The concept of representing a polytope that is associated with some combinatorial optimization problem as a linear projection of a higher-dimensional polyhedron has recently received increasing attention. In this paper (written for the newsletter Optima of the Mathematical Optimization Society), we provide a brief introduction to this topic and sketch some of the recent developments with respect to both tools for constructing such extended formulations as well as lower bounds on their sizes.


Nonterrestrial networks have been attracting much interest from the industry and academia. Satellites and high-altitude platform station (HAPS) systems are expected to be the key enablers of next-generation wireless networks. In this article, we introduce a novel downlink satellite communication (SatCom) model, where free-space optical (FSO) communication is adopted between a satellite and a HAPS node. A hybrid FSO/radio-frequency transmission model is used between the HAPS node and the ground station (GS). In the first phase of transmission, the satellite selects the HAPS node that provides the highest signal-to-noise ratio. In the second phase, the selected HAPS decodes and forwards the signal to the GS. To evaluate the performance of the proposed system, outage probability expressions are derived for exponentiated Weibull and shadowed-Rician fading models while considering the atmospheric turbulence, stratospheric attenuation, and attenuation due to scattering, path loss, and pointing errors. Additionally, asymptotic analysis is carried out, and diversity gain is provided. Furthermore, the impacts of the aperture averaging technique, temperature, and wind speed are investigated. We also provide some important guidelines that can be helpful for the design of practical HAPS-aided SatCom. Finally, the results show that the use of HAPS improves the system performance and that the proposed model performs better than all other existing models.


Pressure-tip catheters (PTCs) are used to evaluate ventricular mechanics during surgical repair of congenital heart disease in children. Studies in infants require miniaturized sensors. We compared the safety and accuracy of a 2-Fr ultraminiature PTC with a 5-Fr PTC. In 10 piglets (weight 19–22 kg), a 5-Fr PTC was inserted through a 3-mm apical puncture with a #11 blade. A 20-gauge angiocatheter was inserted using a separate site. A 2-Fr PTC was threaded through the angiocatheter lumen. The angiocatheter was withdrawn, leaving the 2-Fr PTC within the left ventricle (LV). Left ventricular pressure (LVP) changes were measured during three inferior vena caval occlusions. Reliability coefficients demonstrated correlation between the 2-Fr PTC and 5-Fr PTC for LV end-diastolic pressure (0.90–0.95), peak LVP (0.92–0.99), and the maximal (0.87–0.93) and minimal (0.89–0.94) first derivatives of LVP. Bland-Altman analysis demonstrated agreement for all variables. Blood loss was trivial with pressure manipulation and catheter placement and removal. Pressure measurements using the 2-Fr PTC were accurate and comparable with those from the 5-Fr PTC. Transventricular placement of a 2-Fr PTC is feasible and should allow evaluation of ventricular mechanics during surgical repair of congenital heart disease.


This article explains the empirical connection between dyadic capability differences and international conflict as a consequence of how, when, and where states enter the international system. State capabilities are largely static, and, since states enter the system in geographic clusters, the processes of state maturation affect contiguous and regionally proximate states similarly. This makes dyadic capability differences static as well. The lack of change in capability differences over time suggests that the parity-conflict relationship is largely a product of the factors associated with state system entry. Indeed, as I demonstrate, several different proxies for the conditions of state system entry separately eliminate any statistical relationship between parity and militarized dispute onset, 1816–2001. I also find no relationship between parity and the wars that have occurred during that same time period. These results have a number of implications for the role of power and capabilities in explaining international conflict.


BACKGROUND
Since 1990, neonatal, infant, and child mortality has substantially decreased in Iran. However, estimates for mortality by cause at subnational scale are not available.

METHODS
This study is part of the Global Burden of Diseases, Injuries, and Risk Factors study (GBD) 2019. Here we report the number and rates of neonate, infant, and child deaths by cause across provinces of Iran from 1990 to 2019.

RESULTS
Between 1990 and 2019, the neonatal mortality rate per 1000 live births decreased from 31.8 (95% UI: 28.1-35.5) to 6.8 (6.1-7.4). The child mortality rates decreased from 71.2 (63.6-79.1) to 11.1 (10.2-12.0) per 1000 live births. Mortality rates among neonates per 1000 live births ranged from 3.1 (2.6-3.7) to 10.0 (9.2-10.8) across provinces in 2019. Child mortality rate per 1000 live births ranged from 5.5 (4.6-6.5) to 17.9 (16.4-19.4) across provinces in 2019. Neonatal disorders, congenital birth defects, and lower respiratory infections were the three main causes of mortality in almost all provinces of Iran. The majority of neonatal disorders were due to neonatal preterm birth and neonatal asphyxia, trauma, and infections. The trends of mortality across provinces from 1990 to 2019 were converging and decreased along with increase in sociodemographic index (SDI).

CONCLUSION
All provinces achieved the Sustainable Development Goal 3.2 of neonatal mortality less than 12 and child mortality less than 25 per 1000 live births. However, disparities still exist across provinces, specifically in low-SDI provinces.


In the post-genomic era, understanding the interactions of genes plays a vital role in the analysis of complex biological systems. Recently, we developed a causal model approach for learning gene regulatory networks from microarray data. The optimization process for this learning was implemented by using genetic algorithm (GA) as a search technique to find the best candidate over the space of possible networks. In this paper, we propose a genetic algorithm which is guided by exploiting certain characteristics of diversity and high level heuristics in order to generate good networks as quickly as possible. A comparison of this algorithm to the standard genetic algorithms implemented in our earlier work is also presented in this paper. The Guided GA (GGA) is tested on both synthetic and real-world microarray data. The novel approach of GGA shows superiority of the solutions, computational efficiency along with accuracy improvement compared to standard GA.


Abstract In Romania, Shakespeare played an important role in the construction of Romania's cultural identity and in the reshaping of political awareness during the communist dictatorship. In recent years, the Bard's work has been translated into a contemporary, accessible Romanian language, with theatrical or musical adaptations targeted at a public whose tastes are shaped by popular culture. The authors discuss, from this perspective, two recent adaptations: The Taming of the Shrew (2005), acclimatized to contemporary Romanian realities (names, locations and folk music), and Romeo and Juliet (2009) that relocates the tragedy in the musical genre. The choice of two musical genres popular with the most widely spread segments of the public - the conservative, but less educated middle-aged group of non-theatre-goers and the youth - indicates an attempt, still new for the Romanian cultural market, to accommodate Shakespeare to the interests of two different communities of consumers, so far absent from this country's high culture circuit.


Abstract 2997

Poster Board II-975

Cdc42 and Rac1, members of the Rho family of small GTPases, play critical roles in reorganization of actin cytoskeleton in platelets. Previously we have shown that Rac1 GTPase is involved in regulation of platelet secretion and aggregation by diverse signaling pathways (J Thromb Haemost 2007; 5: 1747-55). Others have reported that Rac1 is essential for GPVI-, but not G protein-dependent platelet aggregation (Pflugers Arch. 2009; 457:1173-85). Cdc42 was recently reported to be involved in collagen, but not collagen related peptide (CRP), a GPVI specific agonist, induced platelet aggregation (Platelets 2008; 19: 199-210). In this study we have investigated the role of Cdc42 in regulation of platelet function by using complementary approaches of (a) mouse gene targeting of Cdc42, and (b) specific inhibition of Cdc42 activity by a newly identified chemical inhibitor of Cdc42, CASIN (Cdc42 activity-specific inhibitor). Platelets from Cdc42 −/− mice exhibited a complete lack of filopodia formation and spreading on collagen coated surfaces. Threshold concentrations of collagen, CRP or thrombin failed to induce shape change or aggregation in platelets from Cdc42 −/− mice compared with induction of shape change and maximal aggregation in platelets from Cdc42 +/+ mice. Platelets from Cdc42 −/− mice, as compared to Cdc42 +/+ mice, exhibited a significant inhibition of CRP- or thrombin-induced secretion of ATP and release of P-selectin from the dense- and alpha-granules respectively. Increasing concentrations of the agonists only partially corrected the defective aggregation and secretion responses in Cdc42 −/− platelets. These data provide the genetic evidence that Cdc42 is required for collagen, CRP and thrombin mediated platelet signaling and activation. Treatment of platelets with CASIN, but not a pharmacologically inactive analog, blocked collagen induced activation of Cdc42 without detectably affecting the Rac1 activity. Human platelets pre-incubated with CASIN (10 micro-M) exhibited a complete lack of filopodia formation and spreading on collagen coated surfaces. Further, treatment of platelets with CASIN (1-10 micro-M) inhibited: (a) aggregation induced by collagen, CRP, thrombin, ADP or U46619; (b) release of P-selectin and secretion of ATP induced by U46619; and (c) collagen induced phosphorylation of Akt. Addition of CASIN to platelets also blocked collagen or CRP induced aggregation in aspirinated platelets in the presence of apyrase. In other experiments, addition of CASIN to citrated platelet-rich plasma inhibited thrombin induced clot retraction. Significantly, removal of CASIN from the platelet samples by washing reversed inhibition of aggregation as well as clot retraction, reflecting a reversible suppression of Cdc42 activity by CASIN. Administration of CASIN into C57Bl/6 mice inhibited ex vivo platelet aggregation induced by collagen or ADP as well as significantly prolonged tail bleeding times. These data suggest that: (a) Cdc42 plays an essential, non-redundant role in platelet filopodia formation, spreading, secretion, aggregation and clot retraction; (b) Cdc42 is involved in GPVI, non-GPVI- and G protein-dependent signaling in platelets; (c) the pharmacologic inhibitor CASIN is capable of specifically and reversibly inhibiting Cdc42 activity in platelets, mimicking Cdc42 genetic knockout in mice. Altogether, our studies strongly implicate Cdc42 as a novel anti-platelet target, and present evidence that the Cdc42 specific small molecule inhibitor, CASIN, may have therapeutic potential.

Disclosures: No relevant conflicts of interest to declare.


