions the porous (permeable) particles become charge-selective. CP is caused by coupled mass and charge transport normal to the charge-selective external surface of the permeable particles, which leads to concentration gradients of ionic species in the adjoining interparticle electrolyte solution. Cation-exchange (cation-selective) particles were employed to investigate the influence of applied voltage on the retention factor of counterionic, i.e., positively charged, analytes. It is demonstrated by macroscopic retention data and microscopic studies resolving the CP phenomenon on a particle scale that the dependence of CP on electrical field and mobile-phase ionic strengths is directly reflected in concomitant changes of analyte retention. The CP zones that develop at the interface between interparticle and intraparticle pore space are recognized by charged, but not electroneutral analytes while entering or leaving the particles. The intensity of these convective-diffusion boundary layers (CP zones) depends on the applied field strength and charge selectivity of a particle. Thus, it is the charge-selective transport between the interparticle and intraparticle pore space in packed beds that prevails under typical experimental conditions in electrochromatography and that forms the physical basis for a general electrical field dependence of the retention factor of charged analytes.


The many-to-one traffic pattern dominates in sensor networks, where a large number of sensor nodes send data to one sink. A sensor node may only communicate with a small portion of its neighbors. Most existing key management schemes for sensor networks are designed to establish shared keys for all pairs of neighbor sensors, no matter whether they communicate with each other or not, and this causes large overhead. To achieve better security and performance, we adopt a heterogeneous sensor network (HSN) model. In this paper, we propose a novel routing-driven key management scheme, which only establishes shared keys for neighbor sensors that may communicate with each other. Work has demonstrated the feasibility of implementing elliptic curve cryptography on small sensor nodes. We utilize elliptic curve cryptography to design an efficient key management scheme for HSN. The performance evaluation and security analysis show that our key management scheme can provide better security with significant saving on sensor storage space and energy consumption than some existing key management schemes.


In this study, attempts were made to recovery the used turbine blades made up of INCONEL738 by Electro Slag Remelting (ESR) method. Using an appropriate slag and addition of metallic aluminum, the original composition was maintained and the amount of oxygen, hydrogen and nitrogen remained in the acceptable level. In order to explore the effect of remelting with ESR on the microstructure, tensile properties and age hardening behavior of the investigated alloy, the as-cast and wrought samples were solution treated at 1120 °C and aged at 845 °C for different lengths of time. The results showed that the microstructure, tensile properties and age hardening behavior of ESR melted INCONEL738 are similar to corresponding standard values and hence, the ESR method was found appropriate to be used to recovery the INCONEL738 alloy from the used turbine blades.


It is often the case that banks in the US are willing to borrow in the fed funds market (the interbank market for funds) at higher rates than the ones they could obtain by borrowing at the Fed's discount window. This phenomenon is commonly explained as the consequence of the existence of a stigma effect attached to borrowing from the window. Most policymakers and empirical researchers consider the stigma hypothesis plausible. Yet, no formal treatment of the issue has ever been provided in the literature. In this paper, we fill that gap by studying a model of interbank credit where: (1) banks benefit from engaging in intertemporal trade with other banks and with outside investors; and (2) informational frictions limit those trade opportunities. In our model, banks obtain loans in an over-the-counter market (involving search, bilateral matching, and negotiations over the terms of the loan) and hold assets of heterogeneous qualities which in turn determine their ability to repay those loans. When asset quality is not perfectly unobservable by outside investors, information about the actions taken by a bank in the credit market may influence the price at which it can sell its asset. In particular, under some conditions, discount window borrowing may be regarded as a negative signal about the quality of the borrower's assets. In such cases, some of the banks in our model, just as in the data, are willing to accept loans in the interbank market at higher rates than the ones they could obtain at the discount window.


Abstract The lycophyte genus Selaginella has a worldwide distribution with ca. 800 species. The genus is heterosporous and has ornamentation on the surface of both the megaspores and the microspores. Selaginella megaspore ornamentation is highly variable in both its macro- and microsculpture. Megaspore ornamentation is a species-specific morphological feature that can be used reliably for specimen identification. We present the first investigation of the megaspore surface of all 19 Selaginella species known from the state of São Paulo, Brazil, using scanning electronic microscopy (SEM). This study also includes Selaginella species that are invasive in Brazil. Based on the SEM analysis and high-resolution photographs, we provide detailed megaspore descriptions and an identification key for all species from São Paulo state. We also describe the proximal and distal pole ornamentation of the megaspores as well as the form and proportions of the trilete aperture.


However one views it, the changes to housing tenure in the 1980s were pronounced and have had enduring effects in terms of the housing market. In this paper, we throw light on the relationship between housing tenure and the experience of property crime in and around what might be referred to as domestic environments (i.e. people's homes). In so doing, we explore the ideological positions which both of the (then) main political parties had adopted towards housing during the 1970s (during the build up to the sale of council housing) and the ways in which the legal framework surrounding housing was modified in order to effect these ideas at, quite literally, 'street level'. Using the General Household Survey, the British Crime Survey and the British Social Attitudes Survey, we examine the general relationship between housing tenure and crime and explore how these unfolded both in terms of time (i.e. an historical analysis) and social space (i.e. in terms of the socio-spatial location of these crimes).


Where is your journey on the path to improvement taking you? Sometimes we need a new perspective to see the path more clearly. This book will help the reader focus on life's experiences that develop skills and promote improvement that will lead to future successes. Many resources are within reach in The School Improvement Specialist Field Guide, and the stories and experiences of others are rich in example and can help to parallel your own journey and professional improvement. The School Improvement Specialist Field Guide (2013; ISBN 978-1-4522-4089-3) is published by Corwin Press. $39.99. For a 15% discount, use code D13194 when you order a copy at http://www.corwin.com/books/Book238079?siteId=corwin-presssC00&qsupld=false&q=page&fs=1.


Abstract   Skipping breakfast and late-night-eating have been associated with risk factors for type 2 diabetes (T2D). However, less is known about the link between daily timing and frequency of food intake and risk of developing T2D. The objective of the present study is to investigate the associations between circadian nutritional behaviours, defined by meal timings and frequency, and risk of T2D. 103,312 adults (79% females, mean age at baseline=42.7) from the French NutriNet-Santé cohort were included. Participants' circadian nutritional behaviours were assessed using repeated 24 h dietary records. Associations of time of first and last meal of the day, meal frequency and of nighttime fasting duration with risk of T2D were assessed by multivariable Cox proportional hazard models adjusted for known risk factors. During a median follow-up of 7.3 years, 963 new cases of T2D were ascertained. Compared with subjects reporting on average a first meal before 8AM, those having a first meal after 9AM had a higher risk of developing T2D, HR = 1.59 (1.30 to 1.94). A late time of last meal (after 9PM) was associated with a higher risk of T2D, HR = 1.28 (1.06 to 1.54), but this association was no longer significant after adjusting for time of first meal. Each additional eating episode was associated with a reduction of the risk of T2D, HR = 0.95 (0.90 to 0.99), p-value=0.01. Overall, nighttime fasting duration was not associated with risk of T2D, except in participants having breakfast before 8AM after a nighttime fasting duration of more than 13 hours (HR = 0.47, 0.27 to 0.82). In this large prospective study, circadian nutritional behaviours were associated with risk of T2D. Daytime nutritional behaviours and specifically an early first meal was associated with a lower risk of type 2 diabetes. If confirmed in other largescale studies, an early breakfast should be considered in preventive strategies for type 2 diabetes. Key messages • If confirmed in other largescale studies, an early breakfast could be considered in preventive strategies for type 2 diabetes. • Beyond nutritional quality of meals, meal timing could also be a risk factor for type-2 diabetes.


The iron status and weighed dietary intake of healthy Asian children in Sheffield, aged 4–40 months, having been established by means of a crosssectional study undertaken over a 1-year period (Duggan et al., 1992), was studied to clarify whether or not there were any significant dietary differences between children with iron deficiency and those of normal iron status. The dietary characteristics of a subgroup of 12 unequivocally iron-deficient children were therefore compared with those of a subset of 20 'control' children with normal iron status and of similar age. Iron deficiency was defined using combined biomarkers of iron status (Hercberg et al., 1987). Diets in the two groups of children were similar in many respects; observed mean energy intakes were low in comparison with EARS (Estimate of Average Requirements; DOH, 1991) but customary intake evidently sustained adequate growth. Protein and fat intakes were acceptable. The total iron intake and its haem component was low in both groups. The prominence of cow's milk as a major energy source was striking, particularly in iron-deficient children. Other differences were relatively minor, although inspection of the data suggested a trend towards more varied and mature dietary patterns among the children with normal status. We recommend targeted nutrition education to achieve more rapid progression through the stages of weaning.


Social networking sites (SNSs) have been gaining popularity and influence in everyday. The application of using SNSs in an education field is likely to provide more benefits to teacher and student. Especially when used in the teaching and learning management. Therefore, the author who works in the educational career has decided to write this article to offer guidelines about the application of using SNSs with available online tools for teaching and learning management. The author made a comparison of SNSs: Facebook, Twitter, Google Plus, and Schoology in various features that related to the use and application for teaching and learning management. Application of using SNSs with available online tools: YouTube, Skype, Dropbox, Google Docs, and Google Calendar to assist in teaching and learning management are presented in this article. From the information that the author provides, the author has commented. The applying of Schoology that designed for "especially when used in the teaching and learning management is suitable to work together with online tools and can support the teaching and learning management more perfectly." Moreover, if using the popular SNSs such as Facebook and Google Plus for helping to publicize information that related with teaching and learning management, it allows easy access to the user.


