PURPOSE OF REVIEW
Chronic intestinal pseudo-obstruction (CIPO) is the most severe and disabling form of gastrointestinal dysmotility characterized by an impairment of coordinated propulsive activity in the gastrointestinal tract mimicking mechanical intestinal obstruction. Over the last few years, major advances have been made in the diagnostic and therapeutic management of this rare disorder.

RECENT FINDINGS
The present narrative review aims to summarize the current literature about the management of CIPO focusing on significant novelties about definition, epidemiology, diagnosis, and therapeutic options. The most significant advancement is a consensus on classification and dedicated diagnostic criteria for CIPO in children highlighting the distinctive features between adult and pediatric forms of CIPO (hence pediatric intestinal pseudo-obstruction). Despite no single diagnostic test is pathognomonic of CIPO and no recommended drug treatment is advised to improve gastrointestinal motility, recent reports suggest promising results in both diagnostic testing and therapy that might assist the diagnosis and help the management of patients with CIPO.

SUMMARY
The articles referenced in this review will help in optimizing the clinical management of this rare and severe disease in adult population.


A case study was conducted to investigate situational inhibitors to informal learning activities amongst accountants in a public firm in Malaysia. Four situational inhibitors emerged from the data analysis. The accountants reported that lack of time, lack of proximity to colleagues' working areas, lack of support from others and structural inhibitor as the inhibitors to the learning. The paper proceeds to outline the theoretical and practical implications as well as suggestions for future research.


The volume velocity-relation of renal blood flow was examined in transplanted dog kidneys during the oliguanuric phase of the acute renal failure (ARF). Under these circumstances it is possible to separate the ARF in consequence of ischemia or hypoxia of the transplant or in consequence of rejection. A significant relation between the total blood flow and the mean flow correlation exists in the acute functional failure of ischemically injured autotransplants as in the case of autochthonous kidneys. This velocity is also kept in the acute insufficiency of autotransplants induced by shock although there exists a stronger redistribution of cortex circulation than after the ischemic insultus. Extreme low or high circulatory velocities without a relation to the blood flow originate from the deficiency of extensive vascular regions and the formation of arteriovenous shunts in acutely failing rejected homotransplants.


We analyzed historical and literary documents in Chinese to gain insights into research issues, and overview our studies which utilized four different sources of text materials in this paper. We investigated the history of concepts and transliterated words in China with the Database for the Study of Modern China Thought and Literature, which contains historical documents about China between 1830 and 1930. We also attempted to disambiguate names that were shared by multiple government officers who served between 618 and 1912 and were recorded in Chinese local gazetteers. To showcase the potentials and challenges of computer-assisted analysis of Chinese literatures, we explored some interesting yet non-trivial questions about two of the Four Great Classical Novels of China: (1) Which monsters attempted to consume the Buddhist monk Xuanzang in the Journey to the West (JTTW), which was published in the 16th century, (2) Which was the most powerful monster in JTTW, and (3) Which major role smiled the most in the Dream of the Red Chamber, which was published in the 18th century. Similar approaches can be applied to the analysis and study of modern documents, such as the newspaper articles published about the 228 incident that occurred in 1947 in Taiwan.


Because of the continues rising in the number of patients who have Alzheimer's disease (AD) throughout the twenty-first century, the looking for remedies increase by scientists. The treatment of AD remains a challenge due to an incomplete understanding of' reasons that lead to the selective neurodegeneration typical of Alzheimer's brains. Among treatment for AD, the renewed interest in curcumin is rise for its potential medication. As kind of natural product curcumin with anti-AD properties is very important for prevention and treatment. The aim of the present study was evaluated the activity of curcumin in the recession of AD induced in adult male albino rats. The results showed that treatment of AD groups with curcumin or rivastigmine experienced significant decreased in brain AChE, Aβ (1-42), and MAD levels with respect to untreated group associated with significant increase in brain GSH, SOD, and CAT. activity. Further showed combination of curcumin with rivastigmine was more eff icacious in treatment of AD as compared to their effect alone. Original Research Article Abdel-Atty et al.; JAMMR, 33(3): 65-78, 2021; Article no.JAMMR.65516 66


