Telepaediatrics, which has the potential to improve paediatric care if expert knowledge is not locally available, involves transfer of information between two or more locations, to aid diagnosis or management and / or to allow continuing professional development and education. Developed nations first introduced telemedicine. Later developing countries with different needs, levels of expertise and infrastructure often applied it in a modified manner. Teleradiology and / or tele-education / distance learning were usually the first applications of telemedicine and telepaediatrics is a more recent form of telemedicine. Developing country paediatrics typically involves primary health care (PHC) providers who deal with more serious morbidity and a greater proportion of the population than those in developed countries. Nurses provide PHC in most rural areas in South Africa and other developing countries, where telemedicine may improve PHC, as has already been seen in South African pilot schemes outlined below. In general telepaediatrics benefits from previous telemedicine experience, such as that gained by some developed nations with sparsely populated, remote areas, where means of communication are simple and socio-economic conditions poor.


An overview is given of the development of advanced nanoporous carbons as storage materials for natural gas (methane) and molecular hydrogen in on-board fuel tanks for nextgeneration clean automobiles. The carbons are produced in a multi-step process from corncob, have surface areas of up to 3500 m 2 /g, porosities of up to 0.8, and reversibly store, by physisorption, record amounts of methane and hydrogen. Current best gravimetric and volumetric storage capacities are: 250 g CH4/kg carbon and 130 g CH4/liter carbon (199 V/V) at 35 bar and 293 K; and 80 g H2/kg carbon and 47 g H2/liter carbon at 47 bar and 77 K. This is the first time the DOE methane storage target of 180 V/V at 35 bar and ambient temperature has been reached and exceeded. The hydrogen values compare favorably with the 2010 DOE targets for hydrogen, excluding cryogenic components. A prototype adsorbed natural gas (ANG) tank, loaded with carbon monoliths produced accordingly and currently undergoing a road test in Kansas City, is described. A preliminary analysis of the surface and pore structure is given that may shed light on the mechanisms leading to the extraordinary storage capacities of these materials. The analysis includes pore-size distributions from nitrogen adsorption isotherms; spatial organization of pores across the entire solid from small-angle x-ray scattering (SAXS); pore entrances from scanning electron microscopy (SEM) and transmission electron microscopy (TEM); H2 binding energies from temperature-programmed desorption (TPD); and analysis of surface defects from Raman spectra. For future materials, expected to have higher H2 binding energies via appropriate surface functionalization, preliminary projections of H2 storage capacities based on molecular dynamics simulations of adsorption of H2 on graphite, are reported.


INTRODUCTION
Whole-body cryotherapy (WBC) is a controlled exposure of the whole body to cold to gain health benefits. In recent years, data on potential applications of WBC in multiple clinical settings have emerged.

SOURCES OF DATA
PubMed, EBSCO and Clinical Key search using keywords including terms 'whole body', 'cryotherapy' and 'cryostimulation'.

AREAS OF AGREEMENT
WBC could be applied as adjuvant therapy in multiple conditions involving chronic inflammation because of its potent anti-inflammatory effects. Those might include systemic inflammation as in rheumatoid arthritis. In addition, WBC could serve as adjuvant therapy for chronic inflammation in some patients with obesity.

AREAS OF CONTROVERSY
WBC probably might be applied as an adjuvant treatment in patients with chronic brain disorders including mild cognitive impairment and general anxiety disorder and in patients with depressive episodes and neuroinflammation reduction as in multiple sclerosis. WBC effects in metabolic disorder treatment are yet to be determined. WBC presumably exerts pleiotropic effects and therefore might serve as adjuvant therapy in multi-systemic disorders, including myalgic encephalomyelitis/chronic fatigue syndrome (ME/CFS).

GROWING POINTS
The quality of studies on the effects of WBC in the clinical setting is in general low; hence, randomized controlled trials with adequate sample size and longer follow-up periods are needed.

AREAS ARE TIMELY FOR DEVELOPING RESEARCH
Further studies should examine the mechanism underlying the clinical efficacy of WBC. Multiple conditions might involve chronic inflammation, which in turn could be a potential target of WBC. Further research on the application of WBC in neurodegenerative disorders, neuropsychiatric disorders and ME/CFS should be conducted.


List of IllustrationsList of TablesForeword: The Continuity of Genomes and Genetic Resources for the New Century, by Sydney BrennerAcknowledgmentsGeneral IntroductionPart I. Perspectives on the Union of Conservation and Genetics 1. The Expansion of Conservation Genetics, by Rob DeSalle and George Amato2. Conservation Genetics and the Extinction Crisis: A Perspective, by William Conway3. Moving Toward a More Integrated Approach, by George AmatoPart II. Conservation Genetics in Action: Assessing the Level and Quality of Genetic Resources in Endangered Species 4. Neutral, Detrimental, and Adaptive Variation in Conservation Genetics, by Philip W. Hedrick5. Stopping Evolution: Genetic Management of Captive Populations, by Robert C. Lacy6. The Emerging Theme of Ocean Neighborhoods in Marine Conservation, by Stephen R. Palumbi7. Genetic Data and the Interpretation of Restoration Priorities of the Cicindela dorsalis Say Complex (Coleoptera: Carabidae): The Components of Conservation Genetics Revisited, by Paul Z. GoldsteinRange Collapse, Population Loss, and the Erosion of Global Genetic Resources, by James P. GibbsPart III. Saving Genetic Resources 9. Biodiversity, Conservation, and Genetic Resources in Modern Museum and Herbarium Collections, by Robert Hanner, Ang lique Corthals, and Rob DeSalle10. Banking of Genetic Resources: The Frozen Zoo at the San Diego Zoo, by Leona G. Chemnick, Marlys L. Houck, and Oliver A. Ryder11. The Role of Cryopreserved Cell and Tissue Collections for the Study of Biodiversity and Its Conservation, by Vitaly Volobouev12. The Silent Biodiversity Crisis: Loss of Genetic Resource Collections, by Deborah L. Rogers, Calvin O. Qualset, Patrick E. McGuire, and Oliver A. Ryder13. Who Owns the Ark, and Why Does It Matter?, by Cathi Lehn, Rebecah Bryning, Rob DeSalle, and Richard CahoonPart IV. Genomic Technology Meets Conservation Biology 14. Conservomics? The Role of Genomics in Conservation Biology, by George Amato and Rob DeSalle15. Genomics and Conservation Genetics, by Judith A. Blake16. Crop Transgenes in Natural Populations, by Norman C. Ellstrand17. The Role of Assisted Reproduction in Animal Conservation, by Anne McLaren18. Conservation and Cloning: The Challenges, by Ian Wilmut and Lesley PatersonPart V. Policy, Law, and Philosophy of Conservation Biology in the Age of Genomics 19. Can Our Laws Accommodate the New Conservation Genetics?, by Gerald J. Flattmann Jr., Barbara A. Ruskin, and Nicholas Vogt20. The Import of Uncertainty, by Sandra D. MitchellFurther ReadingList of ContributorsIndex


Among progressive myoclonus epilepsies (PME), the nosography of the Ramsay Hunt syndrome (RHS) has been much debated. The authors report on a homogeneous group of 43 patients originating from around the western Mediterranean, with a large number of northern African subjects, who were followed up for a mean period of 11.6 years. Onset is between 6 and 17 years (mean: 11.2) and the transmission appears to be recessive. The clinical features include: action myoclonus, generalized epileptic seizures, mild cerebellar signs and lack of dementia. EEG features include normal background activity, spontaneous fast generalized spike‐wave discharges, photosensitivity, lack of activation during nREM sleep and vertex/rolandic spikes during REM sleep. The prognosis is variable, even within families, but the progression seems to be slow in a majority of patients. This condition can be distinguished from mitochondrial encephalomyopathy and is less severe than Baltic myoclonus. The authors propose that this form of PME, formerly reported as RHS, be more properly described as Mediterranean myoclonus.


The Roman Catholic Church in Australia has lobbied politicians to prohibit embryonic stem cell research, on the grounds that such research violates the sanctity and inherent dignity of human life. I suggest, however, that reasoned reflection does not uniquely support such conclusions about the morality of stem cell research. A recent parliamentary standing committee report recommended that embryonic stem cell research be allowed to proceed in certain circumstances, and there appears to be widespread support in the Australian community for this position. I argue that the moral value of democracy requires parliamentarians to acknowledge the informed views of the wider community here, and to resist lobbying by church leaders on this issue.


Performances of a pilot-scale reed bed for the olive mill wastewater (OMW) treatment were investigated, by monitoring influent and effluent pH, total suspended solids (TSS), chemical oxygen demand (COD), total Kjeldahl nitrogen (TKN), total phosphorus and polyphenols. In order to reduce the suspended matter concentration and to avoid clogging, OMW was pre-treated by adding lime putty, calcium hydroxide and hydraulic lime. The best results were obtained with 2 g/L of hydraulic lime. Pre-treated OMW was dosed in the reed bed at dilution ratios of 1/3 and 1/10 (v/v), pointing up that the latter only did not give rise to reed suffering and allowed to obtain good and durable removal efficiencies, above all for COD (74.1+/-17.6%) and polyphenols (83.4+/-17.8%). Recycling of the effluent was quite effective for the improvement of the wastewater quality, allowing a further removal of 26-70%, depending on the parameter taken into account. A post-dosage study, carried out by feeding the reed bed with the effluent of an activated sludge plant, pointed up a rapid decreasing of the outlet concentrations of the investigated parameters to values compatible with Italian regulations concerning wastewater discharge in surface water. Polyphenols were the exception, being their outlet concentration at the end of post-dosage study around 2 mg/L.