Military commissions, like detention in wartime, embody the Framers' challenge in reconciling liberty and security. The U.S. Supreme Court has found that Congress's war powers authorize establishment of military commissions. However, without proper constraints, military commissions pose tensions with individual rights and the Framers' architecture of checks and balances. Recently, the D.C. Circuit, applying a deferential plain error standard, rejected an Ex Post Facto Clause challenge to the military commission inchoate conspiracy conviction of Ali Hamza al Bahlul, a former aide to Osama bin Laden. The D.C. Circuit's reasoning suggested that, under a less deferential de novo standard of review, inchoate conspiracy convictions for conduct prior to enactment of the Military Commissions Act of 2006 might pose problems, given the lack of recognition under international law for such charges. The legality of trying inchoate conspiracy charges in commissions may reach the Supreme Court. In addition, the Supreme Court may ultimately decide whether inchoate conspiracy charges in commissions are consistent with Article I of the U.S. Constitution, which enumerates Congress's war powers, and Article III, which protects the independence of the federal courts. This brief Article applies a functional approach to deciding both the Ex Post Facto Clause and Article III issues. On the Ex Post Facto Clause, the Article asks whether the underlying conduct of the defendant violated international law. The conviction should pass muster if (as in al Bahlul's case), 1) the charging documents provided actual notice of the alleged violation, and, 2) uncontroverted evidence and findings by members of the commission establish that such a violation in fact occurred. In the Article III realm, the Article provides a test based on the Supreme Court's jurisprudence in cases such as Stern v. Marshall and Commodity Futures Trading Commission v. Schor. The test has four parts: 1) Was the tribunal at issue established pursuant to Congress's Article I powers?, 2) Do the circumstances of adjudication render an Article III tribunal impracticable?, 3) Does a manageable "limiting principle" curb Congress's power to establish non-Article III tribunals?, and, 4) Has historical practice assigned the issues to be adjudicated to Article III tribunals or to other tribunals, such as state courts, beyond Congress's reach? After analysis, the Article concludes that Article III poses no bar to commission prosecutions of belligerents in an armed conflict for inchoate conspiracies reasonably related to internationally recognized war crimes.


Animals often display fascinating colors to help show or hide themselves. Dr. Molly Cummings will examine the visual mechanisms animals use to avoid being eaten or to advertise for mates. She will provide vivid examples from creatures in the ocean and the jungle. She will discuss some of the evolutionary forces shaping signals used for sexual selection (intraspecific traits) as well as those designed by natural selection (aposematic traits) across a broad taxonomic range including poison frogs, fishes (marine and freshwater), damselflies, and scarab beetles.


Abstract The aim of this study was to evaluate systolic function of left ventricle in dogs with spontaneous mitral regurgitation by estimating the rate of pressure rise in the left ventricle (dP/dt). Ninety-three dogs of different breed and sex, with chronic degenerative valvular disease were examined. All dogs had echocardiography examination with dP/dt estimation assessed from mitral regurgitant jet using continuous Doppler-echocardiography. The dogs were divided into four classes of heart failure according to NYHA class. Results: dogs in NYHA I dP/dt = 2,142 ±1,309, SF=33.6±10.5, EF=66.58± 14; NYHA II dP/dt = 3,062 ±1,798, SF=42 ±10, EF=76.5 ±11.5; NYHA III dP/dt = 3,483 ±2,136, SF=44.2 ±21, EF=75.7 ±13; NYHA IV dP/dt = 4,496 ±1,797, SF=40.6 ±6, EF=70.4 ±16. Dogs with chronic cardiac insufficiency and mitral insufficiency due to chronic degenerative valvular disease had no echocardiograhic evidence of left ventricular systolic dysfunction assessed from mitral regurgitant jet dP/dt.


A homeomorphism is quasi-symmetric if there exist such that for every and , . In this paper we demonstrate a topological condition that prohibits a tent-map to be quasi-symmetrically conjugate to any unimodal map. This topological condition is so weak that almost every tent-map satisfies it. We show in a similar way that typically a degree 2 circle map with a critical point cannot be quasi-symmetrically conjugate to the angle doubling map. We discuss another topological condition (persistent recurrence of the critical point), which is almost complementary to the first. We show that a unimodal map f with a persistently recurrent critical point does not satisfy the Collet - Eckmann condition and (if f is non-flat as well), is not quasi-symmetrically conjugate to a tent-map.


The biostimulative effect of low-level laser therapy (LLLT) in tissues has been noted in reference to the treatment of various diseases but little information exists on its effectiveness on chronic wounds and biofilm. The scope of this review was to identify literature reporting on LLLT alone, without photodynamic agents, as an antimicrobial/antibiofilm technology and determine its effects on wound healing. Overall the beneficial effects of LLLT in promoting wound healing in animal and human studies has been demonstrated. However, the lack of credible studies using reproducible models and light dosimetry restricts the analysis of current data. Efforts must be addressed to standardize phototherapy procedures as well as to develop suitable in vitro and in vivo biofilm models to test LLLT efficacy in promoting biofilm eradication and wound healing.


In this paper we show that velocity indication of a vane anemometer in a wind tunnel can significantly and non-trivially depend on length of the part of the anemometer's mounting rod which is exposed to flow – the so-called insertion depth. The insertion depth dependencies for four vane anemometers with various dimensions are presented. For a small size vane anemometer with a propeller diameter of 22 mm, for example, a change of the insertion depth by 10 cm can cause a reading variation by up to 5 % - a value which is an order of magnitude larger than a typical expanded uncertainty of calibration in wind speed laboratories of national metrology institutes. Therefore, this effect has important consequences for selection of transfer standards for interlaboratory comparisons, since each participant can have a different insertion depth value, and also for the calibration practice where possible differences between the insertion depth of the user and the calibration laboratory should be taken into account.


Apart from being the primary cause of death during childhood and adolescence, scientific evidence points in the direction that road traffic injuries make a major contribution to social inequalities in health during this period of life. The aim of the thesis is to advance knowledge and understanding of social differences in road traffic injury morbidity among young people in Sweden. The thesis is composed of five register-based nation wide cohort studies. In the first study, socioeconomic group of the household is studied in relation to hospital-based road traffic injuries as pedestrians, bicyclists, moped-riders, motorcyclists and car drivers, for the period 1987-1994 (when subjects were aged 2-24 years). Morbidity differences between groups are observed in all categories of road users, but most prominently among motorized-vehicle drivers. In spite of more injuries occurring among boys than girls, similar social patterning emerges for both sexes. The following two studies investigate whether the social distribution of road traffic injuries for different age groups and for different types of road users varies according to how socioeconomic position of the family is measured. Consideration is paid to parental education, socioeconomic group of the household (based on occupation) and household disposable income. Among young children (Study II), road traffic injuries as pedestrians, bicyclists, and car passengers are studied for the years 1991-1999, and among older ones (Study III), road traffic injuries as car drivers for the years 1991-1996. The groups were followed respectively up to 14 years and up to 23 years. It is observed that both parental socioeconomic group and parental education impact on the risk of road traffic injuries in the two age groups. By contrast, disposable income of the household is a risk factor of greater importance among the younger ones. Studies IV and V focus on young adult car drivers and distinguish their socioeconomic position of origin, based on the socioeconomic group of the household, and their position of destination, considering subject's educational attainment at age 28-30 years. In study IV, the social patterning of injury repeaters is examined as compared to that of the once-injured, based on in-patient treatment when subjects were aged 18-26 years, an age period otherwise at high risk of injuries as car drivers. The study shows that injury repeaters as car drivers are uncommon and that their social patterning is much similar to that of once-injured drivers. For Study V, car-to-car and single crashes are analysed, paying attention to various injury severity levels (consequences) and various crash patterns (circumstances). Crash data come from the police reports for the period 1988-2000, i.e., when subjects were 18-30 years. Relative risks of road traffic injuries are compiled considering age at licensing of the subjects. Socioeconomic differences appear clearly for both crash consequences and crash circumstances. The excess risk for young drivers from lower socioeconomic groups is more pronounced as severity increases. Whereas gender modifies the effect of socioeconomic position of destination, it does not modify the effect of socioeconomic position of origin. The results of the studies forming the thesis suggest differences in the impact of road traffic injuries among children and young people from different socioeconomic group in Swedish society. Further, the excess risk for young drivers from lower socioeconomic groups is consistent across crash severity levels, and becomes more pronounced as severity increases. (A)


The purpose of this study was to investigate the ethnic differences in the body composition, thickness of subcutaneous fat and muscle between Japanese and American white females. Thirty-six Japanese (aged 20-30 years) and 42 American white females (aged 20-29 years) served as subjects. Percentage of fat weight (%fat) and fat free weight (FFW) were assessed by hydrostatic weighing. Subcutaneous fat and muscle thickness were measured by using B-scan ultrasound equipment with a 5MHz transducer at eight sites: forearm, biceps, triceps, subscapular, abdomen, quadriceps, hamstrings and posterior calf. There were no significant differences in %fat between Japanese and American subjects. However, American subjects had significantly higher values in FFW compared to Japanese. The Americans showed higher muscle thickness than Japanese at every site and higher fat thickness of biceps, triceps and hamstrings compared to Japanese subjects. For fat thickness at the abdomen, however, Japanese indicated significantly higher values than American. In both Japanese and Americans, relative values of fat weight (FW) and FFW per unit of height were significantly related to each of the sum of fat and muscle thicknesses obtained from every measurement site respectively. There were no differences in fat thickness at a given FW/height between Japanese and Americans.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


An online reinforcement learning algorithm is anytime if it does not need to know in advance the horizon T of the experiment. A well-known technique to obtain an anytime algorithm from any non-anytime algorithm is the "Doubling Trick". In the context of adversarial or stochastic multi-armed bandits, the performance of an algorithm is measured by its regret, and we study two families of sequences of growing horizons (geometric and exponential) to generalize previously known results that certain doubling tricks can be used to conserve certain regret bounds. In a broad setting, we prove that a geometric doubling trick can be used to conserve (minimax) bounds in $R_T = O(\sqrt{T})$ but cannot conserve (distribution-dependent) bounds in $R_T = O(\log T)$. We give insights as to why exponential doubling tricks may be better, as they conserve bounds in $R_T = O(\log T)$, and are close to conserving bounds in $R_T = O(\sqrt{T})$.


