This paper discusses the implementation aspects and our experiences towards a data parallel explicit self-starting finite element transient methodology with emphasis on the Connection Machine (CM-5) for linear and non-linear computational structural dynamic applications involving structured and unstructured grids. The parallel implementation criteria that influence the efficiency of an algorithm include the amount of communication, communication routing, and load balancing. To provide simplicity, high level of accuracy, and to retain the generality of the finite element implementation for both linear and non-linear transient explicit problems on a data parallel computer which permit optimum amount of communications, we implemented the present self-starting dynamic formulations (in comparison to the traditional approaches) based on nodal displacements, nodal velocities, and elemental stresses on the CM-5. Data parallel language CMFortran is employed with virtual processor constructs and with:SERIAL and:PARALLEL layout directives for arrays. The communications via the present approach involve only one gather operation (extraction of element nodal displacements or velocities from global displacement vector) and one scatter operation (dispersion of element forces onto global force vector) for each time step. These gather and scatter operations are implemented using the Connection Machine Scientific Software Library communication primitives for both structured and unstructured finite element meshes. The implementation aspects of the present self-starting formulations for linear and elastoplastic applications on serial and data parallel machines are discussed. Numerical test models for linear and non-linear one-dimensional applications and a two-dimensional unstructured finite element mesh are then illustrated and their performance studies are discussed.


The lack of universally acceptable definition and indicators of forest health has been a major challenge in developing forest health assessment methods. This study evaluated four selected methods (simple systematic sampling (SSS), simple random sampling (SRS), trail-based systematic sampling (TSS) and cluster sampling with annular and nested plots (CSANP)) for their efficiency in assessing forest stocking and structure, disturbances, pathogens and insect pests as health indicators. Surveys were undertaken in 2005 to 2006 to compare and rank the four sampling methods using the total enumeration over one-hectare block as benchmark in both Kakamega and Mt Elgon natural forests, western Kenya. Frequencies of occurrence of each health indicator were used. Absolute errors in % were calculated for each indicator as a measure of accuracy. TSS method ranked the best in accuracy at Mt Elgon and Kakamega in capturing forest anthropogenic disturbances. However, CSANP, SRS and SSS were most accurate in capturing other forest health indicators. More research is still needed to find more refined sampling methods. Keywords: sampling, forest health, indicators, disturbance


Background: consumers of dietary supplements (DS) or vitamin-mineral supplements (VMS) have a better health profile than nonconsumers; whether this also applies to healthier dietary patterns has seldom been assessed. We aimed to assess the dietary intake of subjects according to their consumption of DS or VMS. Methods: Cross-sectional, population-based studies conducted in 2009-2012 (3773 participants, 52.4% women, 57.0 ± 10.0 years) and 2014-2017 (2536 participants, 52.4% women, 60.0 ± 10 years) in Lausanne, Switzerland. Dietary intake was assessed via a 97-item food frequency questionnaire. Nutrients, consumption of specific food groups, dietary scores, and compliance with the Swiss nutritional guidelines were compared between VMS/DS consumers and nonconsumers. Results: In 2009-2012, after multivariable adjustment for gender, age, body mass index, education, smoking, country of birth, sedentariness, diet and total energy intake, VMS/DS consumers had a higher score for the "Fruits & vegetables"(-0.09 ± 0.02 vs. 0.15 ± 0.05) dietary pattern and a lower score for the "Fatty & sugary" dietary pattern (0.02 ± 0.02 vs. -0.14 ± 0.04) and had a lower likelihood to comply with the guideline on total fat [odds ratio and 95 %CI: 0.72 (0.57-0.89)] than nonconsumers. In 2014-2017, after multivariable adjustment, no differences (at p < 0.005) were found between VMS/DS consumers and nonconsumers. Conclusion: VMS/DS consumers tend to have healthier dietary choices than nonconsumers. The beneficial effect of VMS and/or DS consumption is decreased, as it does not target subjects who really need them.


Objective. To assess efficacy and safety of intramuscular (im) and paravertebral (pv) alflutop injections in pts with chronic vertebrogenous lumbar ischialgia. Material and methods. 83 pts with lumbar ischialgia syndrome (44 male, 39 female) aged 31 to 56 years (mean 43,1 ±5,2 years) were included. Disease duration varied from I to 7 years (mean 3,5± 1,9 years), duration of the present exacerbation - from 1 to 4 months (mean 2.4±0,8 months). Vertebroneurologic diagnosis was made according to H. Hall criteria. Pts were randomized into 4 groups. 32 pts of group Al received im, 23 pts of group A2 - pv alflutop injections. 14 pts of group Bl and 14 pts of group B2 received im and pv placebo injections respectively. Treatment results were scored by the doctor. Pts assessed spine pain changes on visual analog scale. Quantitative assessment of verbal syndrome was performed with Waddle scale. Results. Im alflutop injections provided good or fair effect in 61%, pv - in 69% of pts (significantly better than placebo). Effect was evident during the first 2 weeks of treatment and persisted for 3 months after its termination. The best results were achieved in pts with facet syndrome, the worst - in spinal stenosis. Drug tolerability was good in both modes of administration.


This paper develops a capacity options model in the two-echelon supply chain with the emergent procurement from the spot market. In our model, we deal with not only demand uncertainty but also supply uncertainty. At first, we find the equilibrium of the Stackelberg game and then investigate the effect of uncertainties in the demand and supply on the optimal decision behaviors. We also discuss the value of the options contract and the option flexibility for the manufacturer, the supplier and the supply chain respectively. Then, we study the channel coordination by incorporating the profit sharing rules and find the set of Pareto sharing rules, and we analyze the Nash bargaining game over the Pareto sharing rules and find the optimal sharing rule.


The systematization of books (teaching materials) so that students can use them to achieve learning objectives. Teachers must have the ability to develop teaching materials according to the needs of students. Lack of textbooks in teaching at the SMK level, especially English textbooks. The purpose of this study was to identify some data and the match between the content in English textbooks and the needs of students at SMK 1 Gondang, Nganjuk. This study uses a qualitative method with a descriptive approach. Collecting data through interviews and questionnaire surveys on students and literature review. The population and sample in this study were grade X students and English textbooks for SMK. It can be seen that the needs of SMK students majoring in Network Computer Engineering related to learning English are in accordance with the existing KD SK in accordance with the knowledge learned in Network Computer Engineering. Based on the results of interviews, it was stated that the needs of SMK students majoring in TKJ in English are those who introduce the industrial world a lot, the ability to communicate in the general and industrial environment, and are familiar with vocabulary, especially terms, procedures, and the competence of SMK majoring in Network Computer Engineering in general. The description above shows that students' expectations and learning situations can build English language learning in meeting the needs of students effectively. The needs of SMK students majoring in TKJ for those related to learning English are in accordance with the existing KD SK and in accordance with the knowledge learned in TKJ.


In tissue culture phosphonoacetic acid (PAA) specifically inhibited DNA synthesis of human cytomegalovirus (CMV), murine CMV, simian CMV, Epstein-Barr virus, and Herpesvirus saimiri. Fifty to one hundred micrograms per milliliter PAA completely inhibited viral DNA synthesis with no significant damage to host cell DNA synthesis. In vitro DNA polymerization assays showed that 10 μg/ml of PAA specifically inhibited partially purified human CMV-induced DNA polymerase, while little inhibition of host-cell DNA polymerase activity was found. The specific inhibition of herpes-group virus DNA synthesis with little toxicity to host cells suggests that PAA has great potential as an antiherpesvirus therapeutic agent.


The aim of the present study was to determine the relative frequency of recurrent pneumonia in children and to describe its underlying illnesses. Materials and methods: Children between 3 months and 16 years old who had a history of 2 or more episodes of pneumonia per year, or 3 or more episodes in a lifetime were investigated retrospectively at Doctor Sami Ulus Children's Training and Research Hospital between January 2002 and December 2004. Results: Out of 595 children admitted for pneumonia, 62 (10.42%) met the criteria for recurrent pneumonia. An underlying illness was demonstrated in 56 patients (90.32%). In this study, the underlying illness was diagnosed during recurrence in all patients. The patients with persistent pneumonia were excluded from the study. Underlying diseases were bronchial asthma (30.64%), immune deficiency disorders (17.75%), aspiration syndromes (17.75%), and congenital anomalies (16.12%). No predisposing illness could be demonstrated in 6 patients (9.68%). Conclusion: Approximately 1 in 10 children with pneumonia in our hospital had recurrent pneumonia. Most of these children had an underlying illness, which was demonstrated. Bronchial asthma was the most common underlying illnesses for undiagnosed recurrent pneumonia in children.


Abell 2146 consists of two galaxy clusters that have recently collided close to the plane of the sky, and it is unique in showing two large shocks on Chandra X-ray Observatory images. With an early stage merger, shortly after first core passage, one would expect the cluster galaxies and the dark matter to be leading the X-ray emitting plasma. In this regard, the cluster Abell 2146-A is very unusual in that the X-ray cool core appears to lead, rather than lag, the brightest cluster galaxy (BCG) in their trajectories. Here we present a strong-lensing analysis of multiple-image systems identified on Hubble Space Telescope images. In particular, we focus on the distribution of mass in Abell 2146-A in order to determine the centroid of the dark matter halo. We use object colours and morphologies to identify multiple-image systems; very conservatively, four of these systems are used as constraints on a lens mass model. We find that the centroid of the dark matter halo, constrained using the strongly lensed features, is coincident with the BCG, with an offset of ≈2 kpc between the centres of the dark matter halo and the BCG. Thus from the strong-lensing model, the X-ray cool core also leads the centroid of the dark matter in Abell 2146-A, with an offset of ≈30 kpc.