Master J, Qayim I, Setiadi D, Santoso N. 2020. Autecology of Melastoma malabathricum, an invasive species in the Way Kambas National Park, Indonesia. Biodiversitas 21: 2303-2310. Melastoma malabathricum has become one of the invasive plants in the Way Kambas National Park (WKNP), Lampung, Indonesia. This plant is feared to be a problem in efforts to conserve biodiversity in the WKNP area. Therefore, this study aimed to analyze the factors causing the invasion of these plants. The vegetation analysis plot was placed on three types of habitats in the study location, namely, forests, swamps, and invaded swamps, then measurements and records of vegetation data and abiotic factors were recorded in each plot. The results reveal that M. malabathricum dominates swamp habitat and negatively associated with trees, which can provide canopy. Abiotic factors, such as canopy cover, water level, and soil fert ility, become supporting factors for the invasion. In addition, climate change, which is causing drought also contributes to the invasion of M. malabathricum at the WKNP.


Progressive massive fibrosis (PMF) with atypical findings is often misdiagnosed as lung cancer. Atypical features of PMF have been described in some reports; however, these reports only introduced their cases with a short literature review. We report two cases of solitary PMFs with no underlying simple pneumoconiosis or rapid growth at atypical location that were mistaken for lung cancer. We also suggest the useful CT findings to aid in the differential diagnosis.


This paper presents a case study of the Muslim diaspora through comparative analysis of Islamic tombstones from the Southeast Coast of China under Mongol rule. The locations of the nisbas in the Islamic tombstones are widely dispersed, covering Xinjiang, Transoxiana, Iran, Khorasan, Khwarazm, Armenia, Syria, Palestine, and Arabia. Unexpectedly, we did not find a single named location from India or Southeast Asia. It is well known that notable descendants of distinguished families traditionally produced officials, intellectuals, and wealthy merchants, and surrendered to the Mongols during the war against the Qara Khitai Khanate and the Khwarazm Empire. There were a great number of appointed officials with Muslim names in the Jianghuai (around Lower Yangtze) and Fujian regions. This is consistent with the concentration of epitaphs written in Arabic on the southeast coast of China. The frequent use of the specific tradition of the prophet Muhammad associating the death of the exile with martyrdom in Islamic tombstones in Quanzhou, Hangzhou, and Yangzhou indicates that the Muslims in these port cities eventually established an interregional or diasporic identity of Muslim foreighners whoimmigrated into the region.


Background Recruitment in health and social science research is a critically important but often overlooked step in conducting successful research. The challenges associated with recruitment pertain to multiple factors such as enrolling groups with vulnerabilities, obtaining geographic, cultural, and ethnic representation within study samples, supporting the participation of less accessible populations such as older adults, and developing networks to support recruitment. Purpose This paper presents the experiences of two early career researchers in recruiting community-based samples of older adults, their caregivers, and associated health providers. Methods Challenges and facilitators in recruiting two community-based qualitative research samples are identified and discussed in relation to the literature. Results Challenges included: identifying potential participants, engaging referral partners, implementing multi-methods, and achieving study sample diversity. Facilitators included: making connections in the community, building relationships, and drawing on existing networks. Conclusions Findings suggest the need for greater recognition of the importance of having clear frameworks and strategies to address recruitment prior to study commencement as well as the need to have clear outreach strategies to optimize inclusion of marginalized groups. Recommendations and a guide are provided to inform the development of recruitment approaches of early career researchers in health and social science research.


Personnel from NASA's MSFC have been investigating the feasibility of an advanced propulsion system known as the Electric Sail (E-Sail) for future scientific exploration missions. This team initially won a NASA Space Technology Mission Directorate (STMD) Phase I NASA Innovative Advanced Concept (NIAC) award and then a two-year follow-on Phase II NIAC award in October 2015. This paper documents the findings from this three-year investigation. An Electric sail, a propellant-less propulsion system, uses solar wind ions to rapidly travel either to deep space or the inner solar system. Scientific spacecraft could reach Pluto in ~5 years, or the boundary of the solar system in ten to twelve years compared to the thirty-five plus years the Voyager spacecraft took. The team's recent focuses have been: 1) Developing a Particle in Cell (PIC) numeric engineering model from MSFC's experimental data on the interaction between simulated solar wind and a charged bare wire that can be applied to a variety of missions, 2) Determining what missions could benefit from this revolutionary propulsion system, 3) Conceptualizing spacecraft designs for various tasks: to reach the solar system's edge, to orbit the sun as Heliophysics sentinels, or to examine a multitude of asteroids.


Coronary artery bypass grafting prolongs survival in patients with left main coronary artery stenosis. However, this benefit is denied to patients who refuse the procedure or who are poor surgical candidates due to comorbid conditions. We describe a novel technique for the percutaneous revascularization of stenosis in an unprotected left main coronary artery in high-risk patients. The TandemHeart, a percutaneously inserted left ventricular assist device, was used to provide periprocedural hemodynamic support during angioplasty and stenting of an unprotected left main coronary artery for stenosis in a 70-year-old woman. The device was removed immediately after the procedure, and the patient was discharged from the hospital on the 2nd postprocedural day. The potential advantages of angioplasty with the support of percutaneous left ventricular assist devices in high-risk patients are discussed.


In this paper a general analysis is presented for the active control of the far‐field harmonic sound radiated by a rectangular panel that is built into an infinite baffle. In this analysis, the panel vibration may be generated by either airborne sound (incident sound field) or by structure borne vibrations. The far‐field radiated sound is controlled either by acoustical sources or vibration sources. Minimization of both the local sound pressure and the total power output is considered. Analytical results for the particular case involving minimization of the sound pressure at a single point are compared with experimental data. The physical mechanisms involved for different control sources (vibration or acoustic) are demonstrated analytically. For the case of vibration control sources, the panel modal velocity components are adjusted to produce far‐field sound control. This can be done either by decreasing their amplitudes, and/or by changing the temporal phases of the panel modes. However, for acoustic con...


A Darwinian evolutionary approach to archaeology naturally leads to a focus on cultural transmission. Theoretical models of cultural evolution indicate that individual-level details of cultural transmission can have specific and significant population-level effects, implying that differences in transmission may be detectable in the archaeological record. Here we present an experimental simulation of the cultural transmission of prehistoric projectile-point technology, simulating the two transmission modes-indirect bias and guided variation-that Bettinger and Eerkens (1999) suggested were responsible for differences in Nevada and California point-attribute correlations. Groups of participants designed "virtual projectile points" and tested them in "virtual hunting environments," with different phases of learning simulating, alternately, indirectly biased cultural transmission and independent individual learning. As predicted, periods of cultural transmission were associated with significantly stronger attribute correlations than were periods of individual learning. We also found that participants who could engage in indirectly biased horizontal cultural transmission outperformed individual-learning controls, especially when individual learning was costly and the selective environment was multimodal. The study demonstrates that experimental simulations of cultural transmission, used alongside archaeological data, mathematical models and computer simulations, constitute a useful tool for studying cultural change.


Casein kinase II is an ubiquitous serine-threonine kinase whose functional significance and regulation in the living cell are not clearly understood. The native enzyme has an oligomeric structure made of two different (alpha and beta) subunits with an alpha 2 beta 2 stoichiometry. To facilitate the study of the structure-activity relationship of the kinase, we have expressed its isolated subunits in a baculovirus-directed insect cell expression system. The resulting isolated recombinant alpha subunit exhibited a protein kinase catalytic activity, in agreement with previous observations [Cochet, C., & Chambaz, E. M. (1983) J. Biol. Chem. 258, 1403-1406]. Coinfection of insect cells with recombinant viruses encoding the two kinase subunits resulted in the biosynthesis of a functional enzyme. Active recombinant oligomeric kinase was purified to near homogeneity with a yield of about 5 mg of enzymatic protein per liter, showing that, in coinfected host cells, synthesis was followed, at least in part, by recombination of the two subunits with an alpha 2 beta 2 stoichiometry. The catalytic properties of the recombinant enzyme appeared highly similar to those previously observed for casein kinase II purified from bovine tissue. Access to the isolated subunits and to their alpha 2 beta 2 association disclosed that the beta subunit is required for optimal catalytic activity of the kinase. In addition, the beta subunit is suggested to play an essential role in the regulated activity of the native casein kinase II. This is clearly illustrated by the observation of the effect of spermine which requires the presence of the beta subunit to stimulate the kinase catalytic activity which is borne by the alpha subunit.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Wikipedia has been increasingly used as a knowledge base for open-domain Named Entity Linking and Disambiguation. In this task, a dictionary with entity surface forms plays an important role in finding a set of candidate entities for the mentions in text. Existing dictionaries mostly rely on the Wikipedia link structure, like anchor texts, redirect links and disambiguation links. In this paper, we introduce a dictionary for Entity Linking that includes name variations extracted from Wikipedia article text, in addition to name variations derived from the Wikipedia link structure. With this approach, we show an increase in the coverage of entities and their mentions in the dictionary in comparison to other Wikipedia based dictionaries.


We describe particle swarm inspired evolutionary algorithm (PS-EA), which is a hybridized evolutionary algorithm (EA) combining the concepts of EA and particle swarm theory. PS-EA is developed in aim to extend PSO algorithm to effectively search in multiconstrained solution spaces, due to the constraints rigidly imposed by the PSO equations. To overcome the constraints, PS-EA replaces the PSO equations completely with a self-updating mechanism (SUM), which emulates the workings of the equations. A comparison is performed between PS-EA with genetic algorithm (GA) and PSO and it is found that PS-EA provides an advantage over typical GA and PSO for complex multimodal functions like Rosenbrock, Schwefel and Rastrigrin functions. An application of PS-EA to minimize the classic Fonseca 2-objective functions is also described to illustrate the feasibility of PS-EA as a multiobjective search algorithm.


A simple method for testing visual sensitivity to flickering light sources is proposed. The method employs a triangular function generator, which modulates the luminance of a chromatic light source. Amplitude and frequency of the triangular pattern are adjusted until the subject perceives a periodic variation of luminance. In normal subjects the maximum sensitivity was found at a frequency modulation of 5-10 Hz. In multiple sclerosis patients the method proved to be more accurate than flicker fusion frequency in revealing subclinical damage of the visual pathway.


