CLINICAL SCENARIO
Recent systematic reviews show conflicting information regarding the effect of concussion on cardiac autonomic function. Controlled aerobic exercise is the most popular intervention for those recovering from a concussion. There is a gap in the literature supporting the utility of objective metrics during exertional return to play protocols and rehabilitation.

CLINICAL QUESTION
Can heart rate variability (HRV) during physical exertion be a reliable biomarker over time for those who suffered a sport-related concussion?

SUMMARY OF KEY FINDINGS
A literature search produced 3 studies relevant to the clinical question. One, a prospective-matched control group cohort study, reported disturbances in HRV during physical exertion in those with a history of concussion, and identified persistent HRV dysfunction after resolution of subjective complaints, return to play, and with multiple concussive events. Second, a cross-sectional cohort study found an HRV difference in those with and without a history of concussion and in HRV related to age and sex. Finally, the prospective longitudinal case-control cohort study did not find sex or age differences in HRV and concluded that, although postconcussion HRV improved as time passed, resting HRV was not as clinically meaningful as HRV during exertional activities.

CLINICAL BOTTOM LINE
There is emerging evidence to support the use of HRV as an observable biomarker, over time, of autonomic function during physical exertion following a sport-related concussion. However, the meaningfulness of HRV data is not fully understood and the utility seems individualized to the level of athlete, age, and sex and, therefore, cannot be generalizable. In order to be more clinically meaningful and to assist with current clinical decision making regarding RTP, a preinjury baseline assessment would be beneficial as an individualized reference for baseline comparison.

STRENGTH OF RECOMMENDATION
Although HRV is not fully understood, currently, there is grade B evidence to support the use of individualized baseline exertional HRV data as comparative objective metric to assess the autonomic nervous system function, over time, following a concussive event.


Advanced materials are widely used in several industries. They play an important role especially in the aeronautic sector where weight reduction is required in order to reduce fuel consumption. Composite materials have a high strength to weight ratio and are applied in airplane construction. In order to ensure the safety of these components during their life cycle, non-destructive testing methods are required. In this work, infrared thermography is used to inspect an aluminiumCFRP hybrid 3D structure. A dual-band infrared camera is used to capture images in two different spectral ranges. Two image-processing techniques are then applied in order to enhance the images: principal component thermography and partial least squares thermography. Finally, a signal-to-noise ratio analysis is performed to assess the quality of the images and detected defects. Results showed that PCT has a slight advantage over PLST in our experiments.


An analysis of a single parameter self-tuning scheme for a high order system is presented and applied to a typical power system stabilizer, as a representative of systems in which stabilization of some modes decreases the damping of other modes. Integral manifolds and averaging are used to find conditions for convergence to a compromise setting of the conflicting modes.


Marine renewable energy is emerging as one of the fast-growing industry in the last decades, as modern society pushes for technologies that can convert energy contained from winds, waves, tides and stream flows. The implementation of renewable energy technologies impose high demands on both structural and environmental engineering, as the energy converters have to work under extreme conditions where parameters such as sea-bottom configuration, water transparency and depth, sea-states and prevailing winds are harsh. Constant monitoring of the marine environment is crucial in order to keep this sector reliable. Active acoustics is becoming a standard tool to collect multi-dimensional data from physical, geological and biological properties of the marine environment. The Div. of Electricity of Uppsala University have been developing an environmental monitoring platform based on sonar systems. This platform aims to monitor the installation, operation and decommissioning of marine renewable energy converters. The focus will be given the observations of behaviors of marine animals in vicinity of energy converters but also structural inspection and monitoring of MRETs. This paper describes how this multifunctional environmental monitoring platform come to existence from the design to the deployment phase.


According to the undesirable effects of many chemical preservatives in food products such as oilseed extraction industry, the possibility of substituting these materials with effective compounds of herbal plants have been considered by the researchers. In this study, at first, the Physalis Alkekengi flower extract was extracted by using maceration method with methanol. The Phenolic compounds and the amount of free radical scavenging activity of the flower extract were investigated in different concentrations (200, 400, 600, 800 and 1000 ppm), respectively by Folin–Ciocalteu method and DPPH test and were compared with the synthetic antioxidant activity (BHT) at 200 ppm. The results showed a significant difference between different concentrations of Physalis Alkekengi flower extract, in terms of the rate of Phenolic compounds and free radical scavenging activity of flower extract (p < 0.05). In general, the results of this study showed that the methanol extract of Physalis Alkekengi flower, as a source of cheap and available natural antioxidant, after conducting supplementary experiments can be used in food industry. Keywords : Physalis Alkekengi flower, Free radical scavenging power, Natural antioxidants, Phenolic compounds.


g-C3N4 was introduced into a highly active anatase TiO2-based photocatalyst using a simple yet effective impregnation method. The corresponding composite materials were obtained with a carbon nitride weight content ranging from 0.25 to 4 wt.%, and their surface, morphological and structural properties were characterized using BET and porosity measurements, X-ray diffraction, infrared, UV-vis and photoluminescence spectroscopy, and transmission electron microscopy. They were subsequently tested for toluene photoelimination under UV and sunlight-type illumination conditions. The photocatalytic performance of the materials was analysed quantitatively through calculation of the quantum yield of the reaction under all illumination conditions essayed. We observed that the addition of carbon nitride enhances the photoactivity and selectivity to CO2 of samples containing 0.5 to 1 wt.% g-C3N4. Physicochemical characterization presented evidence that the enhanced behaviour is related to the intimate contact between the two components of the photocatalyst system, which provides two new (i.e. not present in the parent system) charge carrier handling routes affecting photocatalytic properties upon UV and visible light illumination.


Our investigation of two EPR and waste management programs in California, U.S. revealed two common features: involvement of the state government is small, and the establishment of concrete recycling/waste management systems is to a large extent left in the hands of entities who have direct responsibility for their implementation. Based on the degree of government involvement, we categorized recycling and waste management systems in which two entities - producers and municipalities - are engaged, and analysed their strengths and weaknesses. Our finding indicates that much government involvement does not necessarily mean that producer's obligation becomes larger. Further study is needed to examine how to enhance the effectiveness of a program while maintaining its strengths: flexibility and lessened burdens of the government. (Less)


Plants are a major source of natural antioxidants. Antioxidants play an important role in treating cardiovascular and cancerous diseases because they reduce the effects of free radicals and oxidative stress in the body. Since secondary metabolites of medicinal plants are different under various climatic conditions, it is essential to recognize the physiological function and medicinal properties of plants in a regionalized manner. Chenopodium is an herbal medicine from the family Chenopodiaceae and is effective in the treatment of eye, liver and cardiovascular disorders. In this research, three species of chenopodium currently delentified as
Chenopodiom album, Oxibasis chenopodioides, Oxibasis rubra from Sistan region were collected and after Identification, the amount of some secondary metabolites and their organs antioxidant activity (root, stem, leaf, seed) were measured.
Antioxidant activity was determined by degradation of free radicals with 2, 2- diphenyl-1-picyryl hydrazil (DPPH), total phenol compounds by folin-ciocalteu and flavonoid compounds were determined using aluminum chloride colorimetric method. Also, the amount Photosynthetic pigments, proline, anthocyanin and carbohydrate were measured. Data analysis was performed using SPSS software and Single strain analysis of variance. In general, the results showed that the highest amount of phenol was related to Oxibasis rubra leaf, The highest amount of
flavonoids belongs to the leaf of Oxibasis chenopodioides, The highest antioxidant activity was related to Chenopodium album leaf, The highest amount of proline is related to leaf of Oxibasis rubra, The highest carbohydrate content is related to seed of Oxibasis rubra, The highest levels of chlorophyll a and carotenoids associated with Chenopodium album and The highest amount of chlorophyll b was related to
Oxibasis rubra. The results also showed that there is no anthocyanin in this plant


Introduction The aim of this study was to investigate the effect and possible mechanisms of the blood-nerve barrier (BNB) and the coagulation-anticoagulation system in modulating the mechanical allodynia in a trigeminal neuralgia (TN) rat model induced by chronic compression of the trigeminal root entry zone (TREZ). Methods Von Frey filaments were applied to determine the orofacial mechanical allodynia threshold. The BNB permeability was evaluated by Evans blue extravasation test. Immunohistochemical staining and laser confocal microscopy were used to measure the length of the depletion zones of the nodes of Ranvier in the TREZ, the diameter of nerve fibers and the length of the nodal gap. The transcriptional levels of prothrombin and endogenous thrombin inhibitor protease nexin-1 (PN-1) in the TREZ of TN rats were assessed by RT-qPCR. A Western blotting assay was performed to detect the expression of paranodal proteins neurofascin-155 (NF155) and neurofascin-125 (NF125) in the TREZ. The spatiotemporal expression pattern of thrombin activated receptor (i.e. protease activated receptor 1, PAR1) in TREZ were defined by immunostaining and immunoblotting assays. PAR1 receptor inhibitors SCH79797 were administrated to TN rats to analyze the effect of thrombin-PAR1 on orofacial hyperalgesia. Results A compression injury of a rat's TREZ successfully induced TN-like behavior and was accompanied by the destruction of the permeability of the BNB and the promotion of prothrombin and thrombin inhibitor protease nexin-1 (PN-1) expression. The expression of the paranodal proteins neurofascin-155 (NF155) and neurofascin-125 (NF125) was increased, while the nodal gap length of the nodes of Ranvier was widened and the length of node-depleted zones was shortened. Moreover, the expression of PAR1 within the TREZ was upregulated at an early stage of TN, and administration of the PAR1 antagonist SCH79797 effectively ameliorated orofacial mechanical allodynia. Conclusion A compression injury of the TREZ increased the permeability of the BNB and induced disturbances in the local coagulation-anticoagulation system, concomitant with the structural changes in the nodes of Ranvier, thrombin-PAR1 may play a critical role in modulating orofacial mechanical hyperalgesia in a TN rat model.


