The command elements that initiate and coordinate the abdominal movements in crayfish show little similarity between the various abdominal segments. Our criteria for similarity among interneurons were based on both cell morphology and electrophysiology. By contrast, previously published evidence shows much greater intersegmental similarity in the skeletal, muscular, motoneuronal, and sensory components of the abdominal system in crayfish, structures that are controlled by or send information to the command elements. Therefore, unlike the command elements, these structures have retained nearly identical form and function in the various segments. We also found in different ganglia examples of interneurons involved with abdominal positioning behavior that have similar morphology but different function and vice versa. Such interneurons could represent divergent pairs of serial homologues. It is unknown why so many of the abdominal positioning interneurons have become different. The various ganglia may perform subtly different functions, requiring differences in the positioning interneurons but not in the motor neurons or muscles. Alternatively, some of the abdominal positioning interneurons underlie more than one behavior; consequently, selection acting on these multiple functions may have changed these interneurons through evolution.


The Tower of Hanoi problem with h ≥ 4 pegs is long known to require a sub-exponential number of moves in order to transfer a pile of n disks from one peg to another. In this paper we discuss the Pathh variant, where the pegs are placed along a line, and disks can be moved from a peg to its nearest neighbor(s) only. Whereas in the simple variant there are h(h − 1)/2 bi-directional interconnections among pegs, here there are only h− 1 of them. Despite the significant reduction in the number of interconnections, the task of moving n disks between any two pegs is still shown to grow sub-exponentially as a function of the number of


The ability to discriminate between like functional groups, so as to transform organic molecules in a "site-selective" or "chemoselective" manner,[1] precludes the requirement of protecting groups and, hence, carries the potential to dramatically enhance synthetic efficiency.[2] Though an exceptionally daunting challenge, systematic efforts toward catalytic methods for the site-selective transformation of polyfunctional molecules have begun to emerge. For example, Miller[3] and Taylor[4] report catalytic methods for the siteselective manipulation of diols and higher polyols. Site-selective metal catalyzed crosscouplings have been catalogued.[5] Further, in what is perhaps the most formidable theatre for site-selectivity, impressive advances in catalytic methods for C-H functionalization have been achieved, as illustrated in the seminal work of Barton,[6a] Murai and Kakiuchi,[6b] and in more recent studies by Davies,[6c] Sanford,[6d] Yu,[6e] Daugulis,[6f] Baran[6g] and others.


OBJECTIVE
To assess the association of TNF-α and IL-1RA SNPs with the risk of silicosis in Chinese workers exposed to silica particles.

METHODS
Case-control study design was used to enroll 68 silicotic patients induced by silica particles and 68 healthy workers matched for length of silica particle exposure as controls. Both cases and controls were from the same company in southwest China, and each of them was requested to complete a questionnaire. Blood samples were drawn for genomic DNA extraction from each participant. The genotyping of TNF-α (-238 and -308) and IL-1RA (+2018) was performed using polymerase chain reaction-based restriction fragment length polymorphism (PCR-RFLP) and SYBR green-based quantitative polymerase chain reaction (qPCR), respectively. Unconditional logistic regression model was used to estimate odds ratios (ORs) and their 95% confidential intervals (CI) for SNPs.

RESULTS
No significant differences were found between cases and controls in particles exposure length, body mass index (BMI), and status of smoking and alcohol consumption except for age (P=0.001) and blood type (P=0.042). The frequencies of TNF-α (-238) and IL-1RA (+2018) genotypes in cases were significantly different from those in controls, (P=0.001 and P=0.002, respectively), while a borderline significant difference was found in the frequencies of TNF-α (-308) between cases and controls (P=0.063). The variants of three SNPs increased the risk of silicosis in the Chinese workers exposed to silica particles. The adjusted ORs of TNF-α (-308), TNF-α (-238) and IL-1RA (+2018) were 2.8 (95% CI: 1.1-7.5), 20.9 (95% CI: 1.8-236.4) and 4.0 (95% CI: 1.6-10.1), respectively.

CONCLUSION
It is suggested that cytokine polymorphisms of TNF-α (-238, -308) and IL-1RA (+2018) are associated with the risk of silicosis in the Chinese workers exposed to silica particles. Further independent studies on the interaction between SNPs and exposure to silica particles with a larger sample size are therefore warranted.


Background Endothelial dysfunction is a key feature of systemic sclerosis (SSc) and the involvement of the microvasculature is one of the earliest features of the disease. Recent new criteria for very early diagnosis of systemic sclerosis (VEDOSS) have been proposed. Objectives The aim of this study was to investigate brachial artery endothelial-dependent flow-mediated dilation (FMD), IL-6 and VEGF levels in patients with primary Raynaud's phenomenon (RP) and SSc. Methods In this study we enrolled 59 patients: 10 VEDOSS patients fulfilling the proposed VEDOSS criteria, 28 SSc patients fulfilling the 1987 ACR criteria, 11 gender and age matched healthy individuals as first control group and 10 gender and age matched primary RP patients with normal capillaroscopic findings as the second control group. Demographic, clinical and immunological parameters have been collected at the beginning of the study. Ultrasound assessment of FMD was performed in all RP subjects and in healthy subjects to evaluate endothelial dysfunction. VEGF, VEGF-RII, IL-6 and IL-6R plasma were determined by ELISA. Results Scleroderma patients showed a reduced FMD (5.8±4.7%) compared to healthy controls (18.9±6.7%) (p<0.0001), and to subjects with RP (1.6±5.6%),(p=0.001). FMD of scleroderma patients and VEDOSS patients was comparable (6.6±3.8%). VEDOSS patients showed values of FMD significantly compromised compared to those of RP (p=0.05) and healthy controls (p<0.001). Finally, patients with primitive RP showed reduced FMD values compared to healthy controls (p=0.008). The values of FMD correlated inversely with disease duration (r=-0.46, p=0.004) and directly with the levels of KCO (r=0.47, p=0.007). The plasma levels of VEGF in patients with SSc (29.8±40.7 pg/ml) were significantly higher than in healthy controls (13.0±24.8 pg/ml,(p=0.03) while they were similar to those of patients with VEDOSS (22.6±21.7 pg/ml). Plasma levels of IL-6 were higher in SSc patients (5.7±11.1 pg/ml) compared to VEDOSS (1.5±1.2 pg/ml) (p=0.04),RP (1.1±0.5 pg/ml), (p<0.0001) and healthy controls (1.9±3.1 pg/ml) (p<0.001). Levels of VEGF-R2 and sIL-6R were comparable in all groups. IL-6 levels were higher in dcSSc patients than in lcSSc patients (7.9±13.0 pg/ml vs 1,9±0,6 pg/ml) (p=0,0027). Finally in patients with SSc the capillaroscopic density inversely correlated with the levels of IL-6, the Activity and Severity Indices, the Skin Score and the duration of the disease. Conclusions An impairment of FMD was present in patients with RP, in particular in SSc and VEDOSS patients, suggesting a contemporary impairment of microvascular and macrovascular compartments. The deeper FMD impairment that characterize either SSc and VEDOSS patients, suggests that the endothelial dysfunction is already established since the early phases of the disease and it worses during the disease. Disclosure of Interest None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.4446


This paper examines the extent to which developing countries benefit from intersectoral factor transfers by specifying the impact and determinants of sectoral changes and of the degree of dualism (or allocation inefficiency) in a dual economy model. Conditions under which factor reallocation is growth-enhancing are derived. An empirical error-correction equation is estimated for 30 developing countries during 1965-80. Results suggest that labor reallocation effects are especially important in countries with high rates of investment (and thus high rates of labor transfer) and/or at low levels of development (and thus high degrees of dualism).


Bronchoalveolar lavage (BAL) is a relatively new technique for assessment of the alveolar compartment of the lung. Its current clinical applications are the initial assessment of acute and chronic diffuse interstitial lung disease and the diagnosis of pulmonary infections, especially in the immunocompromised host. In addition, BAL provides information on the pathophysiology of diffuse interstitial lung disease. Future studies of BAL fluids should confirm its use in the prognostic assessment of diffuse interstitial lung diseases and in the assessment of effects of therapy.


Music copyright lawsuits often result in multimillion dollar damage awards or settlements, yet there are few objective guidelines for applying copyright law in infringement claims involving musical works. Recent re-search has attempted to develop objective methods based on automated similarity algorithms, but there remains almost no data on the role of perceived similarity in mu-sic copyright decisions despite its crucial role in copy-right law. We collected perceptual data from 20 participants for 17 adjudicated copyright cases from the USA and Japan after editing the disputed sections to contain either full audio, melody only, or lyrics only. Due to the historical emphasis in legal opinions on melody as the key criterion for deciding infringement, we predicted that listening to melody-only versions would result in perceptual judgements that more closely matched actual past legal decisions. Surprisingly, however, we found no significant differences between the three conditions, with participants matching past decisions in between 50-60% of cases in all three conditions. Automated algorithms designed to calculate melodic and audio similarity produced comparable results: both algorithms were able to match past decisions with identical accuracy of 71% (12/17 cases). Analysis of cases that were difficult to classify suggests that melody, lyrics, and other factors sometimes interact in complex ways difficult to capture using quantitative metrics. We propose directions for further investigation of the role of similarity in music copy-right law using larger and more diverse samples of cases and enhanced methods, and adapting our perceptual experiment method to avoid relying for ground truth data only on court decisions (which may be subject to selection bias). Our results contribute to important practical debates, such as whether jury members should be allowed to listen to full audio recordings during copyright cases.