Utilization of an in-memory database as a cache can overcome relational database latency problems in a web application, especially when using a lot of join queries. This study aims to model the academic relational data into Redis compatible data and analyze the performance of join queries usage to accelerate access to relational data managed by RDBMS. This study used academic data to calculate student GPA that is modeled in the RDBMS and Redis in-memory database (IMDB). The use of Redis as an in-memory database can significantly increase Mysql database system performance up to 3.3 times faster to display student data using join query and to shorten the time needed to display GPA data to 52 microseconds from 61 milliseconds.


Variation of laminin receptor levels (LNR) during myeloid‐cell differentiation and in acute leukemia were investigated by 125I‐laminin‐binding determination during HL60 cell differentiation and in cells of patients with different types of leukemia, characterized according to the FAB classification. LNR levels in HL60 cells increased during differentiation, being significantly higher in cells exposed to phorbol myristate acetate (PMA) and ethanol (55,391 ± 27,845 and 29,314 ± 6,435 sited cell respectively) as compared with HL60 controls (8,549 ± 4,000 siteskell). The control cells do not adhere to laminin‐coated surfaces, but differentiation with PMA results in their rapid adherence on this substratum. Short treatment with PMA does not increase the number of adherent cells or the receptor expression. Granulocytes also presented equally high LNR concentration (29,739 ± 13,516 sites/cell). The lymphoid cells (lymphocyte, acute lymphoid leukemia and chronic lymphocytic leukemia) shared low LNR numbers (<6,500 sites/cell). Myeloid cells displayed a wide range of LN receptors with higher levels being associated with the more differentiated FA9 subgroups. 125I‐laminin binding to lymphoid or myeloid leukemic cells was mainly inhibited by P1 fragments, whereas granulocytes and differentiated HL60 cells displayed a dual binding pattern for laminin fragments P1 and E8. These results were confirmed by assays using 125I‐labelled P1 and E8 fragments. We conclude that magnitude of LNR levels and variation in expression of P1 and E8 receptors appear to be linked to lineage and maturation status in hematopoietic cells.


In this paper, a simple linearly tapered transition from a rectangular waveguide (RWG) to an air-filled SIW (AFSIW) is designed by analytically formulating its length, which optimizes the impedance matching and insertion loss over the wide millimeter wave frequency range. Several of these transitions are used to realize back-to-back and transmission systems supporting different waveguides. Their performances in terms of S11 and S21 are simulated and found to be <-10 dB and >-0.21 dB across the frequency bands of operation, respectively. The prototype of the transition in transmission system configuration supporting the WR-15 waveguide is developed, and its measured values from 50 to 75 GHz correlate very well with the simulated results. When the measured S21 and BW of the developed prototype are compared to similar works reported in the literature, the benefits of the proposed transition are confirmed for developing low-cost future generations of wireless technology systems.


BACKGROUND Ovarian hyperstimulation syndrome (OHSS) seems to be induced by the ovarian release of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), which increases vascular permeability. Dopamine agonists inhibit VEGF receptor phosphorylation and thereby decrease vascular permeability. METHODS A randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, multicentre study assessing three oral doses (50, 100, 200 µg/day) of the non-ergot derived dopamine agonist quinagolide started on the day of human chorionic gonadotrophin (hCG) and continued for 17–21 days without dose-titration in comparison to placebo in preventing moderate/severe early OHSS (onset ≤9 days after hCG administration) in 182 IVF patients with ≥20 but less than 30 follicles ≥10 mm. RESULTS The incidence of moderate/severe early OHSS was 23% (12/53) in the placebo group and 12% (6/51), 13% (7/52) and 4% (1/26) in the quinagolide 50, 100 and 200 µg/day groups, respectively. The moderate/severe early OHSS rate was significantly lower with all quinagolide groups combined compared with placebo [P = 0.019; OR = 0.28 (0.09–0.81)]. The incidence of ultrasound evidence of ascites among patients with no clinical pregnancy was significantly reduced from 31% (8/26) with placebo to 11% (8/70) with all quinagolide groups combined [P = 0.033; OR = 0.29 (0.10–0.88)], although there was no difference for those with clinical pregnancy. Quinagolide did not have a detrimental effect on pregnancy or live birth rates. The incidence of gastrointestinal and central nervous system adverse events increased with increasing doses of quinagolide. CONCLUSIONS Quinagolide appears to prevent moderate/severe early OHSS while not affecting treatment outcome. The effect is more marked in patients who did not achieve a clinical pregnancy. Quinagolide administered in high doses without dose-titration is associated with poor tolerability. ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT00329693.


Modification of the Small Ubiquitin-like Modifier (SUMO) (SUMOylation) appears to regulate diverse cellular processes, including nuclear transport, signal transduction, apoptosis, autophagy, cell cycle control, ubiquitin-dependent degradation and gene transcription. Glycogen synthase kinase 3β (GSK 3β) is a serine/threonine kinase that is thought to contribute to a variety of biological events, including embryonic development, metabolism, tumorigenesis, and cell death. GSK 3β is a constitutively active kinase that regulates many intracellular signaling pathways by phosphorylating substrates such as β-catenin. We noticed that the putative SUMOylation sites are localized on K292 residueof 291FKFPQ295 in GSK 3β based on analysis of the SUMOylation consensus sequence. In this report, we showed that the SUMOylation of GSK 3β occurs on its K292 residue, and this modification promotes its nuclear localization in COS-1. Additionally, our data showed that the GSK 3β SUMO mutant (K292R) decreased its kinase activity and protein stability, affecting cell death. Therefore, our observations at first time suggested that SUMOylation on the K292 residue of GSK 3β might be a GSK 3β regulation mechanism for its kinase activation, subcellular localization, protein stability, and cell apoptosis.


The American Society of Extracorporeal Technology Board of Directors, consistent with the American Society of Extracorporeal Technology's safe patient care improvement mission, charged the International Board of Blood Management to write a knowledge and skill certification examination for healthcare personnel employed as adult extracorporeal membrane oxygenation (ECMO) specialists. Nineteen nationally recognized ECMO subject-matter experts were selected to complete the examination development. A job analysis was performed, yielding a job description and examination plan focused on 16 job categories. Multiple-choice test items were created and validated. Qualified ECMO specialists were identified to complete a pilot examination and both pre- and post-examination surveys. The examination item difficulty and candidate performance were ranked and matched using Rasch methodology. Candidates' examination scores were compared with their profession, training, and experience as ECMO specialists. The 120-item pilot examination form ranked 76 ECMO specialist candidates consistent with their licensure, ECMO training, and clinical experience. Forty-three registered nurses, 28 registered respiratory therapists, four certified clinical perfusionists, and one physician assistant completed the pilot examination process. Rasch statistics revealed examination reliability coefficients of .83 for candidates and .88 for test items. Candidates ranked the appropriateness for examination items consistent with the item content, difficulty, and their personal examination score. The pilot examination pass rate was 80%. The completed examination product scheduled for enrollment in March 2020 includes 100 verified test items with an expected pass rate of 84% at a cut score of 67%. The online certification examination based on a verified job analysis provides an extramural assessment that ranks minimally prepared ECMO specialists' knowledge, skills, and abilities (KSA) consistent with safe ECMO patient care and circuit management. It is anticipated that ECMO facilities and ECMO service providers will incorporate the certification examination as part of their process improvement, safety, and quality assurance plans.


A degeneration of the phloem elements of the potato, which occurs in plants suffering from Leaf-roll, was first described by Quanjer (1913). Since them phloem necrosis has been recorded by many workers, some ascribing it to specific pathogenic causes while others state that it occurs in both healthy and diseased plants. Esmarch (1921) states that it is always present in the ripening plant, and v. Brehmer (1923) shows three types of necrosis, viz., Nekrobiose , Obliteration and Necrosis , of which only the last is necessarily due to virus infection. On the other hand, Artschwager (1923) found necrotic changes only in virus infected and injured plants. In this paper an attempt is made to correlate the histopathological changes occuring in virus diseased plants with the external symptoms which they exhibit. A large part of the work is devoted to the morbid anatomy of certain "Streak" diseases, for a detailed account of the external symptons of which see Salaman and Bawden (1932).


As modern society relies on the fault-free operation of complex computing systems, system fault-tolerance has become a matter of course. So, requests on software reliability and availability have progressed greatly due to the current applications. Software applications executing continuously for a long period of time show a degraded performance and/or an increased occurrence rate of hang/crash failure. In this paper, we present and analyze a proactive fault-tolerance using virtualization technology and rejuvenation (preventive maintenance) technique based on stochastic Petri Net Model. This proposed system presents a new model using the virtualized reliability recovery plan to offer high reliability for application servers. Moreover, our results show that the comparison of numerical calculation and SHARPE (Symbolic Hierarchical Automated Reliability and Performance Evaluator) tool simulation.


