The development and application of geochemical techniques to identify redox conditions in modern and ancient aquatic environments has intensified over recent years. Iron (Fe) speciation has emerged as one of the most widely used procedures to distinguish different redox regimes in both the water column and sediments, and is the main technique used to identify oxic, ferruginous (anoxic, Fe(II) containing) and euxinic (anoxic, sulfidic) water column conditions. However, an international sediment reference material has never been developed. This has led to concern over the consistency of results published by the many laboratories that now utilise the technique. Here, we report an interlaboratory comparison of four Fe speciation reference materials for palaeoredox analysis, which span a range of compositions and reflect deposition under different redox conditions. We provide an update of extraction techniques used in Fe speciation and assess the effects of both test portion mass, and the use of different analytical procedures, on the quantification of different Fe fractions in sedimentary rocks. While atomic absorption spectroscopy and inductively coupled plasma‐optical emission spectrometry produced comparable Fe measurements for all extraction stages, the use of ferrozine consistently underestimated Fe in the extraction step targeting mixed ferrous–ferric minerals such as magnetite. We therefore suggest that the use of ferrozine is discontinued for this Fe pool. Finally, we report the combined data of four independent Fe speciation laboratories to characterise the Fe speciation composition of the reference materials. These reference materials are available to the community to provide an essential validation of in‐house Fe speciation measurements.


The entire economic, political, and social Romanian environment is undergoing a process of quick transformation under the influence of some factors among which the most important are Romania's process of integration into EU structures, the globalization phenomenon, liberalization of new markets, or the constant process of privatization. If we consider 2007 as the year of Romania' integration into EU, the Romanian business environment faces an unprecedented challenge. In an extremely short period of only a few years, public services organizations, trading companies or non-profit organizations must be in line with the European legislation and standards, in one hand, and on the other hand, they must be very well prepared to face a direct competition with similar organizations within EU or powerful multinational corporations. This preparation covers conceiving adequate strategies, permanently perfecting management, promoting the concept of preventative management, improving human resources quality, up-dating companies' technological level. However, the economic performance in a volatile and very competitive environment is unconceivable without a good management of communication activities.


Chronic inflammatory pain is mainly manifested by peripheral sensitization. Baimai Ointment(BMO), a classical Tibetan medicine for external use, has good clinical efficacy in the treatment of chronic inflammatory pain, while its pharmacodynamics and mechanism for relieving peripheral sensitization remain unclear. This study established an animal model of chronic inflammatory pain induced by complete Freund's adjuvant to explore the mechanism of BMO in the treatment of chronic inflammatory pain by behavioral test, side effect assessment, network analysis, and experimental verification. The pharmacodynamics experiment showed that BMO increased the thresholds of mechanical pain sensitivity and thermal radiation pain sensitivity of chronic inflammatory pain mice in a dose-dependent manner, and had inhibitory effect on foot swelling, inflammatory mediator, and the expression of transient receptor potential vanilloid-1(TRPV1) and transient receptor potential A1(TRPA1). The results of body weight monitoring, pain sensitivity threshold detection in normal mice, rotarod performance test, and forced swimming test showed that BMO had no obvious toxic or side effect. The network analysis of 51 candidate active molecules selected according to the efficacy of BMO, content of main components, and ADME parameters showed that the inhibitory effect of BMO on chronic inflammatory pain was associated with the core regulatory elements of tumor necrosis factor(TNF) and T cell receptor signaling pathways. BMO down-regulated the protein levels of mitogen-activated protein kinase 14(MAPK14), MAPK1, and prostaglandin-endoperoxide synthase 2(PTGS2), and up-regulated the phosphorylation le-vel of glycogen synthase kinase 3 beta(GSK3 B) in the plantar tissue of mice. In conclusion, BMO can effectively relieve peripheral sensitization of chronic inflammatory pain without inducing tolerance and obvious toxic and side effects. The relevant mechanism may be related to the regulation of BMO on core regulatory elements of TNF and T cell receptor signaling pathways in surrounding tissues.


imodels is a Python package for concise, transparent, and accurate predictive modeling. It provides users a simple interface for fitting and using state-of-the-art interpretable models, all compatible with scikit-learn (Pedregosa et al., 2011). These models can often replace black-box models while improving interpretability and computational efficiency, all without sacrificing predictive accuracy. In addition, the package provides a framework for developing custom tools and rule-based models for interpretability.


The beam phase measurement system in the HIRFL is introduced. Based on the double-balanced mixer principle using rf-signal mixing and filtering techniques, a stable and sensitive phase measurement system has been developed. The phase history of the ion beam is detected by using a set of capacitive pick-up probes installed in the cyclotron. The phase information of the measurement is necessary for tuning to obtain a optimized isochronous magnetic field which induces to maximize the beam intensity and to optimize the beam quality. The result of the phase measurement is reliable and the accurancy reaches±0.5°.


Pancreatic cancer (PanCa) is one of the most fatal of all cancers and is ranked as the fourth most common cause of cancer related deaths among both men and women in the US. The management of PanCa, is exceptionally difficult due to the extremely poor response to available therapeutic modalities. Highly desmoplastic microenvironment in pancreatic tumor causes suboptimal drug delivery and increases chemo-resistance. Plumbagin (PL), a naturally occurring napthoquinone derived from the root of Plumbago zeylanica L., has showed potent cancer preventive and therapeutic activity against variety of cancers. However, the clinical translation of PL has been significantly hampered due to its toxicity and suboptimal bioavailability. To address these clinically relevant issues, we have developed and characterized a novel PL-loaded magnetic nanoparticle (MNP-PL) formulation. This MNP-PL formulation was prepared using Magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) composed of an iron oxide core which has distinct advantages in i) bio/hemo-compatibility, ii) biodegradation, iii) higher drug loading capacity and iv) improved bioavailability. Our novel MNP-PL formulation provided average size of 125 nm in dynamic light scattering (DLS) and exhibited -9.42 to -10.79 mV zeta potential with an outstanding PL loading efficiency. We have evaluated anti-cancer potential of MNP-PL formulation in human PanCa cells (HPAF-II, AsPc1 and Panc-1). We first performed MTS and colony formation assays to determine the effects of free PL and MNP-PL formulation on growth of PanCa cells. In this experiment, cells were treated with various concentrations of free PL (1-15 μM) or MNP-PL (1-15 μM) for 24 hrs. Results exhibited efficient internalization of the MNP-PL formulation in a dose-dependent manner. As a result, the MNP-PL formulation showed four fold dose advantage over free PL. IC50 of free PL was recorded 10 μM which was significantly reduced to 2.5 μM in MNP-PL. MNP-PL also showed four fold inhibition in colony formation compared to free PL. MNP-PL treatment more efficiently inhibited oncogenic CXCL12/CXCR4 signaling pathway in both PanCa and patient derived stromal fibroblast cells. MNP-PL treatment also showed decreased expression of CXCR4 protein levels in PanCa cells. Moreover, MNP-PL treatment inhibited stromal derived factor 1 (SDF-1)/CXCL12 expression in stromal fibroblasts. These results suggest that our novel MNP-PL formulation has more anti-cancer potential than free PL against PanCa. In conclusion, MNP-PL formulation may reduce the toxicity and improve the bioavailability of free PL and could be used for the treatment of PanCa. Citation Format: Bilal B. Hafeez, Vivek K. Kashyap, Vijayakumar N. Boya, Aditya Ganju, Mohammad Sikander, Murali M. Yallapu, Meena Jaggi, Subhash C. Chauhan. Novel nanoparticle formulation of Plumbagin for pancreatic cancer treatment. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 107th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2016 Apr 16-20; New Orleans, LA. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2016;76(14 Suppl):Abstract nr 2208.


This article aims to present a report of the development of the Guia de Fontes @UFPR, a search tool for scientific information created by the Agency School of Public Communication and Scientific and Cultural Dissemination (AE) of the Federal University of Paraná (UFPR). In this context, the paper discusses information and scientific content management from an interdisciplinary point of view and describes the development of the software covering Journalism, Information Management and Computing, areas of knowledge in which the methodological principles of the Guia de Fontes @UFPR are based. In conclusion, the work also presents the results under the Scientific Popularization.


As air traffic demand exceeds available capacity, severe congestion during peak periods occurring at airports and the surrounding terminal airspace leads to flight delays as well as potential safety issues. This paper addresses the optimization problem of integrated traffic management of airport and terminal airspace on macroscopic level. Instead of evaluating the flight conflicts as we did in our previous research, a congestion evaluation model is proposed to quantify the flights for traffic flows in the terminal airspace and the runways, meanwhile, the occupancy evaluations of taxiway network and terminals are conducted. An adapted heuristic optimization method simulated annealing is implemented to solve the problem. Optimization process is put forward based on the case studies of Paris Charles De-Gaulle airport with 2.5-hour data. The comparisons between initial traffic data and optimized solution are provided and the advantage of the proposed model is analyzed. In the aspect of time uncertainty, simulations based on the proposed model and the model of our previous work are conducted, the final results indicate that our model shows an advantage in uncertainty absorption over the previous work.


This paper explores the effect of social relations and gender-based conflicts on the uptake of HIV testing in the South and Central provinces of Zambia. We conducted a community-based cross-sectional study of 1716 randomly selected individuals. Associations were examined using mixed-effect multivariable logistic regression. A total of 264 men (64%) and 268 women (56%) had never tested for HIV. The strongest determinants for not being tested were disruptive couple relationships (OR = 2.48 95% CI = 1.00–6.19); tolerance to gender-based violence (OR = 2.10 95% CI = 1.05–4.32) and fear of social rejection (OR = 1.48 95% CI = 1.23–1.80). In the Zambian context, unequal power relationships within the couple and the community seem to play a pivotal role in the decision to test which until now have been largely underestimated. Policies, programs and interventions to rapidly increase HIV testing need to urgently address gender-power inequity in relationships and prevent gender-based violence to reduce the negative impact on the lives of couples and families.


