: A correlation of clinical specific features of the postoperative period and dynamics of immunological indices in patients operated upon for chronic nonspecific diseases of lungs and pleura was established. Pyo-inflammatory complications were three times more often in decreased amount of T-lymphocytes after operation. HBO-therapy has an immunostimulating effect in the form of increased total and active T rosette-forming lymphocytes, causes more rapid elimination of purulent intoxication, purification of the pleural cavity from the purulent discharge and makes the period of treatment at the hospital shorter.


Markets are the place where buyers and sellers meet. The characteristics of such a place are almost universal, measurable, money is the medium, and the rules are mainly simple and flexible. Customers, partners and suppliers, competitors, and employees are the elements of the market environment. On the other hand, the non-market elements are everything that affects the market indirectly. Non-market strategy recognises that businesses are social and political beings, not just economic agents. A non-market strategy allows a company to shape the environment in which it operates, creating opportunities. Islamic Corporate Social Responsibility (ICSR) derives itself from core principles in the holy Qur'an . The three major foundational principles for ICSR are the vicegerency of mankind on earth, divine accountability and the duty on mankind to enjoin good and forbid evil. ICSR concept appears to be in close conformity with the Ten Principles of the UN Global Compact, but in many respects go further than the minimum standards adopted by this framework. MNCs should not underestimate the Middle Eastern region historical events of the Arab League boycott, the Danish cartoons and the 'Arab Spring' revolution. Admitting these, the ICSR concept will offers great opportunities for MNCs to invest and operate in the Middle East.


Since its conception and development in the late 1940's by Fritz Zwicky at the California Institute of Technology (Caltech), the "morphological approach" – or General Morphological Analysis (GMA) – has been applied to many diverse areas of study, from engineering design and technological forecasting to policy analysis, organisational development and creative writing. This article outlines the numerous applications of GMA developed since the 1950's and gives examples from some 80 published articles. Early examples of Zwicky's work are also described and an overview of modern, computer-aided GMA is presented.


A cylindrical microsrip antenna (CMA) is a good platform to get an omnidirectional radiation pattern. In literature some designs on such a platform have been presented, but mainly for the vertical polarization, when the electrical field vector lies in the plane of the cylinder axis. This paper presents two designs of CMA with horizontally-polarized radiation. The first one involves one probe-fed active and two passive cylindrical strips. The resonances are carefully studied and the working frequency, revealing a shift towards higher frequencies. The second design is based on two pairs of strongly coupled E-shaped patches. This type of CMA has not been studied yet. To get an extended bandwidth a textile substrate with low permittivity has been used. In both cases an omnidirectional pattern in the horizontal plane has been obtained. In the second design a 12.5 % bandwidth has been reached.


The goal of this study was to assess whether a short, media literacy intervention could effectively support thirdand fourth-graders' abilities to interpret and produce persuasive arguments. The intervention was delivered to students (N = 50) and focused on the knowledge and skills associated with advertising literacy. Students participated in tasks that measured changes in their advertising knowledges, their abilities to evaluate argumentative messages, and their abilities to develop a written persuasive argument. Results indicate that the instructional intervention boosted students' advertising knowledge and their abilities to evaluate and produce effective arguments. This study provides important insights into the impact of media literacy lessons on children's understanding and application of persuasion knowledge in everyday contexts.


INTRODUCTION
One of the leading causes of death in Poland is stroke. Cardiogenic stroke is known to be one of the most important reasons for acute ischaemic stroke (AIS), comprising 25-30% of all AISs.

AIM OF STUDY
Assessment of the prevalence of different risk factors of cardiogenic causes of AIS using transthoracic echocardiography (TTE).

MATERIAL AND METHODS
Transthoracic echocardiograms performed in patients with AIS admitted to a single neurological ward between October 2013 and September 2017 were analysed. Patients were assigned, based on the results of their TTE and their previous medical history of atrial fibrillation (AF), to one of three groups depending on the level of the risk of occurrence of cardiogenic causes of AIS.

ETHICAL PERMISSION
According to Dz.U.2001, no. 126, 1381 no ethical permission was needed.

RESULTS
663 patients with AIS were included in the study. Patients with high risk of cardiogenic cause of AIS: 26.7% (N = 177 patients [p]). Of these, 64.4% (114 p) were diagnosed with AF. 31.6% (56 p) with sinus rhythm during hospitalisation had a history of paroxysmal AF (PAF). In 11.9% (21 p) of the patients qualified to the high risk group, factors other than AF were found. Patients with moderate risk of cardiogenic cause of AIS: 10.1% (67 p). Patients with low risk of cardiogenic cause of AIS: 25.9% (172 p). Echocardiographic results led to a change in therapy in 1.21% of cases.

CONCLUSIONS
1. Transthoracic echocardiography performed routinely in all AIS patients affects the treatment in a very low percentage of cases. 2. The group that could benefit the most from TTE examination includes people without established indications for chronic anticoagulant therapy, in particular patients after myocardial infarction and people with additional clinical symptoms. 3. In patients with AIS, the diagnostic sensitivity of TTE in the detection of PFO is low. Young people with a cryptogenic ischaemic stroke should undergo a transoesophageal assessment.


Pressure ulcer prevention has long been a priority for health professionals; however, poor pressure-ulcer-related practices like poor documentation continue to be identified. Research has shown that the attitude and behaviour of some nurses towards pressure ulcer prevention are not conducive to the best possible patient outcomes.This article reviews the findings of a Straussian grounded theory study, which sought to ascertain the value that is placed on pressure ulcer prevention by nurses, but also revealed the role that other health professionals in the multidisciplinary team play in the maintenance of skin integrity. The findings of this study which are presented in this paper highlight a number of important issues. Firstly, nurses are expected to know how to prevent and manage pressure ulcers, but in reality they are very reliant on the advice and support of other health professionals to maintain their patients' skin integrity. In addition,the level of support that nurses get from other health professionals in the multidisciplinary varies tremendously. Therefore, nurses in clinical practice need to be proactive in seeking input from other health professionals, as there are many members of the multidisciplinary team who are able to give them the advice and support that they need in prevention and management.


A method for fast and economic acquisition of analytic subscriber traffic data in conventional electromechanical telephone exchanges is described. The method is based on a specially designed microprocessor-controlled scanning device and on algorithms constructed according to the statistics of the registered call phases. The method has been successfully implemented in the local telephone network of Patras, Greece.


Few studies have been reported about kinematic comparison between bicruciate stabilized and cruciate retaining total knee arthroplasty with the same anatomical surface geometry. The aim of this study was to demonstrate the in vivo kinematics and postoperative patient‐reported outcomes of these two surgeries with the same anatomical surface geometry. We analyzed 17 bicruciate stabilized and 18 cruciate retaining total knee arthroplasties using single‐plane fluoroscopic surveillance with two‐ to three‐dimensional registration techniques during squatting from minimum to maximum flexion. Flexion angle, femoral external rotation, anteroposterior position of the medial and lateral sides, and postoperative 2011 Knee Society Scores were analyzed. Maximum flexion angles were larger for bicruciate stabilized than for cruciate retaining total knee arthroplasties. There was no significant difference in femoral external rotation between the two types. The medial and lateral femoral condyles in bicruciate stabilized type translated more posteriorly during deeper flexion and at maximum flexion angle, respectively, than those in cruciate retaining total knee arthroplasty. Both groups revealed medial pivots in early flexion, but during deep flexion, bicruciate stabilized total knee arthroplasty revealed bicondylar roll‐back and cruciate retaining total knee arthroplasty revealed paradoxical anterior motion. Both groups exhibited similar results in postoperative 2011 Knee Society Scores. Bicruciate stabilized and cruciate retaining total knee arthroplasties with the same anatomical articular surfaces demonstrated different kinematics patterns during squatting. However, there were no significant differences in postoperative 2011 Knee Society Scores between the two types of surgery.


SUMMARY We introduce the observe-mine-adopt (OMA) paradigm that assists organizations in making improvements to their software development processes without committing to and undertaking large-scale sweeping organizational process improvement. Specifically, the approach has been applied to improve software practices focused on maintainability. This novel approach is based on the theory that software teams naturally make observations about things that do or do not work well. Teams then mine their artifacts and their recollections of events to find the software products, processes, metrics, etc. that led to the observation. In the case of software maintainability, it is then necessary to perform some measurement to ensure that the methods result in improved maintainability. We introduce two maintainability measures, maintainability product and perceived maintainability, to address this need. Other maintainability measures that may be used in the mine step are also examined. Finally, if the mining activities lead to validated discoveries of processes, techniques or practices that improve the software product, they are formalized and adopted by the team. OMA has been studied experimentally using two project studies and a Web-based health care system which is maintained by a large industrial software organization.


AGU's second Richard Montgomery Field Fellow has begun his 10-month tenure at AGU headquarters in Washington, D.C. William M. Sackett is a graduate research professor in marine science at the University of South Florida (St. Petersburg, Fla.).

After just a few days at AGU, Sackett told Eos that he is now involved with helping to launch AGU's newest journal, Global Biogeochemical Cycles, and to organize sessions for the 1987 AGU Spring Meeting. Although it was too soon to say on which projects he will ultimately concentrate, Sackett said that he "would like to make some solid contributions to advancing AGU's goals." He added that he is very much looking forward to getting to know the city of Washington during the coming year.


