Most spoken Chinese dialects lack comprehensive digital pronunciation databases, which are crucial for speech processing tasks. Given complete pronunciation databases for related dialects, one can use supervised learning techniques to predict a Chinese character's pronunciation in a target dialect based on the character's features and its pronunciation in other related dialects. Unfortunately, Chinese dialect pronunciation databases are far from complete. We propose a novel generative model that makes use of both existing dialect pronunciation data plus medieval rime books to discover patterns that exist in multiple dialects. The proposed model can augment missing dialectal pronunciations based on existing dialect pronunciation tables (even if incomplete) and the pronunciation data in rime books. The augmented pronunciation database can then be used in supervised learning settings. We evaluate the prediction accuracy in terms of phonological features, such as tone, initial phoneme, final phoneme, etc. For each character, features are evaluated on the whole, overall pronunciation feature accuracy (OPFA). Our first experimental results show that adding features from dialectal pronunciation data to our baseline rime-book model dramatically improves OPFA using the support vector machine (SVM) model. In the second experiment, we compare the performance of the SVM model using phonological features from closely related dialects with that of the model using phonological features from non-closely related dialects. The experimental results show that using features from closely related dialects results in higher accuracy. In the third experiment, we show that using our proposed data augmentation model to fill in missing data can increase the SVM model's OPFA by up to 7.6%.


Properties of electrostatically self-focused electron streams are calculated from stream injection parameters. The unneutralized ion density within the stream can be nearly an order of magnitude greater than that of stream particles alone. This effect is due to ionization by stream particles and collective behaviour of the stream and ambient plasma. Cold, uniform streams can occur only where stream linear density is sufficiently high. In certain cases ion cluster and molecular ion formation give rise to tight focusing. Periodic self-focusing provides axial electric fields which can resonantly drive stream particle oscillations and which can be used for acceleration of ambient ions.


The following paper presents an analysis from the field of dance education in
Slovenian kindergartens. Participants in the survey were the preschool staff
from the first round of the education programme titled "Professional training
for practitioners for the purpose of implementing elements of special
pedagogical principles of the Reggio Emilia concept in the field of preschool
education for the period 2008–2013", which took place at the Faculty of
Education in Ljubljana. 810 preschool staff from kindergartens of various
regions of Slovenia participated in the survey. The participants filled in the
questionnaire referring to the integration of various dance sessions into their
work with preschool children, regarding the intersubject integration of dance
sessions and the use of dance activities in a kindergarten for different purposes.
Data were analysed using the basic statistics and frequency distribution and are
graphically presented in histograms. Moreover, the arithmetic mean of various
variables was calculated. The obtained results were analysed and compared to
the objectives and contents of the Kindergarten Curriculum (1999) and the
principles of the Reggio Emilio Approach. The results have shown that
kindergarten preschool staff still follow the stereotypes in dance education,
perceiving it as a way of learning predefined forms and styles (learning
choreographies) that aim to achieve a certain goal (performance in front of an
audience) rather than creative processes such as a child's creativity,
exploration of dance and expression through creative movements and dancing.
The findings further reveal that preschool staff integrate dancing into the arts
section as much as possible. However, the results, which are most surprising,
show that preschool staff do not introduce creative movements and dancing as
the means of intersubject integration for the purpose of understanding
mathematical content. Preschool staff only occasionally use dance sessions as
part of project work, which according to the Reggio Emilia Approach is one of
the main forms of work. Many questions arise from the results presented in the
paper. The situation in the field of dance education in kindergartens needs to be
further researched. However, we hope that educating preschool staff using the
Reggio Emilia Approach can contribute to quality dance activities in
kindergartens in terms of creativity, expression, exploration and linking dance
through dancing.


Introducing Globalization and Global Issues - M.T. Snarr. Conflict And Security. Weapons Proliferation and Conflict - J.S. Lantis. Nationalism and Other Concepts of Identity - L.M. Kassem and A.N. Talbott. Global Security and Insecurity - J. Patterson, E. Kretzmann, and T. Smith. The Changing Face of Global Human Rights - D.N. Snarr. The Global Economy. Free Trade vs. Ptrotectionism: Values and Controversies - B.E. Moon. The Politics of International Financial Institutions - C. Scholl and G.W. Sazama. Poverty in a Global Economy - D. Reeves. Development. Population and Migration - E. Percy Kraly. Women and Development - E. Boulding and H. Parker. Children - G. Kent. Health - M.E. Nelson. The Environment. Sustainable Development - M.A.L. Miller and P. Chasek. Conflict and Cooperation over Natural Resources - D.S. Davenport and K. Scapple. Protection of the Atmosphere - M. Seis. Conclusion. Future Prospects - M.T. Snarr.


In spite of advance in knowledge and the great increase in surgical operations with their consequent revelations, there are many diseases of the knee joint that cannot be diagnosed definitely. The study of pathologic specimens which include the entire joint is of significance, but such specimens are relatively rare. The knee joint is seldom examined at necropsy, and various surgical procedures, although affording macroscopic examination, give little material for pathologic research. The operation of resection, however, makes it possible to secure a large enough specimen so that a conception may be formed of the pathologic changes in the joint. The important structures of the joint are all included in such specimens and they can be studied collectively to visualize a definite picture of the changes present. Resection has been performed extensively at the Mayo Clinic for many years, during which valuable data have accumulated. MATERIAL STUDIED Records of 236 resections


This technical report summarizes the results of a study in which we examined the technical adequacy of three potential algebra measures for progress monitoring. One hundred thirteen students (18 of whom were receiving special education services) completed two forms of a Basic Skills probe, an Algebra Concepts probe, and a Content Analysis probe. In addition, we gathered data on criterion variables including grades, classroom assessment records, teacher ratings, and standardized test scores. We used multiple timing periods for the Basic Skills and Algebra Concepts probes to examine the efficacy of differing durations. We examined both test-retest and alternate form reliability for individual probes of all three types and for aggregated scores from two of the probe types. Criterion validity was examined using correlations between students' probe scores and their scores from other indicators of algebra proficiency. The results of the study indicate that the Algebra Concepts probe is the most promising of the three measures investigated. It has adequate reliability and demonstrated the strongest correlations with the criterion measures. The Basic Skills probe had lower levels of reliability and more limited relations to the criterion measures (with the exception of the computation subtests of the standardized achievement tests). The Content Analysis probe had the highest levels of reliability among the three probes and moderate to moderately high correlations with several of the criterion measures. Concerns were identified about the difficulty of this probe because a large proportion of the students had scores of 10 or fewer points on the probe. Further research is needed to investigate more appropriate timing duration for the Basic Skills and Algebra Concepts probes. In the current study, the duration of the former was too short, while the duration of the latter was too long. The study should be replicated with additional, and more diverse student populations to determine the generalizability of the findings. Finally, subsequent research should examine the effects of routine progress monitoring on the measures' stability and sensitivity to growth.


The study examines and compares the capital structure and efficiency of capital employed between listed and unlisted agro-based firms in Nigeria. Data collected from 88 agro-based firms using random sampling technique for the period 2005-2010 were analysed using Z-test, Capital Structure Ratio (CSR) and Return on Capital Employed Ratio (ROCE) analysis as well as descriptive statistics. The result revealed significant differences between the capital structure of listed and listed agro-based firms. Listed agro-based firms recorded the highest debt to equity ratio than their unlisted counterpart. Short term debts also constituted a greater percentage of the total debt ratios of both sample groups. Unlisted agro firms were more efficient than listed firms in terms of return on capital employed. Accordingly, series of recommendations have also been offered.


Studies of twentieth-century Japanese politics have largely ignored the impressive continuities between the prewar and postwar periods. Most accounts of the Occupation emphasize external American initiatives while dealing with the established Japanese leadership in rather one-dimensional terms. This article focuses on a dynamic group of prewar Japanese bureaucrats who survived the Occupation purge to play a key role in the postwar government's controversial labor policies. As higher civil servants of the Home Ministry (and the Ministry of Welfare after 1938), they had been responsible for formulating a policy toward the interwar labor union movement that mixed social reform and control. The author describes the ways in which these "social bureaucrats" perpetuated themselves and their distinctive approach to social stability in the postwar era. Their influence continues not only in the postwar Ministry of Labor but, more surprisingly, within the highest ranks of the ruling Liberal Democratic Party.


We have recently managed two patients with sclerosing peritonitis who had undergone a course of practolol but had ceased taking it some months prior to presentation. Publication of these cases will help to assess the extent of this complication and will increase awareness amongst surgeons who may be called upon to treat such cases.