ABSTRACT Soil degradation is a major constraint to food security in many parts of sub-Saharan Africa. We examined the effect of indigenous (the traditional use of rotating fallow-based systems (toss) for livestock herding and soil enrichment) and non-indigenous farming patterns (the use of fertilizer input or no-inputs (non-toss)) on millet yields and soil characteristics in six villages in west-central Senegal. Soil samples were collected in 60 fields in six villages at 0–10 cm depth in 5 random locations in each field. Total yield was measured as head weight per m2 and head weight per plant. The use of toss systems and hybrid farming (toss + fertilizer input) provided higher millet yields than conventional and low-input systems, and the effects of chemical fertilizer were modest in the small amounts applied by the farmers (7 kg/ha of 15–10-10 N-P-K). Soil carbon and pH and the number of trees were the best predictors of millet yield, but the overall predictive power was modest (R2 < 0.34). This research sheds new light on the evolving role of local techniques and knowledge in the struggle to maintain agricultural productivity, as Sahelian communities confront soil fertility depletion and food insecurity.


Today most of the data exchanged between information systems is done with the help of the XML syntax. Unfortunately when these data have to be integrated, the integration becomes difficult because of the semantics' heterogeneity. Consequently, leading researches in the domain of database systems are moving to semantic model in order to store data and its semantics definition. To benefit from these new systems and technologies, and to integrate different data sources, a flexible method consists in populating an existing OWL ontology from XML data. In paper we present such a method based on the definition of a graph which represents rules that drive the populating process. The graph of rules facilitates the mapping definition that consists in mapping elements from an XSD schema to the elements of the OWL schema.


Ultrasonic Non-Destructive Evaluation using Full Matrix Capture (FMC) and Total Focusing Method (TFM) is used for high resolution imaging as every pixel is in optimal focus. FMC excites one element in turn, so operates with lower transmitted energy compared to phased array beamforming. The energy at a reflector is further reduced by the broad directivity pattern of the single element. The large number of Tx/Rx A-scans that contribute to each pixel recover the Signal-to-Noise Ratio (SNR) in the final TFM image. Maintaining this in the presence of attenuating materials is a challenge because relevant information in each A-scan signal is buried in the thermal noise, and the TFM process assumes no quantization effects in the Analogue-to-Digital Converters (ADCs) in each receiver. In-process inspection during Additive Manufacturing (AM) requires ultrasonic array sensors that can tolerate high temperatures, scan over rough surfaces and leave no residue. Dry-coupled wheel probes are a solution, but the tire rubbers are often highly attenuating, causing a problem for FMC+TFM needed to adapt the focus through the rough surface. Common approaches to maintain the SNR are to drop the frequency or to average over multiple transmissions, but these compromise resolution and acquisition rate respectively. In this paper, the application of coded excitation to maintain the SNR in the presence of high signal attenuation is explored.


The study of contemporary social capital attempts to build a better understanding of the development as a social base for organizing group resources and networking group members in the pursuit of collective action. This paper traces the evolution of social capital perspective with a focus on its possible contributions to the theory of development and identifies four major approaches: norm and trust, institutional, organizational. and synergy perspective. It challenges the previous perspective by developing an analytical framework that supports the possibility (~rgovernance and social capital for development. The main argument here is that it is the special constellation of the level of social capital and the governance which is crucial for the economic and social development of a society. The synergy perspective. when applied to this arena, offers a more comprehensive explanation of social capital by bringing together a range of development that emphasizes the dynamic developmental pathway. The theoretical and policy implications are discussed, based on the comparative specifications of social capital and development.


The distinctive morphology and novel properties of graphene is quite fascinating as a promising candidate for nanodevices. In this study, we annealed graphene oxide (GO) created through the conventional Hummers method at different temperatures, showcasing the simplicity, safety, and cost-effectiveness of thermal annealing as a superior large-scale fabrication approach. GO's capacity for post-thermal modification broadens its versatile applications in optoelectronics, electronics, nanoelectronics, and more. In this regard, this study investigates the optical, electrical properties, and chemical structure of GO after thermal reduction at temperatures 80°C, 120°C, 160°C, 200°C, 240°C, and 280°C under standard atmospheric pressure. According to the results of the Raman AFM map, the most obvious changes in thickness were observed at 280°C, where the average thickness of the reduced GO decreased by 50%. IR spectra indicated that the oxygen-containing functional groups are most stable up to 120°C and showed the loss of signals from hydroxyl groups at all other treatment temperatures. The values of the electrical sheet resistance after thermal reduction decreased from 2831.2 to 20.8 MΩ/square, which, in turn, affected the decrease in the interplanar distance from 7.12 Å to 3.80 Å. This work demonstrates a novel and effective strategy for fabricating high-performance, rGO films from local raw materials.


This is one of series of reports commissioned by CIFOR as part of its study of 'Learning from International Community Forestry Networks'. All these studies were carried out within a tight budget and very brief time frame, which necessarily implied an anecdotal and impressionistic method of data collection. CIFOR and the authors acknowledge that the findings in these studies are thus partial. In our view, however, they do provide interesting insights into the complex world of networking and advocacy and are thus being made available to help networkers and those promoting community forestry to reflect on and, hopefully, improve their work.


Many arid and semiarid regions of the world face serious water shortages that are projected to have significant adverse impacts on irrigated agriculture and create unprecedented challenges for providing food and water security for the rapidly growing human population in a changing global climate. Consequently, there is a momentous incentive to shift to more resource-efficient soilless greenhouse production systems. Though there is considerable empirical and theoretical research devoted to specific issues related to control and management of soilless culture systems, a comprehensive approach that quantitatively considers relevant physicochemical processes within containerized soilless growth modules is missing. An important first step towards development of advanced soilless culture management strategies is a comprehensive characterization of hydraulic and physicochemical substrate properties. In this study we applied state-of-the-art measurement techniques to characterize six soilless substrates and substrate mixtures [i.e., coconut coir, perlite, volcanic tuff, perlite/coconut coir (50/50 vol.-%), tuff/coconut coir (70/30 vol.-%), and Growstone®/coconut coir (50/50 vol.-%)] that are used in commercial production in Israel and the United States. The measured substrate properties include water retention characteristics, saturated hydraulic conductivity, packing and particle densities, as well as phosphorus and ammonium adsorption isotherms. In addition, integral water availability and integral energy parameters were calculated to compare investigated substrates and provide valuable information for irrigation and fertigation management.


Manganese-oxidizing heterotrophic bacteria were found to comprise a significant proportion of the bacterial community of Lake Washington (Seattle, Wash.) and Lake Virginia (Winter Park, Fla.). Identification of these freshwater bacteria showed that members of a variety of genera are capable of oxidizing manganese. Isolates maintained in the laboratory spontaneously lost the ability to oxidize manganese. A direct correlation was found between the presence of plasmid DNA and the ability of the organism to oxidize manganese.


Morphology is often used to infer the state of relaxation of galaxy clusters. The regularity, symmetry, and degree to which a cluster is centrally concentrated inform quantitative measures of cluster morphology. The Cluster Lensing and Supernova survey with Hubble Space Telescope (CLASH) used weak and strong lensing to measure the distribution of matter within a sample of 25 clusters, 20 of which were deemed to be "relaxed" based on their X-ray morphology and alignment of the X-ray emission with the Brightest Cluster Galaxy. Toward a quantitative characterization of this important sample of clusters, we present uniformly estimated X-ray morphological statistics for all 25 CLASH clusters. We compare X-ray morphologies of CLASH clusters with those identically measured for a large sample of simulated clusters from the MUSIC-2 simulations, selected by mass. We confirm a threshold in X-ray surface brightness concentration of C ≳ 0.4 for cool-core clusters, where C is the ratio of X-ray emission inside 100 h70−1 kpc compared to inside 500 h 70 − 1 ?> kpc. We report and compare morphologies of these clusters inferred from Sunyaev–Zeldovich Effect (SZE) maps of the hot gas and in from projected mass maps based on strong and weak lensing. We find a strong agreement in alignments of the orientation of major axes for the lensing, X-ray, and SZE maps of nearly all of the CLASH clusters at radii of 500 kpc (approximately 1/2 R500 for these clusters). We also find a striking alignment of clusters shapes at the 500 kpc scale, as measured with X-ray, SZE, and lensing, with that of the near-infrared stellar light at 10 kpc scales for the 20 "relaxed" clusters. This strong alignment indicates a powerful coupling between the cluster- and galaxy-scale galaxy formation processes.


AC current regulators are always susceptible to controller wind-up, i.e. the condition where the controller dynamic states ramp the controller output up to very large values when the commanded reference cannot be achieved because of inverter saturation. Recovering from saturation can take considerable time once the linear mode has been restored, which degrades the current regulator's transient performance and can also impact on its stability. This paper proposes an improved formulation using the concept of signal conditioning, where wind-up is avoided by feeding the controller states entirely from the constrained inverter PWM command. Unlike previous approaches, this technique has the benefit of a significantly simplified realisation, since the controller transfer functions do not require re-formulation. This makes it particularly suitable for multiple cascaded resonators used in harmonic compensation systems. The technique has been validated using simulation and experimental investigations for a grid-connected inverter.


