Network reliability analysis is usually based on minimal path or cut enumeration from which the associated reliability expressions are deduced. The cut-set method is a popular approach in the reliability analysis of many systems from simple to complex configurations. The computational requirements necessary to determine the minimal cut-sets of a network depend mainly on the number of minimal paths between the source and the sink. A technique designated as the "Path Tracing Algorithm" is presented in this paper, which can handle both simple and complex networks, and considers both unidirectional and bi-directional branches. A step by step procedure is explained using a bridge-network. The algorithm is easy to program, and does not require limits on the size of the network. The applicability of the proposed technique is illustrated by application to a more complicated system.


Mothering in New English Poetry by Women T study consists of two parts. The first part offers an overview of feminism's ory of differences. The second part deals with the textual analysis of poems about 'mothering' by women from India, the Caribbean and Africa. Literary criticism has dealt with the representation of 'mothering' in prose texts. The exploration of lyrical texts has not yet come. Since the late 1970s, the acknowledgement of and the commitment to difference has been fundamental for feminist theory and activism. This investigation promotes a differentiated, 'locational' feminism (Friedman). The comprehensive theoretical discussion of feminism's different concepts of 'gender', 'race', 'ethnicity' and 'mothering' builds the foundation for the main part: the presentation and analysis of the poems. The issue of 'mothering' foregrounds the communicative aspect of women's experience and wants to bridge the gap between theory and practice. This study, however, does not intend to specify 'mothering' as a universal and unique feminine characteristic. It underlines a metaphorical use and discusses the concepts of 'nurturing', 'maternal practice' and 'social parenthood'. This metaphorical application supports a practice that could lead to solidarity among women and men in social and political fields. In spite of its ethical – political background, this study does not intend to read the selected poems didactically. The analyses of the poems always draw the attention to the aesthetic level of the texts. Regarding the extensive material, this study understands itself as an explorative not concluding investigation placed at the intersections of gender studies, postcolonial and classical literary studies. Most of all, it aims at initiating a dialogue and interchange between scholars and students in the Western and the 'Third World'.


This interdisciplinary Renaissance reference work, provides a definitive finding list for printed and manuscript poetry texts for the Elizabethan period. Lists over 32,500 poems and over 3,400 books and manuscripts, locating all poems ascribed to a given author, and finding all texts upon which critical editions of poems are based. The index provides rapid and thorough interdisciplinary control over this important canon. Each record provides a fully cross-referenced profile of the poems, including, as relevant, texts and locations, technical format, author, date of imprint/transcription, number of lines, burden or refrain, title, editions/scholarship. Poems covered include subjects as diverse as alchemy, astrology, libel, marriage, politics, royal entertainments, satire, tobacco, and withcraft, and personalties such as Cressida, Henry IV of France, Hercules, Mary Magdalene, Pope Joan and William the Conqueror.


The American Pain Society estimates that 50 million Americans are partially or totally disabled by pain. This striking statistic is certain to increase as our population continues to age. In order to combat this growing problem, healthcare professionals must arm themselves with information. By developing the appropriate pain assessment skills and by staying abreast of the rapidly-changing therapies used in pain management, clinicians can dramatically impact the quality of life of those living with pain.


Methods: A convenience sample will be drawn from the population of female students currently enrolled in Seton Hall University who will be asked to complete an on-line survey distributed via e-mail with questions pertaining to general knowledge of breast cancer, risks of developing cancer, and willingness to undergo any potential screening/testing procedures. The independent variables will be the demographic data collected and examined using non-parametric tests and chi square. The dependent variables will be gathered using the following process: The Likert values from all statements which assess general knowledge will be tallied together and assigned an appropriate categorical level of awareness. The same will be done for all statements pertaining to the participant's desire to undergo screening/testing procedures. These values will be used as the dependent variables. A chi square analysis will be performed to determine if there is a relationship between the categorical variables. Analysis will be performed using SPSS 14.0.


This chapter traces Edward Shils' distinctive conception of the intellectual—as indispensable to, but all too often an opponent of, social order. Shils' aversion to intellectual disloyalty was a constant throughout his adult life, though his specifically 'Shilsian' take on the intellectual and his society would only cohere, in a sophisticated, original, and consistent way, in the late 1950s. The chapter reconstructs Shils' encounter with the downcast intellectual, first as a precocious reader of Gustave Flaubert, Hippolyte Taine, and, above all, Georges Sorel. It was Sorel's chiliastic politics of heroic violence which, in its purist clarity, helped disclose the transcendent moral impulse that, to varying degrees, leads intellectuals to judge their societies harshly. When, after World War II, the moral ideal seemed spent even within socialist movements, Shils observed its traces in the complaints of ex-radicals. Society's loose consensus depends on public belief, he argued, which in turn depends on the social picture put forward by intellectuals. These 'persons with an unusual sensitivity to the sacred' could help support the fragile achievements of civil politics, but Shils was not optimistic.


The Grand Ethiopian Renaissance Dam (GERD) filling and operation is a highly sensitive issue for Egypt and Sudan. A recently accepted manuscript by Heggy et al (2021 Environ. Res. Lett. 16 074022) assessed the water deficit for Egypt based on different scenarios for the first filling of GERD lake and estimated 31 billion cubic meters per year under a 3 year filling scenario. We would like to present grossly mischaracterized assumptions, inaccurate data, and controversial conclusions found in this accepted manuscript through this rebuttal. Although the accepted manuscript does not include any new analysis of the River Nile Hydrology, the results of previous substantive studies were misinterpreted or ignored. Moreover, we have serious concerns about the basic hydrological assumptions that are the basis for the economic impacts and the potential loss of the Egyptian agricultural lands. The main methodological flaws of concerns are (a) how the deficit is calculated, losses from GERD, especially the evaporation losses that contradicts several previous studies (e.g. Wheeler et al 2016 Water Int. 41 611–34; Eldardiry and Hossain 2020 J. Hydrol. 125708; Wheeler et al 2020 Nat. Commun. 11 1–9); (b) neglecting the normal role of High Aswan Dam (HAD) reservoir and directly linking the deficit of the water budget to an immediate loss of agricultural lands with all other associated exaggerated economic impacts estimates; (c) including highly exaggerated seepage losses from the GERD lake; (d) neglecting the updated situation of Aswan High Dam reservoir levels and the GERD's infrastructure itself, and (e) quantifying the impacts of potential changes of water level on HAD reservoir on the Nubian aquifer. We herein present a direct fact-checking approach including the studies cited in the accepted manuscript. We believe that this critical comment paper can serve as a basis for defending scientific integrity and contributes to cooperation and peace in the region.


Over the past three decades, optical fibres based on high-purity silica have established themselves as perhaps the ultimate communications material. These global cobwebs of glass have revolutionized telecommunications, reaching virtually every populated region on earth and providing enormous bandwidth, the full extend of which has yet to be exploited. Passive waveguides are today being spliced together with lengths of fibre doped with the rare-earth ion erbium, providing optical fibre amplifiers which can boost a fading signal by three orders of magnitude. This combination of active and passive waveguides has made possible all-optical networks, with no electrical/optical interfaces except at the signal source and receiver and paved the way for global optical fibre telecommunications.


The basic model of oxygen recombination is examined in terms of the Tafel diagram of wet and valve regulated cells. The various mechanisms of oxygen transport achieved in lead-acid cells are presented. Specific structures or methodologies available to improve the rate of oxygen transport and thereby the limits of recombinant current and voltage are discussed. The advantages and limitations of each of the recombinant methodologies are considered in the context of their integration with other design components of the cell and for compatibility as part of the overall system. Limitations of each of the recombinant technologies as they affect the operating voltage range are discussed. Compatibility of the various recombinant means, with plate growth and structural support, is examined.<<ETX>>


Adult children make up half of the family caregivers of elderly individuals in the United States. Due to prolonged long-term care needs, family caregiving can significantly impact adult children's labor supply and earnings trajectory. This paper provides empirical evidence that daughters bear the brunt of family care compared to sons due to lower opportunity costs and the role of gender norms. Motivated by this empirical evidence, I structurally estimate a model of strategic interaction between a daughter and a son who differ in wages and preferences for family care. I find that heterogeneity in preferences, reflecting the importance attached to family care responsibilities, explains most of the gender gap in family caregiving. I estimate that daughters face a 4.6% drop in lifetime earnings due to family caregiving compared to a 1.5% drop for sons.


Background: Long-term potentiation (LTP) depends on glutamatergic neurotransmission and is modulated by cholinergic, dopaminergic and GABAergic inputs. Paired associative stimulation (PAS) is a neurostimulation paradigm that, when combined with electroencephalography (EEG), assesses LTP-like activity (PAS-induced LTP) in the dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC). Thus, we conducted a study to assess the role of cholinergic, dopaminergic, GABAergic and glutamatergic neurotransmission on PAS-induced LTP in the DLPFC. We hypothesized that increasing the dopaminergic tone with L-DOPA and the cholinergic tone with rivastigmine will enhance PAS-induced LTP, while increasing the GABAergic tone with baclofen and inhibiting glutamatergic neurotransmission with dextromethorphan will reduce it compared to placebo. Methods: In this randomized controlled, double-blind cross-over within-subject study, 12 healthy participants received five sessions of PAS to the DLPFC in a random order, each preceded by the administration of placebo or one of the four active drugs. PAS-induced LTP was assessed after each drug administration and compared to PAS-induced LTP after placebo. Results: As predicted, L-DOPA and rivastigmine resulted in enhanced PAS-induced LTP in the DLPFC and dextromethorphan inhibited it compared to placebo. In contrast, baclofen did not significantly suppress PAS-induced LTP compared to placebo. Conclusions: This study provides a novel approach to study DLPFC neuroplasticity and its modulation in patients with brain disorders that are associated with abnormalities in these neurochemical systems. This study was based on a single dose administration of each drug. Given that these drugs are typically administered chronically, future studies should assess the effects of chronic administration.


