The description of results in clinical trials is an unsolved problem.1 The low quality of some clinical trials and the low output of useful data for healthcare decisions is a problem for clinicians and patients alike. Statisticians doing systematic reviews or meta-analysis try to solve this problem by establishing lower p-value thresholds (for example, changing from 0.05 to 0.005). That results in the acceptance of fewer, larger and more carefully designed studies in order to be considered to have sufficient power.2 The problem is that good useful information might get suppressed using stricter p-value thresholds. This is an especially difficult problem in quality of life (QoL) studies which, by their very nature, are smaller and less powerful.

QoL researchers believe that the answer to poor quality is to review more studies that describe meaningful positive outcomes that contribute to the improvement of healthcare.3 What is often missing is a general discussion about the selection criteria.

Choosing selection criteria is not easy. On one hand, wide inclusion criteria should be chosen in order to demonstrate safety and effectiveness for a large group of patients. On the other hand, there are many ethical and scientific reasons to define exclusion criteria.4 The resulting subjective selection of inclusion and exclusion criteria should be a balance of these two considerations.

In this report, we analyse the information provided by the description of inclusion and exclusion criteria. We demonstrate that valuable information on the investigated study population can be provided by a complete and precise description of the inclusion and exclusion criteria that is not present in all publications. Furthermore, we propose that researchers can derive important information on the homogeneity/heterogeneity of different study populations from completely reported inclusion and exclusion criteria.

This study builds on on the data of research done …


In a limited liability company, capital becomes one of the primary elements. However, the regulation regarding capital in Indonesia has changed several times, as its latest concern on the enactment of the omnibus bill on Job Creation Law in 2020. This paper discussed the following problems. First, what are the status quo and the development of regulations regarding minimum capital requirements in Indonesia? Second, what are the pros and cons of minimum capital requirement regulations and their developments in other countries? Third, what is the minimum capital requirements regulation that suits the conditions in Indonesia? This paper used legal research, emphasizing literature study. In so doing, the data were analyzed with the deductive method to construct conclusions. This paper showed that each limited liability company from the 1995 Limited Company Law, the 2007 Limited Company Law to the Job Creation Law had various minimum capital requirements provisions that lasted to its abolishment under the Job Creation Law. In this context, the initial policy on the minimum capital requirement was to protect creditors. In practice, however, this policy was not effective because of many other effective alternatives to protect creditors, by encouraging transparency in corporate transactions and offering easy access to corporate information. The dominance of micro and small business units in Indonesia (99% of business units) explained the urgency of eliminating minimum capital requirements regulations. The elimination of minimum authorized capital requirements was a tremendous effort to strengthen micro and small enterprises.
KEYWORDS: Limited Liability Company, Job Creation Law, Company Law.


Traditional expressions and definitions describing performance of plasma thrusters, including the thrust, specific impulse, and the thruster efficiency, assume a steady state plasma flow with a constant flow velocity. However, it is very common for these thrusters that the plasma exhibits unstable behavior resulting in time-variations of the thrust and the exhaust velocity. For example, in Hall thrusters, the ionization instability leads to strong oscillations of the discharge current (so-called breathing oscillations), plasma density, ion energy, and as a result the ion flow. In this paper, we revisit the formulation of the thrust and the thrust efficiency to account for time variations of the ion parameters including the phase shift between the ion energy and the ion flow. For sinusoidal oscillations it was found thrust can potentially change more than 20%. It is shown that by modulating ion energy at specific amplitudes, thrust can be maximized in such regimes. Finally, an expression for the thruster efficiency of the modulating thruster is derived to show a mechanism for inefficiencies in such thrusters.


Background. Reactivation of Epstein Barr Virus (EBV) frequently occurs after allogeneic stem cell transplantation (ASCT) and EBV-induced lymphoproliferative disease is a potentially fatal complication. Aim of the study. Prevent EBV reactivation and EBV-induced post-transplant lymphoproliferative disease (LPD) after ASCT from alternative donors following anti-thymocyte globulin (ATG)-based conditioning regimen. Methods. In 2004, we initiated a pilot study with Rituximab given prophylactically on day +5 after an alternative donor transplant. We treated 68 patients with a fixed dose of 200 mg of Rituximab on day+5 and compared their outcome with a concurrent group of 77 controls who did not receive EBV prophylaxis. The two groups were comparable for patient and disease-associated variables, and all 145 patients received ATG as part of the conditioning regimen. Results. Rituximab on day +5 was well tolerated without any serious adverse event. Patients receiving rituximab had a significantly lower rate of EBV reactivation 41% vs 78% (p=0.0001), a lower number of EBV copies at reactivation (3 vs 10, p=0.04), a lower viral load expressed as maximum number of EBV copies (79 vs 1321,p=0.001) and a significantly lower proportion of patients with EBV copies exceeding 1000 (10% vs 44% p=0.001). Time to neutrophil and platelet engraftment was not different between the 2 groups. In the group treated with Rituximab, there was a trend for a lower incidence of acute GvHD grade II-IV (21 vs 34%, p=0.07) and grade III-IV (2 vs 8%,p=0.07), and for a reduced transplant related mortality (28 vs 39% p=0.1). Actuarial survival at 1-year was better for the Rituximab group (67 vs 50% p=0.09), but this did reach statistical significance. Conclusions. The use of Rituximab on day +5 after ASCT from alternative donors was safe and feasible. It did significantly lower the number of EBV copies at reactivation and the number of patients with an EBV load greater than 1000, at higher risk for EBV-related LPD. Thus, this approach may reduce the need of preemptive treatment or adoptive immunotherapy for EBV reactivation after an alternative donor transplant and may warrants further investigation.


The launching of Scopus and Google Scholar, and methodological developments in Social Network Analysis have made many more indicators for evaluating journals available than the traditional Impact Factor, Cited Half-life, and Immediacy Index of the ISI. In this study, these new indicators are compared with one another and with the older ones. Do the various indicators measure new dimensions of the citation networks, or are they highly correlated among them? Are they robust and relatively stable over time? Two main dimensions are distinguished -- size and impact -- which together shape influence. The H-index combines the two dimensions and can also be considered as an indicator of reach (like Indegree). PageRank is mainly an indicator of size, but has important interactions with centrality measures. The Scimago Journal Ranking (SJR) indicator provides an alternative to the Journal Impact Factor, but the computation is less easy.


This report discusses the ongoing debate regarding the Export-Import Bank of the United States, a federal government corporation which is the the official export credit agency (ECA) of the U.S. Government. The bank's statutory charter expires on September 30, 2014, meaning that its authority to obligations generally would cease and a wind-down of operations would be required. The report gives four possible scenarios for approaches Congress could take in regards to approaching the bank's future authorization status.


Photobiomodulation (PBM), also called low-level laser treatment (LLLT), has been considered a promising tool in periodontal treatment due to its anti-inflammatory and wound healing properties. However, photobiomodulation's effectiveness depends on a combination of parameters, such as energy density, the duration and frequency of the irradiation sessions, and wavelength, which has been shown to play a key role in laser-tissue interaction. The objective of the study was to compare the in vitro effects of two different wavelengths—635 nm and 808 nm—on the human primary gingival fibroblasts in terms of viability, oxidative stress, inflammation markers, and specific gene expression during the four treatment sessions at power and energy density widely used in dental practice (100 mW, 4 J/cm2). PBM with both 635 and 808 nm at 4 J/cm2 increased the cell number, modulated extracellular oxidative stress and inflammation markers and decreased the susceptibility of human primary gingival fibroblasts to apoptosis through the downregulation of apoptotic-related genes (P53, CASP9, BAX). Moreover, modulation of mesenchymal markers expression (CD90, CD105) can reflect the possible changes in the differentiation status of irradiated fibroblasts. The most pronounced results were observed following the third irradiation session. They should be considered for the possible optimization of existing low-level laser irradiation protocols used in periodontal therapies.


The aim of this study was to analyse the prevalence of barriers to physical activity (PA) among adults according to the gender and socioeconomic status (SES). A total of 2236 subjects (927 men, 1309 women) aged between 30 and 50 y (M = 42±5 y) participated in the study. The data was collected through a questionnaire. Qui-square tests were performed to analyse the differences between genders and SES on perceived barriers. Significance level was p <0.05. Only 31% (32% male, 31% female) achieved the current PA recommendation. The most cited barriers were lack of time (55%), costs (20%), the desire to do other things (15%), the failure to consider themselves as athletes (15%) and lack of infrastructures near where they live. All other reasons were mentioned by less than 10% of the individuals tested. Among the most cited barriers, women reported costs more than men (12% male vs 25% female, p<0.001). On the other hand, men reported more often the lack of infrastructures in the neighbourhood (14% male, 9% female, p<0.001). In all of the most cited barriers there were significant differences between subjects with low and high SES. The barriers most associated with prevalence of inactivity among those with low SES were the failure to consider themselves as athletes (p<0.001), the costs (p<0.001), no time to practise (p=0.002) and the lack of infrastructures (p=0.002). The subjects with higher SES cited more often the desire to do other things. Women reported more often the barriers for PA in general, with big prevalence in the costs. Man, who practices informal PA more easily, reported more often the lack of infrastructures in the neighbourhood. Perceived barrier for PA were more prevalent in subjects with low SES. However, lack of time was a barrier most cited by men and women with high or low SES.


The careful monitoring of fluid inventory being essential to the successful operation of two-phase vortex separation, the applicability of an ultrasonic acoustic gauge to monitor and maintain this inventory was demonstrated. Once validated, the hydrodynamic limits for steady vortex operation were determined. Data were collected using NASA's reduced gravity aircraft, the 4″ diameter two-phase vortex separator designed and built by Texas A&M University and an ultrasonic transducer and thickness gauge from Panametrics, Inc. Pearson linear regression was used to determine the correlation of the expected fluid film thickness with the indicated thickness by the gauge. The feasibility and reliability of the acoustic sensor as an operating volume monitor for the phase separator were affirmed by both the analytical and experimental results, both affirming the accuracy of thickness measurements by the gauge for this application. Operational limits were statistically determined such that the film thickness should be kept between 1.956 cm and an upper limit of 3.175 cm. The applicability of acoustic measurements to monitoring separator inventory was supported by both analytical modelling and the resulting experiment. An acoustic sensing system in conjunction with control software ensured that the varying liquid volume in the separator remained within determined hydrodynamic limits during operation.