Methods of quality control of some major haematological techniques are described. These methods have been applied in haematology laboratories serving a population of 2 million using existing facilities for preparation and transport of the necessary materials.


Since German unification, assessments of the German economy have swung from "sick man of the euro" in the early years to dominant hegemon of late. I argue that the German economy appears strong because of its recent positive performance in two politically salient areas: unemployment and the current account. A deeper assessment reveals, however, that German economic performance cannot be considered a second economic miracle, but is at best a mini miracle. The reduction in unemployment is an important achievement. That said, it was not the product of faster growth, but of sharing the same volume of work among more individuals. Germany's current account surpluses are as much the result of weak domestic demand as of export prowess. Germany has also logged middling performances in recent years regarding growth, investment, productivity, and compensation. The article also reviews seven challenges Germany has faced since unification: financial transfers from west to east, the global financial crisis, the euro crisis, internal and external migration, demographics, climate change, and upheavals in the automobile industry. German policy-makers managed the first four challenges largely successfully. The latter three will be more difficult to tackle in the future.


Grid service composition has been recognized as a flexible way for resource sharing and application integration since appearance of service-oriented architecture. Approaches are needed to select service candidates with various Quality of Service (QoS) levels according to use's performance requirements. In this paper We model this problem as the Multi-Constrained Optimal Path Selection Problem (MCOP), due to the dynamic property of grid service, adaptive mechanism is introduced to ensure the whole QoS when some service candidates fail. An algorithm QAGSS is proposed. Simulation results show that QAGSS has greater success rate and lower cost than previous algorithms.


Proc Amer Assoc Cancer Res, Volume 47, 2006

3088

Purpose: Cationic liposomes preferentially target tumor vessels compared to vessels in normal tissues; the interaction of cationic liposomes with tumor vessels is heterogeneous. To target tumor vessels more uniformly we seek to combine the electrostatic properties of cationic liposomes with the strength of an external magnetic field (EMF). For this reason we characterize MAG-C (magnetite) cationic liposomes, study their interactions with tumor cell models. We evaluate the growth inhibitory properties of chemotherapeutic agents and drugs encapsulated in MAG-C cationic liposomes against melanoma (B16-F10 & HTB-72) and endothelial (HMVE-D) cells. We also determine tissue distribution profile of particular formulations in (melanoma) tumor bearing mice. Methods: Chemotherapeutic agents used in this study were Vinblastine, Etoposide and Dacarbazine. Particle size and zeta potential were analyzed by 90PlusBI-MAS/ Zeta Pals. DPH polarization was used to evaluate effect of MAG-C on bilayer phase transition temperature (Tc). Cell association studies were carried out using FLX800 microplate reader. SRB assay was conducted to measure cell viability. DIC and fluorescence microscopy was used to evaluate intercellular uptake of liposomes. For biodistribution studies, percent recovery of 111In labeled MAG-C cationic liposomes was determined by Beckman Gamma Counter. Results: The size of cationic liposomes for MAG-C and unincorporated variety was 142 ± 27.40 nm and 105 ± 26.64 nm respectively. Zeta potential for MAG-C cationic liposomes (43.79 ± 10.93 mv) was lower than liposomes without MAG-C (43.79 ± 10.93 mv). The inclusion of PEG did not alter liposome size, but reduced zeta potential. The Tc of MAG-C cationic liposomes (41.2°C) was lower than unincorporated liposomes (51°C). MAG-C cationic liposomes were taken up avidly by melanoma and human dermal endothelial cells; PEG significantly reduced all cellular interactions. Addition of FeCl3 exerted no additional effect on size & zeta potential but significantly reduced the interactions of MAG-C cationic liposomes with HMVE-D. Fluorescence microscopy showed perinuclear localization of magnetic cationic liposomes with all cell lines. Higher cell growth inhibition was observed when B16-F10 was treated with drugs loaded in MAG-C cationic liposomes compared to free drugs, but similar cell growth inhibition was observed for HMVE-D. In vitro cytotoxicity studies: Vinblastine > Etoposide > Dacarbazine. The inclusion of PEG (5 mole%) in MAG-C cationic liposomes did not improve (B16-F10) tumor specific uptake, but significantly reduced accumulation in liver, lung and spleen. Conclusions: The results suggest that MAG-C cationic liposomes may be used to target drugs to solid tumors, while preserving cytotoxic drug effects, and minimizing accumulation in healthy tissues. Subsequent in vivo investigations with EMF are warranted.


ABSTRACT Ixodes scapularis is the principal vector of Lyme disease on the East Coast and in the upper Midwest regions of the United States, yet the tick is also present in the Southeast, where Lyme disease is absent or rare. A closely related species, I. affinis, also carries the pathogen in the South but does not seem to transmit it to humans. In order to better understand the geographic diversity of the tick, we analyzed the microbiota of 104 adult I. scapularis and 13 adult I. affinis ticks captured in 19 locations in South Carolina, North Carolina, Virginia, Connecticut, and New York. Initially, ticks from 4 sites were analyzed by 454 pyrosequencing. Subsequently, ticks from these sites plus 15 others were analyzed by sequencing with an Illumina MiSeq machine. By both analyses, the microbiomes of female ticks were significantly less diverse than those of male ticks. The dissimilarity between tick microbiomes increased with distance between sites, and the state in which a tick was collected could be inferred from its microbiota. The genus Rickettsia was prominent in all locations. Borrelia was also present in most locations and was present at especially high levels in one site in western Virginia. In contrast, members of the family Enterobacteriaceae were very common in North Carolina I. scapularis ticks but uncommon in I. scapularis ticks from other sites and in North Carolina I. affinis ticks. These data suggest substantial variations in the Ixodes microbiota in association with geography, species, and sex.


The phosphorylation state of thioredoxin was compared in intact cells and in crude extracts. In crude extracts, the extent of phosphorylation was 0.70 to 0.80 mol of phosphate per mol of thioredoxin, with approximately equal amounts of thioredoxin phosphorylated either on cysteinyl32 (formula: see text) or on cysteinyl35 (formula: see text). By comparison, the extent of thioredoxin phosphorylation in intact cells was nearly 1.0 with phosphate present almost exclusively on cysteine32. Nonphosphorylated thioredoxin was present as the reduced thiol form (formula: see text). These findings imply that (formula: see text) is the relevant in vivo species and that a mechanism is operative in crude extracts for transfer of phosphate from cysteine32 to cysteine35.


With a view to studying the possible use of methyltin compounds as PVC stabilizers in food industry, the authors elaborated a method for the thin-layer chromatographic and subsequent spectrophotometric or polarographic determination of mono-, di- and trimethyltin compounds in the stabilizer and after migration. Monmethyltin compounds are determined spectrophotometrically after reaction with quercetin. Dimethyltin compounds are incinerated by the wet method using sulphuric and nitric acids, and inorganic tin is then estimated polarographically. Prior to identification trimethyltin compounds must be converted into dimethyltin compounds by ultraviolet irradiation or by treatment with triethylamine and bromine. Corresponding to the different conditions of use, the authors investigated the migration of the methyltin stabilizer from PVC into distilled water, 3% acetic acid, 20% alcohol, 50% alcohol und Fettsimulans HB 307. They stated that its tendency to migration into foods is not greater than that of the octyltin stabilizer. The experimentally obtained migration values are discussed in connexion with toxicological data.


In this paper, we propose a low-complexity entirely-overlapped partially-parallel decoder architecture for quasi-cyclic low-density parity-check (QC-LDPC) codes. For a (c, t)-regular QC-LDPC decoder, this decoder can achieve approximate 100% hardware utilization efficiency (HUE) and entirely overlapped decoding by using only one check node process unit group (CNUG) to process c groups of check node messages sequentially. Compared with traditional partially-parallel decoder, the quantities of check node process unit (CNU), barrel shifters and counters can be decreased prominently. Moreover, it is flexible in code rate and code length.


Abstract Using population-based and family structural data from a high HIV-prevalence district of Southern India, this paper considers four suggested social scenarios used to explain the positive correlation between HIV prevalence and previously married status among Indian women: (1) infection from and then bereavement of an infected husband; (2) abandonment after husbands learn of their wives' HIV status; (3) economic instability after becoming previously married, leading women to seek financial support through male partners; and (4) the social status of being previously married exposing women to sexual harassment and predation. By also considering seroprevalence of two other common sexually transmitted infections (STIs), herpes and syphilis, in a combined variable with HIV, we limit the likelihood of the first two scenarios accounting for the greater part of this correlation. Through a nuanced analysis of household residences patterns (family structure), standard of living, and education, we also limit the probability that scenario three explains a greater portion of the correlation. Scenario four emerges as the most likely explanation for this correlation, recognizing that other scenarios are also possible. Further, the interdisciplinary literature on the social position of previously married women in India strongly supports the suggestion that, as a population, previously married women are sexually vulnerable in India. Previously married status as an STI risk factor requires further biosocial research and warrants concentrated public health attention.


Ferro-chrome alloy is produced from lump chromite ores in the submerged arc furnace (SAF). Majority of the lump ore is very lean (~30% Cr) in nature. Production of good quality ferro-chrome requires high-grade chromite ores; but these are fragile and tend to form fines during handling. Therefore agglomeration of these fines is needed before charging in SAF. Since the high-grade ores have higher softening point and low reducibility, a suitable ratio of Cr/Fe is to be maintained in the charge to get better productivity. To maintain the suitable ratio of Cr/Fe, low and high grade ore fines may be mixed and agglomerated as a pellet or briquettes or sinter.
Consequently, many ferro-chrome plants make pellets of chromite ore fines. They replace, up to 50%, lump ore in the charge with those cured pellets. Curing at around 1300 0C is needed to make it suitable for transportation and high temperature use. However, the curing involves operational problems (e.g. coagulation) and energy consumption. Therefore to utilize these fines and maintaining suitable Fe/Cr ratio, mixing of fines and Pelletisation curing is one existing route. In this purpose briquetting may also be considered as an alternative agglomeration technique with the advantages of being a cold process and environment friendly. However, it is a very slow process and involves with costly binder and the products from it are green agglomerate with inferior high temperature properties.
To alleviate the above draw backs, current study aims at producing sinter directly from the available chromite ore fines after granulation. Sintering was carried out in 10 kg scale in a pot sinter set up, which produces semi-fused mass with adequate cold-handling, high-temperature strengths. Characterization of produced sinter was done through shatter test, tumble test, abrasion test, phase identification through XRD, Optical microscope, EPMA and TG-DTA. Developed sinter was found to have >85% shatter index, >75% Tumbler index and ~5% abrasion index which are well acceptable for the use in the downstream process of SAF.