An outline of a complete program for the teaching of advanced courses in design and testing of VLSI circuits is given. The program attempts to present a unified approach to design methodologies and testing algorithms. These two aspects of VLSI design lead to the explicit issues of testability and design for testability. The students are given choices of courses, but also a coherent guideline to form a useful and stimulating overall program, whether their specialty lies within electrical engineering or computer science. Links are made in the courses to encompass topics from technology and electronics to software development for CAD (computer-aided design) packages. Some aspects of research in the field of fault detection are briefly discussed. The curricula and descriptions for some courses representing effort undertaken by the author are outlined. >


Invasive alien plants are invading some 125 million hectares in South Africa and Lesotho. More than R800 million has been invested in the clearing of invading alien plants in South Africa since October 1995. These clearing operations have had huge environmental, social and economic benefits but the benefits of the Working for Water Programme (WfW) have not yet been maximised. The initial treatment of a dense stand of invading alien plants could cost anything between R1,500 and R12,000 (on average R3,500) per hectare depending on the species and terrain factors involved. Investors have therefore had to ensure that maximum benefit is being derived from their investments. The environmental benefits of clearing operations include positive impacts on water resources, environmental stability and ecosystem function. The economic benefits include employment opportunities, value adding multipliers and economic empowerment of historically disadvantaged communities. By utilising biomass from clearing operations both the environmental and economic benefits of the programme are being enhanced. The environmental benefits include impacts on flood behaviour after clearing, dead biomass on fire intensity and its effects on soils and plant regeneration after fires, as well as the cost of fire management. The macro economic benefits of the secondary industry programme would include enhanced employment opportunities, increased government income through taxes, value-added multipliers, economic empowerment and training. Secondary industry projects in the Working for Water Programme have three primary objectives: 1. Maximising the positive economic impacts of the programme 2. Minimising dead plant biomass after clearing and 3. Minimising the net cost of clearing through the exploitation of biomass.


There is considerable controversy about whether cystic arthrosis is a primary or secondary phenomenon in the development of degenerative joint disease of the hip1,2,4,5,8,10,13,15,18. Proponents of the bone-contusion theory have suggested that a localized area of subchondral necrosis of bone resulting from repetitive microtrauma leads to cystic degeneration, leaving the articular cartilage intact1,2,4,8,13,18. Proponents of the synovial intrusion theory believe that traumatic defects in the articular cartilage allow intrusion of synovial fluid through subchondral microfractures, resulting in cystic degeneration5,10,15. Both groups of proponents agree that, in the later stages of degenerative osteoarthrosis of the hip, subchondral fractures, cystic collapse of the acetabulum, and diffuse degenerative changes predominate on both sides of the joint. Both groups also agree that it should be possible to slow the progression of the disease by timely and appropriate operative intervention.

Often, by the time patients who have pain in the hip secondary to degenerative joint disease are seen, there are characteristic roentgenographic changes, such as decreased joint space, increased subchondral sclerosis, subchondral cysts, and osteophytosis; thus, it is impossible to determine whether the cystic changes were the precursor of the late changes. This report illustrates the evolution of degenerative joint disease of the hip. The sequence of changes supports the theory that cystic arthrosis is a primary phenomenon that may precede and hasten the onset of osteoarthrosis in some patients.

A thirty-three-year-old man was involved in a motor-vehicle accident in July 1988; his automobile was struck from behind by a vehicle traveling at approximately sixty-four kilometers (forty miles) per hour. The patient had pain in the lumbosacral region and …


Ring chromosome 3, r(3), is an extremely rare cytogenetic abnormality with clinical heterogeneity and only 12 cases reported in the literature. Here, we report a 1-year-old girl presenting distinctive facial features, developmental delay, and congenital heart defects with r(3) and a ∼10-Mb deletion of chromosome 3pterp25.3 (61,891-9,979,408) involving 42 known genes which was detected using G-banding karyotyping and CytoScan 750K-Array. The breakpoints in r(3) were mapped at 3p25.3 and 3q29. We also analyzed the available information on the clinical features of the reported cases with r(3) and 3p deletion syndrome in order to provide more valuable information of genotype-phenotype correlations. To our knowledge, this is the largest detected fragment described in r(3) cases and the second r(3) study using whole-genome microarray.


Photometric metal abundances of individual red giants in eight extremely distant halo globular clusters and the Draco and Ursa Minor dwarf spheroidal galaxies have been obtained using the Washington broad-band system, C, M, T]_, T2 (Canterna 1976). Observations were made at the KPNO 2.1-m and CTIO 1.5-m telescopes. In Table I we list for each system the mean value of [Fe/H], the number of stars observed in each system, n, the Galactocentric distance, RQCJ "the intrinsic color of the giant branch at the level of the horizontal branch (HB), (B-V)0jg, and the fraction of HB stars bluer than the RR Lyrae gap, fß. Sources for unpublished color-magnitude diagram (CMD) data are: Pal 11 (Canterna and Schommer), Pal 12 (Canterna and Harris), and Ursa Minor (Schommer, Olszewski and Kunkel).


The purpose of this paper is to demonstrate the advantages of hybrid, model-matching adaptive control schemes over similar discrete schemes for control of robotic manipulators. In the hybrid approach, the controller itself is a continuously adjustable one, but the adaptation mechanism uses discrete algorithms. Thus, it retains the simplicity and efficiency of discrete parameter estimation techniques and requires estimation of fewer parameters. Furthermore, it retains the minimum phase property of the original continuous time plant and thus avoids any potential problem of instability.


Ammonium nitrate used as fertilizer is classified, according to Orangebook, as a hazardous substance in Class 5 Division 1 (5.1), oxidizing substances. Although, under fire conditions, ammonium nitrate burns in certain situations, the transition from combustion to detonation can occur. Such accidents have occurred in several countries, with significant quantities, including in Romania. Such catastrophic scenarios can occur in the case of nitrogen-based chemical fertilizers, in which case the manufacturing recipe (dolomite inhibitor additive, respectively silicone antiglutinant) is not made correctly. Exposure of nitrogen fertilizers to repeated temperature fluctuations during storage and transport leads to recrystallization of the substance as a result of these thermal cycles. This recrystallization promotes an increase in sensitivity to detonation, which is unacceptable for a chemical fertilizer intended for widespread use in agriculture. In order to verify this aspect (sensitivity to detonation), under laboratory conditions, successive thermal cycles of heating and cooling of a quantity of about 8 kg of ammonium nitrate fertilizer with a high nitrogen content must be carried out in an specialized installation with a thermal conditioning bath with predefined cycles, the duration of the entire thermal conditioning process being approximately 35 hours. INSEMEX Petro?ani, has purchased a suitable equipment for this conditioning, namely water bath, with heating and cooling system, respectively, programmable. In order to achieve a high level of automation, the water bath is controlled by a computer, on which the specialized NEScom 4.0 software runs. The results of the use of this automated system are appropriate for the purpose for which it was put into operation.


This work describes the development, validation and application of a simple and reliable high-performance liquid chromatography-diode array detection (HPLC-DAD) procedure for the analysis of two pharmaceutical mixtures. The first mixture contains the antihistaminic drug ebastine (EBS) and the famous sympathomimetic drug pseudoephedrine hydrochloride (PSD), and the second mixture is composed of EBS and another sympathomimetic agent, phenylephrine hydrochloride (PHR). Effective chromatographic separation of EBS, PSD and PHR was achieved using a Zorbax SB-C8 (4.6 × 250 mm, 5 μm) column with gradient elution of the mobile phase composed of 0.05M phosphoric acid and acetonitrile. The gradient elution started with 20% (by volume) acetonitrile, ramped up linearly to 90% in 5 min, then kept constant until the end of the run. The mobile phase was pumped at a flow rate of 1 mL/min. The multiple wavelength detector was set at 254 (for EBS and PSD) and 274 nm (for PHR) and quantification of the analytes was based on measuring their peak areas. The retention times for PHR, PSD and EBS were approximately 2.5, 2.9 and 7.1 min, respectively. The reliability and analytical performance of the proposed HPLC procedure were statistically validated with respect to linearity, ranges, precision, accuracy, selectivity, robustness and detection and quantification limits. Calibration curves were linear in the ranges 5-100, 100-1,000 and 10-200 µg/mL for EBS, PSD and PHR, respectively, with correlation coefficients > 0.9996. The validated HPLC method was applied to the analysis of the two pharmaceutical mixtures in laboratory-made tablets in which the analytes were successfully quantified with good recovery values and no interfering peaks were encountered from the inactive ingredients. Finally, the proposed method made use of DAD as a tool for peak identity and purity confirmation.


In a recent global competitiveness report by the IMF, the four Nordic countries all ranked in top ten, attesting to the region's growing attractiveness as a host location for MNCs. This paper investigates the driving forces determining foreign direct investment flows into Scandinavia. We use a panel data set covering FDI inflows to Denmark, Sweden, Norway and Finland for the period 1979-2000. Results suggest that, in addition to traditional determinants of FDI, technological advantages of the region are of particular importance for foreign investors. Thus, evidence is provided for the changing pattern of international production indicating strategic needs for MNCs to acquire assets and technology that are specific to particular locations.


This study was undertaken to assess the effect of knee immobilization on the treatment of Achilles tendon rupture. After their Achilles tendons were severed, rabbits were divided into 2 groups. In Group A, only the ankle joint was immobilized. In Group B, both the knee and ankle joints were immobilized. At 4 weeks after surgery, both the ultimate tensile force and stiffness of the severed tendons were significantly greater in Group A than in Group B. In Group A, dense collagen fibers were seen in the repaired tendons, and the bundles of collagen fibers were parallel to one another along the axis of the tendons. In contrast, in Group B, dilated veins and capillaries were seen in the repaired tendons, and the proliferation of connective tissue containing collagen fibers was severely reduced around these veins and capillaries and was in general irregular and uneven. These results suggest that knee immobilization retards the healing of a ruptured Achilles tendon without suture, due to congestion and tension deprivation produced by keeping the tendon static.