The last decade has seen a resurgence of interest in issues of inequality by the economics profession. The sources of this increased interest are straightforward to discern. First, both increasing cross-section wage inequality as well as the apparent intractability of inner city poverty have placed inequality-related issues at the forefront of public policy debates. Second, advances in economic theory have provided new ways to formally analyse the properties of heterogeneous populations of economic actors and in turn have allowed many aspects of inequality to be rigorously modelled. In this paper, I argue that a wide range of recent empirical and theoretical advances within economics, taken together, represent a new perspective on the nature of inequality. To be clear, the emergence of this new paradigm does not imply that more traditional explanations of inequality are invalid; rather, it means that these older explanations may be usefully supplemented. What are the key features of this perspective? The memberships theory of inequality is based on three general propositions. 1. Individual preferences, beliefs, and opportunities are strongly influenced by one's memberships in various groups. Such groups may be fixed, such as race, or may be determined by the economy or society, such as neighborhoods, schools, or firms. 2. Positive interaction effects occur between members of a given group, so that group level influences generate common outcomes among group members. 3. Greater societal stratification by income, race, education, or language leads to divergence in group characteristics which results in greater cross-section inequality and decreased social mobility. This new perspective emphasizes the role of influences on individual outcomes of an array of groups whose memberships are themselves determined endogenously in the economy/society. Taken as a whole, this new perspective may be referred to as the {\it memberships theory of inequality}. In contrast to the memberships theory of inequality, previous models of the evolution of the income distribution (circa 1980) emphasized individual characteristics with at most little attention to group memberships. For example, the human capital model still best exposited in Gary Becker 1975 typically emphasized the connection between individual productive ability and wages; similarly, models of intergenerational mobility such as those of Becker and Nigel Tomes (1979) or Glenn Loury (1981), typically focused on within-family effects of human capital investment, so that the income histories of family dynasties evolved independently of one another. In what sense is the memberships theory distinguished from the more traditional formulations of the human capital perspective? The key difference lies in the level of aggregation at which one describes the influences on an individual which affect his life prospects. To be clear, the memberships approach does not mean that the atomistic human capital approach is not important. Indeed, as seen in work such as that of Roland B\'enabou (1993,1996), both perspectives can be integrated in interesting (and elegant) ways.


Abstract To identify the important attributes of complex system, which is high-dimensional and contain both discrete and continuous variables, this paper proposes a sensitivity analysis method of hierarchical hybrid fuzzy - neural network. We derive the sensitivity indexes of discrete and continuous variables through the differential method. To verify the effectiveness of our method, this study employed a man-made example and a remote sensing image classification example to test the performance of our method. The results show that our method can really identify the important variables of complex system and discover the relations between input and output variables; therefore, they can be applied to simplify the model and improve the classification accuracy of model.


Objective: This study compares kinship caregivers ages 65 and over and those under 65 to test the assumption that older caregivers experience greater stress and strain, which adversely affects the care they provide to their relatives' children. Method: A sample of 747 informal and formal kinship caregivers completed mailed surveys. We used propensity score analysis to balance the two comparison groups of caregivers on multiple controlled covariates. We then conducted regression models with propensity score adjustments to examine the relationship between caregivers' age and their stress or strain. Results: Kinship caregivers ages 65 and older had an average strain score that was 2.61 points lower than the score for those under age 65 (B = −2.61, p < .001). Additionally, several covariates (e.g., educational attainment, number of children in one's care, and family involvement) showed significant relationships with caregiver strain levels. Conclusion: We found no significant differences between younger and older caregivers in childrearing abilities, which provides evidence contradicting the assumption that older caregivers are less capable than younger caregivers when it comes to raising their relatives' children. Considering the resilient and protective nature of kinship caregivers' age, we suggest policy, programming, and research implications.


Background Homocysteine (HCY) was evaluated in healthy and chronic enteropathic dogs, however no studies on dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy are available. Objectives The aim was to evaluate serum HCY concentrations and its prognostic role in dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy compared to healthy dogs. Methods Serum HCY concentration was statistically compared between 24 healthy dogs and 29 dogs with immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy. Correlation analyses between serum total protein, albumin (ALB), C-reactive protein (CRP), folate and cobalamin, and serum HCY concentration were performed in immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathic dogs. Results The associations between serum HCY concentration and clinical, histological, endoscopic scores and follow-up were evaluated. Mean serum HCY concentration was higher in immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathic dogs compared to control dogs (30.22 ± 8.67 µmol/L vs. 5.26 ± 2.78 µmol/L; p < 0.0001). No association between serum HCY concentration and total protein, ALB, CRP, folate concentration as well as, clinical score, histological and endoscopic scores was found. A negative correlation between serum HCY concentration and cobalamin was noted (p = 0.0025, r = −0.54). No significant difference in HCY was found between responsive and non-responsive dogs or between survivors and non-survivors. Conclusions Although, serum HCY concentration was higher in immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathy, its prognostic value remains unclear. However, further prospective, large-scale studies are warranted to better investigate the possible prognostic role of HCY in immunosuppressant-responsive enteropathic dogs.


Finland is one of the five Nordic countries located in the north of the European continent, with a population of 5.4 million; this country has not always been one of the most competitive in the world. Indeed, at the end of the Second World War it could be said that it was rather poor; its primary economy had agriculture and forestry as an axis. However, its inhabitants have been able to overcome and in the last three decades have managed to build a strong economy that allows them to enjoy a level of education, and quality of life that many countries aspire. A key objective of Finnish education policy since the beginning in 1968 has been to provide equal opportunities to all citizens to receive a high quality education. Education in Finland is publicly funded from kindergarten to higher education.


This introduction to the R package sets is a (slightly) modified version of Meyer and Hornik (2009a), published in the Journal of Statistical Software . We present data structures and algorithms for sets and some generalizations thereof (fuzzy sets, multisets, and fuzzy multisets) available for R through the sets package. Fuzzy (multi-)sets are based on dynamically bound fuzzy logic families. Further extensions include user-definable iterators and matching functions.


Intravenous glucose tolerance tests were undertaken on fed twin-pregnant ewes at about 120 days of gestation by injecting 0.4 g glucose per kilogram of live weight, then measuring glucose and insulin concentrations in plasma over the next 2 h. An insulin resistance index was calculated from the product of T1/2 for glucose disappearance and the plasma insulin concentrations integrated over time. Approximately 10 days later, the ewes were starved to induce ovine pregnancy toxaemia. During this period, the course of the hypoglycaemia and ketonaemia were followed by measuring metabolite concentrations in jugular blood samples obtained every 2-3 days. The existence of dehydration, acid-base imbalance and renal failure was also determined from packed cell volumes, serum CO2 content and serum concentrations of urea, creatinine and inorganic phosphate. Ewes that became recumbent and moribund with the disease were classified as susceptible whereas those asymptomatic after 10 days were classified as non-susceptible. Seven susceptible ewes had significantly higher insulin resistance indices (2043 +/- 670 s.d.) than did six non-susceptible ewes (1261 +/- 433 s.d.). It was concluded that poor control of glucose homeostasis may be an important predisposing factor in pathogenesis of the disease.


Cities are built to lead better lives. However, irrational urban development has led in reverse, causing numerous problems. The increase in flood risk in urbanized areas is one of the significant problems. Despite extensive research, numerous engineering projects have been carried out to reduce the risk of flooding, the question "are we safer than before?" remains underexplored. The present work is a case study aimed at providing new evidence of the current state of flood disaster management. It analyzed the relationship between the magnitude of flood and resultant flood fatality and property damage in the target area over a long period of time and found that we are safer now than before in terms of life loss, but not safer than before in terms of flooding impacts on livelihood. Most importantly, it was found that flood risk management in the region continues to be critically dependent on structural measures. Besides, it highlighted a contrast between having a well-developed emergency information delivery system and its ineffectiveness in mobilizing evacuation.


Nitrooxidation is a method of steel sheets surface treatment, which significantly increases their corrosion resistance together with the increase of mechanical properties [1, 2, 3]. It consists of surface nitridation with subsequent oxidation. The fatigue degradation process and the initiation of fractures are in close connection with the surface, as well as the subsurface properties of a steel sheet. The priority of surface or subsurface fracture initiation with regard to the number of cycles is often discussed. The previous research activity [4, 5, 6] dealt with the welding possibility as well as the forming properties of this type of treated steel sheets. Because of potential practical applications, further attention was focused on fatigue behaviour [7, 8, 9]. This paper deals with the comparison of fatigue behaviour of the steel sheet DC 01 EN 10130-9 treated by nitrooxidation to that of the identical sheet without treatment.


In the BRITE/EuRaM project, " Smart Structures ", an integrated monitoring system was developed by eight European partners. The aim of this project was reduction of inspection and maintenance costs as well as traffic delay and regulation costs. One part of this project was concerned with evaluation of portable techniques for quantifying reinforcement corrosion. During this work software for equipment based on the galvanostatic pulse method (GPM) was developed. The GPM is a fast polarisation technique independent of the concrete resistance. It makes it possible within 5-10 seconds to determine the half-cell potential, the corrosion rate and the resistance between the reinforcement and a hand held electrode system at the concrete surface. The software was designed to be the user interface between a galvanostatic pulse generator, a transient response analyser and a handheld PSION WorkAbout . This paper presents the results and analysis of the GPM measurements performed on a highway-bridge exposed to de-icing salts as well as the results of laboratory tests. Results of average corrosion rates determined by weight loss and galvanostatic pulse technique are compared. At last the necessary precautions to be taken when the on site data are used for prediction of the remaining service life of structures are discussed.