Abstract A membership inference attack (MIA) against a machine-learning model enables an attacker to determine whether a given data record was part of the model's training data or not. In this paper, we provide an in-depth study of the phenomenon of disparate vulnerability against MIAs: unequal success rate of MIAs against different population subgroups. We first establish necessary and sufficient conditions for MIAs to be prevented, both on average and for population subgroups, using a notion of distributional generalization. Second, we derive connections of disparate vulnerability to algorithmic fairness and to differential privacy. We show that fairness can only prevent disparate vulnerability against limited classes of adversaries. Differential privacy bounds disparate vulnerability but can significantly reduce the accuracy of the model. We show that estimating disparate vulnerability by naïvely applying existing attacks can lead to overestimation. We then establish which attacks are suitable for estimating disparate vulnerability, and provide a statistical framework for doing so reliably. We conduct experiments on synthetic and real-world data finding significant evidence of disparate vulnerability in realistic settings.


Parallel to CO2 emission, NOx emission has become one of the menacing problems that seek a simple, durable, and high-efficiency deNOx catalyst. Herein, we demonstrated simple syntheses of platinum group metal nanoparticle-decorated f-BNNT (PGM = Pd, Pt, and Rh, and f-BNNT stands for -OH-functionalized boron nitride nanotubes) as a catalyst for efficient and selective reduction of NO by CO at low-temperature conditions. PGM/f-BNNT with a low amount of noble metal nanoparticles (0.7-0.8 wt %) presents very efficient catalytic activity for NO reduction as well as CO oxidation during their removal process. The removal efficiencies of NO and CO with Pd/f-BNNT, Pt/f-BNNT, and Rh/f-BNNT catalysts were investigated under various temperatures, flow rates, and reaction times, respectively. For most cases, NO catalytic reduction with CO reaction was >99% at a temperature as low as ∼200 °C. The catalyst robustness and efficiency were also verified by presenting almost 100% conversion of NO using a Rh/f-BNNT catalyst, which was aged under humid air at 600 and 700 °C for 24 h, respectively. The synergic effect of the catalytic efficacy of the well-dispersed noble metal nanoparticles and the excellent surface properties of BNNT are reasons for the high selectivity and catalytic property at a low temperature. On the basis of this investigation, we demonstrated that the noble metal nanoparticle-decorated f-BNNT catalysts are possible to save expensive PGM catalysts, such as Pt, Pd, and Rd, as much as 100 times while presenting similar or better catalytic performance for simultaneous NO and CO removals.


We have shown that systolic pressure-volume area (PVA), which is equivalent to the total mechanical energy generated by ventricular contraction, correlates linearly with myocardial oxygen consumption, VO2, in canine left ventricle. Systolic force-time integral, FTI, also correlates with VO2. In this study, stroke volume was increased from 0 (isovolumic) in isolated cross-circulated canine left ventricle in a stable contractile state while keeping PVA constant with a servo pump. Ventricular total force was calculated from ventricular pressure and volume by the force-equilibrium equation and was integrated from the end of diastole to the end of systole as identified with the time of Emax to yield FTI. Under the conditions of constant PVA, FTI significantly (p less than 0.001) decreased by 10 +/- 7% and 25 +/- 8% with increases in stroke volume from 0 to 8 +/- 4 ml and 17 +/- 3 ml and in ejection fraction from 0 to 0.24 +/- 0.10 and 0.61 +/- 0.05, respectively, while VO2 and Emax remained constant. Therefore, we conclude that in a stable contractile state, it is possible to keep PVA constant even when stroke volume and ejection fraction are varied and that under such conditions, FTI no longer predicts VO2. PVA remains a reliable predictor of VO2 regardless of ventricular loading conditions.


AIM
Although several rehabilitation programs to improve functioning and pain after lumbar microdiscectomy have been suggested, little is known about the most effective exercise program. We aimed to investigate the effects of aerobic exercise program starting one month after single-level lumbar microdiscectomy on pain and functioning.

DESIGN
Prospective, non-randomized, controlled trial.

SETTING
Outpatient clinic.

POPULATION
Forty patients with single-level first-time lumbar microdiscectomy were included in the study. Eighteen patients were allocated to the aerobic exercise group while 22 patients to the control group.

METHODS
Both groups were given the same home exercise program. The exercise group received 20 sessions of treadmill exercise one month after the surgery in addition to the home exercise program. Low back pain and leg pain of the patients were evaluated by Visual Analogue Scale score (VAS), functioning was evaluated by Roland-Morris Disability Index (RMDI), anxiety and depressive symptoms were evaluated by Beck Anxiety Inventory (BAI) and Beck Depression Inventory (BDI). Patients were evaluated within the last week before surgery, at the postoperative II and VIII month.

RESULTS
Significant improvements of low back pain VAS, leg pain VAS, functioning score, BAI score, BDI score were found in both groups after surgery (P<0.05). There was no significant difference in pain score, BAI score, BDI score change at II and VIII months between the groups (P>0.05). Functional improvement was significantly more pronounced in the aerobic exercise group than in the control group at the end of the aerobic exercise program (P<0.05). However, there was no significant difference in the numeric change of RMDI scores at VIII month (P>0.05).

CONCLUSION
The results of this study showed that aerobic exercise starting one month after first time single-level lumbar microdiscectomy resulted in a more pronounced functional improvement than the home exercise program during the exercise sessions. It was seen that functional recovery did not last when exercise program was discontinued.

CLINICAL REHABILITATION IMPACT
We suggest that suitable patients with single-level microdiscectomy should be encouraged to participate in aerobic exercise program one month after the surgery to regain functioning.


OBJECTIVES
We aimed to compare altered inflammatory status between patients with bipolar manic and mixed episodes through neutrophil-to-lymphocyte ratio (NLR), platelet-to-lymphocyte ratio (PLR), and monocyte-to-lymphocyte ratio (MLR) levels.

BACKGROUND
NLR, PLR, and MLR are systemic inflammation biomarkers that have recently studied in bipolar disorder (BD) manic and depressive episodes. Immunological biomarker signature of mixed episodes and MLR levels in BD have less been studied.

DESIGN AND SETTING
Our study included 48 bipolar patients in a mood episode (28 manic, 20 mixed) and 32 controls. Study-specific form including sociodemographic and clinical variables with laboratory findings were filled for all participants.

METHODS
Red cell distribution width (RDW), mean platelet volume (MPV) neutrophil, lymphocyte and platelet count, NLR, PLR, and MLR were recorded.

RESULTS
PLR and MLR were found significantly higher in bipolar patients compared to controls while NLR and MLR were significantly higher in manic patients than in mixed patients. RDW was found higher in mixed episode compared to controls.

CONCLUSIONS
One can interpret these findings as MLR would be considered as a novel state biomarker for bipolar mood episodes and greater inflammatory activation may be involved in mania rather than mixed episode (Tab. 2, Fig. 1, Ref. 35).


Background Endoparasites of the canine gastrointestinal and respiratory tract represent a wide range of protozoans and helminths. They are causative agents of different serious diseases of animals and many of them also pose zoonotic risks to human health. The education of dog owners and their families with the principles of human and animal health protection may especially prevent the spread of zoonoses such giardiosis, toxocarosis, echinococcosis and Taenia crassiceps infection. Pulmonary nematods are not zoonotic but they can cause serious and potentially fatal disease in dogs.MethodsThree hundred ninety-one samples of canine faeces and 398 completed questionnaires were collected. The questionnaires comprised of description of individual dogs and detailed data about the way the dogs were kept and their deworming. Samples were examined by flotation, larvoscopy by Baermann and PCR method.ResultsWe confirmed infection of Giardia spp., Isospora ohioensis, Neospora caninum/Hammondia heydorni, Ancylostoma spp., Angiostrongylus vasorum, Capillaria spp., Crenosoma vulpis, Toxocara canis, Toxascaris leonina, Trichuris spp. and Taenia spp. Sequences were obtained for 3 of them confirming T. crassiceps. No deworming treatment was recorded for insignificant number of dogs. Dog owners most often used multicomponent endoparasitics.ConclusionsMost of the dogs were dewormed irregularly and antiparasitics were administered namely twice a year, so monthly intervals were not performed in the group of dogs at risk for e.g. possibility of predation. Consumption of antiparasitic drugs cannot ensure the protection of dogs, their owners and other people, unless not applied purposefully, with appropriate knowledge and on the basis of the veterinarian's advice.


There is growing evidence for physical influence between supermassive black holes and their host galaxies. We present a case study of the nearby galaxy NGC 7582, for which we find evidence that galactic substructure plays an important role in affecting the collimation of ionized outflows as well as contributing to the heavy active galactic nucleus (AGN) obscuration. This result contrasts with a simple, small-scale AGN torus model, according to which AGN-wind collimation may take place inside the torus itself, at subparsec scales. Using 3D spectroscopy with the Multi Unit Spectroscopic Explorer instrument, we probe the kinematics of the stellar and ionized gas components as well as the ionization state of the gas from a combination of emission-line ratios. We report for the first time a kinematically distinct core (KDC) in NGC 7582, on a scale of ∼600 pc. This KDC coincides spatially with dust lanes and starbursting complexes previously observed. We interpret it as a circumnuclear ring of stars and dusty, gas-rich material. We obtain a clear view of the outflowing cones over kiloparsec scales and demonstrate that they are predominantly photoionized by the central engine. We detect the back cone (behind the galaxy) and confirm previous results of a large nuclear obscuration of both the stellar continuum and H ii regions. While we tentatively associate the presence of the KDC with a large-scale bar and/or a minor galaxy merger, we stress the importance of gaining a better understanding of the role of galaxy substructure in controlling the fueling, feedback, and obscuration of AGNs.


Four recombinant inbred (RI) strains, generated from NZB and RF progenitors, were tested on a two-way shuttlebox and their sera were assayed for serological factors. The four RI strains differed with respect to number of null responses and escape time. The strain with the poorest performance displayed the greatest degree of autoimmunity. The avoidance measures were correlated against the autoimmune serological parameters for the four RI strains and the two progenitors. The number of avoidances was negatively correlated with anti-DNA antibody titer, while the number of null responses showed a positive association with immune complex level. Escape time had positive correlations with IgG, IgM-RF, and immune complexes. These findings are consistent with, and extend, our prior reports that avoidance learning is inversely related to the degree of autoimmunity.