Introduction The rat is extremely resistant to tarring. The following resume of the literature is taken chiefly from Watson9s account (1). All early attempts to produce epithelial carcinoma by simple tarring failed. Herly (2), using a tar diluted 50 per cent with glycerol, and containing 1 per cent of arsenious acid, tarred rats for 226 days, then suspended tarring for five months, and at the end of that period resumed tarring of the 16 survivors on the 381st day, continuing it until the 444th day. On the 511th day one rat had a cutaneous horn, which was proved to be a carcinoma. Watson (1) found that preliminary treatment of depilated areas with ether extract of rat tissue favoured carcinogenic response. He believes that the lipoid merely facilitates absorption of the tar (1), and the same effect may be attributed to the glycerol in Herly9s experiments. Dentici (3) found a papilloma in one of 30 rats after 176 days9 treatment. Cholewa (4) repeatedly cauterized the depilated area for seven months, then tarred for five months, and got a wart in one animal, which he believed to be a squamous-cell epithelioma. Some success has been obtained with other carcinogenic agents. Guilera, Roca and Corachan (5), using a commercial preparation of mineral tar, for which no details are given, painted 40 rats three times a week and obtained one carcinoma at the end of three months. Watson (6), using pinene tar, a pure turpentine tar which had been shown by tests on mice to be more carcinogenic than gas-works tar, was able to produce tumors in rats after preliminary treatment with ether extracts. Without such preliminary treatment his results were as follows. After seven months9 tarring with pinene tar only, followed by three months9 rest, he obtained on the 296th day a papilloma in one rat, which died about the 400th day without development of malignancy, and on the 345th day a squamous-cell carcinoma in another animal, which was still alive on the 600th day from commencement of tarring. He remarks: "The malignant tumour produced without the use of the lipoid extract is apparently the first recorded case in the literature of a skin tumour in the rat produced by means of tar alone."


In this paper, we proposed a novel RESURFed double channels LIGBT which can achieve high breakdown voltage. The proposed structure, incorporating trench gate and planar gate, can significantly improve the capacity for handling high current and conductance modulation. P-top layer and deep n-drift/p-sub junction have been adopted, which results in a 745 V breakdown voltage with the drift length of 44 mu m only. Reduction in drift length can not only reduce on-resistance but also raise current density. Simulation results demonstrate that the forward voltage drop can lower by 12% relative to the conventional one while breakdown voltage can increase by 18%.


Spectator field models such as the curvaton scenario and the modulated reheating are attractive scenarios for the generation of the cosmic curvature perturbation, as the constraints on inflation models are relaxed. In this paper, we discuss the effect of Hubble induced masses on the dynamics of spectator fields after inflation. We pay particular attention to the Hubble induced mass by the kinetic energy of an oscillating inflaton, which is generically unsuppressed but often overlooked. In the curvaton scenario, the Hubble induced mass relaxes the constraint on the property of the inflaton and the curvaton, such as the reheating temperature and the inflation scale. We comment on the implication of our discussion for baryogenesis in the curvaton scenario. In the modulated reheating, the predictions of models e.g. the non-gaussianity can be considerably altered. Furthermore, we propose a new model of the modulated reheating utilizing the Hubble induced mass which realizes a wide range of the local non-gaussianity parameter.


A new beam diagnostic to measure transverse profiles of electron beams is described. This profile monitor uses a Yttrium:Aluminum:Garnet (YAG) crystal doped with a visible-light scintillator to produce an image of the transverse beam distribution. The advantage of this material over traditional fluorescent screens is that it is formed from a single crystal, and therefore has improved spatial resolution. The current system is limited to a resolution of about 10 microns. Improvements in the optical transport will enable measurements of RMS beam sizes of less than 1 micron. The total cost of the system is modest.


A detailed summary of the most relevant aspects of the thermodynamics of a shallow solar still is presented, including historical features not often found in the literature. Solar distillation has grown from applying empirical knowledge to advanced modeling and simulation. Geometrical, environmental and operational parameters of the solar still to heat transfer phenomena including evaporation and condensation, are taken into account in this overview, giving a comprehensive structure and classification to the study of solar stills from the thermodynamic point of view. The article describes global parameters, such as solar radiation, wind speed and thermal insulation among others and how they have been taken into account in the literature. Also, a distinction between internal and external heat transfer phenomena is proposed for clarification. Exergy balance is included to account for thermodynamic imperfections in the several processes inside the solar still.


Bayesian methods for cluster randomized trials extend the random-effects formulation by allowing both the use of external evidence on parameters and straightforward relaxation of the standard normality and constant variance assumptions. Care is required in specifying prior distributions on variance components, and a number of different options are explored with implied prior distributions for other parameters given in closed form. Markov chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods permit the fitting of very general models and the introduction of parameter uncertainty into power calculations. We illustrate these ideas using a published example in which general practices were randomized to intervention or control, and show that different choices of supposedly 'non-informative' prior distributions can have substantial influence on conclusions. We also illustrate the use of forward simulation methods in power calculations with uncertainty on multiple inputs. Bayesian methods have the potential to be very useful but guidance is required as to appropriate strategies for robust analysis. Our current experience leads us to recommend a standard 'non-informative' prior distribution for the within-cluster sampling variance, and an independent prior on the intraclass correlation coefficient (ICC). The latter may exploit background evidence or, as a reference analysis, be a uniform ICC or a 'uniform shrinkage' prior.


According to the traditional view of Empedocles' cosmic cycle, there are two creations of plants and animals, one under the dominion of increasing Strife and one under the dominion of increasing Love. At the point at which Strife holds complete sway the four elements are completely separated and all life is destroyed; at the point at which Love is completely dominant there is also a destruction of the biological world, this time because the elements are blended into a perfectly homogeneous mixture. This interpretation of the cosmic cycle, which has prevailed almost since it was developed by Friedrich Panzerbieter (1844) and seconded by authority of Eduard Zeller (1856) was challenged by Paul Tannery (1887) and then by H. von Arnim (1902). Long after these essentially programmatic critiques, three independent studies published in 1965 by Jean Bollack, Uvo Hölscher and Friedrich Solmsen mounted a vigorous challenge to the received view. However, in a detailed monograph devoted to Empedocles' cosmic cycle, Denis O'Brien (1969) brought to bear an impressive array of scholarly evidence and critical acumen in support of the traditional view (or rather a modified version of it). Several challenges to the traditional view have appeared since O'Brien's book, of which the most significant is that of A. A. Long, who, while criticizing attempts of some opponents of the traditional view, produced some novel and interesting arguments against it. Although the traditional view continues to enjoy the support of authorities such as Jonathan Barnes and M. R. Wright, there is a decided shift in favour of revisionary views. Nevertheless recent advocates of a revisionary interpretation do not provide detailed refutations of the traditional view; Long's arguments remain the strongest objections to the traditional view, and they have never been refuted. Will they stand up to scrutiny?


The economy of contemporary society is developing rapidly and the society is making continuous progress. The population is aging and diet structure is also adjusted. Acute cerebral infarction(ACI) in the elderly has become a common disease that seriously threatens the health of the elderly. Therefore, research on nursing of senile ACI is of great significance. Nursing is essential in the thrombolytic therapy of cerebral infarction. This article aims to study the process design of intravenous thrombolytic nursing for elderly patients with ACI and the conclusions are as follows: the nursing process has a good nursing effect. This increased the Barthel index of elderly patients with ACI after intravenous thrombolysis care by 15.8 compared with that before care. Compared with the traditional nursing mode, the nursing course and cost are significantly reduced.


The paper presents the results of an experimental investigation aimed at estimating the water saving obtained by reusing washbasin grey waters for toilet flushing in domestic bathrooms. Six Italian households characterised by different number of users largely heterogeneous in age, gender, occupation and customs were selected for the experimental campaign. Washbasin and toilet uses for each selected household were monitored recording chronological series of time instants of washbasin tap opening/closure and of toilet flushing operations. On the basis of water balances on a short time scale, acquired data enabled the evaluation of water saving and unused grey water deriving by the adoption of a simple grey water reuse scheme. Specific dimensionless variables were adopted to present the results and to enable their use within the ranges of practical applications.


Purpose
This study proposed and tested three comprehensive models of the usage intention of proximity mobile payment services after a government regulation, by integrating the theory of planned behaviour (TPB) and the norm-activation model (NAM). The purpose of this paper is to investigate the effects of moral norms, merchant pro-activeness and perceived government regulation (demonetisation) on users' continuance intention of proximity mobile payment services.

Design/methodology/approach
In total, 387 users of proximity mobile payment services in India were surveyed using a structured questionnaire. This study was carried out with shoppers in the Mumbai Metropolitan Region and New Delhi because of the diverse and large population of these cities.

Findings
The results of this study indicated that: integrating the variables of NAM into the original TPB model enhanced the prediction effect; perceived demonetisation regulation exerted a direct determinant effect as well as moderate effect on continuance usage intention of mobile payment services; also, extended TPB model with perceived demonetisation regulation as moderator could satisfactorily predict the continuance usage intention.

Research limitations/implications
The results provided insightful evidence for the government and policymakers to outline more effective mandatory regulation policies.

Originality/value
This investigation attempts to enhance the theoretical understanding of the antecedents of in-store proximity mobile payment services after government regulation (demonetisation) in India.


Abstract Purpose: The level of specific class E immunoglobulins (IgE) in tear fluid is a useful diagnostic indicator for allergic conjunctivitis, but it is still unclear whether the measurement of tear fluid IgE is helpful for assessing the severity of allergic conjunctivitis. In this study, we evaluated the relation between tear fluid levels of specific IgE and features of allergic conjunctivitis. Methods: A prospective, nonrandomized, cross-sectional study was conducted in patients with allergic conjunctivitis (n = 55, allergic group) and age- and sex-matched healthy control subjects (n = 50, control group). Levels of specific IgE for cedar pollen, cat epithelium/dander and Dermatophagoides pteronyssinus were measured in tear fluid with the Immfast Check J1®. A severity score (0, 1, 2 or 3) was assigned for various changes of the palpebral and bulbar conjunctiva, as well as for limbal and corneal lesions. Results: The levels of specific IgE for both cedar pollen, and D. pteronyssinus were significantly higher in the allergic group compared with the control group (p < 0.0001), while the level of specific IgE for cat epithelium/dander showed no significant difference between the two groups (p = 0.0777). When IgE levels were divided into four classes, the classes for both D. Pteronyssinus and cat epithelium/dander IgE were correlated with four features of allergic conjunctivitis. On the other hand, no correlation was found between the class of cedar pollen IgE and any of the features of allergic conjunctivitis. Conclusions: This study demonstrated that measurement of specific IgE in tear fluid may be useful for determining the severity of allergic conjunctivitis induced by indoor allergens. Although measurement of IgE in tear fluid is only a supplemental tool for evaluating the clinical activity of allergic conjunctivitis, the test can be useful for detecting specific IgE antibodies responsible for this condition.