Infection with Zika virus (ZIKV) manifests in a broad spectrum of disease ranging from mild illness to severe neurological complications. To define immunologic correlates of ZIKV infection, we characterized the levels of circulating cytokines, chemokines and growth factors in 54 infected patients of both genders, at five different time-points after symptoms onset using microbeads multiplex immunoassay; statistical analysis and data mining compared to 100 age-matched controls. ZIKV-infected patients present a striking systemic inflammatory response with high levels of pro-inflammatory mediators. Despite the strong inflammatory pattern, IL-1Ra and IL-4 are also induced during acute infection. Interestingly, the inflammatory cytokines, IL-1β, IL-13, IL-17, TNF-α, IFN-γ; chemokines, CXCL8, CCL2, CCL5; and the growth factor G-CSF display a bimodal distribution accompanying viremia. While this is the first manuscript to document bimodal distributions of viremia in ZIKV infection, bimodal viremia has been documented in other viral infections with primary viremia peaks during mild systemic disease and a secondary viremia with distribution of the virus to organs and tissues. Moreover, biomarker network analysis demonstrated distinct dynamics in consonance with the bimodal viremia profiles at different time-points during ZIKV infection. Such robust cytokine and chemokine response has been associated with blood-brain barrier permeability and neuroinvasiveness in other flaviviral infections. High-dimensional data analysis further established CXCL10, a chemokine involved in fetal neuron apoptosis and Guillain-Barré syndrome, as the most promising biomarker of acute ZIKV infection for a potential clinical application. Author Summary Infection with Zika virus manifests in a broad spectrum of disease ranging from mild illness to severe neurological complications. This study characterized the levels of circulating cytokines, chemokines and growth factors in Zika-infected patients showing an inflammatory immune response. Specifically, this study identified a chemokine, CXCL10, known to be involved in fetal neuron apoptosis and Guillain-Barré syndrome, as the most promising biomarker to characterize acute Zika virus infection.


The use of a tidal-current power system is one source of renewable energy that can minimize the environmental impact of power production and offer many other advantages compared to conventional energy sources. Unlike other energy production approaches, rate of energy production can be precisely predicted and the operational rate is very high. The performance of the rotor, which has a vital role in energy production using tidal currents, is determined by various design factors, and it should be optimized for the specific ocean environment in the field. The horizontal-axis turbine is very sensitive to the direction of flow, and flow direction changes due to rise and fall of the tides. To investigate the performance of the rotor considering the interaction problems with incidence angle of flow, a series of experiments were conducted, and a 3D CFD model was designed and analyzed by ANSYS CFX. The results and findings are summarized in the paper.


Despite the great progress biomedical research has made, the root causes of common human diseases remain largely unknown. It is widely believed that mutations in DNA sequences, especially those interrupting the composition of genes, can cause illness. Searches for DNA variants for some rare monogenic diseases have been successful. However, it is more complicated to determine the genetic basis of common "multi-factorial" diseases, which are the result of multiple genetic variants and environmental factors. In such cases, each individual causative variant may have modest effect on the phenotype and therefore is hard to detect. Haplotypes are believed to be promising genetic markers to tackle the problem. Understanding of haplotype structures will provide fundamental insights into the pathogenesis, diagnosis and treatment of common diseases.
Nevertheless, current in vitro techniques for direct haplotype sequencing are prohibitive due to their high cost and low throughput. So research has turned to inferring haplotypes computationally. In this thesis, we use the galled-tree network approach on the haplotyping problem the computational problem of inferring haplotypes from genotypes assuming the evolutionary history for the original haplotypes satisfies the galled-tree network model. The model is an extension to the perfect phylogeny model, which was widely utilized in haplotype inferring. While galled-tree network (GTN) model is promising in its ability to handle broader range of biological data, it also increases the complexity of the corresponding haplotyping problem. It has been an open problem as to how hard this problem is, and whether there is efficient algorithm to solve it. In this thesis work, we characterized both the problem of galled-tree network's existence for binary matrices and the problem of utilizing GTN to infer haplotypes from genotypes. Furthermore, we developed a polynomial algorithm for a special case of the galled-tree network haplotyping problem. The evaluation results are promising.


A 644-membered library of chalcones was prepared by parallel synthesis using the Claisen-Schmidt base-catalyzed aldol condensation of substituted acetophenones and benzaldehydes. The cytotoxicity of these chalcones was conveniently determined upon the crude products directly in 96-well microtiter test plates by the conventional MTT assay. This method revealed seven chalcones of IC(50) less than 1 microM of which 4'-hydroxy-2,4,6,3'-tetramethoxychalcone (5a) was the most active [IC(50) (K562), 30 nM]; it causes cell cycle arrest at the G(2)/M point and binds to tubulin at the colchicine binding site.


Background
School environments affect health and academic outcomes. With increasing secondary school retention in low-income and middle-income countries, promoting quality school social environments could offer a scalable opportunity to improve adolescent health and wellbeing.
Methods
We did a cluster-randomised trial to assess the effectiveness of a multi-component whole-school health promotion intervention (SEHER) with integrated economic and process evaluations in grade 9 students (aged 13–14 years) at government-run secondary schools in the Nalanda district of Bihar state, India. Schools were randomly assigned (1:1:1) to three groups: the SEHER intervention delivered by a lay counsellor (the SEHER Mitra [SM] group), the SEHER intervention delivered by a teacher (teacher as SEHER Mitra [TSM] group), and a control group in which only the standard government-run classroom-based life-skills Adolescence Education Program was implemented. The primary outcome was school climate measured with the Beyond Blue School Climate Questionnaire (BBSCQ). Students were assessed at the start of the academic year (June, 2015) and again 8 months later at the end of the academic year (March, 2016) via self-completed questionnaires. This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, number NCT02484014.
Findings
Of the 112 eligible schools in the Nalanda district, 75 were randomly selected to participate in the trial. We randomly assigned 25 schools to each of the three groups. One school subsequently dropped out of the TSM group, leaving 24 schools in this group. The baseline survey included a total of 13 035 participants, and the endpoint survey included 14 414 participants. Participants in the SM-delivered intervention schools had substantially higher school climate scores at endpoint survey than those in the control group (BBSCQ baseline-adjusted mean difference [aMD] 7·57 [95% CI 6·11–9·03]; effect size 1·88 [95% CI 1·44–2·32], p<0·0001) and the TSM-delivered intervention (aMD 7·57 [95% CI 6·06–9·08]; effect size 1·88 [95% CI 1·43–2·34], p<0·0001). There was no effect of the TSM-delivered intervention compared with control (aMD −0·009 [95% CI −1·53 to 1·51], effect size 0·00 [95% CI −0·45 to 0·44], p=0·99). Compared with the control group, participants in the SM-delivered intervention schools had moderate to large improvements in the secondary outcomes of depression (aMD −1·23 [95% CI −1·89 to −0·57]), bullying (aMD −0·91 [95% CI −1·15 to −0·66]), violence victimisation (odds ratio [OR] 0·62 [95% CI 0·46–0·84]), violence perpetration (OR 0·68 [95% CI 0·48–0·96]), attitude towards gender equity (aMD 0·41 [95% CI 0·21–0·61]), and knowledge of reproductive and sexual health (aMD 0·29 [95% CI 0·06–0·53]). Similar results for these secondary outcomes were noted for the comparison between SM-delivered intervention schools and TSM-delivered intervention schools (depression: aMD −1·23 [95% CI −1·91 to −0·55]; bullying: aMD −0·83 [95% CI −1·08 to −0·57]; violence victimisation: OR 0·49 [95% CI 0·35–0·67]; violence perpetration: OR 0·49 [95% CI 0·34–0·71]; attitude towards gender equity: aMD 0·23 [95% CI 0·02–0·44]; and knowledge of reproductive and sexual health: aMD 0·22 [95% CI −0·02 to 0·47]). However, no effects on these secondary outcomes were observed for the TSM-delivered intervention schools compared with the control group (depression: aMD −0·03 [95% CI −0·70 to 0·65]; bullying: aMD −0·08 [95% CI −0·34 to 0·18]; violence victimisation: OR 1·27 [95% CI 0·93–1·73]; violence perpetration: OR 1·37 [95% CI 0·95–1·95]; attitude towards gender equity: aMD 0·17 [95% CI −0·09 to 0·38]; and knowledge of reproductive and sexual health: aMD 0·06 [95% CI −0·18 to 0·32]).
Interpretation
The multi-component whole-school SEHER health promotion intervention had substantial beneficial effects on school climate and health-related outcomes when delivered by lay counsellors, but no effects when delivered by teachers. Future research should focus on the evaluation of the scaling up of the SEHER intervention in diverse contexts and delivery agents.


The paper highlights the importance of cataloguing as the basic prerequisite for all information retrieval processes, and therefore its relevance as a core in LIS curriculum. The developments in ICT have brought in sea changes in the universe of information resources as well as in customer requirements. This changed situation has caused only a redefinition of the functions and format of the catalogue and not made it redundant. Formulation of FRBR as a conceptual model for bibliographical databases is a landmark in this context. The FRBR in fact is a manifestation of the theoretical frame that Ranganathan had proposed for the universe of documents. The recent attempts to incorporate Classification Numbers
to enable browsing resources in the web and the approach of FRBR aiming at retrieval of the different manifestations and expressions of a work during a search, necessitate a coextensive Class Number as a key attribute for every work as an access point. Such an approach would necessitate training students of librarianship on the modus operandi of a Classified Catalogue. The paper gives an entity
relationship diagram for a bibliographical database and a model of a Classified Catalogue with description as per the ISBD and access points derived on the basis of the rules of the Classified Catalogue Code of Ranganathan.