When delivered within 1 and in most cases 2 h of permanent middle cerebral artery occlusion (pMCAO), mild sensory stimulation (intermittent single whisker stimulation) was shown to be completely neuroprotective 24 h after pMCAO in a rodent model of ischemic stroke, according to assessment with multiple techniques (Lay et al., 2010). The acute effect of stimulation treatment on the ischemic cortex, however, has yet to be reported. Here we characterize cortical function and perfusion during the 120 min whisker stimulation period in four experimental groups with treatment initiated 0, 1, 2 (protected groups), or 3 h (unprotected group) post-pMCAO using multiple techniques. According to functional imaging, a gradual return of evoked whisker functional representation to baseline levels was initiated with treatment onset and completed within the treatment period. Evoked neuronal activity and reperfusion to the ischemic area also showed a gradual recovery in protected animals. Surprisingly, a similar recovery profile was observed in response to treatment in all protected animals, regardless of treatment onset time. Nonstimulated pMCAO control group data demonstrate that reperfusion is not spontaneous. This makes the complete protection observed in the majority of animals stimulated at 2 h post-pMCAO even more surprising, as these animals recovered despite having been in a severely ischemic state for two full hours. In summary, when delivered within a 2 h window post-pMCAO, whisker stimulation treatment initiated reperfusion and a gradual recovery of cortical function that was completed or nearly completed within the treatment period.


We consider problems involving groups of data where each observation within a group is a draw from a mixture model and where it is desirable to share mixture components between groups. We assume that the number of mixture components is unknown a priori and is to be inferred from the data. In this setting it is natural to consider sets of Dirichlet processes, one for each group, where the well-known clustering property of the Dirichlet process provides a nonparametric prior for the number of mixture components within each group. Given our desire to tie the mixture models in the various groups, we consider a hierarchical model, specifically one in which the base measure for the child Dirichlet processes is itself distributed according to a Dirichlet process. Such a base measure being discrete, the child Dirichlet processes necessarily share atoms. Thus, as desired, the mixture models in the different groups necessarily share mixture components. We discuss representations of hierarchical Dirichlet processes in terms of a stick-breaking process, and a generalization of the Chinese restaurant process that we refer to as the "Chinese restaurant franchise." We present Markov chain Monte Carlo algorithms for posterior inference in hierarchical Dirichlet process mixtures and describe applications to problems in information retrieval and text modeling.


The rise in interest in offsite construction (OC) techniques is well documented. A significant degree of attention
has been given to identifying the potential benefits of OC, how these might be achieved, and the barriers to
increased take up and delivery capacity. The role of Standards in this regard has also been discussed.
In order to contribute to the ongoing discussions on OC BSI has undertaken a number of initiatives,
including the standards research project outlined in this report. It aims to understand the current and
potential role of standards in this field, what benefits standards can bring, and what action is needed to
realise those benefits.
As the National Standards Body, BSI works with industry to identify areas where standards are needed and
develop them. It maintains the very sizeable portfolio of existing standards to ensure continued relevance,
and it promotes UK standards practice at a European and International level through its membership of
supranational Standards organisations.
The report provides a clear outline of where BSI can support industry and what actions are needed to
ensure the existing standards portfolio can accommodate OC techniques, and new standards can be
identified in accordance with industry need.


We study cyclic binary strings with bounds on the lengths of the intervals of consecutive ones and zeros. This is motivated by scheduling problems where such binary strings can be used to represent the state (on/off) of a machine. In this context the bounds correspond to minimum and maximum lengths of on- or off-intervals, and cyclic strings can be used to model periodic schedules. Extending results for non-cyclic strings is not straight forward. We present a non-trivial tight compact extended network flow formulation, as well as valid inequalities in the space of the state and start-up variables some of which are shown to be facet-defining. Applying a result from disjunctive programming, we also convert the extended network flow formulation into an extended formulation over the space of the state and start-up variables.


The proposed changes to citizenship requirements in Australia have an increased focus on English language competency and on 'Australian' values. The dominance of the English language on the global stage can reinforce the hegemonic nature of the English language, which is becoming increasingly embedded in the image of an Australian citizen. This raises questions on what is motivating the centrality of English language testing for citizenship, and how these shape conceptions of Australian identity. This research is a thematic content analysis of media releases from newspapers, government statements and other grey materials on the recent changes to Australia's citizenship requirements, particularly English language testing. The research found that English language testing can be seen as a form of cultural hegemony, which is shaped by a discourse of social integration and border security. Implications for understanding diversity and working with diverse language groups are explored in light of the English language testing and citizenship discourses in Australia.


A considerable amount of evidence reveals the important roles of cancer stem cells (CSCs, also called "cancer initiating cells") in tumor growth, metastasis, relapse and drug resistance. Our group has identified lung CSCs in both lung cancer cell lines and patient tumor samples by their elevated Aldehyde Dehydrogenase (ALDH) activity and demonstrated that NSCLC patients whose tumors are enriched in ALDH+ cells have inferior survival, and that the ALDH+ subpopulations (ranging from 0.5 to 30% of tumor cells) are self renewing, and significnatly more clonogenic and tumorigencic (in xenograft models) than the ALDH− population. To further define the molecular profile of lung CSCs and to identify key pathways involved in lung CSC function we performed genome wide microarray expression profiling of isolated ALDH+ and ALDH− cell populations from 8 non-small cell lung cancer (NSCLC) lines representing a variety of oncogenotypes to determine genes that are differentially expressed in these two populations. Strikingly we found that different lung cancers exhibited different ALDH+ cell population expression profiles but that the ALDH1A3 isozyme was one of the few commonly genes whose expression was elevated. (Previously our group and other investigators in lung and other cancers had found the ALDH1A1 and not ALDH1A3 isozyme to be a marker of the ALDH+ population). ALDH1A3 differential expression was confirmed by q RT PCR and elevated ALDH1A3 protein levels which in turn was correlated with the % of ALDH+ tumor cells in each tumor. ALDH1A3 mRNA levels in (N = 182) resected lung adenocarcinoma samples showe that the highest levels of ALDH1A3 were associated with inferior survival. Of great importance, shRNA mediated knockdown of ALDH1A3 dramatically reduced both NSCLC cell colony formation in vitro and tumor growth in vivo demonstrating the functional importance of ALDH1A3 expression in NSCLCs. However, ectopic expression of ALDH1A3 in NSCLC cells did not enhance lung cancer cell growth and tumor formation, suggesting that ALDH1A3 alone is not sufficient to promote lung cancer progression. We conclude that ALDH1A3 is the predominant ALDH isozyme responsible for ALDH activity in NSCLCs of many oncogenotypes, is of potential prognostic importance, and a new therapeutic target for eliminating NSCLC stem cells.


Chicken infectious anemia (CIA) has not been routinely diagnosed in other avian species apart from commercial chickens. A sensitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) combined with restriction endonuclease (RE) analysis was used for the detection and characterization of chicken anemia virus (CAV) in backyard chickens (Gallus gallus domesticus) in Nigeria. Using a pair of primers designed to amplify a 733 bp fragment in the VP1 (capsid protein) gene of CAV, the PCR assay detected CAV DNA in 9 of 12 serum samples from apparently healthy backyard chickens. RE digestion of the purified PCR products of commercial and backyard chickens with CfoI yielded two separate restriction endonuclease patterns, suggesting that Nigerian backyard chicken CAVs differed from the commercial chicken isolates at the nucleotide sequence level. Results of RE analysis also suggested that the backyard chickens contained a mixed population of CAV strains. These findings confirm that backyard chickens are susceptible to CAV infection and could also harbor the virus.


We report on the dependence of surface charge-induced birefringence (the Pockels effect) in room temperature ionic liquids (RTILs) with different cation constituents. The induced birefringence is related to the induced free charge density gradient (ρf) in the RTIL. The RTILs are confined in a lens-shaped cell and the surface charge density of the concave cell surface is controlled by the current passed through the surface ITO film. We find that, in all cases, the induced birefringence is proportional to the surface charge density and that the change in refractive index nearest the ITO surface can be on the order of 20%. Our findings indicate that the induced birefringence depends more sensitively on the cation aliphatic substituent length than on the identity of the charge-carrying headgroup.


Currently the world is dealing with the infection of COVID-19 which has recently been declared as Pandemic by WHO. The quick spread everywhere throughout the world has raised worries about the chance of transmission of the infection from individual to individual. The present study is aimed to review the information available about COVID19 and similar diseases in Ayurveda literature such asCharakaSamhita, SushrutaSamhita, AshtangaHrudayaandvarious research studies related to the topic.Ayurveda an antiquated clinical science has unmistakably depicted Aupsargikarogas (Communicable diseases), their mode of transmission, cause, cure and prevention too.Janapadodhwamsa,  thediseases which affect a major part of population and itsfour causative factors such as pollution of Vayu(Air) and Jala (Water) along with the changes inKala(Time) andDesha(Region)explained in Ayurveda. With respect to treatment, Ayurveda advocates prevention as the first step and then cure of diseases, through Nidana Parivarjana (Avoidance of causes),Shodhan (Bio purification) and Shaman(Curative and Palliative care). With the help of Panchakarma (Five bio purificatory therapies)and Rasayana (Rejuvenation therapy), these diseases can be prevented well. Ayurveda can be helpful to reduce the morbidity and mortality.The current review portrays how Ayurveda can assist with combatting the developing challenges of communicable infections.


The effects of anti-inflammatory drugs were examined on the turpentine-induced acute inflammatory response in the chicken skin. An increase in vascular permeability was evaluated using the 'dye' technique. Although histamine and 5-hydroxytryptamine (5-HT) appeared to be the major mediators of the permeability response in the early phase, involvement of 5-HT was more significant. Use of other anti-inflammatory drugs suggested mediation of the permeability response also through the release of prostaglandins or leukotrienes, or both.