Dynamic positron emission tomography (PET) data can be evaluated by compartmental models, yielding model specific kinetic parameters. For the parameters to be of quantitative use however, understanding and estimation of errors and uncertainties associated with them are crucial. The aim in this study was to investigate the effects of the inclusion of scattered and random counts and their respective corrections on kinetic parameter errors. The MC software GATE was used to simulate two dynamic PET scans of a phantom containing three regions; blood, tissue and a static background. The two sets of time-activity-curves (TACs) used were generated for a 2-tissue compartment model with preset parameter values (K1, k2, k3, k4 and Va). The PET data was reconstructed into 19 frames by both ordered-subset expectation maximization (OSEM) and 3D filtered backprojection with reprojection (3DFBPRP) with normalization and additional corrections (A=attenuation, R=random, S=scatter, C=correction): True counts (AC), true+random counts (ARC), true+scattered counts (ASC) and total counts (ARSC). The results show that parameter estimates from true counts (AC), true+random counts (ARC), true+scattered counts (ASC) and total counts (ARSC) were not significantly different, with the exception of Va where the bias increased with added corrections. Thus, the inclusion of and correction for scattered and random counts did not affect the bias in parameter estimates K1, k2, k3, k4 and Ki. Uncorrected total counts (only AC) resulted in biases of hundreds or even thousands of percent, emphasizing the need for proper corrections. Reconstructions with 3DFBPRP resulted in overall 20-40% less biased estimates compared to OSEM.


OBJECTIVES
To determine the performance of diffusion-weighted magnetic resonance imaging in differentiating lymphoma from sarcoidosis in mediastinal-hilar lymphadenopathy.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
Forty-four mediastinal-hilar lymphadenopathy were examined in 27 patients with T1- and T2-weighted conventional images. Then, two diffusion-weighted images were obtained with b = 0 and 1000 s/mm2 values and apparent diffusion coefficients (ADCs) were calculated. The statistical significance of differences between measurements was tested using the Student-t test.

RESULTS
The ADC value in the lymphoma group was lower than in the sarcoidosis group, and the difference was statistically significant (p < 0.001). By using the cut-off value of 1.266 x 10(-3) mm2/s, ADC had a sensitivity of 100%, specificity of 81%, positive predictive value of 100%, and negative predictive value of 77% for the differentiation of lymphoma and sarcoidosis. With the cut-off value of 1,97 x 10(-3) mm2/s, ADC had a sensitivity of 50%, specificity of 99.4%, positive predictive value of 68%, and negative predictive value of 91%.

CONCLUSIONS
Diffusion-weighted imaging may be useful besides other modalities in differentiating lymphoma from sarcoidosis in mediastinal-hilar lymphadenopathy.


We argue that recent game theoretic approaches to social norms differ on some fundamental issues, our focus being on recent accounts by Ken Binmore and Cristina Bicchieri. After a brief introduction, we present the deepest cause for their disagreement, namely whether the action of norms should be modelled as a one-shot game, the option favoured by Bicchieri, or by a repeated game, as Binmore does. Although these choices appear to leave room for the two accounts to be complementary, we then argue that this is not possible. First, differing attitudes to modelling punishment, a central feature of all informal work on social norms, prevent any straightforward integration of the two theories. Second, the solution cannot consist in merely choosing between the two accounts, as they both fail to deal with the way in which triggered norms depend on context, in static as well as diachronic frameworks.


This paper proposes a novel fast technique for partitioning a system into hardware and software components and scheduling the resulting components for execution. The technique maps hierarchical task graphs onto a heterogeneous architecture containing a single sequential processing engine for executing software components and programmable logic for implementing hardware components. The technique uses an iterative improvement algorithm to evaluate placement of components in the hardware and software partitions. It also uses a decomposition phase to alter the number and granularity of tasks evaluated. By doing so, the algorithm can perform early evaluations on fewer, coarse grained tasks and only evaluate smaller granularities as needed to achieve the desired execution time of the task system. The suitability of this technique in finding a solution which meets a given timing constraint on the system is evaluated by comparing it to a iterative improvement algorithm on a typical non-hierarchical task graph where the task granularities are fixed. To show robustness of the approach, the comparison is done for a large number of synthetic task graphs and the results are normalized so that statistical analysis can be performed on the large sample set.


Purpose: To assess and quantify the magnitude and direction of respiratory movement of the aorta and origins of its side branches. Methods: A quantitative 3-dimensional (3D) subtraction analysis of computed tomography (CT) scans during inspiration and expiration was performed to determine the respiratory geometric movements of the aorta and side branches in 60 patients. During breath-hold expiration and inspiration, 1-mm-thick CT slices of the aorta were acquired in unenhanced and contrast-enhanced scans. The datasets were compared using dedicated multiplanar reformation image subtraction software to determine the change in position of relevant anatomic sections, including the ascending thoracic aorta (AA), the origins of the brachiocephalic artery (BA) and left subclavian artery (LSA), the descending thoracic aorta (DTA) at the level of the tenth thoracic vertebra, as well as the origins of the celiac trunk, superior mesenteric artery, and the renal arteries. Results: Complex movement was visible during inspiration; the regions of interest in the thoracic aorta and side branches moved in the anterior, medial, and caudal directions compared with the expiration state. Mean 3D movement vectors (± standard deviation) were 8.9±3.6 mm (AA), 12.0±4.1 mm (BA), 11.1±3.9 mm (LSA), and 4.9±2.5 mm (DTA). Abdominal side branches moved in the caudal direction 1.3±1.1 mm. There was significantly less movement in the DTA compared to AA (p<0.001). The correlation coefficient between the extent of LSA movement and thoracic excursion was 0.78. Conclusion: The aorta and side branches undergo considerable respiratory movement. The results from this study provide an important contribution to understanding aortic dynamics.


Financial technology (fintech) is a double-edged sword. The innovations in fintech have advanced traditional ways of undertaking transactions and provided immense opportunities to individuals and businesses, such as faster and more efficient settlement of payment. However, it has also fueled illegalities such as money laundering, which essentially involves making illegally-gained financial proceeds appear to have legitimate source. This paper will reflect on how technological innovation, particularly cryptocurrencies, digital currencies and fintech solutions enable money laundering; as well as the efforts of international organization (such as the Financial Action Task Fund, the Egmont Group and the Inter-Governmental Action Group against Money Laundering in West Africa) to curb same. It will undertake a comparative analysis of the regulatory actions undertaken in relevant jurisdictions to curb money laundering, specifically, Canada, the United States of America, the United Kingdom and Nigeria. This paper will also highlight the need for anti-money laundering ("AML") regulators to actively consult with relevant technology stakeholders in order to enact AML regulations which are tailor-made, practical and pre-empt technological advancements. In addition, this paper will argue that since money launderers are ever so creative in their modus operandi, innovative and dynamic technology-based approach should be adopted in tackling money laundering.


Disease and non-battle injury have historically caused greater morbidity and mortality than battle trauma during military operations, and continue to do so. As a countermeasure, medical force protection (Med FP) measures will assist in the maintenance of combat efficiency, reducing manpower wastage and the inherent consumption of medical, infrastructural and logistical resources at the tactical, operational and strategic levels. This paper considers recent improvements in provision and delivery of essential Med FP measures and outlines the effect and confounding factors associated with pragmatic Med FP delivery across the Task Force Helmand area of responsibility during Op HERRICK 11B-14A (January 2010–July 2011) in Afghanistan, with a particular focus on military environmental health assets.


During the various stages of manufacture of semi-preserved anchovies, histamine shows a significant increase favored by the fragility of anchovies and wealth histidine, an amino acid precursor of histamine. The decarboxylation of histidine is present as a major problem in the industry of semi-preserved anchovies, especially during the ripening step. The objective of this work is to monitor the levels of alteration in a final product subjected to aging by incubation at 30°C ± 1. Accumulation of histamine, as well as microbial population in semi preserved anchovies were investigated. Enterobacteriaceae and Lactobacilli do not seem to resist to the salt applied to the product. They disappear within one month of storage. A total of 665 bacterial strains were selected from the prescreening step using various selective media. Only 20.6% of these selected isolates showed a positive reaction in Niven's differential medium, and 31.4% of the positive isolates were true histamine formers when confirmed by thin layer chromatographie. The values of histamine remain in close contact with the sanitary measures taken by each company. Regular monitoring and mastering of good practices are necessary for a good quality product.

 Key words: Anchovy, bacteria, histamine, histidine, semi-preserved anchovies.


Estradiol is a major regulator of growth for the subset of breast cancers that express the estrogen receptor (ER, ESR1). Strategies to block ER action, via reduction of estradiol or direct inhibition of ER, have shown major success in the prevention and treatment of breast cancer. However, most ER-positive (ER+) metastatic breast cancers (MBC) eventually become resistant to these interventions. Interestingly, high dose estrogen can induce apoptosis in breast cancer cell lines, and high-dose estrogen has been used for over 50 years as therapy for ER+ breast cancer. The mechanism for growth control of MBC by high dose estrogen is unclear. We present a patient with metastatic breast cancer whose tumor was found to have amplification of ESR1 by tumor genome sequencing. This patient was treated with high dose estradiol and subsequently experienced a sustained partial response, which was predicted by prior experiments with patient-derived xenograft animal models containing breast cancers with ER amplification.


Heterostructure tunnel field-effect transistors (HTFET) are promising candidates for low-power applications in future technology nodes, as they are predicted to offer high on-currents, combined with a sub-60 mV/dec subthreshold swing. However, the effects of important quantum mechanical phenomena like size confinement at the heterojunction are not well understood, due to the theoretical and computational difficulties in modeling realistic heterostructures. We therefore present a ballistic quantum transport formalism, combining a novel envelope function approach for semiconductor heterostructures with the multiband quantum transmitting boundary method, which we extend to 2D potentials. We demonstrate an implementation of a 2-band version of the formalism and apply it to study confinement in realistic heterostructure diodes and p-n-i-n HTFETs. For the diodes, both transmission probabilities and current densities are found to decrease with stronger confinement. For the p-n-i-n HTFETs, the improved gate control is found to counteract the deterioration due to confinement.