This paper is devoted to the study of the stability of the Lagrangian point L4 in the spatial restricted three-body problem and to the possibility of inclined Trojan-like objects in exoplanetary systems (single and binary star systems). The stability is investigated by numerical methods, computing stability maps in different parameter planes. In the case of circular motion of the primary bodies, it is shown that there are stable orbits up to an inclination i = 61° of the test particle. At moderate inclinations (∼10° to ∼50°), we find that the stability limit in the mass ratio of the primaries extends well beyond the linear stability value of 0.0385 – with stable orbits existing even for extreme mass ratios of 0.048. In the case of elliptic motion of the primaries, the stable region in the mass ratio–eccentricity plane shrinks as the inclination increases, with no stable orbits being found for inclinations in excess of i = 61°. Both in the circular and elliptic cases, the structure of the stability regions is closely connected with secondary resonances between the librational frequencies. As an application, the results are applied to 35 known exoplanetary systems showing which of them may possess Trojan-like objects in inclined orbits.


A divergent synthetic methodology for a tabernaemontanine-related alkaloid was developed. The synthetic route features practical improvements in the Pictet-Spengler cyclization for the tetrahydro-β-carboline intermediate and an unprecedented tandem Reformatsky-aza-Claisen rearrangement to create the core carbon skeleton and stereochemistries of tabernaemontanine-related alkaloids.


a Applicationofthediamide,diimine{ – CH ] N(1,2-C 6 H 4 )N(2,6- i Pr 2 -C 6 H 3 )} 2 m ((dadi) m ) ligandtotitaniumprovided adducts (dadi)TiL x ( 1 -L x ; L x ¼ THF, PMe 2 Ph, (CNMe) 2 ), which possess the redox formulation [(dadi) 4 (cid:2) ]Ti( IV )L x , and 22 p e (cid:2) (4 n + 2). Related complexes containing titanium-ligand multiple bonds, (dadi)Ti ] X ( 2 ] X; X ¼ O, NAd), exhibit a di ff erent dadi redox state, [(dadi) 2 (cid:2) ]Ti( IV )X, consistent with 20 p e (cid:2) (4 n ). The Redox Non-Innocence (RNI) displayed by dadi m impedes binding by CO, and permits catalytic conversion of AdN 3 + CO to AdNCO + N 2 . Kinetics measurements support carbonylation of 2 ] NAd as the rate determining step. Structural and computational evidence for the observed RNI is provided.


This research investigated the likelihood of computer technology adoption in Botswana, among school principals in secondary schools, who are assumed to be transformational leaders. The Technology Acceptance Model (TAM) survey and an interview were used to determine the perceptions of the school principals about accepting and using computer technology. The survey was used to predict and explain the principals' acceptance of computers in relation to whether they find them useful, easy to use, and if they intended to adopt and use them. The in-depth follow up semi-structured interviews explored further the responses of the survey questionnaire. The results of the TAM survey based on the regression model with an R square of .273, show that there was substantial support that the participants who found computers easy to use and useful in their job intended to adopt and use them. The interviews addressed why principals rejected or adopted computers and how they intended to enhance computer use in the school. The results show that time constraints, phobia, lack of skills or training and the lack of practice with computers were identified as barriers to adoption in this study. The results of the study confirmed that the research population was not homogenous; there were early adopters, who showed characteristics of transformational leadership as well as late adopters and non adopters who were still learning how to use computers. Therefore training on the use of computers should include strategies to alleviate barriers to computer adoption. This study has implications for the Vision 2016 because Botswana has already made a significant investment in information technology and information technology infrastructure for its secondary schools (The Revised National Policy on Education, 1994).


In this work, porous electrospun polylactic acid (PLA) fibers with high specific surface area and excellent biodegradability were examined as the support of titanium dioxide (TiO2) nanoparticles (NPs). The deposition of TiO2 NPs on porous electrospun PLA fibrous substrates was accomplished through the hydrolysis of titanium tetra isopropoxide (TTIP) under ultrasonic irradiation, and the effects of the TTIP concentrations on structure and property of composite fibers was also investigated. The prepared TiO2-deposited PLA composite fibers were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), High-resolution transmission electron microscopy (HRTEM), Brunauer-Emmett-Teller (BET) and thermogravimetric analyzer (TGA). The results indicated that the anatase TiO2 NPs with an average size of about several tens of nanometers to 200 nm were successfully loaded onto surface of porous PLA fibrous substrates. Meanwhile, the TiO2 NPs liked a "double-edged sword," overfull deposition of TiO2 NPs had negative effect on the properties of composite fibers. Under the optimized condition, the TiO2 NPs deposited dispersedly on the surface of PLA fibers without severe agglomeration and this structure performed with a high specific surface area of 64.8 m2/g, which was 5 times as large as pure PLA nanofibers (12.9 m2/g). In addition, the prepared TiO2-loaded composite fibers showed satisfactory removal efficiency on MB, the MB concentration decreased about 75%, which was remarkably higher than that of pure PLA fibers. Compared with powdery TiO2, TiO2-loaded composite fibers showed considerable photocatalytic activity, as well as easier operation, confirming this hybrid composite fibers was suitable for the easier operated application of TiO2.


Biomass burning by wildland fires has significant ecological, social and economic impacts. Satellite remote sensing provides direct measurements of radiative energy released by the fire (i.e. fire intensity) and surrogate measures of ecological change due to the fire (i.e. fire or burn severity). Despite anecdotal observations causally linking fire intensity with severity, the nature of any relationship has not been examined over extended spatial scales. We compare fire intensities defined by Moderate Resolution Imaging Spectroradiometer Fire Radiative Power (MODIS FRP) products with Landsat-derived spectral burn severity indices for 16 fires across a vegetation structure continuum in the western United States. Per-pixel comparison of MODIS FRP data within individual fires with burn severity indices is not reliable because of known satellite temporal and spatial FRP undersampling. Across the fires, 69% of the variation in relative differenced normalized burn ratio was explained by the 90th percentile of MODIS FRP. Therefore, distributional MODIS FRP measures (median and 90th-percentile FRP) derived from multiple MODIS overpasses of the actively burning fire event may be used to predict potential long-term negative ecological effects for individual fires.


One of the problems faced by people with blindness is access to materials presented in graphical form. There are many alternative forms of providing such information, but they are very often ineffective or have certain limitations. The development of mobile devices and touch sensors enabled the development of new tools to support such people. This study presents a solution called an accessible tutoring platform, using audio-tactile graphics for people with blindness. We aimed to research the influence of the developed platform for the alternative presentation of graphics information on better memorizing, recognizing, and learning. Another goal of the research was to verify the effectiveness of the proposed method for the alternative presentation of audio-tactile graphics. The effectiveness of the proposed solution was verified quantitatively and qualitatively on two groups of blind students from primary and secondary schools with the use of a developed platform and prepared materials for learning mathematics. The obtained research results show that the proposed method of verifying students' knowledge and auto-selecting exercises with adapted audio description positively influences the improvement of learning effectiveness.


Lactobacillus plantarum CLP29 and Enterococcus faecium CLE34 isolated from the cecal contents of young broiler chicks were identified based on physiological and biochemical characteristics, and identification was confirmed by 16S rRNA sequencing. Both bacteria showed a broad range of inhibitory action against bacteria such as Salmonella and Escherichia coli and produced two peptides, plantaricin CLP29 and enterocin CLE34. Treatment with proteinase K, trypase, or benase resulted in the loss of activity of the two peptides, confirming their proteinaceous nature. The highest activity levels for both bacteria were recorded in de Man - Rogosa - Sharpe agar at pH 5.0, 6.0, and 7.0, at 37 °C. Carbon and nitrogen sources affected the antibacterial activities of the two bacteriocins in different combinations, which suggested that the antibacterial abilities of different bacteriocins produced in nutrient sources were various.


AbstractStudies tackling the Roman legacy of colonial cities and Arabian provinces are still grappling with these cities from an urban planning perspective and/or building typologies. They do not provide a 'spatial' analysis that allows reading the Roman cities through the features that structured its urban language; one of which is the colonnaded streets. The study adopts a holistic approach to confront the ambiguities about possible origins, uses and meanings of the Roman colonnaded streets when traced in the Roman East as well as other Western cities. Besides its utilitarian and cultural value, the colonnaded streets are nalyzed according to two interrelated interpretations: astrological interpretation to represent an empire of astral divinity and performative interpretation to represent an empire of imperial power. The colonnaded streets is transformed from a 'line on site' into a 'line of sight' that testifies to the social norms of the Roman people but also to their ideologies, beliefs, and aspirations.


Cadherins are the family of functionally related transmembrane glycoproteins responsible for the Ca2+‐dependent cell–cell adhesion mechanism that is crucial for the mutual association of vertebrate cells. Because cell dissociation and acquisition of cell motility occur in cancer invasion and metastasis, it is important to study the possible involvement of mutual cell adhesion of cancer cells.