In this article we are discussing specifics of the marble revetment of the interior of the Hosios Loukas Catholicon, highlighting its role in the architectural image of the temple.


In the fall of 2002, the U.S. Support Program (USSP) initiated an effort to define a strategy or ''roadmap'' for future seals technologies and to develop a generalized process for planning safeguards equipment development, which includes seals and other safeguards equipment. The underlying objectives of the USSP include becoming more proactive than reactive in addressing safeguards equipment needs, helping the IAEA to maintain an inventory of cost-effective, reliable, and effective safeguards equipment, establishing a long-term planning horizon, and securing IAEA ownership in the process of effective requirements definition and timely transitioning of new or improved systems for IAEA use. At an initial workshop, seals, their functions, performance issues, and future embodiments were discussed in the following order: adhesive seals, metal seals, passive and active loop seals, ultrasonic seals, tamper indicating enclosures (including sample containers, equipment enclosures, and conduits). Suggested improvements to these technologies focused largely on a few themes: (1) The seals must be applied quickly, easily, and correctly; (2) Seals and their associated equipment should not unduly add bulk or weight to the inspectors load; (3) Rapid, in-situ verifiability of seals is desirable; and (4) Seal systems for high risk or high value applications should have two-way, remote communications. Based upon these observations and other insights, the participants constructed a skeletal approach for seals technology planning. The process begins with a top-level review of the fundamental safeguards requirements and extraction of required system features, which is followed by analysis of suitable technologies and identification of technology gaps, and finally by development of a planning schedule for system improvements and new technology integration. Development of a comprehensive procedure will require the partnership and participation of the IAEA. The presentation will include a description of the roadmapping approach developed for safeguards technologies and an overview of the initial seals workshop results.


We have identified common and inexpensive lab reagents that confer increased aerosol survivability on phi6 and other phages. Our results suggest that soluble protein is a key protective component in nebulizing medium. ABSTRACT The outbreak of SARS-CoV-2 has emphasized the need for a deeper understanding of infectivity, spread, and treatment of airborne viruses. Bacteriophages (phages) serve as ideal surrogates for respiratory pathogenic viruses thanks to their high tractability and the structural similarities tailless phages bear to viral pathogens. However, the aerosolization of enveloped SARS-CoV-2 surrogate phi6 usually results in a >3-log10 reduction in viability, limiting its usefulness as a surrogate for aerosolized coronavirus in "real world" contexts, such as a sneeze or cough. Recent work has shown that saliva or artificial saliva greatly improves the stability of viruses in aerosols and microdroplets relative to standard dilution/storage buffers like suspension medium (SM) buffer. These findings led us to investigate whether we could formulate media that preserves the viability of phi6 and other phages in artificially derived aerosols. Results indicate that SM buffer supplemented with bovine serum albumin (BSA) significantly improves the recovery of airborne phi6, MS2, and 80α and outperforms commercially formulated artificial saliva. Particle sizing and acoustic particle trapping data indicate that BSA supplementation dose-dependently improves viral survivability by reducing the extent of particle evaporation. These data suggest that our viral preservation medium may facilitate a lower-cost alternative to artificial saliva for future applied aerobiology studies. IMPORTANCE We have identified common and inexpensive lab reagents that confer increased aerosol survivability on phi6 and other phages. Our results suggest that soluble protein is a key protective component in nebulizing medium. Protein supplementation likely reduces exposure of the phage to the air-water interface by reducing the extent of particle evaporation. These findings will be useful for applications in which researchers wish to improve the survivability of these (and likely other) aerosolized viruses to better approximate highly transmissible airborne viruses like SARS-CoV-2.


The Indian Summer Monsoon, a subsystem of the Asian Monsoon, is one of Earth's most dynamic expressions of oceanic atmospheric-terrestrial processes affecting some of Earth's most densely populated regions. Therefore, it is imperative to have a comprehensive understanding of the Indian Summer Monsoon in order to understand how its behaviour may be manifested by anthropogenic induced climate changes. Reconstructing how the monsoon behaved in the past presents an opportunity to disentangle its sensitivities to a range of forcing parameters (e.g. ice volume) during periods of different climatic states. However, understanding of how the Indian Summer Monsoon behaved in the past has been limited both spatially and temporally, further constrained by discrepancies among climate proxy records. This thesis fills both a temporal and spatial gap in our knowledge of the past behaviour of the Indian Summer Monsoon. High-resolution (millennial scale) records of Indian Summer Monsoon induced river runoff and surface freshening from the core convective region of the Indian Summer Monsoon, the northern Bay of Bengal and Andaman Sea, have been generated from 140 to 70 thousand years ago. These records provide an insight into how the Indian Summer Monsoon responded to the penultimate deglaciation (Termination II), the subsequent warmth of the Last Interglacial Period and ensuing oscillations between warm interstadial and cold stadial periods of Marine Isotope Stage 5. These records are compared with both high-latitude and low-latitude climate records in order to understand how the monsoon responded to changes in Earth's internal climate system and the influence of external forcing.


Recently, there have been numerous reports showing that HER2 overexpression or amplification occurs in a variable number of uterine papillary serous carcinoma (UPSC) cases, leading to a current clinical trial targeting this pathway. Although approved algorithms exist for scoring HER2 overexpression/amplification in breast and gastroesophageal carcinomas, scoring criteria and the optimal methodology for assessing HER2 in UPSC are currently unknown. Most frequently, the American Society of Clinical Oncology/College of American Pathologists (ASCO/CAP) breast carcinoma algorithms have been utilized for UPSC, wherein cases are screened with immunohistochemistry (IHC), followed by fluorescence in situ hybridization for equivocal cases. However, interpreting HER2 IHC can be prone to significant subjectivity, often leading to false-positive results. To better correlate HER2 IHC results with underlying amplification in UPSC, we compared HER2 overexpression by IHC with HER2 amplification with chromogenic in situ hybridization (CISH). A total of 69 cases of UPSC—57 pure and 12 mixed—were identified over a 10-year period. All were included in a tissue microarray, and HER2 IHC and CISH were performed. Each case was scored according to the most recent 2013, as well as the 2007, ASCO/CAP scoring guidelines for breast carcinoma. Whole-tissue sections were also examined in cases with amplification by CISH on initial screening, as well as an equal number of negative cases, to account for intratumoral heterogeneity. Nine (13%) cases showed HER2 amplification by CISH, whereas 14 (20%) and 28 (40%) cases showed overexpression with IHC when the 2007 or 2013 ASCO/CAP criteria were utilized, respectively. The overall concordance rate between CISH and IHC was 64% (9/14) with the 2007 ASCO/CAP criteria and 32% (9/28) with the 2013 ASCO/CAP criteria. Intratumoral heterogeneity was seen in 3 (33%) amplified cases. No additional amplified cases were identified on subsequent whole-section examination after the initial negative tissue microarray screening. While confirming that HER2 amplification is found in a subset of UPSC, our results also show that screening with IHC will overestimate the number of cases showing underlying HER2 gene amplification. The significant discordance between methods in our study suggests that optimal HER2 testing parameters in UPSC are yet to be defined. Future clinical trials should incorporate both IHC and ISH results for each patient in their study design, so that conclusions can finally be made about which method is ultimately a better predictor of treatment response.


Abstract Hypothermia is well known to provide neuroprotection following various brain insults in experimental animals. Two recently completed clinical trials of whole body hypothermia in outof–hospital cardiac arrest patients' demonstrated significantly improved survival rates and neurologic outcomes. These results provide new excitement and encouragement for clinical application of hypothermia in cerebrovascular disease. However, the intensive care challenges and adverse events (e.g. prolonged times to target temperatures, shivering and sedation, pneumonia) during the management of hypothermia, dampen enthusiasm for widespread application especially in elderly stroke patients. In this manuscript, we review recent hypothermia trials for stroke. We describe an alternate approach, i.e. local brain cooling, and discuss this new technique with reference to the extensive literature on the marked efficacy of hypothermia. We describe a new technology, the ChillerPadTM and ChillerStripTM Systems developed by Seacoast Technologies, Inc. (Portsmouth, NH, USA). The latter device has received FDA approval and will be employed in a trial of local hypothermia for cerebral aneurysm repair. We present our experimental findings that profound local hypothermia does not damage cortical neurons. We also report that local hypothermia protects the blood–brain barrier and markedly reduces vasogenic edema development in an experimental intracerebral hemorrhage model. Lastly, we review potential mechanisms through which hypothermia provides blood–brain barrier protection and reduces edema formation. Clearly, hypothermia has a bright future for cerebrovascular disease treatment if brain cooling can be delivered in a manner that does not compromise the patient or the neurosurgical and intensive care settings. Local brain cooling may be just that new treatment approach.


Novel nonlinear multi-photon laser spectroscopic methods are presented for ultrasensitive detection, separation and identification of biomarker proteins for early diagnosis of multiple sclerosis (MS), cancer, metabolites of carcinogenic molecules, and nicotine and their metabolites. Using compact, portable capillary- or microchip-based separation methods, we demonstrate excellent detection sensitivity and chemical specificity levels. Laser wave mixing is an unusually sensitive optical absorption-based detection method that offers significant inherent advantages including excellent sensitivity, small sample requirements, short optical path lengths, high spatial reso lution, and high spectral resolution. Based on the quadratic dependence of the signal on analyte concentration, it allows more dramatic monitoring of small changes in analyte properties. Wave mixing detection sensitivity is comparable or better than thos e of fluorescence-based methods and enzyme-linked immunoassays for clinical diagnostic and screening. Since the wave-mixing signal is a laserlike coherent beam, it can be collected with virtually 100% efficiency and high signal-to-noise ratio. Laser excitation wavelengths can be tuned to detect multiple analytes in their native forms. Our analysis time is short (minutes) as compared to those of other conventional methods of separation, e.g., sodium dodecyl sulfate -polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis (SDS-PAGE). When wave mixing is coupled to a high-resolution capillary- or microchip-based separation system, disease biomarkers can be separated and identified at the zepto-mole levels. Laser wave mixing allows for sensitive detection of cancer biomarkers through complexation of cancer antigen with chromophores and absorptionmodifying tags.