Mn₂O₃ has been demonstrated to be a promising electrode material for lithium-ion batteries. Thus, the fabrication of Mn₂O₃ nanomaterials with high specific capacity and cycling stability is greatly desired. Here we report a simple but effective method to synthesis Mn₂O₃ nanomaterials from a Mn(OH)₂ precursor, which was prepared from manganese acetate in ethylene glycol and water at 180 °C for 12 h. The morphology and sheet thickness of Mn(OH)₂ precursor could be tuned by controlling the ethylene glycol/H₂O volume ratio, resulting in a further tunable morphology and sheet thickness of the porous Mn₂O₃ nanomaterials. In the electrochemical tests the prepared Mn₂O₃ nanomaterials, with the porous architecture and thin thickness exhibited a high and stable reversible capacity, indicating that both small thickness and porous sheets structure are crucial for improving the electrochemical performance of Mn₂O₃ in terms of specific capacity and stability.


This letter presents a learning-based approach to consider the effect of unobservable world states in kinodynamic motion planning in order to enable accurate high-speed off-road navigation on unstructured terrain. Existing kinodynamic motion planners either operate in structured and homogeneous environments and thus do not need to explicitly account for terrain-vehicle interaction, or assume a set of discrete terrain classes. However, when operating on unstructured terrain, especially at high speeds, even small variations in the environment will be magnified and cause inaccurate plan execution. In this letter, to capture the complex kinodynamic model and mathematically unknown world state, we learn a kinodynamic planner in a data-driven manner with onboard inertial observations. Our approach is tested on a physical robot in different indoor and outdoor environments, enables fast and accurate off-road navigation, and outperforms environment-independent alternatives, demonstrating 52.4% to 86.9% improvement in terms of plan execution success rate while traveling at high speeds.


For seven years, the rate of premature births has remained at about one per centin the practice of this gynaecologist and psychotherapist. Only two out of seven hundred births occurred before completion of 36 weeks of pregnancy. Assuming an essential influence of psychosomatic factors, the risk of premature birth seems to be enhanced by down-ward pressures on the foetus. Given the understanding and co-operation of pregnant mothers, supportive interventions aimed at resolving conflicts may result in conflict resolution and bring about a reduction of tension. Consequently there may be a marked improvement in gynaecologic findings and genereal health among pregnant mothers. Complementary medical intervention includes phytotherapeutic and homoeopathic medication, use of Arabin cerclage pessaries and surprisingly rare hospitalisation.


For system frequency control, the current work proposes a multi-area power system integrating various renewable sources. An effective controller with intrinsic superior capabilities of restricting peak deviation, steady state errors, and oscillatory behavior of a dynamic system is an apparent alternative for autonomous generation control of interconnected power systems. The most difficult part of using a controller is figuring out how to get the most out of it. Because of its space complexity, the trial and error method of determining the benefit by indirect optimization with an acceptable performance index appears to be insufficient. As a result, it appears that using an effective algorithm technique to find the maximum gains for the controllers is the best option. The gains of the controllers are addressed in this work and thus are optimized using a meta-heuristic technique in this study.


Introduction How to Prepare for Licensure Examinations Reviewing for the CCT CCT Test-Taking Strategy Resources for Study Conclusion Examination Requirements for Various Jurisdictions Veterinary Licensing Boards in the United States and Canada How to Use This CCT Review Book Problems 1 - 43 Appendix


Thyroid hormones are essential growth and development regulators in both foetal and neonatal period. They are involved in metabolic processes, in maturation of nerve and skeletal tissue and many other fluid tissues. Abnormalities in their function during foetal development may have an impact on disorders in pregnancy, or increase susceptibility to the occurrence of neurodevelopmental disabilities in children later in life. There are many observational and epidemiological studies investigating the relationship between maternal thyroid dysfunction and a child development, yet a discussion on the subject is ongoing and robust evidence for its existence is still lacking.


Three organometallics and three inorganic food supplements were selected, and their binding to specific peptide sequences of the coronavirus S-protein: ACE2 interface-drug binding adduct were computed. The chosen molecules located themselves to achieve geometries of minimum energy resulting in limiting viral recognition of the host cells or disturbing the host-virus interactions. Electrophilicity and nucleophilicity indices, based on the HOMO – LUMO frontier orbitals, were successfully used to explain the simulation results. Zinc and copper-supplements act as electron donors (nucleophiles) towards the ACE2 (electrophile), whereas the S protein remains inert. Molecular iodine acts as a strong electron sink in all of its unstable adducts with the ACE2, or the S protein, and in its adduct with both. Iodine is a stand-in as an electron shield to the ACE2. Currently, exploiting iodine has not been attempted, and it has been forgotten; while it has been used successfully in the treatment of the Spanish flu that started early 1918 and killed 30 million people. The results obtained strongly suggest the beneficial use of iodine. Selenodiglutathione exhibits strong electrophilic property and turns the S protein into an electron sink virus in the presence of ACE2, which behaves like an electron donor. Contrary to zinc gluconate and iodine, the presence of selenomethionine, copper sulfate, selenodiglutathione, or sodium selenite strengthens the ACE2 – S protein interaction. The results reported indicate the association of common food supplements to offer protection and/or treatment against coronavirus S-protein COVID-19. These findings indicate also that these simple methods could help with the fight against COVID-19.


In this study, the merchants, the trade articles and the financial composition of the caravans coming from Belgrade to the interior of the Ottoman Empire at the turn of the 18th century are examined. The chief sources of the study are Cevdet Maliye, Cevdet İktisat and Bab-ı Defteri Başmuhasebe registers in the Ottoman Archives of Prime Ministry in Istanbul. In the course of the study the trade articles are categorized and together with the nationalities of merchants and taxes collected from the caravans are presented in tables. The aim of the study is to shed light on the Ottoman-European overland trade during the period under study and to show clearly the fundemental changes referred by some researches briefly as well as to determine the major tendencies of the trade. The results reached by the examination of 9 registery books (9 caravans, 318 merchants, 1036 items of goods) are presented in conclusion in seperate items.


Integrating vectors are essential for stem-cell and T cell gene-therapy approaches to enable passage of the transgene to subsequent progeny, and retroviral vectors have been the commonly utilized for clinical applications. However, insertional events can potentially cause malignant transformation of transduced cells. In 1991, adult rhesus macaques received CD34+ cells transduced with a NEO expressing retroviral vector which was inadvertently contaminated with ampho-pseudotyped replication competent retrovirus(RCR). Three primates (88053, 15445 and 88049) developed a rapidly progressive lymphoid neoplasm 6–7 months after transplantation characterized by diffuse lymphadenompathy, hepatosplenomegaly and a large thymic mass. Immunohistochemistry of the neoplasm revealed a CD8+ CD2+ alphabeta TCR+ phenotype strongly positive for RCR. The neoplasm was preceeded by increasing amphotropic envelope detectable in peripheral blood by PCR which was ultimately detectable in 100% of peripheral blood leukocytes. Tissue is available for study from primates 15445 and 88049. Genomic Southern blotting revealed multiple integrants, more in 15445 than in 88049. Using a simplified technique (FLEA-PCR) for generating libraries of Integrant-Host-Junctions (IHJ), we studied leukemia samples from these two (primates 15545 and 88049). So far we have characterized 52 different flanking sequences from primate 15545 of which we could match 43 genomic loci. We have isolated 39 different flanking sequences from primate 88049 of which we could match 29 genomic loci. Of the characterized integration sites from 15445 the following potential oncogenes could be affected: DKK3, CUTL1, RUNX1, RUNX3, TCF7L2, FOXP1, MTIF2, GAB1, CST7, CABIN1 and RHOH. Of the characterized integration sites from 88049 the following potential oncogenes could be affected: LY86, JARID2, TNIK(TRAF2 and NCK interacting kinase), SMT3H2, PTK2B, MSF, FBXL10 and RAPH1. Both primate leukemia samples contain an integration site just 5 to the gene for Neuronal acetylcholine receptor protein (CHRNA9). RNA derived from leukemic bone marrow from both animals and involved thymic tissue from one was subjected to microarray analysis and compared to that of control tissue using the Affymetrix human genome U133 plus 2 array. The gene expression profile was similar among diseased tissues, and efforts to correlate the expression profile with genes potentially dysregulated by integration events is ongoing. Together with some subjects of the recent X-SCID study, these macaques represent the only cases of leukemogenesis caused by vector induced insertional mutagenesis in primates. Our findings confirm the assumption that with an inert transgene (NEO, RCR), multiple integrations effecting different oncogenes are required to result in malignant transformation of transduced cells.


Helleborus niger (Christmas Rose), a perennial plant member of the Ranunculaceae family, is one of the most popular Christmas cut flowers cultivated in the South of France and exported at 95% to Germany, the Netherlands, Switzerland and Belgium. The intense production of this selected clone, which flowers just before Christmas, is limited by the low vegetative multiplication rate and by some specific diseases, specially Soft rot (Erwinia atroseptica) and viruses like Cucumber Mosaic Virus (CMV) (Cardin et al., 2003). The aim of our study, started ten years ago, was to develop a specific in vitro micro-propagation methodology using the sprouting-rooting sequence, in order to have a faster and healthy multiplication of a selected clone of Helleborus niger. Four different media were used for each sequence (introduction, proliferation, rooting). Due to the high contamination level of the mother plant, particularly by bacteria and virus, we have chosen the meristem tip culture. Depending on the meristem size, 51.7% to 60% of the meristems have grown and developed vegetative buds. Propagation was carried out on the MS media supplemented with 8.9 μM 6-Benzylaminopurine (BAP). A constant multiplication rate, between 2 to 3.4 every cycle, was observed during more than 24 months. Individual buds were prepared for the rooting sequence and we obtained a high rooting rate, (more than 96%), using two rooting phases, the first one with auxinic pulse at 1.4 μM of Indol Acetic Acid (IAA) for 15 days and the second one with 5.6 μM of Indol Acetic Acid (IAA) for four weeks. The healthy state of all meristems was controlled for CMV by DAS-ELISA test. We observed that, in our experimental conditions, the quality of the health regeneration depends directly on the meristem size: meristems between 0.2 mm to 0.4 mm are healthier (73.3%) than meristems of size higher than 0.5 mm (27.7%). Successive subcultures led us to produce 20,000 plants and more than 90% of the plants survived in greenhouse production. The first flowers we observed proved to be true to the original type.


