Section 172 of the Companies Act 2006 has been afforded much attention during parliamentary discussions on the codification of directors' duties and has since the enactment of the Companies Act 2006 occupied much space in discussions among scholars who share an academic interest in the shareholder/stakeholder debate, in policy documents on law reforms following a series of corporate failures, as well as in company law lecture notes provided by Law Schools across the UK. With the UK leaving the EU, it is a critical time to discuss enlightened decision-making on boards, considering that, arguably, one of the key benefits of joining the EU with regard to UK company law, was that the UK was prompted to consider incorporating provisions affording a certain level of protection to the interests of other constituencies across a wide range of company and securities law Acts and regulations. What often escapes the attention of participants in discussions surrounding s. 172 CA 2006, is the section's limitations not so much in terms of it prioritising the interests of shareholders over the interests of other constituencies, but with regard to its enforcement and utility overall. The purpose of this paper is twofold. First it aims to shed some light on the background and function of section 172 CA 2006. Secondly, after considering the challenges, shortcomings and dilemmas surrounding the function of this section, it suggests ways forward by proposing a change in the mode of regulating this aspect of managerial conduct. Ample evidence suggests that section 172 CA 2006 in terms of enlightened decision-making and in its hard law form will not facilitate the goal of promoting the 'good governance' of companies that have a high impact on society. Thus, the paper aims to advance an important aspect of UK corporate law in the making: namely suggest the use of alternative means available in the soft law sphere, that could support a more pluralistic and democratic formation of corporate decision-making.


Breeding work has been conducted by the Great Western Sugar Company since 1910. Previous reports have been made to this Society of various phases of this work, and the general progress for the period 1922 to 1938 was evaluated in terms of breeding methods in the 1938 Proceedings pages 42-50. Some very encouraging developments in new varieties which combine a high degree of resistance to leafspot (Cercospora beticola) with superior performance for both tonnage and sugar content seem to be of sufficient interest to justify a further report at this time. In this connection, some attention will be focused on breeding methods. We do not intend to survey the method being used by various breeders except to observe that most of the commercial seed currently being used in this country is from varieties which have arisen either by mass selection or by some phase of progeny-test selection, in some cases with partial control of pollination by isolation methods. In our own work the progeny-test method has been used more or less consistently for most of the varieties of commercial value developed up to the present time. In recent years, however, several new unrelated sources of material have been introduced into the breeding program and it appears probable that some new genes for possibly both root production and sugar content have been acquired in this manner. This report of progress will be confined to the improvement work conducted principally for the areas subject to attacks of the leafspot disease common in much of the area east of the Rocky Mountains.


The present paper compares the stress intensity factor (SIF) solutions for surface-cracked plates presented in R6, BS 7910, API 579-1/ASME FFS-1 and RSE-M. Both extended surface cracks and semi-elliptical surface cracks are considered. In general, the agreement between the various solutions is found to be good at within 5%. However, particular cases are highlighted which are associated with larger differences between the SIFs. For extended surface cracks, the various solutions agree closely at within 5% in all but one case. For semi-elliptical surface cracks, the agreement between the various solutions is generally better at the deepest point than at the so-called 'surface' points. In particular, the surface point SIFs corresponding to the Vainshtok and Varfolomeyev weight function solution which appears in API-579-1/ASME FFS-1 differ significantly from the other solutions in some cases. It is concluded that further work is required in order to establish an appropriate definition of the surface point SIF for use in structural integrity calculations.


The aims of this article are to explore the experience of depression among palliative care clients and caregivers, describe the strategies they use in coping with depression, and clarify the role of spirituality in preventing and/or overcoming depression. This article discusses an aspect of the findings of a larger doctoral study that explored the nature of spirituality and spiritual engagement from the viewpoint of individuals with life-limiting conditions and their caregivers. van Manen's phenomenology was used in the study. The data generated from the doctoral study were subjected to secondary analysis to uncover the experience of depression. The methodology underpinning the secondary analysis was phenomenology also by van Manen. Fourteen clients and caregivers from across regional and rural South Australia informed the study. Data collection involved in-depth nonstructured home-based interviews that were audiotaped and transcribed verbatim. The findings highlighted relate to participants succumbing to depression, but having spiritual beliefs and practices helped them cope. One of the most insightful understanding was the role spirituality played in protecting individuals from depression, encapsulated in the theme "finding paradise within." Spirituality, understood from a religious or secular perspective, must be embedded in palliative care as it assisted in preventing and overcoming depression.


Author(s): Barron, Rebecca Katherine | Advisor(s): Siegel, David A | Abstract: The research presented in this dissertation evaluates the direct relationships of phytoplankton community composition and inherent optical properties (IOP); that is, the absorption and scattering of light in the ocean. Phytoplankton community composition affect IOPs in both direct and indirect ways, thus creating challenges for optical measurements of biological and biogeochemical properties in aquatic systems. Studies were performed in the Santa Barbara Channel (SBC), CA where an array of optical and biogeochemical measurements were made. Phytoplankton community structure was characterized by an empirical orthogonal functional analysis (EOF) using phytoplankton accessory pigments. The results showed that phytoplankton community significantly correlated to all IOPs, e.g. phytoplankton specific absorption, detrital absorption, CDOM absorption and particle backscattering coefficients. Furthermore, the EOF analysis was unique in splitting the microphytoplankton size class into separate diatom and dinoflagellate regimes allowing for assessment optical property differences within the same size class, a technique previously not systematically achievable. The phytoplankton functional group dinoflagellates were particularly influential to IOPs in surprising ways. Dinoflagellates showed higher backscattering efficiencies than would be predicted based on Mie theory, and significantly influenced CDOM absorption via direct association with dissolved mycosproine-like amino acid absorption (MAA) peaks in CDOM spectra. A new index was developed in this work to quantify MAA absorption peaks in CDOM spectra, and was named the MAA Index. Prior to this research dissolved MAA absorption in natural waters was never quantified, and CDOM data containing these peaks were often disregarded and discarded from analysis. CDOM dynamics in the SBC were assessed for a 15-year study period, and this work shows that significantly large MAA Index values, e.g. MAA Index g 1, were present in approximately 16% of surface water data. Variability in CDOM spectral shape was quantified using the EOF technique, and regression analysis with EOF outputs showed that CDOM absorption intensity and spectral shape were well correlated dinoflagellate presence. Furthermore, results showed that phytoplankton biomass played a secondary role in relation to CDOM absorption, and that variability in CDOM absorption coefficients were primarily driven by community composition. CDOM quality in the SBC was also assessed using CDOM fluorescence properties via excitation emission matrix spectroscopy (EEMS). The EEMS data was analyzed using a multivariate statistical procedure, again, an EOF analysis, to identify three dominant CDOM source regimes: the surface pelagic regime, deep-water (up to 300 m) regime and kelp forest pelagic regime. This work also found that while CDOM absorption coefficient was strongly influence by which phytoplankton groups were present, DOM quality was characterized more so by the amount of phytoplankton biomass, hence indicating strong microbial component to DOM production. Lastly, with the use of the EEMS data, and characterization of CDOM absorption properties, e.g. spectral slope, S, slope ratio, SR, specific UV-absorbance, SUVA and MAA Index, we found that terrestrial sources of CDOM were very limited in the SBC. Based on this research, mineral particle concentrations that significantly correlated with IOPs were thought to be associated with suspended sediments from shoaling of the continental shelf rather than from stream/river influence. Thus, the SBC is a unique, optically complex ocean system where IOP dynamics, thus remote sensing reflectance, are strongly influenced by shifts in phytoplankton community structure.


Context Cefazolin is widely accepted as routine antimicrobial prophylaxis in hepatobiliary and pancreatic surgery. Microbial resistance to this drug is rapidly increasing, nullifying the expected beneficial effects of its administration and exposing patients to potentially severe infective complications. Objective Analysis of bile culture results and comparison with postoperative outcomes in patients undergoing pancreatic surgery in a referral centre; definition of an alternative prophylaxis schedule. Methods Between Jan 2010 and Jan 2013 we performed 170 consecutive major resections requiring abdominal bile exposure, of which 156 pancreaticoduodenectomies and 14 total pancreatectomies. We routinely performed culture on bile samples obtained intraoperatively and on drain liquid samples taken on fifth postoperative day. We then prospectively recorded data about postoperative septic complications and analyzed them consulting our referral infectious disease specialist. Results Among the 170 patients, 95 (56%) had positive bile cultures, of which 73 (43%) with multiple microbes. The great majority of microbes obtained belonged to Enterococcus Spp . ( E. Faecalis 29%, E. Facium 18%), while other well represented germs were E. Coli (18%), Enterobacter Spp . (18%), Klebsiella Spp . (12%). Eighty patients (47%) received preoperative biliary stenting, which resulted strongly associated with bile infection (100% vs . 17%, P<0.001). Bile infection was associated with higher morbidity both in patient with stent (72% vs . 56%, P=0.037), and without stent (87% vs . 56%, P=0.026). Forty-seven (49%) of infected bile samples harbored microbes resistant to cefazolin; in these patient postoperative infective complication rate was significantly higher (61% v s . 39%, P=0.016) than in patients that did not harbor. The rate of cefazolin resistant microbe identification was even higher on drain samples (58%), which shared microbes with previous bile sample in 80% of cases, even though it was not associated with higher morbidity. Analyzing antimicrobial susceptibility of these germs we identify the association ampicillin-sulbactam as a new possible drug for perioperative prophylaxis. Conclusions Infective complications in pancreatic surgery could lead to severe consequences. Adequate antimicrobial prophylaxis, selected using epidemiological evidence from patients samples, is mandatory. Ampicillin-sulbactam could be a viable alternative to cefazolin in surgical procedures involving abdomen bile exposure, although further studies are necessary to validate this drug benefits.