Background and Objective: Organophosphates poisoning is among the most prevalent forms of intentional and unintentional poisoning in Pakistan. However, the actual burden of AKI secondary to organophosphate poisoning in Pakistani population is still not known. This study aimed to determine the actual burden of AKI among patients admitted at National Poison Control Centre, Karachi. Methods: A cross-sectional survey was conducted at National Poison Control Centre, Karachi November, 2013 to April, 2014. A sample of 300 patients of age 18 years and above, presenting with organophosphate poisoning within 24 of exposure or ingestion were included in the study. Frequency of acute kidney injury was calculated using the diagnostic criteria of serum creatinine level of >1.4 mg/dL. Data was analyzed using SPSS version 19. Results: The frequency of AKI which was defined as creatinine level >1.4 mg/dL was 22.3% (n=67). However, there was no statistically significant difference was found in frequency of AKI on the basis of age, sex, amount of organophosphates ingested and BMI. This study found statistically significant differences in the AKI frequency on the basis of lag time. Those who presented earlier after poisoning had relatively low frequency of AKI. Conclusion: This study concludes that AKI is a common complication among patients presenting with organophosphate poisoning at National Poison Control Center, Karachi. Lag time is a key determinant of AKI among patients with organophosphate poisoning. Timely treatment can prevent this critical complication among patients with organophosphate poisoning.


The concept and technique of knowledge management was applied to define, design and analyze the Aviation Human Factors Knowledge Management System in this paper. Firstly the requirements on aviation human factors KMS was analyzed and the logical structure of the KMS was proposed out meanwhile; then combining with the characteristics of aviation system and several KMS cases, the frame of aviation human factors KMS was established and explained in detail. Finally it concluded that the implementation of aviation human factors KMS will improve operation efficiency and safety and accelerate the development of aviation accident prevention techniques.


Rotating electric machinery is usually constructed of iron/steel laminations, copper windings, and permanent magnets. This paper investigates fluid-filled, electrostatic rotating machines for the ultimate ambition of transitioning fundamental magnetic materials to dielectrics in order to reduce production costs. The study of the axial-peg-style electrostatic rotating machine focuses on basic geometric and material knowledge and the creation of design tools. An axial peg machine possesses interdigitated pegs (cylinders) that come into, and out of, radial alignment as the machine rotates causing variable capacitance between the stator and rotor. A prototype with peak torque of 0.7N-m and gap field strength of 15kV/mm was constructed. The specific torque density of the machine is 0.101N-m/kg, comparable to fractional horsepower NEMA class induction machines. This was achieved by filling the machine with a dielectric fluid, whose relative permittivity is 7.1, rather than the ultra-high vacuum typically employed in canonical electrostatics. Experimental measurements presented include angular capacitance, peak torque and torque-per-volt under stall conditions. Construction techniques are discussed in detail.


BACKGROUND
Enterobacter strains can display heterogeneous resistance (heteroresistance) to colistin but the mechanisms remain largely unknown. We investigated potential mechanisms of colistin heteroresistance in an Enterobacter clinical strain, WCHECl-1060, and found a new mechanism.

METHODS
Strain WCHECl-1060 was subjected to WGS to identify known colistin resistance mechanisms. Tn5 insertional mutagenesis, gene knockout and complementation and shotgun cloning were employed to investigate unknown colistin heteroresistance mechanisms. RNA sequencing was performed to link the newly identified mechanism with known ones.

RESULTS
We showed that the phoP gene [encoding part of the PhoP-PhoQ two-component system (TCS)], the dedA(Ecl) gene (encoding an inner membrane protein of the DedA family) and the tolC gene (encoding part of the AcrAB-TolC efflux pump) are required for colistin heteroresistance. We identified a new gene, ecr, encoding a 72 amino acid transmembrane protein, which was able to mediate colistin heteroresistance. We then performed RNA sequencing and transcriptome analysis and found that in the presence of ecr the expression of phoP and the arnBCADTEF operon, which synthesizes and transfers l-Ara4N to lipid A, was increased significantly.

CONCLUSIONS
The small protein encoded by ecr represents a new colistin heteroresistance mechanism and is likely to mediate colistin heteroresistance via the PhoP-PhoQ TCS to act on the arnBCADTEF operon.


Hemimandibular hyperplasia was first described in 1836 by Adams as a disorder that causes condylar hyperplasia, deforming facial asymmetry and has an unknown etiology. The objective of this study was to report a patient with surgical correction through orthognathic surgery and high condilectomy for the treatment of hemimandibular hyperplasia. The patient complained of pain and cracking in the right temporomandibular joint region and was dissatisfied with the aesthetic appearance of the face. Virtual planning was done for bimaxillary orthognathic surgery and preparation of prototyped surgical guides. Stereolithographic models were used for the preparation of the acrylic guides of the osteotomies for the high condilectomy and the contour of the mandibular base. Orthognathic surgery resulted in the maxillary repositioning with correction of the inclination of the occlusal plane, reduction of the height of the ramus and right mandibular body and class I dental attachment. Mandibular contour osteotomy was performed with acrylic guide in the basilar. The condilectomy was performed by endaural access. In 2-year follow-up, there are no signs of recurrence.


Several different approaches for restoring sight in subjects who are blind due to outer retinal degeneration are currently under investigation, including stem cell therapy, gene therapy, and visual prostheses. Although many different types of visual prostheses have shown promise, to date, the Argus II Epiretinal Prosthesis System, developed in a clinical setting over the course of 10 years, is the world's first and only retinal prosthesis that has been approved by the United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) and has been given the CE-Mark for sale within the European Economic Area (EEA). The incidence of serious adverse events from Argus II implantation decreased over time after minor changes in the implant design and improvements in the surgical steps used for the procedure had been made. In order to further decrease the scleral incision-related complications and enhance the assessment of the tack position and the contact between the array and the inner macular surface, we used an ophthalmic endoscope during the regular course of Argus II implantation surgery in 2 patients with late-stage retinitis pigmentosa in an attempt to improve the anatomical and functional outcomes.


Based on the results of this research, a new electrochemical sensor has been developed to detect human breast cancer cells (MCF-7). A folic acid (FA)-functionalized triazine-grafted reduced graphene oxide (RGOTrz) was used as the modifier of a glassy carbon electrode (GCE) for application as the sensing element. The composition of the resulting FA-RGOTrz/GCE was investigated using XRD (X-ray diffraction), FT-IR (Fourier-transform infrared) spectroscopy, SEM (scanning electron microscopy) and UV-vis spectroscopy studies. CV (cyclic voltammetry) and EIS (electrochemical impedance spectroscopy) techniques were also used to characterize the electrochemical proficiency of the new electrode. Further, MCF-7 cancer cells were examined in solutions of phosphate buffer and [Fe(CN)6]3-/4- as a suitable supporting electrolyte and a useful probe, respectively. The FA-RGOTrz/GCE provides a suitable substrate to reversible redox reactions and provides good electrochemical signals after binding to cancer cells. DPV (differential pulse voltammetry) results indicated that the binding of folate receptor (FR) in the MCF-7 cell to the RGOTrz-modified electrode, in the presence of [Fe(CN)6]3-/4-, reduced folic acid, diminished electron transfer and collapsed the current signal. During the measured flow, a detection limit of 50 human breast cancer cells per milliliter was obtained. The FA-RGOTrz/GCE, with its unique structural design, significantly increases the electron transfer and electrochemical activity towards the detection of MCF-7 cells. This FA-RGOTrz/GCE sensor, due to its special structure, shows high sensitivity to FR in MCF-7 cells and excellent, reliable and satisfactory performance and a great promise for use in industries and medical field.


To the Editor. —As a physician who has never studied the subject of medical ethics, I was perplexed by the technical language and historical references in the article entitled "The Metamorphosis of Medical Ethics: A 30-Year Retrospective" by Dr Pellegrino. 1 I must admit that I am not at all sure what medical ethics is, but I think that the term must embrace two broad categories of material. The first consists of those ethics that are societal but are specifically related to matters of health, birth, and death. In these areas, physicians have special technical expertise to offer, and they are also the ones who perform the actions expressive of society's values. But these are not specifically medical ethics. They are societal ethics that are carried out by medical personnel. Physicians in these matters can provide advice and consent, but they do not autonomously establish any code of behavior for


The gas-bearing sandstones of the Medina Group in western New York are the basal Whirlpool Sandstone and the Grimsby Sandstone. Toward the west, these are separated by the Cabot Head Shale and the Manitoulin Limestone. Farther east, the Grimsby overlies and interfingers with the Whirlpool. The reservoir is underlain by the Ordovician Queenston Shale and is capped by shales of the Silurian Clinton Group. The depositional sequence of the Medina Group may be summarized as a marine transgression toward the east that yielded the Whirlpool, Cabot Head, and Manitoulin formations, followed by westward progradation of the deltaic Grimsby formation. Aspects of internal stratigraphy noted in subsurface studies may be correlated with anomalies in units much higher in the Silurian section and with disturbances on the Silurian-Devonian unconformity. Repetitive adjustments of large-scale structural features are inferred. These changes mark the transition from the westward-facing depositional front of the Ordovician to development of the isolated basins that dominated the Silurian Period. End_of_Article - Last_Page 1926------------


Two methods are developed for solving the steady-state spherically symmetric radiative transfer equation for resonance line radiation emitted by a point source in the intergalactic medium, in the context of the Wouthuysen–Field mechanism for coupling the hyperfine structure spin temperature of hydrogen to the gas temperature. One method is based on solving the ray and moment equations using finite differences. The second uses a Monte Carlo approach incorporating methods that greatly improve the accuracy compared with previous approaches in this context. Several applications are presented serving as test problems for both a static medium and an expanding medium, including inhomogeneities in the density and velocity fields. Solutions are obtained in the coherent scattering limit and for Doppler RII redistribution with and without recoils. We find generally that the radiation intensity is linear in the cosine of the azimuthal angle with respect to radius to high accuracy over a broad frequency region across the line centre for both linear and perturbed velocity fields, yielding the Eddington factors fν ≃ 1/3 and gν ≃ 3/5. The radiation field produced by a point source divides into three spatial regimes for a uniformly expanding homogeneous medium. The regimes are governed by the fraction of the distance r from the source in terms of the distance r* required for a photon to redshift from line centre to the frequency needed to escape from the expanding gas. For a standard cosmology, before the Universe was reionized r* takes on the universal value independent of redshift of 1.1 Mpc, depending only on the ratio of the baryon to dark matter density. At r/r* 1, the diffusion approximation breaks down and the decline of the mean intensity near line centre and the scattering rate approach the geometric dilution scaling 1/r2. The mean intensity and scattering rate are found to be very sensitive to the gradient of the velocity field, growing exponentially with the amplitude of the perturbation as the limit of a vanishing velocity gradient is approached near the source. We expect the 21-cm signal from the epoch of reionization to thus be a sensitive probe of both the density and the peculiar velocity fields.