The modified Luise and Reggiannini (L&R) algorithm is one of the frequency offset estimation algorithms suitable for use with the Digital Video Broadcasting Satellite (DVBS2) standard. Recently we demonstrated an enhanced polypolarization multiplexing (EPPM) system incorporating L&R frequency recovery as a hardware prototype in order to evaluate its high spectral-efficiency in a real satellite channel. In order to provide sufficient performance at low SNR, it is recommended to average the correlation estimates over 2048 frames. In high SNR regions however, such a large averaging size is unnecessary. In this paper, two techniques are proposed in order to reduce the averaging size. The first technique measures the average noise power and selects an efficient frame averaging length using a noise look-up-table (LUT). The second technique uses a cyclic redundancy check (CRC) to determine if sufficient performance is achievable with the averaging size. Performance results show that the size of the averaging window can be reduced whilst maintaining a target BER. The noise LUT adaptive scheme has been implemented in hardware and we describe the real-time behavior. Keywords—satellite communications, polarization multiplexing, frequency offset estimation, latency reduction, performance investigation, hardware implementation.


BACKGROUND
The prevalence and cost of subsequent fractures among patients with an incident fracture are not well defined.

OBJECTIVE
To assess the prevalence of, and costs associated with, subsequent fractures in the year after an incident fracture.

METHODS
This was a retrospective claims database analysis using data from Humana Medicare Advantage claims (Medicare group) and Optum Insight Clinformatics Data Mart commercial claims (commercial group). Patients included in the study had a claim for a qualifying fracture occurring between January 2008 and December 2013 (index fracture), were continuously enrolled in the health plan for ≥ 1 year before and after the index fracture, and were aged ≥ 65 years in the Medicare group or ≥ 50 years in the commercial group at the time of the index fracture. Subsequent fractures were identified by ICD-9-CM codes and were defined as the second fracture occurring ≥ 3 to ≤ 12 months after the index fracture (≥ 6 to ≤ 12 months for fractures at the same site as the index fracture). Rates of subsequent fractures were calculated as the number of patients who had a subsequent fracture divided by the total sample size. After propensity matching of demographic and clinical variables, we determined the total medical and pharmacy costs accrued within 1 year of the index fracture by patients with and without a subsequent fracture. Health care costs were compared between patients with and without a subsequent fracture using McNemar's test.

RESULTS
A total of 45,603 patients were included in the Medicare group, and 54,145 patients were included in the commercial group. In the Medicare group, 7,604 (16.7%) patients experienced a subsequent fracture. The proportion of patients with a subsequent fracture was highest among patients with multiple index fractures (26.2%, n = 905), followed by those with hip (25.5%, n = 1,280) and vertebral (20.2%, n = 1,908) index fractures. In the commercial group, 6,256 (11.6%) patients experienced a subsequent fracture. The proportion of patients with a subsequent fracture paralleled those observed in the Medicare group: 24.5% (n = 808) in patients with multiple index fractures, 22.0% (n = 525) in those with hip fracture, and 14.5% (n = 841) in those with vertebral fracture. For vertebral, hip, and nonhip nonvertebral fractures, subsequent fractures were most frequently of the same type as the index fracture. The mean total health care cost (sum of medical and pharmacy costs) in the year following the incident fracture for the Medicare group was $27,844 and differed significantly between patients with and without a subsequent fracture ($34,897 vs. $20,790; P < 0.001). The mean total health care cost in the year following the incident fracture for the commercial group was $29,316 and also differed significantly between patients with and without a subsequent fracture ($39,501 vs. $19,131; P < 0.001).

CONCLUSIONS
Among patients with an incident fracture, those who experienced a subsequent fracture in the following year had significantly higher health care costs than those who did not. A subsequent fracture is most likely to be of the same type as the initial fracture.