A senior undergraduate project in digital communications combining theory with computer aided design (CAD) and providing hands on experience in the field is considered. The project is suitable for engineering undergraduate students with a background of a first course in digital communications and digital system design. The project consists of the study, computer simulation, design and hardware implementation of a soft decision information set decoder for an (8,4) extended Hamming code. The measured performance correlated well with the performance predicted by theory and computer simulation. >


1Private Practice, El Paso Eye Surgeons, P. A., El Paso, Texas, USA; 2Texas Tech University Health Sciences Center School of Medicine-Lubbock, Lubbock, TX, USA; 3Texas Tech University Paul L. Foster School of Medicine, Lubbock, TX, USA Purpose: To characterize the efficacy of combined phacoemulsification and excisional goniotomy with the Kahook Dual Blade (KDB-phaco) in eyes of Latino adults with cataract and open-angle glaucoma (OAG). Methods: Health records of consecutive Latino patients undergoing KDB-phaco were retrospectively reviewed. Intraocular pressure (IOP) and IOP-lowering medication use were recorded at baseline and each postoperative visit through up to 24 months. Primary outcomes were reductions in IOP and medication use from baseline; secondary outcomes were the proportions of eyes achieving IOP reductions of ≥20% and medication reductions ≥1 medication from baseline. Subgroup analysis was conducted in eyes with high and low baseline IOP. Results: Data from 44 eyes of 32 Latino patients with OAG were analyzed. Mean IOP was 17.8 (0.7) mmHg at baseline and postoperatively ranged from 12.4 to 13.8 mmHg (p≥0.0003), representing mean IOP reductions of 4.2–4.6 mmHg (19.7–23.1%). Mean medication was 1.5 (0.2) medications per eye at baseline and postoperatively ranged from 0.2 to 1.0 (p≥0.0061), representing mean medication reductions of 0.7–1.2 medications per eye (47.1–87.2%). In the low baseline IOP group (<18 mmHg), mean IOP was significantly reduced through Month 24 and medications through Month 12; in the high baseline IOP group (≥18 mmHg), IOP and medications were significantly reduced through Month 24. From Months 1–24, IOP reductions of ≥20% were achieved by 48.4–56.2% of eyes in the full cohort, by 20.0–33.3% in the low IOP group, and by 66.7–100% in the high IOP group; medication reductions of ≥1 medication were achieved by 72.0–95.6%, 64.7–94.2%, and 87.5–100% of eyes, respectively. Conclusion: Combined KDB-phaco in eyes of Latino patients with glaucoma and cataract significantly lowers IOP and the need for IOP-lowering medications for up to 24 months and should be considered for such patients who warrant IOP reduction, medication reduction, or both.


There are six chapters each preceded by a list of learning outcomes. The first chapter is concerned with definitions of sustainable development. Throughout the book this is explored with particular reference to developing countries. In the second chapter the contemporary global challenges of sustainable development are considered. There are many interesting examples given, including the processing of tar sands in Canada and concerns around water in Pakistan. In the third chapter the actions taken by a number of institutions and organisations to promote more sustainable development are identified. The environmental agenda of the World Bank is given particular emphasis. In Chapters 4 and 5, the challenges of sustainable development in the developing world are considered in both rural and urban contexts. Again, there are many interesting examples, including a description of rural–urban migration in Indonesia, and an assessment of the challenges of slum development in Morocco. In the sixth chapter, progress made towards sustainable development is considered through the field of sustainable development indicators. It is pointed out that many countries are developing and using indicators to monitor their commitments and progress towards sustainable development. Examples of UK government strategy indicators are listed as greenhouse gas emissions, household energy use and road transport.


This study investigated the efficacy of isotonic bioflavonoid supplementation, OPC-3 on 61 individuals presenting with risk factors meeting the criteria for metabolic syndrome. Subjects were supplemented with a proprietary isotonic bioflavonoid OPC-3 or placebo over 2 months. Plasma oxidative stress status was significantly lowered by 10.1% with OPC-3. All major cardiovascular risk factors were improved with blood pressure, total cholesterol, and fasting blood glucose lowered. OPC-3 significantly improved endothelial function as evaluated by increased vasorelaxation in reactive hyperemia and enhanced diastolic carotid artery flow. Cardiac ultrasound scanning revealed a significant increase of left ventricular ejection fraction. Skin microcirculation was enhanced, and better tissue perfusion led to significantly increased transcutaneous oxygen partial pressure and decreased pCO2. With OPC-3 a dramatic and significant plasma C-reactive protein decrease by 52.1% occurred. Individuals may improve key cardiovascular risk factors by daily supplementation with the bioflavonoid OPC-3 as an important part of a healthier lifestyle.


The general objective of this study is to examine the effect of the "Web Based Computer Aided Teaching" activity which is prepared according to the structural approach on the academic success of the students who study art at graduate level. With this study, interactive education material has been prepared for the web based computer aided teaching and teaching activity has been carried out with two separate student groups. One group has been subjected to the traditional teaching method, and the other has been subjected to the web based computer aided teaching. The success and the learning persistency of the students after the application have been examined. "Multiple subject – one factor experimental pattern" among the experimental models has been used as the pattern in the study. In this respect, the study has been carried out on the pattern with the pretest-posttest control group. A significant increase has been seen in the academic successes of the students who participated in the Web Based Computer Aided teaching applications when compared to the academic successes of the students who participated in the Traditional Teaching method. It has been revealed that the actions in the test group are more effective than those in the control group. Relying on the obtained results, it can be suggested that new studies can be carried out including the web based computer aided teaching applications for different lessons in the field of art education.


Developing, regenerating, and repairing a lung all require interstitial resident fibroblasts (iReFs) to direct the behavior of the epithelial stem cell niche. During lung development, distal lung fibroblasts, in the form of matrix‐, myo‐, and lipofibroblasts, form the extra cellular matrix (ECM), create tensile strength, and support distal epithelial differentiation, respectively. During de novo septation in a murine pneumonectomy lung regeneration model, developmental processes are reactivated within the iReFs, indicating progenitor function well into adulthood. In contrast to the regenerative activation of fibroblasts upon acute injury, chronic injury results in fibrotic activation. In murine lung fibrosis models, fibroblasts can pathologically differentiate into lineages beyond their normal commitment during homeostasis. In lung injury, recently defined alveolar niche cells support the expansion of alveolar epithelial progenitors to regenerate the epithelium. In human fibrotic lung diseases like bronchopulmonary dysplasia (BPD), idiopathic pulmonary fibrosis (IPF), and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease (COPD), dynamic changes in matrix‐, myo‐, lipofibroblasts, and alveolar niche cells suggest differential requirements for injury pathogenesis and repair. In this review, we summarize the role of alveolar fibroblasts and their activation stage in alveolar septation and regeneration and incorporate them into the context of human lung disease, discussing fibroblast activation stages and how they contribute to BPD, IPF, and COPD.


In the continuously evolving arena of pharmacotherapy, it is obviously crucial for healthcare professionals to have a clinical drug reference available that offers the most current therapeutic information. In the Pharmacotherapy Handbook , Second Edition, the editors attempt to provide an update to the first edition of the handbook. Similar to the first edition, this new edition also features highlights of the information from the main text, Pharmacotherapy: A Pathophysiologic Approach , Fourth Edition, and uses a bulleted format and tables and charts to efficiently organize the subject matter in a concise fashion. Furthermore, the second edition of the handbook contains additional treatment algorithms and three additional appendixes, all of which are useful to facilitate therapeutic decision making. The authors of the handbook wisely suggest that users who are seeking more in-depth material refer to the primary text and, in fact, the users will often find this necessary. Although the goal of the handbook is to provide a current and thorough reference for the practitioner, it tends to have information that is too abbreviated. For example, although comprehensive, the vaccines chapter of the handbook does not mention the rabies vaccine or the Lyme disease vaccine. This handbook is most useful for the healthcare specialist who is seeking a broad and succinct overview of a particular subject. Those who have a more in-depth knowledge of a particular area will most likely prefer to consult the full-size text for more detailed information. A handy Chapter Cross-Reference section is included in the handbook as a reference guide to the full text. Topics covered in both the main text and handbook include bone and joint disorders, cardiovascular disorders, dermatologic disorders, endocrinologic disorders, gastrointestinal disorders, gynecologic and obstetric disorders, hematologic disorders, infectious diseases, neurologic disorders, nutritional disorders, oncologic disorders, ophthalmic disorders, psychiatric disorders, renal disorders, and respiratory disorders. The handbook also follows the traditional format of the primary text, with information in each chapter divided into the following categories: disease state definition, concise review of relevant pathophysiology, clinical presentation, diagnosis, desired outcome, and treatment and monitoring. Since the sections of the handbook correspond to identical sections in the primary text, the disorders and disease states covered have a tendency to be somewhat limited. For example, missing from the primary text, and therefore the handbook, are chapters on drug interactions, herbal or alternative remedies, hepatic disorders, and autoimmune disorders. Although it is difficult to review all therapeutic topics in any single textbook, these critical subjects deserve inclusion within a modern pharmacotherapy reference book. This is especially true when areas such as obesity and substance-related disorders are reviewed. Lastly, the high likelihood of any pharmacotherapy text being outdated or incomplete continues to be a challenge that remains to be addressed. Even though the present second edition of the handbook is an update of the first edition, important information is still missing. For instance, the status of significant new drugs such as Actiq and Herceptin is not updated or included in the pain management or breast cancer chapters, respectively. Hence, the authors may want to consider providing handbook updates on a more frequent basis. Since the field of health care is in constant evolution, one would use a handbook such as the Pharmacotherapy Handbook with the understanding that it cannot possibly contain the most up-to-the-minute information. This is due in part to the fact that updated versions are published only every second year. For example, some chapters quote cost information in their Pharmacoeconomic Considerations sections that is most likely not current, since cost of medications and cost of overall therapy often change on an annual basis. At $45, the Pharmacotherapy Handbook is a fairly priced, solid reference text. This handbook offers a synopsis of vital information on pathophysiology of disease states, as well as medical information for the healthcare practitioner, with caution that some content may be incomplete or outdated.