The solutions for the mean intensity are made available in machine-readable format.


Epigenetic modifications occur in our cells constantly based on our needs and our current state. These modifications mandate which genes are replicated and/or translated into proteins. The role of epigenetics in the etiology of diseases is an area of research that is largely uncharted, but shows great potential. Autism Spectrum Disorder is classified as a multifactorial disorder, and those affected exhibit large amounts of both genetic and environmental variation. Current research suggests epigenetic modifications may play a significant role in the development of Autism Spectrum Disorder. Several thousand epigenetic modifications unique to affected individuals have been discovered (Sun et al., 2016). Though the exact causes are not yet fully understood, researchers are optimistic they will be brought to light with the help of epigenetic testing.


Impact damage to composites has been identified as a major limiting factor in the wider use of composite materials as structural components. Graphite fiber is often selected as a structural fiber due to its low density and high strength, both desirable properties in rocket motorcase and launch tube design. An understanding of the damage mechanisms involved is critical in the determination of composite structural integrity and for the development of damage models and design codes. To this end, a test program was conducted to characterize the impact response of graphite/epoxy structures. Overall design of the test article utilized for this program was directed towards a generic thin-walled structure applicable for use as either a rocket motorcase or launch tube. Low-energy impacts between 1.25 and 7.75 J (0.9 and 5.6 ft-lb) were imparted to empty cylinders and to cylinders whose casewalls were strengthened to simulate launch tube and rocket motorcase configurations. Significant differences between the test configurations were identified with regard to visual damage, impact loads, absorbed energy, and casewall deflection. However, with all the readily apparent differences noted, the post-impact residual strength capability was quite similar. The data indicate that significant strength losses can be expected at impact energies as low as 1.3 J (0.94 ft-lb).


Clinicians are frequently faced with treating non-insulin-dependent diabetics (NIDDM) who do not exhibit optimal glycemic control on maximal dosages of oral sulfonylurea agents or large dosages of insulin. Sustained hyperglycemia is implicated in the onset and progression of retinopathy, nephropathy, and neuropathy. Recent studies also suggest that hyperinsulinemia contributes to hypertension and altered lipid levels. Hence, the maintenance of euglycemia with minimal circulating insulin concentrations is the prime goal of therapy. Most studies document that the efficacy of combination therapy requires smaller insulin doses, enhances glycemic control without adverse effects on body weight or lipids, and decreases hypoglycemic episodes compared with insulin monotherapy. Therefore, combination therapy may be the optimal therapeutic option in NIDDM clients manifesting secondary failure to oral agents or insulin resistance.


A variety of biological products which included live and inactivated viral vaccines, inactivated rickettsial and bacterial vaccines, toxoids, and a multiple bacterial antigen product did not appear to be oncogenic for newborn hamsters following a single subcutaneous inoculation. The incidence of spontaneous tumors was approximately 4.7%, and this figure was not significantly altered by the inoculation of any of the test materials.


This work results from the urgent need to monitor the impact of forest fires on sensitive ecosystems such as the Mediterranean forest. It was done in order to examine forest vulnerability to global change and the extent to which changes in traditional land use patterns in Mediterranean Europe impact upon this vulnerability. These changes have recently affected the fire regime which in tum has led to an increase in the occurrence and destructiveness of wildfires in Southern Europe. The research aims to monitor the impact of fires upon the Mediterranean forest on the Greek island of Thasos and consequently, to estimate forest vulnerability to the changes mentioned above. The specific objectives of the research are: 1. To map recent and old burned areas accurately by using satellite images. 2. To accurately assess the area and wood volume affected by fire using a Digital Elevation Model (DEM) ofThasos and employing GIS analysis. 3. To monitor Pinus brutia forest and ecosystem regeneration using a combined approach involving GIS and Global Positioning System (GPS). 4. To understand the ways in which controlling factors influence existing patterns of Pinus brutia regeneration in Thasos. From the analysis the following were concluded : 1. Although different image processing techniques are necessary for the mapping of recent and old bums the use of satellite images ended in accurate burned area mapping. However, topographic correction of the satellite images prior to their use in the analysis improved the accuracy of mapping. 2. More than 70% of the area covered by Pinus brutia is estimated to have been affected by the fires . The Pinus brutia wood volume affected by the fires was 90% of the total. 3. Measurements of regeneration, eight to thirteen years after fire suggest that the Pinus brutia forest in Thasos is making a complete recovery. 4. Finally, controlling factors affect regeneration patterns in a complex hierarchical way. Understanding of critical values or thresholds in several of these factors is important to understand patterns of regeneration.


Cemara Beach, West Lombok Regency is a coastal area that has high resources. Since the 1990s, some people in Cemara Beach has used coastal resources for tourism activities, but don't have experienced significant development because under-optimal management and lack of community empowerment. The purpose of this study is to examine the feasibility of tourism objects, estimate the carrying capacity, assess the potential demand (demand) and calculate the value economic of tourism activities in Cemara Beach. This research is a combined qualitative and quantitative study. Data collection through direct observation, interviews, and literature studies with the number of respondents as many 60 visitors. The results showed that the tourist location of Cemara Beach was feasible to be developed as one of the tourist destination objects with a feasibility index has 84,43%. The results of the analysis of the carrying capacity of the region for tourism activities obtained a value of 506 people per day. Based on the results of statistical F test calculations or simultaneous testing (together) and statistical T test partially, obtained F count of (42.155)> F table (2.19) and t count of (2.957)> t table (2,006) so it was concluded that together (simultaneously) the variable cost of travel to Pantai Cemara tourism, distance, previous visiting experience, age, recent education, work time in a month, and income in a month had a significant effect on the variable demand for a visit to Cemara Beach. While partially the previous visiting experience variable has a significant and dominant influence on the visit request variable. From the calculation of the economic value of tourism activities using the Travel Cost Method, the consumer surplus is Rp. 1,401,340.03 per individual per year and the tourism economic value of Cemara Beach is Rp. 122,757,386,628 per year. Keywords : Cemara Beach, Feasibility of Tourism Objects, Economic Value


The hydro nutrient management (HNM) for crop yield is effectively improved using proposed system. A hydro-crop growth prediction system (HCGPS) is designed using machine learning. The reconfigurable nutrients uptake crop yield prediction rate is enhanced. This proposed HCGPS is used to predict the crop yield by considering input parameters such as nutrient index (NI), electric conductivity limit (ECL), ion concentration factors (ICF) and dry weight of the crop and crop yield rate (CYR) to analyze the positive and negative correlation with crop growth. The proposed system is used to find correlation Index of input and output parameters to determine the prediction rate of crop yield. The proposed design improves smart prediction rate and efficiency of crop growth rate with optimal utilization of input variables. This proposed HCGPS is very helpful to achieve good quality yield with optimal utilization of input parameters.


The low-field dipole-dipole driven NMR spectra of materials that contain tunnelling molecular groups have been recorded in the frequency domain. The methyl groups in thioanisole and 2-butanone have tunnelling frequencies of 557+or-3 kHz and 491+or-3 kHz respectively. In addition to the sidebands of Delta m=+or-1 and Delta m=+or-2, tunnelling sidebands of Delta m=0 are clearly observed at the tunnel frequency and are reported for the first time. The intensities of all the sidebands are of similar magnitude. The sidebands of Delta m=0 result from transitions induced by the RF field in which the methyl group undergoes a change in tunnelling state without a change in overall spin. Despite this, the sidebands are observed in a plot of proton magnetisation versus frequency. A thermodynamic model is proposed to explain how the change in magnetisation is generated; level crossings encountered as part of the field cycling sequence are responsible for transferring disorder in the tunnel reservoir into disorder in the Zeeman reservoir. Discussion also centres upon the mechanism responsible for driving the transitions revealed in the low-field spectra.


We report a simple, low-cost, single-step inkjet printing method for the fabrication of nanostructured, highly transparent and conductive ITO films, which completely avoids the use of ITO particles in the fabrication process. In our method, the inks are formed from a liquid solution presenting a properly selected mixture of indium and tin acetates. After jet printing, the ink is decomposed during a subsequent annealing step, in which the released CO2 gas bubbles control the ITO nucleation process to provide a porous film texture. We show that the fabricated ITO films are highly crystalline, stoichiometric, and nanoporous with controlled porosity. Electrical measurements show relatively low resistivity values for the films (down to 0.029 Ω cm) comparable to those of the best ITO thin films fabricated by other methods. Optical ellipsometry tests demonstrate a relatively high refractive index (1.5–1.7) and high transparency of the films over a wide region of the spectrum ranging from 500 to 1700 nm. Since the method does not require any pre-fabricated ITO particles, masks or templates, and enables the deposition of films on substrates of various materials and shapes, it can be employed for fabrication of nanoporous ITO films for a diversity of applications, including solar cell, bio- and chemical sensing, etc.