DISCLOSURES
This study was funded by Merck & Co. Other than through the employer relationships disclosed here, Merck & Co did not have a role in the study design, data collection, interpretation of the data, in writing of the manuscript, or in the decision to submit the manuscript for publication. Weaver and Marvos are employees of Merck & Co. Sajjan was an employee of Merck & Co. and owned stock in the company at the time of the study. Lewiecki has received consulting and/or speaker honoraria from Merck, AbbVie, AgNovos Healthcare, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, Eli Lilly and Company, Radius Health, Shire, and TheraNova. Lewiecki has received research grant support from Merck, Amgen, and Eli Lilly and Company and serves as a board member for the National Osteoporosis Foundation, the International Society for Clinical Densitometry, and the Osteoporosis Foundation of New Mexico. Harris has received consulting honoraria from Merck, Alexion Pharmaceuticals, Amgen, Eli Lilly and Company, Gilead Sciences, Primus Pharmaceuticals, and Radius Health. Study concept and design were contributed by Weave and Sajjan. Lewiecki collected the data, and data interpretation was performed by all the authors. The manuscript was written and revised by Weaver, Lewiecki, and Harris.


Background: Cerebral amyloid angiopathy (CAA) has classically been described as a disease of the elderly. Genetic predisposition has been linked to the APOE e3/e3 allele. Evidence suggests that brain insult in the form of injury, prior surgical intervention, or radiation can exacerbate the clearance of toxic proteins in patients susceptible to CAA.
Case: We describe a unique case of CAA in a 30-year-old male who had prior surgical interventions for spina bifida, Chiari malformation, and hydrocephalus as a child.
Conclusions: The case is used to teach important components regarding diagnosis, clinical suspicion, and highlight the need for further investigation regarding the emerging role of the glymphatic system and its role in clinical pathology.


Information and Communication Technologies are reshaping the business models of every industry across the continent. Faced with credit risk banks are taking advantage of technology advancements being developed and adopting latest credit risk tools and models in the market in order to reduce credit risk. Some banks are investing in these technologies without proper evaluations and cost benefit analysis. This research investigated the impact of these technology investments on the Zimbabwean banking industry.
To evaluate the impact of ICT on credit risk, quantitative research approach was used on the selected ten banks out of seventeen banks in the Zimbabwean banking industry. Ten questionnaires were sent to each of the ten banks to the people that use credit and risk systems, and those that maintain the systems. The questionnaire used open ended questions, closed questions and Likert scale questions. Data collected was analysed using SPSS to test for the correlation amongst the variables and to check whether ICTs can be used to reduce credit risk in the Zimbabwean banking industry.
Evidence collected showed that 81% of the respondents agreed that ICTs play a crucial role in ensuring that the bank adopts latest internal rating models and credit risk tools. However, Information Systems do not reduce information asymmetry which causes credit risk. In order to fully utilise ICTs, the research recommends that banks must ensure data stored in the systems be accurate and complete. This can be done through continuous data cleanup and regular user training in order to increase information systems and reduce system errors. The research focused on the banking industry and there is need for further study into the impact of ICT on the Micro-Finance Industry.


Abstract In this work a fouling study of polypropylene membranes used for microfiltration of glycerol solutions fermented by Citrobacter freundii bacteria was presented. The permeate free of C. freundii bacteria and having a turbidity in the range of 0.72–1.46 NTU was obtained. However, the initial permeate flux (100–110 L/m2h at 30 kPa of transmembrane pressure) was decreased 3–5 fold during 2–3 h of process duration. The performed scanning electron microscope observations confirmed that the filtered bacteria and suspensions present in the broth formed a cake layer on the membrane surface. A method of periodical module rinsing was used for restriction of the fouling influence on a flux decline. Rinsing with water removed most of the bacteria from the membrane surface, but did not permit to restore the initial permeate flux. It was confirmed that the irreversible fouling was dominated during broth filtration. The formed deposit was removed using a 1 wt% solution of sodium hydroxide as a rinsing solution.