Quantum amplifier is an essential device in quantum information processing. As in the classical (non-quantum) case, its characteristic uncertainty needs to be suppressed by feedback, and in fact such a control theory for a single quantum amplifier has recently been developed. This paper extends this result to the case of cascaded quantum amplifier. In particular, we consider two types of structures: the case where controlled amplifiers are connected in series, and the case where a single feedback control is applied to the cascaded amplifier. Then, we prove that the latter is better in the sense of sensitivity to the uncertainty. A detailed numerical simulation is given to show actual performance of these two feedback schemes.


For an R&D institution to design a specific high investment cost product, the budget is usually 'large but limited'. To allocate such budget on the directions with key potential benefits (e.g., core technologies) requires, at first and at least, a priority over the involved design criteria, as to discover the relevant decision knowledge for a suitable budgeting plan. Such a problem becomes crucial when the designed product is relevant to the security and military sustainability of a nation, e.g., a next generation fighter. This study presents a science education framework that helps to obtain such knowledge and close the opinion gaps. It involves several main tutorial phases to construct and confirm the set of design criteria, to establish a decision hierarchy, to assess the preferential structures of the decision makers (DMs) (individually or on a group basis), and to perform some decision analyses that are designed to identify the homogeneity and heterogeneity of the opinions in the decision group. The entire framework has been applied in a training course hold in a large R&D institution, while after learning the staff successfully applied these knowledge discovery processes (for planning the budget for the fighter design works and for closing the opinion gaps present). With the staffs' practical exercises, several empirical findings except for the budgeting priority (e.g., the discrimination between 'more important criteria' against the less important ones) are also interesting. For some examples (but not limited to these), it is found that the results from using two measures (statistical correlation vs. geometrical cosine similarity) to identify the opinion gaps are almost identical. It is found that DMs' considerations under various constructs are sometimes consistent, but often hard to be consistent. It is also found that the two methods (degree of divergence (DoD) vs. number of observed subgroups (NSgs)) that are used to understand the opinions' diversity under the constructs are different. The proposed education framework meets the recent trend of data-driven decision-making, and the teaching materials are also some updates to science education.


The authors have developed a virtual surgery system which is able to handle organs as elastic models and obtain a haptic sensation with force feedback in real time. They tried to design a system that would allows them to physically manipulate, or incise these soft tissue models in virtual space. When the elastic organs are significantly incised both the organ's surface and inner structures become deformed or distorted. These changes occur at a speed identical to real time. The features of the device developed for the authors' virtual surgery system are summarized as follows. At first, the force feedback system is divided in two types of manipulators, a force control manipulator and a motion control manipulator. The authors tried to design three force control manipulators for fingers. These are attached to the end of the motion control manipulator. Second, both ends of each force control manipulator are attached to the thumb, forefinger and middle finger of the operator. The user is able to handle an elastic organ using two manipulators on the right and left hands. In the authors' virtual surgery system, it is possible to perform surgical maneuvers at a speed approaching that of the actual procedure, while experiencing a sense of touch. Here, the authors have applied this system to surgery in the abdominal region. This surgical experience, in which a patient's morphological characteristics are reproduced in a virtual environment, will allow the establishment of a new method of clinically applicable surgery as well as an educational innovation.


Purpose: This paper identifies and discusses a number of pertinent property valuation issues as the fundamentals in promoting valuation in emerging economies using Ghana as a case study. Businesses, individuals, financial institutions and governments globally require property valuation for several purposes. Property value as a proxy for price is essentially premised on demand and supply, and therefore determined on market value basis. The purposes for which property valuation may be required typically include sale, purchase, mortgage, insurance, accounting, compensation, rating and stamp duty whilst rental value is determined for a tenancy arrangement or the associated tax payment.Design/methodology/approach: This paper is a case study approach motivated by the view that property plays an important role in the development agenda of all nations. For instance, the expansion of property stock and rise in its market value form part of the accumulation of wealth with successful economic development. As a potential source of tax revenue for central and local governments, especial in emerging economies where cash-based informal sectors hamper the collection of other forms of taxation, property markets will continue to play an important role in national development. And as exemplified by the Asian crisis in the late 1990s, incorrectly valued and unstable property markets are major risk components for the banking and financial systems (Mera and Renaud, 2000).Findings: The credibility, reliability and accuracy of property value are imperative and more germane in emerging economies. In examining the practice of property valuation in Ghana the paper establishes that four underlying requirements – Property Valuation Guidelines and Standards, electronic database, automated property valuation and, research and development – are the driving force for the development of the valuation profession in emerging economies.Practical implications: Countries in Africa as well as other emerging economies may adopt these four requirements as the corner pillars in establishing the framework to promote property market development and valuation. Thus, this study tends to present a practical approach to establishing credible digital property systems.Originality: The paper is a novelty on the property market, which identifies and addresses fundamental property valuation issues in Ghana.


The increasing volume of sewage sludge from wastewater treatment facilities is becoming a prominent concern globally. The disposal of this sludge is particularly challenging and poses severe environmental hazards due to the high content of organic, toxic and heavy metal pollutants among its constituents. This study presents a simple review of four sewage to energy recovery routes (anaerobic digestion, combustion, pyrolysis and gasification) with emphasis on recent developments in research, as well as benefits and limitations of the technology for ensuring cost and environmentally viable sewage to energy pathway. This study focusses on the review of various commercially viable sludge conversion processes and technologies used for energy recovery from sewage sludge. This was done via in-depth process descriptions gathered from literatures and simplified schematic depiction of such energy recovery processes when utilised for sludge. Specifically, the impact of fuel properties and its effect on the recovery process were discussed to indicate the current challenges and recent scientific research undertaken to resolve these challenges and improve the operational, environmental and cost competitiveness of these technologies.


Defective hepatitis B virus (HBV) genomes derived from packaging and reverse transcription of spliced RNA pregenomes were reported to be associated with progression to chronic infection. Since only two types with similarly spliced regions were characterized so far we reasoned that additional "spliced" genome variants may exist. Therefore, we isolated a large number of defective HBV genomes from sera of seven chronic carriers by full-length PCR. Forty-eight were found to contain deletions caused by splicing as identified by cloning, subgenomic PCR, and sequencing. In total, 11 types of spliced genomes derived from excision of 10 different introns were present in various combinations in each serum. This diversity resulted from alternative usage of five splice donor and four acceptor sites present in most but not all HBV genotypes. All spliced genomes shared sequence elements essential for replication as well as for transcription of the pre-C and pregenome/C mRNAs and the X mRNA. Moreover, all contained the coding regions for the X protein and for precore/core or precore/ core fusion proteins but lacked the pre-S/S gene promoters. These data demonstrate substantial and HBV genotype-dependent diversity of spliced genomes from which a variety of aberrant precore/core fusion proteins and normal X protein but no functional envelope and P proteins could be expressed. These genomes and the encoded proteins may play a role in the viral life cycle, persistence, and pathogenesis.


A strong connection between neuronal and metabolic health has been revealed in recent years. It appears that both normal and pathophysiological aging, as well as neurodegenerative disorders, are all profoundly influenced by this "neurometabolic" interface, that is, communication between the brain and metabolic organs. An important aspect of this "neurometabolic" axis that needs to be investigated involves an elucidation of molecular factors that knit these two functional signaling domains, neuronal and metabolic, together. This paper attempts to identify and discuss a potential keystone signaling factor in this "neurometabolic" axis, that is, the epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). The EGFR has been previously demonstrated to act as a signaling nexus for many ligand signaling modalities and cellular stressors, for example, radiation and oxidative radicals, linked to aging and degeneration. The EGFR is expressed in a wide variety of cells/tissues that pertain to the coordinated regulation of neurometabolic activity. EGFR signaling has been highlighted directly or indirectly in a spectrum of neurometabolic conditions, for example, metabolic syndrome, diabetes, Alzheimer's disease, cancer, and cardiorespiratory function. Understanding the positioning of the EGFR within the neurometabolic domain will enhance our appreciation of the ability of this receptor system to underpin highly complex physiological paradigms such as aging and neurodegeneration.


Abstract The present study deals with close-contact melting of a vertical cylinder on a horizontal isothermal superhydrophobic surface with an array of circular posts. A new numerical model for this phenomenon is formulated under several simplifying assumptions. For the limiting case of perfect slip and thermal contact, based on the model assumptions, it is demonstrated that superhydrophobic surfaces can enhance the melting time by no more than 30 %. Numerical solution of the new model reveals that the effect of superhydrophobic hydrodynamic slip can decrease the molten layer thickness. However, due to the dominant effect of thermal slip, the heat transfer rate can be decreased significantly, and the melting time can be roughly doubled. An approximate analytical model is developed for understanding the problem dynamics better. The analytical model predictions are compared extensively against the numerical model results. For sufficiently low surface volume fractions, the analytical model provides excellent estimations of the numerical model predictions. Dimensional analysis reveals that according to the analytical model, the ratio between the melting times for superhydrophobic and regular surfaces is governed by a single dimensionless group. Moreover, according to the analytical model, the melting time on a superhydrophobic surface is always longer than on a regular surface, which agrees qualitatively with the numerical model results. Based on this analysis, a dimensionless condition for the analytical model range of validity is formulated. Finally, a conservative criterion for the liquid–gas interface stability under a close-contact melting process is established.