One of the most important aspects in railway operation is the interaction between rail and wheel. The contact conditions give rise to wear and damage in both components. Medium carbon steels are used in these components due to their combination of high strength and good wear properties in relation to cost. In service, high surface temperatures develop because of frictional heating on traction, braking, curving and occasional full slippage. Furthermore, long-term block braking may heat the wheel rim to over 500°C. It is thus relevant to examine the high temperature performance of wheel material as well as the decrease in strength after thermal exposure.
In the current thesis, two railway wheel steels are examined. These are the medium carbon steels UIC ER7T and ER8T (~0.55 wt.% C), heat-treated to a near pearlitic microstructure with some 5–10% pro-eutectoid ferrite in the wheel tread surface. Specimens were extracted from virgin wheels and pre-strained either monotonically or cyclically, to imitate plastic deformation developing in the wheel tread surface in service. Both un-deformed and pre-strained materials were heat treated at various temperatures from 250°C to 650°C for various time durations, and the change in room temperature hardness as measured before and after heat treatment was analysed. Samples were analysed using Scanning Electron Microscopy (SEM), to examine microstructure degradation. Additionally, Electron Backscatter Diffraction Analysis (EBSD) was used to evaluate if orientation gradients in the pearlitic colonies affect the spheroidisation of the pearlitic microstructure that is observed at higher temperatures.
Analyses after the room temperature hardness measurements showed that hardening due to strain ageing takes place at around 300°C while microstructural degradation caused softening at higher temperatures. Spheroidisation of the pearlite started to become visible at 450°C for the un-deformed material and at around 400°C for the pre-strained. The spheroidised areas appear to have lost their initial orientation gradients after spheroidisation and obtain a more uniform orientation.
Cyclic tests at elevated temperature revealed cyclic hardening at around 300°C, as an effect of dynamic strain ageing. At higher temperatures, cyclic softening followed due to a combination of increasing thermal activation and spheroidisation.


The Internet is vulnerable to bandwidth distributed denial-of-service (BW-DDoS) attacks, wherein many hosts send a huge number of packets to cause congestion and disrupt legitimate traffic. So far, BW-DDoS attacks have employed relatively crude, inefficient, brute force mechanisms; future attacks might be significantly more effective and harmful. To meet the increasing threats, we must deploy more advanced defenses.


I assessed the reliability and validity of a Chinese version of the Runco Ideational Behavior Scale (RIBS). I recruited 107 Taiwanese children (46 boys and 61 girls) for this study. The results indicated that the Chinese version of the RIBS is valid and reliable to some extent. A 2-factor construct was confirmed by confirmatory factor analysis, which is congruent with the statistical observations in the original study by Runco and colleagues. Nevertheless, the major difference between the current and original studies is that, in order to attain measurement model validity, 6 items were dropped from the Chinese version of the RIBS. Overall, the results obtained in the current study indicate that this abridged Chinese-language version of the RIBS has promise for future use. Limitations and implications of the study are discussed.


Background/Aims Endoscopic resection (ER) has recently been accepted as the standard treatment modality for superficial non-ampullary duodenal tumors (SNADTs). However, the procedure can cause adverse events such as perforation and bleeding. This study aimed to investigate the efficacy of prophylactic clipping in the prevention of delayed complications. Methods A retrospective review of the medical records of patients who underwent ER for SNADT from 3 centers was performed. Patients were divided into 2 groups: the immediate clipping group (ICG) and the no clipping group (NCG). Various baseline characteristics and factors associated with the appearance of delayed complications, such as size of the lesion, tumor location, histologic type, and co-morbidities, were compared between the two groups. Results A total of 99 lesions from 99 patients were included in this study. Fifty-two patients were allocated into ICG and 47 patients were allocated into NCG. Delayed bleeding occurred in 1 patient from ICG and in 8 patients from NCG. Delayed perforation occurred in 1 patient from ICG and in 3 patients from NCG. There were no procedure-related deaths in both groups. Conclusions Although the use of endoscopic clipping seemed to reduce the risk of developing delayed complications, further studies using a prospective design is required.


We present here the main features and lessons learned from the first edition of what has now become the ECRTS industrial challenge, together with the final description of the challenge and a comparative overview of the proposed solutions. This verification challenge, proposed by Thales, was first discussed in 2014 as part of a dedicated workshop (FMTV, a satellite event of the FM 2014 conference), and solutions were discussed for the first time at the WATERS 2015 workshop. The use case for the verification challenge is an aerial video tracking system. A specificity of this system lies in the fact that periods are constant but known with a limited precision only. The first part of the challenge focuses on the video frame processing system. It consists in computing maximum values of the end-to-end latency of the frames sent by the camera to the display, for two different buffer sizes, and then the minimum duration between two consecutive frame losses. The second challenge is about computing end-to-end latencies on the tracking and camera control for two different values of jitter. Solutions based on five different tools – Fiacre/Tina, CPAL (simulation and analysis), IMITATOR , Uppaal and MAST – were submitted for discussion at WATERS 2015. While none of these solutions provided a full answer to the challenge, a combination of several of them did allow to draw some conclusions.


The adult Still's disease (ASD) is an uncommon inflammatory systemic disorder which affects the young adult. It is characterized by high spiking fever, vanishing rash, oligopolyarthritis, neutrophilic leucocytosis, negative titers for rheumatoid factor and antinuclear antibodies. Polyserositis, sore throat, uveitis are sometimes present and in one third of the cases it is possible to find hepato-splenomegaly with lymph node enlargement. G. Still first described the disease in child, in 1897, and in the adult it was recognized as a nosologic entity more than 70 years later. The ASD diagnosis is difficult and it is possible after the exclusion of many other diseases. Clinical manifestation are all nonspecific. In particular the presence of adenopathy, hepato-splenomegaly may suggest the possibility of a malignant lymphoma. Important exclusions include many other diseases such as the rheumatic fever, periodic fever, Lyme disease. At the same time a probable diagnosis of ASD should be considered in all the cases of high fever with rash, arthritis, neutrophilic leucocytosis or in the cases of fever of unknown origin (FUO). The prognosis is considered overall benign. The disease is usually sensible to salicylate treatment, even but the association with corticosteroids or, sometimes, with cytotoxic therapy is often required.


Introduction: The Assessment of Capacity for Myoelectric Control (ACMC) is an observational based instrument that evaluates the ability to operate a myoelectric prosthetic hand. It is performed during the execution of bimanual tasks chosen by the clients. Although the ACMC does not assess task performance, it is unknown whether the clients' ability measures are influenced by factors such as task complexity. The study aim was therefore to develop standardized tasks and to examine whether (i) the clients' ability measures are influenced by the tasks (ii) the tasks function the same across different client characteristics based on age, sex, prosthetic side and experience.Method: Six tasks were chosen from ACMC raters' suggestions and standardized for the ACMC. Myoelectric prosthesis users (n=58, mean age=20, 31 males) were recruited from the Orebro University Hospital, Sweden. Each user performed 3 tasks. All task performances were videotaped and rated on the 22 ACMC items according to a 4-point capability scale.Many-facets Rasch analysis was used to (i) examine whether the three ability measures of each user were significantly different from each other, and (ii) to reveal if a particular client characteristics was scored differently in a particular task.Result: No significant difference in the ability measures was found in the majority of the sample – only three sporadic users were significantly different in one or two of their tasks. This implies that the client's ability measures are not influenced by the tasks. No significant difference was found related to prosthetic side and experience. Minor difference was found in sexes and two age groups (age 7 to 15, over 15) but the differences were too small to be clinically relevant.Conclusions: This study provides further validity evidence of the ACMC. Research with more challenging tasks is needed to confirm the findings.


Treatment of bone metastasis is a major challenge for current and future orthopedic and oncology specialists. For the treatment of single metastases, there is a continuing search for effective local treatments that do not affect the whole patient. The current report describes the case of single breast cancer metastasis to the pelvic bone in a 50-year-old woman treated surgically by bone osteotomy combined with local doxorubicin application. The presence of cancer cells was confirmed by histopathological examination. After 6 months, the same defect was operated on again and a successful therapeutic result was confirmed by negative tumor pathology tests. The bone defect caused by osteotomy was reconstructed with allogenic bone grafts that healed completely over 14 months. To the best of our knowledge, this report is the first to combine the removal bone metastasis with direct local cytostatic drug administration without the use of a specific carrier, followed by successful bone reconstruction 6 months later using bone allografts. Thus, single bone metastasis may be successfully treated with resection and local cytostatic administration, enabling bone reconstruction in the postoperative period. The potential benefits of such treatments must be evaluated by considering the potential risks involved, including necrosis of surrounding soft tissues and general reactions to the chemotherapy. No data has been available until now regarding the risk of cancer disease generalization being influenced by such treatments, but patient quality of life can be improved significantly by the successful removal of a solitary bone metastasis. The present case report supports the continuation of research on improving local cytostatic drug administration during the treatment of bone metastasis.


This paper demonstrates that a human being using an interface can be efficiently evaluated - in real time - by embedding basic measurements in the interface and using a suitable trained artificial neural network. The approach is introduced through video games but is suitable for any machine capable of valuable measurements on user actions. Of course, the quality of the "diagnostic" depends of the learnability of the task and of the size and quality of the learning base. Typical applications include the detection of fatigue, stress, emotions, the influence of a drug or of medical treatments; screening a deficit or adequateness to a task, etc. Two successful prototypes are presented, one to predict the mental age of children through a set of simple basic games, and the other to detect if a subject is right-handed of left-handed through a racing car simulation.