This paper deals with the probability that random linear systems
defined over a finite field are reachable.
Explicit formulas are derived for the probabilities that a linear input-state
system is reachable, that the reachability matrix has a
prescribed rank, as well as for the number of cyclic vectors of a
cyclic matrix. We also estimate the probability that the parallel
 connection of finitely many single-input systems is reachable. These results
 may be viewed as a first step to calculate the probability that a
 network of linear systems is reachable.


The increased neurological clinical complications after surgical intervention in the mandible necessitate the demand for precise detection of the mandibular canal and its foramina variations prior to any surgical intervention.
Aims: To identify and classify variations of the mandibular canal and foramina in dentate Malaysian using Cone-Beam Computed Tomography (CBCT).
Materials and Methods: The subjects for this study were 202 who had attended the Oral Radiology Division, Faculty of Dentistry, University of Malaya for CBCT screening. Using the dataset generated, bifid/trifid mandibular canals were identified and classified. Their vertical location, diameter, lumen shape were studied. The location of the mental foramen, mental foramen opening distance, orientation of the opening, the location of the mandibular foramen, the prevalence of accessory mental and mandibluar foramina and retromolar foramen were studied in detail. To enhance the quality of images studied, SimPlant software was employed and the findings analysed using statistical software (SPSS v.12).
Results: In the present study, bifid mandibular canal were observed in 46 (22.77%) patients with the retromolar canal being the most numerous. The mean length of the bifid mandibular canals was 32.33mm ±19.96 (range: 7.20-86.33mm). The mean diameter of the bifid mandibular canal was 1.42 mm (SD ±0.32). Fifty-six percent of bifid mandibular canals were below the main mandibular canal. Trifid mandibular canals were observed in 12 (5.9%) of the 202 patients and retromolar canal was again the most frequent type recorded. The mean diameter of the trifid mandibular canal was 1.29 mm (SD ± 0.23) (range: 0.93-1.89 mm) and the mean length was 20.75 mm ± 14.43 (range: 5-52mm). Forward canal type has the longest trifid mandibular canal length while the retromolar canal was the shortest. With regards to the mental foramina, they were located 10.9 mm from the lingual cortex and 14 mm above the lower edge of the mandible while the mandibular foramen was 5.89 mm from the buccal edge of the mandibular foramen perpendicularly to the buccal cortical margin of the ramus and 23.26 mm above the lower edge of the mandible. Accessory mental foramina were observed in 5 (1.2%), accessory mandibular foramina were observed in 19 (4.9%) and retromolar foramina were observed in 28 (7.2%) of the 388 hemi-mandibles studied.
Conclusion: This study revealed that there is a high prevelance of variations in the number of mandibular canal among Malaysians and that the ―retromolar canal‖ type is the most common type of the mandibular canal variation in this population. The ability to visualise and quantify precisely these complicated variations using CBCT provides support for the view that this imaging modality should become the recognised standard of care before any mandibular surgery.


Background: Escherich coli (E.coli) is the principal pathogen that causes biofilm formation; the latter is associated with infectious diseases and antibiotic resistance. In our previous work, we demonstrated that probiotic microcapsules have superior biofilm inhibition capacity compared to probiotic sterile culture supernatant. Herein, the mechanism of the inhibition effects was investigated using label-free quantitative proteomics analysis. Results: The proteomic analysis characterized a total of 1655 proteins in E.coli K12MG1655 and 1431 proteins in Lactobacillus rhamnosus GG (LGG). Among them, after coculture treatment, there were 262 and differentially expressed proteins that were specific for E.coli and 291 for LGG. The differentially expressed proteins after coculture were related to cellular metabolism, the stress response, transcription, and the cell membrane. In addition, we identified five strain-specific genes in E.coli and LGG, respectively, which were consistent with the proteomics results. Conclusions: These findings indicate that LGG microcapsules may inhibit E.coli biofilm inhibition by disrupting metabolic processes, particularly in relation to energy metabolism and stimulus responses, both of which are critical for the growth of LGG. Together, these findings increase our understanding of the interactions between bacteria under coculture conditions.


Drought stress is the most important factor limiting wheat yield in the Altai Territory, Russia. Several selection criteria have been proposed to select genotypes based on their performance in stressful and non-stressful environments. We tested seventy-five genotypes of spring bread wheat in a randomized complete block design with three replications for three years (2010-2012). The trials were conducted in the Altai Research Institute of Agriculture, Russia. Six drought resistance indices, including Sensitivity drought index (SDI), Mean productivity (MP), Tolerance index (Tol), Stress susceptibility index (SSI), Geometric mean productivity (GMP) and Stress tolerance index (STI) were calculated for each genotype based on grain yields under non-stress and three stress conditions. Stress intensity indices (SI) in the first, second, and third environments were low (SI=0.39), moderate (SI=0.56), and high (SI=0.80), respectively. We found that different indices give a similar characteristic of the most drought-resistant and drought-susceptible genotypes. SSI fully corresponds to the SDI value, and STI corresponds to the GMP value (r=1.00). Tolerance is closely related to SDI (r=0.83-0.86). SDI and SSI are offered as useful indices for wheat breeding where stress is severe, while STI, MP and GMP are suggested if stress is less severe. Genotypes with high yield potential can be identified under moderate drought, but not under severe drought stress.
Keywords: Wheat; drought; resistance indices; grain yield
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Ziborov, A. I. (2013). Ocenka ehkologicheskoj plastichnosti sovremennyh sortov i perspektivnyh linij yarovoj tverdoj pshenicy v usloviyah Priobskoj lesostepi Altajskogo kraya: dis. kand. sel'skohozyajstvennyh nauk, Tyumen': Gosudarstvennyj agrarnyj universitet Severnogo Zaural'ya. (In Russian)


This systematic review with meta-analysis sought to determine the impact of antioxidants (N-acetylcysteine [NAC], polyunsaturated fatty acids [PUFAs] and vitamins) on incidence of postoperative atrial fibrillation (POAF) and duration of length of hospital stay. Medline, Embase, Elsevier, Sciences online database and Google Scholar literature search was made for studies in randomized controlled trials. The effect sizes measured were odds ratio (OR) for categorical variable and standard mean difference (SMD) with 95% confidence interval (CI) for calculating differences between mean values of duration of hospitalization in intervention and control groups. A value of P < 0.1 for Q-test or I(2) > 50% indicated significant heterogeneity between the studies. Literature search of all major databases retrieved 355 studies. After screening, a total of 23 trials were identified that reported outcomes of 4278 patients undergoing cardiac surgery. Pooled effects estimates on POAF showed a significant reduction after NAC (OR: 0.56, 95% CI: 0.40-0.77, P < 0.001), PUFA (OR: 0.84, 95% CI: 0.71-0.99, P = 0.03) and vitamin C treatment (OR: 0.50, 95% CI: 0.27-0.91, P = 0.02). Hospital length of stay was not reduced after NAC therapy (SMD: 0.082, 95% CI -0.09 to 0.25, P = 0.3), but could be decreased with PUFA (SMD: -0.185, 95% CI: -0.35 to -0.018, P = 0.03) and vitamin C (SMD: -0.325, 95% CI -0.50 to -0.14, P < 0.01). In conclusion, perioperative antioxidant supplementations with NAC, PUFA and vitamin C prevent atrial fibrillation after cardiac surgery. Moreover, PUFA and vitamin C are capable to reduce hospital stay, whereas NAC lacks this capacity.


Background Reharvesting leukocytes from donors for a donor lymphocyte infusion (DLI) is inconvenient and occasionally impossible in case of unrelated donors. The effect of a growth factor-primed DLI is known to be comparable to that of nonprimed DLI for patients with relapsed disease. We reserved some portion of PBSCs harvested at the time of transplantation for the purpose of future DLI for relaping disease. Method In total, ninety nine patients (43 high risk, 46 standard disease) with hematologic malignancies who were treated by allo-PBSCT were allocated on an intent-to-treat basis. The dose of CD34+ cells with a range of 2–6*106/kg was transplanted, and additional PBSCs were cryopreserved. Result PBSC harvest for transplantation allowed to reserve extra cells in 35 (67.3%) high risk patients and in low risk 25 (55.6%) patients. Among 29 patients (29.9%) who relapsed after allogeneic PBSCT, 19 (65.5%) patients were treated with mainly cytarabine-based chemotherapy followed by cryopreserved PBSC infusion. The median dose of CD3+ and CD34+ cells for the primed DLI was 1.43*108/kg and 4.75*106/kg, respectively. Six (24.9%) out of 19 relapsed patients exhibited a complete response after the primed DLI, and their 1-year survival rate was 36%. The new development or progression of graft-versus-host disease after the primed DLI was observed in 16 (82%) patients. Overall, the survival at 1 year after the primed DLI was 21%. Conclusion The induction of a graft-versus-leukemia effect through a primed DLI, using additional PBSCs reserved at the time of transplantation, would appear to be feasible for patients with relapsed hematologic malignancies. Furthermore, this approach seem to be more convenient for donors.


LetR be a commutative ring and M be a unitary R− module. We define a semiprime submodule of a module and consider various properties of it. Also we define semi-radical of a submodule of a module and give a number of its properties. We define modules which satisfy the semi-radical formula ( ) . . . . s t s r f and present the existence of such a module.