Production function studies typically conclude that public capital plays little role in enhancing productivity. However, others have found that infrastructure and employment growth are positively related. These apparently conflicting results can be reconciled if public capital serves as a household amenity that increases labor supply without dramatically increasing productivity. This study examines the impact of public capital on wages in order to assess whether productivity or amenity effects dominate. For the economy as a whole, the results suggest that highway's strongest role is as a household amenity, however, for the manufacturing sector, the productivity effect of highways appears to dominate.


Synopsis : The quasi-particles of raw mix for sinter were classified according to the existing state of coke breeze in them into the following four types; S(single coarse coke particle coated with fines), S'(naked coke particle), P(agglomerated particle of fines as a pellet), and C(composite particle consisting of are nucleus and adhering layer of fines) types. As a result of analyzing the coke distribution in quasi-particles granulated by the ordinary method, the percentage of S-, P-, and C-type coke was determined to be about 70, 10, and 20% respectively. The analytical results of combustion test of quasi-particles, sintering pot experiments and sintering tests at the works showed that improvement of the coke combustibility in the sintering bed was essential for reducing the NO formation. Increasing the percentage of C-type coke by the quick lime addition and changing S-type coke to naked S'-type by the divided coke addition had a good effect on the coke combustibility and decreased the NO emission from the sintering machines.


Electrical impedance tomography (EIT) based tactile sensor offers significant benefits on practical deployment because of its sparse electrode allocation, including durability, large-area scalability, and low fabrication cost, but the degradation of a tactile spatial resolution has remained challenging. This article describes a deep neural network based EIT reconstruction framework, the EIT neural network (EIT-NN), alleviating this tradeoff between tactile sensing performance and hardware simplicity. EIT-NN learns a computationally efficient, nonlinear reconstruction attribute, achieving high-resolution tactile sensation and well-generalized reconstruction capability to address arbitrary complex touch modalities. We train EIT-NN by presenting a sim-to-real dataset synthesis strategy for computationally efficient generalizability. Furthermore, we propose a spatial sensitivity aware mean-squared error loss function, which uses an intrinsic spatial sensitivity of the sensor to guarantee a well-posed EIT operation. We validate an outperformance of EIT-NN against conventional EIT sensing methods by conducting a simulation study, a single-touch indentation test, and a two-point discrimination test. The results show improved spatial resolution, sensitivity, and localization accuracy. The beneficial features of the generalized sensing of EIT-NN were demonstrated by examining touch modality discrimination performance.


SUMMARY The comorbidity of obsessive–compulsive symptoms (OCS) in the context of schizophrenia is often not recognised by clinicians, and patients may not report these symptoms until they become severe. However, there is a reported prevalence of 10–24% for obsessive–compulsive disorder (OCD) in schizophrenia and related disorders. The onset of OCS/OCD has been noted to occur both before and after the diagnosis of schizophrenia or schizoaffective disorder. It has also been known to occur following commencement of treatment with antipsychotic medications, especially clozapine. Current literature provides limited guidance for treatment. Review of the current evidence supports: addition of selective serotonin reuptake inhibitors (SSRIs) to antipsychotics; addition of aripiprazole, amisulpride or lamotrigine; or reduction in the dosage of clozapine. There is also evidence supporting the addition of cognitive–behavioural therapy and electroconvulsive therapy (ECT). The SSRIs that are evidenced to be useful are fluvoxamine, escitalopram, sertraline and paroxetine. More studies are needed to expand the evidence base. Early targeted interventions are recommended.


The prognosis for relapsed Hodgkin lymphoma after allogeneic hematopoietic cell transplantation (HSCT) is poor, partly because of limited treatment options. Here we present a case of a Hodgkin lymphoma patient who relapsed after allogeneic HSCT but remains in complete remission (CR) at 38 months from the start of extended brentuximab vedotin (BV) dosing. A 33-year-old man with refractory and relapsed nodular sclerosis classical Hodgkin lymphoma who underwent previous treatments, including adriamycin, bleomycin, vinblastine, and dacarbazine (ABVD) ; seven combination regimens; and autologous HSCT, prior to allogeneic HSCT achieved CR after three cycles of BV. BV was continued for 26 cycles and then discontinued because of a neurogenic bladder. The other adverse effects were mild paresthesia in the fingers, mild dysgeusia, and fatigue. The patient still remains in CR at 38 months from the start of BV. Thus, extended BV dosing may be a treatment option for relapsed and refractory Hodgkin lymphoma after allogeneic HSCT.


More than 6,000 Americans die annually due to a shortage of organs for transplants. This article contends that the supply of donated organs could be increased (and thus many unnecessary deaths avoided) by the adoption of a policy of reciprocity, a kind of organ insurance. Those who committed to donate their organs at their death should be rewarded with a small preference in the event that they later need a transplant. Although this policy is opposed by those who hold that donations should be based solely on altruism, it would represent a form of reciprocal altruism and is consistent with the current United Network for Organ Sharing (UNOS) system of awarding 4 points to any patient seeking a kidney who has previously donated one and allowing paired exchanges. Increasing the supply of organs is already used as one of the justifications for the UNOS local first rule (whereby those located in the same local area as the donor are favored over better matches outside the area) and a reciprocity policy would likely represent a more effective means to that end. Just as time on waiting list is used today to help determine who receives an organ, time on willing donor list should also be a factor.


The purpose of this study was to obtain reference values of serum chemistry in Korean rockfish (Sebastes schlegeli), 5 juvenile (n=25) and 3 broodstock (n=15) subpopulations which were differentiated by cultured method. Serum samples were analyzed for the following commercial clinical kits: total protein, albumin, glucose, AST (aspartate aminotransferase), ALT (alanine aminotransferase), total cholesterol, free cholesterol, LDH (lactate dehydrogenase) and ALP (alkaline phosphatase). Significant differences were observed in the values of total protein, albumin, total cholesterol, AST, ALT, LDH and ALP between juvenile and broodstock subpopulations. In the comparison of total protein, albumin, total cholesterol and ALP, broodstock subpopulations showed higher levels. On the other hand, increased AST, ALT and LDH were observed in juvenile subpopulations. These results indicate that cultured method are major contributors to health-related physiology of Korean rockfish, juveniles and broodstocks.


The helical Dirac states on the surface of a topological insulator are protected by topology and display significant particle-hole asymmetry. This asymmetry arises from a subdominant Schrodinger type contribution to the Hamiltonian which provides a small perturbation to a dominant Dirac contribution. This changes the Landau levels energies in an external magnetic field ($B$) and provides modifications to the usual relativistic optical matrix elements. Nevertheless we find that the relativistic quantization of the Hall plateaux remains even when the ratio of the Schrodinger ($E_0$) to Dirac ($E_1$) magnetic energy scale increases either through an increase in $B$, a decrease in the Schrodinger mass or of the Dirac fermi velocity. First corrections to the optical matrix elements(OME) in the relativistic case drop out at least to order $(E_0/E_1)^3$. In the opposite limit $E_1$ small, the quantization remains classical but there is a split into two series. The first corrections to the OME in this case, cancel out at least to order $(E_1/E_0)^4$.


In this article, a sustained release formulation of the antioxidant gallic acid (GA) is presented in the form of glutathione responsive disulfide cross-linked poly(ethylene glycol)-based nanogels synthesized via aqueous inverse miniemulsion using atom transfer radical polymerization. The particle size was found to be in the range from 227 ± 51.78 to 573.3 ± 207.2 nm at three drug loading levels achieved i.e. 6.6, 14.26, and 18.29 wt.% of the nanogels with loading efficiency in the range of 60–70%. The release profile of the GA studied at three drug loading levels suggested a controlled release and the nanogels were capable of scavenging radicals and retained the antioxidant activity. The GA-loaded nanogels were found to be biocompatible on human cervical cancer cell lines (HeLa). DCFH-DA (2,7-dichlorofluorescin diacetate) assay evidenced that the nanogels were capable of scavenging the reactive oxygen species in cellular environment.


SiO2 and TiO2, with their high refractive index contrast, are interesting candidates for the fabrication of graded-index optical filters. In this work, SiO2/TiO2 mixtures were prepared by plasma-enhanced chemical vapor deposition from SiCl4 and TiCl4. By controlling the gas flow ratio, it is possible to obtain coatings with refractive index values between 1.48, for SiO2, and 2.35, for TiO2, and with an extinction coefficient below 10−4 in the visible and near-infrared regions. The optical properties of the mixtures do not respect the Bruggeman effective medium approximation that supposes two separate phases. Using a combination of x-ray photoelectron spectroscopy, Fourier transform infrared spectrometry, and elastic recoil detection, we demonstrate that SiO2/TiO2 is a single-phase material. Two separate phases can develop at certain compositions by annealing-induced precipitation.


We previously developed dmGWAS to search for dense modules in a human protein-protein interaction (PPI) network; it has since become a popular tool for network-assisted analysis of genome-wide association studies (GWAS). dmGWAS weights nodes by using GWAS signals. Here, we introduce an upgraded algorithm, EW_dmGWAS, to boost GWAS signals in a node- and edge-weighted PPI network. In EW_dmGWAS, we utilize condition-specific gene expression profiles for edge weights. Specifically, differential gene co-expression is used to infer the edge weights. We applied EW_dmGWAS to two diseases and compared it with other relevant methods. The results suggest that EW_dmGWAS is more powerful in detecting disease-associated signals.