ABSTRACT Speaker delivers a speech to achieve the goal indicating the use of persuasive strategies. This research investigates the persuasive strategies used by Donald Trump on his speech about Jerusalem. The aim of this research is to analyze the types of persuasive strategies on Donald Trump's speech about Jerusalem. Jerusalem is a holy place where many beliefs live together such Islam, Christianity, Jews, etc. Its territory surrounds Palestine and Israel, as both have a great rivalry in an old war. Donald Trump showed his sympathy toward Jerusalem through his speech. In influencing hearers, Trump's speech reflected persuasive strategies. Persuasive strategies are expressed to influence and change hearers attitude and motives to follow what speaker wants to. This research used qualitative approach. The data analyzed in this research are two speech of Trump about Jerusalem. The result showed that Trump used ethos, logos and pathos. Trump expressed pathos by showing his perceived intelligence, virtuous character and goodwill to create peace in Jerusalem. Logos were expressed while Trump showed factual information about the role of Israel in creating peace in Jerusalem. Trump mostly expressed pathos to affect hearers emotion by creating mildness, giving admiration and confession. Therefore, in achieving the goals of his speech, Trump intended to persuade hearers by touching their emotion. Key words : persuasive strategies, speech, Donal d Trump


Abstract The COVID-19 crisis has stressed the importance of, and need for, a stable and functional food system, able to provide consumers with a continuous supply of quality food at affordable prices. The pandemic has also highlighted the role of agricultural producers in the food supply chain, with small farmers being the most vulnerable category. This global crisis has actually deepened the problems faced by farmers, especially those on the verge of sustainability. The purpose of this analysis was to provide an overview of the disrupted links in agriculture, as a result of the initial COVID-19 crisis. A survey was carried out with 91 farmers in North Macedonia. Moreover, in-depth interviews were conducted with selected traders and processors. In general, farmers assessed that the crisis negatively affected their economic operations. The critical parts of the supply chain derive from the disrupted link between farmers and traders/processors, lack of field technical support resulting from the mobility restrictions, uncertainty in cooperation, lower production quantities, and varying quality of the agricultural products. Availability and cost of seasonal workforce was also pronounced as an issue. The dominant family farms small-scale structure and lack of aggregation in the sector challenged the resilience and effective response to the crisis. From buyers' and processors' perspective, the crisis effect was marked through the disrupted communication with farmers, low awareness of the need for change, and drastic decline in the HORECA channel sales. The agricultural and rural policy is designed to address measures adjusted to the needs of the key actors in the sector. The priority set of measures should support the food supply chain, enhancing farmers' networking and aggregation, and on-farm and off-farm diversification, along with improved communication, information systems and digitalisation. Improving productivity and competitiveness remains an effective strategy for sustainable operations, greater resilience and risk adaptation in crises such as the pandemic.


We present two cases of patients with orbital lymphoma as a pimary manifestation: (1) Rare, aggressive, diffuse large B-cell lymphoma. (2) The most common, low-grade orbital lymphoma originated from marginal zone or mucosa-associated lymphoid tissue (MALT), that underwent special diagnosis and treatment. This study is also to compare morphological changes in non-Hodgkin lymphomas with classical manifestations.


Use this guide to learn how to evaluate information you find on the internet. Adapted from the University of Wyoming http://tip.uwyo.edu/credits.html


Following conclusions were obtained on the basis of studies on endoscopic retrograde cholangiograms in 56 cases with malignant tumors of the biliary tract, pancreas and duodenum. 1) The rate of success of a retrograde cholangiography was high in cases with cancers of the intrahepatic and extrahepatic bile ducts, and was low in cases with carcinomas of the pancreatic head, duodenal papilla and ampulla of Vater. 2) Characteristic irregular stenosis or obstruction with proximal dilation was found in a case with carcinoma of the intrahepatic bile duct. 3) Carcinoma of the extrahepatic bile duct was divided into two types, i.e. papillary and infiltrative growths. The former revealed irregular stenosis and obstruction of the bile duct, or filling defect with dilatations of the proximal portion of the bile ducts, and the latter irregular stenosis of the bile ducts. 4) The cholangiogram of the patient with carcinoma of the pancreatic head revealed compression and infiltrations of the intrapancreatic common bile duct. 5) The cholangiogram of a patient with carcinoma of the duodenal papilla and ampulla was characteristic by showing an irregular filling defect at the end of the common bile duct. 6) Endoscopically, the carcinoma of the duodenal papilla and ampulla were divided into the following three types.
(ⅰ) Type Ⅰ is the malignant lesion localized at the major papilla. (ⅱ) Type Ⅱ is marked swelling found at the longitudinal fold. (ⅲ) Type Ⅲ showed the major papilla and longitudinal fold almost normal. Endoscopic pancreato-cholangiography is mandatory for types Ⅱ and Ⅲ. 7) The cytological examination of the pancreatic juice and bile is very useful to make the diagnosis of carcinomas of the extrahepatic bile duct, pancreatic head, duodenal papilla and ampulla, whereas the method was not so efficient in carcinomas of the intrahepatic bile buct and of the body and tail of the pancreas. Biopsy is also helpful to make the diagnosis of malignant tumors of the duodenum and carcinoma of the duodenal papilla and ampulla.


The exploration of new biomass sources for energy purposes is increasing. Cultivation of algal biomass for biofuels production through photobioreactor represents an attractive and useful way to obtain clean energy, also thanks to the contribution that the system makes on the reduction of climate change through the recovery and reuse of CO2. However, to prove the complete sustainability of a system the application of a holistic assessment, like Life Cycle Assessment (LCA) methodology, is necessary. To date LCA is applied through different methodologies, which make evaluations and systems difficult to compare and evaluate. Furthermore only few studies are present in the scientific literature that highlight the parameters used for the evaluation of membrane photobioreactors (mPBR). The research presents and discusses the state-of-the-art of the adopted LCA methodologies to assess mPBR, pointing out strengths and weaknesses. Knowledge gap, uncertainties and recommendations are highlighted. Furthermore, a case study LCA application on an advanced mPBR for the CO2 capture and biomass production is presented. The study provides important information to the different scientists involved in the microalgae production sector in a holistic and proactive view in order to maximize its environmental sustainability.


This paper intends to explore the more fundamental theoretical notions underlying the design and configuration of educational multimedia systems. Though it starts its initial inventory with the more traditional theories, it also looks at the more alternative approaches based upon constructivism, adult learning and theories related to creativity and problem solving. Seen from the prospects in multimedia and hypermedia, vocational and adult training have the potential to place the learner in an active and more responsible position. At the same time, however, we see that the product rather than the process-oriented assessment paradigms will survive for several decades. This brings us to the conclusion that it is essentially the local actor (the teacher) and the managers of the local setting who should decide upon the balance between reproduction, understanding and constructionist effects for the student. The versatility of hypermedia programs seem to provide an excellent opportunity for teachers and training officers to decide in a more explicit way upon the instructional impact.


The magnetic properties of NdFeB/Tb multilayered films annealed at 773-1273K were investigated by evaluating the effect of Tb spacer layer and comparing them with those of NdFeB single layered films. The as-deposited NdFeB/Tb film with a amorphous structure was crystallized at the higher annealing temperature than 923K and Nd-rich phases were formed at 1073 K, meanwhile the coercivity increased substantially. By observations of the microstructure, Tb element was found to diffuse into the Nd-rich phases to form a Tb-enriched phase around the Nd2Fe14B primary phase particles in the multilayered films.


Despite the fact that there are over a million new cancer cases detected in the U.S. every year, none of retirement-health literature focuses specifically on the effect that cancer has on retirement. Social Security may offer a pathway to retirement for eligible workers but the separate effects of both cancer, and Social Security, on retirement, need to be accounted for. I use the fact that some workers will be eligible for Social Security when they are diagnosed with cancer, while some will not, as a source of exogenous variation to identify the joint effect of cancer diagnosis and Social Security eligibility on retirement. With data from the Health and Retirement Study (HRS), I use a difference-in-differences model to show that being eligible for Social Security, and surviving cancer, increases the probability of retirement by 11.2% for male workers. Given the increase in both cancer survival rates, and the number of older workers in the labour force, it is important to know if cancer is causing permanent exits, in a population who otherwise would continue working.


The utilization of online platforms for spreading hate speech has become a major concern. The conventional techniques used to identify hate speech, such as relying on keywords and manual moderation, frequently fall short and can lead to either missed detections or incorrect identifications. In response, researchers have developed various deeplearning strategies for locating hate speech in text. This paper covers a wide range of Deep Learning approaches, encompassing Convolutional Neural Networks and especially transformer-based models. It also discusses the key factors that influence the performance of these methods, such as the choice of datasets, the use of pre-processing strategies, and the design of the model architecture. In conjunction with summarizing existing research, it also identifies a selection of key hurdles and limitations of Deep Learning for discovering hate speech and has proposed a novel method to overcome them. In Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory and BERT for Hate Speech Detection (BiDETECT), which involves adding a Bidirectional Long Short-Term Memory (BiLSTM) layer to Bidirectional Encoder Representations from Transformers (BERT) for classification, the hurdles include the difficulties in defining hate speech, the limitations of current datasets, and the challenges of generalizing models to new domains. It also discusses the ethical implications of employing Deep Learning to pinpoint hate speech and the need for responsible and transparent research in this area.


This chapter documents a collaborative investigation of students' developing understanding of two threshold concepts in Economics which was carried out in the context of the Enhancing Teaching-Learning Environments in Undergraduate Courses (ETL) project. ETL was a large-scale research project funded by the UK Economic and Social Research Council (ESRC) as part of their Teaching and Learning Research Programme (TLRP). The notion of a threshold concept is part of the larger conceptual framework developed by the ETL project. The main issues here are whether it provides practitioners with a novel and useful pedagogic tool and whether thinking about teaching-learning environments in terms of threshold concepts has the potential to enhance them. Many of the economists who were interviewed identified concepts which they regarded as thresholds for their discipline and some of them suggested that threshold concepts may be particularly important at the beginning of an Economics degree course.


The aim of this research is to develop a computer vision algorithm for the detection of blurred images caused by the shaking of the camera in an Advanced Driver Assistance System (ADAS). Cameras on board of cars, as part of ADAS, are used to detect various scenarios such as impeding forward collision, pedestrian detection, traffic sign detection, traffic light detection, etc. In case of bumpy roads the user needs to be informed that the system cannot provide accurate warning as the video cannot be used. Also, in case of computer vision based ADAS features running on tablets or smart phones, the user needs to be informed that they will no longer be able to use the ADAS. The acquired images are processed with the proposed algorithm in order to assess if shaking was detected in online video.


BACKGROUND
Strong associations have been demonstrated between the American Heart Association's cardiovascular health (CVH) metrics and various cardiovascular outcomes, but the association with sudden cardiac death (SCD) is uncertain. We examined the associations between these CVH metrics and the risks of SCD and all-cause mortality among men in Finland.