On 15th March 2015, Some Opinions on Further Deepen the Reform of Electric Power System (No.9 document) was issued by the State Council with 6 supporting documents, indicating the all-round fulfillment of the new electricity system reform. China's new electricity system reform aims at forming a complete and orderly power market structure. Based on this, this paper analyzes the new electricity market structure, and lists the relation diagram. In addition, this paper analyzes the structure and business interface of power generation enterprises, power grid enterprises, electric power consumers and trading institutions.


Observations of galaxies and galaxy clusters in the local universe can account for only ∼10% of the total baryon content. Cosmological simulations predict that the "missing baryons" are spread throughout filamentary structures in the cosmic web, forming a low-density gas with temperatures of 105−107 K. We search for this warm-hot intergalactic medium (WHIM) by stacking the Planck Compton y-parameter map of the thermal Sunyaev-Zel'dovich (tSZ) effect for 1 002 334 pairs of CMASS galaxies from the Sloan Digital Sky Survey. We model the contribution from the galaxy halo pairs assuming spherical symmetry, finding a residual tSZ signal at the 2.9σ level from a stacked filament of length 10.5 h−1 Mpc with a Compton parameter magnitude y = (0.6 ± 0.2)×10−8. We consider possible sources of contamination and conclude that bound gas in haloes may contribute only up to 20% of the measured filamentary signal. To estimate the filament gas properties we measure the gravitational lensing signal for the same sample of galaxy pairs; in combination with the tSZ signal, this yields an inferred gas density of ρb = (5.5 ± 2.9) × ρ̄b with a temperature T = (2.7 ± 1.7) × 106 K. This result is consistent with the predicted WHIM properties, and overall the filamentary gas can account for 11 ± 7% of the total baryon content of the Universe. We also see evidence that the gas filament extends beyond the galaxy pair. Averaging over this longer baseline boosts the significance of the tSZ signal and increases the associated baryon content to 28 ± 12% of the global value.


The mobility of river-bed surface particles is examined in the lower Ebro River downstream from dams that were closed several decades ago. Mobility is analysed by comparing photographs of painted bed areas taken before and after the 2003-2004 flood season, and also by comparing lines of painted particles after the floods. The peak of the maximum flood had a recurrence interval of 2 years. Medium and coarse gravels were widely exported from all the study reach, reflecting a disequilibrium between the competence of the flow to entrain and transport them and the rate of supply from upstream. By contrast, very coarse gravels and larger particles remained immobile, since floods were not competent enough to mobilise them. The partial entrainment of surface particles caused a coarsening of the river-bed surface, even in areas where sediments are loose and the river-bed is highly active during small floods.


The necessity of an exact documentation of mental disorders after cranio-cerebral injuries in their temporal development is stressed. There is a quantitative relation between functional psychosis and the underlying cerebral process. Close observation of the course enables the surgeon to diagnose intracerebral complications early.


A 10-month-old baby was referred to our department due to esotropia in the right eye and found to have a large tumor (12 D.D.) in the posterior pole near the optic nerve of this eye. This patient was treated by photocoagulation, irradiation and chemotherapy and satisfactory results were obtained.


In this manuscript we report the synthesis and X-ray characterization of several complexes of Cu(II), Co(II) and Ni(II) with 2-(N-benzimidazolyl)-pyrimidine (L) and nitrate co-ligands. Complexes 1 and 2 are trans and cis isomers, respectively, with formula [CuL2(NO3)2]. Furthermore, complexes 2, [CoL2(NO3)2] (3) and [NiL2(NO3)2] (4) are essentially isostructural with a cis-disposition of the nitrate ligands. In compounds 1–4, the coordination mode of nitrate is terminal bidentate. Finally, during the synthesis of compound 1, a few crystals of a different complex were found and separated manually from the bulk sample and characterized by X-ray diffraction. In this compound (5), the benzimidazole ring of the ligand is oxidized to benzimidazolone (L′) and the formula of this unexpected compound is [CuL′2(H2O)2](NO3)2. Complexes 1 and 5 are characterized by the presence of anion–π interactions that are relevant to the final 3D architecture and packing. In the crystal structures of the five compounds, C–H⋯O hydrogen bonds, anion–π and π-stacking interactions are described and analysed by means of density functional theory (DFT) calculations since they play an important role in the construction of three-dimensional supramolecular frameworks. Moreover, some unconventional interactions have been characterized using Bader's theory of atoms-in-molecules.


E-government systems are subject to a continual change. The importance of better change management is nowadays, more important due to the evolution of Europe towards a multicultural, more open and international society with changing common values, increasing levels of education, demographic involvement and adoption of new technologies. In this paper, we show how semantic technologies may improve management of changes regarding process knowledge in an e-government system. We consider change management process as a continual improvement process. To improve the usability of e-government services, we propose new methods for the semantic service annotation as well as for semantic service discovery. Particularly, we focus on new level of functionality such as verification of a service annotation and refinement of search results.


The cross section of the pd ->3He pi+ pi - reaction has been measured at the MOMO facility in a kinematically complete experiment at a c. m. excess energy of Q = 70 MeV. The energy and angular distributions show that the reaction is dominated by p-wave pi+ pi- pairs. This is in complete contrast to the results of inclusive measurements at somewhat higher energies which show a strong s-wave ABC enhancement at low pi pi masses. There are however indications of p-wave pion pairs from other experiments at low Q.


Polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons (PAH) are a family of carcinogenic and toxic byproducts of carbon-based fuel combustion. As these pollutants are widely distributed in the environment, it is essential to monitor and remediate their accumulation. Plants take up PAHs and respond with molecular, biochemical, as well as physiological changes, and these processes are valuable in the detection and remediation of PAH environmental pollution.
To better understand the molecular physiology involved in the bioremediation of PAHs, we performed microarray experiments on Arabidopsis thaliana treated continuously for 21 days with 0.25 mM phenanthrene, a low molecular weight PAH. The microarray data identified 1031 altered transcripts, indicating large perturbations in the oxidative stress, abiotic stress, and photosynthetic networks. Comparative analysis with published Arabidopsis microarray datasets revealed surprisingly strong similarities to the biotic stress responses from microbial pathogens. Collectively, these stresses may be limiting the ability to take up, metabolize, and detoxify the xenobiotic, and the microarray data suggests a number of research directions towards the improved bioremediation of environmental PAHs.
Towards the biomonitoring of PAHs, we hypothesized that highly-selective transcriptional biomarkers of PAH exposure could be computationally identified through the data mining of microarray datasets representing PAH and non-PAH stress responses. To test that hypothesis, we utilized the k-top scoring pair algorithm, which identified three transcript pairs that accurately discriminate between phenanthrene and non-phenanthrene classes. External validation with a large, disjoint set of microarray data indicated that the classifier performed accurately with a low rate of false positive responses to non-phenanthrene conditions. The classifier was further validated in vivo through experiments under treatment conditions chosen to mimic the physiology of PAH stress, and the responses were measured by quantitative reverse transcription PCR (qRT-PCR). These results support the hypothesis that phenanthrene exposure can be recognized from a small number of transcriptional biomarkers and measured with qRT-PCR. Moreover, the computational approach to finding these biomarkers is general and may be applied in other contexts, for arbitrary pollutants in arbitrary organisms.


This debate-style reader is designed to introduce students to controversies in American foreign policy. The readings, which represent the arguments of leading political scientists and researchers, reflect a variety of viewpoint and have been selected for their liveliness and substance and because of their value in a debate framework. By requiring students to analyze opposing viewpoints and reach considered judgments, Taking Sides actively develops student's critical thinking skills.


We construct a closed infinite-dimensional subspace of LO(O, 1) (or Lp for 0 < p < 1) which is rigid, i.e. such that every endomorphism in the space is a multiple of the identity.


Keyphrases have found wide ranging application in NLP and IR tasks such as document summarization, indexing, labeling, clustering and classification. In this paper we pose the problem of extracting label specific keyphrases from a document which has document level metadata associated with it namely labels or tags (i.e. multi-labeled document). Unlike other, supervised or unsupervised, methods for keyphrase extraction our proposed methods utilizes both the document's text and label information for the task of extracting label specific keyphrases. We propose two models for this purpose both of which model the problem of extracting label specific keyphrases as a random walk on the document's text graph. We evaluate and report the quality of the extracted keyphrases on a popular multi-label text corpus.


Piezotronics can not only afford control of electronic transport over potential barriers, but the attendant mechanical stress can also influence various physical properties of piezoelectric semiconductors. Stress significantly affects the optical properties of these materials as well as their response toward the chemical environment and magnetic fields. This article focuses on the utilization of piezotronics with regard to these physical parameters for sensor applications. Stress sensors, optical sensors (especially in the ultraviolet range), and sensors for chemicals in gas and liquid phases or magnetic fields via coupled magnetostrictive layers are discussed. The benefits of piezotronics for sensors are highlighted by discussing respective figures of merit.


This dissertation investigates how credit institutions' market power limits the effects of creditor protection rules on the interest rate and the spread of bank loans. We use the Brazilian Bankruptcy Reform of June/2005 (BBR) as a legal event affecting the institutional environment of the Brazilian credit market. The law augments creditor protection and aims to improve the access of firms to the credit market and to reduce the cost of borrowing. Either access to credit or the credit cost are also determined by bank industry competition and the market power of suppliers of credit. We derive a simple economic model to study the effect of market power interacting with cost of lending. Using an accounting and operations dataset from July/2004 to December/2007 provided by the Brazilian Central Bank, we estimate that the lack of competition in the bank lending industry hinders the potential reducing effect of the BBR on the interest rate of corporate loans by approximately 30% and on the spread by approximately 23%. We also find no statistical evidence that the BBR affected the concentration level of the Brazilian credit market. We present a brief report on bankruptcy reforms around the world, the changes in the Brazilian legislation and on some recent related articles in our introductory chapter. The second chapter presents the economic model and the testable hypothesis on how the lack of competition in the lending market limits the effects of improved creditor protection. In this chapter, we introduce our empirical strategy using a differences-in-differences model and we estimate the limiting effect of market power on the BBR's potential to reduce interest rates and on the spread of bank loans. We use the BBR as an exogenous event that affects collateralized corporate loans (treatment group) but that does not affect clean consumer loans (control group) to identify these effects, using different concentration measures. In Chapter 3, we propose a two-stage empirical strategy to handle the H–Statistics proposed by Panzar and Rosse as a measure of market competition. We estimate the limiting effects of the lack of competition in replacing the concentration statistics by the H–Statistics. Chapter 4 presents a structural break test of the concentration index and checks if the BBR affects the dynamic evolution of the concentration index.