THE pre-colonial history of the area which is now the Republic of Gabon is almost unknown. The available sources are oral traditions, archaeological data, and a small number of archival materials. The author lists the known archival and archaeological data. As yet they do not amount to much and emphasize the need for collecting oral traditions. For any future history of Gabon will have to rely to a great extent on traditions. However, the increasing modernization of the country entails also the gradual loss of these traditions and soon this important body of possible documentation will have disappeared. For this reason M. Deschamps felt the necessity of collecting as many traditions as possible in the very short time of four months. Under these conditions it was obviously impossible to make any intensive study. Instead the author tried to cover the whole country and to collect in an extensive way all the traditions he could hear about. His method was to ask the local authorities to summon the best-known remembrancers of oral tradition and to take their testimonies down by hand and by tape recorder, according to a simple and flexible questionnaire. The results are given by tribe under the following headings: name of the informants and other data relating to them, demography, linguistic and ethnic relationships with other peoples, origins, histories of trade, material culture, social and political organization, religion and magic. When this book is compared with Walker's Notes d'histoire du Gabon it is quite clear that M. Deschamps has a more complete coverage, but that his sources are also much more shallow than those provided by Walker, which was to be expected. The main results are that not all the peoples of Gabon originate from the North-East, as formerly believed, and that the routes for trade, mainly slave trade, are now perfectly clear. Beyond this, most of the information given is more a lead for future work than a definitive body of knowledge. The extensive approach advocated by the author has been useful in this case, but only because so little was known about Gabon. Data of this kind have been collected and published a long time ago for most of the other parts of Africa. These works have proved to be useful as leads and as a general frame of reference for further study. The time has now come in practically all of Africa, including the Gabon, to pursue intensive research. If Africa's early history is to be recovered studies in depth—time-consuming and expensive as they may be—are required on a large scale. There are no short cuts and the work must be done before it is too late. J. VANSINA


Abstract In the present work it is proved that the zeros of a unilateral octonionic polynomial belong to the conjugacy classes of the latent roots of an appropriate lambda-matrix. This allows the use of matricial norms, and matrix norms in particular, to obtain upper and lower bounds for the zeros of unilateral octonionic polynomials. Some results valid for complex and/or matrix polynomials are extended to octonionic polynomials.


Background and Purpose— Although hypertension is a major risk factor for stroke, many hypertensive persons remain healthy. The aim of the present study was to analyze whether adaptation in a stressful situation was associated with the incidence of stroke in hypertensive men. Methods— Two hundred thirty-eight hypertensive men were followed from baseline in 1982/1983 until first stroke, death, or December 31, 1996. Adaptation to stress was studied with the serial Color-Word Test. In the Regression dimension, 4 patterns of adaptation could be distinguished according to mastering of the test. Successful mastering of the test was shown in stabilized patterns, increasing difficulty in cumulative patterns, fluctuating difficulty in dissociative patterns, and fluctuating difficulty that increased during testing in cumulative-dissociative patterns. The patterns were compared regarding stroke incidence. Results— Forty-three men experienced a stroke during follow-up. Stroke rates per 1000 person-years were 12.6 for men with stabilized patterns, 14.3 for men with cumulative patterns, 16.2 for men with dissociative patterns, and 31.2 for men with cumulative-dissociative patterns. Multivariate analysis, adjusted for relevant cerebrovascular risk factors, showed that the cumulative-dissociative pattern of the Regression dimension was associated with an increased risk of stroke during follow-up (relative risk 3.00, 95% CI 1.32 to 6.81). Conclusions— The specific behavior pattern, characterized by the greatest difficulties in managing the test, was associated with incidence of stroke in hypertensive men. One interpretation is that hypertensive men who chronically fail to find successful strategies in stressful situations are vulnerable to the damaging effects of stress and thereby at an increased risk of a future stroke.


Ortega-Pacheco A. 2006. Reproduction of dogs in the tropics, with special reference to the population structures, reproductive patterns and pathologies, and a non-surgical castration alternative. Doctoral dissertation. ISSN: 1652-6880, ISBN: 91-576-7107-9 Dog overpopulation is considered a serious problem in developing countries and a threat to human health. To be successfully implemented, official dog control measures have to be in accordance with regional beliefs and practices of an area. For these reasons local municipal authorities, veterinarians and dog owners need to have information about the structure, size, and dynamics of growth of the canine population, as well as the prevalence of reproductive diseases. They also need to be well informed about methods for the control of reproduction in this species. The aims of this thesis were to provide this information, and to test a non-surgical method of castration of male dogs. It was found that dogs are popular pets in urban and rural Yucatan with 72.8% of households in Merida owning a dog and 63.3-71.1% in rural communities, respectively. Households of medium socio-economical status, with large families and adequate fences were more likely to own dogs. In the city owners provided better husbandry, health care and feeding of their dogs. This was reflected in a lower mortality rate and lower rate of unwanted matings and litters. Free roaming dogs in urban or rural communities may reproduce to their maximal capacity. This is more evident in rural communities due to less supervision, and to that only 1.8% of the dogs are neutered or spayed, compared to 3.1% in the city. The veterinary practitioners did little to promote the control of dog breeding or to reduce the relinquishing of unwanted dogs in the city. Better client education and promoting the sterilization of pets at low cost would improve the situation. Female dogs under tropical conditions may cycle throughout the year but a marked increase was found in December. Females in estrus attract males and the testosterone concentration of the males is increased during those periods. Healthy male dogs in tropical conditions constantly produce viable sperm capable of impregnating a receptive female. Pregnant bitches, therefore, can be found all through the year. During periods of high environmental temperature, however, the percentage of pregnant females was lower. Underweight animals are less likely to become pregnant. Ovulation may also be influenced by the climatic conditions of the tropics, with a higher number of oocytes being ovulated during the summer time. Although the environmental temperature can modify seminal traits and sperm morphology in male dogs, those changes are of low grade and males remain fertile throughout the year. Day length and temperature probably induced the circannual changes in prolactin secretion found in the male dogs, but the physiological role of this hormone is incompletely known. A high environmental temperature was found to induce seasonal subfertility in bitches, probably due to an increase in the rate of embryo resorption. 3 Epidemiological data revealed a high prevalence of genital pathologies in both sexes. The pathologies most frequently found in the bitches, however, did not adversely affect the capacity to come into estrus or to become pregnant. In males, most of the reproductive pathologies seem to affect the spermatogenesis, and depending on the amount of testicular interstitial tissue damaged the production of testosterone may also be affected. Aged dogs, as expected, are at higher risk to suffer testicular degeneration or to develop testicular tumors. A new non-surgical method for neutering dogs was evaluated as an alternative method for surgical mass sterilization. Crushing of the spermatic cord leads to vascular damage and cellular hypoxia of the testis and, consequently, to infarction. The method proved to be quick, efficient and of low cost, with minimal damage to the patient. However, long-term studies are needed to prove it has no adverse reactions.


Abstract: This research sought to test the face, construct and criterion validity, and test-retest reliability of the Adult Rejection Sensitivity Questionnaire (ARSQ). In Study 1, participants ( n = 45) completed the ARSQ and questions assessing scale item relevancy, clarity, difficulty, and sensitivity. In Study 2, participants ( n = 513) completed the ARSQ and demographic questions. In Study 3, participants ( n = 244) completed the ARSQ and returned 2 weeks later to complete the ARSQ and measures of depression, anxiety, and self-silencing behavior. Study 1 provided strong support for face validity with all items deemed relevant, clear, easy to answer, and neither distressing nor judgmental. Study 2 provided adequate support for the factor structure of the ARSQ (single-factor model and two-factor model) but suggested modifications could be made to improve scale validity. Study 3 provided further support for an adequate (but not good) factor structure, and evidence for criterion validity established through medium-large effect size correlations with depression, anxiety, and self-silencing behavior. However, the 2-week scale stability appeared poor ( r = .45) in a subsample of participants. Overall, the ARSQ showed sufficient validity to recommend its continued use, but we recommend further tests of scale reliability and potential modifications to increase construct validity.


When war challenges civilian survival, what shapes the balance between normative and instrumental rationalities in survival practices? Increasing desperation and uncertainty can lead civilians to focus on their own material interests and to violate norms in the name of survival or gain—to the detriment of the war effort and of other civilians. Do norms, boundaries against transgressions, and considerations of collective interests and identities persist, and, if so, through what mechanisms? Using diaries and recollections from the 872-day Blockade of Leningrad (1941–1944)—an extreme case of wartime desperation—this article examines how three forms of cultural embeddedness shape variation in the strength of norms against calculative, instrumental rationality. Proximity and empathy with others, the structure of norms and analogies to legitimate instrumental practices, and reflexivity vis-a-vis war and others' response interact dialectically with the war context to shape variation in violating norms and rationalizing transgressions. Theft of food and cannibalism, which involve tactics of survival or gain that also risk the well-being of victims (theft) or violation of a powerful taboo (cannibalism), demonstrate the weakness of norms on the margins but their power when core norms or other real, visible individuals are threatened.


Communicative language teaching should not just aim to teach learners the language they need in communication, but also the communication strategies or speaking strategies to manage interaction in English. This study was conducted to investigate and describe the speaking strategies employed by second year English major students at Mettu College of Teachers Education. It also aimed to identify how well the instructors are aware of the importance of speaking strategy instructions and play their roles in terms of the provision speaking activities and strategy training in teaching learning process of speaking skills. The targeted populations for this study were 46 students who were learning English as a major subject and one English language teacher who was teaching the spoken English course in 2006 E.C academic year. In this descriptive research design, both quantitative and qualitative data gathering instruments were used. The result of the analysis revealed that the students employed a variety of speaking strategies. However, regarding individual speaking strategies under the different categories of direct and indirect strategies, some known speaking strategies appeared to be employed less frequently and were less developed. Furthermore, findings of this research showed that although the teacher is aware of the importance of speaking strategy training and provides a variety of speaking activities, the activities provided were more of fluency oriented and strategy training was rarely provided. Therefore, this study recommends that the students should be provided with adequate courses on speaking skills and more strategy training should be given in using wide varieties of speaking strategies. Key terms: Speaking strategies, strategy training, categories of strategies


In a wireless data broadcast environment, there is a limited upstream bandwidth from mobile clients to the fixed database server. Traditional concurrency protocols are unsuitable in such an asymmetric communication environment. In this paper, we introduce a concurrency control protocol which integrates optimistic concurrency control and timestamp ordering. A mobile read-only transaction is weak consistent and the serialization graph consisting of all update transactions and a mobile read-only transaction is acyclic. By using this protocol, mobile read-only transactions can execute autonomously and mobile update transactions can detect data conflicts earlier. Extensive simulation experiments are conducted and the result shows that compared with existing concurrency control protocols, more mobile real-time transactions can commit before their deadline expire.