According to global air traffic forecasts the air transport system will double within the next 15 years. Although today's environmental impact of aviation on climate change is small in comparison to other sectors, the anticipated growth requires substantial enhancements in the emission characteristics of new aircraft and new operational concepts with breakthrough technology improvements. Given the sensitivity of the aviation industry to fuel costs, a highly fuel efficient air transport system is another requirement to achieve economic sustainability. Based on the long-term visions set not only in Europe but also in the US, the presentation will address the key enabling technologies for aircraft design, engines and the operation of aircraft within a future air transportation system achieving these objectives. The conclusion will give an outlook on the global air transport emission balance with respect to level of availability of technology and their possible introduction into service. 1.INTRODUCTION The air transport system is an essential part of the globalized economy of the 21 st century. The development has brought air travel from being a luxury after the World War II to an easy to use and affordable commodity to the turn of the millennium. With the new century new challenges arose for the air transportation system. Aside the tendencies to liberalization and deregulation the focus turned to security aspects following the terrorist attacks of 2001. This topic remains to be addressed, but the security research is on track to develop new strategies to keep aviation a secure transportation system. However, environmental sustainability remains as a big challenge to be solved. In light of the soaring oil price with a doubling in prices for jet fuel within 18 months (between Jan 2007 and June 2008) and the higher awareness for anthropogenic climate change the air transport system has to adapt to these new condition to sustain its expected growth rates and economic profitability. The introduction of fuel saving technologies into the air transport system is very cost intensive and furthermore political measures like the inclusion of air transport into the emission trading scheme add to the burden for the airline industry. The following paper will present a technology roadmap for the future air transportation system pointing out new concepts being both economically feasible and environmentally sustainable. This includes an assessment of the current growth rate of aviation and the environmental impact, current trends in research and development in Europe, an overview over the main technology fields and the accompanying political measures. An assessment of the global impact will conclude this paper. 2.AVIATION GROWTH AND ENVIRONMENTAL IMPACT According to the forecasts of the two largest manufactures for commercial aircraft the air transport system will experience growth rates of 4.9 % [Airbus 2007] to 5.0 % [Boeing2008] in the passenger business and even higher rates in the cargo area (both predict 5.8%) for the next 20 years. Associated with this increase is an expected demand for up to 29,000 new airplanes in the same timeframe. As a result the air traffic will double within the next 15 years Sitraer 7 (2008) LXIVLXXIV LXV (Figure 1). Historical data show that this assumption is realistic. The air transport system proved to be resilient to external crises surviving the oil crises of the 1970s, two gulf wars, economic downfalls, the terrorist attacks of 2001 and large area epidemics like SARS 2002. The air transportation system has more than regained the traffic figures of the pre 9/11 era plus average growth rates. And hopefully this will be true also for the current global crisis of the finance markets. Figure 1: World air traffic growth [Airbus 2007] With this continued growth rate comes one of aviation's main problems. Although the whole air transport system accounts today only for approximately 2 % of the global man made carbon dioxide emission [IPCC 2000] the growth rate will not be offset by increased fuel efficiency and thus increasing the share of the CO2 impact with added contributions to global warming. This increased impact is furthermore augmented by the fact that aircraft emissions occur in higher altitudes with more severe implications than ground level emission from other transportation sources. To account for this effect the radiative forcing index (RFI) is used. The IPCC assumes the RFI to be between 2.2 and 3.7 for commercial aviation 3 . The RFI and the projected growth rates explain the major effect of the air transport system on global CO2 emission and therefore the need for improvements in fuel efficiency. This need is furthermore intensified by the high fuel prices directly increasing the airline's operating costs while reducing profitability margins. Because new technologies solving these problems are not readily available further research and development is necessary. Several research programs are currently underway to address these issues. 3 EUROPEAN RESEARCH STRATEGIES FOR THE FUTURE 3.1 ACARE (Advisory Council for Aeronautic Research in Europe) In 2001 the European aviation community recognized the requirement of new technologies for aviation in the 21 st century using a structured approach. Therefore the Advisory Council for Aeronautic Research in Europe (ACARE) was established, a high level group of about 40 representatives from EU member states, the EU Commission, airlines, the manufacturing Sitraer 7 (2008) LXIVLXXIV LXVI industry and academia. In its Strategic Research Agenda 1 (2002) five focus areas where identified: • Quality and Affordability • Environment • Safety • Air Transport System Efficiency • Security Additionally, specific goals were defined to be achieved by the year 2020. In the context of this paper only the goals for the areas Environment and Air Transport System Efficiency are mentioned: ACARE Environmental Goals are • To reduce fuel consumption and CO2 emissions by 50% • To reduce perceived external noise by 50% • To reduce NOx by 80% • To make substantial progress in reducing the environmental impact of the manufacture, maintenance and disposal of aircraft and related products ACARE Air Transport System Efficiency Goals are • Accommodation of three times more aircraft movements compared with 2000 • Enabling 99% of flights to arrive and depart within 15 minutes of their advertised scheduled departure time, in all weather conditions These ACARE goals were furthermore reviewed in the Strategic Research Agenda 2 in 2004, where the main focus areas where confirmed to be still of high importance. The strategic approach was slightly changed to a more holistic approach ensuring the involvement of all stakeholders e.g. airports which were not adequately covered earlier. The second agenda introduced a long term view going beyond 2020 adding promising technology concepts not to be available for the market by 2020. These strategic considerations led to the launch of the Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative research program by the European Commission which will be explained in the following chapter. 3.2 Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative Following the ACARE recommendations the Clean Sky Joint Technology Initiative was launched in 2007 by the European Commission in cooperation with the industry, research institutes and other partners within the EU. With a budget of 1.6 billion Euros it is one the largest research programs in the EU, lasting from 2007 to 2013. The main goal is to reach the ACARE goal faster in a concentrated effort compared to the usual industry development cycles of 10 years. Clean Sky's main goal is to develop six so called Integrated Technology Demonstrators (ITD) in a multidisciplinary approach for each of those demonstrators. The six ITD covering a broad range of the air transportation systems are Smart Fixed Wing Aircraft, Green Regional Aircraft, Green Rotorcraft, Sustainable And Green Engines, Systems For Green Operations and Eco Design. All of them are linked by a common simulation platform called Technology Sitraer 7 (2008) LXIVLXXIV LXVII Evaluator to asses the environmental improvement of the technology developed in the different ITDs using a process based model of the air transport system (Figure 2). Figure 2: Structure of Clean Sky Project [Clean Sky JTI 2008] A large number of goals within the six demonstrators are addressed within the detailed research program. The most interesting ones related to this paper will be mentioned below. In the fixed wing aircraft project the goal is to reduce aircraft noise by 5 to 10 dB and emission from fuel combustion by 10 % to 20 % for medium and long-haul aircraft. This is to be achieved by reducing the wing's aerodynamic drag using active and passive flow and load control. The other main area of research will be new aircraft configurations due to new engine concepts. For regional aircraft the main objective is the adaption of market ready technologies like the use of carbon fibre materials to fit the requirements of regional aircraft. The aircraft engines account for most of the noise and fuel consumption characteristics of airplanes and for the air transportation system. Therefore the development of greener engines is crucial for reaching the ACARE goals and an important part of the Clean Sky initiative. Within the program up to five full sized engines will be produced evaluating new technologies and concepts. Some of those concepts will be explained here. The Systems For Green Operations demonstrator project is part of the holistic approach within the Clean Sky program. The research covers all flight phases including ground operations with the main objective to reduce noise and emissions. Four concepts will be looked at in detail, new aircraft energy concepts, more environmentally friendly trajectories, Sitraer 7 (2008) LXIVLXXIV LXVIII improved ground operations and as a new operation management approac


Nuclear factor-kappaB (NF-kappaB) is an inducible transcription factor central in the regulation of expression of a wide variety of genes and synthesis of several proteins involved in the generation of the immune response and inflammatory processes. In resting cells, NF-kappaB is maintained in an inactive state through cytoplasmic retention by IkappaB inhibitors. Stimulation of cells with a wide variety of inducers results in proteolytic degradation of these IkappaB proteins, leading to activation of NF-kappaB. The present study shows that interleukin-1 (IL-1) causes persistent activation of NF-kappaB in glial cells. Stimulation with IL-1 also causes rapid but transient degradation of IkappaB-alpha and IkappaB-epsilon. However, NF-kappaB remains active even after these IkappaB isoforms have returned to control levels. In contrast, the IkappaB-beta isoform fails to reappear following its initial degradation by IL-1, coincident with sustained activation of NF-kappaB. In addition, in vivo overexpression of the various IkappaB isoforms revealed that IkappaB-beta is the only isoform that has the ability to inhibit IL-1-induced NF-kappaB-driven transcription. The findings also suggest that the inability of IkappaB-alpha and IkappaB-epsilon to modulate NF-kappaB activity is due to their modification in vivo. These findings indicate that IkappaB-beta is the key regulator of the activity of NF-kappaB in human glial cells.


New NYSE rules allow investors direct access to the floor to execute their trades through independent brokers. There are many advantages for the institutional investor, most notably lower overall total transaction costs. For most investors, obtaining liquidity at a reasonable price and completing trades on a timely basis has greater value than the commission itself. The independent broker can provide personalized access to hidden sources of liquidity, which are not visible on the specialists9 books, and do so with anonymity.


Abstract Hydrogen assisted cracking (HAC) is one of the most complicated problem in welding. Huge amount of studies have been done for decades. Based on them, various standards have been established to avoid HAC. But it is still a chronic problem in industrial field. It is well known that the main causes of the hydrogen crack are residual stress, crack susceptible micro structures and a certain critical level of hydrogen concentration. Even though the exact generating mechanism is unclear till today, it has been reported that the hydrogen level in the weld metal should be managed less than a certain amount to prevent it. Matsuda studied that the residual hydrogen level in the weld metal can be varied even if the initial hydrogen content is same. It is also insisted in this report that the residual hydrogen concentration is in stronger correlation with hydrogen crack than the initial hydrogen content. But, in practical point of view, the residual hydrogen is still hard to consider because measuring hydrogen level is time and cost consuming process. In this regard, numerical analysis is the only solution for considering the residual hydrogen content. Meanwhile, Takahashi showed the possibility of predicting the residual hydrogen by a rigorous FE analysis. But, few commercial software suitable for solving the weld metal hydrogen has been reported yet. In this study, two dimensional thermal hydrogen coupled analysis was developed by using the commercial FE software MARC. Since the governing equation of the hydrogen diffusion is similar to the heat transfer, it is shown that the heat transfer FE analysis in association with hydrogen diffusion property can be used for hydrogen diffusion analysis. A series of simulation was performed to verify the accuracy of the model. For BOP (Bead-On-Plate) and the multi-pass butt welding simulations, remaining hydrogen contents in the weld metal is well matched with measurements which are referred from Kim and Masamitsu.


Objectives: This study was designed to investigate the effects of alcoholic fermentation extract from ovary and rind of pear on human skin. Methods: We investigated the effects of samples on human skin in terms of clinical trial. 32 of healthy volunteers, who lived in mokpo participated in clinical trial. Effects of sample on hygroscopicity and water-holding capacity were investigated. Sebum, moisture, scabrousness and desquamation were also investigated. Facial massages were conducted 8 times in each volunteers. Results: Single treatment group showed elevated levels of hygroscopicity (Normal: 106.4±2.1%, vs Pear: 114.1±6.2) and water-holding capacity (Normal: 87.1±4.4%, vs Pear: 96.2±1.3) on forearm of 16 volunteers respectively. In addition, massage group using sample showed elevated moisture (Control: 3.8±5.8%, vs Sample: 15.2±4.7%) and lowered scabrousness levels (Control: -12.3±4.4%, vs Sample: -22.0±5.2%) significantly. However, the levels of sebum did not affected by sample. Conclusions: These result suggest that alcoholic fermentation extract from ovary and rind of pear has moisturizing effect on human skin.