Viral covert mortality disease (VCMD), caused by covert mortality nodavirus (CMNV), is a newly emerging disease affecting most cultured shrimp and other crustaceans, but not fish. However, we discovered for the first time that Mugilogobius abei, a common marine fish collecting from shrimp farming ponds and surrounding coastal waters in China, was tested to be CMNV positive based on reverse transcription loop-mediated isothermal amplification (RT-LAMP) assay. Further investigation based on the quantitative RT-LAMP assay indicated that 39% individuals of sampled M. abei were CMNV positive. Sequencing and alignment of sequences revealed that the partial RNA-dependent RNA polymerase gene of CMNV isolated from M. abei shared 98% homology with that from the original CMNV isolates. Histopathological analysis showed that CMNV infection in M. abei could induce extensive skeletal muscle necrosis, nervous tissue vacuolation in retina of eye and cerebellum of brain. Positive signals were verified in skeletal muscle, eye, brain and intestine by in situ hybridization (ISH) with CMNV probes. Under transmission electron microscope (TEM), CMNV particles were further visualized in the cytoplasm of neurogliocytes, granulocytes and myocytes in the CMNV positive samples diagnosed by ISH. All findings suggested that CMNV, a typical alphanodavirus originated from shrimp, could switch their hosts to fish by cross-species transmission. Meanwhile, the results reminded us to pay close attention to the high risk of CMNV to use fish as intermediate or new host as well as potentially spread or cause epidemic among cultured marine fish.


Aim. To analyze the results of multicenter study on dynamics of resistant hypertension (RH) in patients after various types of carotid endarterectomy (CE) with and without carotid body savingMaterial and methods. During the period from January 2010 to December 2020, 1827 patients with hemodynamically significant stenosis of the internal carotid artery (ICA) and RH were operated on. Depending on CE type, the two groups were selected. Group 1 (n=1135; 62,2%) consisted of patients received glomus-saving surgery: 19,2% (n=351) -conventional CE with a patch repair of reconstitution point; 13,6% (n=248) — glomus-saving CE sensu R. A. Vinogradov; 7,3% (n=133) — glomus-saving CE sensu K. A. Antsupov; 11,7% (n=214) — glomus-saving CE sensu A. N. Kazantsev; 4,6% (n=84) — Chick-Chirik CE; 5,7% (n=105) — swallow tail type patch repair sensu R. I. Izhbuldin. Group 2 (n=692; 37,8%) consisted of patients received CE without glomus saving: 18,6% (n=341) — eversion CE with carotid body cutoff; 6,3% (n=115) — CE with new bifurcation plasty; 5,85% (n=107) — autoarterial reconstruction; 7,1% (n=129) ICA autotransplantation sensu E. V. Rosseikin.Results. The mortality rate, as well as the prevalence of myocardial infarction (MI) and ischemic strokes were comparable in groups. The incidence of hemorrhagic transformation (group 1: 0%; group 2: 0,6%; p=0,04; OR=0,06; 95% CI, 0,003-1,25) and composite endpoint (death+MI+ischemic stroke+hemorrhagic transformation) (group 1: 1,06%; group 2: 3,0%; p=0,004; odds ratio (OR)=0,34; 95% CI, 0,16-0,69) significantly differs between groups. After glomus-saving CE, the number of patients with the target blood pressure (BP) level reached 51,1% (p <0,0001; OR=0,0009; 95% CI, 6,05-15,9). The number of patients with grade II (31,1%; p<0,0001; OR=12,7; 95% CI, 10,4-15,52) and III (3,6%; p<0,0001; OR=10,26; 95% CI, 6,71-15,67) hypertension significantly decreased. In the group 2, the prevalence grade III hypertension increased (48,0%; p<0,0001; OR=0,23; 95% CI, 0,18-0,3), while the number of patients with grade I (0%; p<0,0001; OR=77,0; 95% CI, 4,71-12,58) and II (52%; p<0,0001; OR=3,06; 95% CI, 2,43-3,86) hypertension decreased.Conclusion. Glomus-saving CE contributes to achieving target BP in patients with RH. Its removal increases the risks of labile hypertension, postoperative hypertensive crisis, hyperperfusion syndrome and hemorrhagic transformation.


Therapeutic peptides are important for understanding the correlation between peptides and their therapeutic diagnostic potential. The therapeutic peptides can be further divided into different types based on therapeutic function sharing different characteristics. Although some computational approaches have been proposed to predict different types of therapeutic peptides, they failed to accurately predict all types of therapeutic peptides. In this study, a predictor called PreTP-EL has been proposed via employing the ensemble learning approach to fuse the different features and machine learning techniques in order to capture the different characteristics of various therapeutic peptides. Experimental results showed that PreTP-EL outperformed other competing methods. Availability and implementation: A user-friendly web-server of PreTP-EL predictor is available at http://bliulab.net/PreTP-EL.


+e rainfall and temperature conditions are evaluated for the first time during the 1989–2006 period, in six main cocoa production areas (Abengourou, Agboville, Daloa, Dimbokro, Guiglo, and Soubre) of Côte d'Ivoire using data from SODEXAM (groundbased observation) and the ex-CAISTAB. Statistical analysis shows an important sensitivity of cocoa production to rainfall conditions in all regions. It is worth noting that only the major rainy season from April to July and the rainfall amount of the little dry season from August to September affect the cocoa production for an 80% confidence level. +is influence varies from one cacao production area to another. Moreover, the effects related to temperature on the cocoa yield seem to represent a smaller contribution of climate impact than those related to precipitation during the studied period. +e temperature change remains in the acceptable range of values, between 25°C and 29°C, which is a favorable condition for cocoa growing. +ese findings are obtained despite the significant contributions from nonclimatic factors, to year-to-year variability in cocoa production.


ABSTRACT Ramie (Boehmeria nivea L.), belonging to Urticaceae, is principally used for fabric production. It is a well-known natural fiber material for ancient clothing. Despite its important position and application value, the understanding on genetic regulation mechanism of fiber quality is limited. Here, we generate a chromosome-scale, high-quality reference genome of ramie, in which, approximately 90.2% of the assembled sequences have been anchored to 14 pseudochromosomes. Totally 27,664 protein-coding genes are predicted which cover 268.24 Mb region of the genome. Comparative genomic analysis reveals that 2,047 and 796 gene clusters expand and contract, respectively, underlying significant genes in plant hormone signal transduction and cellulose/lignin biosynthesis pathways. An integrative analysis combining quantitative trait loci (QTL), comparative transcriptomic data, and cytological experiments unravels the molecular regulatory mechanism of ramie fiber fineness, especially the critical regulating role of ethylene. This study would lay a solid foundation for the research of molecular biology in ramie and provide valuable reference for the improvement of high-quality fiber varieties.


Estimating neural radiance fields (NeRFs) from "ideal" images has been extensively studied in the computer vision community. Most approaches assume optimal illumination and slow camera motion. These assumptions are often violated in robotic applications, where images may contain motion blur, and the scene may not have suitable illumination. This can cause significant problems for downstream tasks such as navigation, inspection, or visualization of the scene. To alleviate these problems, we present E-NeRF, the first method which estimates a volumetric scene representation in the form of a NeRF from a fast-moving event camera. Our method can recover NeRFs during very fast motion and in high-dynamic-range conditions where frame-based approaches fail. We show that rendering high-quality frames is possible by only providing an event stream as input. Furthermore, by combining events and frames, we can estimate NeRFs of higher quality than state-of-the-art approaches under severe motion blur. We also show that combining events and frames can overcome failure cases of NeRF estimation in scenarios where only a few input views are available without requiring additional regularization.


A kaolinite-poly (vinylpyrrolidone) intercalation compound has been prepared by the intercalation of an N-vinyl-2-pyrrolidone monomer (VP) and subsequent heat treatment. The intercalation of VP was achieved by treating a kaolinite-ammonium acetate intercalation compound with a VP aqueous solution. The basal spacing decreased from 14.2 to 12.6A, and infra-red spectroscopy (IR) and solid-state 13C nuclear magnetic resonance with cross polarization and magic angle spinning techniques (13C CP/MAS NMR) showed the displacement of ammonium acetate by VP. When the kaolinite-VP intercalation compound was heated at 200°C for 1h, the basal spacing did not vary. The IR and 13C CP/MAS NMR spectra showed the disappearance of vinyl groups and became similar to those of poly (vinylpyrrolidone) (PVP). These results clearly indicate the polymerization of VP between the layers of kaolinite.


Data provenance is essential for debugging query results, auditing data in cloud environments, and explaining outputs of Big Data analytics. A well-established technique is to represent provenance as annotations on data and to instrument queries to propagate these annotations to produce results annotated with provenance. However, even sophisticated optimizers are often incapable of producing efficient execution plans for instrumented queries, because of their inherent complexity and unusual structure. Thus, while instrumentation enables provenance support for databases without requiring any modification to the DBMS, the performance of this approach is far from optimal. In this work, we develop provenancespecific optimizations to address this problem. Specifically, we introduce algebraic equivalences targeted at instrumented queries and discuss alternative, equivalent ways of instrumenting a query for provenance capture. Furthermore, we present an extensible heuristic and cost-based optimization (CBO) framework that governs the application of these optimizations and implement this framework in our GProM provenance system. Our CBO is agnostic to the plan space shape, uses a DBMS for cost estimation, and enables retrofitting of optimization choices into existing code by adding a few LOC. Our experiments confirm that these optimizations are highly effective, often improving performance by several orders of magnitude for diverse provenance tasks.


Valency-Based Semantic Representation This is a brief outline of a semantic representation of linguistic objects in Russian—words, phrases, sentences—based on the concept of valency. Valency is explored as a property of all kinds of linguistic signs: words, parts of words, signs with non-phonological expression, and completely implicit signs. An important distinction is made between semantic and syntactic signs, and amongst semantic signs between signs with and without valency (signs denoting "facts" versus signs denoting "things"). The examples analysed are chosen with special attention paid to ways of transforming nominal phrases into copulative sentences.