A 19-year-old male patient who wounded himself with a gun in the cranial region had a Glasgow coma scale of 3E. At posttraumatic day 7, locked-in syndrome was considered upon detection of vertical eye movements, meaningful winks, and quadriplegia. Apart from the classical view, computed tomography (CT) and postmortem examination of the brain showed an infarct area in the cerebellum. However, vertebrobasilar artery system was normal. In this case report, we would like to present that unlike cases with ischemia, specific CT findings may not be evident in posttraumatic cases and ischemia may occur in the cerebellum as a result of the pressure exerted by a sound gun.


Aim. To estimate effects of fosinopril and atenolol on autonomic regulation of heart in patients with arterial hypertension (HT) on the basis of spectral characteristics of heart rate variability (HRV). Material and methods. 49 patients (46±7 y.o.) with untreated or inadequately treated HT without end organ damages and associated clinical conditions were involved in the study. Heart rhythm was registered during passive orthostatic test with spontaneous breath within 10 min for each stage of the test. HRV was estimated by parametrical method based on autoregression model. Frequency power of HRV spectrum (ms2 ) in high-frequency (HF: 0,15-0,4 Hz) and low-frequency (LF: 0,04-0,15 Hz) ranges was calculated as well as the total power of a spectrum (ТР). Results. Fosinopril and atenolol reduced in blood pressure levels similarly, atenolol as well reduced in heart rate. Fosinopril and atenolol changed power of LF-range in comparable decreasing manner in upright position. Fosinopril therapy resulted in the same changes with power of HF-range. Atenolol increased power of HF-range in horizontal position and had no effect in upright position. There were not dynamic in TP during treatments. Conclusion. Fosinopril and atenolol have similar effects on the central mechanisms of autonomic heart regulation and HRV, though atenolol effect on sympathetic-parasympathetic balance is more prominent.


The microwave signals passing through the troposphere are delayed by refraction. Its high variations, both in time and space, are caused mainly by water vapor. The tropospheric delay used to be considered only as a source of error that needed to be removed. Nowadays, these delays are also a source of interest. The tropospheric delays or integrated water vapor are being assimilated into nowcasting or numerical weather prediction (NWP) models. Moreover, long time series of tropospheric observations have become an important source of information for climate studies. On the other hand, the meteorological data support the space-geodetic community by providing models that can be used to reduce the troposphere impact on the signal propagation. Furthermore, the delays calculated by one microwave technique can be used to mitigate the errors in others.

There are several ways of observing the troposphere, especially considering water vapor. The classical meteorological are: in-situ measurements, radiosondes or radiometers, which allow to sense the amount of water vapor directly. Another, indirect way of observing the water vapor distribution is by using the Global Navigation Satellite Systems (GNSS). This method is called GNSS meteorology. Other microwave techniques such as Very Long Baseline Interferometry (VLBI) or Interferometric Synthetic Aperture Radar (InSAR) are also capable to retrieve the atmospheric information from their signals.

This contribution shows an overview of the troposphere sensing techniques and their applications. We present multi-comparisons of the tropospheric parameters, i.e. refractivity, tropospheric delays in zenith and slant directions and integrated water vapor. The integration of the different data sources often leads to an improved accuracy of the tropospheric products but requires a careful preparation of data. The combination of the data sources allows for using the techniques of complementary properties, for example InSAR with very high spatial resolution with GNSS observations of high temporal resolution. With the emergence of new technologies, some traditional ways of tropospheric measurements can be augmented with the new methods. For example, we have tested meteo-drones as an alternative to radiosondes. The comparisons with GNSS data shows a good agreement of the drone and microwave data, even better than with radiosonde. Moreover, we present the results of the GNSS data assimilation into NWP models and the developments towards multi-GNSS, real-time assimilation of advanced products such as slant delays and horizontal tropospheric gradients.


Abstract This article explores how emerging technologies should shape legal studies, recognizing that the new technological era requires a new generation of tech-savvy lawyers who possess specific technology-related skills and knowledge. The article builds on analysis of the future of work through the lens of the International Labor Organization Centenary Declaration, followed by an analysis of the right to education, leading to the formation of a theoretical justification of the legal duty to adapt the legal education curriculum to a technology-driven future. This article exposes the existing state of the legal education curriculum with a systematic analysis of the existing Law & Tech master's programs at leading universities worldwide. This research demonstrates that relatively few (9.8%) leading world universities offer specialized Law & Tech master's programs. This clear underdevelopment of the Law & Tech curriculum suggests that deeply embedded conservatism in legal education might be violating the rights of future lawyers – the right to work and the right to education, in particular.


This study was aimed to investigate the correlation between the serum levels of IL-18 and acute graft versus host disease (aGVHD) in patients received allogeneic hematopoietic stem cell transplantation (allo-HSCT), and to explore the role of serum IL-18 levels in the pathogenesis of aGVHD so as to provide a reliable and early indicator for the diagnosis of aGVHD. 62 patients received allo-HSCT were enrolled in this study. Before and after transplantation, as well as at onset of aGVHD. The serum levels of IL-18 were analyzed by ELISA. 62 patients were divided into 5 groups: group A without aGVHD (28 cases) referred to the patients who had no aGVHD after transplantation and whose specimen were collected before transplantation; group B with aGVHD before transplantation (34 cases) referred to the patients who had aGVHD after transplantation and whose specimen were collected before transplantation; group C before the onset of aGVHD (34 cases) referred to patients with I - II grade a GVHD whose specimen were collected before 3 - 4 days, and according to whether the I - II grade aGVHD patients developed III - IV grade or not after treatment, these patients were divided into two subgroups retrospectively, one subgroup had good curative effect (18 cases) and the other subgroup had not (16 cases); group D with I - II grade aGVHD; group E with III - IV grade aGVHD (16 cases). The results showed that 34 patients developed I - II grade aGVHD, then out of them 16 patients (16/34) developed III - IV grade aGVHD. The serum levels of IL-18 in these patients with aGVHD were higher than that in patients without aGVHD. About 3 days before onset of aGVHD, the serum levels of IL-18 started to increase. The serum levels of IL-18 were correlated with the severity of aGVHD, but no correlation was found with infection, conditioning regimens and disparity of HLA-typing. The serum levels of IL-18 in the early stage of aGVHD were correlated with prognosis. The aGVHD of patients with higher serum levels of IL-18 easy developed to III - IV grade aGVHD. It is concluded that the serum level of IL-18 in the patients received allo-HSCT is related to the occurrence of aGVHD. Detections of serum IL-18 are helpful for the early diagnosis of aGVHD, and the serum levels of IL-18 may be considered as a reliable indicator to evaluate the prognosis and severity of aGVHD.


Modern technology uses a number of surface coating materials, ranging from metallic or polymeric to oxide based ceramic. Among them oxide based glassy and glass-ceramic coating have additional advantages of chemical inertness, high temperature stability and superior mechanical properties as compared to other non-oxide coatings in use. Six detailed chapters cover the general theme of this thesis. Chapter one gives a relevant introduction to existing problem description. It also introduces the main objective to be achieved. Chapter two summarizes a comprehensive literature review which will give a general idea about the investigations of the adherence of the coating to base metal, interface of enamel/metal, the crystallization treatment of enamel coating and the coating of non-ferrous metal. Chapter three presents the theoretical part. .Chapter four includes a mathematical modeling to predict the coating properties by using (SPSS) software. Chapter five concerns with the experimental arrangement and procedure. Finally, the results and discussion and the basic conclusions and recommendations that drawn from this work are presented in chapter six.


Avoiding statistical mistakes is important for educators at all levels. Basic concepts will help you to avoid making mistakes using statistics and to look at data with a critical eye. Statistical data is used at educational institutions for many purposes. It can be used to support budget requests, changes in educational philosophy, changes to programs, and addition of new programs. Therefore, it is important to be sure that decisions based on statistical data are valid. Also, it is important to be certain that the data has been presented in a fair and unbiased way. Otherwise, the changes and decisions may not reflect the best interests of the educational institution or its constituents. Many faculty, staff, and administrators at colleges and universities use statistics to support their findings. Most conclusions are based on the data collected and the analysis. If either the data collected or the analysis is faulty, the conclusions may be invalid. Unfortunately, misuses and abuses are common. This paper attempts to present basic concepts that will help you to avoid making mistakes when using statistics and to look at data with a critical eye. No extensive knowledge of mathematics or statistics is needed to be able to judge the validity of the data. The following questions will be answered: How can administrators avoid making invalid decisions when presented with statistical data? And, how can researchers avoid making mistakes that undermine the validity of their data? First, we will look at sources of bias. Experiments and the collection of data can be influenced by many different sources of bias. These sources include the population used for the study, the sample size and method of selection, the funding of the experiment, statistical assumptions, the publication source, and the biases of the researcher. Examples from within education will be used to gain an understanding of the biases that can occur. Second, we will look at the methods used to analyze and display the statistical data. This can include descriptive statistics and more advanced analysis as well. The characteristics of good graphic presentations of data will be compared to those that are flawed. Examples of graphs that present data fairly will be shown as well as graphs that distort the data. The differences between ordinal and ratio data types will be emphasized. Appropriate uses of ordinal data will be discussed. Also for ratio data a discussion of the meaning of average and importance of measures of variance will be examined. We will also look at the crafting of surveys and the choosing of samples. Finally, we will look at how the results can be interpreted. Valid data and analysis can still result in incorrect interpretation. We will examine examples of cases where misinterpretation is common and results in invalid conclusions. It is important to realize that statistical data and analysis is subject to many forms of error and misinterpretation. All consumers of statistical data need to look carefully at the data and the analysis. Numbers do lie! However, the use of statistics and data is very important in making decisions. By using statistics correctly, we can significantly impact education for the better. This goal can be achieved by those who are knowledgeable about statistics and its use. This paper presents the tools for using statistics correctly and identifying problems with statistical data.