AstroMD is a visualization software offering several capabilities specifically oriented to the cosmological analysis of three-dimensional structures. It was developed within the framework of the Cosmo.Lab project, financially supported by the European Community, which involves several European Astrophysical Institutions and the CINECA. This tool gives a 3D graphic representation of data, exploiting the most advanced visualization technology based on virtual reality, and has several built-in-tools which allow the user an efficient manipulation and analysis of data, in order to build a leading edge instrument for scientific research. It was developed using the Visualization Toolkit (VTK) by Kitware, a freely available visualization library portable on many platforms. AstroMD is an open source freely available code at the address http://cosmolab.cineca.it/.


Madaris have played a significant role in educating the masses and preserving Islamic values and traditions. Due to this major contribution, Madaris got a remarkable position in the history of Islamic society. Beneficence of Madaris is realized in Pakistan at each level of society because of offering free educational services across the country even in far flung areas where government has not established schools yet. However, Madaris, nowadays, are being criticized on national as well as international level for their outdated educational system and alleged linkage with militants as per critics' opinion. In this paper, important issues of Madaris have been discussed and recommendations have been made accordingly. The objective of the paper is to analytically discuss the system of Madaris and to bring forth the reformative measures in order to pace shoulder to shoulder with modern educational institutions.


There has been an increase in the use of resilient control algorithms based on the graph theoretic properties of rand (r, s)robustness. These algorithms guarantee consensus of normally behaving agents in the presence of a bounded number of arbitrarily misbehaving agents if the values of the integers r and s are sufficiently large. However, determining an arbitrary graph's robustness is a highly nontrivial problem. This paper introduces a novel method for determining the rand (r, s)robustness of digraphs using mixed integer linear programming; to the best of the authors' knowledge it is the first time that mixed integer programming methods have been applied to the robustness determination problem. The approach only requires knowledge of the graph Laplacian matrix, and can be formulated with binary integer variables. Mixed integer programming algorithms such as branch-and-bound are used to iteratively tighten the lower and upper bounds on r and s. Simulations are presented which compare the performance of this approach to prior robustness determination algorithms.


This paper proposes a validation scheme for the effect of wind tunnel blockage on decaying grid-generated turbulence. This validation scheme was derived from the governing equations of the k–ε model. Analytical solutions for the validation scheme were derived by introducing a model of the difference between the rate of change of the effect of fluid acceleration on the turbulent kinetic energy and that of the effect on its dissipation. The derived solutions include a decay exponent that excludes the acceleration effect, a parameter characterizing the acceleration, the initial anisotropy, and the model coefficient of the k–ε model, and can be quantified by parameters which can be known. The physical meaning of the model was clarified. The derived solutions and model were confirmed to be accurate through numerical simulation. An equation for the decay exponent, which is also affected by the fluid acceleration, was developed using the derived solutions. This scheme was applied to the examination of the reduced fluid acceleration effect in a moderate-sized wind tunnel to measure the grid-generated turbulence. The fluid acceleration effect in the wind tunnel was confirmed to be small using the derived equations. The decay characteristics of the grid-generated turbulence in the wind tunnel were measured and were found to agree with those obtained in previous experiments.


To know what questions may reasonably be asked is already a great and necessary proof of sagacity and insight . For if a question is absurd in itself and calls for an answer where none is required, it not only brings shame on the propounder of the question, but may betray an incautious listener into absurd answers, thus presenting, as the ancients said, the ludicrious spectable of one man milking a he-goat and the other holding a sieve underneath . 1


Over the last 30 years, HIV has grown to a pandemic status with more than 36 million people infected worldwide. Current therapies provide a significant improvement in the quality of patients' lives, specifically the Highly Active Anti-Retroviral Therapy (HAART). Yet, viral resistance development towards anti-HIV medication stands as the main obstacle to an effective therapy, having also a substantial economic impact on healthcare systems worldwide. Such viral resistance is primarily related to mutations occurring mainly on the active site of viral key enzymes, capable of decreasing the pocket's capability to establish the necessary non-covalent interactions with the drugs. Even so, mutations outside the enzyme's active site can also lead to resistances, by causing changes on its structure and/or chemical environment. Among the two HIV virus types, HIV-1 stands as the most studied and prominent, with HIV‑1 protease being one of the main viral targets for therapy.[1]
Given the ease of quickly and affordably sequence HIV from infected individuals, considerable progress – in the sense of predicting resistance towards drugs – could be made by developing tools to link specific genetic mutations with the resulting structural and chemical alterations in the active site of the target enzymes.[2]
In recognition of a serious medical need identified by a team of virologists working at the University of Coimbra teaching Hospital and with the intent of helping rationalize and personalize the choice of anti-HIV therapies, we set out to develop a new computational algorithm to predict resistance to protease inhibitors in HIV‑1 via detection of binding-site Molecular Interactions Field (MIF) dissimilarities. Briefly, the algorithm works by 1) automatically generating high-quality 3D protein model structures from HIV‑1 protease sequences; 2) capturing subtle, mutation-induced, chemical perturbations within the binding sites of resistant and non-resistant HIV‑1 protease structures using a MIF-based approach; and 3) quantifying binding site dissimilarities based on MIF analysis, and translating these into a resistance score. In terms of its predictive power, preliminary testing of the algorithm   using several different HIV protease sequences showed promising levels of sensitivity and specificity.
Despite both sequence- and structure-based computational approaches to the prediction of HIV drug resistance have been proposed in the past, our present work stands out from other known algorithms as a first implementation of a fast structure-based algorithm capable of discriminating between HIV sequences that may be susceptible or resistant to commercially available protease inhibitors. Since the problem of mutation-induced resistance cuts across virtually all pathogenic virus, we believe that our approach may be extended to a wide range of viral targets besides HIV-1.
References:

Baxter D. J.; Chasanov M. W.; Adams L. J. J AIDS Clin Res. 2016, 7, 581.
Weber I.; Kneller D.; Wong-Sam A.; Future Med Chem., 2015, 7(8), 1023-1038.


Objective: To determine the current trend of Caesarean and highlight the role of a major operative obstetric practice in materno-foetal medicine. Design: Descriptive case study. Setting: St Philomena Catholic Hospital (SPCH), an urban second tier missionary hospital. Subjects: One thousand and fourteen (1014) Caesarean deliveries that took place at the centre between January 2009 and December 2013.  Main outcome measures: These were Caesarean section rates, the trend, indications and materno-foetal complications. Results: The rate of Caesarean birth in this study was 1014(21.0%), EMCS constituted 816(80.5%) and elective CS 198(19.5%).The leading indications for EMCS were cephalopelvic disproportion(CPD)323 (39.6%) and obstructed labor 135(16.5) while previous caesarean section 102(51.5%) and breech presentation 41(20.6%) were the leading indications for elective CS. The major maternal complications were postpartum haemorrhage 7.2% and post-partum anaemia 47.7% for EMCS and the values for ELCS were 6.6% and 36.9% respectively. The perinatal complications were Apgar score <7 at 5 minute 5.1% vs. 1.5% Odd ratio (OR) 3.5, P-value (P) 0.021 and SCBU admission 7.1% vs. 2.6% OR 2.9, P 0.014 respectively for EMCS and ELCS. The composite perinatal complications were 15.2% vs. 7.6%, OR 2.2, P 0.0039. Conclusion: To the obstetric world, we proffer quality prenatal care, quality labuor supervision and strict case selection based on medical and obstetric merits for Caesarean births.


Abstract: paraneoplastic limbic encephalitis (PLE) is clinical form of paraneoplastic neurological syndrome, an autoimmune disorder of the central nevrous system. The incidence of PLE is about 3 cases per 1,000 patients with cancer. PLE is characterized by acute or subacute development of memory disorders, symptomatic epilepsy, psychiatric disorders. The authors present the current data on the pathogenesis, clinical presentation, diagnosis, and treatment of PLE, a clinical case of symptomatic epilepsy in the 38-year-old man with PLE associated with testicular cancer.


A suite of tests characterizing X100 pipeline steels was initiated at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) in Boulder. Part of the test matrix included testing the toughness of the base metal, welds, and heat-affected zones (HAZ) by use of modified double cantilever beam specimens for crack tip opening angle (CTOA) testing. The thickness of the test section was either 3 mm or 8 mm. Girth welds perpendicular to the growing crack, and seam welds and their HAZ parallel with the crack, were tested with a crosshead displacement rate of 0.02 mm/s (with the exception of one girth weld specimen for each thickness, which were tested at 0.002 mm/s). Analysis of the data revealed some general differences among the weld specimens. The tests where the crack ran perpendicular to the girth weld demonstrated changes in CTOA and crack growth rate as the crack moved through the base metal, HAZ, and weld material. We observed the values for CTOA increasing and the crack propagation slowing as the crack moved through the weld and approached the fusion line. The stress field appeared to be strongly influenced by the thin HAZ, the fusion line, and the tougher base material. Consequently, the CTOA of the HAZ associated with the girth weld was larger than that of the seam-weld HAZ. It was not possible to obtain CTOA data for the seam weld, with the crack parallel within the weld, because the crack immediately diverted out of the stronger weld material into the weaker HAZ. CTOA values from both girth welds and seam-weld HAZ were smaller than those of the base material. The 8 mm thick specimens consistently produced larger CTOA values than their 3 mm counterparts, introducing the possibility that there may be limitations to CTOA as a material property. Further tests are needed to determine whether a threshold thickness exists below which the constraints and stress field are sufficiently changed to affect the CTOA value.