A high-performance liquid chromatographic (HPLC) method was developed for the assay of 2-chloro-5-(1H-tetrazol-5-yl)-4-[(2-thienylmethyl)amino]benzenesulfonamide (I) in animal feed diet mixtures. The sample is extracted with acetone, an aliquot of the extract is evaporated to dryness, and the residue is dissolved in chloroform. This solution can be subjected to either of two cleanup procedures. The first traps I on a sodium hydroxide-diatomaceuous earth column. Compound I is then recovered using an acetic acid-ethyl acetate-chloroform eluent, which is removed by evaporation, followed by dissolution of the residue in aqueous sodium hydroxide. The second procedure involves the direct extraction of I from the chloroform solution. A linear relationship exists between the HPLC UV detector response at 254 nm and concentration up to 170 microgram/ml. The sodium hydroxide extraction procedure resulted in an overall recovery (+/- SD) of 92.9 +/- 1.6 and 97.4 +/- 1.8% (n = 5) at levels of 200 and 6000 ppm, respectively. Overall recoveries (+/- SD) obtained by the diatomaceous earth column procedure for the 20- and 6000-ppm levels were 90.0 +/- 2.0 and 95.9 +/- 1.6% (n = 5), respectively.


The marine microalga Ostreococcus is considered to depend on the methionine synthase METH and its methylated cobalamin cofactor for methionine synthesis. Here I describe minimal media lacking both cobalt and cobalamin yet suitable for clonal growth of Ostreococcus tauri. Because Ostreococcus lacks the methylcobalamin-independent methionine synthase METE, Ostreococcus growth without cobalamin is unexplained.


In this paper the problem of nonlinear feature extraction based on the optimization of the Fisher criterion is analyzed. A new nonlinear feature extraction method is proposed. The 15 method does not make use of numerical algorithms and it has an analytical (closed-form) solution. Moreover, no assumptions on the class probability distribution functions are 17 imposed. The proposed method is applied to some standard pattern recognition problems and compared with other classical methodologies already proposed in the literature. The 19 performance of the proposed method turned out to be superior when compared with the other methods studied. 21


Four reinforced concrete beams of rectangular crosssections and four corresponding composite ones consisting of reinforced concrete prisms cast into steel channels with shear connectors were manufactured, loaded, and tested in the laboratory to measure mid-span deflections, and to observe fracture criteria. The reinforced concrete prism of each of the four composite beams is of rectangular cross-section and identical to its corresponding reinforced concrete beam. Load-deflection behavior and fracture pattern at failure obtained experimentally for each of the eight beams were compared with those predicted by a nonlinear three-dimensional finite element analysis using the analysis system computer program (ANSYS V. 5.4) in which the reinforced concrete, the steel channel, and the interaction between reinforced concrete and steel channel were modeled by isoparametric eight-node brick elements, four-node shell elements ,and the five-node interface elements ,respectively. High agreement between the experimental tests and the numerical models was obtained for loaddeflection behavior represented by maximum differences of 11% and 7% for composite and noncomposite beams, respectively. In addition, a perfect coincidence in predicting fracture pattern at failure by the two methods was realized. Comparisons between flexural behaviors for each of the present four pairs of correspondent composite and non-composite beams show that introducing the integrated steel channels highly increases the ultimate load capacity by 155% to 500% -depending on the ratio of steel channel area to gross concrete area, and decreases the ductility ratio by 26.4% to 36.7% depending on the ratio of steel channel a rea to tension reinforcement area. A parametric study on the effect of flange width of the steel channel show that a 40% increase in the ultimate load capacity can be realized by a one-third increase in that parameter with a slight decrease in ductility ratio.


ABSTRACT This study investigates older persons engagement with digital interfaces as one important way to social inclusion. Digital exclusion and social exclusion are intrinsically intertwined, which put older persons at risk for exclusion. To construct meaningful educational practices for inclusion, more insight is needed to understand consequences of low digital competence. Eighteen men and women (retired) have been interviewed about their everyday encounters with digital interfaces. Results show how older persons 'borrow' knowledge from social networks or from contacts at previous workplace, to access technology and digital practices. Data also show a common acceptance of exclusion and changes in lifestyle. These fragile chains, put together to access digital practices jeopardise social inclusion understood as autonomy and participation in society. Informants did not mention community arrangements as resources for access and knowledge, which indicate that hard work is required to promote inclusion of this group. A possible way could be using the power of informally framed learning scenarios. Society cannot turn a blind eye to the fact that groups of citizens are hindered from developing capabilities to maintain a social life, to access the health sector, to enjoy integrity and independence and cultural recreation – to live a capable life.


Abstract The formulation of betamethasone-17-valerate (BV) into topical medicines presents a significant challenge for the formulation chemist. The substance is susceptible to acid and base catalyzed isomerization in aqueous environments, which results in valerate transesterification from carbon 17 to carbon 21 of the steroid ring system. This acyl migration process is of significant clinical importance since the 21-valerate ester possesses only a fraction of the potency of the 17-valerate parent compound. Isomerization of BV should therefore be reduced to a minimum through design of a suitable drug vehicle. In this study, the effect of varying the concentration of several excipient components on the isomerization rate of betamethasone valerate in a model hydrophilic cream has been investigated. These excipients include the emulsifier macrogolstearylether-20/21, the co-emulsifier cetylstearyl alcohol and the thickening agent hydroxyl propyl methylcellulose. Additionally, the influence of pH, the presence of the antioxidant, alpha-tocopherol, as well as the chelating agent, disodium edetate, on the stability of the formulation have been investigated. Trial drug product formulations, which were designed to investigate the influence of the above-mentioned components/parameters were manufactured and their stability was tested according to current ICH Guidelines. The content, purity and crystalline structure of the active substance in these formulations was analyzed by a combination of HPLC and microscopy techniques. The study demonstrates that the rate of isomerization of betamethasone valerate depends significantly on the concentration of emulsifier used in the cream formulation. At higher concentrations of emulsifier the isomerization proceeds rapidly with significant degradation over a period of weeks, whereas at lower concentrations significant degradation may not be observed, even after several years' storage. The influence of the emulsifier has been shown to be independent of the pH value of the aqueous phase of the cream. These findings have not been reported in previous literature reports on this topic, which have tended to focus on the influence of pH. The results are likely to be of interest to pharmaceutical chemists working on the formulation of glucocorticoids as well as to local- and hospital pharmacists who carry out the practice of dilution of proprietary corticoid preparations, where the choice of diluent is likely to be critical for ensuring the stability of the diluted product.


Chronic hypoxia causes pulmonary vascular remodeling leading to pulmonary hypertension (PH) and right ventricle (RV) hypertrophy. Aberrant expression of microRNA (miRNA) is closely associated with a number of pathophysiologic processes. However, the role of miRNAs in chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling and PH has not been well characterized. In this study, we found increased expression of miR-21 in distal small arteries in the lungs of hypoxia-exposed mice. Putative miR-21 targets, including bone morphogenetic protein receptor (BMPR2), WWP1, SATB1, and YOD1, were downregulated in the lungs of hypoxia-exposed mice and in human pulmonary artery smooth muscle cells (PASMCs) overexpressing miR-21. We found that sequestration of miR-21, either before or after hypoxia exposure, diminished chronic hypoxia-induced PH and attenuated hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling, likely through relieving the suppressed expression of miR-21 targets in the lungs of hypoxia-exposed mice. Overexpression of miR-21 enhanced, whereas downregulation of miR-21 diminished, the proliferation of human PASMCs in vitro and the expression of cell proliferation associated proteins, such as proliferating cell nuclear antigen, cyclin D1, and Bcl-xL. Our data suggest that miR-21 plays an important role in the pathogenesis of chronic hypoxia-induced pulmonary vascular remodeling and also suggest that miR-21 is a potential target for novel therapeutics to treat chronic hypoxia associated pulmonary diseases.


Neuronal interferon-gamma (N-IFN-gamma), recently isolated from the nervous system, has a molecular weight distinct from that of lymphocyte-derived IFN-gamma, but crossreacts immunologically and shares certain bioactivities with this cytokine. In the rat brain N-IFN-gamma-immunoreactive perikarya were concentrated in the hypothalamic tuberomammillary nuclei; some immunostained neurones were also detected in the dorsal pontine tegmentum. Immunopositive nerve fibres were profusely distributed through the periventricular hypothalamus and midline thalamus. Scattered fibres occurred diffusely through the brain, ramified in the subpial layer and also surrounded intrathecal vessels. A dense concentration of puncta was detected in the suprachiasmatic nuclei and in the molecular layer of the hippocampal dentate gyrus. A role of N-IFN-gamma in immunological reactions and in modulation of selective brain functions is suggested.


Article abstract The question of the appropriate use of opiate analgesics in the management of chronic headache pain is under debate. Often, the management of headache pain is complicated by the overuse of dependency-promoting analgesics. Because of confusion about the use of analgesics in pain management, some patients are denied access to necessary opioid analgesia, whereas others receive large quantities of combination analgesics. The proper use of opiate analgesics is presented here, including a review of the pharmacology of these agents. Signs of analgesic dependence, analgesic rebound headache, and methods of withdrawal are also presented. The potential use of such new treatment modalities as butorphanol nasal spray is discussed.