METHODS AND RESULTS
We used the prospective population-based Kuopio Ischaemic Heart Disease cohort study, which consists of men between 42 and 60 years of age at baseline. CVH metrics were computed for 2577 men with CVH scores at baseline ranging from 0 to 7, categorized into CVH scores of 0-2 (poor), 3-4 (intermediate) and 5-7 (ideal). Multivariate Cox regression models were used to estimate the hazards ratios (HRs) and 95% confidence intervals (CIs) of ideal CVH metrics for SCD and all-cause mortality. During a median follow-up period of 25.8 years, 280 SCDs and 1289 all-cause mortality events were recorded. The risks of SCD and all-cause mortality decreased continuously with increasing number of CVH metrics across the range 2-7 (p value for non-linearity for all <0.05). In multivariable analyses, men with an ideal CVH score had an 85% reduced risk of SCD compared with men with a poor CVH score (HR 0.15; 95% CI 0.05-0.48; p = 0.001). For all-cause mortality, there was a 67% lower risk among men with an ideal CVH score compared with those with a poor CVH score (HR 0.33; 95% CI 0.23-0.49; p <0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
Ideal CVH metrics were strongly and linearly associated with decreased risks of SCD and all-cause mortality among middle-aged men in Finland.


OBJECTIVE
To examine single-nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) of the protein tyrosine phosphatase N22 gene (PTPN22) and to study the relationship between PTPN22 and the HLA region in patients with idiopathic inflammatory myopathies (IIMs).

METHODS
PTPN22 SNPs were assessed in a large, cross-sectional, case-control study from the UK involving patients with adult or juvenile IIM, comprising patients with polymyositis (PM) (n=114), dermatomyositis (DM) (n=102), myositis associated with another connective tissue disease (myositis-CTD overlap syndrome) (n=64), or juvenile DM (n=101), in comparison with 748 control subjects. Seventeen PTPN22 SNPs were genotyped using the Sequenom MassArray iPLEX platform. Serotyping for myositis-specific/myositis-associated autoantibodies (MSAs/MAAs) was performed by radioimmunoprecipitation.

RESULTS
A significant association was noted between the R620W variant (rs2476601) and IIM (corrected P [Pcorr]=0.0009 versus controls), and specifically with the clinical subgroup of PM (Pcorr=0.003 versus controls). A weaker association was noted with juvenile DM (Pcorr=0.009 versus controls). No significant associations were noted after stratification by serologic subgroups. The association with the R620W variant was independent of alleles forming the HLA 8.1 haplotype. No other PTPN22 SNPs were associated with IIM. The PTPN22 haplotype containing the R620W T allele was the only haplotype significantly associated with IIM.

CONCLUSION
The R620W variant is a significant risk factor for IIM, independent of the HLA 8.1 haplotype. Unlike that in the HLA region, risk is not increased in individuals possessing MSAs/MAAs. These results are further evidence that the PTPN22 gene confers autoimmune susceptibility.


Purpose Metabolic syndrome and cardiovascular disease are strongly associated with obstructive sleep apnea syndrome (OSAS), which causes substantial changes to normal circadian physiological functions, including metabolic pathways. Because core clock genes are known to be modulated by sleep/vigilance cycles, we asked whether the expression level of mRNA coding for clock genes is altered in non-treated OSAS patients and if it can be corrected by standard continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP) treatment. Methods Peripheral blood was collected from male patients diagnosed with severe OSAS (apnea-hypopnea index ≥ 30/h) before and after treatment initiation. qPCR was used to measure mRNA levels of genes associated with the central circadian pacemaker including CLOCK, BMAL1, Cry1, Cry2, and three Period genes (Per 1, 2, 3) in peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs). Results We found statistically significant differences for CLOCK (p-value = 0.022) expression in PBMCs of OSAS patients which were not reverted by treatment with CPAP. We have also found a substantial decrease in the slow wave sleep (SWS) content in OSAS patients (p-value < 0.001) that, contrary to REM sleep, was not corrected by CPAP (p-value = 0.875). Conclusion CPAP treatment does not correct substantial changes in expression of core clock genes in OSAS patients. Because CPAP treatment is also unable to normalize the SWS in these patients, it is likely that additional therapeutic interventions that increase SWS content and complement the benefits of CPAP are required to more effectively reduce the known increased cardiovascular risk associated with OSAS patients.


This chapter analyses the socio-economic impacts of HIV/AIDS on children in Senegal as well as the impacts of the response policies implemented by the different actors. Data were collected at seven research sites across the country, and complemented by a review of available reports and articles. Their analysis reveals an insignificant nation-wide impact of HIV/AIDS in sectors of health, education, demography and economy. This is reflected in the relatively low and stable HIV prevalence rate since the mid-1980s, which may be attributed to the interplay of a complex set of social and behavioural factor, and a successful policy to fight against the spread of the disease. The main features of this adequate policy consist of a timely response, an eagerness to anticipate on new developments, the strategic involvement of religious and political leaders, effective STD-control programmes, and the construction of strong responses at the community level. Yet, at the family and individual levels a clear impact of HIV/AIDS was identified, which could often be related to the specificity of the disease. For HIV/AIDS-affected families, health care expenses constitute a heavy burden. The presence of HIV/AIDS in families entails a variety of forms of instability and thus contributes to unstable and progressively degrading living conditions for children, girls in particular. The disease was found to explain several forms of matrimonial instability as well as the decline of social networks over time. Finally, HIV/AIDS appeared to have a strong impact on selfperception, emotional stability and the construction of individual and family identities, among adults as well as among children.


We study a gate-tunable superconducting qubit (gatemon) based on a thin InAs-Al hybrid nanowire. Using a gate voltage to control its Josephson energy, the gatemon can reach the strong coupling regime to a microwave cavity. In the dispersive regime, we extract the energy relaxation time T 1 ∼ 0.56 μs and the dephasing time T2*∼0.38 μs. Since thin InAs-Al nanowires can have fewer or single sub-band occupation and recent transport experiment shows the existence of nearly quantized zero-bias conductance peaks, our result holds relevancy for detecting Majorana zero modes in thin InAs-Al nanowires using circuit quantum electrodynamics.


OBJECTIVE To study temporal trends in short- and long-term outcome after myocardial infarction (MI) according to diabetes status. RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS We included all 14,434 consecutive patients admitted for ST-segment elevation MI or non–ST-segment elevation MI at our center between 1985 and 2008. The study patients were compared according to prevalent diabetes. Temporal trend analyses were performed by comparing decades of admission (1985–1989 vs. 1990–1999 vs. 2000–2008). RESULTS A total of 2,015 (14%) of the patients had prevalent diabetes. The risk of presenting with diabetes increased from 8 to 17% from 1985 to 2008. Diabetic patients presented with a higher prevalence of cardiovascular risk factors. With time, the use of evidence-based therapies increased in both patients with and without diabetes. Diabetes is associated with a 1.5-fold increased risk of mortality at the 20-year follow-up. Ten-year mortality decreased over time in patients with diabetes, from 53% in 1985–1989 to 39% in 2000–2008 (adjusted hazard ratio 0.56 [95% CI 0.43–0.73]), and in those without diabetes, from 38% in 1985–1989 to 29% in 2000–2008 (0.66 [0.60–0.73]; P interaction = 0.83). Patients with diabetes benefitted from a higher 30-day and 10-year absolute survival increase. CONCLUSIONS Temporal mortality reductions after MI between 1985 and 2008 were at least as high in patients with diabetes compared with those without diabetes. However, long-term mortality remained higher in diabetic patients. Awareness of the high-risk profile of diabetic patients is warranted and might stimulate optimal medical care and outcome.


In this article, we present the results of a questionnaire designed to evaluate college students' understanding of the antiderivative. Specifically, by civil engineering students when answering the questionnaire' tasks, in order to identify and characterize the meanings on the antiderivative that are mobilized by them. In order to analyse the answers given, we used some theoretical and methodological notions provided by the theoretical model known as the Onto-Semiotic Approach (OSA) of mathematics cognition and instruction. The results show knowledge of antiderivative by the Civil Engineering students. Furthermore, the comparison between the mathematical activity of students provides information that allows concluding that the meanings that they mobilized might be shared among their communities.


Kegode, G. O. and Darbyshire, S. J. 2013. The Biology of Canadian Weeds. 152. Artemisia biennis Willd. Can. J. Plant Sci. 93: 643-658. Artemisia biennis Willd. (biennial wormwood, armoise bisannuelle) is an annual or biennial species native to western North America. Closely related species occur in Eurasia and South America which are sometimes considered conspecific. Spreading elsewhere in North America occurred along transportation corridors soon after European settlement and it has since been introduced to other parts of the world. As an economically important weed its impact appears to be increasing, possibly due in part to reduced tillage practices. The most significantly affected regions are the Prairie Provinces of Canada and the northern Great Plains in the United States. Many cereal, oilseed, pulse, vegetable and forage crops are affected where it can reduce yields at relatively low densities. A wide range of soil and moisture conditions are tolerated and it can form dense populations in disturbed habitats where its competitive ability is enhanced by prolific seed production, indeterminate seedling emergence and allelopathic effects. Although tolerant of a number of herbicides in different classes, good control can be achieved through careful timing and split application strategies.


A review of school effectiveness literature shows that different levels of schoollevel achievement are linked to differences in school characteristics and especially to school culture. This study aimed to determine the school culture and its relation to school effectiveness of the selected well performing and less performing junior high schools of the divisions of Bohol and Cebu City in the academic year 2016-2017.Based on results, both well performing and less performing schools share about the same perception on their school culture, particularly pertaining the various dimensions of the curricular elements, curricular decision-making, and school-based leadership categories. This could be attributed to the fact that they all belong to the same structural system, that is, the public-school system under the monitory of the Department of Education. Although there may not be much difference in their perceptions on their school effectiveness involving institutional practices, student performance in NAT, as well as dropout and retention rates, less performing schools can always learn from the well performing schools especially on areas where they significantly achieved better, such as student performance in the NAT, as well as in their retention rates, among others.