This article stresses importance of teaching nursing ethics on the ground that 1) courses in bioethics which focus on the role of the physician as the paradigmatic health-care provider belie the actual nature of our health-care system and misplace the locus of much of the responsibility for how patients, especially hospitalized patients, fare. In addition, 2) the study of nursing ethics draws attention to issues which, though they arise for the nurse in quite specific nursing situations, nonetheless highlight what is important in the study of moral relations generally, and bring to the fore important general questions about the nature of moral responsibility itself. Finally, 3) it is argued that the very defining concepts of the nursing profession are themselves of philosophical and ethical interest. Note is taken of the concern expressed by those in the nursing profession regarding the lack of humanities education and suggestions are made for introducing the study of nursing ethics into nursing and philosophy curricula.


AIM
To determine whether the elevated vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF) expression produced by the transfected vascular endothelial cells (VECs) could stimulate angiogenesis of the graft islets and exert its effect on the graft function.

METHODS
Thirty diabetic recipient rats were divided into three groups (n=10 per group). In the control group, 300 IEQ islets were transplanted in each rat under the capsule of the right kidney, which were considered as marginal grafts. In the VEC group, VEC together with the islets were transplanted in each rat. In the VEGF group, VEC transfected by pIRES2-EGFP/VEGF165 plasmid and the islets were transplanted in each rat. Blood glucose and insulin levels were evaluated every other day after operation. Intravenous glucose tolerance test (IVGTT) was performed 10 d after the transplantation. Hematoxylin and eosin (HE) staining was used to evaluate the histological features of the graft islets. Immunohistochemical staining was used to detect insulin-6, VEGF and CD34 (MVD) expression in the graft islets.

RESULTS
Blood glucose and insulin levels in the VEGF group restored to normal 3 d after transplantation. In contrast, diabetic rats receiving the same islets with or without normal VECs displayed moderate hyperglycemia and insulin, without a significant difference between these two groups. IVGTT showed that both the amplitude of blood glucose induction and the kinetics of blood glucose in the VEGF group restored to normal after transplantation. H&E and immunohistochemical staining showed the presence of a large amount of graft islets under the capsule of the kidney, which were positively stained with insulin-6 and VEGF antibodies in the VEGF group. In the cell masses, CD34-stained VECs were observed. The similar masses were also seen in the other two groups, but with a fewer positive cells stained with insulin-6 and CD34 antibodies. No VEGF-positive cells appeared in these groups. Microvessel density (MVD) was significantly higher in the VEGF group compared to the other two groups.

CONCLUSION
Elevated VEGF production by transfected vascular endothelial cells in the site of islet transplantation stimulates angiogenesis of the islet grafts. The accelerated islet revascularization in early stage could improve the outcome of islet transplantation, and enhance the graft survival.


Liver transplantation has been deemed the best choice for end-stage liver disease patients but immune rejection after surgery is still a serious problem. Patients have to take immunosuppressive drugs for a long time after liver transplantation, and this often leads to many side effects. Mesenchymal stem cells (MSCs) gradually became of interest to researchers because of their powerful immunomodulatory effects. In the past, a large number of in vitro and in vivo studies have demonstrated the great potential of MSCs for participation in posttransplant immunomodulation. In addition, MSCs also have properties that may potentially benefit patients undergoing liver transplantation. This article aims to provide an overview of the current understanding of the immunomodulation achieved by the application of MSCs in liver transplantation, to discuss the problems that may be encountered when using MSCs in clinical practice, and to describe some of the underlying capabilities of MSCs in liver transplantation. Cell–cell contact, soluble molecules, and exosomes have been suggested to be critical approaches to MSCs' immunoregulation in vitro; however, the exact mechanism, especially in vivo, is still unclear. In recent years, the clinical safety of MSCs has been proven by a series of clinical trials. The obstacles to the clinical application of MSCs are decreasing, but large sample clinical trials involving MSCs are still needed to further study their clinical effects.


Cyber risk is one of the most challenging areas of risk, not only because it is relatively nascent but also because it remains an elusive moving target due to an ever-evolving threat landscape. A lack of structured data and the systemic implications of multifaceted impacts of overlapping risk frameworks are additional factors that make this risk difficult to quantify. As a starting point for overcoming this challenge, our paper considers a potential definition of this risk type, encompassing confidentiality, integrity and availability; the key components of a cyber-risk framework; a taxonomy to help establish a common framework for data collection to aid quantification; and the key quantification challenges. It then focuses on quantifying the direct financial and compensatory losses emanating from cyber risks. To help us carry this out, dimensional analysis is incorporated in the same manner as it has been applied to operational losses; this enables the identification of any similarities and/ or gross deviations between the profiles of cyber and non-cyber operational losses. In all, considering the limited amount of cyber data available, this analysis shows that:

(1) a taxonomy for cyber risk that maps directly to operational risk might be a worthwhile exercise;

(2) cyber loss data has a fundamental risk profile similar to that of non-cyber operational risk losses, with both following the same trend; and

(3) the underlying risk profile related to cyber losses has not changed materially over time.

These findings come with the added implications that:

(1) mapping the taxonomies of cyber and operational risk against each other could be conducted more objectively;

(2) operational risk modeling techniques that have been developed over the past decade or so could be used in the same way to assess the direct financial impact of cyber risk as a starting point; and

(3) although there has been an increase in both the frequency and the severity of cyber losses over the past few years, there has not been a major paradigm shift in their fundamental risk profile over the same period of time.


Computation of Fourier transforms of oscillatory signals by refined quadrature rules using uneven weighting schemes leads to spurious spectral estimates. The degree of spectral contamination can be estimated as a function of frequency by an analysis in terms of aliasing.
 In particular, the extended Simpson's rule introduces a secondary −13 amplitude aliasing across a folding frequency equal to 12 the Nyquist frequency. This secondary folding frequency is clearly related to the pseudo-sampling interval introduced by the quadrature weighting scheme.
 Quadrature-introduced aliasing results in spectral contamination within the principal band (0 to fN Hz). An example has been given to demonstrate the quadrature-introduced aliasing and discussed in terms of seismic signals.


Among the treasured items of the Rutgers Library's collection on agricultural history is a manuscript exceptionallv rich in data on colonial agriculture. It is a miscellany of notes, observations, records, and comments kept by Charles Read, prominent citizen of New Jersey for about thirty years prior to the Revolution. The entries are made on interleavings bound into a volume of Sy sterna Agriculturae, by the English writer John Worlidge, the third edition, enlarged (London, 1681). In addition, there are copious notes on the margins of Worlidge's text. Altogether, when copied, the notes occupy more than 150 typed pages.


Decent, affordable housing is the building block of healthy neighborhoods. Housing characteristics not only shape the quality of life in communities but also affect individual and family health. The structural and social aspects of housing have a significant impact on the health of individuals and populations. Early public health nursing pioneers such as Lillian Wald and Jane E. Hitchcock understood the adverse impact of substandard housing on population health and incorporated advocacy for housing and other social policy reforms as an integral aspect of their nursing interventions. Contemporary nursing literature, however, is lacking in its critical examination of relationships between housing and health. This article presents historical and current issues in low-income housing policy, discusses how low-income housing policy has contributed to social inequalities in health, and advocates for the importance and inherent value of nursing inquiry and intervention in this area.


Background and Objectives: Female reproductive hormones may affect core body temperature. This study aimed to investigate the effects of female reproductive hormones on inadvertent intraoperative hypothermia in patients who underwent laparoscopic gynecologic surgery under general anesthesia. Materials and Methods: This retrospective study included 660 menstruating and menopausal female patients aged 19–65 years. The patients were divided into two groups according to the occurrence of inadvertent intraoperative hypothermia: non-hypothermia group (N = 472) and hypothermia group (N = 188). After propensity score matching, 312 patients (N = 156 in each group) were analyzed to investigate the association between intraoperative hypothermia and female reproductive hormones. As potential predictors of inadvertent hypothermia, the levels of female reproductive hormones were analyzed using binary logistic regression. Results: The association of estradiol (r = −0.218, p = 0.000) and progesterone (r = −0.235, p = 0.000) levels with inadvertent intraoperative hypothermia was significant but weakly negative before matching; however, it was significant and moderately negative after matching (r = −0.326, p = 0.000 and r = −0.485, p = 0.000, respectively). In a binary logistic analysis, the odds ratio for estradiol was 0.995 (p = 0.014, 0.993 < 95% confidence interval [CI] < 0.998) before matching and 0.993 (p = 0.000, 0.862 < 95% CI < 0.930) after matching, and that for progesterone was 0.895 (p = 0.000, 0.862 < 95% CI < 0.930) before matching and 0.833 (p = 0.014, 0.990 < 95% CI < 0.996) after matching. Conclusions: Estradiol and progesterone levels were associated with inadvertent intraoperative hypothermia. However, the odds ratio for female reproductive hormone levels was close to 1. Therefore, female reproductive hormones may not be a risk factor for hypothermia during gynecologic surgery under general anesthesia. However, a small sample size in this study limits the generalizability of the results.