Five predicted relationships between age and intellectual level and 16 Rorschach variables were examined through a cross-sectional analysis of 47 healthy, community-dwelling elderly men and women. Subjects were compared by age and intellectual level using gender, level of medication, and scores on the Geriatric Depression Scale (GDS) and the Geriatric Social Readjustment Questionnaire (GSRQ) as covariates. Screening tests for psychiatric and physical illness, recent life events, and hearing and vision loss were administered. In contrast to prior research suggesting changes in Rorschach scores with differences in age and intellectual level, only one significant difference was found for these variables. The data suggest that age and intellectual level may contribute less to Rorschach responses than was previously thought.


Single Nucleotide Polymorphisms (SNPs) are the most common genetic variation among individuals. The work aims at identifying the SNPs associated with prostate cancer. In the present work, pharmacogenomic analysis has been carried out to analyze the impact of functional SNPs in prostate cancer. 11 genes involved in signal transduction in prostate cancer have been subjected to genomic analysis. The genomic analysis protocol includes microsatellite analysis, restriction fragment length polymorphism (RFLP) analysis, silent mutation analysis, GC content Analysis and deleterious SNP analysis. From the deleterious SNP analysis, it has been found that the mutations rs28571178 in IL16 (5' UTR) and rs17854206 in JAZF1 (3' UTR) cause functional effects on the specific genes. Upon stability analysis of native and mutated proteins, it has been concluded that the above deleterious mutations are supported by nature due to their increased stability. These SNPs have been identified as the most deleterious in causing prostate cancer.


Laser cutting machines with linear motor drives provide high contour accuracy and high cutting rates. Thus laser beam cutting has become increasingly competitive compared to mechanical precision cutting [1]. Since the several years, new laser beam sources are available for cutting. One of the promising solutions is cutting with fiber lasers. The fiber laser has several advantages such as absorption rate, power efficiency, fiber delivery, better focusing if compared to the CO2 laser.During the recent years, the system technology for laser beam cutting was upgraded at Fraunhofer IWS Dresden [2]. In particular, a precision 3D-laser cutting system with linear drives, robotic systems and several fiber lasers have been installed.Within the frame of several research projects laser beam cutting with CO2-and fiber lasers has been investigated in order to compare the cutting quality and cutting performance of two beam sources. Objective of these studies was to find out if the cutting quality is sufficient and if the requested cutting rate can be obtained.It could be learned that the cutting quality for both lasers is good. The edge quality is sufficient for most of the materials and thicknesses. However, using single and multimode fiber lasers in the kilowatt range can increase the cutting speed and can thus reduce the cutting time [3][4].This paper describes the gained user experience of Fraunhofer IWS. Various beam sources are compared and evaluated with respect to specific applications. Moreover, the advantages and disadvantages for material processing applications will be explained.Laser cutting machines with linear motor drives provide high contour accuracy and high cutting rates. Thus laser beam cutting has become increasingly competitive compared to mechanical precision cutting [1]. Since the several years, new laser beam sources are available for cutting. One of the promising solutions is cutting with fiber lasers. The fiber laser has several advantages such as absorption rate, power efficiency, fiber delivery, better focusing if compared to the CO2 laser.During the recent years, the system technology for laser beam cutting was upgraded at Fraunhofer IWS Dresden [2]. In particular, a precision 3D-laser cutting system with linear drives, robotic systems and several fiber lasers have been installed.Within the frame of several research projects laser beam cutting with CO2-and fiber lasers has been investigated in order to compare the cutting quality and cutting performance of two beam sources. Objective of these studies was to find out if the cutting quality is sufficient and if th...