Internet of Things forms the backbone of modern building applications. Wireless sensors are being increasingly adopted for their flexibility and reduced cost of deployment. However, most wireless sensors are powered by batteries today and large deployments are inhibited by manual battery replacement. Energy harvesting sensors provide an attractive alternative, but they need to provide adequate quality of service to applications given uncertain energy availability. We propose using reinforcement learning to optimize the operation of energy harvesting sensors to maximize sensing quality with available energy. We present our system ACES that uses reinforcement learning for periodic and event-driven sensing indoors with ambient light energy harvesting. Our custom-built board uses a supercapacitor to store energy temporarily, senses light, motion events and relays them using Bluetooth Low Energy. Using simulations and real deployments, we show that our sensor nodes adapt to their lighting conditions and continuously sends measurements and events across nights and weekends. We use deployment data to continually adapt sensing to changing environmental patterns and transfer learning to reduce the training time in real deployments. In our 60 node deployment lasting two weeks, we observe a dead time of 0.1%. The periodic sensors that measure luminosity have a mean sampling period of 90 seconds and the event sensors that detect motion with PIR captured 86% of the events on average compared to a battery-powered node.


The general linear, fluid, thermal instability theory for the plasma edge has been extended. An analysis of a two-dimensional fluid model of the plasma edge has identified the importance of many previously unappreciated phenomena associated with parallel and gyro-viscous forces in the presence of large radial gradients, with large radial or parallel flows, with the temperature dependence of transport coefficients, and with the coupling of temperature, flow and density perturbations. The radiative condensation effect is generalized to include a further destabilizing condensation effect associated with radial heat conduction. Representative plasma edge neutral and impurity densities are found to be capable of driving thermal instabilities in the edge transport barrier and radiative mantle, respectively.


The author proposes a hermeneutic of vulnerability as part of a programme of an ethics of interpretation whereby readers not only become aware of what the effect of their reading or interpretation will be on others and for which they need to take responsibility, but that will also limit the effects of any discrimination in future. Recognising vulnerability in oneself and in others can further lead to unmasking privileged positions of the past that the former political dispensation has produced and which need to be fore-grounded for the sake of reconciliation. In other words, it is unmasking the old prevalent colonial power relationships in what has become the new "empire". This article will start by looking at the way people have historically been made vulnerable by a particular understanding of reality as empire with specific reference to the portrayal of Africa as dark and wild, and how the historical narrow understanding of hermeneutics (Berkhof) fed this vulnerability. Secondly, in order to recognise vulnerability, the author discusses the need for a broader definition of hermeneutics as scientific understanding. Thirdly he illustrates the need for a hermeneutics of vulnerability by unmasking whiteness and the psychological advantage it provided in history and, fourthly, he explores a model of a hermeneutics of vulnerability in terms of the exclusion of the "Other".


Introduction: Ponseti method of treatment of clubfoot is a gold standard method. It includes serial casting to be followed by percutaneous tenotomy of the Achilles tendon under local anaesthesia. In the current study the safety and efficacy of tenotomy under local anaesthesia following serial casting will be studied. Patients and Methods: 89 patients who were seen at the Sudan Clubfoot clinic at Soba University Hospital between 2011 and 2012. All underwent serial casting according to Ponseti method and that was followed by Achilles tenotomy under local anaesthesia using a single stab using a size 15 scalpel. Results: there were 89 patients (135 feet), 64 [71.9%] males and 25 (28.1%) females. 46 patients (51.1%) had bilateral involvement. Familial history was there in 11 (11.2%) babies.  Tenotomy was performed in all feet after an average of 6.2 casts (range, 3 to 11). All were discharged 2 hours after the tenotomy. No adverse events were related to local anaesthesia and/or the procedure itself, and there was no delay in discharge in any of the operated babies.  All patients had an uneventful course. Only one patient (1.12%) had previous conservative treatment before coming to the clinic. Pressure sores were observed as a result of casting in one foot. Residual equinus deformity after the tenotomy was experienced in 5 feet. 86 of the parents were satisfied with the correction. The rest; 3 patients (3.37%) were not satisfied because of the residual equinus. Conclusion: Tenotomy procedure using local anaesthesia is an effective and safe procedure.


Abstract The antibacterial activities of Methylene Blue and several of its congeners were measured against Yersinia enterocolitica, a Gram-negative pathogen known to exhibit significant growth at 4°C and thus constituting a threat to red blood cell concentrates which are stored at this temperature. None of the derivatives was highly active in dark conditions, as expected, but on illumination using a lamp emitting light in the waveband 615-645 nm, considerable bactericidal activity was noted using similar photosensitizer concentrations to those used elsewhere to inactivate blood-borne viruses. Two novel compounds in this area, the phenothiazinium New Methylene Blue N and the phenoxazini-um Brilliant Cresyl Blue, exhibited bactericidal activity at lower concentrations than both of the established phenothiaziniums, Methylene Blue and Toluidine Blue O and the recently published blood photovirucidal agent 1,9-Dimethyl Methylene Blue. The photoactivity of these compounds was undiminished in the presence of red blood cells.


The Principal component analysis (PCA) uses an orthogonal linear transformation to project the model space with large dimensionality to a small subsurface dimension by taking advantage of strong correlation between models. In this paper, we apply PCA as an efficient parameterization tool for simultaneous seismic inversion. We start with a large number of training images sampled from the prior probability distribution. Principal components are then calculated from the covariance matrix derived from these training images. Since the number of principal components (PCs) is much smaller than the original number of model parameters, new images in posterior probability distribution can be efficiently reconstructed by only updating the weights of the PC. In this paper, we applied PCA based VFSA to both post-stack and pre-stack seismic data to invert for 2D impedance profiles. The results from simultaneous inversion demonstrate better lateral continuity than a trace-by-trace inversion using the same optimization tool. The same workflow can also be applied to 3D seismic volumes.


Cowhage ( Mucuna pruriens L.) medicinal plant grown Eight cowhage genotypes were used to study the performance of their growth, yield and quality characters in arecanut plantation under hill zone of Karnataka. Significant differences were recorded in genotypes with respect growth, yield and quality attributes. The genotype Arka Dhanvantari recorded the maximum vine length (282.03 cm) and number of trifoliate leaves (71.03) at harvest. Maximum number of bunches per plant (6.47), stem girth (0.93 cm), pods per bunch (4.00), number of bunches per plant (4.67) and pod yield per plant (136.38 g) was produced in genotype IIHR Selection-2. Genotype Arka Aswini exhibited maximum pod length (11.02 cm) and pod width (1.89 cm) over other genotypes. Maximum seed yield per plant (96.13 g), per plot (2.88 kg) and per hectare (3384.56 kg) was recorded in the genotype IIHR Selection-2. Genotype Arka Aswini exhibited maximum 100 seed weight (136.23 g). Maximum L-DOPA content (5.17 %) was recorded in genotype Arka Aswini which was followed by IIHR Selection-2 (4.69 %). The genotype IIHR Selection-2 recorded -1 maximum L-DOPA yield (4.52 g plant ).


In the 1990s, a major development in Australian public administration was the creation of specialised statutory agencies responsible for financial regulation: the Australian Consumer and Competition Commission, the Australian Securities and Investments Commission, and the Australian Prudential Regulation Authority. The responsibilities, resources and public profiles of all three regulators have grown appreciably since their creation. Richard Grant examines a specific challenge for each of the regulators, and the regulatory strategies they employ to monitor Australia's corporate sector.


Using a monopolistic competition model with mobile capital, where firms may choose between a "dirty" or a "clean" technology, this work explores the relationship between environment, trade liberalization, geographical and technical choices of multinational firms. We show that beside of environmental regulation, the ecological sensitivity of consumers can also be a market mechanism which may urge firms to self-regulate. We show in particular that a local sensitivity of environmental issues amplifies the phenomenon of Pollution Haven induced by an environmental tax, while a more comprehensive environmental awareness attenuates or cancels it gradually as the liberalization progresses.


Over the last decade, the rapid development of the computational technology has made a significant impact on the other field of engineering; especially on the method of data analysis. Computational approach has been applied widely to investigate the engineering problem. In the current study, the application of discrete element method (DEM) is examined in simulation of the repeated load triaxial test in pavement engineering. Flexible pavement is complex structure. Under the dynamic traffic loading, the behaviour of pavement can be predicted by using the repeated load triaxial test equipment in the laboratory. However, the nature of the repeated load triaxial testing procedure is considered time-consuming, complicated and expensive, and it is a challenge to carry out as a routine test in the laboratory. Therefore, the current paper proposes a numerical approach to simulate the repeated load triaxial test by employing the discrete element method. A sample with particle size ranging from 2.36 mm to 19.0 mm was constructed. Material properties, which included normal stiffness, shear stiffness, coefficient of friction, maximum dry density and particle density, were used as the input for the simulation. The sample was then subjected to a combination of deviator and confining stress and it was found that the discrete element method is able to simulate the repeated load triaxial test in the laboratory.


BACKGROUND
Unfortunately, flexible bronchoscopy, the least invasive bronchoscopic procedure, is of limited value for obtaining tissue from lesions in the peripheral segments of the lung. Biopsy success is compromised further if the lesion is < 2 cm in diameter. The main limitation of flexible bronchoscopy is the difficulty in reaching peripheral lesions with the accessory tools.

OBJECTIVE
Once extended beyond the tip of the bronchoscope, these tools are difficult to guide to the desired location. Localizing the lesion under fluoroscopy is difficult, and alternative diagnostic guidance methods, such as computer tomography-guided bronchoscopy and endobronchial ultrasound, are more demanding. Therefore, new methods for navigation and localization are needed. One of these new technologies is the use of endobronchial ultrasound miniprobes followed by a guided biopsy. The other is electromagnetic navigation bronchoscopy.

METHOD
The aim of the systematic review is to provide an analysis of the published literature.

RESULTS/CONCLUSION
Both systems showed an increased yield in diagnosing solitary pulmonary nodules. The body of evidence is growing rapidly. The ultimate goal of reliable and minimally invasive biopsy of peripheral lung lesions now appears feasible.