Objective: Metabolic syndrome (MetS) is a complex multifactorial disorder that considerably burdens healthcare systems. We aim to classify MetS using regularized machine learning models in the presence of the risk variants of GCKR, BUD13 and APOA5, and environmental risk factors. Materials and Methods: A cohort study was conducted on 2,346 cases and 2,203 controls from eligible Tehran Cardiometabolic Genetic Study (TCGS) participants whose data were collected from 1999 to 2017. We used different regularization approaches [least absolute shrinkage and selection operator (LASSO), ridge regression (RR), elasticnet (ENET), adaptive LASSO (aLASSO), and adaptive ENET (aENET)] and a classical logistic regression (LR) model to classify MetS and select influential variables that predict MetS. Demographics, clinical features, and common polymorphisms in the GCKR, BUD13, and APOA5 genes of eligible participants were assessed to classify TCGS participant status in MetS development. The models' performance was evaluated by 10-repeated 10-fold crossvalidation. Various assessment measures of sensitivity, specificity, classification accuracy, and area under the receiver operating characteristic curve (AUC-ROC) and AUC-precision-recall (AUC-PR) curves were used to compare the models. Results: During the follow-up period, 50.38% of participants developed MetS. The groups were not similar in terms of baseline characteristics and risk variants. MetS was significantly associated with age, gender, schooling years, body mass index (BMI), and alternate alleles in all the risk variants, as indicated by LR. A comparison of accuracy, AUCROC, and AUC-PR metrics indicated that the regularization models outperformed LR. Regularized machine learning models provided comparable classification performances, whereas the aLASSO model was more parsimonious and selected fewer predictors. Conclusion: Regularized machine learning models provided more accurate and parsimonious MetS classifying models. These high-performing diagnostic models can lay the foundation for clinical decision support tools that use genetic and demographical variables to locate individuals at high risk for MetS.


Detailed magneto-hydrodynamic (MHD) simulations of plasma flows in an inductively coupled plasma (ICP) heater are performed with air as the working gas. The plasma flows are numerically solved by the axisymmetric Navier-Stokes equations coupled with Park's two-temperature models and Dunn-Kang's chemical kinetic models to take into account the thermal and chemical non-equilibrium, while induction heating in plasmas is incorporated by solving the time-averaged MHD induction equations. Computations are done by changing the operating conditions such as the input power and the background pressure to examine how the plasma properties and the wall heat fluxes inside the discharge chamber depend on these parameters. Numerical results are compared with those of spectroscopic measurement. Good agreement is obtained in the downstream region where the flow is in local thermal equilibrium, however, qualitative discrepancy of electronic temperature between the theory and the experiment is found in the discharge chamber where Joule heating is significant.


The article presents the fulfilment of a partial goal of the research project focused on developing and constructing a biofidelic surrogate of the human body to improve the forensic reconstruction of road traffic accidents. It aims to describe the methods and results of acquiring external geometry of segments of crash test dummy Hybrid III. To create a precise spatial representation of dummy segments, we applied 3D laser scanning using the handheld 3D scanner VIUscan Handyscan 3D. The workflow, used material and application of software support are closely described in the methodical part of the article. The results present 3D models of significant material for the continuous fulfilment of project goals. In the follow-up activities, we will use dummy external geometry data, particularly to develop molds for casting segments of new-generation synthetic human body surrogates.


The present study describes the isolation of a new protease producing Streptomyces strain HS1 and the biochemical characterization of the secreted proteases. By sequencing of its noted 16S rDNA, HS1 strain was found to have a 100% identity with Streptomyces flavogriseus. The highest protease production was found using FermII media. In these conditions maximum protease production (99 U/mL) was obtained after 96 h incubation at 30°C and 150 rpm. HS1 strain produced at least five proteases as revealed by zymogram technique. The enzyme preparation exhibited activity over a broad range of pH (5–11) and temperature (25–70°C). Optimum activity was observed at a pH of 7.0 and a temperature of 50°C. Proteolytic activity was significantly unaffected by Ca2+ and Mg2+. EDTA and PMSF highly decreased the original activity. The crude extracellular proteases showed high stability when used as a detergent additive. These properties offer an interesting potential for enzymatic hydrolysis at the industrial level.


A total treatment concept was developed for grey water from 32 houses in Sneek, The Netherlands. A thorough characterization of COD, nutrients, metals, micropollutants and anions was carried out. Four biological treatment systems were tested: aerobic, anaerobic, combined anaerobic + aerobic and a bioflocculation system. Micropollutants were measured in grey water and effluent from three biological treatment systems. The best performing biological treatment system, the aerobic one showed the highest COD and micropollutant removal at a low sludge yield. The bioflocculation system could concentrate 70% of the COD of grey water into a concentrated stream. Advanced treatment with ozone and activated carbon showed to be effective to remove all micropollutants below limits of quantification. A total treatment system is proposed based on the pre-treatment with a bio-flocculation system, aerobic post-treatment and ozonation as a disinfection and micropollutant removal step.


The article highlights the key problems of legal regulation of electronic banking products in general and electronic bank guarantees and counter-guarantees in particular. The author is consider two main approaches to compliance with the written form of the agreement when making a transaction in electronic form. The analysis is carried out of judicial and banking practice in the field of providing electronic bank guarantees and counter-guarantees.


The typical synthesis protocol for blue-emitting CdSe nanoplatelets (NPLs) yields particles with extended lateral dimensions and large surface areas, resulting in NPLs with poor photoluminescence quantum efficiency. We have developed a synthesis protocol that achieves an improved control over the lateral size, by exploiting a series of long-chained carboxylate precursors that vary from cadmium octanoate (C8) to cadmium stearate (C18). The length of this metallic precursor is key to tune the width and aspect ratio of the final NPLs, and for the shorter chain lengths, the synthesis yield is improved. NPLs prepared with our procedure possess significantly enhanced photoluminescence quantum efficiencies, up to 30%. This is likely due to their reduced lateral dimensions, which also grant them good colloidal stability. As the NPL width can be tuned below the bulk exciton Bohr radius, the band edge blue-shifts, and we constructed a sizing curve relating the NPL absorption position and width. Further adjusting the synthesis protocol, we were able to obtain even thinner NPLs, emitting in the near-UV region, with a band-edge quantum efficiency of up to 11%. Results pave the way to stable and efficient light sources for applications such as blue and UV light-emitting devices and lasers.


This paper treats nonlinear control of a hydraulic servo system to suppress micro stick-slip vibrations. The system consists of a hydraulic cylinder, a servo-valve and a personal computer. Self-excited vibrations of two different types occur in the conventional feedback control system. Discontinuous control signal generated through a D/A converter causes a stick-slip vibration of micron order over the wide range of the feedback gain. Increasing the feedback gain results in the other type of stick-slip vibration of nearly ten times larger amplitude due to the locally increased flow gain in the underlap region of the servo-valve. The feedback linearization technique is applied to compensate the nonlinearity of the valve. Numerical simulation and experiment were performed for both the present nonlinear control system and the ordinary linear control system to confirm the validity of the former one in suppressing the micro stick-slip vibration. The other type of micro stick-slip vibration due to the D/A converter was effectively suppressed by improving the resolution of the input signal.


The nature of the relationship between cognition and brain morphology in schizophrenia-spectrum disorders (SSD) and bipolar disorder (BD) is uncertain. This review aimed to address this, by providing a comprehensive systematic investigation of links between several cognitive domains and brain volume, cortical thickness, and cortical surface area in SSD and BD patients across early and established illness stages. An initial search of PubMed and Scopus databases resulted in 1486 articles, of which 124 met inclusion criteria and were reviewed in detail. The majority of studies focused on SSD, while those of BD were scarce. Replicated evidence for specific regions associated with indices of cognition was minimal, however for several cognitive domains, the frontal and temporal regions were broadly implicated across both recent-onset and established SSD, and to a lesser extent BD. Collectively, the findings of this review emphasize the significance of both frontal and temporal regions for some domains of cognition in SSD, while highlighting the need for future BD-related studies on this topic.


Thailand, the economic growth of which largely depends on agriculture-based industry, recognizes the importance of international standards for harmonization of international food trade and for protection of human health from chemicals used as food additives or those present as contaminants. Pesticides which are widely used in Thailand are the anticholinesterase pesticides, pyrethroids, coumarin derivatives, bipyridinium salts, and to some extent organochlorine compounds such as DDT in malaria control. Proficiency testing and accreditation of laboratories are recognized as effective means to ensure quality and validity of data and to enable adequate risk assessment of pesticide residues in food, work environment and environment in general. The paper is a synthesis of relevant local reviews and in-depth interviews with experts in the area of pesticide laboratory accreditation and proficiency testing. The paper refers to other schemes for quality assurance such as ISO guide 25, ISO 9000, and ISO 14000, and addresses future prospects of ongoing activities such as accreditation of inspection bodies in the area of industrial chemicals and occupational safety and health.


SNS (Social Networking Sites) privacy has become an increasingly serious problem. The previous researches on the relationship between privacy concerns and interests are mostly concentrated in the indifference nodes (user behavior only), but there are long-term social behaviors for people in the social network environment. From the perspective of the dynamic evolution, SNS and users are the two continuous game groups, most of the game players would like to take the long-term strategy in face of the interest. This paper innovatively studied the long-term evolutionary game based on privacy concerns and the interests of the two sides: SNS and users. We introduced privacy concerns as a factor into the game for the first time, and constructed the evolutionary game of the interests of both sides through building the payoff matrix.