This paper explores linguistic elements in political discourses in general and in political speeches, in particular. It presents some political speeches of some contemporary African leaders. The paper aims to contribute to the field of Critical Discourse Analysis (henceforth CDA), and the sub-field Political Discourse Analysis (henceforth PDA), by examining and analyzing political speeches from a linguistic perspective. The paper also aims to show how linguistic tools can be manipulated to reveal speakers' ideology and speakers' political stance. We use different linguistic tools for the analysis of the speeches. These include M.A.K Hallida's Transitivity", Herbert Paul Grice's Speech Act Theory", as well as semantic representations appearing in the political analyzed speeches. This study adopts quantitative methods to determine the presence of the examined linguistic tools found in the political speeches of some African leaders.


This paper problematizes the question of objectivity as it pertains to the social sciences. The paper accentuates the difficulty with postmodernism which tries to deny the possibility of objective truth in the social sciences. Thus, the main objective of this paper is to evaluate the postmodernists' quest for relativity and subjectivity of truth and to expose whether objectivity is attainable in the social sciences in the same way it is attainable in the natural sciences. This paper upholds that objectivity in the social science is important in working out a holistic global ideology, and since this global ideology hopes to provide for and project justice and respect for persons and communities as well as provide a basis for the minimizing and resolving of conflicts locally and internationally, Africa can on this grounds dare to be part of this global project without fear of playing a "western script" called globalization. Keywords : Modernism, postmodernism, Social Science, Hermeneutics, Objectivity


Introduction: The purpose of this study was to report the clinical features, computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) findings, clinical management, and prognoses of 7 patients with Sertoli–Leydig cell tumors (SLCT) of ovary, and to review the literature of this rare condition. Methods: Seven patients with pathologically confirmed ovarian SLCT were included. Their clinical, CT and MRI characteristics (CT images obtained from 6 patients and MR images from 4 patients), clinical management, and prognoses of 7 patients were retrospectively analyzed. Results: Patients symptoms included irregular menstruation (n = 3), infertile (n = 1), vaginal bleeding after 7 years of menopause (n = 1), a palpable abdominal mass (n = 1), and abdominal pain (n = 1). Three patients had elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP), 1 had elevated cancer antigen 125 (CA125), and 2 had elevated Testosterone (T). The 7 tumors of 7 patients were solid or mixed solid-cystic mass with clear boundaries. The solid components of the tumors showed iso-dense on CT. On MRI, the solid components showed iso- or slightly low signal intensity (SI) on T1-weighted imaging (T1WI), high or slightly high SI on T2WI, and high on diffusion-weighted imaging (DWI) with low apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) value. On contrast-enhanced CT and MRI, 1 tumor exhibited heterogeneous enhancement consisting of multiple nodules with relatively marked homogeneous enhancement, and other 6 tumors showed moderate or marked and constantly heterogeneous enhancements. All patients were treated with surgical excision. Only 3 had received postoperative chemotherapy. With the exception of 1 patient lost to follow-up, the other 6 patients exhibited tumor-free survival with a median follow-up time of 13.5 months, the longest follow-up time being 24 months. Conclusion: The patients of SLCT can present with hormonal magnification and manifest high AFP, CA125, and T levels. SLCT is characterized by a solid or mixed solid-cystic mass on CT/MR scans, and shows marked or moderated heterogeneous and constantly enhancement upon postcontrast study. The clinical characteristics and imaging findings are features and appropriated imaging should be performed whenever an SLCT is suspected.


The specific heats of three paramagnetic salts, neodymium magnesium nitrate, manganous ammonium sulphate and ferric ammonium alum, have been measured at temperatures below 1°K using the method of γ-ray heating. The temperature measurements were made in the first instance in terms of the magnetic susceptibilities of the salts, the relation of the susceptibility to the absolute temperature having been determined for each salt in earlier experiments. The γ-ray heatings gave the specific heat in arbitrary units. The absolute values of the specific heats were found by extrapolating the results of paramagnetic relaxation measurements at higher temperatures. The measured specific heat of neodymium magnesium nitrate is compared with the value calculated from paramagnetic resonance data, and good agreement is found.


Currently in Russia, as well as throughout the world, has been steadily increasing prevalence of type 2 diabetes and early disorders of carbohydrate metabolism impaired glucose tolerance and impaired fasting glucose. It is shown that in the first year after diagnosis "prediabetes" in 5-10% of patients becomes type 2 diabetes, in five years at 20-35%. If impaired glucose tolerance combined with impaired fasting glucose, the type 2 diabetes within 5 years develops in 38-65%. The true prevalence of overt type 2 diabetes several times higher than registered, from time to onset of the disease before its detection can reach 7-12 years. Up to 50% of patients with type 2 diabetes at diagnosis already have those or other complications. In this case, early detection of type 2 diabetes and early disorders of carbohydrate metabolism contributes to the timely initiation of treatment and prevention of complications of diabetes, can lead to disability of the patient. The aim of this study was to determine the results of oral glucose tolerance test the prevalence of type 2 diabetes and early disorders of carbohydrate metabolism among a select group of the adult population of the Moscow region.


327 Background: Pts with aHCC and CPB liver status are often excluded from clinical trials of novel therapies due to their poor prognosis (Greten British J Cancer 2005). Historical overall survival (OS) for these pts when treated with sorafenib (SOR) has ranged ≈3–5 mo in retrospective or descriptive studies (Abou-Alfa Gastrointest Cancer Res 2011; Da Fonseca Mol Clin Oncol 2015; Pressiani Ann Oncol 2013; Chiu Cancer 2012); thus, novel treatment options are needed for these pts. The PD-1 inhibitor NIVO is approved in the US, Canada, and elsewhere, most recently Australia, for SOR-treated pts with aHCC based on results from CheckMate-040 (NCT01658878) (El-Khoueiry Lancet 2017). Here we report data from the CPB cohort of CheckMate-040, the first prospective study of immunotherapy in this pt group. Methods: Pts with CPB (B7–B8) aHCC who were SOR-naïve (n = 25) or -experienced (n = 24) received NIVO 240 mg IV for 30 min Q2W until unacceptable toxicity or disease progression. Primary endpoints were objective response rate (ORR) (investigator assessed [INV], RECIST v1.1) and duration of response (DOR). Safety was assessed in all treated pts using NCI CTCAE v4.0. Results: Of 49 analyzed pts, 28 (57.1%) had vascular invasion or extrahepatic spread. During a follow-up range of 6–18 mo, INV ORR was 10.2% with 5 pts responding; disease control rate (DCR) was 55.1%. Median (m) time to response was 2.7 mo and mDOR was 9.9 mo; 2 pts had ongoing responses at data cutoff. The mOS was 7.6 mo (mOS follow-up was 7.4 mo); mOS in SOR-naïve and -treated pts was 9.8 and 7.3 mo, respectively. Treatment-related adverse events (TRAEs) were reported in 25 (51%) pts; 4 (8.2%) pts had select hepatic TRAEs. TRAEs led to discontinuation in 2 pts (4.1%). NIVO safety profile in these pts appeared comparable to cohorts of pts with CPA aHCC. Comparison data for pts with CPA aHCC and extended follow-up for pts with CPB aHCC will be presented. Conclusions: Encouraging DCR and durable responses were observed in pts with CPB aHCC treated with NIVO. AEs were manageable and did not lead to higher discontinuation compared with pts with CPA aHCC. NIVO showed promising efficacy and tolerability compared with historical data, supporting further investigation. Clinical trial information: NCT01658878.


Abstract Effective social interaction is built upon the foundation of intersubjectivity and sociality. Intersubjectivity consists of the capacity to share, coordinate and mutually incorporate experience between people in social interaction. Sociality operates within the broader context of intersubjectivity. It consists of the process by which one person is able to represent the meaning systems of another person. Sociality is key to understanding how humans enter into, sustain, and otherwise create relationships. It is essential for functional human relating between people, organizations, factions, and ideologies. Many of the problems of the 21st century – the breakdown of shared meaning systems between and among people – are problems of sociality and can be addressed through the process of cultivating deeper sociality. Sociality thus assumes ethical and political dimensions: we should try and achieve and promote sociality between and among persons. This issue addresses questions about how humans can create shared ways of understanding their worlds, how the development of shared meanings can be derailed, and how we can bridge divides between diverse ways of understanding the world in the 21st century.


Abstract Penetrating cardiac injuries (PCI) are often fatal and do not present enough time for effective referrals to higher centers. Most deaths occur in transit from a remote healthcare setting with limited resources. I present the first reported case of PCI in the medical literature to be managed successfully in the absence of heart-lung machine as well as dedicated cardiac surgical instruments and equipment, and which was further complicated by mediastinitis.


For the design of constrained model predictive control of a continuous annealing furnace both the modeling of an industrial furnace and the structure of an appropriate constrained predictive control scheme are presented. The model of the furnace comprises a partitioning of the furnace into suitable heating zones, a description of the spatially discretized moving steel strip, and a dynamic formulation of the heaters. The final process model is of linear state space form and utilizes the energy flow to the heaters as inputs, the ambient temperatures as disturbances, and the temperatures of the strip elements and the heaters as states. The model can be easily adapted to varying operation conditions since all important design parameters of the furnace and the strip can be modified on-line. Utilizing measurement data from an industrial furnace for the model validation shows excellent agreement. The constrained predictive control scheme explicitly considers the disturbance, allows for the inclusion of reference values for the inputs, and simultaneously guarantees constraints on the maximum temperature of the heaters. This structure is shown in simulations to reliably obey multiple and contradictory technological restrictions of the process without the need for lengthy parameter optimizations.Copyright © 2010 by ASME


This paper explores the issues and the techniques of enabling multimedia applications for the thin client computing. Our study on the network applications over thin clients is devoted to the universal plug-in architecture which supports multimedia applications over thin clients. With the proposed architecture, the universal plug-in technique is devised to shift jobs from thin clients to a supporting server, thus reducing the computing overhead required by the thin clients. In addition, this plug-in architecture is implemented and empirically evaluated It is shown by our experiments that the proposed architecture not only significantly enhances the multimedia capability of thin clients but also reduces the memory consumed by the clients for various applications, showing the very advantage of the universal plug-in architecture for thin clients of limited resources.