In this paper we prove the first quantitative convergence rates for the graph infinity Laplace equation for length scales at the connectivity threshold. In the graph-based semi-supervised learning community this equation is also known as Lipschitz learning. The graph infinity Laplace equation is characterized by the metric on the underlying space, and convergence rates follow from convergence rates for graph distances. At the connectivity threshold, this problem is related to Euclidean first passage percolation, which is concerned with the Euclidean distance function dh(x, y) on a homogeneous Poisson point process on R, where admissible paths have step size at most h > 0. Using a suitable regularization of the distance function and subadditivity we prove that dhs(0, se1)/s → σ as s → ∞ almost surely where σ ≥ 1 is a dimensional constant and hs & log(s) 1 d . A convergence rate is not available due to a lack of approximate superadditivity when hs →∞. Instead, we prove convergence rates for the ratio dh(0,se1) dh(0,2se1) → 1 2 when h is frozen and does not depend on s. Combining this with the techniques that we developed in (Bungert, Calder, Roith, IMA Journal of Numerical Analysis, 2022), we show that this notion of ratio convergence is sufficient to establish uniform convergence rates for solutions of the graph infinity Laplace equation at percolation length scales.


BACKGROUND
Pancreatic adenocarcinoma remains the fourth leading cause of cancer-related death and is one of the most aggressive human tumors. At present, surgical resection is the only potentially curative treatment. Early neck division is inadequate when invasion of the superior mesenteric artery (SMA) is suspected or in cases of replaced or accessory right hepatic artery. Malignant periampullary tumors often invade retroperitoneal peripancreatic tissues and a positive resection margin is associated with a poor long-term survival.

DATA SOURCES
English-language medical databases, PubMed, ELSEVIER and SPRINGERLINK, were searched for articles on "posterior approach pancreaticoduodenectomy", "superior mesenteric artery first approach", "retroperitoneal tissue", "hanging maneuver", and related topics.

RESULTS
The modification allowed the surgeon to early identify the nonresectability of a replaced right hepatic artery if present, enabling complete dissection of the right side of the SMA and portal vein as well as complete excision of the retroportal pancreatic lamina.

CONCLUSION
Pancreaticoduodenectomy with early retropancreatic dissection is a useful and safe technical variant, which is indicated for the improvement of the safety and curative effect of the procedure.


BACKGROUND
Clinical trialists involved in projects aimed at assessing the impact of a device or therapy on exercise capacity must select an end point that can detect a therapy-derived change and do so in a manner that is both sensitive to the change and valid. Using baseline data from the Prospective Evaluation of Elastic Restraint to Lessen the Effects of Heart Failure (PEERLESS-HF) trial, we describe the coefficient of variation (CV) for peak oxygen uptake (Vo2) and other parameters measured during a cardiopulmonary exercise (CPX) test.

METHODS
Prior to conducting CPX testing, a CPX core laboratory conducted training with testing staff at each site, and a standardized quality assurance protocol was completed. During screening, subjects performed two symptom-limited CPX tests (CPX-0 and CPX-1) within 14 days.

RESULTS
The CVs for peak Vo2, ventilatory efficiency, and ventilatory-derived anaerobic threshold were 5.9%, 4.8%, and 6.8%, respectively. During CPX-0, the percentage of subjects with a respiratory exchange ratio (RER) < 1.05 who increased their peak Vo2 by ≥ 6% during CPX-1 was 47%, compared with 12% of subjects also with an RER < 1.05 who experienced a decrease in peak Vo2 ≥ 6%.

CONCLUSIONS
In a multisite clinical trial setting, we showed that the achieved test-retest reproducibility for peak Vo2 can be acceptable, as evidenced by a CV at 5.9%. Until more data are available to identify patients who may demonstrate greater test-retest variance and to avoid repeat testing in all subjects at baseline, clinical trialists might consider repeating tests when RER < 1.05.

TRIAL REGISTRATION
clinicaltrials.gov; Identifier: NCT00382863.


Since the release last year of the Surgeon General's report "Health Promotion and Disease Prevention," also titled "Healthy People," there has been a well-orchestrated effort to involve much of the medical body politic—the profession, its specialty societies, and the voluntary health organizations—in a campaign to heighten the preventive medicine attack on the now well-recognized risk factors for chronic disease. On Sept 27 and 28, 1980, a Bethesda, Md, conference on the prevention of coronary heart disease was held at the American College of Cardiology's Heart House, as part of this effort. It focused on the role of practicing physicians in preventive cardiology. The Centers for Disease Control and the National Heart, Lung, and Blood Institute (NHLBI) also cosponsored the meeting, which included representation from 20 other interested national organizations, including the American Medical Association, the International Society and Federation of Cardiology, and the World Health Organization. Jeremiah Stamler, MD, and


Purpose
The value of big data in supply chain management (SCM) is typically motivated by the improvement of business processes and decision-making practices. However, the aspect of value associated with big data in SCM is not well understood. The purpose of this paper is to mitigate the weakly understood nature of big data concerning big data's value in SCM from a business process perspective.

Design/methodology/approach
A content-analysis-based literature review has been completed, in which an inductive and three-level coding procedure has been applied on 72 articles.

Findings
By identifying and defining constructs, a big data SCM framework is offered using business process theory and value theory as lenses. Value discovery, value creation and value capture represent different value dimensions and bring a multifaceted view on how to understand and realize the value of big data.

Research limitations/implications
This study further elucidates big data and SCM literature by adding additional insights to how the value of big data in SCM can be conceptualized. As a limitation, the constructs and assimilated measures need further empirical evidence.

Practical implications
Practitioners could adopt the findings for conceptualization of strategies and educational purposes. Furthermore, the findings give guidance on how to discover, create and capture the value of big data.

Originality/value
Extant SCM theory has provided various views to big data. This study synthesizes big data and brings a multifaceted view on its value from a business process perspective. Construct definitions, measures and research propositions are introduced as an important step to guide future studies and research designs.


Future large scale structure observations are expected to be sensitive to small neutrino masses, of the order of 0.05 eV or more. However, forecasts are based on the assumption that by the time at which these datasets will be available, the non-linear spectrum in presence of neutrino mass will be predicted with an accuracy at least equal to the neutrino mass effect itself, i.e. about 3%. Motivated by these considerations, we present the computation of the non-linear power spectrum of ΛCDM models in the presence of massive neutrinos using the Renormalization Group (RG) time-flow approach, which amounts to a resummation of perturbative corrections to the matter power spectrum to all orders. We compare our results with those obtained with other methods, i.e. linear theory, one-loop perturbation theory and N-body simulations and show that the time-RG method improves the one-loop method in fitting the N-body data, especially in determining the suppression of the matter power spectrum when neutrino are massive with respect to the linear power spectrum.


Single shot approaches have demonstrated tremendous success on various computer vision tasks. Finding good parameterizations for 6D object pose estimation remains an open challenge. In this work, we propose different novel parameterizations for the output of the neural network for single shot 6D object pose estimation. Our learning-based approach achieves state-of-the-art performance on two public benchmark datasets. Furthermore, we demonstrate that the pose estimates can be used for real-world robotic grasping tasks without additional ICP refinement.


This paper is a presentation of an essential part of the sampling theory of the error variance and the standard error of measurement. An experimental assumption is that several equivalent tests with equal variances are available. These may be either final forms of the same test or obtained by dividing one test into several parts. The simple model of independent and normally distributed errors of measurement with zero mean is employed. No assumption is made about the form of the distributions of true and observed scores. This implies unrestricted freedom in defining the population. First, maximum-likelihood estimators of the error variance and the standard error of measurement are obtained, their sampling distributions given, and their properties investigated. Then unbiased estimators are defined and their distributions derived. The accuracy of estimation is given special consideration from various points of view. Next, rigorous statistical tests are developed to test hypotheses about error variances on the basis of one and two samples. Also the construction of confidence intervals is treated. Finally, Bartlett's test of homogeneity of variances is used to provide a multi-sample test of equality of error variances.


The process of classification of the toxic properties of hazardous chemicals is not straight - forward. Even when the documentation is clear and comprehensive it can take decades before the authorities decide to take action. Moreover, a classification is always on trial because new scientific knowledge can lead to reclassification. It is not easy to understand the politics of the regulatory game because issues other than scientific results set the agenda. Further, the economic consequences for the chemical industry and society are always taken into consideration before risk reduction strate- gies for hazardous chemicals are decided and implemented. The present paper describes the case of the plasticizer DEHP, a chemical that is still not fully regulated in accordance with its hazardous properties and its classification as a reproductive toxicant. DEHP has been downgraded with regard to carcinogenicity but is now classified as toxic for reproduction and development. This new clas - sification worries the producers and is still on trial, because it brings DEHP on the list of chemicals that are carcinogenic, mutagenic or toxic for reproduction (CMR substances), which is important in the light of the future implementation of REACH, the new EU law on registration, evaluation and authorisation of chemicals. CMR substances will need an authorization for their specific use, and therefore the classification of DEHP as toxic for reproduction is extremely important for producers as well as users because it probably will demand a stricter regulation than seen hitherto.


BACKGROUND
A tropism test is required before administration of the antiretroviral drug maraviroc. However, plasma RNA testing is not possible in patients with undetectable plasma viral loads. Here we assess genotypic testing of cellular human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) DNA from peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs) to predict virologic responses in treatment-experienced patients beginning maraviroc-containing regimens.

METHODS
PBMC samples from 181 maraviroc recipients at study entry in MOTIVATE or A4001029 (51% R5 by original Trofile). The V3 loop was amplified in triplicate from cellular HIV DNA, and matching plasma RNA (n = 156). Sequencing was performed using standard population-based methods and next-generation deep sequencing, with tropism assessment as previously defined.

RESULTS
Genotypic DNA-based tropism testing from the cellular compartment had 78%-81% sensitivity relative to RNA-based Trofile at the same time point. Cell-based genotypic tropism methods and plasma-based phenotypic and genotypic methods were predictive of virologic response. However, when classifications were discordant, the outcomes favored the plasma predictions over the DNA ones.