The management of mobile ad hoc networks (MANETs) is a challenging task. Previous work on this topic has focused largely on the monitoring and data collection aspects of network management; literature on the provisioning of devices and protocol support for MANET configuration is scarce. We present a solution suite to extend policy-based management, for the first time, to MANETs. The solution suite consists of four schemes - k-hop clustering, dynamic service redundancy (DynaSeR), policy negotiation, and automated service discovery - each addressing different challenges in managing ad hoc networks. We propose extensions to the standard common open policy service (COPS) protocol for use in MANETs, and evaluate the system performance using simulations.


This paper introduces a divide-and-conquer inspired adversarial learning (DACAL) approach for photo enhancement. The key idea is to decompose the photo enhancement process into hierarchically multiple sub-problems, which can be better conquered from bottom to up. On the top level, we propose a perception-based division to learn additive and multiplicative components, required to translate a low-quality image or video into its high-quality counterpart. On the intermediate level, we use a frequency-based division with generative adversarial network (GAN) to weakly supervise the photo enhancement process. On the lower level, we design a dimension-based division that enables the GAN model to better approximates the distribution distance on multiple independent one-dimensional data to train the GAN model. While considering all three hierarchies, we develop multiscale and recurrent training approaches to optimize the image and video enhancement process in a weakly-supervised manner. Both quantitative and qualitative results clearly demonstrate that the proposed DACAL achieves the state-of-the-art performance for high-resolution image and video enhancement.


The citizens' right to access government information, through legislations like the Right to Information (RTI), is now the norm especially in democratic countries. However, the effectiveness of its implementation is still a challenge. This paper investigates the legal framework and the implementation of RTI in the Philippines by examining the Executive Order no. 2 and analysing a sample of 180 RTI requests submitted to the three government agencies with the greatest number of requests. Findings reveal issues on accessibility, FOI literacy, and privacy happening across the three government agencies. We argue that these issues are related to institutional capacity. This paper contributes to the literature examining the implementation of RTI, especially in developing countries.


In society, the concept of public library is traditionally associated with silence, peace and safety. However, modern realities indicate that the library profession is associated with many risks. As the experience of the United States shows, employees of public libraries are increasingly faced with problems that disrupt the normal functioning of library and information services and negatively affect the emotional and psychological state of staff and patrons. Ensuring safety of the library is a common concern, equally affecting both employees and patrons of the library. A threat to the safety of library is a potentially or actually possible event, action, process or phenomenon that can disrupt the stability of its operation or lead to shutdown of its functioning. The article considers the subjective threats, i. e. caused by the actions and behaviour of people. These can be mentally unbalanced, substance abusers or armed visitors, computer hackers, etc. Many of them pose a real danger to life and health of both librarians and library patrons. Based on the analysis of the U.S. periodical press, the author provides facts that clearly demonstrate the vulnerability of public library staff to the threats of the modern world: the risk of being killed, the risk of drug overdose of visitors, the risk of hacker attacks on library computers, the risk of developing post-traumatic stress disorder, etc. Library rules and regulations are created to protect the rights, interests and safety of users and employees. It is necessary to keep them up-to-date taking into account the socio-cultural changes in modern society and transformation of human behaviour. The article shows what measures are taken by U.S. public libraries to ensure the safety of employees and patrons.


The complete hematologic blood cell count of 11 patients with advanced cancer were determined on 14 occasions, every 4 hr over 36-48 hr. Oral temperature was also measured at the same times as blood sampling. Five patients had breast cancer, five had ovarian cancer and one a leiomyosarcoma. Circadian rhythms were detected by the cosinor method for seven hematologic variables (red blood cells, hemoglobin, hematocrit, white blood cells, neutrophils, lymphocytes, platelets) and for oral temperature in the whole group of patients. All acrophases were located between 1300 and 1700 hr, except for lymphocytes (2100 hr). A rhythm with a period of 8 hr was validated for lymphocytes and monocytes. Validated or estimated amplitudes and acrophases were closely similar in both breast and ovarian cancer subgroups. Individual cosinor analyses documented large differences from patient to patient, which were accounted for by differences in performance status. Thus, subjects with poor performance status and rapidly progressive disease had very few validated rhythms as compared to those patients with good performance status. As a result a statistically significant correlation was found between the number of validated hematologic circadian rhythms and the performance status (r = -0.88; P less than 0.01).


During the preparation of actinomycin by fermentation of a soybean meal-glycerol medium with Streptomyces antibioticus strain 3720, we examined ethyl acetate extracts of the fermented medium by filter-paper chromatography [Whatman no. 3MM paper with n-butyl alcohol-pyridine-water (4:1:5, upper phase) as developing solvent]. In addition to a large amount of actinomycin, there was definite indication of the presence of actinomycin monolactone in the extracts after 6 days of fermentation. Further experiments patterned after our previous study with Actinoplanes (2) showed that actinomycin monolactone was not formed by degradation of actinomycin by S. antibioticus 3720 because addition of 3Hactinomycin to the growing cultures or to washed cells did not cause formation of 3H-actinomycin monolactone. Addition to the growing S. antibioticus cultures, washed cells, or cell-free extracts (prepared in a French press) of 3H-actinomycin monolactone (prepared chemically from 3H-actinomycin by the procedure of Mauger) resulted in formation of significant amounts of 3H-actinomycin. In one experiment with the cell-free extracts, approximately 30% of the 135 ,ug of the mono-


The atmospheric response to the regional snow mass anomalies in early spring over Tibet, Eastern Europe, and Siberia is compared by general circulation model ensemble experiments. The positive snow mass anomalies over Tibet produce the largest cooling anomalies in the atmosphere from spring to early summer. Almost no significant forcing anomalies are systematically formed by the snow mass anomalies over Eastern Europe and Siberia. The model experiments show that the cooling source over Tibet works significantly to delay the seasonal transition from spring to summer in the Northern Hemisphere. It is confirmed by the simulated weak Asian monsoon; a weak lower tropospheric monsoon jet in South Asia, a weak large-scale divergence center at the upper troposphere in Southeast Asia, negative lower-layer geopotential height anomalies in the North Pacific and the North Atlantic, and the weak Walker circulation in the equatorial Pacific are simulated. The above noticeable response of the atmosphere to the snow mass anomalies over Tibet is associated with the following characteristics of Tibet as compared with Eastern Europe and Siberia; (1) The small snow melt speed over Tibet, probably due to its high elevation, maintains the early spring additional snow mass until almost the end of the climatic snow-melt season. (2) The snow albedo is effective because of large solar incidence and relatively small cloudiness over Tibet. (3) The existence of the anomalous snow cover works to cut the upward sensible heat flux rather than the evaporation over Tibet because of its dry ground condition. (4) The dry ground over Tibet makes it possible that all the anomalous snow-melt water is not drained as runoff, but a part of it is stored in the ground. (5) As pointed out by many researchers, the Tibetan Plateau plays an important role in the establishment of the Asian monsoon. The above conditions (1)-(5) for the effective snow mass anomalies are found in the model Tibet, but these conditions would be satisfied by the real regions where the snow mass anomalies affect the atmosphere efficiently. The extended atmospheric responses are found in May for the East European case and in August for the Siberian case. These are accompanied by significant ground condition anomalies in northern Eurasia. Those ground condition anomalies are not directly related to the successive ground condition anomalies followed by the anomalous snow mass melt, and seem to be created after the water and heat of the initial snow mass anomalies are supplied into the atmosphere.


The structural properties and the phase transition between the B1 (rock salt) and B2 (CsCl) phases of NaCl have been investigated at an ab initio level. Total energy curves, obtained with periodic Hartree-Fock (HF) calculations, have been corrected a posteriori by integrating the HF charge density according to the correlation-only density-functional-like formulae proposed by Colle and Salvetti in 1975 and by Perdew in 1986 and 1991. The three functionals are 'non-local', containing terms that depend on the gradient of the electronic density. The correlation correction brings the HF data for the lattice energy (LE), lattice parameter (ao) and bulk modulus (B) into good agreement with experiment, the best performance being obtained with the most recent functional, (the percentage error is +0.3%, -0.5% and +5.6% respectively for LE, ao and B).


A key clinical question is whether we should be withdrawing advanced inflammatory bowel disease (IBD) medications after a period of sustained remission. There is data to suggest that risk of relapse on withdrawal of vedolizumab is higher than that of anti-TNF therapy1. Drug costs are still considerable and so withdrawal of medications will also have significant financial benefits.
 The aim was to review the outcomes of vedolizumab withdrawal in patients in remission, in particular for those where a clinical decision was made following confirmed histological remission of their IBD

 This was a single-centre retrospective review of patients in the IBD clinic at a tertiary referral centre in London. We analysed all those who had stopped vedolizumab at least six months prior and were in either clinical, biochemical, radiological, endoscopic or histological remission. We assessed for evidence of a flare of disease following withdrawal of vedolizumab and the need of further biological treatment.

 38 patients had vedolizumab withdrawal for remission with a median length of treatment of 36 months. 28 (74%) had a flare up of disease requiring medication change with 24 (63%) requiring biologics. 21 restarted vedolizumab and 79% responded to this medication. Importantly, 5 patients are still less than a year since stopping and so still at high risk of relapse.
 Of the 21 patients confirmed to be in histological remission, 17 (81%) had a flare of disease requiring further treatment, of which 15 (71%) required biologics. Median time to flare was 7 months with only two patients flaring after a year of cessation. All 15 were started on vedolizumab and 12 (80%) responded to this but one had a subsequent early secondary loss of response. Of those who did not respond to vedolizumab, one required emergency surgery, one responded to ustekinumab and one only has partial response to a third biologic.