The use of automatically operated stations has become quite general over the country, but as the development has been very rapid, and the engineers involved so busy with their individual problems, very little has been accomplished toward the pooling of ideas and experiences. This paper outlines some of the more important problems being encountered in automatic development such as the need for automatic fire protection in the stations, the necessary future development of thermal protective devices, voltage regulating devices, etc. Particular stress is laid on the fact that, while we have some problems which we presume have been worked out, some of the solutions are far from perfect. This paper is prepared in a manner which, it is hoped, will bring out many valuable ideas in its discussion.


The SLAM family receptors contribute to diverse aspects of lymphocyte biology and signal via the small adaptor molecule SAP. Mutations affecting SAP lead to X-linked lymphoproliferative syndrome Type 1, a severe immunodysregulation characterized by fulminant mononucleosis, dysgammaglobulinemia, and lymphoproliferation/lymphomas. Patients and mice having mutations affecting SAP also lack germinal centers due to a defect in T:B cell interactions and are devoid of invariant NKT (iNKT) cells. However, which and how SLAM family members contribute to these phenotypes remains uncertain. Three SLAM family members: SLAMF1, SLAMF5 and SLAMF6, are highly expressed on T follicular helper cells and germinal center B cells. SLAMF1 and SLAMF6 are also implicated in iNKT development. Although individual receptor knockout mice have limited iNKT and germinal center phenotypes compared to SAP knockout mice, the generation of multi-receptor knockout mice has been challenging, due to the genomic linkage of the genes encoding SLAM family members. Here, we used Cas9/CRISPR-based mutagenesis to generate mutations simultaneously in Slamf1, Slamf5 and Slamf6. Genetic disruption of all three receptors in triple-knockout mice (TKO) did not grossly affect conventional T or B cell development and led to mild defects in germinal center formation post-immunization. However, the TKO worsened defects in iNKT cells development seen in SLAMF6 single gene-targeted mice, supporting data on positive signaling and potential redundancy between these receptors.


The characterization of adsorbed protein films with ultrahigh vacuum (UHV) surface analysis techniques requires dehydration of the samples, which can cause significant alterations in protein structure. It is desirable to preserve the structure of adsorbed protein films during drying, so UHV analysis could be done in a state that is more representative of proteins' actual structure in the aqueous environment. In this study, two methods, trehalose protection and glutaraldehyde fixation, were explored for their feasibility in preserving adsorbed protein structure for a powerful UHV surface analysis technique, time-of-flight secondary ion mass spectrometry (ToF-SIMS). Trehalose protection had shown some promise for ToF-SIMS analysis in our previous study and was further examined with the model protein fibrinogen in this study. Using the combination of principal component analysis (PCA) and static ToF-SIMS analysis, we found that trehalose protection could reduce the conformation change of fibrinogen upon drying, and prevent it from unfolding and exposing hydrophobic domains. Moreover, when the adsorbed protein film became more densely packed, the drying-induced changes in protein structure were reduced. Thus, the protection afforded by trehalose coating was more significant at lower protein surface concentrations. The other method, glutaraldehyde fixation, was used in ToF-SIMS analysis for the first time. The epsilon-amino group of lysine was identified as the major reactive group in the protein structure toward glutaraldehyde fixation. Structural differences observed between fibrinogen films that were glutaraldehyde fixed before drying and after drying were similar to those observed between trehalose-protected and-unprotected dried fibrinogen films. Glutaraldehyde fixation was found to be a viable, alternative stabilizing method to trehalose protection for ToF-SIMS analysis.


In collaborative active learning, where multiple agents try to learn labels from a common hypothesis, we introduce an innovative framework for incentivized collaboration. Here, rational agents aim to obtain labels for their data sets while keeping label complexity at a minimum. We focus on designing (strict) individually rational (IR) collaboration protocols, ensuring that agents cannot reduce their expected label complexity by acting individually. We first show that given any optimal active learning algorithm, the collaboration protocol that runs the algorithm as is over the entire data is already IR. However, computing the optimal algorithm is NP-hard. We therefore provide collaboration protocols that achieve (strict) IR and are comparable with the best known tractable approximation algorithm in terms of label complexity.


Process supervision deals with the detection and isolation of abnormal events. It consists of determining the current state of the real process from sensor readings and process knowledge. In Chemical industry, this task is of crucial importance in terms of safety and also of economics, because of the influence of abnormal situations in yield and quality of products. Although several advanced supervision approaches have been proposed from academia, in industry the management of abnormal situation usually rely on skilled operators who monitor the process variable over a distributed control system (DCS). The problem with several advanced supervision methods is that they are "black box" solutions based on monolithic strategies that require the analysis of a huge amount of data for each implementation, thus resulting in an intensive task in terms of time, effort and money. In order to develop more generalized and transparent solutions, the interest on knowledge-based supervision system arise. However, most of them adopt a rule-based approach which has some drawbacks due to the limited expressiveness and the difficulty to share the knowledge. Consistency maintenance is also a problem because when the rules are modified, the semantic impact in the rest of the system can not be easily controlled. In addition, modern industries present a challenge in integrating the information needed for process supervision since they are big and complex environments involving multiples sources of technology, software and instruments. In this context, we propose the use of semantic web technologies to develop a knowledge-based framework for process supervision. The semantic web technologies leverages knowledge integration and exploitation in distributed environments. They propose knowledge to be modeled using ontologies and formalized by means of description logic-based languages such as OWL. These languages have a good trade-off between expressiveness and computational tractability. On account of these features, ontology-based modeling has attracted the attention in process systems engineering (PSE) domain as a convenient mean of knowledge representation [1], but less attention has been paid to the associated reasoning mechanisms. This thesis attempts to exploit the deductive capabilities of the semantic reasoners to automate the supervision task through a knowledge-driven approach. With that aim, we have explored the characteristics of DL-based modeling and reasoning to support qualitative supervision methods. The emphasis have been placed in multivariate data analysis. Through them, failures are detected and diagnosed using patterns of qualitative symptoms (i.e. Fault Signatures) that involve several process variables. We first applied multivariate analysis with timeless patterns [2, 3]. In this approach, fault signatures are composed by a set of parameters deviations inDoctoral Consortium IJCAI School 2014


Scrub typhus or tsutsugamushi disease is widely endemic in a geographically confined area of the Asia-Pacific region, the so-called Tsutsugamushi-Triangle & in the tropical & subtropical regions of the Asian continent including Indian subcontinent. Many studies from South India (1,2), Haryana (3), Himachal Pradesh ( 4-6), Mumbai (7) Karnataka (8) and Jammu (9-12) have reported outbreak/ isolated reports of scrub typhus in the past. In 1978, first time, Jammu was recognised as a scrub typhus prone region, in a survey conducted by Menon et al (9) wherein, 3.5% of the total populations examined (n=1017) possessed antibodies to the test antigen of scrub typhus. Few isolated case reports (10,11) and an out break of scrub typus (12) has been reported in past from Jammu region. Recent outbreaks of 20 patients from Jammu, have been reported in a period from August 09 to October 09 among adult population & of 21 cases of children (5-18yrs) from period between October 08 to September 09. Most of these patients were from Sunderbani-Naushera-Rajouri belt and some from other hilly areas such as Jindrah and Chenani (Table-1).Total six reports of scrub typhus exist from Jammu Region. Thus,after a gap of many years, now it has reemerged in this region.The important points about recent outbreaks is that instead of Weil-Felix test, this time most sensitive and the one which is considered gold standard ie. tested for antibodies (IgM) to O.tsutsugamushi using ELISA kit to diagnose the cases.This probably has resulted in high pick up of scrub typhus in recent outbreaks in comparison to previous out break reported by Vaz et al (12). 41 cases picked up in recent outbreaks from adult & pediatric population in comparison to 12 cases only out of 24 samples send for diagnosis using WeilFelix test in previous outbreak reported by Vaz et al (12). Moreover, use of Immunological test this time helped to establish diagnosis of scrub typhus early and helped in their timely start of treatment and thus all the cases were managed successfully without any mortality or any complication in these recent outbreaks. The clinical course of the disease and the prognosis vary depending on the character of the endemic strain.These variations in clinical presentations & severity are very much evident in the studies from different parts and at different times from India including Jammu (Table-1). Major presenting features though remain fever, severe headache, myalgia, rash, lymphadenopathy, hepatosplenomegaly, cough, sore throat, abdominal pain & altered sensorium. The presence of an eschar is though, highly suggestive of scrub typhus but is reported (Table-1) to occur in a variable proportion of patients. Furthermore, eschars are also detected in rickettsial pox & cutaneous anthrax. The list of differential diagnosis of scrub typhus includes viral infections (HSV), bacterial conditions (anthrax, tularemia, ecthyma) and fungal diseases (aspergillosis, fusariosis, mucormycosis) and other rickettsial infections like murine typhus, mediterranean spotted fevers, leptospirosis, typhoid, dengue, malaria, HIV, EBV, CMV & T. gondii. Thus, Scrub Typhus is diagnosed clinically with difficulty because of its nonspecific, varied clinical presentation & long list of differential diagnosis. Moreover, at present there is no cheap & easily available diagnostic tool in our hand. Besides this, most commonly available & used Weil-Felix test is becoming abandoned. Many reports of scrub typhus and other rickettsial diseases from the Indian sub-continent are based on clinical findings and the relatively non-specific Weil-Felix test. Immunological testing (antibodies IgM to O. tsutsugamushi using ELISA kits) is not available at every tertiary care center.The recent outbreaks & reemergence of disease in Jammu region, urgently demands that these immunological test be made available in tertiary care centers of the affected regions,including Jammu. The treatment should be initiated early to reduce morbidity and mortality. Even empirical treatment in case of suspected cases is thus recommended. The conventional treatment includes broad spectrum antibiotics like doxycycline (adults) & chloramphenicol(in pediatric population). Rifampicin & azithromycin have been used successfully in areas where scrub typhus is resistant to the conventional therapy.(Table-1) Reemergence of scrub typhus in this region,thus demands, a high degree of clinical suspicion and familiarity with the various clinical manifestations,availability and use of rapid immunological test in suspected case to allow early diagnosis and timely initiation of appropriate therapy and thereby reducing patient morbidity and mortality.The scrub typhus special issue is an attemp to understand various aspects & share experiences about this less known disease.