Aim: The aim of this study is to retrospectively evaluate the cleft palate cases in our neonatal clinic and to examine the associated clinical features, predisposing factors, accompanying anomalies, additional findings, treatment approaches and follow-up results. Material and Methods: The study included babies that were diagnosed with cleft palate in our Neonatal Intensive Care Unit between January 2014 and December 2018. The etiological risk factors, demographic characteristics, clinical features and concomitant malformations of the patients included in the study were retrospectively recorded from the patient files and the database system of our hospital. Results: A total of 70 cleft palate patients were observed over a five year period. Of these, 30 (42.9%) were female and 40 (57.1%) were male. The mean gestational age was 38 ± 2.9 weeks and the mean birth weight was 2845 ± 700 grams. 77.1% of the patients were found to additionally have cleft lips. 27 patients (38.5%) had cardiac defects, 18 (25.7%) had central nervous system anomalies and 4 (5.7%) had hypothyroidism. 24 (34.3%) of the parents were consanguineous. The median age at the time of the initial operation was 13 months for cleft palate cases and 5 months for cleft lip cases. Conclusion: As a result, treatment and follow-up of patients with cleft palate defect requires a multidisciplinary approach. These patients should undergo a thorough examination and evaluation. Since many syndromes or malformations may accompany the palate defects, these cases should be investigated with respect to genetic disease and other system anomalies.


The tracking of extended targets is attracting a growing literature thanks to the high resolution of several modern radar systems. A fully Bayesian solution has been proposed in the random matrix framework. In this paper, the fusion of detections acquired by multiple sensors is analyzed. Four different methods are proposed to track and to estimate jointly both the kinematic and extent parameters. All of them use the same multi-sensor kinematic vector measurement update. The first approach is based on a particle approximation of the extent state probability density function, whereas the other three are based on an inverse Wishart representation of the latter. Extensive simulations evaluate the performance of the different approaches. The best performance is obtained by the particle filter-based approach paid by an increased computational burden. Comparable performance are observed for the two updates based on multi-sensor generalization, while the worst performance is obtained by the updated based on fusion approximation.


A four-year study from 1980 through 1983 assessed the population dynamics, flowering dynamics, and biomass allocation in a population of Yucca glauca. The number of plants that flowered during the four-year period ranged from 57 in 1983 to 282 in 1982, with several plants flowering in each of three consecutive years. The plants were grouped into twelve size classes and it was found that most flowering occurred in the size classes 5-7. The number of stalks, buds, flowers, and pods produced by a plant depended on the size of the plant and probably was related to stored energy reserves. From bud initiation to mature pod, there was a 91.9% average mortality rate; most mortality occurred between the flower stage and the first pod census (taken shortly after the flowers wilted). The number of flowers maturing to fruits averaged 4.5 to 11.2%. The total reproductive effort for the population, using calculations of biomass allocations to different morphological structures, was estimated to be 16%. If belowground biomass were included in the estimate, then reproductive effort deceased to 8.0%. Average reproductive effort per individual for Yucca glauca was 44.6% (aboveground biomass only) and 22.3% (aboveground + belowground biomass). Because Yucca glauca usually flowers every 2 or 3 years, the amount of energy used for sexual reproduction over the life span of the plant is further reduced.


This study was conducted to explore the changes in Early childhood education teachers' capacity when they were joining a special training with simulation strategy for introducing English at an early childhood education. Teacher's capacity included two aspects in terms of English teaching strategies, developing material and media.  Developmental study was applied for implementing the strategy involving 10 early childhood education teachers. In the first meeting, they still felt difficult in implementing the model. In the second meeting finally they could practice it well. Quantitatively, 90% of respondents acknowledged and admitted that the simulation strategy  which they used have helped them to practice introducing English to young learners. Meanwhile, the 10% of respondents said that it was quite helpful for them. It can be concluded that training with simulation strategy was effective to improve early childhood education capacity in introducing English earlier. The successful model can be recommended for the other early childhood education teachers as a source of teaching for their students.


Quantification of functional connectivity in physiological networks is frequently performed by means of time-variant partial directed coherence (tvPDC), based on time-variant multivariate autoregressive models. The principle advantage of tvPDC lies in the combination of directionality, time variance and frequency selectivity simultaneously, offering a more differentiated view into complex brain networks. Yet the advantages specific to tvPDC also cause a large number of results, leading to serious problems in interpretability. To counter this issue, we propose the decomposition of multi-dimensional tvPDC results into a sum of rank-1 outer products. This leads to a data condensation which enables an advanced interpretation of results. Furthermore it is thereby possible to uncover inherent interaction patterns of induced neuronal subsystems by limiting the decomposition to several relevant channels, while retaining the global influence determined by the preceding multivariate AR estimation and tvPDC calculation of the entire scalp. Finally a comparison between several subjects is considerably easier, as individual tvPDC results are summarized within a comprehensive model equipped with subject-specific loading coefficients. A proof-of-principle of the approach is provided by means of simulated data; EEG data of an experiment concerning visual evoked potentials are used to demonstrate the applicability to real data.


Background: Child sexual abuse occurs worldwide including in Zambia. Despite Government efforts to minimize the scourge, the prevalence of defilement is still very high. Objective: The purpose of the study was to explore and describe convicted prisoners' perceptions of child sexual abuse. Methods: This was a qualitative study that was carried out among inmates in Lusaka central Prison. Purposive sampling method was used to select the study sample. Eighty nine males aged between 17 and 80 consented and participated in the study. Data were collected using a focus group discussion guide and the discussions were tape recorded. A total of twelve focus group discussions were conducted with the inmates. Each group comprised 6-12 participants with similar characteristics. Data were analyzed using content analysis. The narrative data from participants was analysed to identify prominent themes and patterns among the themes. The analysis of data was conducted simultaneously with data collection. The audio-taped discussions were transcribed and translated from vernacular into English and compared with the field notes. Open coding was done line by line and paragraph by paragraph. Similar responses were grouped together into categories and regrouped into subcategories. Data were constantly compared throughout the process of coding. Results: Participants were aware of the meaning of child sexual abuse and a girl child was more vulnerable to sexual abuse than a boy child. They attributed child sexual abuse was to lack of parental guidance and supervision, men's lack of sexual self control, alcohol and drug abuse and poverty and HIV/AIDS. Participants stated that child sexual abuse occurs in hidden places and any male is a potential abuser. The inmates reported that traditional beliefs and practices associated with child sexual abuse exist and this scourge can be prevented by punishing the perpetrators. Conclusion and recommendations: The present study showed that the child sexual abuse is common in Zambia. Therefore, there is a need to intensify information education and communication messages on prevention of child sexual and to strengthen and enforce laws regarding child sexual abuse.


We examined caudal anatomy in two species of prehensile‐tailed lizards, Furcifer pardalis and Corucia zebrata. Although both species use their tails to grasp, each relies on a strikingly different anatomy to do so. The underlying anatomies appear to reflect phylogenetic constraints on the consequent functional mechanisms. Caudal autotomy is presumably the ancestral condition for lizards and is allowed by a complex system of interdigitating muscle segments. The immediate ancestor of chameleons was nonautotomous and did not possess this specialized anatomy; consequently, the derived arrangement in the chameleon tail is unique among lizards. The limb functions as an articulated linkage system with long tendinous bands originating from longitudinal muscles to directly manipulate vertebrae. Corucia is incapable of autotomy, but it is immediately derived from autotomous ancestors. As such, it has evolved a biomechanical system for prehension quite different from that of chameleons. The caudal anatomy in Corucia is very similar to that of lizards with autotomous tails, yet distinct differences in the ancestral pattern and its relationship to the subdermal tunic are derived. Instead of the functional unit being individual autotomy segments, the interdigitating prongs of muscle have become fused with an emphasis on longitudinal stacks of muscular cones. The muscles originate from the vertebral column and a subdermal collagenous tunic and insert within the adjacent cone. However, there is remarkably little direct connection with the bones. The muscles have origins more associated with the tunic and muscular septa. Like the axial musculature of some fish, the tail of Corucia utilizes a design in which these collagenous elements serve as an integral skeletal component. This arrangement provides Corucia with an elegantly designed system capable of a remarkable variety of bending movements not evident in chameleon tails. J. Morphol. 239:143–155, 1999. © 1999 Wiley‐Liss, Inc.


This paper analyzes factors affecting enterprise's financial risk listed on the Vietnam stock market. The panel data of research sample includes 524 non-financial listed enterprises on the Vietnam stock market for a period of eleven years, from 2009 to 2019. The Generalized Least Square (GLS) is employed to address econometric issues and to improve the accuracy of the regression coefficients. In this research, financial risk is measured by the Alexander Bathory model. Debt structure, Solvency, Profitability, Operational ability, Capital structure are independent variables in the study. Firm Size, firm age, growth rate are control variables. The model results show that in order to prevent and limit financial risk for enterprises listed on the Vietnam Stock Market, attention should be paid to variables reflecting Liability structure ratio, Quick Ratio, Return on Assets, Total asset turnover, Accounts receivable turnover, Net assets ratio and Fixed assets ratio. The empirical results show that there are differences in the impact of these factors on the financial risk in state-owned enterprises and non-state enterprises listed on the Vietnam stock market. The findings of this article are useful for business administrators, helping business managers make the right financial decisions to improve the efficiency of financial risk management in enterprises.


A series of experiments was performed to characterize the effects of tissue trauma, extracellular calcium concentration, and prior ischemia on oxidative stress, measured by the accumulation of malondialdehyde-like materials (MDA-LM) in slices of rat liver. Liver tissue was rendered ischemic for 1 hour at 37 degrees C, either minced (to create traumatized fragments) or cleanly cut and washed (to create nontraumatized fragments), and then reoxygenated for 30 minutes in flasks of buffered salt solution. Nonischemic tissue was incubated similarly but without the 60-minute prior ischemia. The production of MDA-LM in the tissues was used as an indicator of lipid peroxidation. Production of MDA-LM in the tissues was used as an indicator of lipid peroxidation. Production of MDA-LM was always enhanced by prior ischemia and reoxygenation. However, trauma also increased the production of MDA-LM both in nonischemic liver slices in vitro and in those subjected to ischemia and reoxygenation. Furthermore, the elimination of calcium from incubation buffer significantly reduced MDA-LM production both in nontraumatized, ischemic, and reoxygenated tissues and in traumatized, nonischemic tissues; while the addition of the calcium ionophore A23187 (10 mumol/L) increased MDA-LM production in nontraumatized tissues independently of ischemia and reoxygenation. In nonischemic, traumatized tissues, the iron chelators deferoxamine and CGP-46,700A (1,2-diethyl-3-hydroxypyrid-4-one) quenched MDA-LM production. These data indicate that either ischemia or mechanical trauma may predispose liver tissue to calcium-dependent and iron-dependent oxidative stress.