A new sequential two steps photo and thermal process for the preparation of click thiol-ene/thiol-epoxy thermosets is described. Commercially available diglycidyl ether of bisphenol A (DGEBA), triallylisocyanurate (TAIC) and pentaerythritol tetrakis (3-mercaptopropionate) (PETMP) were combined to produce tailored materials with a 75, 50 and 25% of thiol-ene/thiol-epoxy networks. A photoinitiator was used to trigger the radical thiol-ene polymerization and a latent amine precursor was used to start the base-catalyzed thiol-epoxy click reaction. Neat thiol-ene and thiol-epoxy materials were prepared and taken as the references. The use of a latent amine precursor in adequate proportion and under suitable reaction conditions allowed us to reach a dual system with two well-defined steps, stable intermediate materials and well-controlled structure after the first curing stage and at the end of the curing process. This process overcomes some limitations observed in analogous curing systems reported previously such as the absence of latency for the second curing stage leading to unstable materials in the intermediate stage. Both chemical reactions were studied by FTIR and calorimetry. The latency of the different formulations was studied by DSC and rheometry. The materials prepared were characterized by thermal mechanical analysis and thermogravimetry.


We study the feasibility of 3D virtual histology through real-time in vivo and in situ cellular imaging. A prototype system has been developed based on photodynamic fluorescence signals, confocal endomicroscopy, and FPGA image processing and characterization computing. Experiments in its clinical applications have been conducted, mainly for diagnosis of early-stage mucous cancer. With the fine-grained parallel imaging programs mapped on the FPGA, a stream of focused optical sections of microstructures in the subsurface layers up to 300µm in depth, can be processed online and the extracted features can be visualized seamlessly with the endomicroscopy settings.


DNA methylation plays an important role in multiple biological processes. Therefore, methodologies that can detect changes in DNA methylation are of general importance. A popular and reliable method for measuring DNA methylation status is DNA bisulfite sequencing. This protocol details the steps required for bisulfite conversion and analysis of either genes or a specific genomic region. Denatured DNA (i.e., single-stranded DNA) is treated with sodium bisulfite under conditions that preferentially convert unmethylated cytosine (C) residues to uracil (U) residues while methylated cytosines remain unmodified. The converted DNA can then be amplified using a gene-specific primer. U is amplified as thymidine (T) in polymerase chain reaction (PCR) and detected as T during DNA sequencing.


In the space radiation environment, there will be many errors in the multi-classification results of support vector machine which caused by single event flipping, the ability to correct classification errors through error correction coding is studied in this paper, results of simulation confirm that error correction coding can increase the accuracy, which is beneficial for anti-single event flip.


Assuming lexicographic expected utilities; a solution to a group decision problem obtains from a repeated application of Pareto optimality. If unique, the solution is characterized by the Nash bargaining conditions suitably modified.


A study of three-dimensional magneto-thermal finite element phenomena is presented for an induction heating system. The (A,V-A) formulation using the impedance boundary condition is applied to multiply connected regions. From the exterior inductor voltage and the current density distribution, the impedance and the total power of the induction heating devices are calculated.


Dual-arm robotic systems have been intensively studied in the literature. However, in industrial robotics, the resolution of the kinematic redundancy allowed by the coordinated manipulation task is still an open issue. In fact, typical proprietary industrial robotic controllers do not allow the programmer to modify the inverse kinematics algorithm, and thus to solve redundancy following any specified criterion. In this paper a method to enforce an arbitrary redundancy resolution criterion on top of an industrial robot controller is discussed and applied to the execution of a coordinated manipulation task. The extra degrees of freedom are used to maximize the dynamic manipulability measure in order to reduce the needed torque. Simulations and experimental results achieved on an ABB IRC 5 industrial robot controller are presented.


Objective: Our interest in patient attitudes and beliefs and how they contribute to health and health seeking behaviors is based on growing interest in fostering more patient-centered care. This is particularly relevant for cancer screening in women, where the procedures may be viewed as deeply personal and emotionally invasive. There is convincing evidence that health attitudes and beliefs are strong associates of cancer screening among women. The goal of this paper is to examine if accessibility and use of personal health information (PHI) is a positive predictive of cancer related health detection behaviors among United States women. This study is relevant and timely considering the growing focus on prevention in patient-centered care delivery.Methods: Using data from the 2017 Health Information National Trends Survey (HINTS), this paper employed multivariable path analysis to investigate whether PHI use is related to engaged women's health detection behaviors, and if this relationship is mediated by self-perceived health status and patient attitudes regarding confidence in their self-care abilities.Results: This study found that PHI use worked directly on health detection behaviors for intermediate levels of health information only. Our findings also suggest that patient attitudes may only act as a mediator at low levels of information use and when both confidence in self-care abilities and self-assessed health status are considered simultaneously.Conclusions: As prevention continues to be a key focus of health care, efforts promoting enhanced population health are critically important. With greater expansion of patient portals, health systems and providers are expecting access to greater PHI will promote increased engagement by patients in their self-health. The results of our research suggest that PHI is positive for patients up until a point and that health care delivery professionals may wish to assess the amount and type of information made readily available to the patients they serve related to breast and cervical cancer screenings.


Colorado potato beetle, Leptinotarsa decemlineata (Say), is an important pest of potatoes Solanum tuberosum L. worldwide. To control this insect, commercial growers in North America may increasingly rely on planting transgenic potatoes that express the Bacillus thuringiensis (Berliner) subsp. tenebrionis Cry3A toxin in their foliage (Whalon and Ferro 1998). Because persistence and distribution of the toxin in these plants are maximized (Perlak et al. 1993), there is strong selection pressure towards development of resistance to the Cry3A toxin in beetle populations (Ferro 1993). One strategy proposed to delay development of resistance is to provide spatial refugia of nontransgenic potatoes to support populations of susceptible individuals sufficient to curtail matings between resistant individuals (Whalon and Ferro 1998). Therefore, it is important that susceptible beetles moving into the transgenic crop from refugia can successfully mate with local resistant beetles. Wierenga et al. (1996) reported that adult beetles that fed continuously on transgenic potatoes since eclosion from pupae did not display any reproductive activity, but that successful reproduction was eventually observed if beetles fed on nontransgenic foliage later. Under field conditions, however, it is more likely that susceptible beetles emerging from pupae in refugia will feed on nontransgenic potatoes before, not after, moving onto transgenic plants. We have recently discovered that under such circumstances female beetles remain reproductive, but with significantly reduced fecundity relative to control females continuously fed on nontransgenic foliage (Alyokhin and Ferro 1999). No such data are currently available for male beetles.


This work describes a 500-MHz compiled eDRAM macro offered in a 90-nm logic-based process. The macro architecture is optimized for high bandwidth while enabling compilation in bank and data-word dimensions. A direct write scheme simultaneously improves random bank cycle time and row access time without signal loss. The benefits of ground sensing, reference cells, and bitline twisting was reviewed. A variable stage pipeline extends the macro bandwidth while offering flexibility in clock frequencies. The redundancy system is modified to support direct write and piping. Finally, BIST was enhanced to utilize electrically blown fuses, enabling one-touch test and repair. Hardware results was presented.


In this thesis, we have studied the generation and evolution of the magnetic field in the early Universe. We investigated the generation of magnetic fields in the presence of chiral symmetry and gravitational anomaly. We have used modified kinetic theory by Berry curvature and derived expressions for magnetic and vortical conductivities. We have also shown that there are two length scales: kinetic and viscous, which is one of the important results. In the latter part of the thesis, we have shown the effect of second-order viscous effects on the modes of the magnetic fields.


In combining a pluri-propositionalist framework (Bach-style) concerning alleged conventional implicatures, and a pluri-propositionalist framework (Perry-style) distinguishing various levels of content associated with a single utterance, I defend a Grice-inspired model of communication. In so doing, I rely on the distinction between what is said, i.e. what is semantically encoded, and what is pragmatically implicated. I show how the notion of same-saying plays a central role in dealing with problems pertaining to communication insofar as it permits us to posit a stability of content among interlocutors. I also show how people can be classified as same-sayers in different ways, viz. if they express the same (minimal) proposition/content or if they utter the same sentence. If A utters 'I'm happy' and B replies: 'C said that too', what B said can mean either that C said that A is happy—thus C and A expressed the same proposition—or that C utters the same words—they both utter 'I'm happy' and in so doing express different propositions, i.e. that A is happy and that C is happy respectively.


Introduction: Health education is one of the roles of the community pharmacist.A controlled study of pharmacies in the Spanish province of Castellon was carried out with the aim of determining the influence of health education on the general public. Material and methods: Fourteen pharmacies took part in the study: seven in the group control and seven in the intervention group. An initial survey about health education was conducted among the patients of all fourteen pharmacies. In the pharmacies in the intervention group five campaigns of health education were instigated; after each campaign patients answered a survey to evaluate the health education received. In the pharmacies in the control group the same surveys were carried out without the implementation of any educational campaigns. Results and discussion: Patients of the pharmacies in the intervention group were significantly more satisfied with their level of knowledge about health matters than those in the control other group. In addition, the same patients had a significantly more satisfied with the formation they received in the pharmacies that implemented the educational campaigns. In addition, patients of the pharmacies in the intervention group had a significantly better perception of the pharmacist and of the pharmacy as a reference point with respect to resolving their health problems. Health education informs patients about aspects of health and endows them with the aptitude to make decisions related to their health problems.