In this work, we consider the problem of learning a perception model for monocular robot navigation using few annotated images. Using a Vision Transformer (ViT) pretrained with a label-free self-supervised method, we successfully train a coarse image segmentation model for the Duckietown environment using 70 training images. Our model performs coarse image segmentation at the $8\times 8$ patch level, and the inference resolution can be adjusted to balance prediction granularity and real-time perception constraints. We study how best to adapt a ViT to our task and environment, and find that some lightweight architectures can yield good single-image segmentations at a usable frame rate, even on CPU. The resulting perception model is used as the backbone for a simple yet robust visual servoing agent, which we deploy on a differential drive mobile robot to perform two tasks: lane following and obstacle avoidance.


Over the past two decades a global jurisprudential trend of domestic climate litigation against governments and companies has emerged. One avenue for litigation against these entities is tort law. The tort of negligence could provide access to compensation for aggrieved individuals and groups. Using the example of Australia, this article discusses whether the emergence of climate tort cases, an increasing drive to hold corporations responsible for climate change, and a company focus on voluntary climate action, could lead to the emergence of a new duty of care by corporate actors toward non-shareholders. We highlight opportunities and barriers to the further development of negligence law as a cause of action against corporations for harms related to climate change.


Face recognition (FR) methods report significant performance by adopting the convolutional neural network (CNN) based learning methods. Although CNNs are mostly trained by optimizing the softmax loss, the recent trend shows an improvement of accuracy with different strategies, such as task-specific CNN learning with different loss functions, fine-tuning on target dataset, metric learning and concatenating features from multiple CNNs. Incorporating these tasks obviously requires additional efforts. Moreover, it demotivates the discovery of efficient CNN models for FR which are trained only with identity labels. We focus on this fact and propose an easily trainable and single CNN based FR method. Our CNN model exploits the residual learning framework. Additionally, it uses normalized features to compute the loss. Our extensive experiments show excellent generalization on different datasets. We obtain very competitive and state-of-the-art results on the LFW, IJB-A, YouTube faces and CACD datasets.


The morphology of 58 apocrine tumors from 31 domestic Richardson's ground squirrels (Urocitellus richardsonii) was examined, comparing tumor subtypes with clinical information and histological findings. The squirrels included 23 males (74%) and 8 females (26%). Of the 58 tumors, 36 (62%) were located from the cervical skin to the dorsal skin, 17 (29%) were from the perioral region to the cheek, and the location was unrecorded for the remaining 5 squirrels (9%). Histologically, 49 tumors (84%) were apocrine adenocarcinomas, 6 were apocrine adenomas (10%), and 3 were apocrine cysts (5%). The 49 apocrine adenocarcinomas were subclassified as 16 (33%) cystic papillary type, 16 (33%) tubulopapillary type, 12 (24%) solid type, and 5 (10%) micropapillary invasive type. Fisher's exact test revealed correlations between tumor subtypes and tumor diameters, nuclear atypia, tumor margins, vascular invasion, and periodic acid-Schiff (PAS) positivity. This study showed a predominance of apocrine adenocarcinomas with various histological subtypes. In addition, subclassification of these tumors was useful for predicting the biological behavior of apocrine gland tumors in Richardson's ground squirrels.


Let us, the Communication Technology editors, take this opportunity to introduce one of the new departments that will be appearing in the Transactions. Beginning with the June issue, you can expect either a full-scale article or at least a column on the technologies that are changing the way professional communicators do their work. These technologies include text processing systems, electronic and desktop publishing systems, communication networks, online help facilities, and tools to improve user interfaces. We want to discuss the practical impact of these technologies on job definitions, work flow, shop organization, project management, and the internal and external flow of information.


Combustion in a furnace equipped with two HiTAC burner pairs, with a thermal power of 100 kWth each, has been investigated experimentally and computationally. The objective of this study is (1) to observe differences in the performance of the furnace operating in two different firing modes, parallel and staggered, and (2) to explain these differences using detailed CFD simulations. Besides the permanent measurements of temperature, flow and pressure, in-furnace probe measurements of temperature, oxygen and emissions (NO and CO) have been performed. Experimental results show that the efficiency of the furnace was higher in parallel mode compared to staggered mode, 48% and 41% respectively. The values of CO emitted were equal for both firing modes. However, in parallel mode the NOx production was 39 ppm v @3%O2, whereas in staggered mode 53 ppm v @3%O2 NOx was produced. Considering both efficiency and emissions, parallel firing mode performs better than staggered mode. Next, CFD simulations of the furnace were performed in order to explain the observed differences. The simulations were validated with the in-furnace measurements. It was confirmed that the furnace firing in parallel mode achieved a higher efficiency. The radiative heat transfer was higher due to formation of a larger zone with gases with improved radiative properties. In addition, higher velocities along the cooling tubes, due to lower momentum destruction, led to higher convective heat transfer. Also, the lower production of NOx in parallel mode was reproduced by the simulations. This is due to the fact that in parallel mode the fuel jets are merging slower with the combustion air jet, leading to less intense combustion zones. Thus, lower peak temperatures and radical concentrations are achieved, and the NOx production via the thermal and N2O pathways was lower.


Two experiments on figure-ground organization were designed to examine whether the regions of an ambiguous stimulus perceived as "figure" vary as a function of regional area and experience with the stimulus. In Exp. 1 the perceived duration of each interpretation was recorded during continuous viewing for 10 subjects who had been trained until both percepts appeared with statistical regularity (stationary phase). In Exp. 2 the first interpretation reported by 172 naive observers after a few seconds of pattern exposure was recorded. The well-known tendency to interpret smaller regions as figure was noted in Exp. 2 whereas the results of Exp. 1 suggested equiprobability of the percepts. Over-all results suggest that alternation is learned during the transient or "early" phase of perception, with some stimulus features and cultural factors influencing the figure-ground organization. During the stationary or late phase of perception the subject is well practiced and the alternating of interpretations becomes largely automatic.


We have tested and discussed the accuracy of hybrid quantum mechanics/molecular mechanics molecular dynamics free energy calculations for the investigation of the mechanism of dehydration of biomass‐derived carbohydrates in solution. In this respect and taking into account earlier calculations of this type, we have developed a microkinetic model for the dehydration of fructose to 5‐hydroxymethylfurfural (HMF) in acidic water and embedded it in a reaction network that includes fructose and HMF degradation reactions. Sensitivity analysis of the kinetic model has shown the rate‐limiting step of the reaction network under consideration to be an intramolecular hydride transfer that takes place right after the first water removal from fructose. We predict the formation of two stable intermediates, one of which is structurally similar to the (4R,5R)‐4‐hydroxy‐5‐hydroxymethyl‐4,5‐dihydrofuran‐2‐carbaldehyde intermediate identified by NMR studies in pure DMSO solution. We find remarkable agreement between calculated and experimental concentration profiles over a wide range of temperatures and over the entire range of timescales considered in the kinetic study of Asghari and Yoshida. We demonstrate that the microkinetic model cannot capture the correct temperature dependence of the rates unless one uses Marcus theory rate constants for those elementary steps of the mechanism that involve hydride transfer. The computed apparent activation energy and Arrhenius frequency factor for fructose conversion to HMF are also found to be in excellent agreement with those obtained from experiments.


The term social entrepreneurship is not new but during the past decade its interests have increased rapidly around the world while its field is still young and fragmented (Gawell, 2013). We believe that in one way or the other, the main objective of social entrepreneurship is to solve social, economic and environmental problems for sustainable development goals. One of the development challenges is the fact that Haiti has 0.47 as Human Development Index (HDI) figuring 168th among 187 countries with 58.6 % of the population living under the poverty line and 24.6% under the extreme poverty line with less than 1$UD per day (PNUD & MCI, 2014). Despite the fact that Haiti has a unique know-how that is passed down for generations in the area of craft, small industry and in the processing of products, social entrepreneurship has not taken its roots as it should have. Importantly, to get where they are today, it is undeniable that developed nations leaned the strengths of their development on human capital to produce physical/material capital. Most often, the human capital is utilized to produce strong public policies which enable the economic growth. The value of using human capital as a pillar for economic growth proved itself for Asian nations with an annual economic growth of 6.9% between 1980 and 1990 against 1.5% for Latin America (Gener, 2005). Thus, in this paper, we looked at the Emergence of Social Entrepreneurship for economic growth in Haiti.


PA PE R Abstract Currently, the major commercial white light-emitting diode (WLED) is the phosphor-converted LED made of the InGaN blue-emitting chip and the Ce3+:Y3Al5O12 (Ce:YAG) yellow phosphor dispersed in organic epoxy resin or silicone. However, the organic binder in high-power WLED may age easily and turn yellow due to the accumulated heat emitted from the chip, which adversely affects the WLED properties such as luminous efficacy and color coordination, and therefore reduces its longterm reliability as well as lifetime. Herein, an innovative luminescent material: transparent Ce:YAG phosphor-in-glass (PiG) inorganic color converter, is developed to replace the conventional resin/silicone-based phosphor converter for the construction of high-power WLED. The PiG-based WLED exhibits not only excellent heat-resistance and humidity-resistance characteristics, but also superior optical performances with a luminous efficacy of 124 lm/W, a correlated color temperature of 6674 K and a color rendering index of 70. This easy fabrication, lowcost and long-lifetime WLED is expected to be a new-generation indoor/outdoor high-power lighting source.