Background: Epstein-Barr virus (EBV) infection is highly associated with specific subtypes of malignant lymphoma such as types of aggressive non-Hodgkin lymphoma (NHL). We aimed to evaluate the prevalence of EBV in NHL and its association with clinical parameters. Patients and Methods: twenty cases entered to our study. After re-blocking of previous paraffin embedded specimens, new slides were prepared and DNA was extracted. DNA contents were confirmed by spectrophotometery. Then PCR assay was used for total DNA and its product evaluate for presence of EBV by electrophoresis. Results: The mean age at diagnosis for all patients was 45±13 years (range, 28-73) years that 12 patients (60%) were male. Based on histopathology reports, 13 patients (65%) had immunoblastic Lymphoma, 5 (25%) had burkitt Lymphoma and 2 (10%) had LL (lymphoblastic Lymphoma). Conclusion: There is no EBV infection in NHL patients with LLs and percent of EBV infection in our study is lower than other studies.


In salt-losing congenital adrenal hyperplasia (CAH), continuous therapy with glucocorticoids and 9 alpha-fluorohydrocortisone (9 alpha-F) remains the golden rule. Previous reports showed a growth promoting effect of 9 alpha-F therapy. In addition, 9 alpha-F seemed to have a negligible glucocorticoid action. To confirm these facts, we analyzed the clinical data and the biological markers of control of therapy in two groups of patients with salt-losing CAH aged from 2 to 12 years: group I: before (time 0) and 6 months after the increase in 9 alpha-F dosage (time +6); group II: at time 0 and time +6 but without change in 9 alpha-F dosage. Groups were similar in terms of mean age, bone age and hydrocortisone dose. The mean dose of 9 alpha-F was 68.2 +/- 5.0 micrograms/m2/d at time 0 and was increased to 98.6 +/- 7.7 micrograms/m2/d at time +6 in group I; it remained similar in group II. In group I, height velocity decreased significantly from 8.1 +/- 0.6 at time 0 to 6.3 +/- 0.3 cm/yr at time +6 (p < 0.01) while in group II there was no significant change. In group I, plasma renin activity decreased from 10.4 +/- 1.6 at time 0 to 3.9 +/- 1.1 ng/ml/h at time +6 (p < 0.005) and showed no change in group II. These preliminary results suggest that careful monitoring of 9 alpha-F is essential to control a proper growth rate.


There is a fittingness, a congruence, an aptness between the presented themes and the presenting structural devices, an aptness which is the source of the proper, the distinguishing, the discriminating pleasure we take in the work. THOMAS PRUFER, ON EVELYN WAUGH'S BRIDESHEAD REVISITED(1) THE PHILOSOPHER AND THEOLOGIAN Robert Sokolowski has produced an important body of work, to which he continues to add. Using insights of phenomenology, he makes fresh approaches to classic questions of philosophy and theology, while also raising provocative new questions, questions, for instance, about the kinds of identity to be found in pictures, words, and quotations. (2) He does all this in a clear, nontechnical prose that continually engages the reader's attention anew. A noteworthy feature of this prose is its occasional evocation of the philosophical poetry of T. S. Eliot, which it sometimes quotes, sometimes comments on, and sometimes simply echoes. What follows is a brief discussion of one such evocation. 1 Among the accomplishments of Sokolowski's Phenomenology of the Human Person (2008) is to have made the ancient doctrine of predicables live again, in order to clarify the central activity in thinking, which is the activity of predicating, that is, of saying something about something. (3) According to the doctrine, the general form of predication is specifically determined by differences in the relation of predicate to subject. What is said of a subject is either accidental or essential; and if it is essential, it is either a property or an essence. Susan was smiling as she entered the room (117). This is accidental, because she is not smiling always, and she was not smiling of necessity then. But, whether actually smiling or not, she always retains a potentiality for smiling; ability to smile is a property she has, essentially. And she is, essentially, the kind of thing--the human kind--that is recognized by its possession of this and other human properties. To say She is human is to predicate her essence by naming her kind or species; one may also predicate her essence by naming the genus to which her species belongs (She is animal) or the difference that distinguishes her species in the genus (She is rational). The smiling, the ability to smile that is the source of the smiling, and the rational and animal humanity that is the source of the ability, are attributed to her as, respectively, accident, property, and essence. The doctrine of predicables is metaphysical as well as logical: accident, property, and essence are forms of predicates because they are aspects of beings as beings, insofar as they are spoken of. Sokolowski rescues this analysis, not just from history, but also from abstraction, by identifying conversation as the natural setting of predication. "When we converse with others," he says, "most of our statements are of the first kind, accidental predications" (118). Accidental predications are news, as it were, in contrast to unchanging properties and essences, which are usually left in the conversational background, because people are usually eager to tell and hear what is new, for instance, that The dog next door was barking loudly today. Periodically, however, conversation will shift to predication of a property or an essence, in statements such as A dog will do that sort of thing, and It is, after all, a dog. Sokolowski teaches us to listen for modulations between predicables whenever we hear people conversing. A still more remarkable accomplishment of Phenomenology of the Human Person is to have associated the doctrine of predicables with mystery and with art. A section of the book titled "Properties and Essences as Mysterious and Obscure" suggests that accidents, properties, and essences are situated at different levels of depth in a situation, and that artists exploit intervals between these levels to "call up auras of mystery and hidden depths" and "hint at things that are hard to name directly" (129). …


Background The effects from medication use in clinical trials are hard to achieve in standard care. Instead of health benefits for the patient there is risk of errors and negative consequences such as morbidity, mortality and costs. The risk is highest among older patients admitted and discharged to and from hospital care. Purpose Develop a systematic model for improved medication use when a patient is admitted to hospital. Materials and methods Systematic analysis of problems and limitations in the standard patient medication care process from admission, during stay, at, and after discharge was performed at Lund University hospital. A structured team based model with tools, checklists and responsibilities were developed and tested for each part and for the total model. The clinical pharmacist was introduced as the catalyst for improvement in the team and was responsible for performing medication reconciliation and medication review. Each part of the model was researched stepwise and compared to standard care in studies powered to detect significant differences in processes and outcomes. Three of the outcomes studies were used as input in a probabilistic decision tree model for cost-utility analyses. Results 18 scientific publications and manuscripts have been produced from the development and is the base for four PhD- and more than 30 MSc-theses. The model improves the process of care, that is identifies and solves drug related problem, reduces medication reconciliation errors, and improves medication appropriateness. It also improves healthcare outcomes. Healthcare contacts and hospital readmissions due to medication errors were reduced by 50 percent. For each hour spent by a pharmacist 2-3 h were saved among physicians and nurses. The total model generated savings of €390 and gained utility of 0.005 for each patient. The model is cost saving at a 98% chance. Finally all involved professionals are very satisfied with the process and the pharmacist professional contribution. Conclusions The model has successfully been implemented, researched and also rewarded as best innovation in Swedish healthcare. In Scania (the south of Sweden) there is a political consensus on the benefit and there are concrete plans to employ 40 additional clinical pharmacists


The impact of globalisation on social change is part of the inevitably global development over time. However, those changes matter when it leads to negative consequences on various aspects such as, people's identities and cultural values. New values replaced existing deeper-rooted local values, and people aspecially youth develop an identity that gives them a sense of belonging to a global culture instead of their own local identity. Loss of tolerance among each other, changes in patterns of social interaction, lifestyles and fashions are among cultural effects brought by globalization. More than that, information and communication technology has been a principal driver in the spread of globalization. With a new communication technology, ideas can get around the world in just a few moments. These impacts of globalization not only influence cities but as well as villages. Thus, it is important to strengthen the pattern of community defense, both urban and traditional, in the face of unending social changes from the rise of foreign cultures.


Super-resolution localization microscopy relies on sparse activation of photo-switchable probes. Such activation, however, introduces limited temporal resolution. High-density imaging overcomes this limitation by allowing several neighboring probes to be activated simultaneously. In this work, we propose an algorithm that incorporates a continuous-domain sparsity prior into the high-density localization problem. We use a Taylor approximation of the PSF, and rely on a fast proximal gradient optimization procedure. Unlike currently available methods that use discrete-domain sparsity priors, our approach does not restrict the estimated locations to a pre-defined sampling grid. Experimental results of simulated and real data demonstrate significant improvement over these methods in terms of accuracy, molecular identification and computational complexity.


Abstract Background  Cold snare polypectomy (CSP) is increasingly used for polypectomy and is recommended as the first-line modality for small (< 10 mm) polyps. This study aimed to evaluate incomplete resection rates (IRRs) when using CSP for colorectal polyps of 4–20 mm. Methods  Adults (45–80 years) undergoing screening, surveillance, or diagnostic colonoscopy and CSP by one of nine endoscopists were included. The primary outcome was the IRR for colorectal polyps of 4–20 mm, defined as the presence of polyp tissue in marginal biopsies after resection of serrated polyps or adenomas. Secondary outcomes included the IRR for serrated polyps, ease of resection, and complications. Results  413 patients were included (mean age 63; 48 % women) and 182 polyps sized 4–20 mm were detected and removed by CSP. CSP required conversion to hot snare resection in < 1 % of polyps of < 10 mm and 44 % of polyps sized 10–20 mm. The IRRs for polyps < 10 mm and ≥ 10 mm were 18 % and 21 %. The IRR was higher for serrated polyps (26 %) compared with adenomas (16 %). The IRR was higher for flat (IIa) polyps (odds ratio [OR] 2.9, 95 %CI 1.1–7.4); and when resection was judged as difficult (OR 4.2, 95 %CI 1.5–12.1), piecemeal resection was performed (OR 6.6, 95 %CI 2.0–22.0), or visible residual polyp was present after the initial resection (OR 5.4, 95 %CI 2.0–14.9). Polyp location, use of a dedicated cold snare, and submucosal injection were not associated with incomplete resection. Intraprocedural bleeding requiring endoscopic intervention occurred in 4.7 %. Conclusions  CSP for polyps of 4–9 mm is safe and feasible; however, for lesions ≥ 10 mm, CSP failure occurs frequently, and the IRR remains high even after technical success. Incomplete resection was associated with flat polyps, visual residual polyp, piecemeal resection, and difficult polypectomies.