Background: The isolation of carbapenemase-produc-ing Enterobacteriaceae (CPE) has become increas-ingly common. Continuous surveillance for these or-ganisms is essential because their infections are closely related to outbreaks of illness and are asso-ciated with high mortality rates. The aim of this study was to develop and evaluate multiplex PCR as a means of detecting several important CPE genes simultaneously. Methods: We aimed to develop a multiplex PCR that could detect seven CPE genes simultaneously. The multiplex PCR was composed of seven primer sets for the detection of KPC, IMP, VIM, NDM-1, GES, OXA-23, and OXA-48. We designed different PCR product sizes of at least 100 bp. We evaluated the performance of this new test using 69 CPE-positive clinical isolates. Also, we confirmed the specificity to rule out false-positive reactions by using 71 carbape-nem-susceptible clinical strains. Results: A total of 69 CPE clinical isolates showed positive results and were correctly identified as KPC (N=14), IMP (N=13), OXA-23 (N=12), OXA-48 (N=11), VIM (N=9), GES (N=5), and NDM (N=5) by the multiplex PCR. All 71 carbapenem-susceptible clinical isolates, including Enterococcus faecalis , Escherichia coli , Klebsiella pneumoniae , Acinetobacter baumannii , and Pseudomonas aeruginosa , showed negative results. Conclusion: This multiplex PCR can detect seven CPE genes at a time and will be useful in clinical laboratories. (Ann Clin Microbiol 2019;22:9-13)


Through the collaborative efforts of a multidisciplinary team, various subsurface data types have been integrated to produce a conceptual geologic model for reservoir prediction within the upper Clear Fork and Glorieta formations of the Robertson field area, west Texas. Detailed description of 1434 m of core, 109 thin sections, and 241 line-kilometers of 2-D (two-dimensional) seismic indicates the stratigraphic interval accumulated as a progradational succession of platform-interior subtidal and intertidal facies. Reservoir intervals preferentially occur within subtidal facies having intercrystalline porosity associated with replacement by coarsely crystalline dolomite. Intertidal facies were replaced by a finely crystalline phase of fabric-preserving dolomite and are dominated by an ineffective fenestral pore system. Facies and reservoir distribution is largely controlled by antecedent topography. Structural highs generated during the terminal phase of Ouachita-Marathon compression were the preferred site of intertidal facies deposition. Adjacent structural lows have a higher proportion of reservoir-prone subtidal facies. Analysis of compensated-neutron log porosity indicates that subtidal-prone intervals may be broadly characterized as having less than 11% porosity, whereas intertidal-prone intervals generally exceed 11% porosity. From this observation, a simple computer algorithm allows facies interpretation within wells lacking core. Intertidal-subtidal facies ratio maps generated from this algorithm closely match the distribution of pre-Wolfcampian structural elements and present-day structure. Intertidal facies are more common across the crest of structural highs. Future drilling in the North Jenkins area should pursue structural-flank positions where subtidal facies are volumetrically more abundant. Care should be taken, however, to avoid completions below the composite oil-water contact. Subtidal facies are compartmentalized within individual sequences of a progradational sequence set. Progradational stacking and compactional drape over deeper structures produces discrete flow units with potentially independent oil-water contacts.


181 Published By: Blue Eyes Intelligence Engineering and Sciences Publication Retrieval Number: J74560891020/2020©BEIESP DOI: 10.35940/ijitee.J7456.0891020 Abstract: Data analytics is an evolving arena in today's technological evolution. Big data, IoT and machine learning are multidisciplinary fields which pave way for large scale data analytics. Data is the basic ingredient in all type of analytical tasks, which is collected from various sources through online activity. Data divulged in these day-to-day activities contain personal information of individuals. These sensitive details may be disclosed when data is shared with data analysts or researchers for futuristic analysis. In order to respect the privacy of individuals involved, it is required to protect data to avoid any intentional harm. Differential privacy is an algorithm that allows controlled machine learning practices for quality analytics. With differential privacy, the outcome of any analytical task is unaffected by the presence or absence of a single individual or small group of individuals. But, it goes without saying that privacy protection diminishes the usefulness of data for analysis. Hence privacy preserving analytics requires algorithmic techniques that can handle privacy, data quality and efficiency simultaneously. Since one cannot be obtained without degrading the other, an optimal solution that balances the attributes is considered acceptable. The work in this paper, proposes different optimization techniques for shallow and deep learners. While evolutionary approach is proposed for shallow learning, private deep learning is optimized using Bayesian method. The results prove that the Bayesian optimized private deep learning model gives a quantifiable trade-off between the privacy, utility and performance


Investigation of the internal fluid mechanic losses for a turbine blade with trailing edge coolant ejection was presented in Uzol, Camci and Glezer (2000). The current study is a detailed experimental investigation of the external subsonic flowfield near the trailing edge and the investigation of the external aerodynamic loss characteristics of the turbine blade with trailing edge coolant ejection system. Particle Image Velocimetry experiments and total pressure surveys in the near wake of the blade are conducted for two different Reynolds Numbers and four different ejection rates. Two different trailing edge configurations with different cut-back lengths are also investigated. Numerical simulations of the flowfield are also performed for qualitative flow visualization purposes. Two dimensional, incompressible and steady solutions of Reynolds Averaged Navier Stokes equations are obtained. A two equation standard k-e turbulence model coupled with an Algebraic Reynolds Stress Model is used for the simulation of the turbulent flowfield. The results show that the aerodynamic penalty levels in the wake region near the trailing edge are increased due to the mixing of the coolant and main stream flows for 0 to 3% ejection rates. However after a threshold level (5% ejection rate), the ejected coolant flow has enough momentum to fill the wake of the blade which in turn results in a decrease in the aerodynamic penalty levels.© 2000 ASME


We analyze a model that interpolates between scale-free and Erdos-Rényi networks. The model introduced generates a one-parameter family of networks and allows one to analyze the role of structural heterogeneity. Analytical calculations are compared with extensive numerical simulations in order to describe the transition between these two important classes of networks. Finally, an application of the proposed model to the study of the percolation transition is presented.


Three-dimensional (3D) meso-scale finite element models of concrete in compression based on insitu X-ray Computed Tomography (XCT) images are developed and validated in this study. The micro-scale images from a Brazilian-like in-situ XCT test are first compressed and then transformed into manageable meso-scale 3D meshes using a voxel hexahedron meshing technique with a stacking algorithm. The concrete damaged plasticity model in ABAQUS is used to simulate complicated damage and fracture behaviour of concrete. Excellent qualitative agreement is found between the simulations and the XCT test in terms of damage evolution and fracture process on both the surface and interior of the specimen. The effects of internal heterogeneous meso-structures on the macro-scale loading-carrying capacities and failure patterns are quantitatively and qualitatively evaluated by modelling different uniaxial loading directions.


Premature termination of short-term psychotherapy was examined as a function of therapist and social support variables. Patient perceived therapist competence, knowledge, relaxed manner, understanding of the help wanted, attitude, acceptance, listening ability, and sensitivity differentiated Continuers from Terminators. Although few of the social support variables were related to the mode of treatment termination, Continuers were found to be more likely than Terminators to have discussed attendance at the Clinic with others, especially family members. These findings were discussed in terms of their relevance to treatment of the emotionally ill and to the training of clinicians.


This article tries to show that the understanding of the first Cartesian proof of the existence of God seems to depend on (i) the understanding of the finitude of Ego and (ii) on the cognitive value of doubt and desire. The first proof cannot be correctly understood simply assuming that some have the concept of «l'infini» as object of thought, while others have the concept of «l'indefini» as object of imagination.


: The intraperitoneal injection of Buthus eupeus to rats (2,5 mg/kg) results in increasing of catecholamines and cyclic nucleotides content in blood. The hyperinsulinemia is observed simultaneously with the development of hyperglycaemia. It is believed that the activation of the cyclic system is a key mechanism of the neuro-humoral disturbances of homeostasis in case of scorpion venom influence.


IMPORTANCE
Ingenol mebutate is the active agent (a macrocyclic diterpene ester) in the sap of the plant Euphorbia peplus. This herb has been used as a traditional remedy for several different skin lesions, including skin cancers.

OBJECTIVE
To assess 12-month recurrence rates and safety associated with ingenol mebutate gel treatment in patients who previously had achieved complete clearance of actinic keratoses.

DESIGN AND SETTING
The treatment area was observed for recurrence for 12 months after the original study. Patients were treated in an outpatient setting.

PARTICIPANTS
Patients received ingenol mebutate gel, 0.015%, daily for 3 consecutive days for actinic keratoses on the face or scalp or ingenol mebutate gel, 0.05%, daily for 2 consecutive days for actinic keratoses on the trunk or extremities. Study participants had achieved complete clearance in a prespecified 25-cm2 area at day 57 of their original trial.

MAIN OUTCOME MEASURES
Recurrence rates and safety were assessed. RESULTS In total, 108 patients with complete clearance of face or scalp lesions in the original trial and 76 patients with complete clearance of trunk or extremity lesions in the original trial were enrolled in the 12-month observational follow-up study. Of these, 100 patients (face or scalp) and 71 patients (trunk or extremities) completed all 12 months. The sustained lesion reduction rates compared with baseline were 87.2% for the face or scalp and 86.8% for the trunk or extremities. The estimated median times to recurrence were 365 days (face or scalp) and 274 days (trunk or extremities). There were no safety concerns during the follow-up period.

CONCLUSION AND RELEVANCE
Ingenol mebutate gel applied as field therapy for 2 or 3 consecutive days to treat actinic keratoses produced clinically relevant sustained clearance and long-term lesion reduction. TRIAL REGISTRATION clinicaltrials.gov Identifiers: NCT00953732, NCT00952783, and NCT00989313.