CONCLUSIONS
Genotypic determination of HIV tropism can be performed using cell-derived viral DNA, and is a predictor of virologic success on maraviroc in therapy-experienced patients. However, the PBMC compartment appears to be a suboptimal predictor compared to plasma.


In this paper, a preliminary numerical method is established to simulate the effect of nonequilibrium plasma in water vapor on the nucleation rate of condensation. In this model, the plasma drift-diffusion model is employed to describe the water vapor plasma by considering a set of simplified reaction mechanisms. A heterogeneous condensation model describes the rate of water vapor nucleation on ions. The numerical simulation results show the formation and distribution of charged particles in nonequilibrium plasma and the effect of charged particles on the nucleation rate. The results also show that the nucleation rate increases rapidly with increasing supersaturation due to the presence of nonequilibrium plasma and is significantly higher with plasma than without plasma. The process of plasma-enhanced water vapor nucleation can be simulated quantitatively by this preliminary numerical method.In this paper, a preliminary numerical method is established to simulate the effect of nonequilibrium plasma in water vapor on the nucleation rate of condensation. In this model, the plasma drift-diffusion model is employed to describe the water vapor plasma by considering a set of simplified reaction mechanisms. A heterogeneous condensation model describes the rate of water vapor nucleation on ions. The numerical simulation results show the formation and distribution of charged particles in nonequilibrium plasma and the effect of charged particles on the nucleation rate. The results also show that the nucleation rate increases rapidly with increasing supersaturation due to the presence of nonequilibrium plasma and is significantly higher with plasma than without plasma. The process of plasma-enhanced water vapor nucleation can be simulated quantitatively by this preliminary numerical method.


In this paper, we provide uniform limit theory for a U-statistic of increasing degree, also called an infinite-degree U-statistic. The stochastic process based on collections of U-statistics is referred to as a U-process, and if the U-statistic is infinite-degree, we have an infinite-degree U-process. Frees (1986) proposed a nonparametric renewal estimator which is an infinite-degree U-statistic. In a later paper, Frees (1989) provided conditions for the pointwise asymptotic theory for the infinite-degree U-statistic. To extend the pointwise results to limit theory for the infinite-degree U-process that holds uniformly over the index set, we build on existing results for U-processes of fixed degree. In particular we extend the symmetrization techniques of Nolan and Pollard (1987) and the moment inequalities of Sherman (1994) to obtain uniform weak laws of large numbers and functional central limit theory for the infinite-degree U-process.


In this article, we aim to provide a thorough review of the Bayesian-inference-based methods applied to Hepatitis B Virus (HBV), Hepatitis C Virus (HCV), and Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV) studies with a focus on the detection of the viral mutations and various problems which are correlated to these mutations. It is particularly difficult to detect and interpret these interacting mutation patterns, but by using Bayesian statistical modeling, it provides a groundbreaking opportunity to solve these problems. Here we summarize Bayesian-based statistical approaches, including the Bayesian Variable Partition (BVP) model, Bayesian Network (BN), and the Recursive Model Selection (RMS) procedure, which are designed to detect the mutations and to make further inferences to the comprehensive dependence structure among the interactions. BVP, BN, and RMS in which Markov Chain Monte Carlo (MCMC) methods are used have been widely applied in HBV, HCV, and HIV studies in the recent years. We also provide a summary of the Bayesian methods' applications toward these viruses' studies, where several important and useful results have been discovered. We envisage the applications of more modified Bayesian methods to other infectious diseases and cancer cells that will be following with critical medical results before long.


In this study, we attempt to gain insights into the molecular mechanism underlying MDM2-mediated TGF-beta resistance. MDM2 renders cells refractory to TGF-beta by overcoming a TGF-beta-induced G1 cell cycle arrest. Because the TGF-beta resistant phenotype is reversible upon removal of MDM2, MDM2 likely confers TGF-beta resistance by directly targeting the cellular machinery involved in the growth inhibition by TGF-beta. Investigation of the structure-function relationship of MDM2 reveals three elements essential for MDM2 to confer TGF-beta resistance in both mink lung epithelial cells and human mammary epithelial cells. One of these elements is the C-terminal half of the p53-binding domain, which at least partially retained p53-binding and inhibitory activity. Second, the ability of MDM2 to mediate TGF-beta resistance is disrupted by mutation of the nuclear localization signal, but is restored upon coexpression of MDMX. Finally, mutations of the zinc coordination residues of the RING finger domain abrogates TGF-beta resistance, but not the ability of MDM2 to inhibit p53 activity or to bind MDMX. These data suggest that RING finger-mediated p53 inhibition and MDMX interaction are not sufficient to cause TGF-beta resistance and imply a crucial role of the E3 ubiquitin ligase activity of this domain in MDM2-mediated TGF-beta resistance.


Hydroxychloroquine (HCQ) is one of the extensively used preventive drug in the world. In order to filter out the research strength and weaknesses of research areas of HCQ publications of selective countries, the present study analyses the thematic or subject specialization index, relative priority index, and relative specialization index of hydroxychloroquine research publications from 1989 to 10th June 2020. The top thirty-five productive research areas and fifteen leading countries have been taken for this analysis. The analysis identifies the 209 significant active sub-specialized research areas of the HCQ research of the highest productive countries. India was found to be the most specialized country in Hydroxychloroquine research. Public Environmental Occupational Health is the most specialized research area of HCQ publication. The most significant number of HCQ research publications output is coming under the research areas Rheumatology. The most significant number of research growth was observed in the year 2019. The implications of the study are discussed.


The concept of piercing the corporate veil has always been the subject of legal discussion and analysis. One of the striking features of a corporate entity is its separate legal existence being a creature of law. The concept of piercing the corporate veil strikes at the basic feature of corporate existence and has been used across the globe to identify the persons operating and managing the corporates. Though this concept has a uniform applicability, the circumstances and situations under which the courts have used this principle differ. The principle of piercing corporate veil assumes greater significance in today's world with focus on eliminating transnational white-collar crimes using the facade of corporate veil. It calls for uniform dealing of the subject by countries. The focus of this work is the discussion of evolution of concept, governing principles, circumstances under which courts have used this concept, recent trends in this field, and recommendations based on comparative trends in US vis-a-vis India. This work seeks to understand and analyse the law relating to piercing/lifting the corporate veil in the United States and India.


Abstract
Within this chapter, I use my early experiences as a special education teacher to story and restory how Othering shapes the lives of special education teachers and their students. The disability-as-deficit model labels those students who receive special education services as less than, as outside the norm, as Other. The stories of my early teaching career offer insight into this Othering and link special education subject matter knowledge with my identity as a sibling of an individual with Down syndrome that fuels my teacher knowledge. Clandinin and Connelly's three-dimensional narrative inquiry space provides a framework to examine the back-and-forth intersections of sibling and special educator knowledge. An autoethnographic exploration results in a critically reflexive narrative that exposes overlapping pieces of Othered identities, and explains how my teacher knowledge situates me differently than my special educator colleagues. The three-dimensional narrative inquiry space also provides the necessary tension between subject matter knowledge and teacher knowledge to create a dialogue of Othering between special education teacher and student. This dialogue pushes the idea of Least Restrictive Environments within social-personal space, and can lead to multiple Othered voices speaking as powerful bridges to span the divide between general and special education, the norm and the Other.


Evaluation of the quality of higher education is undertaken for the purposes of ensuring accountability, accreditation, and improvement, all of which are highly relevant to veterinary teaching institutions in the current economic climate. If evaluation is to drive change, it needs to be able to influence teaching practice. This article reviews the literature relating to evaluation of teaching quality in higher education with a particular focus on teachers' professional practice. Student evaluation and peer observation of teaching are discussed as examples of widely used evaluation processes. These approaches clearly have the potential to influence teachers' practice. Institutions should strive to ensure the development of a supportive culture that prioritizes teaching quality while being aware of any potential consequences related to cost, faculty time, or negative emotional responses that might result from the use of different evaluation methods.


In order to maximize the utilization of mobile sensor network, formation of sensor set and localization of each sensor node must be implemented. It is required that localization is one of the most important functionality of mobile sensor nodes. In this paper, we present a technique which improves the relative location of the MSN with a computer vision technology. This technique effects only in short distance but only with low price sensors, we achieved precise localization in the resolution of 10 centimeters. The well known perspective-3-point problem have been exploited for the precise short distance localization. By experiment we present an interrelation between angle of camera view and a LED pattern interval. We measures the distance of the counterpart vehicle and vehicles shares distance information of obstacle and the relative vehicles with possible cooperation of vehicles. The angle of a vehicle can be identified by digital compass. Finally, with a share of location information we can achieve localization of mobile sensor nodes with high accuracy.


Research goals: to characterize features of independent work of students in the disciplines of natural-mathematical cycle in terms of blended learning and to characterize features of management of such work. Object of research: students' learning in mathematics and natural sciences. Subject of research: independent work of students in the disciplines of natural-mathematical cycle in terms of blended learning. Research methods used: analysis of scientific sources, pedagogical observation. Results of the research. Features of the independent work of students in the disciplines of natural-mathematical cycle in terms of blended learning are: the large share of productive learning activity, including research activity in learning; gradual transition in learning process from use the reproductive learning methods to part-search and creative learning methods; high systematization and, simultaneously, continuous updates of educational material; the need to implement an individual approach to the choice of learning methods and levels of tasks for each student; need of operational targeted assistance to the student; active application of the professional-oriented computer tools during independent work according to the level of informatization future careers. The specified features impose certain requirements for the management of independent work of students in the learning process of disciplines of naturally-mathematical cycle and determine the characteristics of management: management flexibility is manifested in the implementation of adaptive mode of presentation of the trainig tasks to a student; the personification of a management of independent work of students is provided by a variety of computer tools and the varied methods of their application, that enables the selection of individual variants of independent work for each student; operativeness of correction of student activities is based on the accumulation and analysis of statistical data about the progress and performance of training activities of each student. The main conclusions and recommendations. The use of a variety of computer means in the conditions of blended learning provides: effective work of the teacher and students, learning of the large volume of material by students, timely correction of educational activity of students, enhancing their independence, the transition from the reproductive character of independent work of students to part-search and creative activity.