【This study is carried out to find the most optimal soil-plant combination in the urban agriculture by analyzing the association of soil base material which is being used in the urban agriculture with the growth of plants. 4 types of easily purchased soil (bed soil(A), animal vermicast soil(B), earth worm soil(C) and matured compost(D)) verified in aspects of effect and safety of soil in terms of growth of crop is selected as experimental soil and B, C, D type soils are mixed with granite soil at the ratio of 7 : 3. And granite soil(E) is set as a controlled soil and is compared to verify the effect of the experimental mixed soil. Herbaceous plants are classified into the fruit vegetables (Lycopersicon esculentum Mill. and Capsicum annuum L.), leafy vegetables (Brassica campestris L. ssp. Pekinensis and Lactuca sativa L.), medicinal vegetables (Chrysanthemum zawadskii var. latilobum and Liriope platyphylla F. T. Wang & T. Tang). The results of comparison of growth of herbaceous plants in different soil types showed that fruit vegetables and leafy vegetables in general had excellent growth in D type soil mixture and A type soil in general and had the poorest growth in E type (controlled) soil. 'Chrysanthemum zawadskii var. latilobum' had the excellent growth in D type, B type, C type mixed soil and A type soil and E type (controlled) soil are followed in order. In the case of 'Liriope platyphylla F. T. Wang & T. Tang', the difference in growth by each soil was shown to be insignificant. Therefore, the soil applied in the urban agriculture varies depending on each species of herbaceous plants, but it is considered effective to cultivate herbaceous plant which is economical and productive by using D type mixed soil which can be recycled and inexpensive compared with other experimental soils in the urban agriculture.】


Introduction: This study aimed at evaluating the sealing properties of calcium-enriched mixture (CEM) compared to mineral trioxide aggregate (MTA) as a cervical barriers in intra-coronal bleaching. Methods and Materials: In this in vitro study, endodontic treatment was performed on 60 extracted human incisors and canines without canal calcification, caries, restorations, resorption or cracks. The teeth were then randomly divided into two experimental groups and two control groups (n=15). Then, CEM cement and MTA were applied as 3-mm intra-orifice barriers in the test groups; a mixture of sodium perborate and 30% hydrogen peroxide bleaching agents were placed within the pulp chamber for one week. Dye penetration method was used to evaluate the sealing ability of agents. Statistical analysis was performed using SPSS software. The Kendall coefficient was used to evaluate inter-observer agreement. The chi-squared test was used for statistical analysis. Results: The results showed that the penetration rates of CEM and MTA were the same as positive control group, with no significant differences (P=0.673 and P=0.408, respectively). However, there was a significant difference between the negative control group and CEM and MTA groups (P=0.001 for both groups). In addition, the sealing ability of MTA and CEM cement were not significantly different (P=0.682). Conclusion: During intra-coronal bleaching procedures CEM cement can be used as a cervical barrier with sealing properties comparable to that of MTA.


Researchers which aimed to understand human behaviours have propounded many opinions about temperament and personality. Some of them centralize temperament while others centralize personality in their studies. They defined temperament and personality in many ways and tried to explain similar and different features of these concepts. The disagreement of the researchers on the definitions of temperament and personality concepts caused confusion in explaining the relations between these concepts. Besides, this confusion brings along the question "which one is the changeable and unchangeable part of the human behaviours, temperament or personality?� Nine Types Temperament Model (NTTM) is new model that considers human behaviour with a temperament based approach, claims to formulate a holistic model to the definitions, boundaries, scopes, interrelations of temperament, character and personality. The aim of this study is to explain the relation of personality with temperament and to propose an approach which conceptualizes the personality's unchangeable -originating from the temperament- and changeable facets from the NTTM perspective, which can be a conceptual base for future empirical studies. In this study; first we explained the definitions and the relations of temperament, character and personality propounded by NTTM based on the current literature. Second we proposed "natural personality� concept in order to explain unchangeable features that originate from the individual's temperament type. Also we proposed "synthetic personality� concept in order to explain the traits that do not exist in the temperament type of the individual and are acquired after birth through parents, school and social transference. In conclusion, in this study we tried to offer a new perspective to the researchers for understanding the nature of temperament -character- personality concepts and the link between them. Additionally, we propounded the concepts of natural and synthetic personality that will be able to answer the questions about changeable and unchangeable facets of personality.


We report three patients with gangliogliomas involving the optic chiasm via distinct mechanisms.The ganglioglioma in one patient likely originated in the temporal lobe and spread medially to involve the chiasm, and diffuse spinal cord dissemination also occurred. Chiasmal involvement in this manner and dissemination at presentation are unusual for gangliogliomas. The tumor in a second patient was intrinsic to the hypothalmus and chiasm, while in the third patient, it involved both optic tracts, and a cyst compressed the chiasm laterally. Two patients developed severe bilateral visual loss, while the other had a stable bitemporal hemianopsia. Two patients received radiotherapy, but one continued to lose vision. Although gangliogliomas rarely involve chiasm, the mechanisms by which they produce chiasmal visual loss may be diverse, and the long-term visual prognosis is variable. NEUROLOGY 1996;46: 1669-1673


Abstract: Strike acts as a defensive tool in the hands of employees when they feel exploited by their management.  It empowers the employees to have a say in what is decided for them in an industry.  Strike, generally involves quitting of work by a group of workers for the purpose of influencing their employer or management to protect their common interest in the organization.  When the labour unions or workers collectively cease to work in a particular industry, they are said to be on strike.  A strike usually takes place in response to employees' unmet grievances. Strike can cause huge losses for the organization.  Strike propensity is different from actual strike.  Strike propensity is the extent to which workers are willing to engage in strike.  It is a strong predictor of actual strike action.  This paper explores the significance and consequence of understanding strike propensity of the employees in workplace and further tries to explore it's relevance in today's volatile organizations.

Keywords: Strike, Strike Propensity, Labour union, Employee grievances.


Many 3D printing applications require the reproduction of an object's color in addition to its shape. One 3D printing technology, called multi-jetting (or poly-jetting), allows full color 3D reproductions by arranging multiple colored materials (UV curing photo-polymers) on a droplet level in a single object. One property of such printing materials is their high translucency posing new challenges for characterizing such 3D printers to create ICC profiles. In this paper, we will first describe the whole color-managed 3D printing workflow and will then focus on measuring the colors of highly translucent printing materials. We will show that measurements made by spectrophotometers used in the graphic arts industry are systematically biased towards lower reflection. We will then propose a trichromatic camera-based approach for measuring such colors. Error rates obtained in comparison with spectroradiometric measurements for the same viewing conditions are within the interinstrument-variability of hand-held spectrophotometers used in graphic arts.


Objective: This preliminary study tests the effectiveness of an elementary school-based stress management technique on anxiety symptoms and heart rate variability (HRV) in children. Methods: In this controlled prospective longitudinal study, children in third-grade classroom participated in a teacher-led daily 10-minute stress management intervention for 4 months. The control class teacher read from a children's book for 10 minutes daily. A standardized anxiety scale and HRV (using computer biofeedback program) were measured before the 4-month intervention, immediately after, and 1 year later. Results: The intervention class showed significant improvement from baseline to the immediate postintervention period in total anxiety (N = 14, F = 12.95, p = .002), with 1-year follow-up scores maintaining improvement (N = 13, F = 5.88, p = .025). The intervention class had small improvement in HRV using the biofeedback program in the immediate postintervention period, with significant improvement at 1-year follow-up (N = 13, F = 10.61, p = .005). The control class showed no improvements. Qualitatively, children reported that the intervention was helpful during stressful times at school and at home, even after the study period. Conclusion: An elementary school-based short daily stress management intervention can decrease symptoms of anxiety, and improve HRV, a measure of relaxation. Ultimately, these children found this skill continued to help them cope better with everyday stressors.


Preventing oxidative deterioration of fish oil is a significant challenge for the food industry. Natural antioxidants are widely incorporated into foods and oils to prevent oxidation and extend shelf life. The goal of the study is to investigate the activity of novel antioxidants in menhaden oil and to develop optimum formulations containing mixed tocopherols to control oxidation of menhaden oil. Alpha tocopherol, gamma tocopherol, and delta tocopherol in menhaden oil were found at 0.18mg/g, 0.37mg/g, and 0.14mg/g, respectively, using HPLC analysis. Teng Cha extract effectively delayed oxidation of menhaden oil (MO) when stored at 40°C for eight days by measuring primary oxidation products and secondary oxidation products. The combinations of Teng Cha extract and rosemary extract and combinations of ascorbyl palmitate, citric acid, Teng Cha extract and rosemary extract more effectively improved stability of MO containing mixed tocopherols than Teng Cha extract alone at 40°C storage for eight days by measuring primary oxidation products and secondary oxidation products. From this study, Teng Cha extract can be used as a potential natural antioxidant in food industry, especially in combinations with rosemary extract and tocopherols, extending shelf life of menhaden oil.


The microbial-derived metabolite, 3-indolepropionic acid (3-IPA), has been intensely studied since its origins were discovered in 2009; however, 3-IPA's role in immunosuppression has had limited attention. Untargeted metabolomic analyses of T-cell exhaustion and immunosuppression, represented by dysfunctional under-responsive CD8+ T cells, reveal a potential role of 3-IPA in these responses. T-cell exhaustion was examined via infection of two genetically related mouse strains, DBA/1J and DBA/2J, with lymphocytic choriomeningitis virus (LCMV) Clone 13 (Cl13). The different mouse strains produced disparate outcomes driven by their T-cell responses. Infected DBA/2J presented with exhausted T cells and persistent infection, and DBA/1J mice died one week after infection from cytotoxic T lymphocytes (CTLs)-mediated pulmonary failure. Metabolomics revealed over 70 metabolites were altered between the DBA/1J and DBA/2J models over the course of the infection, most of them in mice with a fatal outcome. Cognitive-driven prioritization combined with statistical significance and fold change were used to prioritize the metabolites. 3-IPA, a tryptophan-derived metabolite, was identified as a high-priority candidate for testing. To test its activity 3-IPA was added to the drinking water of the mouse models during LCMV Cl13 infection, with the results showing that 3-IPA allowed the mice to survive longer. This negative immune-modulation effect might be of interest for the modulation of CTL responses in events such as autoimmune diseases, type I diabetes or even COVID-19. Moreover, 3-IPA's bacterial origin raises the possibility of targeting the microbiome to enhance CTL responses in diseases such as cancer and chronic infection.