BACKGROUND AND AIM
Incisional hernia following laparotomy and recurrent herniation after its repair are still common problems in spite of mesh augmentation. The underlying biological mechanism may be related to collagen metabolism. Recently, some members of growth factors family have been tested in the prevention of wound failure and incisonal hernia formation. Growth factors may promote fibroblast proliferation and collagen deposition. In the present study, we searched the effects of basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) loaded polypropylene meshes in an incisional hernia model in rats.

METHODS
A total of 80 Wistar albino rats were randomly divided into five groups. A uniform surgical procedure was employed in all groups: a 5 cm skin incision was made at the midline and a full segment of the abdominal wall sized 3 x 2 cm was excised. Abdominal wall was closed with rapidly absorbable 3/0 catgut. Following this standard surgery, five different procedures were applied to the groups before closing the skin with 4/0 monofilament polypropylene sutures. Control subjects (Group 1) received no extra procedure after abdominal wall suturing. Polypropylene meshes were used in onlay position by fixing 4/0 monofimalent polypropylene interrupted sutures in other four groups. A standard mesh with no chemical treatment was used in Group 2. Gelatin coated meshes were used in Group 3, while Group 4 and 5 received bFGF loaded meshes with 1 microgram (microg) and 5 microg doses respectively. All the groups then divided into 1st month (early: E) and 2nd month (late: L) subgroups (n=8 each) according to sacrification dates. Tensiometric and histopathological evaluations were done. The specimens for histopathology were obtained from the interface area of the meshes and stained with hematoxylin and eosin, and also Masson trichrome. The variables were examined and evaluated by a single blinded pathologist under light microscopy in respect of inflammation, vascularization, fibroblast activity, collagen fibers and connective tissue organization. The avidin-biotin-peroxidase method was performed using the primary monooclonal antibodies against collagen type I and collagen Type III.

RESULTS
bFGF loaded meshes showed higher tensile strength values in comparison with a standard polypropylene mesh after 2 months. Histopathological and immunohistochemistry studies also revealed somewhat better scores in favor of bFGF loaded mesh over a standard polypropylene mesh. These limited effects of bFGF did not seem to be dose dependent.

CONCLUSIONS
The use of bFGF loaded polypropylene mesh in the abdominal wall healing may cause somewhat higher tensile strength values in comparison with a standard polypropylene. However, histopathological and immunohistochemistry studies revealed only a slightly better healing in favor of bFGF loaded mesh over a standard polypropylene mesh.


A case of a papillary thyroid carcinoma in a patient with situs inversus with associated bronchiectasis and chronic sinusitis (Kartagener's syndrome) is reported. A 61-year-old male patient has the symptoms of nasal obstruction. nasal purulent discharge and headache for 2 years. Physical examination: right nasal purulent in right nasal cavity and multiple lychee-like opaque mass in right middle meatus. A nodule, one centimeter in diameter, locates in the upper pole of right thyroid. Evidence of full situs inversus viscerum can be confirmmed by chest radiographs and ultrasound doppler. Pathology: right nasal polyps, the right small papillary thyroid cancer. TEM Tip primary ciliary dyskinesia. Clinical diagnosis: Kartagener syndrome, papillary thyroid carcinoma (T1a N0 M0, I period), chronic sinusitis-nasal polyps.


KOMPIANG, I P., D. ZAENUDDIN and SUPRIYATI. 2002. Effect of Bacillus apiarius or Torulaspora delbrueckii on performance of broiler chicken. JITV 7(3): 139-143. An experiment had been conducted to determine the effect of B. apiarius and T. delbrueckii, isolated from chicken gut, supplementation on the broiler performance. Evaluation was conducted by comparing performance of broiler chicken: (I) negative control/basal diet without antibiotic growth promotor (GPA), (II) positive control/basal diet with GPA, zinc-bacitracin, (III) basal diet + B. apiarius 5 ml/l in drinking water daily, (IV) basal diet + T. delbrueckii 5 ml/l in drinking water daily, (V) basal diet + B. apiarius 5 ml/l in drinking, daily during the first week, and there after given twice weekly, (VI) basal diet + T. delbrueckii 5 ml/l in drinking, daily during the first week, and there after given twice weekly and (VII) reference control, basal diet + commercial probiotic 5 ml/l in drinking, daily during the first week, and there after given twice weekly. Thirty two DOC broilers were used for each treatment, divided into 4 replicates (8 birds/replicate) and raised in wire cages for 5 weeks. Feed and water were given ad lib., body weight, FCR (feed conversion ratio) and mortality were recorded. The results showed that the performance of the birds supplemented daily (III) or twice weekly (V) with B. apiarius are similar to positive control (II) or reference control (VII) and significantly (P<0.05) better than the negative control (I). Performance of the birds supplemented daily with T. delbrueckii (IV) are similar to positive control (II) or reference control (VII) and significantly (P<0.05) better than the negative control (I). However, when given only twice weekly (VI), their bodyweight gain was significantly (P<0.05) lower than treatment II, III, IV and VII, but similar to treatment I. Its FCR value was similar to the other treatments. Mortality was low, an average of 1.3/32 birds, during the trial period and there were no differences between all treatments. It is concluded that both B. apiarius and T. delbrueckii could be utilized as probiotic candidates, replacing the GPA function. However, B. apiarius is better potential as probiotic candidate compare to T. delbrueckii.


A study of the peen forming of thin stainless steel metal foils (50 μm thick) using a solid-state ps-pulsed laser, emitting at a wavelength of 1064 nm was conducted. The pitch distance between consecutive laser pulses was kept constant by tuning the laser repetition rate from 0.4 to 10 kHz, and subsequently the scanning speed. The induced bending angle and the radius of curvature were used to measure the effect of the treatment. Their dependence on the pulse energy, the treated area, the distance between lines, and the laser repetition rate was studied. High repetition rates do not allow the sample to cool down, affecting the bending to the point of being negligible. An FEM simulation and experiments were carried out to prove that the increase in temperature due to high repetition rate can relax the stresses induced by laser peen treatment, thus preventing bending in the sample.


The self-induced exchange of tritium with dihalogenated aliphatic hydrocarbons, 1-chloro-3-iodopropane and 1-chloro-3-bromopropane, has been studied as a function of exposure time and tritium concentration. The iodine, bromine, chlorine, and hydrogen exchange rates were found to be a function of the bond dissociation energies involved. Since the weaker bonded atom is preferentially exchanged, this method can be used for the preparation of tritium-labeled compounds of highest specific activity.


The effect of the preparation conditions was studied by changing the molar concentration (M) for thiourea [CS(NH2)2] (0.6, 1, 1.3, 1.6 mol) On the Performance of (Cu2S/Si) photodetector which Prepared by (CBD) technique. The photovoltaic properties of the detector, which included the study of the characteristics of current-voltage in the case of darkness and using the forward bias and reverse bias at the rated voltages from -5 to +5V, The (Cu2S/Si) heterojunction is an asymmetric; the figure of merit (Ф) of the films was calculated as a function of molar concentration, The linear characteristics of the (Cu2S/Si) heterojunction were studied. The properties of the applied photodetector were studied, by The responsivity (Rλ) of all photodetectors which exhibits two peaks of response, the maximum responsivity was about 2.06A/W at 450nm and 2.13A/W at 850nm obtained for the photodetector prepared at 1.5mol. the Specific Detectivity (D*) showed two peaks in the Spectrum of the Specific Detectivity, Quantum Efficiency (η) was calculated and The minority carriers of the photodetector was measured, and the length of diffusion carriers was calculated.


'Successful medical leaders are usually, but not always, experienced and credible clinicians with good people skills, who look beyond the boundaries of their own specialty or institution, who are positive and perseverant and who are prepared to take reasonable risks to achieve their goals. Most importantly they know how to engage their colleagues and effect change. They understand the principles of organisational performance and the balance between professional autonomy and corporate behaviour - ' Sir Bruce Keogh, in the Foreword This book is a comprehensive account of the key aspects of medical leadership. Easy to read and highly accessible, it explores how the medical profession has evolved in tandem with administrative and structural aspects of the NHS: previously reluctant leaders, doctors are increasingly positive about adopting management and organisational responsibility. Assuming leadership roles at all stages of their training and career is a progressively vital component of the definition of a 'good doctor'. Completely up-to-date, this book features exciting and critical developments such as the embedding of the Medical Leadership Competency Framework as a statutory element of the training and development of all doctors, and the establishment of a new Faculty of Medical Leadership and Management. It is highly recommended, inspiring reading for all medical professionals taking on formal leadership roles. Junior doctors, too, will find much of interest.


OBJECTIVE
We examined whether affect ratings predicted regional cerebral responses to high and low-calorie foods.

METHOD
Thirteen normal-weight adult women viewed photographs of high and low-calorie foods while undergoing functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI). Regression analysis was used to predict regional activation from positive and negative affect scores.

RESULTS
Positive and negative affect had different effects on several important appetite-related regions depending on the calorie content of the food images. When viewing high-calorie foods, positive affect was associated with increased activity in satiety-related regions of the lateral orbitofrontal cortex, but when viewing low-calorie foods, positive affect was associated with increased activity in hunger-related regions including the medial orbitofrontal and insular cortex. The opposite pattern of activity was observed for negative affect.

CONCLUSION
These findings suggest a neurobiologic substrate that may be involved in the commonly reported increase in cravings for calorie-dense foods during heightened negative emotions.