 Relapse following vedolizumab withdrawal occurs in a significant number of patients even when they have been in remission for a long period of time. It usually occurs quickly within the first year and having confirmed histological remission does not seem influence this risk. Recapture of response is reasonably good and occurs in four fifths of patients. Despite the significant cost savings of stopping vedolizumab, clinicians need to consider the risk to benefit ratio of stopping when relapse is such a common event.
 1 Martin, A., Nachury, M., Peyrin-Biroulet, L., et al, GETAID-Vedo-STOP Study Group (2020). Maintenance of Remission Among Patients With Inflammatory Bowel Disease After Vedolizumab Discontinuation: A Multicentre Cohort Study. Journal of Crohn's & colitis, 14(7), 896–903. https://doi.org/10.1093/ecco-jcc/jjaa005


A sinusoidal grating appears of higher spatial frequency when briefly flashed than when presented for longer durations. This effect is restricted to gratings of low spatial frequency (1 cycle/deg). Time-dependent changes in the response of spatial frequency channels are a likely cause.


Chalcogenide based semiconductors have attracted much attention recently due to their applications in solid state devices (SSD). Chalcogenide phase change memory is considered as a potential replacement of flash memory due to its high storage density and archival stability. Phase change non-volatile semiconductor memory technology is based on an electrically initiated, reversible rapid amorphous-to-crystalline phase change process in multicomponent chalcogenide alloy materials similar to those used in rewritable optical disks. In order to view the suitability of a material for PRAM applications, it is necessary to investigate the crystallization behaviour of the material concerned. In the present work, a systematic investigation of crystallization kinetics of In40Se60 alloy has been made. Thin films of In40Se60 alloy were prepared by thermal evaporation using Edward Auto 306 evaporation system. Electrical measurements at room temperature and upon annealing at different heating rates were done by four point probe method using Keithley 2400 source meter interfaced with computer using LabView software. The dependence of sheet resistance on temperature showed a sudden drop in resistance at a specific temperature corresponding to the transition temperature at which the alloy change from amorphous to crystalline. The transition temperature was also found to increase with the heating rates. From the heating rate dependence of peak crystallization temperature (Tp) the activation energy for crystallization was determined using the Kissinger analysis. The films were found to have an electrical contrast of about six orders of magnitude between the asdeposited and the annealed states, a good quality for PRAM applications. The activation energy was determined to be 0.538±0.063eV.


The incidence of co-infection with Treponema pallidum and human immunodeficiency virus (HIV) is increasing in developing and developed countries. The neurological complications of both infections occasionally occur simultaneously during a clinical course. We herein report the case of an HIV carrier with syphilitic meningomyelitis and subclinical optic neuropathy. The patient presumably had latent syphilis and slowly developed longitudinally extensive transverse myelitis (LETM). A cerebrospinal fluid examination confirmed the diagnosis of active neurosyphilis based on an elevated T. pallidum hemagglutination assay index. A change in the patient's immune status, possibly due to HIV, might have converted the syphilis from latent to active, leading to LETM of the spinal cord.


A long-term fertilizer experiment on dry land of the Loess Plateau, northwest China, has been conducted since 1984 to study the distribution and accumulation of NO3-N down to a depth of 400 cm in the profile of a coarse-textured dark loessial soil after continuous winter wheat cropping. Thirteen fertilizer treatments consisted of four levels of N and P applied alone or in combination. Annual N and P (P2O5) rates were 0,45, 90, 135 and 180 kg ha-1. After 15 successive cropping cycles, the soil samples were taken from each treatment for analysis of NO3-N concentration. The results showed that NO3-N distribution in the soil profile was quite different among the treatments. The application of fertilizer N alone resulted in higher NO3-N concentration in the soil profile than the combined application of N and P, showing that application of P could greatly reduce the NO3-N accumulation. With an annual application of 180 kg N ha-1 alone, a peak in NO3-N accumulation occurred at 140 cm soil depth, and the maximum NO3-N concentration in the soils was 67.92 mg kg-1. The amount of NO3-N accumulated in the soil profile decreased as the cumulative N uptake by the winter wheat increased. Application of a large amount of N resulted in lower N recoveries in winter wheat and greater NO3-N accumulation in soil profile. NO3-N did not enter underground water in the study region; therefore, there is no danger of underground water pollution. Amount of NO3-N accumulation can be predicted by an equation according to annual N and P rates based on the results of this experiment.


AMP-activated protein kinase (AMPK) is a master metabolic regulator, and is an important target for drug development against diabetes, obesity, and other diseases. AMPK is a hetero-trimeric enzyme, with a catalytic (a) subunit, and two regulatory (b and c) subunits. Here we report the crystal structure at 2.2 Å resolution of the protein kinase domain (KD) of the catalytic subunit of yeast AMPK (commonly known as SNF1). The Snf1-KD structure shares strong similarity to other protein kinases, with a small N-terminal lobe and a large C-terminal lobe. Two negative surface patches in the structure may be important for the recognition of the substrates of this kinase. 2005 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.


BACKGROUND AND AIM OF THE STUDY
Two-dimensional echocardiography (2DE) performed to evaluate mitral valve anatomy during valve repair has certain limitations and pitfalls. The study aim was to assess the feasibility, accuracy and incremental value of three-dimensional echocardiography (3DE), coupled with 2DE in evaluating mitral valve structure, before and after repair and pericardial posterior annuloplasty.

METHODS
The site and extent of mitral valve prolapse, systolic and diastolic changes of mitral annular area were evaluated using 2D and 3D transesophageal echocardiography (TEE), both pre- and postoperatively in 34 patients before and after mitral valve repair and pericardial posterior annuloplasty.

RESULTS
Concordance between 2DE and surgery in evaluating prolapsing mitral valve scallops was 76% for the anterior leaflet and 75% for the posterior leaflet; for 3DE and surgery, concordance was 87% and 93% respectively. There was a significant reduction in maximal and minimal annular area after surgery, with a statistically significant difference between systolic-diastolic changes.

CONCLUSION
3DE, coupled with 2DE, is feasible and accurate in delineating the extent and location of prolapsing scallops of the mitral valve. The combined approach is also valuable in planning mitral valve surgery and evaluating the mitral valve annulus in vivo.


While there has been extensive research done on technology supporting communication and interaction in online higher education, this research focus on the potential of new web development tools for designing educational technologies. With the recent advent and maturity of the HTML5-standard together with CSS3 and advanced javascript libraries such as jQuery andNode.js developers now have access to tools enabling them to create dynamic, web-based systemssupporting rich social interaction & collaboration between students & educators with features that were previously only available in proprietary applications. This paper reports from an ongoingresearch project utilizing a design research approach aimed at creating and evaluating such a tool.


In the December issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, Ahn et al. (1) report the results of a National Cancer Database analysis comparing the trends and the outcomes of using transarterial radioembolization (TARE) and systemic therapy in the setting of locally advanced hepatocellular carcinoma (HCC) with portal vein thrombosis (PVT) in the presence of single or multiple tumors. The study shows not only the possible benefit of TARE in a real-life setting but also the trends and the factors associated with such treatment. The study spans an 8-y period (2010–2017) during which sorafenib was regarded as the gold standard systemic therapy for advanced HCC. Contextually, it should be highlighted that TARE has been Food and Drug Administration–approved since 1999, and its indication has been expanded to include locally advanced PVT since 2005. Hence, during the same time as this study, TARE has played a major role as the dominant arterial locoregional therapy in HCC with PVT, reflected in its increased use per Ahn's analysis. This study, despite the limitations inherent in data from big national databases, showed 3 major key points. First, the increased adoption of TARE from 13% to 37% in advanced HCC is understandable, as the microembolic effect permits treatment in the presence of compromised portal flow. This is in direct contradistinction to chemoembolization, in which occlusion of the hepatic artery as part of treatment, in the presence of an occluded portal vein, risks inducing ischemic hepatitis. Also, the 40%–50% TARE response rate in this setting has far exceeded expectations, fueled increased use, and resulted in subsequent resection or liver transplantation, a novel observation resulting from the clinical introduction of TARE in the last decade. In fact, downstaging of patients with PVT to resection or transplantation has been demonstrated with TARE (2,3). Of note, TARE has shown durable responses in the context of high response rates, similar to immunotherapies (4,5). Second, the large sample size is a key factor that made it possible to capture the overall survival (OS) benefit of TARE over systemic therapy. In the recent phase III trials comparing TARE versus sorafenib (SARAH and SIRveNIB), OS differences were not captured, possibly because of insufficient sample sizes, postprogression therapy, treatment centers lacking the requisite expertise, and heterogeneous patient populations. Although a retrospective review of the National Cancer Database does overcome all of these issues, the large sample size can elicit differences in OS (6,7). Third, the time frame in which the study was conducted suggests that most of the systemic therapy used was sorafenib. Therefore, the results can be extrapolated only to TARE versus sorafenib and not to TARE versus other systemic therapies. The HCC community has witnessed the rapid approval of multiple systemic therapies, including regorafenib, lenvatinib, cabozantinib, ramucirumab, nivolumab, pembrolizumab, and ipilimumab, all of which provide more options for secondand third-line treatments (8). Furthermore, combinations such as atezolizumab and bevacizumab have been shown to be dramatically superior to sorafenib in terms of progression-free survival and OS (9). New trials have proven that not all systemic therapies for advanced HCC are the same. Novel systemic agents such as lenvatinib have been shown to be more effective at inducing tumor response than sorafenib as first-line treatment; other agents, such as regorafenib and cabozantinib, have been shown to be effective as second-line treatment at improving OS. Important recent observations have also been made with TARE, with the DOSISPHERE-01 trial showing that TARE more than doubled OS in a patient population with large tumors (mean, 10 cm), two thirds of whom exhibited PVT, when personalized dosimetry was implemented (10). Despite the thorough database analyses, there are several limitations. The lack of information about baseline tumor characteristics and burden and the extent of PVT, shown to significantly prognosticate outcomes in patients undergoing TARE, was a limitation (11). Another important limitation was the unavailability of data on subsequent second-line and third-line treatments, known to confound OS outcomes in clinical trials. Although systemic therapies have significantly changed the landscape with level I evidence, there are still too many patients who do not respond and progress early. Advanced-HCC patients are often relegated only to systemic therapy; future investigations should focus on taking advantage of the durable antitumoral effect of local therapy in combination with systemic agents in advanced disease. Now with the ability to personalize dose and exceed 205 Gy with a durable effect, augmenting the effect of systemic therapy is not a remote possibility (10,12). Well-designed trials are needed (13). The overarching conclusion from this database analysis relates to the macroscale overview of patterns of clinical practice and national trends in TARE and systemic therapy use. If personalized decision making is our goal, we must significantly increase the Received Aug. 23, 2021; revision accepted Nov. 3, 2021. For correspondence or reprints, contact Riad Salem (r-salem@ northwestern.edu). COPYRIGHT 2022 by the Society of Nuclear Medicine andMolecular Imaging.