To evaluate scallop safety in the Guangzhou seafood market, contents of shellfish toxins in adductor muscle, mantle skirts, gills and visceral mass of scallops were examined using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) and mouse unit assay. The results showed that: paralytic shellfish poisoning contents were up to 37.44 μg/100 g by ELISA and 319.99 MU/100 g by mouse unit assay, which did not exceed the limits of national standards (80 μg/100g and 400 MU/100 g); the contents of diarrhetic shellfish poisoning were 142.04 μg/100g and 0.2 MU/100 g, which exceeded the national standard limits (60 μg/100g); neurotoxic shellfish poisoning was undetectable; the contents of amnesic shellfish poisoning reached 220.12 μg/100g (no limit value could be referred to) . In addition, these poisons were present mainly in visceral mass and gills rather than adductor muscle and mantle skirts, suggesting that these toxins accumulate in a tissue-specific manner.


We present low-temperature Raman measurements on gate tunable graphene encapsulated in hexagonal boron nitride, which allows to study in detail the Raman G and 2D mode frequencies and line widths as function of the charge carrier density. We observe a clear softening of the Raman G mode (of up to 2.5 cm$^{-1}$) at low carrier density due to the phonon anomaly and a residual G~mode line width of $\approx$ 3.5 cm$^{-1}$ at high doping. From analyzing the G mode dependence on doping and laser power we extract an electron-phonon-coupling constant of $\approx$ 4.4 $\times$ 10$^{-3}$ (for the G mode phonon). The ultra-flat nature of encapsulated graphene results in a minimum Raman 2D peak line width of 14.5 cm$^{-1}$ and allows to observe the intrinsic electron-electron scattering induced broadening of the 2D peak of up to 18 cm$^{-1}$ for an electron density of 5$\times$10$^{12}$ cm$^{-2}$ (laser excitation energy of 2.33 eV). Our findings not only provide insights into electron-phonon coupling and the role of electron-electron scattering for the broadening of the 2D peak, but also crucially shows the limitations when it comes to the use of Raman spectroscopy (i.e. the use of the frequencies and the line widths of the G and 2D modes) to benchmark graphene in terms of charge carrier density, strain and strain inhomogenities. This is particularly relevant when utilizing spatially-resolved 2D Raman line width maps to assess substrate-induced nanometer-scale strain variations.


The classical motion of a charged particle in the presence of an electric and a magnetic field is studied with the inclusion of scattering. The scattering is included in the Lagrangian equations for the particle through the use of the Rayleigh dissipation function. The resulting equations for the motion are solved analytically as a function of time. The behaviour of the charged particle motion is strikingly different from the case without scattering. Finally, for completeness, a connection is made between the steady state results and the electronic conductivity and resistivity of a solid. Resumen. El movimiento de una particula cargada en la presencia de un campo electrico y magnetico es estudiado, incluyendo las colisiones de la cargada en el medio. El efecto de las colisiones se incluyen en las ecuaciones Lagrangianas del problema por medio de la function de Rayleigh. Las ecuaciones que resultan para el movimiento de la particula se resuelven analiticamente como funcion de tiempo. El comportamiento del movimiento de la particula cargada es notablemente diferente del caso que no incluye colisiones. Finalmente, la conexion se hace entre los resultados obtenidos y la conductibilidad electronica de un solido.


Network clustering provides insights into relational data and feeds certain machine learning pipelines. We present five integer or mixed-integer linear programming formulations from literature for a crisp clustering. The first four clustering models employ an undirected, unweighted network; the last one employs a signed network. All models are coded in Python and solved using Gurobi solver. Codes for one of the models are explained. All codes and datasets are made available. The aim of this chapter is to compare some of the integer or mixed-integer programming network clustering models and to provide access to Python codes to replicate the results. Mathematical programming formulations are provided, and experiments are run on two different datasets. Results are reported in terms of computational times and the best number of clusters. The maximum diameter minimization model forms compact clusters including members with a dominant affiliation. The model generates a few clusters with relatively larger size. Additional constraints can be included to force bounds on the cluster size. The NP-hard nature of the problem limits the size of the dataset, and one of the models is terminated after 6 days. The models are not practical for networks with hundreds of nodes and thousands of edges or more. However, the diversity of models suggests different practical applications in social sciences.


The improved method for the determination of the atom number densities in pure and mixed alkali vapours has been proposed. In order to obtain the correct results one has to go beyond the simple Lorentzian shape of the quasistatic absorption profile. The method has been tested by the white-light absorption measurements in the pure K, Rb and Cs vapours. The statistical accuracy of the obtained data for the atom number density is +or-3%. The method has been applied for determining the atom number densities in the vapour over the Rb-Cs mixture. The obtained values have been used in the evaluation of the effective C6 constants for Rb*-Cs interaction: C6eff=(4.9+or-0.3)* 10-30 cm6 s-1 for the D2 line. The theory predicts C6eff=4.95*10-30 cm6 s-1 for the D1 line and C6eff=2.37*10-30 cm6 s(-1) for the D2 line.


Cyclic GMP (cGMP) signals through protein kinases, ion channels, and possibly other effector systems as a second messenger. Its synthesis is regulated by guanylyl cyclase, whose activity is found in various cellular compartments including the plasma membrane and cytosol. A soluble form of guanylyl cyclase, which occurs as a heterodimer, appears to serve as a receptor for nitric oxide or nitrosothiols, or both. Recent research suggests the presence of multiple subtypes of the soluble form of guanylyl cyclase and tissue-specific expression of the different forms. At least two different forms of the plasma membrane guanylyl cyclase are known to occur in various mammalian tissues. One form, GC-A, is a receptor for atrial natriuretic peptide, and the binding of ligand causes marked increases in cGMP production. The other form, GC-B, is stimulated more effectively by a brain natriuretic peptide than by atrial natriuretic peptide, but its natural ligand remains in question. Both plasma membrane forms of the enzyme contain a single, putative transmembrane domain. The intracellular region of both forms contains a protein kinase-like domain just within the transmembrane domain. The protein kinase-like domain is followed by a cyclase catalytic region near the carboxyl terminus that is homologous to two internally homologous domains found in a bovine brain adenylyl cyclase. The possibility that other guanylyl cyclase receptor subtypes exist is now being explored. If they do, we may subsequently find that a diversity of specific ligands signals through cGMP.


We have treated 34 cases of epiphora due to dysfunction of the lacrimal duct with a warm needle puncturing at the Jingming (UB 1) point. The effect was significantly better than that of the control group treated with lacrimal duct irrigation and norflaxacin eye drops (a total effective rate of 91.07% vs. 54.29%).


During the aging process, skeletal muscle performance and physiology undergoes alterations leading to decrements in functional capacity, health-span, and independence. Background: The utility and implementation of age-specific exercise is a paramount research agenda focusing on ameliorating the loss of both skeletal muscle performance and physiology; yet, to date, no consensus exists as to the most appropriate mechanical loading protocol design or overall exercise prescription that best meets this need. Thus, the purpose of this review is to highlight the most optimal type of exercise presently available and provide the most current, evidence-based findings for its efficacy. The hypothesis that high-intensity, stretch-shortening contractions (SSCs)—a form of "resistance-type exercise" training—present as the preferred exercise mode for serving as an intervention-based modality to attenuate dynapenia, sarcopenia, and decreased muscle quality with aging, even restoring the overall youthful phenotype, will be demonstrated. Conclusions: Appreciating the fundamental evidence supporting the use of high-intensity SSCs in positively impacting aging skeletal muscle's responsivity and their use as a specific and sensitive countermeasure is crucial. Moreover, from an applied perspective, SSCs may improve skeletal muscle quality and rejuvenate health-span and, ultimately, lead to augmented functional capacity, independence, and quality of life concomitant with decreased morbidity.


Objective. An analysis of the current state of the agricultural industry of the Siberian Federal District Methodology. The following methods were used: statistical, monographic, graphic. Results. The authors revealed that the main producers of agricultural products are agricultural organizations, followed by households (ranking second) and peasant farms (ranking third). Use in practice. The authors examined the dynamics of production of major crops and livestock, which subsequently can be included into the development programs for state support of agriculture. Originality. The paper emphasizes that an increase in agricultural production is possible through the use of intensive factors of production.


We discuss domains of holomorphy and several notions of pseudoconvexity (drawing parallels with the corresponding notions from geometric convexity), and present a mostly self-contained solution to the Levi problem. We restrict our attention to domains of $\mathbb C^n$.


There is a close relationship between democratic deficit and the construction of political leadership in the European Union. This article argues that the problem of democratic deficit derives not only from the type of institutions of the European Union, with political power firmly in the hands of the European Council and therefore of the governments of the Member States, but from the inability/unwillingness of political parties to run truly European campaigns for the election of the European Parliament. If the premises are correct, then it would be forlorn to look for a solution to the democratic deficit in a stronger role for the European Parliament and, more precisely, in a sort of (neo)parliamentary model implying a subordination of the European Commission to the European Parliament. On the contrary, the solution that promises both to reduce the democratic deficit, that is to encourage and increase the participation and the influence of European citizens, and to create an authoritative democratic leadership has to be found in a quasi-presidential model. The President of the Commission, once indicated as a candidate by at least one party in a number of States or in all of them, will be elected directly by the European voters. This solution, that by no means eliminates the need for additional institutional reforms, carries two advantages. First, it strengthens the European democratic leadership while automatically reducing the democratic deficit. Second, it will stimulate European parties to revitalize themselves and to reach out to their voters.


Integer, floating point, and block floating point (BFP) data formats are analyzed and compared in order to establish the mathematical tools for selection of an optimal format which fulfils the demands of high resolution radar (SAR) data to large dynamic range and adequate S/N. The analysis takes quantization noise and saturation distortion into account and concludes that it is preferred to use small blocks and a (new) modified BFP format applying fractional exponents. Data from the EMISAR radar system are applied to illustrate the merits of the different schemes.