In order to achieve global sustainability, by a factor of 20 environmental improvement is necessary. Assessments indicate a marginal improvement of office buildings. A more effective approach is therefore required. In the year 2002, we assessed 12 Dutch 'normal' government office buildings on environmental criteria, e.g. energy and water consumption, the use of building materials, and commuter travel. This case study clarified the most important parameters and building elements contributing to sustainability. In order to compare the environmental impact of different design alternatives, determine the improvement potential, and find effective solutions, over the last three years, typology studies were conducted, e.g. of the building geometry, bearing structure, and building facade. These studies presented provide directions for smart sustainable technological design solutions, effectively contributing to the factor 20. In the paper, we also discuss limitations of technological solutions for sustainability.


This paper proposes a new multiobjective fuzzy optimization method. First, the unsatisfying function, which is more useful and effective as the expression of fuzziness for optimization problems than the membership function, is introduced. The multiobjective optimization problem is transformed into a satisfying problem by using aspiration levels, and the fuzzy satisfying problem is formulated. Then, the interactive design method to minimize the maximum unsatisfaction rating by genetic algorithm is proposed. The effectiveness of the proposed method is demonstrated by the design example of an active suspension system. The trade-off graph is used in order to seek a satisfying solution, which reflects the designer's preference, more interactively and graphically.


Oscillatory behavior has been found in different specialized genetic networks. Pre- vious work has demonstrated nonsynchronous, erratic single-cell oscillations in a genetic network composed of nonspecialized regulatory components and based entirely on negative feedback. Here, we present the construction of a more robust, hysteresis-based genetic relaxation oscillator and pro- vide a theoretical analysis of the conditions necessary for single-cell and population synchronized oscillations. The oscillator is constructed by coupling two subsystems that have previously been im- plemented experimentally. The first subsystem is the toggle switch, which consists of two mutually repressive genes and can display robust switching between bistable expression states and hysteresis. The second subsystem is an intercell communication system involved in quorum-sensing. This sub- system drives the toggle switch through a hysteresis loop in single cells and acts as a coupling between individual cellular oscillators in a cell population. We demonstrate the possibility of both population synchronization and suppression of oscillations (cluster formation), depending on diffusion strength and other parameters of the system. We also propose the optimal choice of the parameters and small variations in the architecture of the gene regulatory network that substantially expand the oscillatory region and improve the likelihood of observing oscillations experimentally.


Although the importance of clinical data is drawing more attention in drug development in China, the clinical data management is not good enough in the clinical trials right now. With the development of internet and progress of information technology, especially with the setup of the state innovation strategy for drug development, it is necessary and urgent to improve the clinical data quality. Good data quality is the primary basis of technical evaluation of drug at the marketing authorization. So Center for Drug Evaluation of CFDA has made some endeavors to enhance data management in the clinical trials in recent years. This article is focused on these aspects of data managment.


Inroduction: Heart failure (HF) is an important cause of morbidity and mortality in the cases of Beta-thalassemia major. The purpose of this study was to estimate HF prevalence in these patients and to assess the survivability of those who were treated with intensive chelating therapy. Design and methods: This cross sectional study included 72 beta-thalassemia major cases, the mean age at the time of referral was 15.7±6.2 years (range 6-35 years) and were followed in a prospective 2 year study. A self-reporting symptom questionnaire was administered, a 12-lead ECG was taken and an echocardiography was obtained from all participants. Echocardiography was performed at 6 month intervals or when a new symptom developed. Results: Risk factors (except for iron overload) in the study population were hypothyroidism and diabetes mellitus. The male to female ratio was0.75.Twelve patients had left ventricular (LV) systolic dysfunction and 57,79% had LV diastolic dysfunction whereas 11,15% had RV failure. Fifty-nine (81%) patients had cardiac disease of which diastolic dysfunction was the most common manifestation .Those with systolic dysfunction were older at presentation (22 ± 6 years versus 31 ± 4 years; P <0.001), and had the highest mean serum ferritin level (3,355 ± 1241 ng/mL versus 6,397 ± 1,613 ng/mL; P <0.001). The 2 year survival rate in patients with beta thalassemia in this study was 98%. Conclusions: Diastolic dysfunction is highly prevalent in even asymptomatic beta-thalassemia major patients. The high prevalence of diastolic dysfunction is indicative of a significant amount of the population who are at a high risk for HF


Several membrane-like properties of the effector in the galvanic skin response (GSR) have been measured in humans by comparison of activity at a control site with that of a site subjected to changes of external chemical environment or changes in direction or density of imposed current. Comparison of inorganic chlorides shows that small cations, e.g. K+, may reversibly reduce GSR amplitude and R by 40%; larger cations, e.g. Ca++, increase GSR by several hundred per cent, while at the same time reducing basal resistance (R). GSR and R are reduced by acids and alkalies and by detergents. The effector is a poor rectifier, but there is a pronounced effect of polarity of current on the amplitude of the GSR in the case of large cations or anions combined with smaller ions of opposite charge. Current densities beyond 11 μamp/cm2 produce an 'injury' effect manifested in GSR and apparent resistance. These results have been interpreted in terms of an active superficial membrane having a relatively low charge.

Submitted on August 3, 1959


Background and Aims: Ultrasonographic assessment of diaphragmatic function can be a useful bedside tool in the weaning and extubation of mechanically ventilated patients, especially in patients with difficult weaning, in whom diaphragmatic weakness is suspected. Thus, this study was planned to assess the role of bedside sonographic assessment of diaphragmatic indices such as diaphragmatic thickening fraction (DTf) and diaphragmatic excursion (DE) in predicting successful extubation or extubation failure in weaning eligible patients by comparing the measurements with outcome. Methods: This prospective observational study was conducted on 50 mechanically ventilated, weaning-ready patients during the spontaneous breathing trial (SBT). The DE and DTf of patients were noted along with conventional parameters of weaning. Probability value <0.05 was considered statistically significant. Receiver operating characteristic (ROC) curves were used for analysis. Area under the curve (AUC) was measured, and sensitivity and specificity for different cut-off values were estimated. Results: Out of 50 patients, 15 (30%) had SBT failure and 4 had extubation failure. The group with SBT failure had significantly higher rapid shallow breathing index (RSBI) and airway occlusion pressure (P0.1s), whereas DE and DTf were lower compared to the SBT successful group. Strong correlation existed between RSBI, DTf, DE and P0.1s. DTf of nearly 24% (sensitivity 93.5%, specificity 94.7%) and DE of 1.10 cm (84% sensitivity, 89.5% specificity) were associated with best outcome. Conclusion: Along with conventional parameters of weaning, sonographic assessment of diaphragmatic parameters can be useful in predicting the success of SBT and in avoiding unnecessary extubation failures and thereby help in achieving a successful weaning outcome.


Abstract Previous works show that wind forcing is the main source of circulation seasonal variability in the Río de la Plata estuary, located on the southeastern coast of South America. Wind forcing exceeds by far the role of fresh water discharges. However, due to a lack of enough observations, the features and causes of surface wind variability are not well understood yet. Therefore this paper presents a comprehensive study of surface wind variability over the Río de la Plata estuary using the National Center for Environmental Prediction-National Center for Atmospheric Research (NCEP/NCAR) reanalysis data between 1948 and 1997. It is expected that this study contributes to better understand, model and thus predict the estuary circulation. An onshore to offshore rotation characterizes the seasonal variations of the surface winds from summer to winter. A linear trend analysis shows a displacement of the summer–winter seasonal features to earlier months. On inter-annual time-scales, the first leading pattern describes east–west changes of surface winds that seems to be forced by the quasibiennial tropospheric oscillation excited in the western tropical Pacific and previously identified by many authors. The conditions over the South Atlantic and in particular the Río de la Plata are influenced by such oscillation through an atmospheric Rossby wave train propagating out of the tropics. This result is very important for its implication on the predictability levels in the region. The second leading mode is associated with anticyclonic/cyclonic wind rotations off the estuary on interannual times scales which are related with changes in both atmospheric and oceanic surface conditions at Southern Hemispher high-latitudes.


We describe as $\varepsilon \to 0$ radially symmetric sign-changing solutions to the
 problem
 $ -\Delta u =|u|^{\frac 4{N-2} -\varepsilon} u \quad \text{in } B $
 where $B$ is the unit ball in $\R^N$, $N\ge 3$,
 under zero Dirichlet boundary conditions.
 We construct radial solutions with $k$ nodal regions
 which resemble a superposition of "bubbles'' of different
 signs and blow-up orders, concentrating around the
 origin. A dual phenomenon is described for the slightly
 supercritical problem

 $ -\Delta u =|u|^{\frac 4{N-2} +\varepsilon} u \quad \text{in } \R^N \setminus B $

 under Dirichlet and fast vanishing-at-infinity conditions.


With the integration of all CMS software packages into one release, the CMS software release management team faced the problem that for some applications a big distribution size and a large number of unused packages have become a real issue. TWe describe a solution to this problem. Based on functionality requirements and dependency analysis, we define a self-contained subset of the full CMS software release and create a Partial Release for such applications. We describe a high level architecture for this model, and tools that are used to automate the release preparation. Finally we discuss the two most important use cases for which this approach is currently implemented.


The presence of second neoplasia in association with vulvar neoplasia is significant. We confirm the usefulness of including a screening procedure for vulvar neoplasia in the follow-up of patients with gynecological cancer, especially those with carcinoma of the portio. Patients with a first gynecological neoplasia who present vulvar viral infection, or dystrophies, or who have undergone radiotherapy or immunosuppressive treatment are considered at high risk.