A Monte Carlo procedure has been developed to study photon migration through highly scattering nonhomogeneous media. When two scaling relationships are used, the temporal response when scattering or absorbing inhomogeneities are introduced can be evaluated in a short time from the results of only one simulation carried out for the homogeneous medium. Examples of applications to the imaging of defects embedded into a diffusing slab, a model usually used for optical mammography, are given. Comparisons with experimental results show the correctness of the results obtained.


The Pfirsch-Schlüter classical diffusion of a general stationary toroidal plasma with rational magnetic surfaces and anisotropic pressure is calculated. The effect of pressure anisotropy on the classical diffusion is studied. It is found that the classical diffusion depends on the direction of the neutral beam injection.


Purified high conductance Ca(2+)-activated K+ (maxi-K) channels from bovine tracheal smooth muscle have been covalently labeled employing monoiodotyrosine charybdotoxin ([125I]ChTX) and different bifunctional cross-linking reagents. [125I]ChTX was specifically incorporated into the beta-subunit, which was thereafter isolated by size exclusion high performance liquid chromatography. Proteolytic fragments of the [125I]ChTX-labeled beta-subunit were generated by digestion with various endoproteinases. Glu-C or Asp-N cleavage yielded a glycosylated [125I]ChTX-labeled fragment of 13-14 kDa. A site-directed antiserum raised against residues 62-75 of the cloned beta-subunit of the maxi-K channel specifically recognizes the beta-subunit in immunostaining experiments and was capable of immunoprecipitating these ChTX-labeled peptides. Lys-C cleavage resulted in two fragments of 16 and 28 kDa, respectively, which were both precipitated by anti-beta (62-75). However, only the 28-kDa fragment was recognized by anti-beta(118-132) and shown to carry double the amount of N-linked carbohydrates. Taken together, these data restrict the site of covalent incorporation of ChTX into the beta-subunit exclusively at Lys69, confirm the predicted topology of this subunit, and indicate that both canonical N-linked glycosylation sites are occupied with complex carbohydrates of 5-6 kDa each. We propose that an extracellularly located portion of the beta-subunit is located within 7.7 A of the ChTX receptor site and could even participate in the formation of this receptor by close apposition of its extracellular domain with structural elements provided by the alpha-subunit.


The purpose of this study is want to know how the results of cognitive behavior therapy (CBT) application in coping with compulsive buying on online shopping by young adult woman. Compulsive buying is defined as buying behavior done by individual repetitively, happens automatically as response toward inner state or certain events. The buying behavior which often done tend to be excessive until finally cause problem in life. CBT is a psychological intervention which handle the interaction among how people thinks, feels and behaves. Online shopping is a process of buying goods or services from someone who sell through internet. The number of samples in this study consist of 113 young women with age between 20 to 30 years old which obtained from online questionnaires. From 113 subjects, it is found that there are 5 people with high level of compulsive buying and doing online shopping several times a week. In the process, only 2 people remains who are willing to continue through until the intervention started. This study used one-group pretest-posttest design, which measure compulsive buying among participants by using compulsive buying scale (CBS). After the participants are given manipulation with CBT, then there will be remeasurement towards compulsive buying using CBS again. According to the results of intervention, it is known that CBT can reduce the frequency of online shopping both subjects and reduce the level of compulsive buying tendency according to CBS. Factors which supports change are good cooperation from the subjects and motivation to change. Key Words : CBT, compulsive buying, online shopping


: The method of meta-analysis was utilized to analyze the relationship between feedback-seeking behavior (FSB) and individual performance. Sixty-two primary empirical studies with a total sample size of 15141 participants were included in this study. Results of the meta-analysis showed that FSB were positively and significantly correlated with individual performance ( r = 0.329), and it correlated with innovation performance ( r = 0.409) stronger than contextual performance ( r = 0.302) and task performance ( r = 0.258); Moreover, Inquiry FSB correlated with individual performance and its dimensions stronger than Monitoring FSB. The cultural background and data collection method moderate the relationship between feedback-seeking behavior and individual performance. Such relationship is the strongest in East Asian cultural background ( r = 0.393) and with cross-sectional homologous data ( r = 0.433), and it is still positive and significant with longitudinal paired data ( r = 0.154), which fully shows that feedback-seeking behavior can improve individual performance; while the moderating effect of measuring tools and source of feedback-seeking behavior and the attribute of non-self-evaluation performance and participants are not significant. The study results provided more accurate estimates for predicting individual performance by feedback seeking behavior and also the future research directions of feedback seeking behavior.


ABSTRACT Pituitary apoplexy with haemorrhage is a potentially life-threatening condition, and a rare cause of third nerve palsies. The range of vision loss and ophthalmoplegia seen in cases of apoplexy reflects the variability of cranial structures compressed by mass effect. The pathophysiology of extraocular muscle limitation and facial paraesthesia occurs with compression of the cavernous sinus, which contains cranial nerves III, IV, VI, and the ophthalmic branch of V. Blood supply to adjacent structures may be also compromised, causing additional loss of function. This case report of a patient with diabetes insipidus and a third nerve palsy illustrates the anatomic basis of the presenting signs of pituitary apoplexy, and the necessity for prompt neuroimaging if it is suspected.


The 1.5T MRI RF-induced heating for an abandoned commercial deep brain stimulation (DBS) lead is evaluated in this study with two different treatments at the proximal end. The capped-end or bared-end treatment on the proximal end can change the electromagnetic model of the DBS lead at 1.5T. During the American Society for Testing and Materials (ASTM) phantom testing, the abandoned lead with capped-end treatment has a 1.8 times higher temperature rise than the same abandoned leads with bared-end treatment, however, such difference is reduced to 6.8% during the simulated in-vivo modeling study. The statistical analysis shows that RF-induced heating of abandoned lead is lower than that of the full DBS system with simulated in-vivo modeling.


Recently, anisotropic conductive adhesives (ACAs) have attracted increasing interests as environmentally friendly materials in electronic packaging industry because they are lead-free, require fewer processing steps, such as fluxing and cleaning (reducing processing cost), allow a low processing temperature (enabling the use of heat-sensitive and low-cost components and substrates), and fine pitch interconnect capability (enabling the miniaturization of electronic devices). In this study, effects of nano silver (Ag) particles on electrical properties of ACA formulations were firstly investigated. It is discovered that nano silver (Ag) particles exhibited sintering behavior at significantly lower temperatures (<200°C) than the melting point (Tm of Ag is 960°C). The sintered nano Ag particles significantly reduced the ACA joint resistance and enhanced the current carrying capability of ACAs. In addition, a novel approach of self-assembled monolayers (SAMs) was used to treat nano Ag fillers to improve the interface properties of ACA joints. These SAM-treated ACAs were thermally stable at processing temperatures of the ACA samples. By introducing the novel SAM materials into the interfaces between nano metal fillers and the substrate bond pads, the conductivity and current carrying capability of ACAs were further improved due to the stronger bonding between nano fillers and SAM and consequently, it improved interface properties of the high performance ACA for potential microprocessor applications. This improvement enabled the possibility of replacing lead-containing solder interconnects in electronic industry.


Abstract The issue of city modelling is very essential these days and it is important to analyse the legal framework and its practical implications in the process of city modelling. However, the practice of urban design in Lithuania is based on two-dimensional solutions and the artistic factor is overlooked. The article reviews the legal basis of Lithuanian urban planning and design and their practical implications and emphasizes the necessity of artistic factor during the process of city modelling.


Abstract The purpose of this study was to examine the presence of homologous reproduction in the community college context. The authors analyzed the gender of the athletic director, women's basketball head coach, softball head coach, and volleyball head coach at 611 community colleges. Results indicate that most athletic directors (82.7%) were men. Chi-square analysis indicated that the gender of the athletic director was statistically associated with the gender of the head coach for both women's basketball and softball, as well as the likelihood of homogeneous staffs (i.e., the three head coaches all being either female or male). Results are discussed in terms of implications for practice.