OBJECTIVES/GOALS: Specific aims are to: (Qualitative aim) Develop a new measure of cancer-related self-efficacy in partners (BCSES-P) and obtain feedback on the items (Quantitative) Evaluate the psychometric properties of the BCSES-P including: dimensionality, factor analysis, and construct validity assessing the relationships posited METHODS/STUDY POPULATION: 2-Phase Approach: 1) Item development and 1) Item testing Phase 1 Stage 1: Literature review to identify additional covariates Stage 2: Focus groups and individual interviews to determine partners' needs Sample size: 20 partners (18 years of age or older, identifying as being in a committed relationship with a BCS) Design: cross-sectional, qualitative interviews Stage 3: Develop candidate items Stage 4: Cognitive interviews Stage 5: Finalize items with research team Phase 2 Preliminary psychometric testing Dimensionality Internal consistency reliability Construct validity Sample size: 150 partners Design: cross-sectional, online survey RESULTS/ANTICIPATED RESULTS: The BCSES-P will be unidimensional as assessed by exploratory factor analysis. The BCSES-P will demonstrate an internal consistency coefficient of 0.70 or above. Construct validity of the BCSES-P will be demonstrated by support of the following theoretical relationships: Cancer-related self-efficacy will be positively related to marital satisfaction and sexual functioning (social well-being) and the distal outcome, overall QoL. Cancer-related self-efficacy will be negatively related to fatigue (physical well-being), fear of recurrence, depression, and anxiety (psychological well-being). DISCUSSION/SIGNIFICANCE OF IMPACT: Findings will guide intervention development to improve partners' quality of life The BCSES-P will be the first scale to measure partners' cancer-related self-efficacy. This study will highlight a holistic approach to studying the long-term effects of breast cancer on partners.


The mission of the Media Project of the Center for Population Options is to encourage the entertainment industry to provide adolescents with positive and realistic message about sexuality and family planning. The project has specifically targeted television as a way to reach teens because they not only watch TV but what they see influences their behavior. According to the projects director "they emulate their favorite characters." A 1986 Louis Harris poll found that teen-agers ranked TV as the 4th most important source of information out of 11 choices on sex and birth control. A study of the 1986 prime-time television season discovered a tremendous amount of sexual references and innuendo in the programs. They found touching behaviors (24.5 times/hour); suggestions and innuendo (16.5 times/hour); sexual intercourse (implied 25 times/hour); and socially taboo behaviors such as sadomasochism and masturbation (intimated 6.2 times/hour). In contrast education information was only given 1.6 times/hour. There are few references to birth control or responsible conversations about sexual intimacy. The Los Angeles-based media project has 3 program components. These components include a media advisory service that provides creative and technical assistance an information series designed for consciousness raising and an awards program. The advisory service sends out background sheets on health-related issues and provides story and script consultation. The information series has inspired industry professionals to integrate messages about teenage sexuality and responsible sex into the TV dramas. The project received 380 requests for information during 1990. The project has also sponsored an annual media awards program since 1983. The awards program is a forum where producers get positive attention for a job well done.


Distribution patterns of proliferating cell nuclear antigen (PCNA) and atrial natriuretic peptide (ANP) were determined immunohistochemically and morphometrically in atrium and ventriculum of the developing rat heart in different stages of the perinatal period. During the prenatal period, PCNA and ANP were localized in opposite patterns, particularly in trabecular myocytes. A distinct reduction in the percentage of PCNA-positive nuclei was detected starting at day 19 of the prenatal period, and these cells were rarely observed on postnatal days 30 and 60. In cardiomyocytes, a distinct increase in ANP positivity was found, whereas PCNA positivity was very low. It is concluded that PCNA expression gradually decreased from prenatal day 19 onwards, whereas ANP expression increased in atria throughout the prenatal and postnatal periods, except for a decrease in ANP expression in ventricles from prenatal day 21 onwards. The opposite expression patterns of PCNA and ANP in trabecular myocytes of ventricles indicate that ANP may have antimitogenic/antiproliferative effects in trabecular myocytes.


Reactions between the wheel and the rail have a great effect on the strength of the railroad wheel. These forces comprise a vertical force acting on the tread of wheel and a lateral force onto the flange, and they induce high stresses on the wheel disc. Those stresses fluctuate in accordance with the rotation of wheel and cause principally the fatigue of wheel disc. However, it is usually very difficult to analyze those stresses exactly because of the specific intricate contour of wheel. the authors then calculate the stresses with the finite element method, and try to establish a general calculation method for stresses of the wheel. Results of calculation show good agreement with experiments.


The Green functions and the anomalous Green functions of the systems with the unsymmetrical interactions are calculated by using the stochastic quantization. By the correct treatment, the Dyson equations including the Green functions and the anomalous Green functions are obtained.


Diversity in the Workplace responds to the increasing social and political debate and interest in diversity throughout Europe. The contributors discuss the concept of diversity in different social and legal contexts and from the perspectives of different academic disciplines including sociology, anthropology, psychology, philosophy and organizational theory. The book includes a European view and the makings of a conceptual framework to literature on diversity that hitherto has tended to


This speculative essay is focused on elucidating the ethics of Jesus as they appear in The Jefferson Bible. It offers a systematic view and analysis of Jesus' ethics as they differ from the common view associated with Christianity, which is traditionally related to Divine Command Theory and is deontological in nature. The essay incorporates Jefferson's thoughts on the subject of ethics and Jesus into a study that argues, by interpreting specific sayings and parables of Jesus, for a philosophical notion of ethics sharing a "family resemblance" with/to "agapism," "axiological ethics," and a modified form of "humanism" - an ethics that might be said to begin with what is identified as "sympathetic consensus," which is expressed within Jesus' reference to and philosophizing of the Golden Rule. It unfolds in four sections covering: The approach to Jefferson's Bible; the critique of the philosophical ethics of antiquity; the analysis of the parables of Jesus; and the detailed interpretation of the ethical philosophy of Jesus, which includes the analysis of the ethics of love and dignity, the Golden Rule, and the immediate experience of God and His Kingdom.


A study of water quality condition of Digil Dam Mubi North-eastern Nigeria was carried out for the period of July to September 2008. Five sampling sites were selected for the research. The stations included the inlet site towards the eucalyptus trees; station (A), the entrance gate; station (B), opposite to the second station; station (C), the spill way channel; station (D), the middle of the Dam; station (E). Data were collected in triplicate for temperature, pH, conductivity, dissolved oxygen, total dissolved solids, alkalinity, salinity, and phosphate concentration using standard methods. The result showed variations in the monthly and station to station values of all the water quality parameters tested. Despite this variation the values were tolerable range of the majority of tropical fresh water fish species.


Outflows are common in many astrophysical systems. In the Two Component Advective Flow (TCAF) paradigm, which is essentially a generalized Bondi flow including rotation, viscosity, and cooling effects, the outflow originates in the hot, puffed up, post-shock region at the inner edge of the accretion disk. We consider this region to be the base of the jet carrying away matter with a high velocity. In this paper, we study the spectral properties of black holes using TCAF that includes also a jet (JeTCAF) in the vertical direction of the disk plane. Soft photons from the Keplerian disk are up-scattered by the post-shock region as well as by the base of the jet and are emitted as hard radiation. We also include the bulk motion Comptonization effect by the diverging flow of the jet. Our self-consistent accretion-ejection solution shows how the spectrum from the base of the jet varies with accretion rates, geometry of the flow, and the collimation factor of the jet. We apply the solution to a jetted candidate GS 1354-64 to estimate its mass outflow rate and the geometric configuration of the flow during the 2015 outburst observed by NuSTAR. The estimated mass outflow to mass inflow rate is 0.12−0.03+0.02 . From the model-fitted accretion rates, shock compression ratio, and the energy spectral index, we identify the presence of hard and intermediate spectral states of the outburst. Our model-fitted jet collimation factor (f col) is found to be 0.47−0.09+0.09 .


The purpose of this study is to analyze the transportation costs and the optimal allocation of betta fish distribution in Kediri City. The research method is quantitative descriptive with the selection of respondents using the cluster sampling method and data processing using a linear program in the transportation model. There are several obstacles in the process of distributing betta fish in the City of Kediri related to costs that make distribution not optimal, so the linear program is used to analyze the existing constraints to achieve minimization of transportation costs with LINDO (Linear Interactive Discrete Optimizer) software. The results showed that the total actual transportation cost of betta fish distribution was IDR 1.545.773 and at optimal conditions IDR 633.936. Total cost in this optimal condition is lower than the actual condition, where the difference is IDR 911.837 which shows that the cost of distributing betta fish in Kediri can be saved by 58.9 with the most optimal allocation and carrying capacity of each cultivator.


As the use of languages play a critical role in economic activities within the globalized countries' economies, there are growing perspectives and interests in the relationship between languages and the volume of trade among trading partners. This study looks at one such perspective in the lenses of gravity model, a theory of international trade, that measures the impact of language on trade or Foreign Direct Investment (FDI). The study explores challenges facing Brazil, Russia, India, China and South Africa (BRICS) in respect to the impact of language diversity in their trading matters, and the potential of multilingualism in spurting trade within this trading bloc. The study employs a qualitative approach with the use of exploratory design. The data is based on secondary sources stemming from reports, research, books to policy papers. This study findings show that various trading blocs such as European Union (EU), the Common Market for Eastern and Southern Africa (COMESA), the West Africa's Economic Community of West African States (ECOWAS), with some members of BRICS such as South Africa and China as having adopted multilingualism as a strategy of addressing the language factor in their bilateral trading matters. This study proposes the promotion of multilingualism as a way of mitigating the impact of language barrier in international trade among the BRICS and beyond.