We provide a systematic study of the problem of finding the source of a computer virus in a network. We model virus spreading in a network with a variant of the popular SIR model and then construct an estimator for the virus source. This estimator is based upon a novel combinatorial quantity which we term rumor centrality. We establish that this is an ML estimator for a class of graphs. We find the following surprising threshold phenomenon: on trees which grow faster than a line, the estimator always has non-trivial detection probability, whereas on trees that grow like a line, the detection probability will go to 0 as the network grows. Simulations performed on synthetic networks such as the popular small-world and scale-free networks, and on real networks such as an internet AS network and the U.S. electric power grid network, show that the estimator either finds the source exactly or within a few hops in different network topologies. We compare rumor centrality to another common network centrality notion known as distance centrality. We prove that on trees, the rumor center and distance center are equivalent, but on general networks, they may differ. Indeed, simulations show that rumor centrality outperforms distance centrality in finding virus sources in networks which are not tree-like.


Transitional cell carcinoma (TCC) is the most commonly diagnosed neoplasm in the urinary bladder. Distant metastases to the regional lymph nodes, lungs, abdominal organs or bones are noted in up to 50% of dogs at time of death. Surgical excision is often not practical as TCC typically involve the trigone of the bladder and/or occurs multifocally throughout the bladder with field cancerization. Therapeutic approaches are very challenging and the requirement to evaluate alternative therapeutic protocols that may prolong survival times in dogs bearing these tumours is compelling. We assessed the immunohistochemical expression of HER-2 in 23 cases of canine TCCs of the urinary bladder and compare it with non-neoplastic urothelium in order to evaluate a rationale for targeted therapies and gene-based vaccines. HER-2 positivity was recorded in 13/23 (56%) neoplastic lesions. The receptor was significantly overexpressed in neoplastic than in non-neoplastic samples (P = .015). According to our preliminary results, it would be of interest to further evaluate the role of HER-2 in canine TCCs as a marker of malignancy and a therapeutic target for cancer vaccine and antibodies. Moreover, the significantly different overexpression of HER-2 in TCCs than in non-neoplastic urothelium further supports to investigate its role in the progression toward malignancy of non-neoplastic lesions.


It is shown that the two-dimensional free fermion model is equivalent to a checkerboard Ising model, which is a special case of the general 'Z-invariant' Ising model. Expressions are given for the partition function and local correlations in terms of those of the regular square lattice Ising model. Corresponding results are given for the self-dual Potts model, and the application of the methods to the three-dimensional Zamolodchikov model is discussed. The paper ends with a discussion of the critical and disorder surfaces of the checkerboard Potts model.


This paper proposes a method for the coordinated control of reactive power by a multi-agent approach. The proposed multi-agent system consists of two types of agents: a single feeder agent (F_AG), and several bus agents (B_AGs). In the proposed system, F_AG plays the important role of deciding the power factors of all distributed generators by repeatedly executing the load flow calculations. The voltage control strategies of the system are implemented as the class definition in Java. To verify the performance, the proposed method was applied to a model system. The simulation results showed that the system is able to control very violent fluctuation of demand and photovoltaics (PVs).


After creating "fontanelles" in infant rhesus monkeys, we measured intracranial pressure of these monkeys directly with an indwelling cannula and indirectly with a Ladd 1700 sensor. Values obtained with the Ladd sensor placed over the shaven fontanelle closely approximate directly measured pressure in acute experiments in these animals and in human cadavers. Application of the device is simple and application pressure need not always be the same for multiple determinations. The response time is 1.6 cm H2O/sec, which is adequate to record changes in intracranial pressure caused by changes in the partial pressure of CO2 in arterial blood.


IrOx nanofoils (IrOxNF) of high surface area are sputtered on multi-wall carbon nanotubes (CNT) in the preparation of a structured electrode on a stainless steel (SUS) substrate for supercapacitor applications. This IrOx/CNT/SUS electrode is featured with intriguing IrOx curved foils of 2–3 nm in thickness and 400–500 nm in height, grown on top of the vertically aligned CNT film with a tube diameter of ∼ 40 nm. These nanofoils are moderately oxidized during reactive sputtering and appeared translucent under the electron microscope. Detailed structural analysis shows that they are comprised of contiguous grains of iridium metal, iridium dioxide, and glassy iridium oxide. Considerable Raman line broadening is also evidenced for the attributed nanosized iridium oxides. Two capacitive properties of the electrode are significantly enhanced with addition of the curved IrOx foils. First, IrOxNF reduces the electrode Ohmic resistance, which was measured at 3.5 Ω cm2 for the CNT/SUS and 2.5 Ω cm2 for IrOxNF/CNT/SUS using impedance spectroscopy. Second, IrOxNF raises the electrode capacitance from 17.7 F g − 1 (CNT/SUS) to 317 F g − 1 (IrOx/CNT/SUS), measured with cyclic voltammetry. This notable increase is further confirmed by the galvanostatic charge/discharge experiment, measuring 370 F g − 1 after 2000 uninterrupted cycles between − 1.0 and 0.0 V (versus Ag/AgCl).


Background: Multiresistant Klebsiella pneumoniae are predominant cause of hospital acquired infection. This work describes the molecular epidemiology of these isolates in Tunisian Hospital.Methods: Between October 2010 and June 2013, 50 non-duplicated clinical K.pneumoniae were selected on the basis of nalidixic acid (NA) resistance and were characterized. Isolates were identified using APi 20E system. Susceptibility testing was determined using the disc diffusion method and the microdilution technique to determine the MIC of ciprofloxacin.PMQR and ESBL genes were detected by PCR and positive results were confirmed by direct sequencing of PCR products. Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) was performed to determine the genetic relationship among isolates. Conjugation and transformation were done to know if PMQR and ESBL were carried with one or two plasmids.Results: A total of 20 PMQR harboring K.pneumoniae representing 40% of all NA resistant isolates were characterized. Among PMQR positive K.pneumoniae 13 were resistant to amoxicilline, amoxicilline/clavulanic acid, ticarcilline, piperacilline, cefaloridine, cefotaxime (CTX) and ceftazidime. The rate of resistance to gentamicine, tobramicine and amikacine were 85%, 95% and 25% respectively.Out of 20 K.pneumoniae (60%) were qnr positive (1 qnrA6 and 11 qnrB1) and (60%) were aac-Ib-cr positive. 33.3% coharbored the aac-Ib-cr and qnrB1 determinants. Out of all PMQR positive strains, 65% harbored ctx-M-15 gene. It was associated to shv11 in three cases and tem1 in two cases. The predominant types were ST4 (35%) and ST15 (20%). ST 101(15%) and ST 147 (10%) come in second order. one case of each ST14,ST86,ST336 and ST307 were also observed. qnrB1, aac-Ib-cr, Ctx-m-15 can be carried with more than one plasmid in the same bacteria.Conclusion: The co-existing of different genes conferring resistance among the same and different family of antibiotics is a big threat to patient because it limits the therapeutic process. This phenomonen is a problem of concern that needs to improve the resistance surveillance of multi gene carrying K pneumoniae.


This article discusses 18 accelerator mass spectrometry (AMS) radiocarbon dates from the peat bog sites Sakhtysh 2a, Ozerki 5, and Ozerki 17 in the Upper Volga region. The aim is to contribute to a better understanding of the emergence and dispersal of early ceramic traditions in northern Eurasia and their connection to the Baltic. With 1 exception, all dates were obtained from charred residue adhering to the sherd. A possible reservoir effect was tested on 1 piece of pottery from Sakhtysh 2a by taking 1 sample from charred residue, and another sample from plant fiber remains. Although a reservoir effect was able to be ruled out in this particular case, 4 other dates from Sakhtysh 2a and Ozerki 5 seem too old on typological grounds and might have been affected by freshwater reservoir effects. Considering all other reliable dates, the Early Neolithic Upper Volga culture, and with it the adoption of ceramics, in the forest zone of European Russia started around 6000 cal BC.


Soft rot Pectobacteriaceae (SRP), typical of Pectobacterium and Dickeya, are a class of Gram-negative bacterial pathogens that cause devastating diseases on a wide range of crops and ornamental plants worldwide. Quorum sensing (QS) is a cell-cell communication mechanism regulating the expression of specific genes by releasing QS signal molecules associated with cell density, in most cases, involving in the vital process of virulence and infection. In recent years, several types of QS systems have been uncovered in Dickeya pathogens to control diverse biological behaviors, especially bacterial pathogenicity and transkingdom interactions. This review depicts an integral QS regulation network of Dickeya, elaborates in detail the regulation of specific QS system on different biological functions of the pathogens and hosts, aiming at providing a systematic overview of Dickeya pathogenicity and interactions with hosts, and, finally, expects the future prospective of effectively controlling the bacterial soft rot disease caused by Dickeya by quenching the key QS signal.


The gravitational force harbours a fundamental instability against collapse. In standard General Relativity without Quantum Mechanics, this implies the existence of black holes as natural, stable solutions of Einstein's equations. If one attempts to quantize the gravitational force, one should also consider the question how Quantum Mechanics affects the behaviour of black holes. In this lecture, we concentrate on the horizon. One would have expected that its properties could be derived from general coordinate transformations out of a vacuum state. In contrast, it appears that much new physics is needed. Much of that is still poorly understood, but one may speculate on the way information is organized at a horizon, and how refined versions of Quantum Theory may lead to answers.