Transcription factor p53 plays an important role in numerous processes such as apoptosis, cell cycle regulation, metabolism, etc. This protein is believed to regulate apoptosis and neuronal death in various disorders such as multiple sclerosis (MS), Parkinson9s and Alzheimer9s diseases. In many cases p53 inactivation is caused by overexpression of its negative regulator - E3 ubiquitin ligase MDM2 - that exerts its regulatory functions on p53 by poly-ubiquinating it for proteasomal degradation. Under normal conditions p53 and MDM2 are constituted in an interdependent negative-feedback loop that controls their levels. There are multiple examples in the literature that describe inhibition of MDM2 using small molecules that activate p53 and induce p53-mediated molecular processes, primarily in tumor cells. However, currently the range of potential applications of MDM2 inhibitors is not restricted to cancer, but also includes autoimmune diseases. Therefore, suppression of MDM2 by small molecules is considered as one of the major strategies for activation of p53 and its transcriptional functions, further leading to expression of p53-dependent genes. To evaluate the effect of small molecule p53-MDM2 inhibitors (Nutlin-3a and RG-7112) we have isolated peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) of MS patients and healthy donors. First, using colorimetric MTS assay we determined cytotoxicity of the compounds in PBMCs for 0.001-100 uM concentration range and incubation time of 24, 48, 72 hours. It was found that both compounds have only minor effect on cell viability in tested conditions. Finally, we employed Taqman real-time reverse transcription PCR (RT-PCR) to quantitatively analyze gene expression with the use of fluorescence-based detection system BioRad CFX-96 Touch. Freshly isolated cells were treated with both compounds at 5-20 uM concentrantion range. Total RNA was isolated and used to synthesize cDNA via reverse transcription reaction and then real-time PCR was carried out. Relative normalized expression was calculated by normalization to beta-actin, data analyzed using CFX Manager software. All PCR reactions were performed in triplicates. The effect of PBMC treatment was investigated on expression levels of key p53 target genes such as p21, Mdm2, PUMA, GADD45A, BAX, Bcl2 . We observed concentration-dependent expression of p21, Mdm2, Puma, GADD45A and Bax genes. Interestingly, Nutlin-3a demonstrated a more profound effect on these genes compared to RG-7112. Neither Nutlin-3a nor RG-7112 displayed any noticeable effect on the expression of Bcl2 . Importantly, we also noticed that gradual increase in Nutlin-3a concentration leads to higher expression levels of p53-dependent genes in MS patient samples compared to healthy donor samples. In conclusion, we expect that specific MDM2 inhibitors such as Nutlin-3a and RG-7112 can be used for regulation of p53-mediated processes in MS. Further experiments are currently ongoing to examine the effect of p53 activation on expression of various cytokines in stimulated and non-stimulated cells from both MS patients and healthy donors. The study was funded by RFBR research grant 16-34-60213 mol_а_dk. Disclosures No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Armillaria root rot (ARR), caused by Armillaria species and Desarmillaria tabescens, is a severe disease that affects stone fruit trees in the United States. One strategy to mitigate the impact of this disease is to develop ARR-resistant rootstocks. However, current techniques to screen Prunus species for resistance to ARR are time-consuming, labor-intensive, and may not fully replicate field conditions. To address these limitations, we developed a new rapid in vitro screening assay, which uses roots of 2-year-old Prunus rootstock genotypes. We screened 12 Prunus genotypes against Armillaria mellea, Armillaria solidipes, and Desarmillaria tabescens in vitro. Freshly excavated root segments were placed next to or on top of fungal cultures. After 21 days, the circumferential percentage and horizontal length of the fungal colonization and the ability of the fungus to enter through root periderm were evaluated. The root tissue surrounding the infection was also evaluated to assess any response reactions against the ARR pathogens. Our results showed that inoculated root tissues displayed signs of fungal infection, and infection and host responses varied among the Prunus genotypes. Host responses similar to those observed in the field, such as compartmentalization of infected tissue with barrier zones, necrophylactic periderm formation, and callus formation on root surfaces, were observed and were more evident in less susceptible genotypes. In conclusion, our newly developed assay, which uses freshly excavated roots from 2-year-old rootstocks, can rapidly screen Prunus genotypes for resistance to ARR.


An important insight from the current literature is that the quality of accounting information is determined by economic incentives provided to managers and not by accounting standards per se. In four related essays, I examine topics revolving around this idea. The first essay draws on the theoretical argument that the economic incentives of managers are such that when a firm approaches financial difficulties, bondholders need to be protected against wealth expropriation. One mechanism available to protect bondholders is to restrict management's actions via a set of accounting-based covenants included in a debt contract. I demonstrate that these covenants are effective when a firm's accounting practices recognize economic losses as accounting earnings in a timely fashion. From this, I conclude that debt covenants and timely loss recognition are complements rather than substitutes. In the next essay, I exploit the agency theory of overvalued equity to understand why some managers fail to recognize economic losses in financial statements. I use the insights from this theory to explain the "accrual anomaly", i.e., the well-known empirical result that abnormal returns can be earned by trading based on the magnitude of accruals. I also show that "functional fixation" of investors, a competing hypothesis, is not consistent with the data. In the third essay, I investigate the role of transparency of financial reporting in reducing the cost of debt capital. Whereas extant work in the area has established the existence of an association between these two variables, I focus on establishing a causal link by exploiting both cross-sectional and time series variation in the transparency proxy. The final essay addresses a methodological issue. I argue that traditional cost of equity capital measures are subject to potentially severe measurement problems, which arise due to uncertainty about future expected returns.


Internal curvilinear distraction is successful in achieving clinically significant distraction with stable occlusion in our patient population of infants, adolescents, and adults. When distracting the mandible, the curve of the distractor, the position of the distractor, and the osteotomy site are accountable for the final result. The curved distractor can mimic part of the natural logarithmic growth of the maxillomandibular complex. In addition, the result is predictable based on this design and the internal nature of the distractor, which can be left in place longer than other distractor types. Distraction can be combined with orthognathic surgery in certain cases resulting in increased benefit. This new procedure is called distraction orthognathics.


Background Fatigue, a common symptom affecting individuals with psoriatic arthritis (PsA), is associated with decreased quality of life and loss of work productivity.1 The 2014 OMERACT PsA Working Group identified fatigue measurement as an important outcome to consider including in PsA core assessments.2 The PALACE 1 (NCT01172938), 2 (NCT01212757), and 3 (NCT01212770) studies compared apremilast (APR) efficacy/safety, including fatigue level, with placebo (PBO) in patients (pts) with active PsA despite prior conventional DMARDs and/or biologics. Objectives Report APR treatment impact on fatigue over 104 wks in a pooled analysis of the PALACE 1–3 studies. Methods Pts were randomized (1:1:1) to PBO, APR 30 mg BID (APR30), or APR 20 mg BID (APR20) stratified by baseline DMARD use. The PBO-controlled phase continued to Wk 24, with a Wk 16 early escape option. At Wk 24, all remaining PBO pts were re-randomized to APR30 or APR20. Double-blind APR treatment continued to Wk 52; pts could then continue to receive open-label APR up to an additional 4 years. Fatigue was assessed using FACIT-F v4 and SF-36v2 Vitality domain (VT).3 Total FACIT-F scores range from 0–52; lower scores denote higher fatigue levels. As a point of reference, mean fatigue scores of 40.1–43.6 in the general population,4,5 35.8 in PsA pts,6 and 23.9 in anemic cancer pts5 have been reported, and FACIT-F MCID in PsA has not been determined; this analysis used FACIT-F MCID in rheumatoid arthritis pts (3–4).7 SF-36v2 VT, a subscale of SF-36v2, measures physical and mental impact of fatigue on individuals.8 Scores are norm-based; group values <47 represent a below-average range vs the general population.9 Results Baseline mean FACIT-F (29.4–30.9) and SF-36v2 VT (40.6–40.8) scores were below population norms. Long-term improvement in fatigue was seen in APR pts at Wks 52 and 104 (mean FACIT-F=35.0), marking a shift toward population FACIT-F norms (Table). APR30 mean change was 5.6, with 50.9% of pts achieving FACIT-F MCID. Similarly, improvements in SF-36v2 VT scores were observed at Wks 52 and 104 with $≈ $60% of pts achieving MCID. Over 104 wks, most AEs were mild/moderate; in general, no increase was seen in AE incidence/severity with longer term exposure. Conclusions APR-treated pts experienced improvements in fatigue, as measured by FACIT-F and SF-36 VT scores. Over 104 wks, clinically meaningful improvements were maintained. APR demonstrated an acceptable safety profile and was generally well tolerated up to 104 wks. References Swain. Clin Sci (Lond). 2000;99:1–8. Tillett. J Rheumatol. 2015;42:2198–2203. Yellen. J Pain Symptom Manage. 1997;13:63–74. Webster. Health Qual Life Outcomes. 2003;179. Cella. Cancer. 2002;94:528–38. Chandran. Ann Rheum Dis. 2007;66:936–9. Cella. J Rheumatol. 2005;32:811–9. Ware. Med Care. 1992;30:473–83. Advantages of norm-based scoring. In Ware, ed. User's Manual for the SF-36v2 Health Survey. 2nd ed. Lincoln, RI: QualityMetric Incorporated; 2007. Disclosure of Interest A. Kavanaugh Grant/research support from: Abbott, Amgen, Astra-Zeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene Corporation, Centocor-Janssen, Pfizer Inc, Roche, and UCB, Consultant for: Abbott, Amgen, Astra-Zeneca, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene Corporation, Centocor-Janssen, Pfizer Inc, Roche, and UCB, D. Gladman Grant/research support from: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene Corporation, Janssen, Pfizer Inc, Novartis, and UCB, Consultant for: AbbVie, Amgen, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Celgene Corporation, Janssen, Pfizer Inc, Novartis, and UCB, C. Edwards Grant/research support from: Celgene Corporation, Pfizer Inc, Roche, and Samsung, Consultant for: Celgene Corporation, Pfizer Inc, Roche, and Samsung, Speakers bureau: Abbott, Glaxo-SmithKline, Pfizer Inc, and Roche, A. Poder Grant/research support from: Celgene Corporation, F. Lioté: None declared, P. Bird Grant/research support from: Celgene Corporation, G. Schett Grant/research support from: Abbott, Celgene Corporation, Roche, UCB, Consultant for: Abbott, Celgene Corporation, Roche, UCB, D. Nguyen Employee of: Celgene Corporation, L. Teng Employee of: Celgene Corporation, P. Mease Grant/research support from: Abbott, Amgen, Biogen Idec, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech, Janssen, Eli Lilly, Pfizer Inc, and UCB, Consultant for: Abbott, Amgen, Biogen Idec, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech, Janssen, Eli Lilly, Pfizer Inc, and UCB, Speakers bureau: Abbott, Amgen, Biogen Idec, Bristol-Myers Squibb, Genentech, Janssen, Eli Lilly, Pfizer Inc, and UCB