Over-constraint is an important concern in mechanism design because it can lead to a loss in desired mobility. In distributed-compliance flexure mechanisms, this problem is alleviated due to the phenomenon of elastic averaging, thus enabling performance-enhancing geometric arrangements that are otherwise unrealizable. The principle of elastic averaging is illustrated in this paper by means of a multi-beam parallelogram flexure mechanism. In a lumped-compliance configuration, this mechanism is prone to over-constraint in the presence of nominal manufacturing and assembly errors. However, with an increasing degree of distributed-compliance, the mechanism is shown to become more tolerant to such geometric imperfections. The nonlinear load-stiffening and elasto-kinematic effects in the constituent beams have an important role to play in the over-constraint and elastic averaging characteristics of this mechanism. Therefore, a parametric model that incorporates these nonlinearities is utilized in predicting the influence of a representative geometric imperfection on the primary motion stiffness of the mechanism. The proposed model utilizes a beam generalization so that varying degrees of distributed compliance are captured using a single geometric parameter.Copyright © 2006 by ASME


PURPOSE
This paper presents a critical review of the literature on neurosensory disturbances associated with implant surgery.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
The reviewed literature includes mainly retrospective implant studies and patients' surveys, as well as a few prospective psychophysical studies on sensory disorders following maxillofacial surgeries.

RESULTS
The available data suggest that injury to the peripheral branches of the trigeminal nerve and subsequent sensory disturbances are potential complications following implant surgery. Cross-sectional studies suggest that gross tactile sensation was regained in the vast majority of patients. However, data on the spatial and temporal patterns of recovery of this and other somatic sensation such as fine touch, nociception, and temperature sense after implant surgery is still lacking. The prevalence of sensory disturbances depends on several factors: the site of implant placement, the type of surgical procedures adopted, the design of the studies, the sensitivity of the testing methods, the choice of the outcome measures, and the terminology used to describe sensory disturbances. Extreme variation in the reported prevalence of neurosensory disturbances (0% to 100%) suggest that these problems have not been adequately evaluated.

CONCLUSION
Although sensory disturbances are transient in the majority of implant patients, their profound impact on the quality of life of the subjects affected and the possibility that they may persist clearly indicate that they should be identified and evaluated through prospective studies, using validated testing protocols and outcome measures.


A debt management system is the backbone of any sovereign debt management office. A robust, well-functioning and user-friendly system allows governments to strengthen their debt management environment. This study aims to contribute to the literature on (i) the essential requirements of a debt management system, (ii) the selection criteria for software that fits the system modernization and integration needs of a debt management office, and (iii) how the solutions currently used by governments meet those requirements. It also contains the results of a survey that shows the current landscape of solutions used by a sample of debt management offices from 31 countries. The target audience is emerging and developing countries that seek to strengthen the information technology platform they use for debt management. The study concludes that it is fundamental for a debt management system to meet the debt management office's evolving needs, while at the same time differentiating among functions and coverage that are mandatory, relevant, and desirable. This differentiation provides a helpful guide for debt managers deciding between building a tailored debt management system from scratch or purchasing an off-the-shelf system. The survey results suggest that current systems can handle the critical functions and instruments of debt management offices. However, if the nature of respondents' debt portfolios evolves over time, system limitations may present challenges. One clear takeaway is that debt managers should consider the ability of their debt management system to interact with external (for example, financial management information system) information technology platforms as an essential characteristic of their information ecosystem.


During apoptosis several mitochondrial proteins are released.
Some of them participate in caspase-independent nuclear DNA
degradation, especially apoptosis-inducing factor (AIF) and
endonuclease G (endoG). Another interesting protein is
AIF-homologous mitochondrion-associated inducer of death
(AMID). Heat shock protein HSP70-1, cyclophilin A and possibly
DNA topoisomerase II alpha are also high candidate proteins
that seem to take part at least in some part of
caspase-independent apoptosis connected to AIF. We studied the
structure, cellular localization, and interactions of these
proteins in silico and also in cells using fluorescent
microscopy. Bioinformatic predictions were conducted to analyze
the interactions of some of the studied proteins with possible
partners. We conducted molecular modeling of proteins with
unknown 3D structures. These models were then refined by
MolProbity server and employed in molecular docking simulations
of interactions. Our results show data acquired using a
combination of modern in silico methods and image analysis to
understand the localization, interactions and functions of
proteins AMID, AIF, endonuclease G, HSP70-1, DNA topoisomerase
II alpha and cyclophilin A in caspase-independent apoptosis.


Abstract Derived product imagery (DPI) is a method of presenting quantitative meteorological information, derived from satellite measurements, as a color-coded image at single-pixel resolution. Its intended use is as animated sequences to observe trends in the displayed quantities, which for the GOES-8 are total precipitable water, lifted index, and surface skin temperature. Those products are produced once per hour, over the continental United States and the Gulf of Mexico. This paper reviews the development of the DPI and details the algorithm used for GOES-8. The quality of the products is discussed, and an example is given. The greatest value of the DPI probably lies in comparing a sequence of the satellite product with a sequence derived from a numerical forecast. In this way, deviation of the forecast from reality is readily exposed.


Course and implementation recommendations are presented for establishing a BS degree in photonics, a discipline combining elements of both physics and electrical engineering with an emphasis in modern optics. The assumptions providing the basic framework for the work are discussed. The options available to graduates of the suggested program are pointed out. >


—Integrating the heterogeneous controllers of a complex mechanical system, such as a mobile manipulator, within the same structure and in a modular way is still challenging. In this work we extend our framework based on Behavior Trees for the control of a redundant mechanical system to the problem of commanding more complex systems that involve multiple low-level controllers. This allows the integrated systems to achieve non-trivial goals that require coordination among the sub-systems.


Since the reform era began in China in 1978, there have been significant changes in the nature and incidence of disputes, conflicts and social disturbances, and the mechanisms for addressing them. As with economic and governance reforms, the government has adopted a pragmatic, problem-solving approach as it has attempted to meet the broad and at times conflicting goals of justice and efficiency while maintaining socio-political stability and rapid economic growth. The result has been continuous experimentation leading to the creation of new mechanisms, the reform of existing mechanisms, and the return to older mechanisms in some cases when newer ones proved disappointing. This is generally true across areas: commercial disputes, constitutional and administrative law, socio-economic issues (pension, welfare and medical claims, labor disputes, land takings and environmental issues), criminal law, and civil and political rights. However, reforms have been more active, progress has been more noticeable, and the path of reforms has been more consistent and direct in some areas than others.We begin with a brief overview of significant developments in the handling of commercial disputes, socio-economic claims and public law (administrative and constitutional law) disputes. Three general patterns stand out: first, the much better performance of institutions for handling disputes in urban areas compared to rural areas; second, the significantly greater progress in handling commercial law disputes compared to socio-economic claims; and third, the more advanced state of development of administrative law compared to constitutional law. We then summarize some of the key factors underlying these patterns and the dynamics of reform, providing an account of why the government has opted for a particular mix of mechanisms to handle a certain type of dispute at any given time, why that mix has changed over time, and why there has been more progress in some areas than other areas. We conclude with some thoughts on what can be expected in the future, and some policy recommendations to help overcome some of the existing problems.


Intensive task-oriented repetitive physical therapies need be provided by individualized interaction between the patients and the rehabilitation specialists to improve hand motor performance for those survived from stoke and traumatic brain injury. The goal of this research is to develop a novel wearable device for robotic assisted hand repetitive therapy. We designed a pneumatic muscle (PM) driven therapeutic device that is wearable and provides assistive forces required for grasping and finger extension. The robot has two distinct degrees of freedom at the thumb and all other fingers. The embedded sensors can feedback position and force information for robot control and quantitative evaluation of task performance. It is potential of providing supplemental at-home therapy in addition to in the clinic treatment. To realize the trajectory tracking control, a fuzzy PID controller is designed for the proposed device. The experimental results show angle tracking control of the robotic hand using the fuzzy PID controller has better performance than that using a conventional PID controller.


The mechanical strength of the bone-implant interface depends on the morphology and the composition of the implant surface. The great variety of coating materials as well as the condition of the surfaces to be covered, makes a comparative and preclinical evaluation of the different materials for prostheses necessary. The results, the validity and the limits of the extraction tests are discussed in this article.