Mission Statement: The book series, entitled "Research in Curriculum and Instruction", will focus on a) considerations of curriculum practices at school, district, state, and federal levels, b) relationship of curriculum practices to curriculum theories and societal issues, c) concerns derived from curriculum policy analyses and from analyses of various curriculum advocacies, and d) insights derived from investigations into curriculum history. Although the series will emphasize the American curriculum scene, aspects of curriculum practice and theory embedded in non-US countries will not be overlooked. Furthermore, this series will not restrict its concern to general curriculum matters, but it will draw explicit attention to curriculum issues relating to the several curriculum subjects. The series' primary concern will be to illuminate practice and issues toward informed and improved curriculum practice. This volume will contain selected papers presented at meetings of the Society for the Study of curriculum History across the past decade plus several specially commissioned papers from senior scholars in the field. Professor Field was the Society's President for some time during that period. Papers will treat dimensions of the development of the American school curriculum, both elementary and secondary.


The results of a laboratory investigation into clarification of syrup by flotation are described, as well as a comprehensive test programme on a full-scale unit installed subsequently at Empangeni mill. The benefitsto be achieved from syrup clarificationhave been established. Factors influencing the performance of syrup clarification are described, which have proved useful in the design of further full-scale units. Preliminary results from a syrup clarifierinstalled at the new Felixton mill are given.


The concept of "gel-enclosed" adsorbents was recently introduced for whole fermentation broth processing. The term "gel-enclosed adsorbents" in this paper refers to small adsorbent particles such as the ones used in affinity or ion-exchange chromatography enclosed within a protective, spherical, semipermeable gel barrier. The barrier can be in the form of an entrapment matrix where a porous gel matrix in itself contains entrapped adsorbent particles, or in the form of an encapsulating membrane where an aqueous spherical core containing the adsorbent particles is enclosed by a gel membrane. Both experimental and theoretical analyses were carried out to elicit a more fundamental view of the diffusion and adsorption phenomena occurring within these forms of adsorbents. Furthermore, the effective porosity of the gel matrix and the effective diffusivities of the species being separated, as well as their adsorption behavior combined result in what is here termed "kinetic selectivity."


The National Institute of Environmental Health Sciences incinerates low-level radioactive waste containing 3H, 14C, and 35S as a means of volume reduction. The primary isotope remaining in the ash is 35S. Some effects of the chemical and physical form of the waste on sulfur retention in ash and several methods for determining the activity remaining in the ash have been explored. It was found that the sulfur in sodium sulfate has a higher retention in ash than the sulfur in methionine and that the presence of glass appears to enhance the retention. Liquid scintillation and proportional counting methods were compared. A sulfur extraction procedure using liquid scintillation counting was found to give the lowest minimum detectable activity. However, it was determined that a more practical method for routine monitoring is to suspend a small quantity of ash in a liquid scintillation gel.


Understanding the association between congenital human cytomegalovirus (HCMV) infection and active maternal HCMV infection during pregnancy is important for maternal and neonatal healthcare. In the present study, a loop-mediated isothermal amplification (LAMP) method was established for the detection of CMV DNA from whole blood or amniotic fluid samples, using reverse transcription-quantitative polymerase chain reaction. The results of the present study demonstrated that the CMV LAMP assay detection was specific for CMV DNA, whereas it did not detect viral DNA from herpes simplex type 1 (HSV-1), HSV-2, varicella zoster virus, HSV-6 or HSV-7. Sensitivity determination using serially-diluted CMV glycoprotein B-containing plasmids, demonstrated that >10 copies per tube were detectable using the CMV LAMP method. Furthermore, the detection results, using the LAMP method for 336 whole blood samples, demonstrated that at a threshold of 10(1)-10(4) copies per tube, the sensitivity of this method was 86.96-100%, the specificity was 97.24-100%, the positive predictive value was 76.92-100% and the negative predictive value was 99.05-100%. The results for 11 amniotic fluid samples from pregnant women with whole blood CMV-positive and 15 control amniotic fluid samples, indicated that the CMV LAMP assay was sensitive and specific for CMV detection. In conclusion, in the present study, a CMV LAMP method was developed, which was shown to be sensitive, specific and efficient in the detection of HCMV infection. Furthermore, CMV LAMP is capable of detecting active CMV infection in pregnant women. Therefore, the current study provides novel insights into diagnostic approaches for active CMV infection in pregnant women.


Signs of early myocardial ischaemia are the most powerful available predictors of myocardial infarction and CHD death. The main primary risk factors are of undiminished importance in such persons, but screening for myocardial ischaemia is not recommended without evidence that intervention at this late stage is effective. Estimates are presented of the relative importance to individuals of the main primary risk factors. Their importance as population risk factors is different, depending on the product of attributable risk and prevalence: a high risk with low prevalence, as from severe hypercholesterolaemia, is of small importance compared with that arising from the numerous individuals with smaller elevations. Most cases of CHD arise from the common and therefore inconspicuous combination of slight increases in two or three factors in the same individual. Selective and opportunistic risk factor screening is recommended, not a general service. An extension of clinical responsibility in the direction of preventive responsibility is generally accepted as proper, even though it is slow in being applied. When someone with symptomless hypertension is given hypotensive drugs with the object of reducing the risk of stroke, that is preventive medicine. The subject having made no complaint is not strictly a patient: but the clinician accepts a responsibility for him because of the high risk that he will become a patient if nothing is done. This is an analogy for our concern with identifying subjects with a high coronary risk, and the attempt in such persons to prevent the onset of major ischaemia.


Issues surrounding credit use in developing countries have come to the forefront because of market globalization and the consequent need for farms to be competitive. This study, conducted among 180 limited-resource, crop-based, commercial-oriented farm households in Trinidad, investigated the variables associated with the decision to use credit or not. Canonical Variate Analysis was used to test differences between group means, as well as to identify the main differentiating variables. Results showed that overall farm performance, some human capital variables (farm experience and education), along with several psychological variables (attitude toward risk, adventurism and fear of the future), and resourcebase variables (capital base, entrepreneurial and managerial abilities) were the more important variables that explained differences in households' decision to use credit or not. Based on the variables identified, profiles of credit users and non users were developed. The importance of the findings for policy and program development was discussed.


PURPOSE
Endoscopic examinations are routine procedures for head-and-neck cancer patients. Our goal is to develop a method to map the recorded video to CT, providing valuable information for radiotherapy treatment planning and toxicity analysis.

METHODS
We map video frames to CT via virtual endoscopic images rendered at the real endoscope's CT-space coordinates. We developed two complementary methods to find these coordinates by maximizing real-to-virtual image similarity:(1)Endoscope Tracking: moves the virtual endoscope frame-by-frame until the desired frame is reached. Utilizes prior knowledge of endoscope coordinates, but sensitive to local optima. (2)Location Search: moves the virtual endoscope along possible paths through the volume to find the desired frame. More robust, but more computationally expensive. We tested these methods on clay phantoms with embedded markers for point mapping and protruding bolus material for contour mapping, and we assessed them qualitatively on three patient exams. For mapped points we calculated 3D-distance errors, and for mapped contours we calculated mean absolute distances (MAD) from CT contours.

RESULTS
In phantoms, Endoscope Tracking had average point error=0.66±0.50cm and average bolus MAD=0.74±0.37cm for the first 80% of each video. After that the virtual endoscope got lost, increasing these values to 4.73±1.69cm and 4.06±0.30cm. Location Search had point error=0.49±0.44cm and MAD=0.53±0.28cm. Point errors were larger where the endoscope viewed the surface at shallow angles<10 degrees (1.38±0.62cm and 1.22±0.69cm for Endoscope Tracking and Location Search, respectively). In patients, Endoscope Tracking did not make it past the nasal cavity. However, Location Search found coordinates near the correct location for 70% of test frames. Its performance was best near the epiglottis and in the nasal cavity.

CONCLUSION
Location Search is a robust and accurate technique to map endoscopic video to CT. Endoscope Tracking is sensitive to erratic camera motion and local optima, but could be used in conjunction with anchor points found using Location Search.


Abstract According to the Eurobarometer (European Commission, 2010), 39% of the Estonian adult population is not physically active at all. This percentage is relatively high compared to other countries that are culturally close to Estonia; the corresponding figure of close neighbors Finland and Sweden is below 10%. The article aims to present the results of a survey of physical activity (n=1,009) conducted in Estonia in 2013 and analyzes physical activity levels across various social groups. The results of the article show that employment, age, education, and ethnicity are important factors for engaging in leisure-time physical activity in Estonia. Non-ethnic Estonians, the less educated, the elderly, the unemployed, and those on maternity leave are less engaged in regular leisure exercise than people in other social groups. The results of the article were used to develop Estonia's Sports 2030 strategy.


Writing with Scripture, the ancient sages of Judaism made use of Scripture by making Scripture their own, and making themselves into the possession and instrument of Scripture as well, a reciprocal process in which both were changed, each transformed into the likeness and image of the other. This they did by effecting their own selections, shaping a distinctive idiom of discourse, all the while citing, responding to, reflecting upon, Scripture's own words in Scripture's own context and for Scripture's own purpose: the here and now of eternal truth. And the rabbis of the first six centuries A.D. through the compilation presented here not only wrote with Scripture, but set forth a statement that was meant to be coherent and proportioned, well-crafted and well-composed. Since that statement concerned the distinctively-theological question of God's and Israel's relationship with one another, we must classify the writing as theological and find out how, in the compilation before us, theirtheological structure accomplished the autorship's goals. This anthology aims at doing just that. It presents a complete account of how the classical Midrash-text treats a theme of urgent interest to the world today: how Judaism writes with Scripture about the issues of religion that confront all the faithful.


Abstract The complete mitochondrial genome sequence of the hedgehog seahorse Hippocampus spinosissimus was first determined in this article. The total length of H. spinosissimus mitogenome is 16 527 bp and consists of 13 protein-coding genes, 2 rRNA genes, 22 tRNA genes and 1 control region. The gene order and composition of H. spinosissimus were similar to those of most other vertebrates. The overall base composition of H. spinosissimus is 32.1% A, 30.3% T, 14.9% G and 22.7% C, with a slight A + T-rich feature (62.4%). Phylogenetic analyses based on complete mitochondrial genome sequence showed that H. spinosissimus has a close genetic relationship to H. ingens and H. kuda.