The influence of 20% of Na doping upon the magnetic and magnetocaloric properties of La0.5Ca0.5MnO3, Pr0.5Sr0.5MnO3, and Nd0.5Sr0.5MnO3 perovskite manganites has been investigated. Our samples have been elaborated using the conventional solid state reaction method at high temperature. X-Ray diffraction analysis showed that our synthesized samples are single phase and crystallize in the orthorhombic system with Pbnm space group. Magnetic measurements versus magnetic applied field indicated that the substituted compounds are ferromagnetic at low temperatures. The Curie temperatures are found to be 279, 299 and 292 K for La0.5Ca0.3Na0.2MnO3 (LCNM), Pr0.5Sr0.3Na0.2MnO3 (PSNM), and Nd0.5Sr0.3Na0.2MnO3 (NSNM) respectively. Our samples exhibit an important magnetic entropy change with a maximum |ΔMMax| found to be 1.83, 6.6 and 3.1 J/kgK for LCNM, PSNM and NSNM respectively under a magnetic applied field of 4T.


Blood transfusions are employed almost universally in the treatment of patients with severe hemolytic streptococcic infections. For this purpose, blood of three different types has come into general use, i. e., blood from nonimmune persons, from convalescents and from donors prepared by vaccination. Numerous clinical reports justify the use of blood from nonimmune donors, especially when the patient is anemic or suffering from a prolonged illness. Of particular interest in relation to the present study are the investigations of erysipelas in childhood by Schaffer and Rothman 1 and the review of the therapeutic value of transfusions in scarlet fever by Look. 2 These authors support the generally accepted opinion that blood from normal, healthy donors is of value in these infections. The literature of the past forty years contains a large number of reports on the use of blood from convalescent patients in the treatment of patients with scarlet fever.


After dealing in detail with the literature appeared since 1888, 3 observations by the author are discussed. These cases were congenital fissurations on the frontal base of the skull. Some cases developed clinical phenomena with increases of the intracranial pressure (convexity meningioma). The diagnosis is defined in a strict manner. All forms of direct arrorions by frontobasally located tumours or in combination with hyhpophyseal tumours as well as craniopharyngiomas are left out of consideration. They cannot be considered as spontaneous liquor fistulas. The well-known diagnostic and therapeutic measures are dealt with briefly.


Study Design. Part 1: A randomized, single-blind study on the effect of contralateral knee extension on sensations produced by the slump test (ST) in asymptomatic subjects. Part 2: A cadaver study simulating the nerve root behavior of part 1. Objective. Part 1: Test if contralateral knee extension consistently reduces normal stretch sensations with the ST. Part 2: Ascertain in cadavers an explanation for the results. Summary of Background Data. In asymptomatic subjects, contralateral knee extension reduces stretch sensations with the ST. In sciatica patients, contralateral SLR also can temporarily reduce sciatica. We studied this methodically in asymptomatic subjects before considering a clinical population. Methods. Part 1: Sixty-one asymptomatic subjects were tested in control (ST), sham, or intervention (contralateral ST) groups and their sensation response intensity compared. Part 2: Caudal tension was applied to the L5 nerve root of 3 cadavers and tension behavior of the contralateral neural tissue recorded visually. Results. Part 1: Reduction of stretch sensations occurred in the intervention group but not in control and sham groups (P ⩽ 0.001). Part 2: Tension in the contralateral lumbar nerve roots and dura reduced in a manner consistent with the responses in the intervention (contralateral ST) group. Conclusion. Part 1: In asymptomatic subjects, normal thigh stretch sensations with the ST reduced consistently with the contralateral ST, showing that this is normal and may now be compared with patients with sciatica. Part 2: Contralateral reduction in lumbar neural tension with unilateral application of tension-producing movements also occurred in cadavers, supporting the proposed explanatory hypothesis.


The arterial mechanical microenvironment, including stiffness, is a crucial pathophysiological feature of vascular remodeling, such as neointimal hyperplasia after carotid endarterectomy and balloon dilatation surgeries. In this study, we examined changes in neointimal stiffness in a Sprague-Dawley rat carotid artery intimal injury model and revealed that extracellular matrix (ECM) secretion and vascular stiffness were increased. Once the endothelial layer is damaged in vivo, activated platelets adhere to the intima and may secrete platelet-derived extracellular vesicles (pEVs) and communicate with vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMCs). In vitro, pEVs stimulated VSMCs to promote collagen secretion and cell adhesion. MRNA sequencing analysis of a carotid artery intimal injury model showed that ECM factors, including col8a1, col8a2, col12a1, and elastin, were upregulated. Subsequently, ingenuity pathway analysis (IPA) was used to examine the possible signaling pathways involved in the formation of ECM, of which the Akt pathway played a central role. In vitro, pEVs activated Akt signaling through the PIP3 pathway and induced the production of Col8a1. MicroRNA (miR) sequencing of pEVs released from activated platelets revealed that 14 of the top 30 miRs in pEVs targeted PTEN, which could promote the activation of the Akt pathway. Further research showed that the most abundant miR targeting PTEN was miR-92a-3p, which promoted Col8a1 expression. Interestingly, knockdown of Col8a1 expression in vivo abrogated the increase in carotid artery stiffness and simultaneously increased the degree of neointimal hyperplasia. Our results revealed that pEVs may deliver miR-92a-3p to VSMCs to induce the production and secretion of Col8a1 via the PTEN/PIP3/Akt pathway, subsequently increasing vascular stiffness. Therefore, pEVs and key molecules may be potential therapeutic targets for treating neointimal hyperplasia.


Dynamic weather elements such as rain cause complex visual appearance, because rain consists of spatially distributed drops falling at high velocities. The continuous movement in spatio-temporal depth causes the distraction in the motion in a video sequence. Each drop when falling in high speed will create a streak motion blurred illusion based on the background intensity that reflects the environment creating higher intensity pattern in an image.
In this thesis rain streak have been captured and isolated from the background scene by using an embossed filter algorithm designed to highlight the transparent rain
streaks that cause the blur and distortion of the video, while the removing algorithm is based on a simple algorithm that correlates spatio-temporal and depth of an image
into one technique. The removing method was based on the filtration process applied on the divided image blocks in the spatio-temporal depth technique controlled by an
automatic steerable on noise availability in the image. The filter algorithm is based on an enhanced harmonic mean filter algorithm. Different techniques were applied
conducted with different kernel structure. The image was clustered into layers,separating the RGB layers from the rain in one of the filters. In another filter a nested
kernel was designed with the applicability of the main filter process. In another approach the image components are divided into two space criteria, conducting it in
two different spaces and rejoined together. The kernel coefficients were automatically been set based on the noise availability in the image. The results obtained were satisfying, where the algorithm were able to detect and remove the rain streaks without losing the aliveness of the scene. The techniques presented here can be used in a wide range of applications including video surveillance, vision
based navigation, video editing and video indexing.


Cluster identification is useful for finding insights into the huge datasets for finding out the attributes, characteristics of a particular dataset. Today, many organizations have started to use their own data analytic tools for finding clusters. This paper focuses on various algorithms for finding clusters for huge and different datasets. We have used different datasets and applied MapReduce algorithms for achieving the results. The experimental results obtained in substantial algorithmic computations provide clusters that are used for quick decision making. We present the results performed over various datasets that scales well with respect to both data set size and data set dimensionality.


This work is devoted to the study of conditions of the work of employees of the modern ferro-alloy production, which was performed in the framework of the evaluation of working places at the Open Joint-Stock Company «Ferrokhrom», which is part of Joint-Stock Transnational Company "Kazchrom". The studies were performed with account of the full range of the list of working places, both in the main and auxiliary shops. The work activity of the workers from leading professional groups was established to be conjugate of the impact of the complex of unfavorable factors of occupational environment and labor process. There are given comprehensive measures to improve working conditions and health maintenance in workers from leading professional groups.


Using a one-stage random probability sample of households, 5806 people in an area of Norway were interviewed about illness, use of medicines, self-treatment and visits to the doctor in the previous two weeks. Several social and demographic variables that might influence primary health care utilization were divided into five categories: need of medical care; self-care; availability of the doctor; sociodemographic factors; social network factors. Multiple classification analysis was used for the statistical analysis. The greatest influence on the percentage of people seeing the doctor was the need for medical care, the second largest influence was self-care. The availability of the doctor had a different effect according to whether the illness was chronic or non-chronic. Difficulties in reaching the doctor reduced the number of consultations for non-chronic diseases while the opposite was the case for chronic diseases. Among the sociodemographic variables neither level of education nor income had any influence on utilization when other variables were taken into account. Increasing age, however, caused a large increase in the percentage seeing the doctor, except after the age of 85 years when there was a large drop in consultation rate despite increasing illness. Social network factors had little effect on health care utilization.


A variety of oncolytic viruses (OVs) are being tested in clinical trials for different human cancers. Although the innate immune response is critical as the first line of defense in thwarting viral infection of mammalian cells, little is known of this response in the context of OV therapy of tumors. Investigations of activities against a herpes simplex OV demonstrated that HSV-seronegative sera from rats, mice, and humans efficiently neutralize this OV in vitro. Although this neutralization is due to complement, activation of this innate host defense differs in its pathways among species routinely used in preclinical tumor trials. In rats, both natural immunoglobulins and mannan-binding lectin (MBL) activate complement against the OV, while in mice only MBL is relevant to this activation. However, in humans only natural immunoglobulins play a role in complement activity. Quantitative analyses confirm that in vivo complement depletion facilitates the initial infection of tumors by systemic OVs. Therefore, complement activation against oncolytic HSV vectors proceeds through different pathways in different species. These findings are relevant to preclinical rodent studies of OV therapy and their application to human clinical trials.