The influence of various factors affecting the deposition of lipid and cholesterol in the iris of rabbits fed cholesterol and cottonseed oil was studied. It was observed that this deposition could be increased by the intraocular implantation of either normal aortic tissue or polyethylene discs. In an additional study, it was found that intermittent exposure of the eyes of cholesterol-fed rabbits to intense light also provoked an earlier and more intense iris deposition of lipid and cholesterol than was observed in the eyes of similarly fed rabbits kept either in absolute darkness or under ordinary laboratory conditions. It was postulated that the factor responsible for the greater iridic deposition observed in all these experimental animals was the iridic vasodilatation effected by these experimental measures.

With the Technical Assistance of Warren Hayashi and Clarence Omoto


As urban self-organization grows into a key concept in spatial planning—explaining spontaneous spatial transformations—the understandings and applications of the concept divert. This article turns to the ontological dimension of urban self-organization and scrutinizes how a critical realist and a post-structuralist ontology inspire theoretical practices, analytical tendencies, empirical readings, and subsequent planning interventions in relation to urban self-organization. This is illustrated with an example of the self-organized regeneration of a deprived street in Rotterdam, the Netherlands. With this contribution, we aim to create ontological self-awareness among planning scholars in studying urban self-organization and invite them to reflect on how their positions complement, deviate, and potentially challenge or inspire those of others. We argue that by clarifying ontological diversity in urban self-organization, theoretical practices and complexity-informed planning interventions can be further deepened and enriched.


Background: Although highly effective in preventing arrhythmic death, there is a high prevalence of anxiety, depression and reduced quality of life among patients who have received an implantable cardioverter defibrillator (ICD). Whether mortality, ICD shock and readmission are predicted by patient-reported outcomes is unknown. Aim: The aim of this study was to describe patient-reported outcomes among patients with ICDs compared by: ICD indication and generator type (ICD or cardiac resynchronisation therapy ICD), and to determine whether patient-reported outcomes at discharge predict mortality, ICD therapy and readmission. Methods: A national cross-sectional survey at hospital discharge (n=998) with register follow-up. Patient-reported outcomes included the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, Short Form-12, HeartQoL, EQ-5D and Edmonton Symptom Assessment Scale. Register data: ICD therapy, readmissions and mortality within one year following discharge. Results: Patients with primary prevention ICDs had significantly worse patient-reported outcomes at discharge than patients with secondary prevention ICDs. Likewise, patients with cardiac resynchronisation therapy ICDs had significantly worse patient-reported outcomes at discharge than patients without cardiac resynchronisation therapy. One-year mortality was predicted by patient-reported outcomes, with the highest hazard ratio (HR) being anxiety (HR 2.02; 1.06–3.86), but was not predicted by indication or cardiac resynchronisation therapy. ICD therapy and ventricular tachycardia/ventricular fibrillation were not predicted by patient-reported outcomes, indication or cardiac resynchronisation therapy. Overall, patient-reported outcomes predicted readmissions, e.g. symptoms of anxiety and depression predicted all readmissions within 3 months (HR 1.50; 1.13–1.98) and 1.47 (1.07–2.03), respectively). Conclusion: Patients with primary indication ICDs and cardiac resynchronisation therapy ICDs report worse patient-reported outcomes than patients with secondary indication and no cardiac resynchronisation therapy. Patient-reported outcomes such as mental health, quality of life and symptom burden predict one-year mortality and acute and planned hospital readmissions.


Study Design. A biomechanical and anatomic study with human cadaveric lumbar spine. Objectives. The purpose of this study is to examine the morphologic changes in the intervertebral foramen during flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation of the lumbar spine and to correlate these changes with the flexibility of the spinal motion segments. Summary of Background Data. Previous studies showed morphologic changes in the intervertebral foramen during flexion and extension; however, those changes during lateral bending and axial rotation were not well known. Methods. There were 81 motion segments obtained from 39 human cadaveric lumbar spines (mean age 69 years). The motion segments were imaged with CT scanner with 1-mm thick consecutive sections. For biomechanical testing each motion segment was applied with incremental pure moments of flexion, extension, lateral bending, and axial rotation. Rotational movements of the motion segment were measured using VICON cameras. After application of the last load, the specimens were frozen under load, and then CT was performed with the same technique described above. Six parameters of the intervertebral foramen were measured, including foraminal width (maximum and minimum), foraminal height, disc bulging, thickness of ligamentum flavum, and cross-sectional area of the foramen. Results. Flexion increased the foraminal width (maximum and minimum), height, and area significantly while significantly decreasing the disc bulging and thickness of ligamentum flavum (P < 0.05). However, extension decreased the foraminal width (maximum and minimum), height, and area significantly. Lateral bending significantly decreased the foraminal width (maximum and minimum), height, and area at the bending side, whereas lateral bending significantly increased the foraminal width (minimum), height, and area at the opposite side of bending. Likewise, axial rotation decreased the foraminal width (minimum) and area at the rotation side significantly while significantly increasing the foraminal height and foraminal area at the opposite side. The percent change in the foraminal area was found significantly correlated with the amount of segmental spinal motion except for the extension motion. Conclusions. This study showed that the intervertebral foramen of the lumbar spine changed significantly not only on flexion–extension but also on lateral bending and axial rotation. The percent change in cross-sectional foraminal area was correlated with the amount of segmental motion except for extension motions. Further studies are needed to assess the morphologic changes in the intervertebral foramen in vivo and to correlate clinically.


This study extends the theory of recognition primed decision-making by applying it to groups. An experiment was conducted in which teams made resource allocation decisions while physically dispersed and supported with a shared virtual work surface (What You See Is What I See-WYSIWIS). The task required teams to recognize patterns and collaborate to allocate their resources appropriately. The experiment explored the use of tools (item versus chunk level communication) designed to minimize the cognitive effort required to recognize and communicate patterns among team members. Dependent measures included pattern communication correctness, pattern communication time, resource allocation time, and outcome quality. All teams received significant financial rewards in direct proportion to their outcome quality. Teams supported with the pattern-communicating tools had significantly higher outcome quality and significantly less resource movements and allocation time than teams in the control condition. Further, the teams that used the chunk-communicating tool performed significantly better than the teams supported with an item-communicating tool.


Background Imaging may play an important role in identifying high‐risk plaques in patients who have carotid disease and who could benefit from surgical revascularization. We sought to evaluate the cost effectiveness of a decision‐making rule based on the ultrasound imaging assessment of plaque echolucency in patients with asymptomatic carotid stenosis. Methods and Results We used a decision‐analytic model to project lifetime quality‐adjusted life years and costs for 5 stroke prevention strategies: (1) medical therapy only; (2) revascularization if both plaque echolucency and stenosis progression to >90% are present; (3) revascularization only if plaque echolucency is present; (4) revascularization only if stenosis progression >90% is present; or (5) either plaque echolucency or stenosis progression is present. Risks of clinical events, costs, and quality‐of‐life values were estimated based on published sources and the analysis was conducted from a healthcare system perspective for asymptomatic patients with 70% to 89% carotid stenosis at presentation. Patients who did not undergo revascularization had the highest stroke events (17.6%) and lowest life‐years (8.45), while those who underwent revascularization on the basis of either presence of plaque echolucency on ultrasound or progression of carotid stenosis had the lowest stroke events (12.0%) and longest life‐years (14.41). The either plaque echolucency or progression‐based revascularization group had an incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio of $110 000/quality‐adjusted life years compared with the plaque echolucency‐based strategy, which had an incremental cost‐effectiveness ratio of $29 000/quality‐adjusted life years compared with the joint echolucency and progression‐based strategy. Conclusions Plaque echolucency on ultrasound can be a cost‐effective tool to identify patients with asymptomatic carotid artery stenosis most likely to benefit from carotid endarterectomy.


Abstract This paper draws on recent advances in our knowledge (much of it owed to the proliferation of military diplomas) and a new analytical method to quantify the number of soldiers and their children who received Roman citizenship between 14 and 212 c.e. Although significant uncertainties remain, these can be quantified and turn out to be small relative to the overall scale of enfranchisement. The paper begins by reviewing what is known about grants of citizenship to soldiers, with particular attention to the remaining uncertainties, before presenting a quantitative model of the phenomenon. The total number of beneficiaries was somewhere in the region 0.9–1.6 million — significantly lower than previous estimates have suggested. It also emerges that the rate of enfranchisement varied substantially over time, in line with significant changes in manpower, length of service (and hence the number of recruits and discharged veterans) and the rate of family formation among soldiers. The Supplementary Material available online (https://doi.org/10.1017/S0075435819000662) contains a database of military diplomas (Supplementary Appendix 1), a mathematical model of enfranchisement implemented in MS Excel (Supplementary Appendix 2), a description of the model (Supplementary Appendix 3A) and a derivation of the model of attrition across service cohorts in Fig. 6 (Supplementary Appendix 3B).


Detecting neurotransmitters with high sensitivity and selectivity is important to understand their roles in biological functions. Current detection methods for neurotransmitters suffer from poor sensitivity or selectivity. In this article, we propose ultraviolet (UV) plasmonic engineered native fluorescence as a new sensing mechanism to detect neurotransmitters with high sensitivity and selectivity. We measured the native fluorescence of three monoamine neurotransmitters, dopamine (DA), norepinephrine (NE), and 3,4-dihydroxyphenylacetic acid (DOPAC). The average net enhancement and total photon yield enhancement on an aluminum hole array with 300 nm hole spacing substrate were found to be 50× and 60×, for the three molecules. We also observed a 1.5–1.7× reduction in the dominant photon bleaching rate on an aluminum hole array compared to an aluminum-thin film substrate. The photobleaching rates of the native fluorescence of DA, NE and DOPAC were found to be highly sensitive to their molecular structures and can be further engineered by UV plasmonic substrates. The differences in the photobleaching rates for DA and NE were 2× and 1.6× larger on an aluminum thin film and an aluminum hole array than on a silicon substrate. As a proof-of-concept experiment, we mixed DA with NE at different concentration ratios and measured the average photobleaching rates of the mixture. We found that the average photobleaching rate is proportional to the concentration of NE in the mixture. Our findings demonstrate the potential of UV plasmonic engineered native fluorescence to achieve sensitive and selective detection of neurotransmitters.