Lovastatin is a natural secondary metabolite produced by Aspergillus terreus. Optimization of different process parameters like pH of medium, incubation period and selection of different carbon sources etc. was investigated for maximum production of lovastatin using Aspergillus terreus NCIM 657. The kinetics of lovastatin production was also investigated up to fourteen days of production under batch mode. It was found that a temperature of 28 ?C for incubation, a medium pH 6.5 and an agitation speed of 180rpm for seven days yielded maximum concentration of lovastatin. It was also observed that glucose as a sole carbon source resulted in diminished production of lovastatin as compared to cases where other carbon sources were supplemented in medium along with glucose. Thin layer chromatography, Fourier Transform Infrared spectroscopy analysis confirmed the presence of lovastatin in the sample produced by A. terreus NCIM 657


In this paper we deal with the problem of information that is dispersed and growing so fast that it is difficult to connect it together into a coherent picture as needed for complex problem solving. We present two examples and some methods that have potential to contribute towards putting pieces of knowledge together. The first consists of finding complementary pieces of knowledge in literature that supports hypothesis generation by a well-defined and computer supported method. The second one is sharing and upgrading knowledge in collaborative settings, which still has many non-technical issues to be solved, although well developed in its technical aspects.


There are many efforts to adapt streaming services to wireless mobile networks. It is hard to assure the QoS of the streaming services in wireless mobile networks because a terminal moves continuously and causes handoff procedures. We focus on delay factors which occur whenever a terminal moves in the wireless mobile environment. It is assumed that a mobile terminal's movement is based on the Gauss-Markov model with the varying velocity affected by its previous velocity. Using this model, we can predict the mobility pattern of a moving terminal and the delay of streaming services caused from handoff procedures during its moving. To compensate the streaming service delay, the paper proposes a dynamic rate control scheme for streaming services based on the next-handoff prediction using the Gauss-Markov model, which is the predictive mobility model based on the varying velocity and the handoff occurrence rates according to the time.


Side-slope deformation monitoring compares monitoring data from the same area over different periods and measures the deformation variables. Because of the gaps and coarseness of side-slope monitoring data, a side-slope monitoring method that integrates terrestrial laser scanning (TLS) and unmanned aerial vehicle (UAV)–based photogrammetry point clouds is proposed, aiming to solve the problem of slope monitoring in complex scenes. First, TLS and UAV-based photogrammetry point clouds are acquired. Then, the two types of point clouds are registered by an iterative closest point algorithm. Next, the data gap areas in the TLS point cloud are detected, and a gap-filling method is used to integrate the UAV-based photogrammetry point cloud with the TLS point cloud. Finally, side-slope deformation is detected based on a multiscale model-to-model cloud comparison algorithm. A side slope in Chenggong, Kunming, China, is taken as an example. The surface deformation of the side slope was monitored during January and June 2021. The experimental results show that the registration errors of the two-phase integration point cloud are 0.039 m and 0.035 m. The root mean square errors of the four ground checkpoints are 0.033 m and 0.038 m. Finally, the side slope is found to have deformed and formed a main deformation area, which shows that this side slope was in an active state.


For this delicious, instructive, and vastly enjoyable anthology, Roger Ebert has selected and introduced an international treasury of more than 100 selections that touch on every aspect of filmmaking and filmgoing. Here are the stars (Truman Capote on Marilyn Monroe, Joan Didion on John Wayne, Tom Wolfe on Cary Grant, Lauren Bacall on herself), the directors (John Houseman on Orson Welles, Kenneth Tynan on Mel Brooks, John Huston on himself), the makers and shakers (producer Julia Phillips, mogul Daryll F. Zanuck, stuntman Joe Bonomo), and the critics and theorists (Pauline Kael, Graham Greene, Andrew Sarris, Susan Sontag). Here as well are the novelists who have indelibly captured the experience of moviegoing in our lives (Walker Percy, James Agee, Larry McMurtry) and the culture of the movie business (F. Scott Fitzgerald, Budd Schulberg, Nathanael West). Here is a book to get lost in and return to time and time againat once a history, an anatomy, and a loving appreciation of the central art form of our time.


Abstract Narratives are a powerful tool for transferring knowledge and culture. They have a profound effect on our psyche and our attitudes to messages and teachings. The transfer of information through traditional teaching and lectures is often less effective in changing a belief or understanding than using narrative. In this discussion paper, I explore this phenomenon and examine the persuasive effect of cultural narratives. The discussion also considers the impacts of cultural narrative as an educative tool on parental attitudes towards childhood immunisation. I explore the changing nature of the way parents with young children communicate and seek information and early childhood educators' roles in their lives within the Australian context. Understanding the way humans are drawn to narrative may be beneficial to health workers, early childhood educators, family workers and those who plan health education programmes. To effectively target their messages, it would be of benefit to public health officials to have knowledge about how parents with young children inform themselves and develop health beliefs, and the extent to which parents' ideas become fixed.


Objective To determine the effect of contextual autocomplete, a user interface that uses machine learning, on the efficiency and quality of documentation of presenting problems (chief complaints) in the emergency department (ED). Materials and Methods We used contextual autocomplete, a user interface that ranks concepts by their predicted probability, to help nurses enter data about a patient's reason for visiting the ED. Predicted probabilities were calculated using a previously derived model based on triage vital signs and a brief free text note. We evaluated the percentage and quality of structured data captured using a prospective before-and-after study design. Results A total of 279,231 patient encounters were analyzed. Structured data capture improved from 26.2% to 97.2% (p<0.0001). During the post-implementation period, presenting problems were more complete (3.35 vs 3.66; p=0.0004), as precise (3.59 vs. 3.74; p=0.1), and higher in overall quality (3.38 vs. 3.72; p=0.0002). Our system reduced the mean number of keystrokes required to document a presenting problem from 11.6 to 0.6 (p<0.0001), a 95% improvement. Discussion We have demonstrated a technique that captures structured data on nearly all patients. We estimate that our system reduces the number of man-hours required annually to type presenting problems at our institution from 92.5 hours to 4.8 hours. Conclusion Implementation of a contextual autocomplete system resulted in improved structured data capture, ontology usage compliance, and data quality.


Background: To compare the anaesthetic techniques for laparoscopic tubal ligation using either general anaesthesia with LMA or a combination of local anaesthetic and intravenous sedation, this study was conducted on 60 ASA-1/2 patients in the age group of 20-40 years. Patients & Methods: 60 ASA grade I & II female patients undergoing laparoscopic tubal ligation on a day care basis were randomly divided in two groups- group I (GA using LMA, n=30), group II (Local anaesthesia, n=30). Both groups received similar premedication. General anaesthesia in group I was induced with propofol 2-3 mg kg-1 and following LMA insertion, the anaesthesia was maintained with 0.5-1.5% halothane. In group II the incision site was infiltrated with 10 ml of 1.5% lidocaine with adrenaline and patients were sedated with intravenous midazolam 0.07mg kg-1 and ketamine 0.5 mg kg-1. A rescue dose of 0.15 mg kg-1 of ketamine was given in group II if the patient complained of pain or discomfort during the procedure. Diclofenac sodium 1 mg kg-1 was used for postoperative analgesia in both the groups. All patients were observed in the PACU until they met the discharge criteria. Results: The demographic profile was similar in both the groups. The induction to skin incision time was significantly more in group I (5.13 ±0.93 min vs 3.01 ±1.86 min in group II). The decrease in pulse rate and blood pressure (systolic and diastolic) was also significant in group I. The incidence of intraoperative bradycardia was 16.7% and 10% in group I & group II respectively. The changes in SpO2 during the procedure, recovery time and time to meet discharge criteria were comparable in both the groups. The incidence of PONV was 20% & 3.3% in group I and 10% & 6.6% in group II respectively. All patients in both the groups required postoperative analgesics. Conclusions: Both the techniques were found to be comparable for laparoscopic sterilization, however a longer induction to skin incision time and higher incidence of PONV and shivering in GA group makes LA with sedation a better choice.


Tourism is an example of the economy branches which are displaying the most dynamic growth. As an interdisciplinary field, it enables both sectors connected with developing the tourism product, that is accommodation and catering, and entities which offer goods and services to make profits. Pursuant to the "Birds Directive", the Liwiec River Valley has become part of Natura 2000 with the code PLB 140002. The area encompasses the Liwiec River valley, from its source to the estuary into the Bug River, including meadows and flood pastures formed from drained bog. Natural and cultural value of the Liwiec River Valley render it suitable for the development of various tourism forms. Until recently, summer tourism was the dominant form but now agritourism has gained popularity, too. The competitiveness of communes located around the Liwiec River was conditioned by both the attractiveness of the natural environment and the quality of accommodation facilities. A precise assessment of tourist competitiveness is quite complicated and to a large degree depends on the set of selected variables which reflect the tourist attractiveness of the communes examined.


A simple and sensitive method using pre-column high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) was developed for the simultaneous detection of seven sugars, which was also applied for the preliminary identification of dried shark fins. δ13C values of the dried shark fin samples also were determined by element analyser-isotope ratio mass spectrometry (EA-IRMS). The dried shark fins were decomposed by enzymolysis using a papaya protease and an amylase enzyme; then, samples were analysed by HPLC after the derivatization of the enzymatic hydrolysate, using 1-phenyl-3-methyl-5-pyrazolone (PMP) as the derivatizing agent. The results indicated that the seven sugars were well separated by this method. Of the conditions tested, application of a derivatization time of 75 minutes and of a phosphate buffer–acetonitrile (80:20, v/v) mobile phase system (pH = 6.8) yielded the best detection results and separation effects of the seven standard substances. Note that the areas under the peaks of two kinds of uronic acid derivative products decreased significantly (P < 0.01) with time, so it is necessary to perform the HPLC analysis within 24 h after the derivatization reaction. The developed method is suitable for the identification and analysis of artificial dried shark fins with good accuracy, reproducibility and sensitivity. In addition, δ13C values were highly significant (P < 0.01) for real and fake dried shark fins. Thus, the combination of these methods could potentially be useful for identification of dried shark fins regardless of whether they are fake or artificial.