Proceedings: AACR 101st Annual Meeting 2010‐‐ Apr 17‐21, 2010; Washington, DC

The Myeloid-Lymphoid Leukemia (MLL) gene fuses to >50 different loci as the result of reciprocal translocations associated with several subtypes of human acute leukemia. In every case, the fusion point in MLL is within the same 8 kilobase pair (kbp) region, called the MLL breakpoint cluster region (bcr). Despite this conserved breakpoint, no translocation mechanism has been definitively described. Recently, electrophoretic mobility shift assay (EMSA) was used to determine protein binding characteristics in the MLL bcr. Proteins were noted to bind at the extreme 5' and 3' boundaries of the MLL bcr, but not in an internal region near the 3' end of the MLL bcr which includes the translocation breakpoint hot spot in infant and therapy-related acute myeloid leukemia patients. The limited mobility observed with the protein-DNA complexes indicate a large protein or multiple proteins may bind at the 5' and 3' ends of the MLL bcr. Binding occurred with nuclear proteins from hematopoetic cells, but not with nuclear proteins from fibroblast cells and was sequence-specific as shown by competitor assays. Analysis of the most 5' region of the MLL bcr showed several discontinuous regions are important for protein binding. Our results suggest that specific protein-DNA interactions may define the limits of the MLL bcr, and that the previously described internal hotspot does not bind the same protein complex. Binding of proteins at the boundaries of the MLL bcr prompted a study of chromatin organization within the same regions of the MLL bcr. Our initial hypothesis was that the MLL bcr regions which bound the protein complex would be relatively nucleosome depleted. Using chromatin immunoprecipitation assay (ChIP), we consistently showed a lack of histone H3 at the extreme 5' end of the MLL bcr in Hela cells, and in the B-cell leukemia cell line, REH, suggesting a nucleosome-depleted region. In repeated experiments the 3' MLL boundary showed minimal histone H3 binding, suggesting this area is also relatively free of nucleosomes. The internal breakage hot spot showed prominent H3 binding consistent with the presence of nucleosomes. The chromatin study suggests that the MLL bcr boundary regions are more exposed, especially in the 5' region. This further supports our EMSA findings, that the MLL bcr may be bordered by large DNA-protein complexes. The project described was supported by NIH Grant Number P20 RR016741 from the North Dakota INBRE Program of the National Center for Research Resource, and by a Minot State University institutional research grant.

Citation Format: {Authors}. {Abstract title} [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 101st Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2010 Apr 17-21; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2010;70(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 2990.


The ability to integrate the Laguerre-Gauss functions in closed form is exploited to allow a simple but accurate evaluation of single-mode fiber spot size using Galerkin's method. The method avoids the need for numerical integration in a broad class of refractive-index profiles. Its simplicity depends on the use of a pattern-matching algorithm to avoid the numerical integration normally called for. The algorithm is very fast and gives exact results. The development of symbolic computer languages makes this approach especially easy. A symbolic program was used to predict the spot size and the far-field radiation pattern, and the results are compared with the exact values, getting excellent results. >


Summary A brain tumor model has been utilized to test 4 chemotherapeutic agents. The model consists of C57BL male mice implanted intracerebrally with carcinogen-induced gliomas. Four tumors were used, all histologically ependymoblastomas, but each differing in its biological behavior. Four agents were tested, each administered i.p. A comparison was made between treated animals and nontreated control animals with respect to median survival time and long-term survival and was statistically evaluated by a modification of the Wilcoxon rank-sum analysis. 1,3-Bis(2-chloroethyl)-1-nitrosourea (NSC 409962) significantly prolonged the life-span of mice bearing the intracerebral gliomas. Increased life-span varied from 10 to 137%. Cyclophosphamide (NSC 26271) less consistently increased survival of glioma-bearing mice. Neither mithramycin (NSC 24559) nor methotrexate (NSC 740) on multiple dose schedules was capable of increasing the life-spans of the animals. The implications of these data with respect to blood-brain barrier, brain tumor permeability, and the value of the model as a screen for human brain tumor chemotherapy are discussed.


The performance and scalability of access control systems is growing more important as organisations deploy ever more complex communications and content management systems. Fine-grained access control is becoming more pervasive, so decisions are more frequent and policy sets are larger. We outline a flexible performance testing framework that accepts XACML PDP implementations (in the server component) and submits representative access control requests (from the client component) in a representative temporal ordering. The framework includes instrumentation and analysis modules to support performance experiments. We describe an initial realization of the framework and report on initial experiments comparing the performance of the SunXACML and Enterprise XACML PDPs.


Background Polymorphisms in the TRAF1-C5 locus have been associated with susceptibility to rheumatoid arthritis (RA). A single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP) rs3761847, located in the first intron of the TRAF1 gene, has been identified as an RA risk locus in a genome-wide association study (GWAS); the relationship of rs3761847 with joint damage are unclear. One of the key mechanisms of joint destruction is the degradation of and invasion of cartilage by RA synovial fibroblasts (RASF). Objectives To determine whether the expression of TRAF1-C5 genes and the invasion of RASF are associated with the genotype at rs3761847. Methods The genotype at rs3761847 was determined using TaqMan Allelic Discrimination Assay. Invasion assays were performed using Matrigel-coated invasion chambers. Peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) were obtained by density gradient centrifugation. Neutrophils were isolated from the red blood cell layer by erythrocyte lysis; CD14+ cells were separated using magnetic cell sorting. Macrophages were differentiated from plastic-adhered monocytes in M-CSF (50ng/ml) for 8 days. Cells were stimulated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS, 100ng/ml) plus interferon γ (IFNγ, 20ng/ml), interleukin 4 (IL-4, 20ng/ml) or tumour necrosis factor α (TNF-α, 10ng/ml). Gene expression was measured by SYBR Green real-time PCR using HPRT1 as a housekeeping gene. Results rs3761847 was in Harvey-Weinberg equilibrium in RASF (n=54, p=0.98) with genotype frequencies of 0.42 AA, 0.45 AG and 0.13 GG. When grouped by genotype, the expression of TRAF1 (total), TRAF1 transcript variant 2 and complement C5 mRNA showed no significant difference (p=0.929, p=0.583, p=0.980 respectively). This was also the case for invasion of RASF (n=43, p=0.548; mean cell count 10.4 AA, 8.3 AG and 11.1 GG). There was no correlation of genotype with common RA disease markers (CRP p=0.718, ESR p=0.179, RF titre p=0.466, ACPA titre p=0.712). In contrast, analyzing TRAF1 expression in different types of blood cells, significantly higher levels of TRAF1 mRNA were detected in monocytes carrying the AA genotype compared with the GG genotype at rs3761847, both in unstimulated (2.26-fold) as well as LPS+IFNγ-activated cells (2.04-fold; p<0.05, n=3 each). No significant association of TRAF1 expression or transcript variant utilization with rs3761847 was observed in the other blood-derived cell types studied, i.e. PBMC, macrophages and neutrophils, or using other stimuli, i.e. IL-4 and TNF-α, indicating a specific function for the rs3761847 polymorphism in unstimulated and LPS+IFNγ-activated monocytes. Conclusions Our findings suggest that there is no relationship between invasive capacity of RASF or expression of TRAF1-C5 genes and genotype at rs3761847. In contrast, we report an association of the rs3761847 genotype and TRAF1 expression in monocytes. These data underline the importance of studying genotype-phenotype associations in the different cell types relevant for RA pathogenesis. Disclosure of Interest None declared


Trichomoniasis in humans, caused by the protozoal parasite Trichomonas vaginalis, is the most common non-viral sexually transmitted disease, while Tritrichomonas foetus causes trichomonosis, an infection of the gastrointestinal tract and diarrhea in farm animals and domesticated cats. As part of an effort to determine the inhibitory effects of plant-based extracts and pure compounds, seven commercially available cherry tomato varieties were hand-peeled, freeze-dried, and pounded into powders. The anti-trichomonad inhibitory activities of these peel powders at 0.02% concentration determined using an in vitro cell assay varied widely from 0.0% to 66.7% against T. vaginalis G3 (human); from 0.9% to 66.8% for T. foetus C1 (feline); and from 0.0% to 81.3% for T. foetus D1 (bovine). The organic Solanum lycopersicum var. cerasiforme (D) peels were the most active against all three trichomonads, inhibiting 52.2% (G3), 66.8% (C1), and 81.3% (D1). Additional assays showed that none of the powders inhibited the growth of foodborne pathogenic bacteria, pathogenic fungi, or non-pathogenic lactobacilli. Tomato peel and pomace powders with high content of described biologically active compounds could serve as functional food and feed additives that might help overcome adverse effects of wide-ranging diseases and complement the treatment of parasites with the anti-trichomonad drug metronidazole.


We report on a novel implementation of a polymer optical waveguide vertically coupled to the whispering gallery modes of a fused silica resonator disc. This is the first step in bringing high-Q silica discs close to the integrated optics technology. We obtained near-critical coupling and a loaded Q/spl ap/3.4/spl times/10/sup 6/.