Tensor decomposition on big data has attracted significant attention recently. Among the most popular methods is a class of algorithms that leverages compression in order to reduce the size of the tensor and potentially parallelize computations. A fundamental requirement for such methods to work properly is that the low-rank tensor structure is retained upon compression. In lieu of efficient and realistic means of computing and studying the effects of compression on the low rank of a tensor, we study the effects of compression on the core consistency; a widely used heuristic that has been used as a proxy for estimating that low rank. We provide theoretical analysis, where we identify sufficient conditions for the compression such that the core consistency is preserved, and we conduct extensive experiments that validate our analysis. Further, we explore popular compression schemes and how they affect the core consistency.


PURPOSE:
To study the mean loss of corneal endothelial cell in patients undergoing
cataract surgery with phacoemulsification with and without trypan blue.
STUDY DESIGN:
Randomized controlled trial
PLACE  AND DURATION OF STUDY:
Institute of Ophthalmology, Mayo Hospital/ King Edward Medical University,
Lahore.
From 1-1-2016 to 30-5-2017
MATERIAL AND METHODS:

152 patients presenting to the Institute of Ophthalmology were included in
study. Patients diagnosed with cataract were selected for surgery. The
patients were divided into two groups A and B. Group A patients underwent
phacoemulsification with trypan blue aided central curvilinear capsulorhexis
while Group B patients underwent phacoemulsification without any aid of
trypan blue. Patients with any corneal opacity were excluded from study.
Specular microscopy was done on all patients before and three months after
surgery. On specular microscopy, corneal endothelial count, hexagonality
and coefficient of variation were noted. Specular microscopy and recording
of findings was done by researcher.
RESULTS:
Endothelial cell loss was observed in both the groups but it was more
in the Group A (74.3421±0.6332)as compared to the Group B
(37.0658±2.6891) (p 0.000).

CONCLUSION:
Phacoemulsification decreases corneal endothelial cell count both with and
without trypan blue. The decrease in corneal endothelial cell count was more
when phacoemulsification was done with trypan blue but it did not lead to
corneal decompensation.

KEY WORDS:
Phacoemulsification, Trypan Blue, Corneal Endothelial Cell Count.


Endoscopic submucosal dissection (ESD) results in higher numbers of complications when used in the duodenum compared with other locations owing to a variety of factors [1]. Here, we demonstrate endoscopic full-thickness resection (EFTR) using the Padlock clip defect closure system as an alternative technique for en bloc resection of a duodenal neuroendocrine tumor (NET) of < 1.5 cm. Most of the previous literature has reported the use of the Ovesco over-thescope clip system or the new full-thickness resection device for resection of NETs within the duodenum [2–4]. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first case to be reported in which the padlock system was used for EFTR of a NET >10mm in size. A 56-year-old man presented with mild upper abdominal pain for 6 months. An upper gastrointestinal endoscopy showed a 1.5-cm subepithelial lesion in the duodenal bulb (▶Fig. 1). Narrowband imaging (NBI) showed a normal mucosal pattern. Endoscopic ultrasound (EUS) examination showed a homogeneous hypoechoic mass of 1.2×0.6 cm arising from layer 3, suggestive of a NET (▶Fig. 2). We decided to perform EFTR of the mass. The lesion edges were marked with argon plasma coagulation (APC). Subsequently, the Padlock overthe-scope clip system (16-mm diameter) was accurately deployed at the base of the lesion, after it had been totally suctioned into the cap (▶Fig. 3; ▶Video 1). A 20-mm polypectomy snare was then used to grasp and resect the lesion at its base, just above the Padlock clip. The cut surface was observed, with the Padlock clip in situ, and the cut edges were free of any macroscopically visible tumor tissue, with no evidence of bleeding. The patient was kept in hospital for overnight observation and was discharged the next day on a normal diet. Histopathology subsequently showed a well differentiated NET with uninvolved margins (▶Fig. 4). EFTR can be a safe, less cumbersome, and less time-consuming alternative to ESD for subepithelial lesions in the duodenum. It can be safely performed in centers with less experience in duodenal ESD. Endoscopy_UCTN_Code_CCL_1AB_2AZ_3AB


Haemorrhagic cholecystitis is a rare entity of acute cholecystitis that carries a high morbidity and mortality rate if management is delayed. Its clinical course can mirror that of acute cholecystitis. Characteristic findings on ultrasound or CT scan are useful clues to early diagnosis. Urgent cholecystectomy is required prior to progressing to perforation of gallbladder. Most of the literature are case reports with causes associated with anticoagulation. Herein, we described a morbidly obese patient with poorly controlled diabetes presenting with non-specific right upper quadrant pain and was subsequently diagnosed with haemorrhagic cholecystitis. A review of the literature was also performed to summarise the potential clinical presentations, distinctive imaging findings and management options available for this rare condition.


Buprenorphine is the cornerstone of pain management in nonhuman primates, but the pharmacokinetics of this widely used drug are unknown. The purpose of this study was to evaluate the pharmacokinetic profiles of buprenorphine (0.01 and 0.03 mg/kg IM) and sustained-release buprenorphine (0.2 mg/kg SC) in 2 macaque species (M. mulatta and M. fascicularis) by using mass spectrometry. The pharmacokinetics did not differ significantly between species, and buprenorphine was dose-proportional at the tested doses. The low and high doses of buprenorphine had elimination half-lives of 2.6 ± 0.7 and 5.3 ± 2.0 h, respectively, but the low-dose data were constrained by the sensitivity of the analytical method. Sustained-release buprenorphine had an elimination half-life of 42.6 ± 26.2 h. The AUC0-Tlast of buprenorphine were 9.1 ± 4.3 and 39.0 ± 25.1 ng × h/mL for the low and high doses, respectively, and sustained-release buprenorphine had an AUC0-Tlast of 177 ± 74 ng × h/mL. Assuming a hypothesized therapeutic buprenorphine plasma concentration threshold of 0.1 ng/mL in macaques, these results suggest that buprenorphine doses of 0.01 mg/kg IM should be administered every 6 to 8 h, whereas doses of 0.03 mg/kg IM can be administered every 12 h. These results further demonstrate that a single 0.2-mg/kg SC injection of sustained-release buprenorphine maintains plasma concentrations above 0.1 ng/mL for 5 d in macaques. These findings support a new dosing strategy using sustained-release buprenorphine to improve pain management, decrease animal stress, improve animal welfare, and simplify the postoperative management of nonhuman primates in laboratory animal and zoological settings.


The gilthead sea bream is one of the main aquacultured fish species in the Mediterranean Sea. Sparicotyle chrysophrii is an ectoparasite specific for sea bream and able to cause mortality in the Mediterranean aquaculture system. In this study, a total of 20 gilthead sea bream were sampled for parasitological research at Heraklion Bay, Crete, Greece. Gills of the fish were dissected and examined for parasites using a light microscope. S. chrysophrii was identified by field emission scanning electron microscopy, PCR and sequencing.

 Key words: Gilthead sea bream, Mediterranean Sea, Sparicotyle chrysophrii, field emission scanning electron microscopy, PCR, sequencing.


Many museums have an eclectic mix of skeletons in their collections. These curiosities from across the globe were processed from the carcass using a variety of techniques with varying degrees of success. The details of how these animals have journeyed from death to collection item are scarce.
 The old techniques and skill involved in constructing skeletons, from large down to the most delicate and tiny, can still be marveled at today. However some skeletons were poorly articulated, others incomplete or put together borrowing bones from another animal or bird. In the case of animals not known as live specimines ignorance may have been a factor in achieving an incorrect stance while other specimines were intentionally exaggerated to impress rather than appear true to nature.
 A selection of methods for the preparation of skeletons have been used, such as carcinogenic chemicals, bleaches, detergents and solvents, fresh and seawater maceration, flesh-eating dermestid beetles, boiling bones to remove the oils and flesh, and composting. Skeletons were articulated for display by drilling and pinning the bones, sometimes using irreversible glues or ferrous wire that rusted over time.
 Over the past 18 years I have prepared and articulated native bird and marine mammal skeletons for the Otago Museum collection. To ensure the bones are not contaminated by chemicals or physically damaged, methods and requirements have evolved over a relatively short time, as conservation has become an integral part of museum practice.
 This presentation will provide an overview of the fresh water maceration process, some lessons learnt, the articulation method developed using an external stainless steel wire armature to hold each bone in position, and organizing bones with safety, articulation and transportation in mind. I will share the journey from corpse to collection item of Autahi the leopard seal and other skeletons I have worked with.


For more than 5 0 years, low urinary citrate (hypocitraturia) has occurred in some patients with renal stones; however, only recently has more interest been generated in the role of hypocitraturia in renal stone disease and the beneficial effect of citrate therapy for the prevention and treatment of nephrolithiasis. The authors review the metabolism of citrate, the clinically relevant history of hypocitraturia, and current literature dealing with the effectiveness of citrate therapy in the management of nephrolithiasis.


This study examines activities and processes through which projects of moral regulation are implemented as well as lived, transformed, and resisted by their targeted actors. Our ethnographic study focuses on discourses and practices of civic duty for orderly and hygienic conduct in the rehabilitation of marketplaces in Yaoundé, Cameroon. By drawing on the inhabited institutions approach and the literature on ethics as practice, our analysis extends research on moral work to put forward a perspective on moral regulation as a situated practice. We show how moral work is built on individual reflections but is simultaneously negotiated through actors' relationships, that is, responsibilities to family, interactions within the community, and personal history.


This article presents an outline of model of the educational microcontent production for microtraining, built from the point of view that learning is a relational, intentional and experiential process, and, as such, it results from social interactions that also occur in labour spaces. The model, entitled "production cycle of pedagogical contents (microcontents)" is conceptually anchored in the theoretical precepts of transmedia storytelling and multimedia design, which in turn, are based in aspects of language, communication and cognition, bringing innovative elements capable of favouring leanings. In order to develop the model proposed and presented in the article, inherent conceptions to transmedia storytelling, multimedia design and education, are bound and articulated. Furthermore, one promotes the dialogue between non-formal education in the context of continuous formation and in the interest of technology transfer actions (TT) and of rural extension and technical assistance, for the formulation of microtraining activities via mobile devices. The essence of the model lies in the proposition of a sequence of steps that culminate in the production and organization of technological contents that incorporate pedagogical paths. Those paths serve as learnings favouring routes. It is accepted that this way of producing and organizing contents increases the chances of the subjects involved in the microtraining reflect upon and investigate their practices, abilities and experiences, thus helping them to resignify their realities and to build new rationalities to address their problems. The model "production cycle of pedagogical contents (microcontents)" was built to potentialize the chances of making microtrainings via mobile devices into massive actions that favour the TT process of Brazilian Agricultural Research Corporation (Embrapa), under a constructivist learning approach.