we present here a novel approach on behavioral modeling of passive RF blocks from frequency domain samples. This approach combines the vectorfitting (VF) algorithm, which is a powerful iterative method for estimating the poles and residues of a MIMO system, associated with the inverse Laplace transform in order to implement passive RF models in a time domain system simulation environment. For our application, the Scilab/Scicos tool is chosen since it allows the resolution of implicit equations, therefore, the implementation of bilateral behavioral models. The impulse responses Sij(t) are then evaluated form previous poles/residues identification process in order to compute the implicit relationship between I and V at each port of the block. This method has been validated in the case of simple circuit (load) and extended to the case of complex MIMO sub-systems such as a full power combiner of a power amplifier (PA). As a result, the envelope transient (TE) S-parameters evaluation of circuits is possible. Thence, the evaluation of complex PAs is submitted to an actual signal (which often includes linear sub-circuits derived from Momentum simulation).


Background Antibiotic loaded bone cement spacers are used as an adjunct to treatment in 2-stage arthroplasty revisions. If release of the correct choice of antimicrobials is optimised, systemic therapy might be curtailed and emergence of resistance minimised. Aims: To determine the elution period of antimicrobials from bone cement with and without a copolymer, polyvinylpyrrolidone (PVP) and to limit resistance development by the use of two or more antimicrobials. Methods Triclosan, gentamicin and clindamycin with and without (PVP) in CMW bone cement, was tested against six bacteria using serial plate transfer. Results While there was little difference between clindamycin and clindamycin with PVP, and between gentamicin and gentamicin with PVP, there was marked enhancement of release of triclosan with PVP. Resistance developed when antimicrobials were used singly but not when used in combination. Conclusion The addition of water soluble PVP was expected to enhance elution of antimicrobials from bone cement. This occurred with triclosan, a poorly water-soluble agent, but there was no significant difference for gentamicin and clindamycin, which as preferentially water -soluble. Other copolymers are being explored in an attempt to enhance their release. Triclosan used in combination extended the duration of activity against the test bacteria without development of resistance. Combinations of antimicrobials reduce the risk of paradoxical resistance in bone cement.


As a combination of visual and audio signals, video is inherently multi-modal. However, existing video generation methods are primarily intended for the synthesis of visual frames, whereas audio signals in realistic videos are disregarded. In this work, we concentrate on a rarely investigated problem of text guided sounding video generation and propose the Sounding Video Generator (SVG), a unified framework for generating realistic videos along with audio signals. Specifically, we present the SVG-VQGAN to transform visual frames and audio melspectrograms into discrete tokens. SVG-VQGAN applies a novel hybrid contrastive learning method to model inter-modal and intra-modal consistency and improve the quantized representations. A cross-modal attention module is employed to extract associated features of visual frames and audio signals for contrastive learning. Then, a Transformer-based decoder is used to model associations between texts, visual frames, and audio signals at token level for auto-regressive sounding video generation. AudioSetCap, a human annotated text-video-audio paired dataset, is produced for training SVG. Experimental results demonstrate the superiority of our method when compared with existing textto-video generation methods as well as audio generation methods on Kinetics and VAS datasets.


Purpose: This study evaluated correlation and risk factors between position of the mandibular third molars and mandibular angle fractures using clinical and radiographic findings. Methods: Medical records and panoramic radiographs of 188 patients with mandibular fractures were retrospectively reviewed. The presence and position of the third molars were assessed for each patient and were related to the occurrence of mandibular angle fractures. Results: The incidence of mandibular angle fracture was found to be greater when a lower third molar was present, particularly at the occlusal plane positioned on the 2nd molar occlusal surface (by Archer system) and the third molar is impacted in mandibular ramus (by Pell & Gregory system). Of the 192 sites with a lower third molar, 32 (16%) had an angle fracture. Of the 184 site without lower third molars, 16 (8%) had an angle fracture. Conclusion: This study confirmed an increased risk of angle fractures in the presence of a lower third molar as well as variable risk for angle fracture, depending on positioning of the third molar.


The government appointees to the English National Board have been announced by Junior Health Minister Baroness Cumberlege. Maureen Theobald, Principal of the Nightingale and Guy's College of Nursing and Midwifery, has been named ENB Chair. One vacancy has yet to be filled.


A57 Previous studies from the Cancer Biology Research Laboratory identified primitive plants of moss, fern and lichen species with anti-cancer activities. Current research involves the extraction of a lipid-containing fraction from the ostrich fern, Matteucia struthiopteris, with 1,000-fold greater anti-cancer activity than whole plant aqueous homogenates in pre-clinical assays of microtumors prepared from several solid tumor malignancies, including drug-resistant glioblastoma multiforme. Confocal laser microscopy of phalloidin-stained tumor cells demonstrated that a primary effect of the plant extracts is the disruption of cortical actin cytoskeleton in the cell membrane. This represents a previously unrecognized therapeutic target for anti-cancer agents. The targeted actin-cytoskeleton may also comprise a novel chemopreventive target. A novel biophysical model, proposed by Crawford, suggests that the active lipid fraction may affect cytoskeletal integrity as a consequence of the interaction of plant isoprenoids and dolichols on tumor membrane fluidity. Increased membrane fluidity may interfere with the dynamic assembly of actin cytoskeletal components essential to cell motility and focal adhesions essential for tumor viability and metastasis. *Patent pending 2008 Citation Information: Cancer Prev Res 2008;1(7 Suppl):A57.


We test the feasibility of using Green's functions extracted from records of ambient seismic noise to monitor temporal changes in the Earth crust properties by repeated measurements at regional distances. We use about 11 yr of continuous recordings to extract surface waves between three pairs of stations in California. The correlations are computed in a moving 1-month window and we analyse the temporal evolution of measured interstation traveltimes. The comparison of the arrival times in the positive and negative correlation time of Rayleigh and Love waves allows us to separate time-shifts associated with any form of physical change in the medium, those resulting from clock drift or other instrumental errors, and those due to change in the localization of the noise sources. This separation is based on the principle of time symmetry. When possible, we perform our analysis in two different period bands: 5–10 and 10–20 s. The results indicate that significant instrumental time errors (0.5 s) are present in the data. These time-shifts can be measured and tested by closure relation and finally corrected independently of any velocity model. The traveltime series show a periodic oscillation that we interpret as the signature of the seasonal variation of the region of origin of the seismic noise. Between 1999 and 2005, the final arrival time fluctuations have a variance of the order of 0.01 s. This allows us to measure interstation traveltimes with errors smaller than 0.3 per cent of the interstation traveltime and smaller than 1 per cent of the used wave period. This level of accuracy was not sufficient to detect clear physical variation of crustal velocity during the considered 11 yr between the three stations in California. Such changes may be more easily detectable when considering pairs of stations more closely located to each other and in the vicinity of tectonically active faults or volcanoes.


In the mid-1920s, the great Albert Einstein proposed that at extremely low temperatures, a gas of bosonic particles will enter a new phase where a large fraction of them occupy the same quantum state. This state would bring many of the peculiar features of quantum mechanics, previously reserved for small samples consisting only of a few atoms or molecules, up to a macroscopic scale. This is what we today call a Bose-Einstein condensate. It would take physicists almost 70 years to realize Einstein's idea, but in 1995 this was finally achieved.The research on Bose-Einstein condensates has since taken many directions, one of the most exciting being to study their behavior when they are placed in optical lattices generated by laser beams. This has already produced a number of fascinating results, but it has also proven to be an ideal test-ground for predictions from certain nonlinear lattice models.Because on the other hand, nonlinear science, the study of generic nonlinear phenomena, has in the last half century grown out to a research field in its own right, influencing almost all areas of science and physics. Nonlinear localization is one of these phenomena, where localized structures, such as solitons and discrete breathers, can appear even in translationally invariant systems. Another one is the (in)famous chaos, where deterministic systems can be so sensitive to perturbations that they in practice become completely unpredictable. Related to this is the study of different types of instabilities; what their behavior are and how they arise.In this thesis we compare classical and quantum mechanical nonlinear lattice models which can be applied to BECs in optical lattices, and also examine how classical nonlinear concepts, such as localization, chaos and instabilities, can be transfered to the quantum world.


We study the public policy implications of a model in which agents do not fully internalize all the conscequences of their actions. Such a model unifies seemingly disconected models with behavioral agents. We evaluate the scope of paternalistic and libertarian-parternalistic policies in the light of our model, and propose an alternative type of approach, called soft-libertarian, which guides the decision makers in the internalization of all the conscequences of their actions. Psychotherapy is one example of a soft-libertarian policy. Moreover, we show that in our behavioral framework, policies that increase the set of opportunities or provide more information to the agent may not longer be individual welfare improving.