To determine mechanisms underlying the transgenerational presence of metabolic perturbations in the intrauterine growth-restricted second-generation adult females (F2 IUGR) despite normalizing the in utero metabolic environment, we examined in vivo glucose kinetics and in vitro skeletal muscle postinsulin receptor signaling after embryo transfer of first generation (F1 IUGR) to control maternal environment. Female F2 rats, procreated by F1 pre- and postnatally nutrient- and growth-restricted (IUGR) mothers but embryo transferred to gestate in control mothers, were compared with similarly gestating age- and sex-matched control (CON) F2 progeny. Although there were no differences in birth weight or postnatal growth patterns, the F2 IUGR had increased hepatic weight, fasting hyperglycemia, hyperinsulinemia, and unsuppressed hepatic glucose production, with no change in glucose futile cycling or clearance, compared with F2 CON. These hormonal and metabolic aberrations were associated with increased skeletal muscle total GLUT4 and pAkt concentrations but decreased plasma membrane-associated GLUT4, total pPKCzeta, and PKCzeta enzyme activity, with no change in total SHP2 and PTP1B concentrations in IUGR F2 compared with F2 CON. We conclude that transgenerational presence of aberrant glucose/insulin metabolism and skeletal muscle insulin signaling of the adult F2 IUGR female offspring is independent of the immediate intrauterine environment, supporting nutritionally induced heritable mechanisms contributing to the epidemic of type 2 diabetes mellitus.


The damage initiation and evolution mechanisms in plain and satin weave composites were studied using three-dimensional finite element analysis. The tow paths of the weave were selected such that the wavy region of the tows were identical in both weaves. The damage initiation and evolution behaviors in these comparable wavy regions were compared and discussed in terms of stress components that initiate damage, the overall stress/strain relationship and the accumulation of the damaged volume in the warp tow, fill tow and matrix pockets. The results showed significant similarities in many aspects of the damage behaviors such as damage modes, stiffness loss and damage accumulation processes.


Abstract Local forecasts often rely upon the extrapolation of trends seen in images of clouds from the GOES satellite. This work presents correspondingly high resolution images of atmospheric soundings calculated from the VAS radiometer on GOES. These VAS sounding images vividly depict moisture and stability conditions in preconvective regions, as though GOES were observing the United States with "stability detectors" instead of infrared detectors at 1–3 h intervals and 60 km horizontal resolution. False color images are presented for VAS-derived precipitable water and lifted index fields during two midsummer days that contain a wide variety of preconvective and convective conditions. Since each sounding image requires only 5 min to calculate with an automated regression algorithm on a minicomputer, it should be possible to process VAS data operationally for real-time objective analysis of potential convective instabilities.


In recent years, extreme right-wing and left-wing political parties and actors have gained popularity in many Western countries. What motivates people to vote for extreme right- or left-wing parties? In previous research, we showed that a collectively shared sense of doom and gloom about society can exist among citizens who, individually, experience high well-being. Previous research developed an operationalization of this collective societal discontent as an aspect of Zeitgeist, which can be compared to personal experiences (van der Bles, Postmes, & Meijer, 2015). In the present research, we investigated whether this Zeitgeist of societal discontent predicts voting for extreme parties. We conducted a field study during the 2015 Dutch provincial elections (N = 407). Results showed that collective societal discontent (Zeitgeist) predicted voting for extreme parties but that personal discontent did not. Results also showed that pessimistic Zeitgeist was associated with lower education levels and tabloid-style media consumption. These findings advance our understanding of the discontents that fuel extreme voting outcomes: Global and abstract (negative) beliefs about society are more consequential than concrete personal experiences.


Background: Maintaining the correct body balance is essential in the prevention of falls in the elderly, which is especially important for women because of postmenopausal osteoporosis and the serious consequences of falls. One of the exercise methods which is very popular among adults, and which may affect body balance in the positive way is the Pilates method. The aim of the study was to evaluate the effect of regular Pilates exercises on the ability to maintain body balance in static conditions in adult healthy women. Material and methods: The study group consisted of 20 healthy women attending Pilates twice a week for at least 1 year. The control group consisted of 20 healthy women physically inactive. Women in the age range from 35 to 50 years old without pain in musculoskeletal system or other pain were only qualified to the groups. Body balance was assessed using MatScan VersaTek platform with Sway Analysis Module based on Matscan Clinical 6.7 software (Tekscan Inc., U.S.A). The balance was evaluated under the following conditions: standing on both feet with eyes open, standing on both feet with eyes closed, one-leg standing (separately on the right and left foot) with eyes open. Each test lasted 30 seconds. The following parameters were calculated: estimated size of the ellipse of 95% confidence, the distance covered by the Center of Gravity (COG), the size of the maximum shift in the sagittal and frontal planes and load distribution between the left and right foot, as well as between rearand forefoot. Results: It was found that there is significant difference between the groups in favor of the study group in the size of the confidence ellipse and maximum shifts of COG in the sagittal plane during standing on both feet, both with the eyes open and closed (p <0.05). While standing on one leg both on the right and left leg, with eyes opened there was a significant difference in favor of the study group, in terms of the size of confidence ellipse, the size of the maximum shifts in the sagittal and in the frontal plane (p <0.05). There were no differences between the distribution of load between the right and left foot (standing with both feet), nor between foreand rear foot (in standing with both feet or one-leg). Conclusions: 1. Static balance in women exercising regularly by Pilates method is better than in inactive women, which may in the future prevent falls and their consequences. 2. The observed differences in maintaining balance in frontal plane in one-leg standing may indicate a positive impact of Pilates exercises on the ability to maintain global balance in terms of reduced support surface. 3. Pilates method can be used as a form preventive therapy for all people who are expected to have problems with body balance in the future, for example in chronic neurological disorders or vestibular problems. 4. The results have shown that, further prospective randomized research on a larger and more representative group is needed. A. Słupik, A. Mosiołek and D. Białoszewski are with the Rehabilitation Department, Division of Physiotherapy, 2 Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw, (e-mail: email@example.com, email@example.com, firstname.lastname@example.com). K. Jaworski is with Students Scientific Society of Physiotherapy Rehabilitation Department, Division of Physiotherapy, 2 Faculty of Medicine, Medical University of Warsaw. Keywords—Balance exercises, body balance, Pilates, pressure distribution, women.


Sonar images are formed by transmitting acoustical pulses and measuring the reflected sound power from the scene surfaces. The recorded signal by a sonar device encodes information about the shape and material properties of these surfaces. In this paper, we present a detailed derivation of an image model for a new class of high-resolution lens-based 2-D forward-looking sonar systems, when the diffuse reflectance of scene/target can be characterized by the Lambertian model. A simplified single patch model is generalized to account for the finite pulse width of the transmitted beam and the simultaneous arrival of scattered signals from multiple patches at the same range in a given azimuthal direction. Validating the model using intensity measurements of isolated cylindrical targets, we then demonstrate application for multipath reflections from bottom surfaces with cylindrical and spherical targets.


In this paper, we will focus exclusively in the obtention of optimum power designs, using the (gm/ID) methodology. The introduction of a simple, gain bandwidth driven, automatic design algorithm for OTA is used as a starting point for the review of more advanced design methodology. This review leads to an automatic synthesis algorithm developed in MATLAB which systematically transits from high level specifications (total settling time) to the amplifier specifications (gain-bandwidth, slew rate) and then to transistor sizing. The design obtained complies with the high level specifications with minimum power consumption. Two main lines of study are followed here. The study of architectures for input and output stages that are suitable to be used on different environmental conditions, allow us to obtain an opamp cell that can be used in an ample spectrum of low-voltage, micropower applications. The second line of study in analog design reuse focuses on the possibility of circuit performance tuning through the bias current, where preliminary results have already been obtained . The idea in this technique is to tune the power-speed trade off of the opamp cell using the bias current while keeping the performance in all other aspects.


Abstract Rationale: Interface keratitis after lamellar keratoplasty is one of the causes of graft failure. We report the first case of microbiologically proven Enterococcus faecium infection following deep anterior lamellar keratoplasty (DALK) and review the available literature. Patient concerns: A 37-years-old Caucasian man presented with pain, redness and severe vision loss in his right eye. Five weeks before, he underwent DALK using the FEMTO LDV Z8 in the same eye for the surgical correction of keratoconus. Diagnoses: Upon presentation, slit-lamp biomiscroscopy revealed corneal graft edema with multiple infiltrates located in the graft-host interface. Interventions: Therapeutic penetrating keratoplasty (PKP) was carried out in addition with cultures of the donor lenticule removal. Laboratory results isolated a multi-resistant Enterococcus faecium interface infection. According to the antibiogram, the patient was treated with systemic Tigecycline and Linezolid for 7 days. Outcomes: During the following weeks, clinical features improved over time and no signs of active infection were visible seven months postoperatively. Lessons: Early PKP showed to be a good therapeutic option with great anatomic and functional outcomes.


Motion estimation is the most computationally intensive task in present video compression standards. Parallel processing has proved to be an efficient approach for similar kinds of applications. In this paper, we propose two parallel implementations of block-based motion estimation for a massively-parallel, processor-in-memory hardware architecture known as Computational RAM (C-RAM). Our simulation study showed that, although the massive parallelism of C-RAM does potentially have great benefits, the use of embedded DRAM and bit-serial arithmetic reduced the achievable speed-up to about 4 compared to 733 MHz Pentium III machine.


Universities across the United States (U.S.) are perplexed as to why fewer women than men study engineering and why even fewer complete the curriculum and earn an undergraduate degree in engineering. The percentage of undergraduate engineering degrees awarded annually to women in the U.S. since 2000 has remained relatively constant at around 20%. However, some engineering disciplines have had much greater success in graduating women, with some programs awarding 50% or more of their bachelor's degrees to women. The purpose of this research was to gain a better understanding of why women preferred certain engineering disciplines over others. Up to 17 years of undergraduate engineering department data from the University of Florida (UF) and national averages from the National Science Foundation (NSF) were reviewed to evaluate graduation rates for women in engineering. The total number of graduates at the undergraduate level were compared to the number of undergraduates who identified themselves as women. Linear regression of the data was used to identify trends. In the last 17 years, there has been little change in the overall percentage of women engineering undergraduates, but there is a great disparity between the engineering disciplines. Women earn larger proportions of undergraduate degrees in engineering disciplines where they perceive a societal benefit. How can engineering departments improve their enrollment and retention of women? One way is by providing early-on specific real life examples of how engineers solve society's most challenging problems.