A special core/shell/shell structured NaYF4/NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+/NaYF4 (CSS) nanocrystal was designed to ensure each luminescence center in the emitting shell had the same surroundings. The nanocrystal includes a support core NaYF4 nanoparticle in the center coated by a thin emitting shell NaYF4:Yb3+,Er3+ and another NaYF4 shell with adjustable thickness as the outer shielding shell. The green upconversion fluorescence intensity Ig(d) of the CSS nanoparticles shows an exponential relationship with the thickness d of the shielding shell. When d decreased to 0, Ig(0) was ~356 times smaller than Ig(∞) due to the drastic fluorescence quenching of the rare earth luminescence centers by the surroundings. Our experimental results indicate that ~90% of the severe effect of the surroundings can be eliminated by coating with a ~4 nm-thick NaYF4 shielding shell.


Herpetic tracheobronchitis and pneumonia occur basically in immunodepressed patients, but have rarely been reported in patients with the acquired immunodeficiency syndrome (AIDS). Some large reviews on pulmonary manifestations in AIDS report a small number of herpetic pulmonary infections, without determining any prevalence of this particular viral involvement. Predisposing factors are alteration of cell-mediated immunity and invasive procedures (such as endotracheal tube use) in debilitated patients. The case we report illustrates the occurrence of a herpetic tracheitis in an HIV-infected patient with severe P. carinii pneumonia, needing systemic corticotherapy and mechanical ventilation. It illustrates the risk of dissemination of herpes simplex virus (HSV) from a herpetic stomatitis to the lower respiratory tract, even after the endotracheal cannula has been removed.


The aim of this book is to bring together the important facts and ideas connected with the observation that organisms have a limited lifespan. It is intended to be read by a wide circle of readers but particularly those who wish to research into the sources of data for the measurement of lifespan. There is a summary of data on lifespan in the form of life tables and then, on the basis of those tables, certain hypotheses are suggested. A mathematical model is constructed


Ambient Intelligence (AmI) is an ubiquitous computing paradigm whose main objective is to provide living environments with personalized services for improving quality of people life. In spite of their technological definition, AmI systems are more than a straightforward integration among computer equipments. Indeed, AmI frameworks design strongly depends upon psychology and social sciences whose exploitation allows artificial systems to analyze the human being status and define the most suitable services collection for achieving users' satisfaction. Our work meets AmI objectives by using a formal method for representing human moods and introducing the so-called cognitive agents whose inference capabilities enable the emotional services distribution for enhancing users' comfort and simplifying the human/systems interactions. The agents reasoning engine is based on a novel extension of Fuzzy Cognitive Maps (FCMs) benefiting on the theory of Timed Automata: Timed Automata based FCMs. As will be shown in experimental results, our proposal improves the system's usability in terms of efficiency, accuracy and emotional response.


Abstract The authors present a retrospective clinical study on a total of 39 patients of both sexes aged between 38 and 76 years with idiopathic carpal tunnel compressive syndrome that surgically excised the anterior carpal ligament by a process custom classic which they examined histologically. Histopathological examination of objectified as a percentage of 71.79% previously carpal ligament structure is invaded by striated muscle fibers. Based on histopathological findings as the similarities between functional and embryological origin carpal ligament and anterior aponeurosis palm authors propose introducing embriogenetics etiopathology in compression carpal tunnel syndrome or inclusion in this category suffering from Dupuytren diathesis.


Three states of forest (Prescott-Allen 1986) can be recognized in Trinidad and Tobago: the first forest (pre Columbian, undisturbed, approximately 7% of the total land area); the second forest (natural regeneration on abandoned farms and estates, approximately 18% of the total land area); and the third forest (managed through cutting and plantation, approximately 25% of land area). At present in Tobago, according to Chalmers (1992), natural forest occupies 4,914 ha (16.4% of land area), lastro and bamboo 14,613 ha (48.9%), tree crops 5,772 ha  (19.3%) treeless areas 4,662 ha (15.5%). The Western Hemisphere's first forest reserve was established on Tobago's Main Ridge in 1765 (Trinidad's earliest forest reserves were set up in 1902).


The dispersion of a cloud of passive test particles in homogeneous and isotropic two-dimensional turbulence is studied by direct numerical simulation. The basic statistical properties of the concentration of the cloud are analyzed with particular attention to space-time variations in the center-of-mass frame. Approximate analytical expressions for the concentration and the concentration fluctuations can be obtained from the power spectrum of the velocity fluctuations.


Myocardial perfusion scintigraphy with 201-TL was performed in a group of subjects affected by exercise-induced, rate-dependent left bundle branch block (LBBB). The aim of the study was: to define the significance of the exercise-induced conduction abnormality: "primitive" or "ischemic". 14 patients, aging 28-58 years (x = 42), 8 with chest pain (4 typical angina, 4 atypical angina) and 6 without any symptoms were studied. None had history of prior myocardial infarction or clinical and echocardiographic signs of heart disease. LBBB appeared at a heart rate ranging from 70 to 160 beats/min. 6 patients showed repolarization abnormalities (ST changes, deep and negative T wave) suggestive for ischemia, during successive QRS normalization. 201-TL-uptake was normal in 5 subjects; in the remaining 9 ones reversible TL defects were demonstrated in the septum (6), in the septum and apex (2), in the septum and inferior-apical wall (1). No patients had irreversible impaired perfusion. All the patients had normal coronary angiography, with negative ergonovine test for coronary artery spasm. In conclusion, in the majority of our subjects (64%) with exercise-induced LBBB, a reversible TL-uptake defect, usually located in the septum without diagnostic value of obstructive CAD, has been observed. Further studies will establish if the TL-defect is only an "apparent phenomenon" due to contraction abnormality secondary to LBBB, or, on the contrary, an expression of myocardial ischemia with normal coronary vessels as a consequence of the LBBB.


Tramadol hydrochloride is a centrally-acting, synthetic analgesic with a dual mechanism of action-weak opioid and monoaminergic effects. Tramadol is a racemic mixture and its mechanism of action via opioid and noradrenergic/serotonergic mechanisms is related to the independent effects of its two enantiomers. Interestingly, the enantiomers act synergistically to achieve better antinociceptive effect without enhancing side effects, moreover, lowering respiratory depression and tolerance/dependence. In several post-marketing surveillance studies tramadol is showed as effective as codeine, penthazocine, pethidine and morphine with good tolerability. Tramadol might be analgesic of choice for a wide variety of painful conditions.


The chemical analysis of the acetone, chloroform, toluene and methanol extracts of a pitch sample was carried out by IR and GC-MS, leading to the identification of sixty nine compounds, including fatty acids, alcohols and hydrocarbons. Analysis of the acetone extractive of a eucalyptus wood used in Brazil for pulp production was also carried out, resulting in identification of fifty nine compounds, including mainly fatty acids, phenolic compounds, b-sitosterol and other steroids. This analysis showed that pitch formation had a contribution from wood extractives and other sources of contamination. The results obtained and the methodology applied can be used by the pulp industry to develop new methods of pitch control.


BACKGROUND
Airway management and endotracheal intubation are essential skills for pediatric residents. Simulation-based technology is used for training residents but it remains unclear whether high fidelity simulation results in better retention of skills compared to low fidelity. The study assesses high fidelity simulation of endotracheal intubation and traditional low fidelity training in improving pediatric residents' knowledge retention and technical skills; and if the difference translates into higher "real time" intubation success rates.

METHODS
Second and third year pediatric residents were randomized into high fidelity (intervention) or low fidelity simulation (control) groups. Airway management and intubation skills were taught using a didactic lecture and demonstration on low fidelity mannequins. Knowledge was assessed before randomization (T0) and 6 months after training (T6). Other outcome measures were: 1) airway management and intubation skills at T6 and T12 (12 months later) and 2) successful intubation of actual patients by T12.

RESULTS
10 out of 11 residents completed the intervention. Theoretical knowledge improved for both groups. Participants made less mistakes (M) overtime: M (T0) = 3.2 and M (T6) = 2.6 for the intervention group, and M (T0) = 4 and M (T6) = 2.40 for the control. There was no significant effect of fidelity on intubation skills or the number of successful intubations recorded in logbooks (allp > 0.05). In some instances intubation skills showed regression over time.

CONCLUSION
High fidelity simulation showed no impact on residents' airway management and intubation skills. Retention of theoretical knowledge persisted over time while practical skills remained at baseline or declined.


PurposeThis study aims to interrogate dynamic asymmetric relationships between public debt and economic growth in Southern African Developing Communities (SADC), over the period 2000–2018.Design/methodology/approachThe study employed a panel smooth transition regression (PSTR) technique to analyse dynamic asymmetric relationships between public debt and economic growth, and the threshold effect at which public debt hampers economic growth.FindingsThe findings indicate that there is a significant nonlinear effect of debt on economic growth in SADC. The study discovered a debt threshold of 60% to GDP at which debt beyond this threshold deteriorates long-term growth. The low-debt regime was found to be positive and statistically significant, while the high-debt regime is detrimental for long-term growth. Fiscal policymakers ought to consider the adoption of well-coordinated debt policies that aims to strike a balance between sustainable public debt and economic growth, within a reasonable threshold target.Originality/valueThe study focusses on asymmetric and threshold analysis of public debt on economic growth in SADC using sophisticated panel smooth transition regression (STAR). This study provides rigorous empirical evidence within the SADC perspective in which previous studies have predominantly been confined in advanced economies.