Roland Clement was born on November 22, 1912, in Fall River, Massachusetts, the first son of Germain A. Clement of Iseghem, Belgium, a musician, and Angelina Desjardin of Sorel, Quebec, Canada. In 1947 he married Muriel Crowly of Brooklyn, New York, a Yale nurse, who predeceased him in 1998. Roland is survived by three children: Charles (a botanist in Manaus, Brazil); Connie, a public health professional in Toronto and in Nova Scotia, Canada; Alison (Lawrence, a computer programmer in Shelton, Connecticutt, now living in Bar Harbor, Maine), three granddaughters, and two great-grandchildren. Roland died comfortably on March 21, 2015, at his home in Hamden, Connecticut. Family and friends held a celebration of Roland's life in late March. Roland became interested in birds at age 8 because of a close-up look at a male Black-and-white Warbler. He met no one else interested in birds until age 14, when he joined the Boy Scouts, in which he served as camp naturalist and merit badge examiner for 12 years. Roland won a New England Garden Club scholarship to the Audubon Camp of Maine (1938), where he met Allan D. Cruickshank and Roger Tory Peterson, and returned as second birdman under Cruickshank in 1950. Roland attended parochial schools, skipped high school, did 2 years of business school, and then worked as a bookkeeper/secretary for 12 years. ''Released'' by the Great Depression in 1933, he started a new career, first banding birds with Maurice Broun at the O.L. Austin Ornithological Research Station, North Eastham, Cape Cod, Massachusetts, then doing 2 years of vocational wildlife management study at the Stockbridge School, University of Massachusetts, Amherst. Roland edited the New England Bulletin of Bird Life for the Boston Museum of Natural History (1942), where he was mentored by Ludlow Griscom. Roland served as U.S. Air Corps weather observer from 1943 to 1945, training in Illinois, Louisiana, and Colorado, before spending a year at Goose Bay, Labrador, and another at Indian House Lake, New Quebec, during which he conducted intensive studies of bird distribution and initiated life history studies. Roland returned to central Labrador for the Carnegie Museum in 1957 and 1958, where he was codiscoverer of the nesting grounds of the Eastern Short-billed Dowitcher. The faunal work from that period was published in W. E. Clyde Todd's Birds of the Labador Peninsula (1963) and the life histories (Common Redpoll and Eastern White-crowned Sparrow) in A. C. Bent's series on Life Histories of North American Birds (1968). Roland twice gave papers at AOU Meetings during those years. Roland returned to school on the ''G.I. Bill'' and obtained degrees from Brown University (B.S. in Botany, 1949) and Cornell University (M.S. in Wildlife Conservation, 1950). Subsequently, he became the first executive secretary of the Audubon Society of Rhode Island (1950– 1958). He then served the National Audubon Society as membership secretary, headquarters biologist, and vice president (1958–1977). He was a principal advocate for the banning of DDT, was personally active in early recovery programs for the California Condor and the Eastern Peregrine Falcon, and was a catalyst in numerous initiatives, including the founding of the Environmental Defense Fund. Roland served as chairman of the U.S. Section of the International Council for Bird Preservation, and later served as Secretary for the Americas, International Committee for Bird Protection (now Birdlife International). Having attended the first international conference of the International Union for Conservation of Nature in Nairobi in 1963, he became so enthralled with African environments that he organized and led small wildlife and birding tours to see the world for a dozen years. In retirement, Roland served as president of the Connecticut Audubon Society and of the Connecticut Ornithological Association and was a visiting fellow at Yale University for several years. In retirement, he became a skilled watercolorist, most often painting birdlife and landscapes, wrote essays shared through a blog, ''Reflections of a Naturalist'' (http://rolandcclement.blogspot.ca/), and continued traveling. He hosted lecture series in the retirement complexes where he lived, guiding others to reflect upon conservation and environmental challenges, and as recently as 2013 was involved in inventorying birds of a local wetland. Roland's papers are housed in the Linda Lear Center for Special Collections and Archives at Connecticut College.


Observations of snow accumulation rates from five new firn cores show a negative trend that is statistically significant over the past several decades across the central West Antarctic ice sheet (WAIS). A negative temporal trend in accumulation rates is unexpected in light of rising surface temperatures as well as model simulations predicting higher accumulation rates for the region. Both the magnitude of the mean accumulation rates and the range of interannual variability observed in the new records compare favorably to older records collected from a broad area of the WAIS, suggesting that the new data may serve as a regional proxy for recent temporal trends in West Antarctic accumulation rates. The observed negative trend in accumulation is likely the result of a shift in low‐pressure systems over the Amundsen Sea region, dominated by changes in the austral fall season. Regional‐scale climate models and reanalysis data do not capture the negative trend in accumulation rate observed in these firn cores. Nevertheless the models and reanalyses agree well in both accumulation‐rate means and interannual variability, with no single model or dataset standing out as significantly more skilled at capturing the observed magnitude of and trend in accumulation rates in this region of the WAIS.


Intensive Care Units usually carry patients with a serious risk of mortality. Recent research has shown the ability of Machine Learning to indicate the patients' mortality risk and point physicians toward individuals with a heightened need for care. Nevertheless, healthcare data is often subject to privacy regulations and can therefore not be easily shared in order to build Centralized Machine Learning models that use the combined data of multiple hospitals. Federated Learning is a Machine Learning framework designed for data privacy that can be used to circumvent this problem. In this study, we evaluate the ability of deep Federated Learning to predict the risk of Intensive Care Unit mortality at an early stage. We compare the predictive performance of Federated, Centralized, and Local Machine Learning in terms of AUPRC, F1-score, and AUROC. Our results show that Federated Learning performs equally well as the centralized approach (for 2, 4, and 8 clients) and is substantially better than the local approach, thus providing a viable solution for early Intensive Care Unit mortality prediction. In addition, we demonstrate that the prediction performance is higher when the patient history window is closer to discharge or death. Finally, we show that using the F1-score as an early stopping metric can stabilize and increase the performance of our approach for the task at hand.


Microfluidic bioreactors have been shown valuable for various cellular applications. The use of micro‐wells/grooves bioreactors, in which micro‐topographical features are used to protect sensitive cells from the detrimental effects of fluidic shear stress, is a promising approach to culture sensitive cells in these perfusion microsystems. However, such devices exhibit substantially different fluid dynamics and mass transport characteristics compared to conventional planar microchannel reactors. In order to properly design and optimize these systems, fluid and mass transport issues playing a key role in microscale bioreactors should be adequately addressed. The present work is a parametric study of micro‐groove/micro‐well microchannel bioreactors. Operation conditions and design parameters were theoretically examined via a numerical model. The complex flow pattern obtained at grooves of various depths was studied and the shear protection factor compared to planar microchannels was evaluated. 3D flow simulations were preformed in order to examine the shear protection factor in micro‐wells, which were found to have similar attributes as the grooves. The oxygen mass transport problem, which is coupled to the fluid mechanics problem, was solved for various groove geometries and for several cell types, assuming a defined shear stress limitation. It is shown that by optimizing the groove depth, the groove bioreactor may be used to effectively maximize the number of cells cultured within it or to minimize the oxygen gradient existing in such devices. Moreover, for sensitive cells having a high oxygen demand (e.g., hepatocytes) or low endurance to shear (e.g., human embryonic stem cells), results show that the use of grooves is an enabling technology, since under the same physical conditions the cells cannot be cultured for long periods of time in a planar microchannel. In addition to the theoretical model findings, the culture of human foreskin fibroblasts in groove (30 µm depth) and well bioreactors (35 µm depth) was experimentally examined at various flow rates of medium perfusion and compared to cell culture in regular flat microchannels. It was shown that the wells and the grooves enable a one order of magnitude increase in the maximum perfusion rate compared to planar microchannels. Altogether, the study demonstrates that the proper design and use of microgroove/well bioreactors may be highly beneficial for cell culture assays. Biotechnol. Bioeng. 2009;102: 1222–1230. © 2008 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Abstract. A new global dataset of annually averaged ultrafine particle (UFP) concentrations at the Earth's surface for the years 2015–2017 has been developed through numerical simulations using the ECHAM/MESSy Atmospheric Chemistry model (EMAC). We present total and size-resolved concentrations along with their interannual variability. Size distributions of emitted particles from the contributing source sectors have been derived based on literature reports. The model results of UFP concentrations are evaluated using particle size distribution and particle number concentration measurements from available datasets and the literature. While we obtain reasonable agreement between the model results and observations (logarithmic-scale correlation of r=0.76 for non-remote, polluted regions), the highest values of observed, street-level UFP concentrations are systematically underestimated, whereas in rural environments close to urban areas the model generally overestimates observed UFP concentrations. As the relatively coarse global model does not resolve concentration gradients in urban centres and industrial UFP hotspots, high-resolution data of anthropogenic emissions are used to account for such differences in each model grid box, obtaining UFP concentrations with unprecedented 0.1∘×0.1∘ horizontal resolution at the Earth's surface. This observation-guided downscaling further improves the agreement with observations, leading to an increase in the logarithmic-scale correlation between observed and simulated UFP concentrations to r=0.84 in polluted environments (and 0.95 in all regions), a decrease in the root mean squared logarithmic error (from 0.57 to 0.43), and removal of discrepancies associated with air quality and population density gradients within the model grid boxes. The model results are made publicly available for studies on public health and other impacts of atmospheric UFPs, as well as for intercomparison with other regional and global models and datasets.


The larval rearing and seed production experiment, the berried S. tranquebarica transferred to 1 ton tank filled with clean filtered and aerated seawater and 0.1 ppm Treflan (44% trifuralin) every three days in the hatching tanks. Salinity was maintained at 35 ppt, pH 7.8-8.2 and temperature 30-32.5 0C. Everyday larvae were counted for check the survival. The rearing water replaced at 20% daily after 5 days of stocking of larvae. Feeding starts after 3 hours of hatching of the larvae. Feeding schedule zoeae I was fed with Brachionus rotundiformis twice per day morning and evening (ad libitum). The zoeae II to IV were fed with B. rotundiformis and the enriched Artemia nauplii (2 times). Zoeae V and megalopa were fed with the enriched Artemia nauplii and the formulated feed respectively (2 times). The period of incubation noted and it was 12 days. The complete larval development of S. tranquebarica consists of five zoeal and one megalopal stages before moulting into crab instar stage. The zoeal stages (I to V) required the minimum time of 4,3,3,3 and 3 days respectively, megalopa required 6 days to metamorphose into crab instar stage. The complete larval development was took place within a span of 22 days. The survival of the first zoeae to crab instar stage was 6.9%.


Suppose that the determinant is 1 aj 1, and that at least one element in the first row, say u&, is not zero. If ancrt,hcr clement in this row, a;, is not zero, rnultiply the mtll column by tr?!cr& :~ntl subtract from tire $11 column : this replaces a; by zero without aft.&cting tho mth row (since 0% ; 0) or the value of the determinant. In this way every element in tllc first row except the mth can be replacccl by zero. In a sirrlilar way, all the elemouts of thc mth row except the first can now be replaced by zero without affecting the new first row. Tho elements bi of the new cteterininant are given by


Background: Studies were performed to evaluate antioxidant capacities of cultivated fruiting bodies of five Lentinus species namely Lentinus fasciatus, L. polychrous, L. sajor-caju, L. squarrosulus and L. strigosus.
Methods: Antioxidant capacities were evaluated using Folin-Ciocalteu assay, scavenging effects on 1,1-diphenyl-2-picrylhydrazyl radicals, s-carotene-linoleate bleaching assay, cupric ion reducing antioxidant capacity (CUPRAC), reducing power assay and lipid peroxidation assay.
Results: Among the species studied, L. squarrosulus extract was highest in Folin-Ciocalteu assay (58.23 mg GAE/g) and lipid peroxidation assay with 70.06% inhibition at 10 mg/mL concentration. While L. fasciatus extract was found to exhibit the highest radical-scavenging activity with IC50 of 14.17 mg/mL followed by L. squarrosulus extract (29.13 mg/mL). Lentinus fasciatus extract at concentration 1 mg/ml also exhibited the highest reducing capability on cupric (CUPRAC assay) and ferric ion (reducing power assay) with absorbance values of (A450, 1.22) and (A700, 0.65) respectively. This extract also showed the highest value of antioxidant activity based on s-carotene bleaching assay with EC50 value of 0.02 mg/mL.
Conclusion: Therefore, this finding suggests the potentials of L. squarrosulus and L. fasciatus extract to be used as complementary and alternative antioxidant ingredients either in pharmaceutical, industrial or cosmetic products.