Political violence and state failure in Fiji. Between 1987 and 2006 Fiji experienced four coups in which governments were overthrown by their own military forces. Many observers attribute political violence in Fiji to ethnic tensions between indigenous ethnic Fijians and descendants of persons of Indian origin, who immigrated to Fiji mainly between 1880 and 1920. While ethnicity contributes to political instability in Fiji, the existence of additional cleavages based on class, kinship and centre-periphery dichotomy creates a rather complex picture. The coups are also offsprings of conflicts within the Fijian society, conflicts about the loss of political and economic power in the course of modernization, experienced by traditional chiefs of tribal confederacies, as well as conflicts caused by marginalization of indigenous people living in peripheral areas. External actors like Australia, New Zealand and the USA add another layer to the conflicts. During the socalled Cold War the Pacific islands were nuclear testing grounds for the USA, France and Great Britain as well as a strategic region for the US-American Pacific fleet. Since 9/11 the USA as well as Australia and New Zealand consider political instability in the Pacific island region as a breeding ground for international terrorism and thus a threat to their national security.


The aim of this study was to evaluate the effects of the number, location, dimension and histopathological diagnosis of endometrial polyps on laboratory and clinical findings. Seventy three women with endometrial polyps who underwent hysteroscopic polyp resection at Gynecology Clinic of Bakirkoy Dr. Sadi Konuk Education and Research Hospital were evaluated retrospectively from January 2008 to July 2009. Sociodemographic characteristics, symptomatology and menopausal status of the patients were documented. Polypectomy was performed by bipolar resectoscope in all cases under general anesthesia in operating room. Hemoglobin levels were measured just before and after 3 months later operation. The number, location, dimension, histopathological diagnosis of endometrial polyps and clinical symptoms were recorded. The histopathological diagnosis were benign endometrial polyp in 70 (%95,8) cases, complex endometrial hyperplasia with atypia in two cases (%2,73) and endometrial carcinoma in one case (%1,36). Ninety percent of the patients in the menopausal group and %84,9 of the patient in the reproductive age group were symptomatic. In addition, %88,6 of polyp in the reproductive-age and %85 of polyp in the menopausal group were single. The polyp number, dimension and location were not statistically correlated with symptomatology (P=0,346, P=0,350 and P=0,742, respectively) and histopathological diagnosis (P=0,825, P=0,751 and P=0,099, respectively). Polyp location, number and dimension do not correlate with histopathological diagnosis and symtomatology. The hemoglobin levels were significantly lower in cases with symptoms.


In the application of particle filter algorithm for target tracking in wireless sensor networks, an Auxiliary particle filter (APF) and Gaussian particle filter (GPF) are discussed to solve the particle degradation problem of Particle Filter (PF). By introducing an auxiliary variable and two rounds weighted processes, APF makes the particle weights stable and relaxes particle degradation. GPF uses a Gaussian density function to approximately estimate posterior probability distribution. It doesn't require re-sampling, and there is no particle degradation. Therefore, three algorithm are applied to single-target tracking in wireless sensor networks. Finally, the comparison of three algorithm's performance in target tracking is presented and the simulation results are also given. From these results we can see that APF has better accuracy than PF algorithm and GPF has better accuracy and real-time performance than PF algorithm.


Although it is known that protein, fat and fibre reduce the postprandial glycaemia following an oral carbohydrate load, the nature and extent of interaction of different nutrients with one another in this respect is not well understood. The present study was designed to explore systematically the glycaemic and insulinaemic response to glucose (G) alone, or in combination with one or more of the following: casein (CS), maize oil (MO), cellulose (CL) and pectin (P). Besides 100 g G, eleven isoenergetic and six isocarbohydrate meals were studied on healthy adult males using an incomplete block design. Addition of other nutrients to G led to a lowering of the glycaemic response. The lowest glycaemic responses were seen in case of meals containing the largest number of nutrients. P was more effective in reducing postprandial glycaemia than CL. As in case of glycaemic response, low insulinaemic responses were also associated with P-containing meals, and meals containing the largest number of nutrients. But unlike in case of glycaemic response, there was a tendency for elevation of the insulinaemic response in case of CL-containing meals. The degree of attenuation of glycaemic response observed with meals containing several nutrients was roughly predictable on the basis of the attenuation observed with meals in which only one nutrient had been added at a time to G. But the glycaemic response of natural foods is unlikely to be predictable on the basis of their nutrient composition because of the overriding influence of several other factors such as physical form, cooking, processing, storage and antinutrient content of the food.


Water Alternating Gas (WAG) is one of the popular EOR techniques to displace oil after natural depletion. Essentially, WAG is a sequential injection of water and gas in specific ratio to sweep oil from the pores. It is a popular technique because of availability of water and gas as well as cheaper cost than chemical injection technique. More importantly, this project discovered that there is a relationship between well configuration design and efficiency of WAG in a 5 spot injection pattern. For example, the ideal WAG ratio of 1:1 that supposedly allows piston-like displacement is not always efficient for all well configurations. Only a horizontal injector and a vertical producer configuration gave the highest oil recovery while the other configurations did not. Ultimately, this project proposed approaches for both new field and mature field. For a new field, one might want to consider well configuration that gives the highest oil recovery to be drilled. On the other hand, for a mature field, the well configuration is already present. Therefore, it is proposed that a WAG scheme that yield the highest oil recovery for that well configuration design should be used.


ABSTRACT Introduction Basal cell carcinoma (BCC) is the most common malignant tumor in adult white populations. If BCCs are not treated for years, if they cause massive destruction of the surrounding tissues, if they are considered unresectable or not eligible for radiotherapy they become progressively 'locally advanced' (laBCC) or metastatic (mBCC). These tumors are defined as 'difficult-to-treat BCC.' Areas covered A comprehensive search on PubMed was conducted to identify relevant literature about the several approved and recommended treatment options for the management of difficult-to-treat BCC published from January 2012 to July 2022. Surgical options, radiotherapy, hedgehog inhibitors, immunotherapy, and combined treatments are discussed. The keywords used were basal cell carcinoma; difficult-to-treat BCC; management of difficult-to-treat BCC; surgical therapy; radiotherapy; hedgehog inhibitors; immunotherapy. Expert opinion Identifying the best approach to DTT BCCs is one of the main challenges for the dermato-oncologist. The introduction of HHI for the treatment of advanced BCCs has revolutionized the clinical management of DTT BCCs. The immune checkpoint inhibitor cemiplimab has been approved for the treatment of locally advanced or metastatic BCC refractory to HHI therapy or in patients intolerant to HHI therapy. Multidisciplinary teams (MDTs) play a key role in managing these complex patients.


Circulating cell free tumour derived nucleic acids are becoming recognised as clinically significant and extremely useful biomarkers for detection of cancer and for monitoring the progression of targeted drug therapy and immunotherapy. Screening programmes for colorectal cancer in Europe use the Fetal Immunochemical Test (FIT) test as a primary screener. FIT+ patients are referred to immediate colonoscopy and the positive predictive value (PPV) is usually 25%. In this article, we report a study employing the ColoScape assay panel to detect mutations in the APC, KRAS, BRAF and CTNNB1 genes, in order to collect preliminary performance indicators and plan a future, larger population study. The assay was evaluated on 52 prospectively collected whole-blood samples obtained from FIT+ patients enrolled in the CRC screening programme of ASL NAPOLI 3 SUD, using colonoscopy as confirmation. The assay's sensitivity for advanced adenomas was 53.8% and the specificity was 92.3%. The PPV was 70.0% and negative predicitive value (NPV) was 85.7%. Workflow optimisation is essential to maximise sensitivity. Of note, four of the six positive cases missed by ColoScape had a less than suboptimal DNA input (data not shown). Had they been ruled out as inadequate, sensitivity would have increased from 53.8% to 69%. However, as stated previously, this is not a clinical trial, but rather an initial, preliminary technical evaluation. In conclusion this study shows that ColoScape is a promising tool and further studies are warranted in order to validate its use for the triage of FIT+ patients.


Although the B2-type intermetallic compounds, NiAl, FeAl, NiTi and FeTi all maintained a high degree of order during irradiation, metastable phase formation was observed. Dislocation loops and network developed in NiAl and FeAl during irradiation and a nickel rich, fcc phase, most likely disordered Ni 3 Al, formed in NiAl after high doses. The build-up of constitutional vacancies (excess vacancies on Ni sites) and subsequent elemental partitioning of Ni and Al can explain the formation of a nickel rich phase in NiAl. No metastable phases formed in FeAl. Dislocation loop structures did not develop in NiTi or FeTi, rather a transformation to an amorphous phase occurred at relatively low doses. The amorphous transformation results when the free energy of the crystal lattice containing a high defect concentration exceeds the free energy of the amorphous configuration.


The increase of biowaste generation has reached critical levels in many countries. The European legislation introduced the biowaste treatment and the organic recycling as central theme of its political agenda with the aim to promote the sustainable exploitation of this peculiar waste. The most utilized technologies applied to the biowaste treatment are based on the biological processes targeting to produce biogas or, more recently, biomethane to be used as fuel. The production of biomethane allows to produce a substitute of the fossil methane with a yield of about 0.07gCH4/gbiowaste; the remaining fractions are waste coming from the pretreatment/refining steps, solid digestate or stabilized compost, and leachate. The sustainable treatment of these fractions is a mandatory issue to treat the biowaste in a reliable and sustainable integrated process since their amount is more than 85% and the impact of their treatment on environment and economy of the overall treatment process can be quite relevant. This chapter focused on the so-called smart facility that integrates processes based on thermochemical processes with the biological one targeting to increase the overall sustainability, the flexibility regarding the input biowaste composition, and the independency by the external factors affecting the waste trading.