An improved k-means clustering algorithm based on K-MEANS algorithm is proposed. This paper gives an improved traditional algorithm by analyzing the statistical data. After a comparison between the actual data and the simulation data, this paper safely shows that the improved algorithm significantly reduce classification error on the simulation data set and the quality of the improved algorithm is much better than K-MEANS algorithm. Such comparative results confirm that the improved algorithm is a powerful for this problem


The practices, values, and expectations of academic culture can worry mature-age commencers. A challenge for the academy is organising a fit between academic culture and the needs of mature-age students. A qualitative case study of four alternative entry programs for mature-age students found that program completers (n=25) value academic culture. The chance to experience academic culture produced 'academic', 'social', and 'attitudinal' outcomes for the students. Significantly, experiencing academic culture assisted over 90% of them to adapt to university life, improve their confidence, and interact with lecturers. Conversely, poor relations between academics and students and the marginalising of mature-age student needs disturbed them and they queried their attendance at university. In light of student outcomes and concerns, the academy needs to remain cognisant of, and sensitive to, the ways in which academic culture can encourage or inhibit mature-age students to participate in study.


This paper proposes BPNet, a novel end-to-end deep learning framework to learn Bézier primitive segmentation on 3D point clouds. The existing works treat different primitive types separately, thus limiting them to finite shape categories. To address this issue, we seek a generalized primitive segmentation on point clouds. Taking inspiration from Bézier decomposition on NURBS models, we transfer it to guide point cloud segmentation casting off primitive types. A joint optimization framework is proposed to learn Bézier primitive segmentation and geometric fitting simultaneously on a cascaded architecture. Specifically, we introduce a soft voting regularizer to improve primitive segmentation and propose an auto-weight embedding module to cluster point features, making the network more robust and generic. We also introduce a reconstruction module where we successfully process multiple CAD models with different primitives simultaneously. We conducted extensive experiments on the synthetic ABC dataset and real-scan datasets to validate and compare our approach with different baseline methods. Experiments show superior performance over previous work in terms of segmentation, with a substantially faster inference speed.


Following the big transformations of the 1990s, enterprise structure and technological level seem to have become stabilised in Hungary. Under these circumstances it is especially interesting to identify the elements responsible for competitiveness in general, and the role technology plays in development in particular, according to managers experienced in production and marketing. This empirical study – based on in-depth interviews and field research – summarises characteristics of the technological level in the sectors examined, role of technology and labour in production, effects of foreign direct investment, relations between competition and firm-level factors determining competitiveness, and concludes by summing up those most frequently mentioned proposals that should be incorporated into economic policy according to managers. Main findings indicate that more qualified, more intensive and cheaper labour can be substituted for high technology. The competitiveness of an enterprise is not determined by technology alone, but rather by a combination of technology, the parameters of available labour and the costs of investment increasing productivity. The insufficiency of inter-company relations, together with a shortage of available assets necessary for investment constitute the major threat undermining the competitiveness of enterprises in present-day Hungary.


Power flow is a useful tool for operation, planning and optimization of a system. Distribution systems, generally, refers to the power system network connected to loads at lower operating voltage. With increased distributed generation, recently, distribution power flow needs further investigation. Backward forward sweep method has been used for distribution system power flow analysis. This paper proposes the Newton Raphson power flow solution for three phase unbalanced and multiphase system for both radial and meshed topology. Different test cases have been simulated using the developed program to get satisfactory results. Developed program will be further used to investigate the voltage stability of distribution system.


This article summarizes available literature regarding the utilization of probiotic and synbiotics in liver transplant (LTX) recipients, reviewing efficacy in both decreasing infectious complications and immunomodulation, as well as exploring safety concerns. Data suggest that the use of probiotics containing Lactobacillus spp, either alone or in combination with prebiotics (referred to as synbiotics), may be effective in reducing infectious complications after LTX, a major contributor to graft loss, hospital length of stay, and mortality. Literature evaluating the use of probiotics to induce tolerance, reduce rejection, and prevent damage associated with ischemia–reperfusion injury is limited to animal models but compelling, as it suggests the use of probiotics may augment deleterious immune‐mediated processes in this population. While the benefits of probiotics should be weighed against potential risks, these concerns are largely theoretical in the LTX recipient, with the majority of evidence extrapolated from case reports in other immunosuppressed populations. Based on available literature, it may be prudent to avoid products containing Saccharomyces sp, as these were not used in the efficacy studies, and the majority of the adverse event reporting stems from the use of products containing this organism. Further evaluation of the safety and efficacy of probiotic therapy is warranted. Studies specifically designed to elucidate the optimal product and initiation scenario and delineate safety in this population are needed to allow expanded use of this inexpensive, relatively nontoxic, and potentially beneficial therapeutic option after LTX.


We investigated the relationship between Whites' and ethnic minorities' concerns about appearing prejudiced and anxiety during daily interracial interactions. College roommate pairs completed an individual difference measure of concerns about appearing prejudiced at the beginning of the semester. Then they completed measures of anxiety and perceptions of their roommates' anxiety-related behaviors for 15 days. Results indicated that among interracial roommate pairs, Whites' and ethnic minorities' concerns about appearing prejudiced were related to their self-reported anxiety on a daily basis; but this was not the case among same-race roommate pairs. In addition, among interracial roommate pairs, roommates who were concerned about appearing prejudiced began to "leak" their anxiety towards the end of the diary period, as indicated by their out-group roommate who perceived their anxious behaviors as increasing across time, and who consequently liked them less. The implications of these findings for intergroup relations are discussed in this article.


Acute encephalopathy is a disease group more commonly seen in children. It is often severe and has neurological sequelae. Imaging is important for early diagnosis and prompt treatment to ameliorate an unfavorable outcome, but insufficient sensitivity/specificity is a problem. To overcome this, a new value (fraction of high b-pair (FH)) that could be processed from clinically acceptable MR diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with three different b-values was designed on the basis of a two-compartment model of water diffusion signal attenuation. The purpose of this study is to compare FH with the apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) regarding the detectability of pediatric acute encephalopathy. We retrospectively compared the clinical DWI of 15 children (1–10 years old, mean 2.34, 8 boys, 7 girls) of acute encephalopathy with another 16 children (1–11 years old, mean 4.89, 9 boys, 7 girls) as control. A comparison was first made visually by mapping FH on the brain images, and then a second comparison was made on the basis of 10 regions of interest (ROIs) set on cortical and subcortical areas of each child. FH map visually revealed diffusely elevated FH in cortical and subcortical areas of the patients with acute encephalopathy; the changes seemed more diffuse in FH compared to DWI. The comparison based on ROI revealed elevated mean FH in the cortical and subcortical areas of the acute encephalopathy patients compared to control with significant difference (P<0.05). Similar findings were observed even in regions where the findings of DWI were slight. The reduction of mean ADC was significant in regions with severe findings in DWI, but it was not constant in the areas with slighter DWI findings. The detectability of slight changes of cortical and subcortical lesions in acute encephalopathy may be superior in FH compared to ADC.


Background: Although rare, minimally invasive spine techniques do have the risk of intraoperative device failure. Kirschner wire (K-wire) fractures during minimally invasive transforaminal lumbar interbody fusion (MI-TLIF) have not been previously reported. This report focuses on the incidence of k-wire fractures following MI-TLIF and describes techniques to help avoid and treat these fractures when they occur. Methods: Inclusion criteria: (i) patients underwent 1, 2, or 3 level MI-TLIF over a 10-year period and (ii) had a k-wire fracture leading to a retained fragment. Exclusion criteria included: >10° coronal curves, significant sagittal malalignment, infection, and preoperative instrumentation failure. Results: Of 513 patients undergoing MI-TLIF, 6 (1.2%) sustained k-wire fracture (3 males, 3 females, mean age 43 ± 13 years). Complications included k-wire fracture alone (4 patients), cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) leak (1 patient), and both ileus and revision for hardware removal (1 patient). All six patients went home postoperatively. The mean follow-up duration was 27.7 ± 37.4 months. All retained k-wire fragments were located in the vertebral bodies at the tip of the pedicle screws; none breached the anterior cortex of the vertebral bodies. None of the k-wires migrated at final follow-up 7.8 years (93.7 months) postoperatively. Furthermore, no complications were attributed to retained k-wires. Conclusions: K-wire fractures during MI-TLIF are rare (incidence of 1.2%) and retained k-wire segments led to no postoperative complications (e.g. no migration).


Several classes of physical systems exhibit ultraslow diffusion for which the mean-squared displacement at long times grows as a power of the logarithm of time (strong anomaly) and share the interesting property that the probability distribution of particle's position at long times is a double-sided exponential. We show that such behaviors can be adequately described by a distributed-order fractional Fokker-Planck equations with a power law weighting function. We discuss the equations and the properties of their solutions, and connect this description with a scheme based on continuous-time random walks.


Contemporary cloud networks are being challenged by the rapid increase of user demands and growing concerns about global warming, due to their substantial energy consumption. This requires future data centers to be both energy efficient and sustainable, which calls for leveraging cutting-edge features and the flexibility provided by the modern smart grids. To fulfill those goals, this paper puts forward a systematic approach to designing energy-aware traffic-efficient geographical load balancing schemes for data-center networks that are not only optimal, but also computationally efficient and amenable to distributed implementation. Under this comprehensive approach, workload and power balancing schemes are designed jointly across the network, both delay-tolerant and interactive workloads are accommodated, novel smart-grid features such as energy storage units are incorporated to cope with renewables, and incentive pricing mechanisms are adopted in the design. To further account for the spatio-temporal variation of demands, energy prices and renewables, the task is formulated as a two-timescale stochastic optimization. Leveraging dual stochastic approximation and the fast iterative shrinkage-thresholding algorithm (FISTA), the proposed optimization is decomposed across time slots (first-stage) and data centers (second-stage). While the resultant online algorithm is strictly feasible and provably optimal under a Markovian assumption for the underlying random processes, extensive numerical tests further demonstrate that it also works well in real-data scenarios, where the underlying randomness is highly correlated across time.