A novel unknown input reduced-order observer (UIRO) design scheme is presented. It is proved that unknown input appearing in measurement can be eliminated by a simple algebraic transformation. Then, a new UIRO design scheme is proposed via a transformation under no unknown input existing in measurement. Compared with other known results, the condition is weaker than others. So it was further reasonable. The design procedure proposed is simple and straightforward enough to be applied. An example is given to show its efficiency in fault diagnosis.


The objective of this research was to investigate methods of computing average life values for carpoolers and vanpools in Virginia. These statistics are to be used by the Rail and Public Transportation Division in evaluating the efficiency and cost-effectiveness of the ridesharing programs it funds. Achievement of this objective required a means of determining what data were needed, how best to collect them, and evaluations to calculate the average life values. In addition, the division wanted a means of developing average fuel economy statistics for commuter vehicles used in this state. A literature search was undertaken, and several alternative methods of collecting and computing these data were explored. The theoretical basis of this study was derived from efforts by the consulting firm of Crain and Associates to develop similar statistics for the city of Los Angeles, California. The Virginia study followed their general approach to the problem, but varied significantly in the proposed method of data collection and computation of the statistics. From the information developed, it is recommended that the Department (1) perform a multiyear survey of both carpoolers and vanpool drivers to collect pool participation data, (2) use these data to determine the average number of years an individual remains in a carpool and the average longevity of a vanpool, and (3) annually survey ride sharers to collect miles-per-gallon data from which a statewide average commuter vehicle MPG can be developed.


Abstract The tropical areas of eastern Asia contain a high diversity of foliicolous lichens, including various species of the genus Badimia. Badimia xanthocampylidia W. C. Wang & J. C. Wei is described from tropical rainforests in southern China and Thailand based on morphology, chemistry, and combined mtSSU, ITS and nrLSU sequences. It is characterized by a pale green thallus with yellow verrucae and bright yellow campylidia and the presence of isousnic acid. Three other species, B. multiseptata Papong & Lücking, B. pallidula (Kremp.) Vězda and B. polillensis (Vain.) Vězda, are discussed and the genus Badimia is newly reported from China. A worldwide key to currently known species in the genus is presented.


Background There is uncertainty with respect to SARS-CoV-2 transmission in children (0-19 years) with controversy on effectiveness of school-closures in controlling the pandemic. It is of equal importance to evaluate the risk of transmission in children who are often asymptomatic or mildly symptomatic carriers that may incidentally transmit SARS-CoV-2 in different settings. We conducted this review to assess transmission and risks for SARS-CoV-2 in children (by age-groups or grades) in community and educational-settings compared to adults. Methods Data for the review were retrieved from PubMed, EMBASE, Cochrane Library, WHO COVID-19 Database, China National Knowledge Infrastructure (CNKI) Database, WanFang Database, Latin American and Caribbean Health Sciences Literature (LILACS), Google Scholar, and preprints from medRixv and bioRixv) covering a timeline from December 1, 2019 to April 1, 2021. Population-screening, contact-tracing and cohort studies reporting prevalence and transmission of SARS-CoV-2 in children were included. Data were extracted according to PRISMA guidelines. Meta-analyses were performed using Review Manager 5.3. Results Ninety studies were included. Compared to adults, children showed comparable national (risk ratio (RR) = 0.87, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.71-1.060 and subnational (RR = 0.81, 95% CI = 0.66-1.01) prevalence in population-screening studies, and lower odds of infection in community/household contact-tracing studies (odds ratio (OR) = 0.62, 95% CI = 0.46-0.84). On disaggregation, adolescents observed comparable risk (OR = 1.22, 95% CI = 0.74-2.04) with adults. In educational-settings, children attending daycare/preschools (OR = 0.53, 95% CI = 0.38-0.72) were observed to be at lower-risk when compared to adults, with odds of infection among primary (OR = 0.85, 95% CI = 0.55-1.31) and high-schoolers (OR = 1.30, 95% CI = 0.71-2.38) comparable to adults. Overall, children and adolescents had lower odds of infection in educational-settings compared to community and household clusters. Conclusions Children (<10 years) showed lower susceptibility to COVID-19 compared to adults, whereas adolescents in communities and high-schoolers had comparable risk. Risks of infection among children in educational-settings was lower than in communities. Evidence from school-based studies demonstrate it is largely safe for children (<10 years) to be at schools, however older children (10-19 years) might facilitate transmission. Despite this evidence, studies focusing on the effectiveness of mitigation measures in educational settings are urgently needed to support both public health and educational policy-making for school reopening.


Phlebotomine sand flies are the main natural vectors of Leishmania, which cause visceral and tegumentary tropical diseases worldwide. However, their taxonomy and evolutionary history remain poorly studied. Indeed, as for many human disease vectors, their small size is a challenge for morphological and molecular works. Here, we successfully amplified unbiased copies of whole genome to sequence thousands of restriction-site associated DNA (RAD) markers from single specimens of phlebotomines. RAD markers were used to infer a fully resolved phylogeny of the subgenus Paraphlebotomus (11 species + 5 outgroups, 32 specimens). The subgenus was not recovered as monophyletic and we describe a new subgenus Artemievus subg. nov. Depaquit for Phlebotomus alexandri. We also confirm the validity of Ph. riouxi which is reinstated as valid species. Our analyses suggest that Paraphlebotomus sensu nov. originated ca 12.9–8.5 Ma and was possibly largely distributed from peri-Mediterranean to Irano-Turanian regions. Its biogeographical history can be summarized into three phases: i) a first split between Ph. riouxi + Ph. chabaudi and other species that may have resulted from the rise of the Saharan belt ca 8.5 Ma; ii) a Messinian vicariant event (7.3–5.3 Ma) during which the prolonged drought could have resulted in the divergence of main lineages; iii) a recent radiation event (3–2 Ma) that correspond to cycles of wet and dry periods in the Middle East and the East African subregions during the Pleistocene. Interestingly these cycles are also hypothetical drivers of the diversification of rodents, in the burrows of which Paraphlebotomus larvae develop. By meeting the challenge of sequencing pangenomics markers from single, minute phlebotomines, this work opens new avenues for improving our understanding of the epidemiology of leishmaniases and possibly other human diseases transmitted by arthropod vectors.


ABSTRACT
Noviawan, Reza. 2018. "Elements of Universal Culture in the Film Rurouni Kenshin by Director Keishi Ohtomo seen from the seven cultural elements belonging to Koentjaraningrat". Thesis. Department of Japanese Language and Culture Studies. Faculty of Humanities. Diponegoro University. Adviser Budi Mulyadi, S.Pd., M.Hum and Arsi Widiandari, S.S., M.Si.
The film Rurouni Kenshin is a film tells of a Samurai who promised to not kill again and protect everyone from evil using sakabatou or an inverted edged sword. But to realize his desires, Kenshin gets a problem because with his promise does not want to kill can be a weakness to defeat the enemy. But because of Kenshin's persistence, his desire can be achieved and without killing the opponent, Kenshin can paralyze his opponent.
The purpose of this thesis was to know Japanese traditional culture related to the film Rurouni Kenshin director by Keishi Ohtomo, released in 2012. The theory used in this thesis was the theory of understanding the film by Himawan Pratista to analyze the elements of film formation. Then the theory of the elements of universal culture proposed by Koentjaraningrat to analyze the culture contained in the film, such as 1) langauge 2) knowledge systems 3) social organizations 4) live equipment systems and technology 5) livelihood systems 6) religion 7) arts. The results of the analysis are revealing elements of Japanese culture found in the film Rurouni Kenshin.
Keywords : Japanese of Culture; Koentjaraningrat; Rurouni Kenshin; film.


The measure data obtained from the acquiring PET system tend to be very noisy, since the limitation of the current instrumentation, detector efficiency, as well as random and scatter contamination are strong sources of noise. Therefore, the reconstruction method should include an estimation of the statistical nature of the noise. In small animal images, this problem is severe, corrupting areas of interest within small organs. In this paper, a Wavelet-based regularisation within the list-mode MLEM reconstruction process method is proposed, with the aim to regularise counts. Image reconstruction using a 18F small animal NEMA phantom and a 18F rat bones were performed. Feasibility of the method is demonstrated with and without wavelet-based regularisation correction. For each reconstruction case, investigation on the effects of image quality will be addressed. Results show that the proposed method gives an important counts regularisation as well as an improved background correction and contrast recovery.


The ideal graphene is a one-atom thick single layer of carbon atoms having sp2 hybridation in hexagonal arrangement. Due to their large surface area and good dispersability in common solvents, graphenes are suitable platforms to anchor covalently units. The appended unit can introduce additional functionality to graphene. Although the field of covalently modified graphene is still starting compared to the development of other carbon nanoforms, there is already many examples describing the use of modified graphenes as recoverable photo-, electrocatalysts as well as in non-linear optics and to improve mechanical resistance and solubility of graphenes. In this Review, the state of the art of covalently modified graphenes for these applications is reviewed. After some general sections describing properties and characterization techniques of graphenes relevant to their use as supports and those general reactions and starting substrates to obtain the modified graphene conjugates, the main body of the review describes the preparation and properties of covalently modified graphene depending on their use as catalyst, photocatalyst, photoresponsive material, non-linear optics, electrocatalyst and other uses. The last section of the review summarizes the main achievements of the field and what should be according to our view the future developments.


People are exposed to various potentially toxic agents and conditions in their natural and occupational environments. These agents may be physical or chemical, may enter the human body through oral, inhalational, or transdermal routes, and may exert effects on all organ systems. Several well-known as well as lesser known associations exist between chronic kidney disease (CKD) and both environmental agents and conditions, such as heavy metals, industrial chemicals, elevated ambient temperatures, and infections. The effects of these agents may be modulated by genetic susceptibility and other comorbid conditions and may lead to the development of acute and CKD. In this article, we present environmental factors that are associated with CKD.


We discuss bio-inspired hierarchical networking with team-oriented cognitive intelligence as well as heterogeneous multi-domain networking utilizing multi-broker agents driven by market-driven interactions of the multi-agent learning system.