Forced-convection heat transfer in a heated working fluid at a thermodynamic state near its pseudocritical point is poorly predicted by correlations calibrated with data at subcritical conditions. This is primarily due to the influence of large wall-normal thermophysical property gradients that develop in proximity of the pseudocritical point on the concentration of coherent turbulence structures near the wall. The physical mechanisms dominating this influence remain poorly understood. In the present study, direct numerical simulation is used to study the development of turbulence structures within a turbulent spot, which is a more controlled turbulence environment than a fully-turbulent boundary layer, with large wall-normal property gradients. It is found that during improved heat transfer, wall-normal density gradients accelerate the growth of the Kelvin-Helmholtz instability in the shear layer enveloping low-speed streaks through baroclinic vorticity generation. This causes hairpin vortices to form at a faster rate and to mutually interact more frequently.


Electronic documents have become a universal way of communication due to Web expansion. But using structured information stored in databases is still essential for data coherence management, querying facilities... We thus face a classical problem known as "impedance mismatch" in the database world: two antagonist approaches have to collaborate. Using documents at the end-user interface level provides simplicity and flexibility. But it is possible to take documents as data sources only if helped by a human being: automatic documents analysis systems have a significant error rate. Databases are an alternative as semantics and format of information are strict: queries via SQL provide 100% correct responses. The aim of this work is to provide a system that associates document capture freedom with database storage structure. The system we propose does not intend to be universal. It can be used in specific cases where people usually work with technical documents dedicated to a particular domain. Our examples concern medicine and more explicitly medical records. Computerization has very often been rejected by physicians because it necessitates too much standardization, and form-based user interfaces are not adapted to their daily practice. In this domain, we think that this study provides a viable alternative approach. This system offers freedom to doctors: they would fill in documents with the information they want to store, in a convenient order and in a more free way. We have developed a system that allows users to fill in a database quasi automatically from document paragraphs. The database used is an already existing database, that can be queried in a classical way for statistical studies or epidemiological purposes. In this system, the document fund and the database containing extractions from documents coexist. Queries are sent to the database, answers include data from the database and references to source documents.


In a number of applications of multivariate analysis, the data matrix is not fully observed. Instead a set of distance matrices on the same entities is available. A reasonable strategy to construct a global distance matrix is to compute a weighted average of the partial distance matrices, provided that an appropriate system of weights can be defined. The Distatis method developed by Abdi et al. (2005) is a three-step procedure for computing the global distance matrix. An important aspect of that procedure is the computation of the vector correlation coefficient (RV) to measure the similarity between partial distance matrices. The RV coefficient is based on the Pearson product moment correlation coeffcient, which is highly prone to the effects of outliers. We are convinced that, in many measurable phenomena, the relationships between distances are far more likely to be ordinal than interval in nature, and it is therefore preferable to adopt an approach appropriate to ordinal data. The goal of our paper is to revise the system of weights of the Distatis procedure substituting the conventional Pearson coefficient with rank correlations that are less affected by errors of measurement, perturbation or presence of outliers in the data. In the light of our findings on real and simulated data sets, we recommend the use of a speci c coefficient of rank correlation to replace, where necessary, the conventional vector correlation.


This case presents a patient who sustained a knee dislocation, and who due to her diagnosis of sarcoidosis, other comorbidities, and prolonged use of corticosteroids, external fixation and physical therapy were implemented versus soft tissue reconstruction/repair. Research indicates worse functional outcomes with non-surgical treatment, and guidelines on optimising outcomes in this population are lacking. Integrated care of the patient—even when complex injuries and comorbid medical conditions are present—can lead to positive functional recovery, despite previous data. Evidence from related injuries can be successfully adapted in non-surgical management of these injuries, providing general treatment guidelines.


CXC chemokine receptor 3 (CXCR3) ligands CXCL9 and CXCL10 are produced at high levels in mice and humans infected with Leishmania donovani, but their contribution to host resistance against L. donovani is not clear. Here, using CXCR3(-/-) mice, we demonstrate that, although CXCR3 regulates early immune cell trafficking and hepatic inflammation during L. donovani infection, it is not essential for immunity against L. donovani, unlike L. major. CXCR3(-/-) C57BL/6 mice show a delayed onset of hepatic inflammation and granuloma formation after L. donovani infection. However, they mount an efficient T helper cell type 1 response, recruit T cells to the liver, and control parasite growth as efficiently as do CXCR3(+/+) C57BL/6 mice.


"The biggest problem that scientists face is global warming … I am waiting for the day when someone will discover using renewable energy to replace all the fossil energy …" Find out more about Tong-Bu Lu in his Author Profile.


In July 2017, an international consortium of energy companies from the United States, Mexico, and the United Kingdom announced a significant crude oil discovery in shallow waters off the east coast of Mexico. This discovery is not only the fifth largest global oil discovery in the last five years and perhaps one of the top shallow-water fields discovered in the past twenty years, but, as "'the first offshore exploration well drilled by the private sector in Mexico's history[,]"' it has historical significance as well. This important find was made possible pursuant to recent landmark reforms to Mexico's energy legal regime that now allow foreign investors to participate in Mexico's energy sector. Prior to these reforms, Mexico's energy industry was among the most tightly controlled in the world, closely associated with national sovereignty. Indeed, many consider the Mexican petroleum expropriation of 1938 to be "the apogee of Mexican resource nationalism ... [and] a patriotic triumph" that is celebrated as Oil Expropriation Day, a national holiday, each March 18th.

Resource nationalism, sometimes expressed in its extreme form as expropriation, is a systemic risk for private international oil companies. Given the historical precedent in Mexico for the use of expropriation within the energy sector, and with the recent upsurge in expropriations of foreign-owned oil assets in Bolivia, Ecuador, Russia, and Venezuela, the Mexican government's approach to dispute resolution was a critical factor for foreign investors eager to take advantage of the Mexican energy reforms. While the reform package does authorize parties to exploration and production (E&P) contracts to agree upon alternative dispute resolution mechanisms, including arbitration, it also contains a controversial unilateral rescission exception that could greatly impact foreign investors

This article will briefly review the history of oil production in Mexico and the governing legal regime in Part I, and in Part II, the recent reforms to that regime thereto. Part III will consider the reform's dispute resolution provisions and administrative rescission. Part IV will offer possible mechanisms by which foreign investors might mitigate the risk of administrative rescission to protect their investment in the Mexican energy sector. The final reflections of this article will focus upon the status and current success of Mexico's attempts to attract large international companies to invest significant amounts of capital and assets into Mexico's energy industry, despite concerns related to unilateral rescission.


Background:We investigated the role of gender on response to efavirenz (EFV)-containing regimens in previously antiretroviral-naive patients. Methods:All previously antiretroviral-naive individuals from the Royal Free Hospital in London starting EFV from 1996 onward were included. Treatment failure was defined as the first of 2 consecutive viral load measurements >500 copies/mL more than 24 weeks after starting EFV. Standard survival methods were used to assess time to discontinuation and to treatment failure. Results:Ninety-six women and 337 men were included. Women were mostly of black African ethnicity (64.6%) with a heterosexual risk (94.8%), whereas men were mostly white (66.8%; P < 0.0001) with a homosexual risk (71.2%; P < 0.0001). Women had lower CD4 counts when starting EFV (median [interquartile range [IQR] = 126 [36, 220] cells/mm3 for women vs. 190 [109, 268] cells/mm3 for men; P = 0.0003). After 48 and 96 weeks, 38.8% (95% confidence interval [CI]: 28.8% to 48.7%) and 56.3% (95% CI: 45.8% to 66.9%) of women had discontinued EFV compared with 28.3% (95% CI: 23.4% to 33.2%) and 41.8% (95% CI: 36.3% to 47.3%) of men (P = 0.005). The percentage experiencing failure by 48 and 96 weeks when ignoring treatment changes but censoring at the date of discontinuing all treatment was 1.3% (0.0%, 3.9%) and 4.4% (0.0%, 9.3%) for women compared with 3.8% (1.6%, 6.0%; P = 0.49) and 5.8% (3.0%, 8.6%) for men. Median (IQR) CD4 count increases at 48 weeks were +166 (+89, +239) cells/mm3 for women and +176 (+93, +263) cells/mm3 for men. Conclusions:Women seem to have comparable virologic and immunologic outcomes to first-line EFV-containing regimens compared with men, although they are more likely to discontinue the drug.


We conduct a selective analysis of the isotropic ($D_V$) and anisotropic ($AP$) components of the Baryon Acoustic Oscillations (BAO) data. We find that these components provide significantly different constraints and could provide strong diagnostics for model selection, also in view of more precise data to arrive. We complemented the BAO data with the Supernova Ia (SNIa) and Observational \textit{Hubble} datasets to perform a joint analysis on the $\Lambda$CDM model and its standard extensions. From this analysis, we find a value of $H_0 = 69.4 \pm 1.7$ \text{Km/s Mpc$^{-1} $} in the $\Lambda$CDM scenario, which is now consistent with both the Planck and the direct estimates of Riess et al. We also comment on the possible bias on $H_0$ estimates introduced by approximate formulae for the sound horizon at drag epoch ($r_d$). We find that the evidence for acceleration using the BAO data alone is more than $\sim 5.8\sigma$, which increases to $8.4 \sigma$ in our joint analysis. Using the BAO data alone, we find a $2.2 \sigma$ deviation from the concordance model in a two-parameter extension of $\Lambda$CDM, where both $\Omega_k$ and $w$ are considered as free parameters, leaving space for new physics.