Three different distorted-wave models are formulated for the ionisation of a bound relativistic electron from an atom by the impact of bare ions at relativistic energies. In all models the initial bound state is distorted by an eikonal phase factor. For the final continuum state the authors treat the cases of no distortion, an eikonal phase factor and a Coulomb wave distortion, respectively. The importance of correct asymptotic Coulomb boundary conditions is stressed by comparing the ultrarelativistic versions with the undistorted first Born result.


Abstract: Securing the information from other  persons is always difficult one when we are connected in an open network. In order to send some confidential information we must protect it from the attackers. Cryptography and Steganography plays vital role in securing information from others. Cryptography is the art of secret writing and Steganography is the art of hiding information. When combining these two mechanisms leads to an high security Hence the proposed method will encrypt the data with crypto technique using Blowfish algorithm and then embed the encrypted data into the cover image with stego technique using Edge based Adaptive Pixel Pair Matching (EAPPM) method. With the proposed method in this paper a double layered security for the confidentiality of the information hidden in the stego file is ensured. i.e., even though the attackers able to retrieve the hidden information from the stego file they will get only the encrypted message, which needs more time to crack the encryption scheme. The experimental results show the proposed method is hiding the information in fair manner compared against normal Adaptive Pixel Pair Matching (APPM) method. Keywords: Adaptive Pixel Pair Matching (APPM), Blowfish, Edge based Adaptive Pixel Pair Matching (EAPPM).


Nursing education is a difficult process with both theoretical and clinical practice. This difficult process creates pressure and stress in nursing students. Therefore, students cannot notice emotions and thinkings and may experience rumination. In this case, it can occur in burnout in addition to many mental illnesses. The aim of this study was to investigate whether metacognition and rumination had a predictive effect on burnout. The sample of the study consisted of 280 nursing students who volunteered to participate in the study and it was completed with 261 nursing students who completed the measurement tools completely. Data were collected using an introductory information form, Ruminative Thinking Style scale, Metacognitions Questionnaire 30, , and maslach burnout Inventory. Correlation analysis and structural equation modeling were used for data analysis. It was determined Ruminative Thinking averages of the participants was 87.61 ± 2.59, Total Metacognitions averages 73.96 ± 11.80, Emotional Exhaustion averages 24.63 ± 5.55, Depersonalization averages 9.58 ± 2.79, Personal average 28.54 ± 5.34. In this study, it is seen that high metacognitions and ruminative thinking styles of students affect burnout. But ruminative thinking has not a mediating role in the relationship between metacognitions and burnout.


Nation (2006) has calculated that second language (L2) learners require much more vocabulary than previously thought to be functional with language (e.g., 8,000‐9,000 word families to read independently). This level is far beyond the highest graded reader, and would be difficult to explicitly teach. One way for learners to be exposed to midfrequency vocabulary is to read authentic materials. The original A Clockwork Orange study (Saragi, Nation, & Meister, 1978) showed impressive amounts of incidental vocabulary learning with first language (L1) readers, but subsequent studies with L2 learners (using graded readers or simplified materials) showed only modest gains. This study explores the degree to which relatively advanced L2 readers can acquire spelling, word class, and recognition and recall of meaning from reading the unmodified authentic novel Things Fall Apart. After more than 10 exposures, the meaning and spelling could be recognized for 84% and 76% of the words respectively, while the meaning and word class could be recalled for 55% and 63%.


BACKGROUND: Extracranial-to-intracranial (EC–IC) bypass was first described by Yasargil in the 1960s for treatment of symptomatic distal internal carotid artery (ICA) and/or proximal middle cerebral artery (MCA) steno-occlusive disease through direct anastomosis. Subsequent bypass trials failed to demonstrate benefit for overall outcomes and stroke rates compared with best medical therapy. However, the procedure remained in the neurosurgeon's armament, with studies showing benefits in select patient populations. With advancements in technology, patient selection has become more comprehensive. OBJECTIVE: To provide a contemporary evaluation of EC–IC bypass from our high-volume cerebrovascular center, focusing on associated clinical outcomes. METHODS: Consecutive patients who underwent direct EC–IC bypass surgeries for symptomatic distal ICA and/or proximal MCA steno-occlusive disease between April 2015 and September 2019 were identified retrospectively. Medical records were reviewed to collect demographics, clinical presentation, computed tomography perfusion imaging findings, transcranial Doppler results, procedure indication, donor vessel types, anastomosis site, bypass patency, periprocedural complications, postprocedural complications, symptom recrudescence, repeat or new interventions, subjective improvements, and modified Rankin Scale scores. RESULTS: We identified 27 patients who underwent 32 EC–IC bypass procedures. The rate of ipsilateral stroke was 9.4%, with a median follow-up of 8 months (IQR, 4-13 months). Patients experienced a 22.3% improvement in modified Rankin Scale scores, and 70.3% of patients reported subjective improvement and satisfaction at follow-up. CONCLUSION: Direct EC–IC bypass remains a viable option for revascularization in symptomatic patients with distal ICA and/or proximal MCA steno-occlusive disease.


Currently, food insecurity is a global concern particularly in the developing nations like Ethiopia despite there is governmental efforts. Thus, the main purpose of this study was to identify the status and determinants of rural households' food security in Borena district, north central Ethiopia. The study followed the positivism world view with a cross sectional study design. The study used multistage sampling procedure which involves a combination of purposive and random sampling techniques to select 358 sample household heads. Household sample survey was the main means that was used to acquire primary data. To identify the status of food insecurity and its determinants, Dietary Energy Supply indicator and Binary logistic regressions model were respectively employed. The results  showed that about 71.7% of the respondents were food unsecured households. A binary logistic regression model which was used in the study confirmed that education, cultivated farm size, improved seeds, urban linkages and access to health extension workers positively determined the food security while family size (population pressure) negatively determined the food security status of the households in the study area. Thus, the stakeholders (government bodies, non-governmental organizations, humanitarian agents and community leaders) need to intervene on regularly consumed nutritious foods. Policy reformers and designers should also work hard to reform and design policies on improvements in rural households' education, size of cultivated land, access to health extension workers, improved seeds and rural- urban linkage in order to alleviate their food security constraints.


Percutaneous transvenous mitral commissurotomy (PTMC) is the therapy of choice for patients with mitral stenosis who are candidates for commissurotomy. PTMC also offers palliative therapy for patients who are not good surgical candidates. Patients with thin, pliable valve leaflets and little subvalvular disease are the best suited. Significant thrombus in the left atrium is a strong relative contraindication. PTMC with the Inoue balloon is technically easier to perform than is conventional balloon valvotomy and is better tolerated by most patients. During this procedure, the Inoue balloon is positioned against the mitral valve; it is repeatedly inflated at increasing balloon diameters until the transmitral valve gradient is sufficiently relieved. PTMC affords marked symptomatic improvement in most patients who undergo the procedure.


Fine-grained Entity Recognition (FgER) is the task of detecting and classifying entity mentions to a large set of types spanning diverse domains such as biomedical, finance and sports. We observe that when the type set spans several domains, detection of entity mention becomes a limitation for supervised learning models. The primary reason being lack of dataset where entity boundaries are properly annotated while covering a large spectrum of entity types. Our work directly addresses this issue. We propose Heuristics Allied with Distant Supervision (HAnDS) framework to automatically construct a quality dataset suitable for the FgER task. HAnDS framework exploits the high interlink among Wikipedia and Freebase in a pipelined manner, reducing annotation errors introduced by naively using distant supervision approach. Using HAnDS framework, we create two datasets, one suitable for building FgER systems recognizing up to 118 entity types based on the FIGER type hierarchy and another for up to 1115 entity types based on the TypeNet hierarchy. Our extensive empirical experimentation warrants the quality of the generated datasets. Along with this, we also provide a manually annotated dataset for benchmarking FgER systems.