In this paper we present a scalable software architecture for on-line multi-camera video processing, that guarantees a good trade off between computational power, scalability and flexibility. The software system is modular and its main blocks are the Processing Units (PUs), and the Central Unit. The Central Unit works as a supervisor of the running PUs and each PU manages the acquisition phase and the processing phase. Furthermore, an approach to easily parallelize the desired processing application has been presented. In this paper, as case study, we apply the proposed software architecture to a multi-camera system in order to efficiently manage multiple 2D object detection modules in a real-time scenario. System performance has been evaluated under different load conditions such as number of cameras and image sizes. The results show that the software architecture scales well with the number of camera and can easily works with different image formats respecting the real time constraints. Moreover, the parallelization approach can be used in order to speed up the processing tasks with a low level of overhead.


Application of data mining for web log analysis has received significant attention in finding customers' behavioral pattern in e-commerce and learners' behavioral pattern in e- learning. While hit-counts indicate customers' interest in the product or purchasing behavior, a student's visits to a Learning Management System (LMS) do not necessarily involve transfer of learning. Addressing such complexity in e-learning, this study analyzed students' log of a Learning Management System (LMS) of two subjects at a university in Bangladesh, taught over six weeks duration. Data mining and statistical tools have been used to find relationships between students' LMS access behavior and overall performances. Results show that students having 'Low' access obtained poor grade, on campus access was higher than access from home. Background of students is very important for effective usage of web resources. Majority of the student considered LMS to be a quite helpful tool as teaching-learning method. Preparation and cleaning of the web-log files as well as application of data mining algorithms is important for learners' web usage analysis.


Our experience with the bone banking methodology that we have used over the last years is reported. The technical and investigational aspects of the procurement, storage and treatment of the donor bone and related tissues are presented. For different purposes, we have prepared sterile and nonsterile procured implants. Appropriate donor selection and sterility controls remain the two major concerns of bone banking activities.


ABSTRACT Background: Successful TAVR is partly determined by deploying the valve in the perpendicular angle of deployment (PAOD), which is in a 90-degree plane to the aortic annulus. Preprocedurally, the PAOD is predicted with multi-detector-computed tomography (MDCT). Intra-procedurally, one or more pigtail catheters are placed in the aortic annulus and an aortogram is used to corroborate the predicted PAOD. However, this often shows a non-PAOD necessitating fluoroscopic adjustments. We compared outcomes in patients undergoing TAVR with a one-pigtail (OP) or multi-pigtail (MP) technique. Methods: 283 TAVR patients were retrospectively analyzed from 2015 to 2017. 42% (n = 118) of the patients underwent an OP technique and 58% (n = 165) used an MP technique. We reviewed demographics, procedural characteristics, and major adverse cardiovascular events (MACE). Results: Patients in the MP group had decreased fluoroscopy time, contrast dose, and time to valve deployment (17.8 ± 8.7 vs 23.5 ± 13.6 20 min, p = 0.0000; 74.8 ± 39.8 vs 117.3 ± 59 cc, p = 0.0000; and 22.6 ± 9.4 vs 27.1 ± 13.1 min, p = 0.0011, respectively). There was no difference in MACE. Using multivariate linear regression with adjustment for differing baseline characteristics, MP use was independently associated with reduced contrast volume (ß –34; 95% CI –50 to –18; p = 0.001) and fluoroscopy time (ß –4.4; 95% CI –8.0 to –0.6; p = 0.022). Conclusions: In this single center retrospective study, use of an MP technique was associated with significantly decreased time to deployment, fluoroscopy time, and contrast dose in patients undergoing TAVR.


We have developed a database system called Tsunami Scenario Bank in which the water pressure fluctuation data at the offshore observation points (S-net) and the coastal tsunami height data and land inundation depth data in Kujukuri and Sotobo area are registered by carrying out numerical simulations of tsunami propagation and run-up for numerous source models that can cause tsunami damage in the coastal areas. We are also developing a system to forecast tsunami inundation from water pressure data observed offshore by selecting similar tsunami scenarios from Tsunami Scenario Bank (Multi-index method, Yamamoto et al., 2016). As in this system, the method selecting the scenario can predict the inundation distribution over a wide area at same time, on the other hand, it is difficult to verify the validity of the prediction in comparison with observation data at each land points or to understand the relation between selection of the tsunami scenarios and prediction inundation depth, in comparison with the method of predicting per point directly from observation data (Baba et al., 2004 etc.). In this research, we group meshes by using inundation depth data of Tsunami Scenario Bank to aim to understand nature of tsunami inundation distribution and form the basis for validation method to predicted inundation depth. For clustering, we adopted a combination of data handling for inundation depth and Principal Component Analysis (PCA) and K-Means method. First, in order to prevent unbalance of input data caused by a great difference in inundation depth depending on the source scale of the tsunami scenario, calculation to take logarithm to inundation depth of each mesh was applied, and the data of each mesh was reduced to the lower-dimensional subspace by Principal Component Analysis. Next, the K-Means method is applied and meshes at short distance in the subspace are grouped in a cluster. In other words, we classified meshes that have near inundation depth in the same scenario to be included in the same cluster. We show a result that about 1.85 million meshes in northern part of Kujukuri plain were grouped to 100 clusters by using the inundation depth data of 1,067 tsunami scenarios which set along the Japan Trench (Fig.1). The result of the clustering is based on the spatially continuous elevation, the distance from the river or the coastline, the positional relationship with the coastal protection facility. It is inferred that the tsunami inundation distribution takes these mesh clusters as spatial units. In addition, we investigated a method to predict inundation depth distribution in inland from inundation depth of clusters near coast where we can obtain tsunami run-up observations early, by using clusters relational analysis. For example, we show the result of estimation of the inundation depth in the inland clusters from the inundation depth of the coastal clusters, using the numerical simulation result of 2011 Earthquake off the Pacific Coast of Tohoku as imitation observation data (Fig.2). We found that this method can be expected as estimation of inundation depth distribution by simulation.


Contemporary political science has generated extensive literatures on the themes of war, civil war, contentious politics, and social movements. But these literatures are often segregated in particular subfields, like International Relations and Comparative Politics, and typically speak past each other rather than to each other. Sidney Tarrow's War, States, & Contention: A Comparative Historical Study (Cornell 2015) offers a single, synthetic perspective on these topics. As Tarrow states, "I hope to show that the advent of war is sometimes driven by social movements; that movements often affect the conduct of war and sometimes change its directions; and that wars often trigger the rise and expansion of movements in their wake." Few topics are more important than the ones considered in this book, and so we have invited a range of political scientists, from a variety of subfield and methodological approaches, to comment on the book.


In this article I throw off my designated subject position as the "narrator" and step into the critical historian's role of interpreter to interrogate my experience of being interviewed for a large-scale lesbian and gay oral history project. From this position I came to recognize that, despite having volunteered for the project, I was wary of the "gay-life framework" I felt had been imposed on the story of my life. In addressing the narrator's experience of the interview and the narrator's apparent exclusion from the afterlife of the interview, I claim both a critical space for the narrator but also offer an evolving reflection on the ambivalent power of the institution and, unexpectedly, on the continuing power of heterocentric and silencing discourses.


The thesis of this paper is that Information, Cognition
and a Principle of Existence are intrinsically structured in the quantum model of
reality. We reach such evidence by using the Clifford algebra. We analyze quantization
in some traditional cases of quantum mechanics and, in particular in quantum harmonic
oscillator, orbital angular momentum and hydrogen atom. The results are confirmed
analyzing human cognition behavior that evidences a very consistent agreement with
the basic quantum mechanical foundations.


This volume traces Swedish literature from its beginnings in the Middle Ages to its honored place in world literature in the nineteenth and twentieth centuries. A comprehensive reference work, "A History of Swedish Literature" provides much more than names and dates. Sweden's relative isolation in a remote corner of Europe put special stress on its language and literature to define national identity. In this volume nine scholars from Europe and America identify what is particular about Swedish literary culture as well as what makes it an integral part of European literature. The volume views Swedish literature in its historical and social context and reflects on the concerns of each age. Although women authors are treated throughout the book, a chapter on women's literature provides a salutary view of the gender issue in Swedish literature and the development of a feminist awareness. An additional chapter discusses children's literature, a major Swedish cultural export. Lars G Warme is Associate Professor Emeritus at the University of Washington. He is the author of "Per Olof Sundman: Writer of the North".


the Network Platform of Guangdong Biologic Species Resources Data Management is a B/S application for the biological species resources (BSR) data standardization and management. The main functions focus on the BSR data management and analysis. The platform has been adopted by 22 professional institutes in the field of BSR data storage and research. Forty-two BSR database management system have been developed and deployed. The BSR data can now be managed with the unified and canonical method, and be easily shared in the community.


This study examines the identification of economic indicators (direct and indirect costs) of occupational accidents. The purpose of this study is to propose a structural equation model for the systematic management of incident costs. The research is applied-developmental design. The statistical population of the study was 10,000 experts in the oil, gas and petrochemical industries, 370 of whom were randomly selected using Morgan table. Thus, the researcher distributed 450 questionnaires, of which 384 questionnaires were analyzed. The research tools included the researcher-made questionnaires. In the first stage, this questionnaire was evaluated using fuzzy Delphi method and from 51 initial indicators, we reached 46 final indicators. Data analysis was performed using SPSS and SmartPLS software. The  results showed that emergency action  factors (dealing with incident / initial costs of accidents, costs of investigation and examination of accidents, costs related to damages and compensation, costs of work and incident (alternative costs of individuals), products production costs / service production, cost of marketing activities , retaining reputation and work credit, and finally the factor of restarting work activities are the ability to measure economic variables (direct and indirect costs) of occupational accidents. The fit indices of the model showed that the study model had acceptable fit.