Objective: To assess the frequency of shoulder pain in policemen due to gun hanging in Lahore, Pakistan.
Study Design: Cross-Sectional Study.
Place and Duration: Police Stations in Lahore, including Johar town, Model Town, Faisal Town and Khyaban e Amin. Lahore Pakistan from Nov 2019 to May 2020.
Methodology: The data were collected from the policemen of different police stations in Lahore. Inclusion criteria were work-related shoulder pain and no fracture or dislocation, and with no history of trauma or injury, and the age limit is 25 to 40 years of policemen. Data was collected using "Shortened disabilities of the arm, shoulder and hand questionnaire (Quick DASH)".
Results: There were 100 study participants. The mean age of the participants was 32.48±4.49 years. Results of this study showed that 43% had no shoulder pain, and 57% had shoulder pain due to gun hanging. In addition, results showed that 21% participants had no difficulty, 18% had mild difficulty, 27% had moderate difficulty, 22% had severe difficulty, and 12% were unable to open the jar.
Conclusion: The shoulder pain due to gun hanging is high among policemen Daily life activities such as sleeping patterns and recreational and social life activities were also disturbed due to shoulder pain.


Several studies dealing with iterative Linear Minimum Mean Square Error Interference Cancellation (LMMSEIC) algorithms have concluded that better performances are obtained when soft interference cancellation is performed using Log a Posteriori Probability Ratios (LAPPRs) on coded bits rather than Log Extrinsic Probability Ratios (LEXTPRs) on coded bits. While LMMSE-IC can be rigorously derived and analyzed when it is based on LEXTPRs, things become more complicated when it relies on LAPPRs. The aim of this paper is twofold: (1) Emphasize the underlying assumptions needed for the derivation of (iterative) LAPPR based LMMSE-IC, (2) Propose an improved performance prediction method (or physical layer abstraction) robust when these assumptions do not hold. The latter contribution is a cornerstone for cross-layer design and optimization in presence of advanced turbo receivers in 3GPP.


PURPOSE
Estimation of radiogenic risks for patient and radiologist in chemoembolisation of hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) and laser angioplasty of the pelvic arteries.

METHODS
In 5 chemoembolisations of HCC (4 males, one female) and 6 laser angioplasties of the pelvic arteries (5 males, one female) the surface doses received by patient and operator were measured using thermoluminescent dosimeters in standardised positions. The organ doses of the patient were derived by conversion factors employed on the measured surface doses. Effective dose was determined according to the recommendations of ICRP 60.

RESULTS
The risk of lethal malignant disease and genetic disorder derived from the doses in the patient was found to be of the magnitude of 10(-4)-10(-5). The thresholds for transient erythema of the skin and depression of hematopoiesis can be reached after high expositions. A theoretical maximum of 700 laser angioplasties of the pelvic arteries allowable in one year was calculated based on the dose to the operator's left hand. For chemoembolisation of HCC, the dose to the left eye lens would reach the yearly maximum after approximately 1000 procedures. Remarkable risks for malignant disease of skin and thyroid as well as detectable opacities of the eye lens can occur after frequent interventions for many years.

CONCLUSIONS
Because of the lower life expectancy the patient's risk for stochastic effect can be seen as minimal. No clinically relevant deterministic effects will occur. In the case of frequent interventions, the dose absorbed by the radiologist is likely to exceed the prescribed dose limit and to cause remarkable risk for stochastic and non-stochastic effects after many years.


Although zinc oxide nanoparticles are known as an effective antimicrobial agent, the mechanism for its antifungal activity has been assessed by only few studies. In this study, antifungal activity mechanism for ZnO via the change of physiology was explored. It was showed that the activities of SOD and CAT and the MDA content were increased significantly. The possible mechanisms were obtained that zinc oxide directly acts on the mycelium of penicillium to produce oxidative stress and destroy intracellular physiological balance. RNA-seq was then used to verify the conclusion obtained before, and obtained results suggested that the antifungal mechanism is attributed to oxidative stress and changes in membrane function.


This paper compares six different algorithms for target maneuver detection in a number of typical maneuvering target tracking scenarios. Measurement residual based chi-square test, input estimate based chi-square test, input estimate based significance test, generalized likelihood ratio, cumulative sum, and marginalized likelihood ratio detectors are examined. Maneuver onset detection times and ROC curves are presented and performance measures are discussed through simulations. Further, the effect of different window sizes on detection performance is evaluated.


We present a parameterized approach to produce personalized variable length summaries of soccer matches. Our approach is based on temporally segmenting the soccer video into 'plays', associating a user-specifiable 'utility' for each type of play and using 'bin-packing' to select a subset of the plays that add up to the desired length while maximizing the overall utility (volume in bin-packing terms). Our approach systematically allows a user to override the default weights assigned to each type of play with individual preferences and thus see a highly personalized variable length summarization of soccer matches. We demonstrate our approach based on the output of an end-to-end pipeline that we are building to produce such summaries. Though aspects of the overall end-to-end pipeline are human assisted at present, the results clearly show that the proposed approach is capable of producing semantically meaningful and compelling summaries. Besides the obvious use of producing summaries of superior league matches for news broadcasts, we anticipate our work to promote greater awareness of the local matches and junior leagues by producing consumable summaries of them.


For some time now, heritage organisations and other institutions have been in agreement about the need for the long-term preservation and accessibility of valuable digital resources. What is much less clear, however, is how much this would cost. In many cases, not enough consideration is given to the long-term cost of curating digital collections, often because very little is actually known about this aspect. As a result, such management costs are often not included in institutions' ordinary operating expenses. Moreover, many heritage institutions tend to assume that the long-term costs are very high, partly due to the exponential rise in the volume of material, whether digitised or born-digital. In many cases, incidental revenue (i.e. project income) is used to pay for longterm management costs. But is this assumption correct? And how can we control the cost of curating digital collections in the long term? We have designed a cost model for analysing and controlling the cost of long-term digital accessibility.


The main advantages of space optical communication technologies compared with RF communications are 1) Wide bandwidth that enables a much higher data rate and 2) Smaller antenna and hardware due to the ultra-short wavelength characteristics. The cost and weight of each spacecraft has been decreasing year by year. Space optical communication technologies, that are being established, have been required to reduce cost and weight recently. The general rotational actuators of spacecraft are magnetic motors. However, it is difficult to reduce it's weight and cost dramatically since magnetic motors include iron core and metal coil. In addition, we do not have the flexibility of magnetic motor's shape. JAXA is interested in optical data relay including LEO-GEO optical communication. In this application, space optical communication equipment must equip rotational actuators as a coarse pointing mechanism. Therefore, the authors have focused on ultra-sonic motors (USM) for the equipment of space optical communication so that we will achieve lower cost, lower weight and a more-flexible-shape of actuators than magnetic motors. In this presentation, the authors propose applications of USM as actuators of space optical communications. USM has been widely used in our life and industry. Usage in industry includes vacuum environments of the semiconductor manufacturing process. So, the authors estimated the usage of USM can be applied to actuators of spacecraft. At first, the authors discuss the advantages and disadvantages of USM compared to traditional magnetic motors. Then, driving performance of USM under vacuum, high and low-temperature conditions are shown. At last, results of life estimation test of USM are discussed.


Accurately estimating and predicting chronological age from some anthropometric characteristics of an individual without an identity document can be crucial in the context of a growing number of forced migrants. In the related literature, the prediction of chronological age mostly relies upon the use of a single predictor, which is usually represented by a dental/skeletal maturity index, or multiple independent ordinal predictor (stage of maturation). This paper is the first attempt to combine a robust method to predict chronological age, such as Bayesian calibration, and the use of multiple continuous indices as predictors. The combination of these two aspects becomes possible due to the implementation of a complex statistical tool as the copula. Comparing the forecasts from our copula-based method with predictions from an independent model and two single predictor models, we showed that the accuracy increased.


We developed a novel process to fabricate point-type carbon nanotube (CNT) emitters formed by transferring a CNT film onto a Ni-coated Cu wire with a diameter of 1.24 mm. A Ni layer plays a role in enhancing the adhesion of CNTs to the substrate and improving their electrical resistance and field emission characteristics. On firing at 400 °C, CNTs appear to directly bonded to a Ni layer. With a Ni layer introduced, a turn-on electric field of CNT emitters decreases from 1.73 to 0.81 V/μm by firing. The CNT film on the Ni-coated wire produces a high emission current density of 667 mA/cm2 at quite a low electric field of 2.87 V/μm.


Based upon data of 10-year period of study of level and structure of hospital morbidity of grown-up population of big city in relation to inflammatory diseases of maxillo-facial region the immediate prognosis for inflammatory diseases was determined. Models of multiple linear regression for hospitalization levels based upon absolute number of patients entering for hospital treatment during 1 year registration were suggested.


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to examine and analyze the current state of continuing education for opticians in Chungcheongnam-do and thereby provide baseline data needed for quality improvement of continuing education. Method: Three hundred fifty three opticians among 403 who were participated in continuing education at the branch of Chungcheongnam-do in 2017 responded to a survey. A total of 330 questionnaires excluding 23 containing negligent responses were used for the final analysis. Results: The number of males was 273 and that of females was 57, and average age was 43. The number of optical shop founders was 189 and those of employees was 141. The number of those willing to keep working at the current optical shop was 210, which is the highest number. There were significant differences in the experience of continuing education depending on gender, age, type of employment, marital status, career, and income level. Most optometrists received information in the continuing education from Korean Optometric Association, and they mostly participated in continuing education to avoid legal sanctions. They claimed that continuing education should provide state-of-the-art technology and product information more than anything else. Conclusion: Systematic continuing education management can prevent opticians from becoming uneducated attendee for long term and help to secure eye health professionals. In the future, it is necessary to constantly study on satisfaction and demands of educated attendees and make an effort to improve and develop continuing education programs.


Existentialism puts humans at the center point of all human relationships. It is rooted in an effort to keep a distance with all hegemony to discover the existence and the essence of self. Human must be conscious of his humane to find out the existence of himself (l'Aatre-en-soi). Since, it is believed that no other creatures besides humans that exists. Freedom is the essence of human beings; usually humans are always free to create him-self. Humans are free to organize, select and can give meaning to reality.