The present study focused on the separation and identification of the active compounds against head lice from the hexane extract of Annona squamosa L seed. Chromatographic and spectroscopic techniques revealed that two major compounds of the hexane seed extract were oleic acid and triglyceride with one oleate ester. The yields of these compounds were 13.25% and 7.74% dry weight, respectively. The compounds were tested in vitro against head lice, comparing to the crude hexane extract of the seed. The triglyceride with one oleate ester and the crude hexane extract diluted with coconut oil 1:1. These compounds were found to kill all tested head lice in 49, 11 and 30 minutes, respectively. The triglyceride ester can be used as a marker for quantitative analysis of the active compound for quality control of the raw material A. squamosa seed and its extract. This first finding will be useful for quality assessment and the chemical stability of the antihead lice preparation from this plant.


A new technique for the calculation of the surge impedance of high-voltage towers is presented. The tower is represented by a four-terminal network for which the surge characteristics are determined by solving the transmission-line equations. The boundary conditions of voltage at the top and base of the tower are determined using a numerical solution of the electromagnetic field on a physical model of the tower. The physical model is a multiconductor geometrical model incorporating the conductors forming the main body, the slanted conductors, and the horizontal cross-arms where necessary. In the process of computing the terminal voltages and currents, soil resistivity effects are also taken into account. Surge impedance values obtained using this method are in good agreement with both published analytical formulae and field experiments.


Carbon dioxide electroreduction has been considered as one of the most appealing ways to reducing the CO2 emission but raising the selectivity of high-value added products like C2+ still faces great challenge. Herein, we report a convenient way to modify the cubic Cu2O particles through UV-light irradiation induced reduction in a solution containing H2O2 and i-propanol. The plane surface of Cu2O was reconstructed to roughness shell composed of abundant grain boundaries, in which the ration of Cu+/Cu0 can be easily regulated by controlling the irradiation time. At the same time, the increasing electrochemical active surface area facilitated the exposure of active sites. Combining of above factors, the Faradaic efficiency of C2 (ethylene and ethanol) from CO2 electroreduction was greatly increased to 62.56% with a high partial current density of 145 mA cm-2. Our work put forward a facile method for the fine control the surface structure of cuprous oxide and a novel platform to elucidate the synergistic effects of Cu+/Cu0 on CO2 electroreduction.


INTRODUCTION As is well known, studies of most races are showing increased weight and stature of children as compared with the older generations, not only after immigration to America but in their native countries as well. Higher standards of living and the newer knowledge of nutrition have been thought responsible for these changes. Briefly, white schoolboys of the San Francisco bay region1have increased 2 inches (5.08 cm.) in average height and 2 pounds (0.9 Kg.) in average weight in thirty years,2while the girls have advanced 1¾ inches (4.5 cm.) in average stature and 3 pounds (1.3 Kg.) in average weight. The gain of Japanese children in California in twenty years3surpasses this, but the Chinese children of San Francisco prove to be the exception to the rule; not only has there been no change of statistical significance from the figures of sixteen years ago from


With interest we read the article by Farias et al. on a 31 year-old, previously healthy male with SARS-CoV-2 related meningo-encephalitis who died suddenly and unexpectedly during a status epilepticus on the intensive care unit (ICU) [1]. Because the patient was co-infected with influenza-A, it was suspected that meningoencephalitis was due to infection with both viruses [1]. No autopsy was performed. The study is excellent, but has limitations that are cause of concerns and should be discussed. The main limitation of the study is that the patient did not undergo autopsy. To clarify whether SARS-CoV-2 or influenza-A was truly present inside neurons and glial cells, it is critical to have the results of histological, immune-histological, and electron microscopy examinations of the brain. Autopsy is also critical to assess whether the lung was affected or not since no CT of the lungs had been done intra vitam. Another limitation of the study is that no cerebral MRI with contrast medium had been done intra vitam to document the extension and localisation of encephalitis. It would have been also interesting to know whether the patient had developed cerebral edema or brainstem herniation with progression of encephalitis. Another limitation is that RT-PCR for SARS-CoV-2 and influenza-A in the CSF was not repeated and the initial test results were not confirmed by using a different kit to rule out a false positive result on the first test. It is speculative to assume that the patient had both, SARS-CoV-2 encephalitis and influenza-A encephalitis. Since presence of the influenza-A virus was not documented in the CSF, it is rather unlikely that the patient also had influenza-A encephalitis. A cause of death not discussed in the report is sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP). SUDEP has been repeatedly reported as a complication of witnessed and unwitnessed seizures [2]. Because the patient died suddenly and unexpectedly during a status epilepticus on the ICU, it cannot be ruled out that SUDEP was responsible. SUDEP is assumed due to neurogenic pulmonary edema, autonomic dysreflexia, or acute cardiac disease, such as Takotsubo syndrome (TTS), acute heart failure, or ventricular arrhythmias. Therefore, we should know whether the ECG shortly before or during resuscitation on the ICU was abnormal or not and whether a bedside echocardiography was done during CPR. We disagree with the statement that the patient had only neurological symptoms [1]. Figure 1 clearly shows that the patient also had coughing, fever, and running nose, which are all non-neurological. Meningo-encephalitis, myelitis, and ADEM are neither neurological symptoms nor neurological syndromes, as stated in the introduction [1]. All of them are simply central nervous system (CNS) diseases. At the beginning of 2022 anti-SARS-CoV-2 vaccinations were already available. We therefore should know if the patient was vaccinated and had a breakthrough SARSCoV-2 infection or if she was unvaccinated. There is no mention of the anti-seizure drugs the patient received for the initial tonic clonic seizure and for status epilepticus. There is also no mention of the reference limits of the blood and CSF values reported. Overall, the interesting study has limitations that call the results and their interpretation into question. Addressing these issues would strengthen the conclusions and could improve the status of the study. Before claiming that encephalitis was due to SARS-CoV-2 and influenza-A, repeated documentation of the presence of both viruses is warranted. This can be achieved by autopsy, or repeated CSF investigations, both of which were not carried out in the index patient.


Extensive small scale studies have documented that when people assume the role of assisting a person with impairments or an older person, care activities account for a significant portion of their daily routines. Nevertheless, little research has investigated the problem of measuring the time that carers spend in care-related activities. This paper contrasts two different measures of care time – an estimated average weekly hours question in the 1998 Australian Survey of Disability, Ageing and Carers, and diary estimates from the 1997 national Australian Time Use Survey. This study finds that diaries provide information for a more robust estimate, but only after one models the time use patterns in the days of carers to identify care-related activities, which diarists do not necessarily record as care. Such a measure of care time reveals that even people who offer only occasional assistance to a person with impairments tend to spend the equivalent of more than 10 minutes a day providing care. Most caregivers undertake the equivalent of a part-time job to help a friend or family member. Summing the average caregiving time provided by all household members reveals that over a quarter of Australian households caring for an adult or child provide the equivalent of a full-time employee's labour, and another quarter work between 20 and 39 total weekly hours to provide informal care.


The investigation about the utilization of Banana peel (Musa paradisiaca) as biosorbent Rhodamine B dye has been done The purpose of this study was to determine the maximum contact time and to determine the adsorption capacity of kepok banana peel. Completely randomized design (CRD) was used in this research with two variables (the contact time and Rhodamine B concentration. Both variables were done in five levels i.e 10, 30, 60, 90, and 120 min and 2, 4, 6, 8 and 10 ppm respectively. The result showed that the maximum concentration of banana peel in adsorbing Rhodamine B was 6 ppm with 120 of contact time, and Rhodamine B adsorption capacity was  4.55mg/g.
Keywords: Banana peel, Rhodamine B, biosorbent


Locomotion in virtual environments (VEs) remains one of the major problems in current virtual reality research. The most intuitive way to move about the real world is to travel on foot. People often feel a better sense of distance or direction while walking than while riding in a vehicle. This article discusses the development of a locomotion device that provides a sense of walking. In terms of natural interaction, the physical exertion of walking proves essential to locomotion. The research of my colleagues and I aims to give users a sense of walking while their position remains localized in the physical world. We've developed several prototypes of interface devices for walking. From the results of our research, we concluded that an infinite surface would offer an ideal means for giving people a sense of walking. Our device, called the Torus Treadmill, uses a torus-shaped surface to realize the locomotion interface. The surface employs 12 sets of treadmills connected side-by-side and driven in a perpendicular direction. These treadmills generate an infinite surface. We measured the motion of the users' feet with magnetic sensors. The floor moves in the opposite direction of the walker, canceling the motion of each step. The walker's position remains localized in the real world by this computer-controlled motion of the floor. The walker can freely change direction. An image of the virtual space appears in a head-mounted display corresponding to the walker's virtual position.


A facile hydrothermal method has been developed to synthesize natural diatomite into hardened diatomite-based adsorbents with zeolite (analcime) formation for methylene blue (MB) adsorption. The results showed that the initial and final strengths were provided with the formed C–S–H gel and zeolite (analcime), respectively. Due to the low temperature synthesis, the formed analcime and retained diatomite were also found to exert a synergistic effect on MB adsorption. The NaOH concentration had a significant effect on the C–S–H and analcime formations, and a lower NaOH concentration (≤9 M) was favorable for C–S–H gel formation, while analcime formed readily at a higher NaOH concentration (≥12 M). The curing temperature and time also influenced the formation of analcime, a long curing time (≥12 h) or a high temperature (≥473 K) was favorable for analcime formation, while an over-long time (≥24 h) or over-high temperature (≥493 K) had a negative effect on the strength of the specimens. The adsorption of MB in this study followed pseudo-second-order kinetics, with a maximum adsorption capacity of 129.87 mg g−1 at 308 K, according to the Langmuir model. Thermodynamic studies also showed that the adsorption process was spontaneous and endothermic. As such, tough diatomite-based adsorbents with analcime formation could be synthesized hydrothermally, and could be used to capture MB in wastewater efficiently.