Cloud computing providers must handle heterogeneous customer workloads for resources such as (virtual) CPU or GPU cores. This is particularly challenging if customers, who are already running a job on a cluster, scale their resource usage up and down over time. The provider therefore has to continuously decide whether she can add additional workloads to a given cluster or if doing so would impact existing workloads' ability to scale. Currently, this is often done using simple threshold policies to reserve large parts of each cluster, which leads to low average utilization of the cluster. In this paper, we propose more sophisticated policies for controlling admission to a cluster and demonstrate that they significantly increase cluster utilization. We first introduce the cluster admission problem and formalize it as a constrained Partially Observable Markov Decision Process (POMDP). As it is infeasible to solve the POMDP optimally, we then systematically design heuristic admission policies that estimate moments of each workload's distribution of future resource usage. Via simulations we show that our admission policies lead to a substantial improvement over the simple threshold policy. We then evaluate how much further this can be improved with learned or elicited prior information and how to incentivize users to provide this information.


The specific host-guest interactions in the corresponding complexes of K+ and NH4+ with typical crown ethers were investigated by using FTIR and ultrafast IR spectroscopies. The counter-anions, i.e., SCN- were employed as a local vibrational probe to report the structural dynamics of the complexation. It was found that the vibrational relaxation dynamics of the SCN- was strongly affected by the cations confined in the cavities of the crown ethers. The time constant of the vibrational population decay of SCN- in the complex of NH4+ with the 18-crown-6 was determined to be 6±2 ps, which is ~30 times faster than that in the complex of K+ with the crown ethers. Control experiments showed that the vibrational population decay of SCN- depended on the size of the cavities of the crown ethers. Theoretical calculation further indicated that the nitrogen atom of SCN- showed preferential coordination to the K+ ions hosted by the crown ethers, while the NH4+ can form hydrogen bonds with the oxygen atoms in the studied crown ethers. The geometric constraints formed in the complex of crown ethers can cause a specific interaction between the NH4+ and SCN-, which can facilitate the intermolecular vibrational energy redistribution of the SCN-.


This article develops an analytical framework to understand the modes of address of native-to-online content types (gameplay, do-it-yourself (DIY) beauty, personality vlogging). These types of content differ sharply from established screen entertainment and are constituted from intrinsically interactive audience-centricity and appeal to authenticity and community in a commercialising space which we call 'social media entertainment'. The article offers a revisionist analysis of the shaping and disciplining of brand culture through the twinned discourses of authenticity and community. The significance of social media entertainment lies in that, for a great many especially young viewers, this is what television is, now.


Current cell disruption and fractionation techniques are time consuming and unsuitable for metabolic studies. We have developed a rapid method for platelets in which separation of cytosol and particle fraction is obtained within 50 s. Isolated platelet suspensions were incubated with low concentrations of digitonin followed by separation of soluble and particle fraction by centrifugation through a phthalate layer. Cell disruption was 90·1±4–2% (mean ± SD, n= 18; lactate dehyd‐rogenase leakage). Contamination of granules: acid hydrolase vesicles 16·2±3·6% (n=18, β‐N‐acetylglucosaminidase), dense granules 7–9% (n=3, 14C‐serotonin), mitochondrial matrix 0·6±0·1% (n=18, glutamate dehydrogenase). Low concentrations of digitonin did not affect sialic acid content, nucleoside diphosphate kinase and phosphodiesterase activity in isolated membranes. The method showed that most enzymes of glycolysis and hexose monophosphate shunt were localized in the cytosol except for hexokinase (96% particle bound), phosphoglucose isomerase (10% bound) and glutathion reductase (26% bound). About half the total ATP + ADP and most glycolytic intermediates were found partly particle bound, especially fructose 1,6‐diphosphate (40% bound). The data suggest that in platelets glycolysis occurs in different cell compartments.


Globally, overweight has become the epidemic due to world growth in industry, economy, urbanization and globalization. This study was conducted to highlight the overweight problem and its associated factors among health care workers in Suburban District of Hulu Langat, Selangor, Malaysia. A cross sectional study was conducted using IPAQ short version and Food Frequency Questionnaire to measure fat intake while knowledge was measured using a set of validated questionnaire. The anthropometric measurement was carried out using a calibrated SECA scale, body meter and measurement tape. Data was analyzed using software Diet 4. The overweight prevalence in this study is 46.1%. Age, sex, marital status, length of service, parity, education and income were significantly associated with overweight. However logistic regression showed that only education level and income has significant associations with overweight. It is concluded that the overweight prevalence among health workers is higher compared to previous studies in Malaysia. Higher income and low level of education are the predictors of overweight among health care workers.


This study was carried out to determine the current levels of total mercury in the muscle tissue of swordfish (Xiphias gladius) and bluefin tuna (Thunnus thynnus) caught in the Mediterranean Sea with the purpose of ascertaining whether the concentrations exceeded the maximum level fixed by the European Commission Decision. In addition, specimens of each species were divided into different ranges of weight to investigate the influence of size on mercury accumulation in order to provide data upon which commercial fishing strategies and marketing of swordfish and bluefin tuna may be based. Higher mean levels of total mercury were found in bluefin tuna (1.02 microg g(-1) wet wt) than in swordfish (0.49 microg g(-1) wet wt). In 4.3% of swordfish and in 44.3% of bluefin tuna analyzed, total mercury concentrations exceeded the maximum level fixed by the European Commission Decision (Hg = 1 microg g(-1) wet wt). Besides, for bluefin tuna the total mercury level variability observed, due to size, suggests that there should be greater regulatory control by the authorities.


Many universities focus their industrial outreach activities for students at the undergraduate level. Universities have required optional cooperative education programs or promoted industrial internships during the summer months for undergraduates to allow them to gain real-world experience. While these positions are helpful for the students, they often have little impact on faculty or departments. An area that few companies consider relates to internships or cooperative opportunities for engineering graduate students. This program has advantages for all involved. The companies are working with MS or PhD candidates who already have an engineering degree and have an advanced maturity compared to undergraduates. For the students, their maturity allows them to get involved in real-world problems and make a broader impact in a short period. Also, in many cases the industrial activities can be extended into a thesis or dissertation topic. For the faculty member, it provides exposure to the current issues within industry, provides examples for the classroom and sometimes provides funding for research projects. This paper will highlight several recent examples of how graduate internships have enhanced the company, students and faculty in the collaboration. It will discuss dos and don'ts for developing the graduate internships. Impressions by several graduate students will also be included. How we are exposed to the industry Normally college students learn about companies through career fairs. Career fairs allow students to meet with a company's representatives. These representatives explain to the students what the company does and some the job positions available. These types of events provide an opportunity for students to make a good first impression with the company. Through the conversations, a student can also get a good understanding of the company and decide whether or not to seek employment opportunities with that particular company. The employment opportunities can consist of internships, cooperative (Co-op) education rotations, and full-time employment. Internships and co-ops are the best way for a student to get a broad exposure to industry while still in school [1]. Another opportunity where student can gain exposure to companies is when faculty members bring industrial representatives to class for presentations. This provides an informal outlet for the students to learn about parts of industry. The students can ask questions about the company as they would at a career fair type of event. This also provides an non-intimidating atmosphere for students to ask questions about companies and careers. The industrial environment is quite different from being in school. Through the exposure to industry, one can gain knowledge and become appreciative of the material being taught in the classroom. Sometimes students ask themselves whether or not they really need to know the material they are currently studying. It is rewarding to actually see how applications being taught in class are applied in the real world. This tends to help students think about problems in a P ge 12549.2 different way versus the way they did before their industry exposure. With the exposure to industry, students can gain more confidence and enthusiasm to approach new problems. One area that allows students to combine coursework and an industrial experience is a graduate internship. A graduate internship involves having a graduate student spend a summer or a semester working for a company. This project could be related to their research or in another area. It would provide the student with a close-up look at the real world. While some students do research related to a company, many times the research is done at the university. The graduate internship provides a total immersion experience where the student gets to test drive an industrial job and see the similarities and differences between school and the industrial setting [2]. References [3-8] provide some insights of internships or industrial related academic experiences. Challenges as a graduate student in a company A student is often anxious when starting an internship, but there are some challenges related to the internship for the student must overcome. Since many internships are during the summer, the student needs to make the most of the short time frame. For that reason, the student needs to hit the ground running. One priority is to learn how to prioritize and organize tasks and schedules. As a student we have deadlines for class projects or homework, but it not the same as workrelated deadlines. The graduate student has to work with others, do part of the work, incorporate his/her ideas and the ideas of other people in their group, and give the results to others to analyze and comment on. The student may have more than one supervisor, so s/he will need to allow enough time to make corrections and then turn in a final report. It is important to be able to prioritize the tasks according to their urgency and be organized. Being organized can provided many advantages in making sure all the requirements are met in a timely fashion. Because of time constraints, the graduate student needs to understand the industry's research or project faster to obtain results in a short period of time. One way to do that is to learn how to take advantage of the opportunity to work in groups as well as alone. The student needs to learn how to get the information that is needed by him/her, talk to other people that may help, and look in books or references for previous work. Sometimes the supervisor has meetings or has to travel, so it is the student's responsibility to get the information. Working in groups as an intern can be hard, as the graduate student needs to convince the group about the quality of a graduate student's work, the good that the student contributes to the group and the company. The graduate students need to learn how to incorporate their class-related knowledge with their industrial experience. The student has to be able to work with others. Projects are being conducted that depend on other workers' performances, which can be quite stressful. Another big challenge for a graduate student intern is to learn the industry language. Some industries have their own language. Depending on the field, workers use acronyms in reference to many topics. There are many more that are used on a daily basis. Many workers have been using these acronyms for years, so this is not going to change. In the experience of several interns, conversations are filled with acronyms at first. This makes it difficult but it is very important for the intern to ask questions and understand the meanings of the acronyms. Becoming part of the corporate culture is an important lesson to experience and learn. P ge 12549.3 Since the student is a temporary employee, there may be some constraints related to detailed information and using certain computer systems or networks. Sometimes students may be frustrated as paperwork and procedures may take days or weeks to get computer accounts, telephones and computer access. Students should be patient and understand that the temporary nature of their position may impact these tasks. Another key lesson that can be learned during the internship is understanding the hierarchy and processes in industry. Understanding the "chain of command" and working within the constraints of the organization is a valuable lesson that can pay long-term dividends. Remember, these challenges are going to make a stronger and experienced employee in the future. How graduate internships enhance the company, students and faculty Graduate Internships can create a very positive relationship between a company, the university, the student, and the faculty. When the student produces quality work during the internship, this opens the door for other students from that college, opens doors for other faculty to develop new research and other projects with the company, and at the same time increases collaboration between the university and the company. Internships can enhance the students' impression about working in industry. As an intern, graduate students can provide new ideas and state-of-the art technology knowledge, in comparison with company engineers who may have graduated five to ten years before. This new information from classes provides a way of thinking outside the box and allows fresh minds to suggest new ideas [1]. Also, there can be some synergy between the classes, the internship and the research project as shown in Figure 1. First the student gets a strong background in classes. During the graduate internship, the student gets a deeper background and foundation on the topic. Additionally s/he learns the constraints, limitations and other issues that must be addressed within the industrial environment that might be overlooked in academics. Next, the student takes this industrial relevance and applies it to future classes that enhance the academic foundation and provides him/her with additional knowledge as s/he tackles advanced problems in graduate classes. Then either directly or indirectly the graduate student applies the industrial background and advanced classes to a project and completes the research work. The work is more mature and advanced because the student has a more advanced set of research tools. Figure 1: Improved Research Project Timeline Classes Internship Thesis, Project or Dissertation New Classes