For Multi-Objective Optimal Reactive Power Dispatch (MORPD), a new approach is proposed as a simultaneous minimization of the active power transmission loss, the bus voltage deviation and the voltage stability index of a power system are obtained. Optimal settings of continuous and discrete control variables (e.g., generator voltages, tap positions of tap changing transformers and the number of shunt reactive compensation devices to be switched) are determined. MORPD is solved using Particle Swarm Optimization (PSO). Also, Pareto Optimality PSO (POPSO) is proposed to improve the performance of the multi-objective optimization task defined with competing and non-commensurable objectives. The decision maker requires to manage a representative Pareto-optimal set provided by imposition of a hierarchical clustering algorithm. The proposed approach was tested using IEEE 30-bus and IEEE 118-bus test systems. When simulation results are compared with several commonly used algorithms, they indicate better performance and good potential for their efficient applications in solving MORPD problems.


The aim of this work is to characterize the dielectric properties of amorphous dendritic macromolecules as a function of architectural complexity. By combining thermostimulated currents and dynamic dielectric spectroscopy, the dielectric permittivity has been obtained as a function of temperature, in a very broad frequency range (10-4-106 Hz). Generations g = 0 to g = 2 were investigated. The molecular origin of the quasi-Debye mode observed for g = 0 at low temperature is common to all generations: localized reorientations of aldehyde end groups. The interactions with the phosphorus/sulfur (P = S) dipoles are probably responsible for the broadening pointed out in upper generations.


Abstract Objective: To describe pill burden before and after hepatitis C virus (HCV) treatment initiation among patients newly treated for HCV infection, and to evaluate the association between HCV pill burden and gaps in HCV therapy. Methods: This was a retrospective administrative claims study of patients treated with direct-acting antivirals (DAAs) for HCV from 1 November 2013 to 31 July 2016. HCV pill burden was defined as the pill count per day for the index HCV regimen. Mean overall pill burden (HCV medications plus non-HCV medications) was calculated in the 90 days before and after DAA initiation. Gaps in the index HCV regimen were assessed in the 6 months after DAA initiation. Multivariable logistic regression was used to compare the odds of a gap in HCV therapy across HCV pill burden categories (1 pill/day, 2 pills/day, and ≥3 pills/day). Results: Among 9815 patients who met the study criteria, mean overall pill burdens before and after DAA treatment initiation were 5.4 and 7.7, respectively (p < .001). The adjusted odds ratio (OR) of a ≥15-day gap in HCV therapy was 1.75 (95% confidence interval [CI] = 1.38–2.22) for patients with 2 HCV pills/day and 2.11 (95% CI = 1.78–2.51) for patients with ≥3 pills/day, compared with patients with 1 HCV pill/day. Conclusions: Patients with HCV have a substantial pill burden even before initiating HCV treatment. As higher HCV pill burden was associated with lower medication adherence, pill burden should be an important consideration in HCV treatment selection.


OBJECTIVE To evaluate coronary artery stenosis in early diabetes or prediabetes asymptomatic of myocardial ischemia in community-dwelling Chinese adults. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS Age- and sex-matched participants with normal glucose regulation (NGR), prediabetes, or diabetes diagnosed within 5 years, asymptomatic of coronary artery disease (CAD), were randomly selected from a community-dwelling Chinese population aged 40–60 years. Dual-source computed tomography coronary angiography was used to evaluate the existence and extent of coronary stenosis, which was considered significant if >50% narrowing of vessel lumen was detected. RESULTS After excluding uninterpretable segments attributable to motion artifacts, a total of 135 participants with NGR, 132 with prediabetes, and 134 with diabetes participated in data analysis. Significant coronary stenosis was detected in 10 (7.4%), 10 (7.6%), and 22 (16.4%) individuals with NGR, prediabetes, and diabetes, respectively (P for trend = 0.029). Diabetes, rather than prediabetes, was associated with a significant 2.34-fold elevated risk [odds ratio (OR) 2.34 (95% CI 1.01–5.43); P = 0.047] of significant coronary stenosis as compared with that associated with NGR. Levels of glucose evaluation were independently and significantly associated with risks of significant coronary stenosis in diabetes. Each 1-SD increase in fasting plasma glucose, 2-h postload plasma glucose, and HbA1c conveyed 2.11-fold, 1.73-fold, and 1.81-fold higher risks of significant coronary stenosis, respectively, after adjustment for other conventional cardiovascular risk factors. CONCLUSIONS Using a noninvasive CAD diagnostic modality such as dual-source computed tomography coronary angiography, we detected a markedly elevated risk of significant coronary stenosis with early diabetes in asymptomatic Chinese adults.


UNLABELLED
Bronchoscopy is the diagnostic gold standard in patients with airway malformations. Helical CT scan has produced studies such as virtual bronchoscopy or 3-D reconstruction of the airway. The purpose of this study is to analyze the correlation between fiberoptic bronchoscopy, virtual bronchoscopy and 3-D reconstruction of the airway in patients with airway malformations.

METHODS
From January 2001 to March 2002 we evaluated the airway of 17 patients with airway malformations by means of a diagnostic protocol consisting on fiberoptic bronchoscopy, and Helical CT scan with 3-D reconstruction of the airway and virtual bronchoscopy. The radiologist had no access to bronchoscopic information. Age at study, associated cardiovascular anomalies, indications, localization, degree of diagnostic concordance, etiology and influence in treatment were analyzed.

RESULTS
20 studies were done to 17 patients whose mean age was 1.64 +/- 0.48 years (7 days-7 years). Twelve patients had associated anomalies of the aorta, pulmonary arteries or supraortic vessels. Excellent concordance was obtained in 13 cases (65%), good in 6 (30%) and poor in one (5%). 3-D reconstruction of the airway and adjacent vascular structures provided additional information in 14 cases (70%): in 3 exact length of the tracheal lesion and in 11 defined the cause of the compression. In all the cases, absolute concordance in localization was obtained. CT scan information modified treatment in 6 patients (35%). In 7 patients with associated vascular anomalies, no further image studies were done, confirming the anatomy concordance during surgery.

CONCLUSIONS
3-D reconstruction of the airway and virtual bronchoscopy are excellent diagnostic tools in patients with airway malformations, and contribute to define the etiology, length and diameter of the lesion. Excellent diagnostic correlation was obtained between analogic and virtual bronchoscopies, although further multicentric studies should be conducted.


Radiation-sensing Field Effect Transistors (RadFETs or MOSFET dosimeters) with SiO2 gate dielectric have found applications in space, radiotherapy clinics, and high-energy physics laboratories. More sensitive RadFETs, which require modifications in device design, including gate dielectric, are being considered for personal dosimetry applications. This paper presents results of a detailed study of the RadFET energy response simulated with PENELOPE Monte Carlo code. Alternative materials to SiO2 were investigated to develop high-efficiency new radiation sensors. Namely, in addition to SiO2, Al2O3 and HfO2 were simulated as gate material and deposited energy amounts in these layers were determined for photon irradiation with energies between 20 keV and 5 MeV. The simulations were performed for capped and uncapped configurations of devices irradiated by point and extended sources, the surface area of which is the same with that of the RadFETs. Energy distributions of transmitted and backscattered photons were estimated using impact detectors to provide information about particle fluxes within the geometrical structures. The absorbed energy values in the RadFETs material zones were recorded. For photons with low and medium energies, the physical processes that affect the absorbed energy values in different gate materials are discussed on the basis of modelling results. The results show that HfO2 is the most promising of the simulated gate materials.


Party Systems in East Central Europe analyzes the formation of
political parties in the nations of this region. In the first
part, the authors concentrate on the key periods and turning
points in this development, connecting them with the
democratization of the countries in the region in the last
third of the nineteenth century. This includes a look at the
period before World War I, between the wars, and particularly
in the times after the fall of the communist regimes. The
analysis focuses chiefly on the ideological background that
gave way to the rise of political parties in the region. In
relation to this, the authors base their writing mainly on the
socio-political theory of Stein Rokkan. The second part of the
book is a political analysis of the key aspects related to
party politics. First, the authors examine the ties of
political parties to broad social processes, using the classic
theories of Giovanni Sartori and Stein Rokkan. Next, they
continue with the analysis of the operation of parties within
governments, with a special focus on the creation of coalition
governments, functioning of coalitions and coalition
governance. Last, some defects are reflected upon, as well as
unfinished processes related to the fast establishment of
political parties in the region, e.g., absence of firm links
with social groups, high volatility, instability of parties,
etc.


The coupled ice-ocean model for the Bohai Sea is used for simulating the freezing, melting, and variation of ice cover and the heat balance at the sea-ice, air-ice, and air-sea interfaces of the Bohai Sea during the entire winter in 1998~1999 and 2000~2001. The coupled model is forced by real time numerical weather prediction fields. The results show that the thermodynamic effects of atmosphere and ocean are very important for the evolvement of ice in the Bohai Sea, especially in the period of ice freezing and melting. Ocean heat flux plays a key role in the thermodynamic coupling. The simulation also presents the different thermodynamic features in the ice covered region and the marginal ice zone. Ice thickness, heat budget at the interface, and surface sea temperature, etc. between the two representative points are discussed.


Abstract This study aimed to analyze the efects of environmental dietary enrichment on the behavior of black-eared opossums that were in captivity at Centro de Triagem de Animais Silvestres (CETAS-ES), in the municipality of Serra-ES, from August to October 2022. Two food models were constructed for the study: the "Surprise Tubes" and the "Food Puzzle". A total of 24 juvenile black-eared opossums were selected, regardless of sex, and divided into eight groups, with three animals each. Then, four groups were exposed to one model and four to the other. Each group was submitted to two conditions: experimental, with the presence of the models, and control, without the presence of the models. Each condition lasted 24 hours and occurred on two consecutive days. They were flmed with a camera trap, resulting in 3,233 videos of 25 seconds. For the elaboration of the ethogram, 24 videos of each group were selected, recorded from 6:00 PM to 7:30 PM, when the animals were more active. The opossums interacted with both models, accessing, and eating the hidden food, preferring meat over fruit. No signifcant diferences were found in the behavior of opossums in relation to the models and it was observed that the aggressive behavior signifcantly decreased when the models were present. It is concluded that the models can be used as an environmental enrichment for black-eared-opossums, bringing benefts to the reduction of aggressive behavior.