The quest to bring new land under cultivation has been the cornerstone of Egyptian agricultural policy since the 1950s. At the same time, overpopulation in the Nile delta and valley, and the gradual shifting of economy from an agricultural to an industrial base together with different forms of desertification processes have led to the loss of highly fertile agricultural land. Therefore, there is an urgent need to address and analyse these changes in order to serve the development plans of the country. In this paper a maximum likelihood supervised classification was applied to subsets of the Landsat Thematic Mapper (TM) and Enhanced Thematic Mapper (ETM +) images acquired on 26 March 1989 and 19 March 2001, respectively, to monitor agricultural land changes in the Eastern Nile Delta of Egypt between the two dates. A supervised classification was carried out with the six reflective bands for the two images individually and ground truth data were used to assess the accuracy of the classification. Generally, it was found that urban areas increased by 34%, which was considered to be the highest land cover change in the study area. This increase in urban areas took place on desert and highly productive agriculture land in the Nile delta as a result of overpopulation and economic growth. In spite of the continuous efforts to reclaim the desert and increase cultivated land, agricultural land has been decreased by about 2%. At the same time, more concern is required to prevent the urban encroachment at the expense of productive agricultural land. The results are analysed and discussed.


This paper presents a comprehensive sensitivity analysis to identify the uncertain parameters which significantly influence the decision-making process in distributed generation (DG) investments and quantify their degree of influence. To perform the analysis, a DG investment planning model is formulated as a novel multistage and multiscenario optimization problem. Moreover, to ensure tractability and make use of exact solution methods, the entire problem is kept as a mixed-integer linear programming optimization. A real-world distribution network system is used to carry out the analysis. The results of the analysis generally show that uncertainty as well as operational variability of the considered parameters have meaningful impacts on investment decisions of DG. The degree of influence varies from one parameter to another. But, in general, ignoring or inadequately considering uncertainty and variability in model parameters has a quantifiable cost. Hence, the analysis made in this paper can be very useful to identify the most relevant model parameters that need special attention in planning practices.


Abstract: Objective: To investigate the risk factors of falls in elderly patientsv and put forward feasible measures. Methods: A total of 107 elderly patients were enrolled in our department from May 2014 to May 2015 to assess the risk factors for their fall. Results: The risk factors of falls in elderly patients were: body function degradation, disease factors, mental state change, medication, and environmental factors. Conclusion:There are many factors that lead to the fall of elderly patients,to take targeted measures can effectively prevent the occurrence of falls.


The growing number in urban poor and lack of safety net for them are the challenges for the urban development in Cambodia. Compared to other countries in Asia, Cambodia is one of the poorest countries with 36 percent of people living under poverty line of which 21 % in urban areas and 40 percent in rural areas. The study examines the current situation of urban poverty, poverty reduction initiatives and safety net in the country. It also analyses factors that create urban poverty, takes advantage of lessons learnt through programs supporting urban poverty and safety net in order to improve policies addressing social exclusion and to influence policy-makers, increases the understandings of causes, factors and mechanisms that push urbanization, to help reduce regional development gap between rural and urban areas. Finally, the study provides policy options to find ways which facilitate social integration of urban poor through training programs, alternative income generating activities, and cultural activities. The study found that urban poverty reduction and safety net is facing many challenges. There is lack of coherent framework for the national level. Government's week initiatives result from poor resources and limited fund to address urban poverty reduction and to improve safety net. While the urban poor depends on the NGOs and charitable initiatives, many activities are required to be conducted by strong commitment from the Government including compensation scheme, low-cost housing for relocation of slum community, vocational training and employment generation to the urban poor.


Undifferentiated pleomorphic sarcoma (UPS) and leimyosarcoma are two of the most common adult soft tissue sarcomas. Their etiology is unknown hence the need for new models to elucidate the biology of these diseases. We report here a spontaneously occurring mouse model of sarcoma in Usp18 knockout mice. Usp18 is the deconjugase for isgylation. Isgylation is the ubiquitin-like protein modification in which ISG15 is conjugated to proteins. Usp18 removes ISG15 from the target proteins, thus reversing the functional consequences of ISG15 conjugation. Usp18 knockout mice on a C57Bl6 background developed neurological abnormalities and exhibited 100% mortality within 5 months. These mice were also hypersensitive to Type I IFN stimulation, which was attributed to an increased JAK-STAT signaling. We now report that Usp18 knockout mice in a FVB background developed subcutaneous tumors in the neck and trunk regions from ages ranging from 6 months to 16 months. Tumor formation to date shows a penetrance of 77%. Immunohistochemical analysis characterized the tumors as either UPSs or leimyosarcomas. About 30% of these tumors displayed stabilization of p53, a common event also seen in human sarcomas. We derived two cell lines (KHC-1, KHC-2) from the sarcomas of separate mice, and analyzed the levels of STAT family proteins in these cell lines. Stat3 was noted to be constitutively activated in these sarcoma cell lines. Persistent activation of Stat3 is seen in diverse human malignancies such as breast and head and neck cancers. To determine if restoring Usp18 activity reverses tumorigenicity in these cells, human USP18 was introduced retrovirally. Cells re-expressing USP18 versus empty vector showed a substantial decrease in anchorage independent growth in soft agar and also had reduced levels of activated Stat3 (pStat3). Furthermore, treatment of the parental cell lines with a Stat3 inhibitor, JSI-124, led to decreased cell growth, apoptosis and reduced levels of pStat3. In summary, Usp18 knockout mice spontaneously develop sarcomas, whose tumorigenicity can be partially reversed by reintroduction of Usp18. Thus, this new and tractable model should prove useful to elucidate the activity of Stat3 targeting and other agents to treat sarcomas. Citation Format: Fadzai Chinyengetere, Andrew Giustini, David Sekula, Sarah Freemantle, Vincent A. Memoli, Paul Jack Hoopes, Ethan Dmitrovsky. Spontaneous formation of sarcomas in Usp18 knockout mice. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 1089. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-1089


Introduction There is accumulating evidence implicating the role of leadership in system failures that have resulted in a range of errors in healthcare, from misdiagnoses to failures to recognise and respond to patient deterioration. This has led to concerns about traditional hierarchical leadership structures and created an interest in the development of collective ways of working that distribute leadership roles and responsibilities across team members. Such collective leadership approaches have been associated with improved team performance and staff engagement. This research seeks to improve our understanding of collective leadership by addressing two specific issues: (1) Does collective leadership emerge organically (and in what forms) in a newly networked structure? and (2) Is it possible to design and implement collective leadership interventions that enable teams to collectively improve team performance and patient safety? Methods and analysis The first phase will include a social network analysis, using an online survey and semistructured interviews at three time points over 12 months, to document the frequency of contact and collaboration between senior hospital management staff in a recently configured hospital group. This study will explore how the network of 11 hospitals is operating and will assess whether collective leadership emerges organically. Second, collective leadership interventions will be co-designed during a series of workshops with healthcare staff, researchers and patient representatives, and then implemented and evaluated with four healthcare teams within the hospital network. A mixed-methods evaluation will explore the impact of the intervention on team effectiveness and team performance indicators to assess whether the intervention is suitable for wider roll-out and evaluation across the hospital group. Ethics and dissemination Favourable ethical opinion has been received from the University College Dublin Research Ethics Committee (HREC-LS-16–116397/LS-16-20). Results will be disseminated via publication in peer-reviewed journals, national and international conferences, and to relevant stakeholders and interest groups.


Gender stereotypes that associate science and technology to men more than women create subtle barriers to women's advancement in these fields. But how do stereotypic associations, when internalized by women, relate to their own sense of fit and organizational commitment? Our research is the first to demonstrate that, among working engineers, women's own gender stereotypic implicit associations predict lower organizational commitment. In a sample of 263 engineers (145 women), women (but not men) who implicitly associated engineering with men more than women were less committed to their organization. This relationship was mediated by lower self-efficacy and value fit, and not explained by other personality, demographic, or organizational factors. We discuss how internalized cultural biases can constrain women's experiences in STEM.


Support vector machines (SVMs) are powerful classifiers, with very good recognition rates in image analysis tasks. However their computational time in the object recognition phase is often large due to the number of classifications per scene and to the feature vector size, especially when the feature space is formed from raw image data. Several methods are reported in the literature to make the classification faster, as selecting only the most significant support vectors or reducing the feature vector length by image transforms (wavelets, PCA) prior to SVM training and classification. The method we propose is different in principle. Instead of applying the transform prior to training and thus changing the representation space, we only perform a unitary orthogonal real transform in the classification phase on the resulting support vectors and on the pattern to be classified. As the inverse matrices of these transforms are exactly the transposed of the transform matrices, we mathematically prove that the dot product of any two vectors has the same expression in the original and the transformed space. This, combined with the energy compaction property of a suitable transform, leads to a faster computation of the dot products, if the transform has a fast implementation algorithm. We use the discrete cosine transform (DCT) due to its good energy compaction on digital images. Our first experiments on a face recognition application are promising: at the same recognition rate, our algorithm leads to an average 30% reduction in the number of elementary operations per classification


We introduced pelvis semi-rigid material (ethylene vinyl acetate) (Free-Pelvis) to improve the comfort and adaptability of very rigid braces (VRBs) for adolescents with idiopathic scoliosis (AIS), but this can also negatively impact the corrective forces on the trunk. Study Design: This was a matched retrospective cohort study. The inclusion criteria were AIS, age 10–16, VRB 23 h/day, X-rays available, primary curve 36°–65°, and angle of trunk rotation 7–23°. The cases were Sforzesco VRB with Free-Pelvis (FPB). The controls included classical Sforzesco VRB matched for Risser (range 0/4), menarche age (10/15), weight (33.5/83 kg), height (140/180 cm), BMI (13.5/29 kg/sqm), aesthetics (TRACE 4/12), plumbline distances (S1: −60/35; C7 + L3: −10/115 mm), and referred brace use (22/24 h/day). Statistics: predictors of the results have been tested with linear and logistic regression according to the outcome variable type. We performed logistic regression for improved vs. worsened. The explanatory variable was brace type. We included 777 VRB and 25 FPB, age 13 ± 1, 47° ± 8° Cobb, and 11% men. The few baseline statistical differences were not clinically relevant. We achieved in-brace corrections of 15.2° ± 7.7° and 17.4° ± 6.5° for VRB and FPB, respectively (p = 0.21); out-of-brace corrections at 5 ± 2 months were 7.8° ± 0.2° for VRB and 8.1° ± 1.3° for FPB (p = 0.83). The type of brace did not influence the Cobb angle at either time interval or affect the odds of improvement. Free-Pelvis innovation, introduced to improve comfort and adaptability, does not change the in-brace or short-term results of classical VRB and consequently can be safely applied.