This paper presents the modeling, simulation, fabrication and experimental results of a vibration-based electromagnetic power generator (EMPG). A novel, low-cost, one-mask technique is used to fabricate the planar coils and the planar spring. This fabrication technique can provide an alternative for processes such as lithographie galvanoformung abformung (LIGA) or SU-8 molding and MEMS electroplating. Commercially available copper foils of 20 µm and 350 µm thicknesses are used for the planar coils and planar spring, respectively. The design with planar coils on either side of the magnets provides enhanced power generation for the same footprint of the device. The harvester's overall volume is 1 cm3. Excitation of the EMPG, at the fundamental frequency of 371 Hz, base acceleration of 13.5 g and base amplitude of 24.4 µm, yields an open circuit voltage of 60.1 mV, as well as 46.3 mV load voltage and 10.7 µW power for a 100 Ω load resistance. At a matching impedance of 7.5 Ω the device produced a maximum power of 23.56 µW and a power density of 23.56 µW cm−3. The simulations based on the analytical model of the device show good agreement with the experimental results.


Creativity is important for organizational health in today's economy, as it encourages creative behaviour. The purpose of this paper is to explain the gap of empirical research results and offer alternative solutions to overcome the inconsistency of the relationship between psychological capital and creative behaviour. This paper examines how psychological capital with hope, self-efficacy, resiliency, and optimism mediate the relationship between family support and creative behaviour. This study was conducted on 125 handicraft sector SMEs which includes three districts in Indonesia namely Banyumas, Banjarnegara and Purbalingga. The main purpose of this study is to analyse how family support, mediated with psychological capital, can improve creative behaviour. Quantitative and simple random sampling approach uses questionnaires to collect data from the SMEs sector consisting of SMEs owners. Structural Equation Modelling (SEM) is used as a method of analysis. The results of data analysis show that creative behaviour can be increased by family support through psychological capital mediation.


Hepatitis C (HCV) is a viral infection of the liver affecting 170 million people around the world. Commercially available tests for HCV today are based on enzyme immunosorbent assay (EIA) for detection of HCV-Ab. Regarding the sophisticated equipments required for diagnosis of HCV Thus this work targets offering a dependable field serological test can be used in urban areas as preliminary screening for HCV patients. 150 serum samples were collected from Jazan clinics in Saudi Arabia for HCV patients and 50 serum samples were collected from healthy volunteers. All samples were tested for HCV-Ab using slides coated with 1.5% agarose saturated with HCV Capside synthetic peptide (BIORAD). 50 µl of each sample were applied in spot of Ag saturate agarose and incubated in inverted position in humidified incubator for 90 min at 37\#959;C. After which the slides were washed gently by Tris NaCl buffer PH 7.4 for 20 min. mouse anti human IgG labeled conjugate was added to the slides and incubated in inverted position in humidified incubator for 30 min at 37C. After washing the slides same as before a substrate (BIORAD) was added for 30 min at room temperature then washed out as before. the slides were examined by necked eye and by light microscope against controls. The obtained results were compared with slandered MONOLISA HCV Ag-Ab kite and both results were match. These results proving that agarose slide EIA can be used for preliminary diagnosis of HCV in field clinics of rural areas.


One rather peculiar, but nevertheless recurrent theme within popular culture representations of Nazis and World War II, is Nazi zombies. You find them in movies, in novels, computer games and traditional pen-and-paper role-playing games, at least from the 1960´s and up until today. Walking dead Nazi soldiers are lurking in remote, snowy areas of the Bavarian Alps (Night of the Zombies, 1981) and in gloomy Eastern Europe (Outpost, 2008). They are emerging from the deep waters in the Pacific (Shock Waves, 1977) as well as from Lake Totenkopf [sic!] in (again) the Alps (The Illuminatus! Trilogy, 1975). Sometimes the uncannily revived corpses are identified as prominent characters within the Nazi hierarchy: Hitler (in Wolfenstein 3D, 1992), Himmler (in The Spear, 1978, and Vampire The Masquerade: Berlin By Night, 1993), or the fictive head of the historically existing occult Thule Society, Karl Ruprecht Kroenen (in Hellboy, 2004). There are many more examples. Nazi zombies, and other kinds of undead Nazis, appear within narratives of the fantastic, of gothic, horror and science fiction. What is the cultural significance of this? What does the Naziness of these undead add to their contexts? What can be said about the Nazi undead in connection to more realistic representations of history, especially in the context of our cultural memory? In this presentation I will first give some visual presentations, followed by an analysis combining the thoughts of Richard Dyer, Jean Baudrillard and Zygmunt Bauman, as well as theories on impurity, death, and evil.


Abstract Objective Post-stroke urinary incontinence (UI) is one of the sequelae of stroke. This situation affects all aspects of the patient's life – physically, psychologically, socially, and spiritually. This study aimed to investigate the experience of patients' success in facing a post-stroke UI. Methods A qualitative study using the Rapid Assessment Procedure (RAP) approach was used in this study. Informants were selected using purposive sampling. In-depth interviews with as many as 8 patients who had recovered from post-stroke UI and living in the greater area of Southeast Sulawesi (Indonesia) were conducted. In-depth interviews were also conducted with 8 caregivers and 2 nurses. Data were analyzed using a thematic analysis approach and interpretation of data was based on Humanbecoming theory and Self-care deficit theory of nursing. Results Five successful things the patients experienced during post-stroke UI were identified. The five successes were as follows: they provided information to get to know and understand post-stroke UI, followed the procedures to overcome post-stroke UI, conducted self-control exercises and stayed motivated, performed daily activities independently according to ability, and made use of family support and peers' attention. Conclusions These findings indicated that persistence, belief, independence, and social support (family and peer) made patients to successfully face their post-stroke UI and improved their quality of life. These findings also became the basis for developing a post-stroke UI management model based on Humanbecoming theory and Self-care deficit theory of nursing.


This study proposes a methodology to assess the traffic safety benefits of technical regulation for pedestrian leg. Traffic safety benefit is defined as the injury reduction in this study. Actual accident analysis and simulation experiments using LS-Dyna3d are conducted to establish statistical models for developing the methodology. The relationship between collision speed and parameters of the regulation is explored. An application example of the proposed methodology is also presented for more comprehensive understanding. It is believed that the proposed methodology would be greatly utilized in developing various technologies and policies to protect pedestrian.


A new paradigm for wafer inspection is being developed that would resolve many of today's pending wafer inspection issues. This paradigm integrates 1) a DRAM fabrication line simulation model, producing synthetic images of "typical" wafer maps and associated defects, to 2) fuzzy clustering/declustering algorithms that identify various defects and 3) a unique defect tracking mechanism to monitor patterns of defects across wafer maps. This approach holds promise for in-line process control by allowing for off-site analysis of fabrication line problems and unsupervised adaptation and optimization of application-specific inspection algorithms. The paper reports on the progress made towards the fulfilment of this paradigm.


The future of electrochemical energy storage spotlights on the designed formation of highly efficient and robust bifunctional oxygen electrocatalysts that facilitate advanced rechargeable metal-air batteries. We introduce a scalable facile strategy for the construction of a hierarchical three-dimensional sulfur-modulated holey C2N aerogels (S-C2NA) as bifunctional catalysts for Zn-air and Li-O2 batteries. The S-C2NA exhibited ultrahigh surface area (∼1943 m2 g-1) and superb electrocatalytic activities with lowest reversible oxygen electrode index ∼0.65 V, outperforms the highly active bifunctional and commercial (Pt/C and RuO2) catalysts. Density functional theory and experimental results reveal that the favorable electronic structure and atomic coordination of holey C-N skeleton enable the reversible oxygen reactions. The resulting Zn-air batteries with liquid electrolytes and the solid-state batteries with S-C2NA air cathodes exhibit superb energy densities (958 and 862 Wh kg-1), low charge-discharge polarizations, excellent reversibility, and ultralong cycling lives (750 and 460 h) than the commercial Pt/C+RuO2 catalysts, respectively. Notably, Li-O2 batteries with S-C2NA demonstrated an outstanding specific capacity of ∼648.7 mA h g-1 and reversible charge-discharge potentials over 200 cycles, illustrating great potential for commercial next-generation rechargeable power sources of flexible electronics.


In this modern era of technological progress, multi-core processors have brought significant and consequential improvements in the available processing potential to the world of real-time embedded systems. These improvements impose a rapid increment of software complexity as well as processing demand placed on the underlying hardware. As a consequence, the need for efficient yet predictable multi-core scheduling techniques is on the rise.
As part of this thesis, in-depth research of currently available multi-core scheduling techniques, belonging to both partitioned and global approaches, is done in the context of real-time embedded systems. The emphasis is on the degree of their usability on hard real-time systems, focusing on the scheduling techniques offering better processor affinity and the lower number of context switching. Also, an extensive research of currently available real-time test-beds as well as real-time operating systems is performed.
Finally, a subset of the analyzed multi-core scheduling techniques comprising PSN-EDF, GSN-EDF, PD$^{2}$ and PD$^{2*}$ is simulated on the real-time test-bed LITMUS$^{RT}$.