This 253-page book contributed to by 33 authors is packed with information. It is the product of a workshop sponsored by the Department of Neurology, Boston University. At times, clear-cut neurological symptoms and signs disseminated in time and space may not be available to the clinician for the diagnosis of multiple sclerosis. The recent advances in medical technology provide help in these vague cases. The authors give a timely review of electrophysiological tests, cerebrospinal fluid electrophoresis and analysis, computer tomography, and nuclear magnetic resonance. The chapters on clinical neurology, neuropsychology, neuro-ophthalmology and neuro-urology provide insight and explanation of some of the unusual symptoms and signs presented by multiple sclerosis. The incorporation of these laboratory procedures and clinical data necessitates the revision of the existing diagnostic criteria for multiple sclerosis. The proposed new diagnostic guidelines are succinct and easy to apply. I predict the guidelines will be widely used in the


We consider a finite horizon optimal stopping problem related to trade-off strategies between expected profit and cost cash flows of an investment under uncertainty. The optimal problem is first formulated in terms of a system of Snell envelopes for the profit and cost yields which act as obstacles to each other. We then construct both a minimal solution and a maximal solution using an approximation scheme of the associated system of reflected backward stochastic differential equations (SDEs). We also address the question of uniqueness of solutions of this system of SDEs. When the dependence of the cash flows on the sources of uncertainty, such as fluctuation market prices, assumed to evolve according to a diffusion process, is made explicit, we obtain a connection between these solutions and viscosity solutions of a system of variational inequalities with interconnected obstacles.


This paper presents an agent-based computational economics model (ACE) to study demand-pull and cost-push inflation. Moreover, it studies the effect of different levels of rationality on the equilibrium price and unemployment rate. The model examines three different economies. In the first economy workers choose firms randomly, in the second economy there is loyalty between workers and firms. In the last scenario workers are persistence to find jobs. Simulations show that there is a positive relationship between equilibrium price and level of rationality while there is a negative relationship with unemployment rate. Moreover, the model is able to reproduce the behaviour of demand-pull inflation and cost-push inflation without homogeneous and perfectly rational agents assumptions.


The recording and reproducing characteristics , factors of interference , amendment against interference and performance against tracking error have been studied on digital audio system for S-VHS VCR. The block error rate of 5X 10-4 is attained without degradation of both video signal and FM audio signal,


In this paper we study the role of the recognition of the speaker's intentions in utterance interpretation. We are interested in the question whether the recognition has to be explicit and whether it precedes or follows interpretation. We present a game theoretic model of pragmatic interpretation and study it in the context of iterated best response models as these models make the interlocutor's reasoning about each other explicit. We claim that for normal communication backward induction is sufficient for interpretation, and hence that the recognition of the speaker's intentions follows rather than precedes interpretation. Relevance implicatures are generally considered to be part of the communicated meaning. By definition, it seems that the hearer has to take the speaker into account when calculating these implicatures. We will therefore pay special attention to them.


We aimed to determine the prevalence of extended-spectrum beta-lactamase (ESBL)-producing Escherichia coli in fecal samples of healthy pigs, and to evaluate their clonality and associated resistance. Forty-nine percent of pigs sampled (n=35/71) in a slaughterhouse in Portugal revealed ESBL-producing E. coli isolates. Most isolates produced CTX-M-1 enzyme (71.4%; n=25/35), followed by CTX-M-9 (11.4%; n=4/35), CTX-M-14 (5.7%; n=2/35), SHV-12 (5.7%; n=2/35), and CTX-M-32 (5.7%; n=2/35). Ninety-four percent of the isolates presented a phenotype of multi-resistance. Most isolates belonged to phylogroups B1 (42.8%; n=15/35) and A (40%; n=14/35). Multilocus sequence typing (MLST) analysis revealed nine sequence types (STs) under six clonal complexes (CCs) and nine singletons, including overrepresentation of CC10 and three new STs (ST2524, ST2525, ST2528). We observed the frequent presence of CTX-M-producing E. coli in pigs at slaughter level, most of them belonging to CC10, commonly recovered from clinical samples.


The advent of intraoral scanning methods has caused a paradigm shift in dentistry. However, despite their many advantages, intraoral scanners cannot accurately recognize the metallic surfaces of prothesis. Therefore, this experiment was designed to verify the effect of scanning-aid agents on the scanning accuracy using metallic reference models. Three different types of metallic reference models (inlay, onlay, and bridge) were specially designed and produced using a milling machine to simulate intraoral dental restorations. Three experimental groups (application of ScanCure, IP Scan Spray, and VITA Powder Scan Spray) were set up and scanned images (each n = 5) were acquired using the I500® intraoral scanner. The reference datasets were established by a 3D design that reflected the deviations between the measured distances and previously planned distances on the reference models. All acquired experimental datasets were digitally superimposed and compared with the reference datasets. Intragroup comparisons (precision, n = 10) were also performed. The root mean square (RMS) values of trueness in the ScanCure and IP groups were significantly more accurate than those of the VITA group in the inlay and onlay reference models (p < 0.05). Notably, in the bridge reference model, the liquid-type ScanCure group showed the highest accuracy of trueness, with statistical significance (p < 0.05). However, the RMS values of precision were not significantly different among the groups. These findings suggest that liquid-type scanning agents can be effectively used to obtain more accurate scan images of intraoral metallic dental restorations.


We present a discussion of the experimental foundation for the strong field effects that are applied in beamstrahlung calculations for the planned next generation of linear colliders. In particular, quantum suppression of synchrotron radiation, coherent pairs and tridents are treated. It is shown, that many of these phenomena can be – and some have been – tested using present day technology.


Spectral data estimation is an ill-posed problem, since it is difficult to collect sufficient linear independent data and, due to the integral nature of solid-state light sensors, camera outputs do not depend continuously on input signals. To solve these problems, most methods rely on exact a priori knowledge to reduce the problem's complexity (solution space). In this paper a new algorithm is introduced which does not require a priori information. The method is build upon a new extension of the Bayes information criterion for ill-posed estimation problems, that is able to extract this information from the input data. The proposed solution is quite general and can readily be applied to other ill-posed problems, which are common in computer vision and image processing.


Three cases of nemaline myopathy are reported. The first one was characterized by delayed motor milestones, hypotonia and proximal weakness in a 2-year-old girld. The second case was diagnosed at 19 in a boy who suffered from a severe scoliosis without any neurological sign. The third patient was a 31 year-old man who had a progressive muscular weakness of limb girdles. Muscle biopsy revealed rods in muscle fibers with Gomori trichrome staining in two cases, and by electron microscopy in one case only. Variations of fiber calibration, fiber I predominance and a myofibrillar disorganization were seen in two cases. Clinical, histopathological and physiopathological of nemaline myopathy are discussed.


A major consideration in designing dental implants is the creation of a surface that provides strong attachment between the implant and bone, connective tissue, or epithelium. In addition, it is important to inhibit the adherence of oral bacteria on titanium surfaces exposed to the oral cavity to maintain plaque-free implants. Previous in vitro studies have shown that titanium implant surfaces coated with titanium nitride (TiN) reduced bacterial colonization compared to other clinically used implant surfaces. The aim of the present study was to examine the support of fibroblast growth by a TiN surface that has antimicrobial characteristics. Mouse fibroblasts were cultured on smooth titanium discs that were either magnetron-sputtered with a thin layer of titanium nitride, thermal oxidized, or modified with laser radiation (using a Nd-YAG laser). The resulting surface topography was examined by scanning electron microscopy (SEM), and surface roughness was estimated using a two-dimensional contact stylus profilometer. A protein assay (BCA assay) and a colorimetric assay to examine fibroblast metabolism (MTT) were used. Cellular morphology and cell spreading were analyzed using SEM and fluorescence microscopy. Fibroblasts on oxidized titanium surfaces showed a more spherical shape, whereas cells on laser-treated titanium and on TiN appeared intimately adherent to the surface. The MTT activity and total protein were significantly increased in fibroblasts cultured on titanium surfaces coated with TiN compared to all other surface modifications tested. This study suggests that a titanium nitride coating might be suitable to support tissue growth on implant surfaces.


SUMMARY This paper presents a model-based approach for the first time to identify the crack location for the hinge-based planar RRR compliant mechanism, a parallel micro-motion stage driven by piezoelectric (PZT) actuators. However, cracks more likely occur on a flexure hinge because it usually undergoes a periodic deformation in service, which eventually compromises mechanism's performance, positioning accuracy for instance. In this work, the pseudo-rigid-body method is used to develop kinematic and dynamic models of the RRR mechanism both in healthy and damaged conditions, where the crack is considered in terms of the rotational compliance of a flexible hinge. The crack location is determined by measuring PZT elongations, which represents the driving toque deviation because of the crack presence. Numerical simulation is conducted to verify the proposed approach, and the results show good match of the identified crack location with the assumed location. Finally, experiments on the RRR mechanism with a prefabricated crack is performed to further validate the proposed models; the experimental results yield a good consistence.