This work discusses the fair warning system and prevention of electrical accidents through communication using material safety data sheets (MSDSs) and labeling in familiar formats adapted from training for chemical safety. Most employees work on, near or with electricity everyday, so occupational safety and health administration training awareness is required. Electrical hazard characterization remains a challenge to advancing mitigation based on regulations, design, engineering, procedures, task planning and personal protection. The toxicity of electricity is described using terms familiar from MSDS formats common to hazardous materials notices, including, for electricity, the threshold limit, permissible exposure limit, short-term exposure limit, lethal dose, flash point, and explosiveness. Hazard control is similarly addressed, with special attention to skin, respiratory, and organ system effects. A labeling strategy can be used to warn people about the hazards of electricity when working on, near, or with power frequency electrical energy.


In this paper, the dynamics behavior of a delayed viral infection model with immune impairment and cure rate is studied. It is shown that there exists three equilibria. By analyzing the characteristic equations, the local stability of the infection-free equilibrium and the immune-exhausted equilibrium of the model are established. In the following, the stability of the positive equilibrium is studied. Furthermore, we investigate the existence of Hopf bifurcation by using a delay as a bifurcation parameter. Finally, numerical simulations are carried out to explain the mathematical conclusions. c ©2016 All rights reserved.


Objective. To investigate mortality and functional impairment after stroke in systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE). Methods. Using Swedish nationwide registers, we identified 423 individuals with SLE and 1652 people without SLE who developed a first-ever ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke (1998–2013) and followed them until all-cause death or for 1 year. HR for death after ischemic or hemorrhagic stroke and the risk ratio of functional impairment (dependence in either transferring, toileting, or dressing) 3 months after ischemic stroke were estimated. Results. One year after stroke, 22% of patients with SLE versus 16% of those without SLE died. After ischemic stroke, patients with SLE had an increased risk of death (HR 1.85, 95% CI 1.39–2.45), which was attenuated after controlling for SLE-related comorbidities (HR 1.41, 95% CI 1.04–1.91). Functional impairment at 3 months was increased in SLE by almost 2-fold (risk ratio 1.73, 95% CI 1.16–2.57). After hemorrhagic stroke, patients with SLE had an HR of 2.30 (95% CI 1.38–3.82) for death, which was increased even during the first month. Conclusion. Compared to subjects without SLE, mortality after ischemic stroke increases after the first month in individuals with SLE, and functionality is worse at 3 months. SLE is associated with all-cause death after hemorrhagic stroke even during the first month. A shift of focus to patient functionality and prevention of hemorrhagic strokes is required.


Fluorescent thermal shift assay (FTSA; also known as ThermoFluor, differential scanning fluorimetry (DSF), thermal shift assay (TSA) and temperature-dependent fluorescence (TdF)) is a high-throughput, simple and inexpensive screening method to identify low-molecular weight ligands that bind to and stabilise purified protein. The temperature at which a protein unfolds is measured by an increase in the fluorescence of a specific dye that has affinity for the hydrophobic parts of the protein, which are exposed as the protein unfolds. A simple data fitting procedure allows a quick calculation of the difference in the temperature of the transition midpoint in the presence and absence of ligand, which is related to the binding affinity of the small molecule. Assays can be performed using state-of-the-art, real-time, quantitative PCR (qPCR) instruments, meaning hundreds of results can be obtained in a few hours. FTSA is now regularly being used as both a primary and secondary screening method in the drug discovery process. This chapter contains a detailed discussion on the optimal experimental set-up, data analysis, strengths and limitations of the assay and its use in drug discovery. Examples of successful applications of FTSA are highlighted as well as a summary of the new 'in-cell' TSA type methods, Cellular thermal shift assay (CETSA), Fast parallel proteolysis (FastPP) and thermal proteome profiling (TPP).


DOI: 10.15414/afz.2014.17.04.122–126 Received 14. April 2014 ǀ Accepted 17. July 2014 ǀ Available online 24. November 2014 The aim of this paper was to evaluate the breeding population of Thoroughbreds in Slovakia by means of pedigree analysis. Examined population consisted of 123 mares and 10 stallions registered in Slovak Stud Book. Three stallions linked to Nasrullah line (30%) and 2 stallions linked to Northern Dancer (20%) and Native Dancer (20%) lines. Over a half of mares were represented by Northern Dancer line (50.41%).  The 64 mares had Slovak rating mark, 21 mares had German GAG, 3 mares had Swiss GAG, 3 mares had Czech GAG and 1 mare had Austrian GAG. The 31 mares had no own performance results. The average Slovak rating was 61.51 kg. There were 10 animals (15.63%) with underaverage performance, 43 animals (67.18%) with average performance and 11 animals (17.19%) with above-average performance in population of mares with Slovak rating. The average inbreeding coefficient was 0.86% in whole reference population (133 individuals) and increase in inbreeding per generation was 0.17%, in stallions 0.25%. The number of founders in investigated population was 949. The effective number of founders was 202, while the effective number of ancestors was 67. These results point out unbalanced contributing of founders and ancestors into reference population as well as the bottleneck effect occurance. The Northern Dancer (CAN) was the most important ancestor in investigated population with individual contribution IC=7.88%. Keywords: genetic diversity, inbreeeding, pedigree analysis, racing, Thoroughbred


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

Bmi-1 is a polycomb group protein necessary for cellular proliferation and maintenance of stem cell phenotype. The current study was undertaken to determine the radioprotective effects of Bmi-1 in human epithelial cells. Primary normal human keratinocytes (NHK) from oral mucosa or epidermis were infected with retroviral vectors expressing Bmi-1. NHK infected with empty virus (NHK/B0) rapidly underwent premature senescence upon exposure to 5 or 10 Gy of ionizing radiation (IR). However, the cells transduced with Bmi-1 (NHK/Bmi-1) maintained cell proliferation and clonogenicity after IR. To determine the mechanism underlying the radioresistance conferred by Bmi-1, we compared the DNA damage response (DDR), production of reactive oxygen species (ROS), and DNA repair activities in both cell types. NHK/B0 and NHK/Bmi-1 cells demonstrated rapid induction of DDR after 5 Gy irradiation. ROS production was increased by irradiation, but Bmi-1 transduction suppressed the ROS production. Irradiation strongly induced the genes encoding the enzymes involved in ROS production, mainly of NADPH oxidase subunits, but Bmi-1 completely abolished the expression of these genes. Chromatin immunoprecipitation (ChIP) revealed binding of Bmi-1 to the promoter regions of these genes in vivo, suggesting transcriptional repression by Bmi-1. In vitro DNA end joining and in vivo double strand break (DSB) repair activities were enhanced in NHK/Bmi-1 cells compared with NHK/B0. These data indicate that Bmi-1 enhances the radioresistance of NHK in part by mitigating the genotoxicity of radiation. This study was supported in part by the grants, UCLA/CBPR (U19) from NIAID and R01DE18295/K02DE18959 from NIDCR/NIH.

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 1410.


The topic of this paper is to examine the influence of organizational culture on determination and implementation of the appropriate strategy within the company. Specifically, the author has tested the hypothesis about the influence of organizational culture on determination of strategy in Montenegrin companies. Firstly, in the theoretical part of the paper, the author defined organizational culture and business strategy and then analyzed the nature and manner of influence of organizational culture on formulation and implementation of strategy, as well as influence of implemented strategy on organizational culture. Organizational culture affects formulation of strategy determining information gathering, perception and interpretation of the environment. Namely, culture can facilitate or prevent implementation of the strategy through legitimization process. In the same way, the application of chosen strategy may, through its institutionalization process, reinforce or change the existing organizational culture. The empirical part of the paper refers to research results and testing of hypotheses about the influence of organizational culture on strategy of companies in Montenegro carried out on sample of 16 companies (324 respondents) in Montenegro.


Understanding the complex issues of multilingualism and language practices of students with minority language backgrounds is strongly related to the pedagogical strategies of bi-/multilingual education in many countries and regions, including China. This book explores the relationship of languages, identities, and multilingualism among minority youths. Followed by a debate pertaining to the politics of contemporary Chinese nationalism, this study examines how China's nationalism impact languages and identities of ethnic minorities. Drawing from the data collected in a case study of six multilingual ChaoXianZu(ethnic Korean) teenagers from the ChaoXianZu Diaspora in Beijing, this study illustrates the interplay of the macro-level conditions and micro-level processes through which these youths negotiate their identities in multilingual contexts. The findings of this study suggest that the focal multilingual teenagers' tendency of devaluing or undermining their own language knowledge and legitimacy as multilingual is highly dependent on their sociopolitical and sociocultural environment at home, school and community.


Background: Different studies with adolescents address the difficulty they have to adhere to oral dental treatments. Therefore, better understanding the processes involved in adherence to treatment in this population is necessary. The aim of this study was to investigate the factors that influence adherence to dental treatment in socially underprivileged adolescents in primary care. Methods: A longitudinal analytical study was conducted in Piracicaba, São Paulo, Brazil, between 2014 and 2015. The sample consisted of 1179 adolescents examined in family health units; of these, 474 were referred to treatment (40.2%) and 325 (68.6%) were reevaluated after 18 months. Adherence to dental treatment was the dependent variable. Independent variables were: individual (clinical, sociodemographic, access to the service, reporting pain, oral impacts on daily performance, family cohesion) and contextual (percentage of families in the neighborhood with income of 0.5 to 1 minimum wage). Results: Non-adherence to treatment showed high rate in the studied sample (49.5%). Family income (p=0.039) and number of individuals in the family (p=0.003) were associated with non-adherence to dental treatment. Conclusions: It is concluded that the adolescents' social vulnerability condition resulted in situations that are incompatible with adherence, which hinders dental treatment and health service planning.