More than two decades that the Gulf of Thailand (GOT) has been installed with petroleum hydrocarbon production platforms, currently over 400 platforms were installed and operated. Since mercury is a common contaminant in petroleum hydrocarbon production in Southeast Asia, minimal risk and environmental integrity should be concerned. Mercury concentration in surface sediment collected from the Gulf of Thailand in 2003 (89 stations), 2012 (174 stations) and 2013 (45 stations).
 Sedimentological characteristics, readily oxidizable organic carbon and calcium carbonate were determined. All analyses were carried out in our laboratory using cold vapor atomic absorption spectroscopy. The results show an increase in trace amount of mercury in the Gulf's sediment. Average concentrations of mercury in surface sediments in the lower GOT collected in 2003, 2012 and 2013 were 24.4±9.00, 34.9±21.5 and 41.4±15.3 μg/kg dry weight (carbonate free basis). It is coincident to an increment in the number of platforms for natural gas exploration and production in the Gulf of Thailand. Spatial distribution of mercury in the sediments indicates a clearly linked to the exploration, development, production, and processing in petroleum and gas operation. Although the elevation of mercury level in the GOT's sediment does not showed high risk yet, treating and recycling of mercury contaminated substances generated during production are required in order to minimize the health risk in consumption of seafood collecting from the GOT.


This work presents a scheme for the detection of manatee vocalizations in underwater recordings to support efforts in monitoring and population estimation of this species in western Panama. The proposed automatic detection scheme uses the autoregressive model as a feature extraction stage to feed two-layer feedforward neural networks that classify the signal as vocalizations or background noise. The neural network was trained with the scaled conjugate gradient backpropagation algorithm using supervised learning. The proposed scheme provides an accuracy of 92.4% on the training set for both classes.


Most of the translations are only the imitations of interpretations which the mediaeval Hindus, as represented by Sayana, have offered. Griffith's is the only translation which, though guided by Sayana, ventures to deviate from him widely and frequently. It may be ranked as an independent translation hitherto made in English. But this century old translation needed re-editing, necessitating a new edition incorporating improvements without disturbing the original. In this edition the Greek letters have been romanized wherever there are references in the footnotes from the Greek language. The system of transcription has been modernized even in regard to Avestan words in the footnotes, following the system of Bartholomae. The complete translation has been published in a single volume for the convenience of the reader. Each and every figure in the index has been duly checked and revised.


Peripheral intravenous catheters are the most common device in hospital patients, but they do come with infection risks. Awareness of the complications and regular assessment can reduce risks and improve patient outcomes.


While high salinity water extends to the equator in the upper thermocline of the Pacific in the Southern Hemisphere (SH), it hits the western boundary (WB) farther north of the equator in the Northern Hemisphere (NH), suggesting that no interior pathway exists to the equatorial region. By contrast, high tritium water appears on the equator in the central Pacific, apparently through a NH interior pathway within the thermocline. The mechanisms of forming these salinity and tritium distributions and the causes of their difference are investigated using a realistic ocean general circulation model (OGCM). The OGCM reproduces the properties of tropical salinity distribution quite well and displays interior pathways in the NH. Analysis indicates that the observed salinity distribution is compatible with the existence of a NH interior pathway. Key to the hemispheric difference in thermocline salinity is the sea surface salinity (SSS) distribution in relation to the so-called WB (interior) exchange window, from which subducted water goes to the equatorial region through the WB region (interior ocean). In the NH, high SSSs are found only in the WB exchange window, and high salinity water thus appears to turn onto the WB before reaching the equator. In the SH, on the other hand, high SSSs are found in both the WB and interior exchange windows, and, as a result, high salinity water extends to the equatorial region through both the WB region and interior ocean. The sea surface tritium field has high values near the eastern boundary within the interior exchange window in the midlatitude North Pacific. Thus, high tritium water takes the NH interior pathway to the equatorial region after the subduction. This is demonstrated by a passive tracer experiment with a sea surface distribution resembling that of tritium. This result suggests that the apparent differences between the isopycnal salinity and tritium distributions are largely due to differences in surface distribution, raising caution about interpreting ocean circulation with tracer fields alone.


Communication overhead is one of the major obstacles to train large deep learning models at scale. Gradient sparsification is a promising technique to reduce the communication volume. However, it is very challenging to obtain real performance improvement because of (1) the difficulty of achieving an scalable and efficient sparse allreduce algorithm and (2) the sparsification overhead. This paper proposes Ok-Topk, a scheme for distributed training with sparse gradients. Ok-Topk integrates a novel sparse allreduce algorithm (less than 6k communication volume which is asymptotically optimal) with the decentralized parallel Stochastic Gradient Descent (SGD) optimizer, and its convergence is proved. To reduce the sparsification overhead, Ok-Topk efficiently selects the top-k gradient values according to an estimated threshold. Evaluations are conducted on the Piz Daint supercomputer with neural network models from different deep learning domains. Empirical results show that Ok-Topk achieves similar model accuracy to dense allreduce. Compared with the optimized dense and the state-of-the-art sparse allreduces, Ok-Topk is more scalable and significantly improves training throughput (e.g., 3.29x-12.95x improvement for BERT on 256 GPUs).


This article discusses the upper extremity prosthetic treatment of a 13-year-old young man with right hemiparesis and mild learning difficulties. Past prosthetic devices offered little independent function because the strength and energy required to operate the prosthesis was too overwhelming for him. With his new prosthesis, he has gained more independent function, cosmesis, and comfort. Accompanied by an upper extremity rehabilitation program, this prosthesis allows the patient increased independence and function in his daily activities at home and school. The importance of a structured program from an occupational therapist is vital to the success of this prosthesis. This is a case report where an experienced upper extremity prosthetic team successfully fit a patient who never functionally used a prosthesis until the age of 13


Gastrointestinal motility disorders have been thought to occur due to an imbalance in the interaction of the gut-brain axis, which is regulated by serotonin. This recent discovery can be exploited to find newer therapeutic agents such as selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors for functional gastrointestinal disorders. PubMed, PubMed Central (PMC), and Medline databases were used to obtain the data. Meta-analyses, systematic reviews, randomized control trials, and reviews were included and analyzed in the data. Of the 19240 studies, 23 were extracted, and after appropriate quality assessment, they were utilized in this systematic review. They included two meta-analyses, four systematic reviews, two randomized control trials, and 15 review articles. The systematic review focuses on the efficacy of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) as compared to other treatment modalities for disorders of gut-brain interaction. It explores various studies analyzing SSRIs for their mechanism of action, their desirable effects for treating irritable bowel syndrome, and their tolerability in patients. SSRIs are effective and safe in treating overall symptoms of gastrointestinal motility disorders, particularly constipation-predominant disorders. They seem to have a better side effect profile than other drugs. This should encourage physicians to prescribe SSRIs early on in the disease.