A 10-bit 300 MSample/s pipelined analog to digital converter (ADC) using time-interleaved successive approximation register (SAR) ADC in the first stage is presented. By replacing the front-end pipelined stages with energy-efficient SAR-ADC, power hungry sample-and-hold amplifier can be removed and rail-to-rail input can be used. In addition, feedback factor of the first MDAC can be increased, which significantly reduces the power consumption of the first opamp. Simulation results in 90 nm CMOS show that 8.88 bits of effective-number-of-bits at 300 MHz sampling rate can be achieved while consuming 77mW at 1.2V supply. Figure-of-merit of the proposed ADC is 545fJ/Conv, which is one of the lowest among the recently reported ADCs that achieve 10-bit resolution with sampling rates of hundreds of mega-hertz.


This paper considers the tracking control of a nonaffine system. A performance-dependent self-organizing approximation approach is proposed. The designer specifies a positive tracking error criteria. The self-organizing approximation based controller then monitors the tracking performance and adds basis elements only as needed to achieve the tracking specification.


Geometrical discontinuities in mechanical components are detrimental for the mechanical properties of the product itself. Actually, in proximity of such features, the stress increases due to the stress concentration factor, that in the case of a circular hole is equal to 3. Several solutions have been proposed to reduce the stress concentration value. In the present article, the application of a particular porous pattern that can be obtained by laser cutting with the appropriate finishing requirements is introduced in order to modify the local stress field and reduce the stress concentration value near the hole boundary.


We provide a primer on the market for securities' lending of equities in the United States. We describe the basic market structure, along with descriptions of the relevant market participants. We build intuition for the basic economic forces in this decentralized market through a series of examples that sequentially build on each other layering on the particular fees and collateral requirements commonly levied in short-selling transactions. We also provide a survey of the academic literature to date on the relationship between short selling and securities' prices.


Purpose: Gamma knife radiosurgery (GKR) requires frame positioning because the treatment target should be as close as possible to the center of the frame. The purpose of this study was to identify the level of pin-fixing (PFP) and removal pain (PRP), and the associ ated factors with the pain undergoing GKR. Methods: A total of 116 patients who underwent GKR for their brain tumor were recruited from C University hospital located in H city, J province. The level of pain was measured by the 10 cm VAS. Results: The level of PFP and PRP were 6.36 and 3.26 points, respectively. Step-wise multiple regressions found that the group who have not perceived numbness after applying 5% EMLA cream was the highest associated factor with PFP, following the time from lidocaine injection to pin-fixation, which explained 21% of total variance of the level of PFP. On the other hand, a group who did not perceive numbness af ter applying 10% lidocaine spray was the highest factor with PRP, among female patients, which explained 27% of total variance of the level of PRP. Conclusion: Both of PFP and PRP of the stereotactic frame were moderate so that nurses should consider diverse strategies to reduce pain among patients undergoing gamma knife radiosurgery.


Standalone power supplies using renewable energy resources become a key solution to address both energy consumption and environmental restrictions in remote locations. These standalone systems are weak low-voltage networks, wherein the presence of heavy non-linear and/or unbalanced loads may adversely affect the output voltage quality. Accordingly, four-leg voltage-source inverters play an important role by providing both balanced and unbalanced loads with clean power and balanced output voltage. The reported work proposes a sliding mode control (SMC) along with an iterative learning control (ILC) for harmonic compensation in the presence of critical load conditions such as unbalanced non-linear loads. Indeed, under substantial disturbances, the ILC harmonic compensator smoothly adjusts the input control signal of the SM controller in such a manner to properly reject the disturbing harmonics. The design methodology of the proposed SMC–ILC control scheme is detailed and its effectiveness is validated through simulation and experimental results.


An innovative variable-structure-systems-based approach for online training of neural network (NN) controllers as applied to the speed control of electric drives is presented. The proposed learning algorithm establishes an inner sliding motion in terms of the controller parameters, leading the command error towards zero. The outer sliding motion concerns the controlled electric drive, the state tracking error vector of which is simultaneously forced towards the origin of the phase space. The equivalence between the two sliding motions is demonstrated. In order to evaluate the performance of the proposed control scheme and its practical feasibility in industrial settings, experimental tests have been carried out with electric motor drives. Crucial problems such as adaptability, computational costs, and robustness are discussed. Experimental results illustrate that the proposed NN-based speed controller possesses a remarkable learning capability to control electric drives, virtually without requiring a priori knowledge of the plant dynamics and laborious startup procedures


Objective: The time sequence transmission map and the cases travel track were used to explain the chain of transmission, describe the characteristics of transmission and analyze the mode of epidemic of novel coronavirus pneumonia, so as to provide evidence for the relevant government departments to carry out epidemic prevention and control. Methods: The time sequence transmission map and the cases travel track table were drawn, according to the time of incidence, age, sex, number of close contacts and their interrelations. Results: At the end of February 10, 2020, 63 COVID-19 cases were reported in the research area. Among them, 57 cases were confirmed (1 deaths) and 6 cases were asymptomatic, 57 cases were imported cases (90.48%), 36 cases were reported by cluster epidemic (57.14%) among friends and relatives. Cases have been spread to the fourth generation. Conclusion: The time sequence transmission map and the cases travel track showed that, in the research area, the epidemic situation of COVID-19 was mainly caused by imported case, and the clustering transmission was the major spread model. The time sequence transmission map and the cases travel track are worth popularizing in the prevention and control of major infectious diseases.


The emergence of resistance and tolerance to the existing drugs has created a decreased efficacy of these drugs in use. Along with the advancement in other fields of medicine, the problem of resistance has been tried to be overcome by increasing the drug delivery to the target site by the use of polymers or through nanotechnology, synthesis of new drugs, either by the use of proteomics or synthesis from lactic acid bacteria, or marine microorganisms. Recent research has revealed a potential therapeutic role for the manipulation of the microbiota in the maintenance of human health and treatment of various mucosal disorders. Probiotic microorganisms can shape the immune system both at the local and systemic level which will allow future probiotics as treatments for many diseases. The benefits include either a shortened duration of infections or decreased susceptibility to pathogens.
                   Probiotic bacteria have multiple and various influences onthe host. Different organisms can influence the intestinal luminal environment, epithelial and mucosal barrier function, and the mucosal immune system. The numerous cell types affected by probiotics involve epithelial cells, dendritic cells, monocytes/macrophages, B cells, T cells. Probiotics do not always colonize the intestinal tract to exert their effects. Some probiotics like Bifidobacterium longum become part of the human intestinal microflora, whereas others like Lactobacillus casei indirectly exert their effects in a transient manner as they pass through by remodeling or influencing the existing microbial community.
Probiotics seem to have promising role in shortening duration of infections or decreasing susceptibility to the pathogens. Incorporation of probiotics in nutrition as a means of derivation of health benefits. The best documented effects include bowel disorders such as lactose intolerance, antibiotic-associated diarrhea and infectious diarrhea, emerging evidence accumulates concerning their potential role in various other conditions. In the same time as relevant consumer awareness grows, such products are becoming increasingly popular and tend to represent one of the largest functional food markets.
Key words: probiotics, Antibiotic associated diarrhea, microorganisms, Antibiotic resistance, Lactic acid bacteria.


Gallstone ileus is a rare form of mechanical intestinal obstruction caused by the passage of gallstones in the gastrointestinal lumen and is often diagnosed in elderly females. Diagnosis can be difficult due to nonspecific findings during physical examination and there are a number of options regarding surgical or endoscopic treatment. We report the rare case of a 77- year-old female patient with gastrointestinal obstruction due to a gallstone, but without a cholecystointestinal fistula. Clinicians should be aware of this rare entity especially in emergency situations, as early diagnosis and appropriate subsequent therapy in such cases is essential to reduce mortality.


The design of a duty-cycled PLL (DCPLL) capable of burst mode operation is presented. The proposed DCPLL is a moderately accurate low-power high-frequency synthesizer suitable for use in nodes for wireless sensor networks (WSN). Thanks to a dual loop configuration, the PLL's total frequency error, once in lock, is less than 0.25% from 300 MHz to 1.2 GHz. It employs a fast start-up DCO which enables its operation at duty-cycles as low as 10%. Fabricated in a baseline 65 nm CMOS technology, the DCPLL circuit occupies 0.19 x 0.15 mm2 and draws 200 μA from a 1.3 V supply when generating bursts of 1 GHz signal with a 10% duty-cycle.