The following article has been retracted by the Editor and publishers of Psychological Science at the request of the lead author, Lawrence J. Sanna: Sanna, L. J., Chang, E. C., Parks, C. D., & Kennedy, L. A. (2009). Construing collective concerns: Increasing cooperation by broadening construals in social dilemmas. Psychological Science, 20, 1319–1321. doi:10.1111/j.1467-9280.2009.02458.x In a letter to the Editor (Eric Eich), Dr. Sanna wrote: The data reported in this article are invalid and should not be considered part of the scientific literature. The responsibility for this problem rests solely with the first author, Lawrence J. Sanna. Coauthors Edward C. Chang, Craig D. Parks, and Lindsay A. Kennedy are in no way responsible for this problem. In response, the Editor noted that Psychological Science follows the retraction guidelines developed by the Committee on Publication Ethics (COPE). Dr. Sanna was urged to follow these guidelines carefully in drafting a retraction notice, particularly with respect to stating the reasons for the retraction, to distinguish misconduct from honest error. To assist Dr. Sanna with this task, the Editor provided Dr. Sanna with a copy of the COPE guidelines (http://publicationethics.org/resources/guidelines) and a link to a retraction notice that was published in Psychological Science last year. This notice was considered a "model" by Retraction Watch, and Dr. Sanna was advised that, in keeping with this notice, he "must specify clearly the reasons for the retraction in such language that all of your coauthors agree to it." While awaiting Dr. Sanna's reply, the Editor sought to contact Dr. Sanna's three coauthors. Although one coauthor was aware of Dr. Sanna's request to retract the 2009 Psychological Science article, the other two were not. All of the coauthors have agreed to retraction of the article, and each has received a copy of this notice. Dr. Sanna replied by noting with regret that "research errors" have made it necessary for him to request retraction. The letter concluded with the following: "At the direction of legal counsel, I am unable to say anything further than that contained in my previous letter at this time." Because it is unclear when, if ever, details on these research errors will be forthcoming, the Editor owes it to the journal's readership to retract the article now, even though this notice does not reflect COPE guidelines or journal policy.


SELECTED CASE A 27-year-old woman was admitted to the National Institutes of Health Clinical Center, Bethesda, Md, for inpatient research protocol for schizophrenia. She first experienced behavioral disturbances at 13 years of age when she became withdrawn and isolated from friends and family. She reported auditory hallucinations for the first time at 16 years and developed delusions of control and persecution over ensuing months. Suicidal ruminations culminated in a serious suicide attempt and her first hospitalization at the age of 17 years. Although standard antipsychotic drugs reduced her delusions, the patient remained socially isolated and had symptom exacerbation when under stress. She discontinued antipsychotic drug treatment because of adverse effects on several occasions; in each case, she became acutely psychotic. Prior to her admission to the National Institute of Mental Health, she was hospitalized 15 times, including several hospitalizations mandated by the court because of risk to herself and to


This paper presents a mixed-integer non-linear programming (MINLP) model for the optimal restoration/maintenance switching sequence of unbalanced three-phase electrical distribution systems. Once the protection coordination has identified and cleared a faulty zone, the proposed MINLP model determines the status of remotely controlled switches and the dispatchable distributed generation (DG) units, used to de-energized the troubled section of the network and supply as much load as possible. The restoration considers the switching sequence over a discrete horizon, guaranteeing that the operational constraints of the distribution system are not violated in every step of the sequence. Furthermore, a set of linearization strategies are presented to transform the proposed MINLP model into a mixed-integer linear programming (MILP) model. The use of MILP models guarantees convergence to optimality by applying convex optimization techniques. Tests are performed on an unbalanced three-phase radial distribution system consisting of 123 nodes, 12 switches, and three dispatchable DG units. The obtained results show that the proposed optimization model is a holistic procedure that can be used to efficiently manage power restoration or to minimize isolated areas in case of scheduled maintenance in modern electrical distribution systems.


Comparative genomic studies reveal a global decline in rates of convergent amino acid substitution as a function of evolutionary distance. This pattern has been attributed to epistatic constraints on protein evolution, the idea being that mutations tend to confer the same fitness effects on more similar genetic backgrounds, so convergent substitutions are more likely to occur in closely related species. However, this hypothesis lacks experimental validation. We tested this model in the context of the recurrent evolution of resistance to cardiotonic steroids (CTS) across diverse groups of tetrapods, which occurs via specific amino acid substitutions to the α-subunit family of Na+,K+-ATPases (ATP1A). After identifying a series of recurrent substitutions at two key sites of ATP1A1 predicted to confer CTS resistance, we performed protein engineering experiments to test the functional consequences of introducing these substitutions onto divergent species backgrounds. While we find that substitutions at these sites can have substantial background-dependent effects on CTS resistance, we also find no evidence for background-dependent effects on protein activity. We further show that the magnitude of a substitution's effect on activity does not depend on the overall extent of ATP1A1 sequence divergence between species. More generally, a global analysis of substitution patterns across ATP1A orthologs and paralogs reveals that the probability of convergent substitution protein-wide is not predicted by sequence divergence. Together, these findings suggest that intramolecular epistasis is not an important constraint on the evolution of ATP1A CTS resistance in tetrapods.Individual amino acid residues within a protein work in concert to produce a functionally coherent structure that must be maintained even as orthologous proteins in different species diverge over time. Given this dependence, we expect identical mutations to have more similar effects on protein function in more closely related species. We tested this hypothesis by performing protein-engineering experiments on ATP1A, an enzyme mediating target-site insensitivity to cardiotonic steroids (CTS) in diverse animals. These experiments reveal that although the phenotypic effects of substitutions can sometimes be background-dependent, the magnitude of these effects does not correlate with ATP1A1 sequence divergence. This implies that the genetic background across the ATP1A protein does not strongly limit the evolution of CTS resistance in animals.


This paper describes a physics-of-failure (PoF) based prognostic method for power electronics modules (PEMs). Differing from the traditional reliability prediction methods, this approach allows the reliability performance of PEMs to be assessed in real time. Four techniques have been used to develop this method, they are: (1) Compact electro-thermal model (2) Rainflow counting algorithm (3) Compact thermo-mechanical model and (4) Lifetime consumption model. As a demonstration, this method has been applied to a typical IGBT half bridge module and solder joint fatigue was assumed as the major failure mechanism. In this application, a random electric current load profile was generated in laboratory environment and used to derive the thermal loading condition for the module. Due to the randomness of the load profile, rainflow counting method was used to reduce the continuous load profile into discrete sets of thermal cycles. The damage induced in each temperature cycle was calculated via a compact thermo-mechanical model, and used in the lifetime model to calculate the PEMs lifetimes under simple cyclic loading conditions. Based on these predicted lifetimes and the linear damage accumulation rule, the total consumed life of the PEMs over the whole period of usage was predicted.


The vaquita, Phocoena sinus, is one of two critically endangered cetacean species, and is listed as an endangered species in both the United States and Mexico. These listings result from a small population size, estimated to be 224 animals, and a rapid decline in abundance (18% per annum) thought to be caused by human activities. To characterize the genetic composition of the vaquita, we have sequenced a portion of the mitochondrial DNA control region from 43 individuals collected between 1985 and 1993. All animals had identical sequences. While low genetic variability has been reported for cetacean species, this complete lack of polymorphism in the control region is unique. This result is concordant with the hypothesis that the evolutionary history of the species includes a bottleneck or founder event, possibly at species inception, followed by a small long-term effective population size. We recommend parallel studies of nuclear variability, which could provide understanding of the basic biology of the vaquita for use in conservation efforts.


Plant growth promoting substances, either from biological or chemical origin, are widely used in modern agriculture. In this context, this study evaluated the physiological quality of maize seed treated with thiamethoxam and inoculated with Azospirillum brasilense . Initially, we tested bacterial growth on medium with increasing concentrations of thiamethoxam. We also evaluated the physiological quality of seeds through morphometric measurements, emergence speed index and chlorophyll content by SPAD through a 2x3 factorial arrangement with seed inoculation with A. brasilense (100 mL per 25 kg of seed) and three doses of thiamethoxam (0, 80 and 120 ml per 60,000 seeds). Bacterial population showed a linear reduction according to increasing doses of thiamethoxam. The dose of 120 ml thiamethoxam (42 mg active ingredient) caused a decrease in several variables, while, the inoculation proved a positive activity in seedlings physiological quality. Thus, the inoculation combined with 80 ml thiamethoxam (28 mg active ingredient) show synergistic action in early development in maize seedlings. Keywords: Thiamethoxam, inoculant, plant growth promoting bacteria African Journal of Biotechnology , Vol 13(49) 4501-4507


Muslim writers of the Middle Ages readily acknowledged the debt they owed to the thinkers of Classical Greece and Professor Rosenthal, in this latest volume of the excellent Islamic World series, has made an anthology of extracts from Arabic sources to illustrate the nature and extent of this debt. Some of the texts are translations of Arabic versions of Greek works, but the majority are original Arabic works based on Greek foundations. Philosophy, and above all Aristotle, has pride of place, but such useful arts as Medicine, Mathematics, and Mechanics also figure prominently. Literature was almost completely ignored for, as alJahiz explained bluntly, 'Only Arabs and people who speak Arabic have a correct understanding of poetry'. General history too was largely ignored but Muslim writers had very definite ideas about the appearance and habits of the classical authors they came into contact with: Plato, we are told by al-Mubashshir, 'wept uninterruptedly' while Galen was much more extrovert. 'He chatted a great deal and was rarely silent. He frequently attacked his colleagues', who were perhaps mollified by the fact that, 'he smelled agreeably and wore clean clothes'. Some of the most fascinating passages in the book concern the actual process of translation, carried on under the patronage of the Abbasid Caliphs in the century and a half from A.D. 750. Very great care was taken both to establish the correct text and produce an Arabic version that was meaningful rather than slavishly literal. 'I collated these [Greek] manuscripts', explains Hunayn b.Ishaq, the greatest of the translators, 'and thereby produced a single correct copy. Next I collated the Syriac text with it and corrected it. . .later I translated the Syriac text into Arabic'


This article investigates how differences in social ties lead to differences in the social use of information and communication technology (ICT) and vice versa. The article draws on a qualitative study in the field of disability studies. Through this study of a marginalized subgroup of youth, the article advances insight into the permeability of the real and the virtual and extends the notion of established concepts of social ties and digital differentiation. The youth in the current study are 23 disabled Norwegians aged 15—20 years. The analysis is based on the principles of grounded theory and is characterized by a constant content comparative process. The outcome of this analysis shows how social ties of a marginalized subgroup of young people hold different characteristics than established notions anticipate, how these characteristics are vital in youths' interaction in offline and online life and how this interaction implies a mixed reality.