Policy optimization is a widely-used method in reinforcement learning. Due to its local-search nature, however, theoretical guarantees on global optimality often rely on extra assumptions on the Markov Decision Processes (MDPs) that bypass the challenge of global exploration. To eliminate the need of such assumptions, in this work, we develop a general solution that adds dilated bonuses to the policy update to facilitate global exploration. To showcase the power and generality of this technique, we apply it to several episodic MDP settings with adversarial losses and bandit feedback, improving and generalizing the state-of-the-art. Specifically, in the tabular case, we obtain $\widetilde{\mathcal{O}}(\sqrt{T})$ regret where $T$ is the number of episodes, improving the $\widetilde{\mathcal{O}}({T}^{2/3})$ regret bound by Shani et al. (2020). When the number of states is infinite, under the assumption that the state-action values are linear in some low-dimensional features, we obtain $\widetilde{\mathcal{O}}({T}^{2/3})$ regret with the help of a simulator, matching the result of Neu and Olkhovskaya (2020) while importantly removing the need of an exploratory policy that their algorithm requires. When a simulator is unavailable, we further consider a linear MDP setting and obtain $\widetilde{\mathcal{O}}({T}^{14/15})$ regret, which is the first result for linear MDPs with adversarial losses and bandit feedback.


Ionic liquids (ILs) have drawn considerable interest for their use in various analytical techniques including chromatography, extractions, and mass spectrometry. This is largely due to the flexibility in tuning the physicochemical properties of ILs. There has been a significant increase in the number of publications over the last decade in which ILs have been employed as a chromatographic stationary phase, extraction solvent, or sorbent material in various preconcentration techniques. This review article highlights the recent advancements in the use of ILs in separation science including gas chromatography, high-performance liquid chromatography, capillary electrophoresis, extraction and microextraction techniques as well as mass spectrometry.


The present paper is focused on the problem of etiology of sensorineural hearing impairment, approaches to its treatment, and actions to be taken by a physician to manage the disease. Sensorineural hearing impairment is considered to be a challenging socio-medical and interdisciplinary problem. The results obtained by Russian and foreign researchers are discussed with special reference to the treatment tympanophonia and dizziness with the use of cavinton. An example of a study carried out in this country with a view to estimating the effectiveness and tolerability of the new cavinton-based therapeutic modality. Eighty per cent of the patients involved in the study showed a significant improvement of hearing and reduced severity of tympanophonia compared with the control subjects treated by the traditional method.


Clark Miller and Paul Edwards, eds., Changing the Atmosphere: Expert Knowledge and Environmental Governance. Cambridge, Mass.: MIT Press, 2001, 385 pp. This book of readings argues that climate change is becoming a critical site in the shifting world order. It examines how scientific research is transforming conceptions of nature underlying international politics, how scientists persuade people to think about climate in global terms, and how people then modify their values, behaviours, and institutions. The approach is constructivist, examining practices whereby accounts achieve the status of reality. The first section explores computer modelling and climate politics. Edwards constructs a history of changing scientific research into climate change, concluding that computer models became the only way to manage the data deluge produced by new technologies of observation. Scientific modelling also became a tool to mobilize support for reducing greenhouse gases and world building. Norton and Suppe defend computer climate modelling against its critics, arguing that all scientific work involves epistemologically similar modelling. Shackley divides modelers into three epistemic lifestyles: climate seers using simple models having a few key variables to gain insight into atmospheric dynamics; model builders incorporating detailed, comprehensive aspects of physical processes to improve the realism of models; and a hybrid of the two. These epistemic lifestyles differ between countries and reflect varying cultural and institutional approaches to science. The second section connects scientific organization with political order. Kwa argues that in the U.S.A. proliferating weather modification of the 1960s collapsed in the early 1970s not because it failed to work, but because of a shift in values from the desired mastery of nature to the belief that attempted mastery will disrupt nature's human sustaining, self-regulating dynamics. The goal of protecting humans from nature was abruptly replaced with that of protecting nature from humans. Miller composes a history of the World Meteorological Organization from 1947 to 1958 relating modifications in the organization of meteorology to changing world politics through meteorology's pursuit of resources and political legitimacy. The final section probes the uptake of expert advice into political discourse, institutions, and policy concerning climate. Edwards and Schneider examine the controversy over the Intergovernmental Panel on Climate Change's 1996 conclusion: "The balance of evidence suggests that there is a discernible human influence on global climate." They refute the accusation of political bias made by contrarian scientists and the energy industry, arguing that the IPCC report involved an inclusive peer-review process advantageous for consensus building and the incorporation of expert knowledge into global governance. Miller's examination of the operation of the Subsidiary Body for Scientific and Technological Advice concludes that it succeeded in making scientific advice globally credible, particularly in developing countries and even concerning contested climate negotiations. Jamieson argues that explicit discussion of equity and responsibility for greenhouse-gas emissions will facilitate consensus in both North and South . He proposes the normative principle of equality of greenhouse-gas emission rights per person with respect to a baseline year. An early year would force the North to accept responsibility for past emissions and force the South to avoid using demographic irresponsibility as an excuse for future emissions. A late year would promote emissions irresponsibility by both. Jasanoff argues that the images from satellites of planet Earth suspended in space promoted a popular understanding of its finiteness, indivisibility, and fragility, and she studies how these images have been used to promote global environmental governance. Such images are contested because they can lead to the invisibility of local environmental problems and loss of national sovereignty. …


An 82-year-old female presented to our institution with mild dyspnea. Her medical history included effort angina pectoris, which was treated with stent placement in the coronary artery at the age of 78, and congestive heart failure, which was improved by oxygen inhalation and administration of diuretic agents. Chest radiography revealed evidence of swollen lymph nodes at the level of the left pulmonary hilar lesion. Contrast-enhanced chest computed tomography revealed a mass at the pulmonary hilar lesion site extending into the left pulmonary artery and left lower pulmonary vein, swollen lymph nodes proximal to the left pulmonary hilar lesion and bilateral mediastinum, and pleural dissemination. Bronchoscopy revealed almost total occlusion of the left upper bronchial trunk. Biopsied specimen confirmed the diagnosis of small-cell lung carcinoma (SCLC). Although the standard chemotherapy regimen for extended SCLC is a combination therapy of cisplatin (CDDP) and etoposide (ETP), that regimen was considered intolerable for the patient because of chronic heart and renal failure. Therefore, the regimen of amrubicin hydrochloride (AMR) monotherapy was decided. After the first cycle of chemotherapy, the tumor was remarkably reduced. Despite mild digestive symptoms, including nausea and loss of appetite, and mild myelosuppression, the patient was well tolerated with AMR monotherapy. The patient has been kept partial response during the fifth cycle of chemotherapy until the patient developed pneumonia. C h em ot he rapy: pen Aces s ISSN: 2167-7700 Chemotherapy: Open Access Citation: Takeuchi N, Nomura Y, Iida M, Yamamoto K, Takada M, et al. (2013) Amrubicin Monotherapy for Patients with Small-Cell Lung Carcinoma Complicated with Chronic Renal and Heart Failure. Chemotherapy 2: 119. doi:10.4172/2167-7700.1000119


The mathematical model for determination of remaining resource of insulation of the locomotive hauling electric machines, taking into account its initial electric durability and minimum expenses on implementation of restoration works with the purpose of construction of the rational system of its maintenance, is offered.


Solar photovoltaics (PV) have become an increasingly important part of the global energy landscape over the past several years. As jurisdictions around the world continue to encourage the deployment of PV systems, module costs have plummeted and vastly improved the competitiveness of PV. As a result, the PV market has grown immensely, reaching $93 billion in global revenues and surpassing 29GW of installed capacity in 2011. The total global capacity of PV installations now exceeds 69GW, with fairly robust growth expected in the future. However, prominent bankruptcy and restructuring cases point to the fact that the PV industry has entered a turbulent phase. As the market continues to mature and government support is ratcheted down, consolidation is expected to intensify and firms will need to innovate even more aggressively in order to succeed. Governments, attempting to promote industrial development, salvage fledgling domestic PV industries, and deploy clean energy systems, are now faced with navigating the challenges and opportunities presented by this rapidly shifting industrial landscape. It is within this context that innovative PV designs and technologies are emerging and prompting discussion around future system designs and appropriate policy support. Building-integrated PV (BIPV), in particular, is attracting increasing attention as a promising niche for further investment and development.This policy insight paper considers the public interest grounds for supporting the development of a Canadian BIPV industry. More precisely, this paper presents an overview of societal benefits relating to this technology as well as opportunities and challenges to deployment and industrial development. We conclude by providing broad policy insights for the development of an appropriate national strategy for unlocking the potential of BIPV.


Background/Aims: The objective of this study is to evaluate the hypouricemic and nephroprotective effects of an active fraction from Polyrhachis vicina Roger (AFPR) in potassium oxonate-induced hyperuricemic rats. Methods: Hyperuricemia was induced by potassium oxonate in male rats. AFPR was orally administered to hyperuricemic rats for 12 consecutive weeks. Serum, liver and kidney samples were collected for effects and mechanism analysis. The levels of serum uric acid (SUA) were measured by the phosphotungstic acid method, xanthine oxidase (XOD) activity in the hepatic and serum samples were measured by ultraviolet spectrophotometry, serum levels of interleukin-1 (IL-1β), interleukin-1 (IL-6) and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α) were measured by ELISA, the levels of serum creatinine (SCr), blood urea nitrogen (BUN), super oxide dismutase (SOD) and malondialdehyde (MDA) in serum were determined by colorimetric method. Protein expression of renal URAT1, GLUT9, and OAT1 were analyzed by Western blot. Results: AFPR significantly decreased the levels of SUA, serum and hepatic XOD, SCr, BUN, and MDA as well as increased SOD. In addition, AFPR treatment significantly reduced the levels of proinflammatory cytokines in serum, including IL-1β, IL-6 and TNF-α. Moreover, we found the significant decrease in protein expression of URAT1 and GLUT9, and the significant increase in protein expression of OAT1 in the kidney in AFPR treated groups compared to the model groups of hyperuricemia. Conclusion: These findings suggest that AFPR has anti-hyperuricemic activity attributed to the inhibition of uric acid generation in the liver and probably to the enhancement of urate excretion in the kidney, and possess nephroprotective effect in hyperuricemic rats due to its anti-inflammatory and antioxidant activities.