INTRODUCTION: The cost-effectiveness of Human papillomavirus (HPV)-based primary cervical screening in the Irish healthcare setting is assessed using a decision-analysis approach to inform a decision around changes to the national screening program. Current practices comprises primary screening with liquid-based cytology (LBC) followed by HPV triage, at 3-yearly intervals for ages 25 to 45 years and 5-yearly until age 60 years. METHODS: This study assessed changing the primary screening test from LBC to HPV testing, in both an unvaccinated and a vaccinated (against HPV 16/18) cohort. It considered extending the screening interval (to 5-yearly for all), the upper age limit (from 60 to 65 years) and different test sequences (four possible tests were included: HPV, LBC, partial genotyping for HPV16 or HPV 18 and the molecular biomarker p16INK4a/Ki67). A Markov-model for HPV-infection and cervical cancer was developed based on a German cervical screening model (1). The perspective of the healthcare system was adopted and a 5 percent discount rate used. RESULTS: Strategies using HPV as the primary screening test are more effective than LBC-based strategies. The optimal strategy, at a willingness-to-pay threshold of EUR45,000 per quality-adjusted life year (QALY), for the unvaccinated cohort was HPV-based primary screening with a LBC triage test, at five-yearly intervals from age 25 to 60 years. This strategy is cost saving compared with current practice and cost effective when compared to no screening, with an Incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of EUR18,164 per QALY. The optimal strategy for the vaccinated cohort was also HPV primary screening with a LBC triage test, at five-yearly intervals from age 25 to 60 years. While more effective and cost saving compared with current practice, it would not be considered cost effective compared with no screening (ICER of EUR58,745/QALY). CONCLUSIONS: Based on our analyses, HPV-based cervical screening is more effective and cost saving compared with LBC-based screening for both vaccinated and unvaccinated cohorts in an Irish setting.


A semi-automated technique for massive parallel solid-phase organic synthesis based on a "split only" strategy is described. Two different types of purpose-oriented reaction vessels are used. The initial steps are performed in domino blocks, and the resin-bound intermediates then split into wells of a micro plate for the last combinatorial step. The domino block is a reaction block for manual and semi-automatic parallel solid-phase organic synthesis that simplifies liquid exchange and integrates common synthetic steps. The synthesis in micro plates does not use any filter for separation of resin beads from the supernatant liquid, and allows high throughput parallel synthesis on solid phase to be performed. This technique, documented on examples of diverse disubstituted benzenes, includes the use of gaseous cleavage in the last synthetic step and allows the synthesis of thousands of compounds per day in mg quantities.


OBJECTIVE
To observe the variations of intracellular localization and expression of importin 8 (IPO8) during osteoblast differentiation.

METHODS
Alizarin red staining, immunocytochemistry and real-time PCR were employed to examine the changes in the intracellular localization and expression of IPO8 mRNA during induced osteogenic differentiation of human osteoblast-like SaOS-2 cells.

RESULTS
Numerous red mineralized nodules were observed on day 10 in the induced cells with alizarin red staining. Immunocytochemical staining showed that IPO8 immunoreactivity was the strongest in the perinuclear cytoplasm of the cells. On day 3 of osteoblast differentiation, IPO8 immunoreactivity in the cell nuclei became stronger. On day 7, IPO8 was located mainly in the nuclei, and on day 10 the cells were osteocyte-like and IPO8 was distributed in the cytoplasm. Real-time PCR showed a significantly increased expression of OPN mRNA during osteoblast differentiation, and the expression level of IPO8 mRNA was the highest on day 3 and declined on days 7 and 10.

CONCLUSION
The intracellular localization and expression level of IPO8 undergo significant changes during osteogenesis, indicating its role in regulating osteoblast differentiation.


Abstract Background: Anemia, a frequent and deleterious condition in patients with cancer, is mainly caused by chemotherapy toxicity, iron deficiency, or inflammation. We evaluated the baseline iron metabolism biomarkers and their association with anemia occurrence during chemotherapy in patients with early breast cancer (EBC). Methods: In this monocentric retrospective study, classical iron metabolism markers and new biomarkers as well as sTfR and hepcidin were assessed at baseline in 347 patients with EBC who received a sequential taxane and anthracycline-based regimen between April 2007 and October 2009. Hemoglobin level was measured every 21 days. Results: Thirty-five patients had baseline iron deficiency and 13 inflammatory iron sequestration. In multivariate analysis, only high sTfR (OR=27.6, p<0.001, 95% CI 8.74–87) and pre-menopausal status (OR=7.3, 95% CI 0.04–0.43, p=0.001) remained statistically associated with iron deficiency. High hepcidin values and inflammatory iron sequestration were significantly associated (p=0.032). In total 6.1% patients had baseline anemia and 86.2% patients developed anemia during chemotherapy (41 had grade ≥2 anemia). Baseline hemoglobin below 13 g/dL and low hepcidin levels were the two independent predictive factors of severe anemia. Conclusions: In early breast cancer treated by chemotherapy, only baseline hemoglobin and hepcidin levels are independent predictive factors of anemic syndrome occurrence.


2014 The Pig-a gene is involved in the synthesis of glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI) anchors. Pig-a gene mutations can be detected by identifying the presence of CD59, the GPI anchor protein, on the surface of erythrocytes (RBC Pig-a assay) and reticulocytes (PIGRET assay) and can be identified using flow cytometry. The usefulness of these Pig-a gene mutation assays has been confirmed in multi-laboratory trials with referenced mutagens. Although 4, 4 ′ -methylenedianiline (MDA) is an aromatic amine and has been identified as a potent hepatic carcinogen, in vivo micronucleus tests for MDA in hematopoietic cells determined that it was negative to weakly positive for genotoxicity. In the present study, we examined the mutagenicity of MDA in the peripheral blood of rats after 1- and 28-day MDA dosing using the Pig-a gene mutation assays. We also examined the utility of the RBC Pig-a and PIGRET assays. No changes in mutation frequency were observed after one-day MDA administration. Repeated dosing caused a moderate increase in mutation frequency compared to vehicle control at days 14 and 28, as measured by the RBC Pig-a assay and at day 14 by the PIGRET assay. The highest mutation frequency was found on days 7 and 14 by the PIGRET and RBC Pig-a assays, respectively. In this study, we detected the mutagenicity of MDA in peripheral blood samples using gene mutation assays and judged to be positive for the MDA mutagenicity since a significant increase in mutation frequency was observed at high dose. These assays are expected to be easily integrated into general toxicity tests and to be combined with ex-isting genotoxicity


Ipecac syrup and ipecac fluidextract are commonly used for a variety of reasons in pediatric practice. This brief history of the difficulties following the ingestion of ipecac fluidextract is presented as a reminder of the differences between ipecac fluidextract and ipecac syrup, and the potential toxicity of each. A 2½-year-old child, a son of a physician, ingested approximately six 4 mg. chlorpheniramine (Chlor-Trimeton) maleate tablets. The father, a surgeon then on rounds at the local hospital, consulted with a group of three pediatricians as to what would be appropriate therapy. It was the agreed consensus that the child should be given "ipecac," a teaspoonful every five minutes until vomiting ensued. The father obtained from the local hospital pharmacy a bottle of ipecac, fluidextract, dispensed by a substitute pharmacist who was on duty for this one day only. The near catastrophe that followed points up the fact that ipecac is not


The recent change in the global economic environment produced a significant transformation in the conditions that affect managerial decisions. In fact, the increase in globalization led to higher managerial flexibility and a transformation in competition. Additionally, the financial crisis caused a lack of liquidity in financial markets. These circumstances originated a shift in the way investment opportunities should be analysed in global industries. Managerial flexibility can translate itself into expansion to other markets besides the initial ones. This possibility is analysed in the existing literature through real options analysis. In global markets competition is assured by global firms. However, the number of these firms is scarce. Therefore, global competition is made by a limited number of firms. This type of competition is analysed in the existing literature through game theory. The lack of liquidity in financial markets makes financing harder to obtain and exacerbates the conflicts of interests between the different stakeholders of a firm. Such conflicts are studied in the existing literature through agency theory. Therefore, a real options analysis under agency conflicts between equity and debt in the presence of competition is well suited to analyse investment opportunities in the present economic environment. The setting under which such analysis is performed considers two firms in a market that share a growth option to expand its scale of operations for a fixed investment outlay. The firms are financed by both equity and debt and the exercise of the expansion option is financed by an additional equity issue. Cournot-Nash equilibrium is considered and two alternative managerial policies are set: a first-best policy, which maximizes the value of the firm and a second-best policy, which maximizes the value of the equity of the firm. The results obtained with the numerical simulation performed demonstrate that agency costs exist in the presence of competition and lead to an underinvestment situation.


There are many surface technologies aimed at improving fatigue strength by inducing big and deep compressive residual stress. The Ultrasonic Nanocrystal Surface Modification (UNSM) technology is one of them. The UNSM technology has been applied to carbon steel AISI1045, chrome molybdenum steel AISI4137, hot tool steel H13 (SKD61) and bearing steel AISI52100. The mechanical properties of these steels before and after UNSM treatment are analyzed and compared. Rotary bending fatigue test until 10 9 cycles(VHCF) is carried out in order to verify the UNSM effects. SEM, ESBD and TEM analysis are performed to investigate the effects of UNSM treatment. The contribution of mechanical properties to fatigue strength improvement is discussed.


Novel organic single Machine learning has fascinated more and more attention in the past few decades. In this paper, we have proposed machine learning-based system architecture and algorithms to find patterns of learning, interaction, and relationship and effective valuation for a complex system involving massive data that could be obtained from a proposed collective learning environment (CLE). Collective learning may take place among larger team members to find solutions for real-time events or problems, and to discuss concepts or interactions during situational judgment tasks (SJT). Modelling a collective, networked system that involves multimodal data presents many challenges. This paper focuses on proposing a Machine Learning - (ML)-based system architecture to promote understanding of the behaviours, group dynamics, and interactions in the CLE. The designed framework integrates techniques from computational psychometrics (CP) and deep learning models that include the utilization of convolution neural networks (CNNs) for feature extraction, skill identification, and pattern recognition. The proposed framework also identifies the behavioral components at a micro level, and can help us model behaviors of a group involved in learning.