Palms growing in Florida landscapes or field nurseries are subject to a number of potentially serious nutrient deficiencies. These deficiencies are described and illustrated in document ENH1018. Prevention and treatment of these deficiencies is the subject of this document. Chemical symbols used in this document are as follows: N=nitrogen, P=phosphorus, K=potassium, Mg=magnesium, Ca=calcium, Mn=manganese, Fe=iron, B=boron, Cu=copper, Zn=zinc. This document is ENH1009, one of a series of the Environmental Horticulture Department, UF/IFAS Extension. Original publication date September 2005.
ENH1009/EP261: Fertilization of Field-Grown and Landscape Palms in Florida (ufl.edu)


Antibiotic resistance has been on the rise due to the overuse of antibiotics in the agricultural industry. This has led to an increase in foodborne illnesses and a need for alternative modes of action to help mitigate bacterial growth. This study broaches the potential applications of hot water-treated (HWT) aluminum foil for use in the food packaging industry. Through HWT, a layer of aluminum oxide nanostructures is formed on the surface of the foil, which conveys antibacterial properties. Here, we demonstrate the efficacy of HWT aluminum foil in preventing bacterial growth of Escherichia coli on red meat. Aluminum foil samples were treated in hot water at different temperatures including 75 °C, 85 °C, and 95 °C. It was found that HWT foils were 95–100% effective in preventing bacterial growth, while the efficacy of untreated foil was only ~ 30%. Enhanced efficacy of HWT samples is believed to be due to improved release of reactive oxygen species from high surface area aluminum oxide nanostructures and a physical rapturing mechanism associated with the penetration of nanostructures through the bacteria membrane. This research presents a nontoxic, cost-effective means of curbing foodborne illnesses caused by bacteria.


Background: Cardiovascular disease (CVD) is the leading cause of death worldwide and risk factors include obesity, physical inactivity, hypertension, and dyslipidemia. Our aim was to investigate changes in CVD risk factors after an initial weight loss followed by 1 year of treatment with glucagon-like peptide-1 (GLP-1) receptor agonist liraglutide and/or exercise. Method: The trial included 215 individuals with obesity (BMI 36.6 kg/m2, age 42 years). This was a double-blinded trial with an initial 8-week weight loss phase (800 kcal/day) and subsequent randomization (n=195) to placebo, placebo + exercise (150 min/week), liraglutide 3.0 mg/day or liraglutide 3.0 mg/day + exercise (150 min/week) for 1 year. Trial identifier: NCT 04122716 Results: The table shows changes in CVD risk factors after an 8-week weight loss phase followed by 1 year of treatment. Conclusion: A 13 kg weight loss acutely improved all CVD risk factors. With liraglutide and exercise treatment combined, body weight was further reduced. Fasting glucose and HbA1c were additionally improved with the combined treatments compared to placebo and exercise alone. Interestingly, when exercise was added to liraglutide treatment there was no increase in resting heart rate as opposed to liraglutide treatment alone. Disclosure J.R. Lundgren: None. E. Bladbjerg: None. C. Janus: Research Support; Spouse/Partner; Mercodia, Novo Nordisk A/S. Research Support; Self; Novo Nordisk Foundation. Research Support; Spouse/Partner; Novo Nordisk Foundation. Speaker's Bureau; Spouse/Partner; Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp. L. Gliemann: None. L.M. Olsen: None. C.R. Juhl: None. S.B.K. Jensen: None. R. Thirumathyam: Research Support; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH. R.M. Christensen: None. A. Andresen: None. B. Stallknecht: None. J.J. Holst: Advisory Panel; Self; AstraZeneca, Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Novo Nordisk A/S, Zealand Pharma A/S. Other Relationship; Spouse/Partner; Antag Therapeutics. J.D. Hove: None. S. Madsbad: Advisory Panel; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim Pharmaceuticals, Inc., Merck Sharp & Dohme Corp., Novo Nordisk A/S, Sanofi-Aventis. Research Support; Self; Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Novo Nordisk A/S. Speaker's Bureau; Self; AstraZeneca, Boehringer Ingelheim International GmbH, Novo Nordisk A/S. C. Antoniades: Board Member; Self; Caristo Diagnostics. S.S. Torekov: Research Support; Self; Novo Nordisk Inc. Funding Novo Nordisk Foundation (NNF16OC0019968, NNF15SA0018486); University of Copenhagen; Helsefonden; Danish Diabetes Academy


Word embedding models have become a fundamental component in a wide range of Natural Language Processing (NLP) applications. However, embeddings trained on human-generated corpora have been demonstrated to inherit strong gender stereotypes that reflect social constructs. To address this concern, in this paper, we propose a novel training procedure for learning gender-neutral word embeddings. Our approach aims to preserve gender information in certain dimensions of word vectors while compelling other dimensions to be free of gender influence. Based on the proposed method, we generate a Gender-Neutral variant of GloVe (GN-GloVe). Quantitative and qualitative experiments demonstrate that GN-GloVe successfully isolates gender information without sacrificing the functionality of the embedding model.


Bacteria utilize endoribonuclease-mediated RNA processing and decay to rapidly adapt to environmental changes. Here, we report that the modulation of hns mRNA stability by the endoribonuclease RNase G plays a key role in Salmonella Typhimurium pathogenicity. We found that RNase G determines the half-life of hns mRNA by cleaving its 5' untranslated region and that altering its cleavage sites by genome editing stabilizes hns mRNA, thus decreasing S. Typhimurium virulence in mice. Under anaerobic conditions, the FNR-mediated transcriptional repression of rnc encoding RNase III, which degrades rng mRNA, and simultaneous induction of rng transcription resulted in rapid hns mRNA degradation, leading to the derepression of genes involved in the Salmonella pathogenicity island 1 (SPI-1) type III secretion system (T3SS). Together, our findings show that RNase III and RNase G levels-mediated control of hns mRNA abundance acts as a regulatory pathway upstream of a complex feed-forward loop for SPI-1 expression.


We investigate a novel way to manipulate the spin-polarized transmission in a two-terminal zigzag graphene nanoribbon in the presence of the Rashba spin-orbit (SO) interaction with a circular-shaped cavity engraved into it. A usual technique to control the spin-polarized transport behaviour of a nanoribbon can be achieved by tuning the strength of the SO coupling, while we show that an efficient engineering of the spin-polarized transport properties can also be done via cavities of different radii engraved in the nanoribbon. Simplicity of the technique in creating such cavities in the experiments renders an additional handle to explore transport properties as a function of the location of the cavity in the nanoribbon. Further, a systematic assessment of the interplay of the Rashba interaction and the dimensions of the nanoribbon is presented. These results should provide useful input to the spintronic behaviour of such devices. In addition to the spin polarization, we have also included an interesting discussion on the charge transmission properties of the nanoribbon, where, in the absence of any SO interaction a metal-insulator transition induced by the presence of a cavity is observed.


We develop a numerical procedure that facilitates ecient ltering in applications involving non-linear and non-Gaussian state-space models. The procedure approximates necessary integrals using continuous approximations of target densities. Construction is achieved via ecient importance sampling, and approximating densities are adapted to fully incorporate current information. We illustrate our procedure for the bearings-only tracking problem.


Abstract The Starling principle is a model that explains the transvascular distribution of fluids essentially governed by hydrostatic and oncotic forces, which dynamically allow vascular refilling according to the characteristics of the blood vessel. However, careful analysis of fluid physiology has shown that the principle, while correct, is not complete. The revised Starling principle (Michel-Weinbaum model) provides relevant information on fluid kinetics. Special emphasis has been placed on the endothelial glycocalyx, whose subendothelial area allows a restricted oncotic pressure that limits the reabsorption of fluid from the interstitial space, so that transvascular refilling occurs mainly from the lymphatic vessels. The close correlation between pathological states of the endothelium (eg: sepsis, acute inflammation, or chronic kidney disease) and the prescription of fluids forces the physician to understand the dynamics of fluids in the organism; this will allow rational fluid prescriptions. A theory that integrates the physiology of exchange and transvascular refilling is the "microconstant model", whose variables include dynamic mechanisms that can explain edematous states, management of acute resuscitation, and type of fluids for common clinical conditions. The clinical-physiological integration of the concepts will be the hinges that allow a rational and dynamic prescription of fluids.


This work investigates the analysis of transient noise in non steady-state systems such as comparator-based switched-capacitor circuits. It expands the impulse sensitivity method previously applied to oscillator noise analysis to general linear time varying systems. The method described here uses simulation techniques to obtain the noise transfer function. This provides a useful tool for circuit design because it allows for the precision and ease of simulation without sacrificing the intuition of hand calculations.


Abstract The minimum invasive dental concept is based on practical experience of more than 30 years negative trends from the use of resin materials in distal teeth and early metal-ceramic "aesthetic" crowns and bridges. The scientific dental research includes all aspects of the conservative dentistry treatment which are scientifically and clinically proved with most up to date methods and tests: anthropometric, epidemiological, biochemical, immunohistochemical, electron microscopy, polarized light microscopy, light induced fluorescence, microradiography, microbiology, genetic tests, etc. Experiments in vitro, animal tests, clinical research in the last 34 years are focused in the field of prevention of dental caries, treatment of precavitated precarious lesions with nanotechnologies, preparation of hard dental tissues with most conservative techniques, adhesive restoration methods with amalgam and resins, backup in endodontics in root canals preparation methods and in pins and posts fixations. The conclusions can be focused on basic principles and refocused in the 21st century like: Dental caries is not only predictable and controlled disease but is also a polyetiological disease on a community and population levels and uni- or bi-etiological on an individual level. The minimum invasive dental concept in cariology and endodontics leads to prevention of early extractions, early prosthetic medical procedures and to lifetime dental health. This plays a key role in prevention of metabolic disorders and gastrointestinal diseases.


Naturally occurring fluid flows are seldom in a state of fully developed turbulence, except near boundaries. The upper atmosphere and the ocean, in and below the thermocline, are dominated by wave-like motions. Turbulence when, and where, it occurs is sporadic and short-lived; it is transitional rather than maintained. The subject of this volume is thus of importance and relevance to scientists concerned with understanding the motion and mechanics of 'geophysical' fluids.

This volume contains 12 (sadly not all) of the invited lectures at a symposium held at the University of Wisconsin in October 1980. Many of the distinguished authors offer very forthright and refreshingly clear commentaries on the state of the art and, in particular, on the areas where perspectives differ.