The present study focuses on the eco critical elements in The Winter's Tale (1610-1611) by William Shakespeare (1564 –1616), which is an outstanding example of the literary writing communicating ecological consciousness. Having examined William Shakespeare's contribution to understanding nature it can be stated that nature is one of the key concepts of the author. He was highly aware of the nature and humans connection, importance of nature as both utilitarian and spiritual object. That is why Shakespeare's concept of nature is colored with mainly positive tones. The most typical words for natural world are "fine" and "beauty". In contrast to these words one can see the ugliness of the humans' world – "foul", that causes climate change, population growth, deforestation, biologically degrading cultivation practices. His creative approach to early modern ecologies licenses critical practices that extend the limits of his period's geophysical knowledge, and that suggests productive analogies with our ecological challenges. Recent ecocritics have been seizing such opportunities to help people rethink environmentally destructive economic and social paradigms


Direct Reduction Plant alternator synchronization using D.C. motor and synchronous generator with complete reduced machines transient is presented. This is very significance in the industrial world. Direct Reduction plant is an iron making process plant for the new era which utilizes natural gas to reduce iron ore to produce Direct Reduced Iron used in steel industry. An alternator is an electrical generator that converts mechanical energy into AC electrical energy. Synchronization is connection of an alternator into the grid in parallel with many other alternators that is live of constant voltage and frequency. Transient stability is one of the major factors for proper operation of the Direct Reduction plant production systems that lead to major system collapses. The stress on Direct Reduction plant machines systems is increasing day by day, due to faults, economic and environmental pressures, sudden load change, deviation of active power and frequency. This phenomenon constitutes negative threat to Direct Reduction plant stability. The study was carried out to examine the capacity and transient stability on the Direct Reduction plant machines to withstand disturbance while quality of service is maintained. The effect of improper phase condition upon the synchronizing process, phase sequence of three phase power line, direct current excitation effect upon the power deliver by alternator, power delivered by an alternator upon the torque delivered by the prime mover. The challenges were solved and analyzed using individual machine with the help of accurate step by step integration and Electrical Transient Analyzer Program MatLab software. Swing equation was solved using advanced Runge-Kutta's method. An experiment was conducted in Electrical Engineering laboratory and machines transient stability of the plant was improved by 64 percent averagely. The results were depicted graphically for machines dynamic behavior studies and recommended for Technician and Engineers in steel and related industries


Development of intelligent transportation system is the need of all the developing countries where urbanization and industrialization is rapidly growing. VANETs are being used as a tool for improving road safety by alarming the drivers about accidents occurred ahead of them or for providing internet access to the passengers via gateways along the road. Due to highly dynamic nature of nodes in VANETs, designing a routing protocol for VANET is quite challenging compared to MANET environment. Researchers have suggested several routing mechanism for VANETs. Few routing decision are based on topology based selection whereas others have considered different parameters like location information of nodes, traffic lights etc. As no benchmarking scheme is available for choosing a routing protocol in VANET, this article gives an insight on how to choose a routing protocol depends on varying condition of traffic. Three popular protocols AODV, DSR and LAR have been chosen for analysis on varying traffic environment. All the three protocols have been critically tested for different metrics such as Throughput, Packet Delivery Ratio and Routing overhead during the simulation. Simulation is carried out with the help of open-source simulation tools NS2, a network simulator, and SUMO, a traffic simulator.


An algorithm for the estimation of the frequency of a complex sinusoid in noise is proposed. The estimator consists of multiple applications of lowpass filtering and decimation, frequency estimation by linear prediction, and digital heterodyning. The estimator has a significantly reduced threshold relative to existing phase-based algorithms and performance close to that of maximum likelihood estimation. In addition, the mean-squared error performance is within 0.7 dB of the Cramer-Rao bound (CRB) at signal-to-noise ratios (SNRs) above threshold. Unlike many autocorrelation and phase-based methods, the proposed algorithm's performance is uniform across a frequency range of -/spl pi/ to /spl pi/. The computational complexity of the algorithm is shown to be favorable compared with maximum likelihood estimation via the fast Fourier transform (FFT) algorithm when significant zero-padding is required.


ABSTRACT The longitudinal residual stresses in the friction stir-welded plates of 5A06 aluminium and pure copper were determined using the contour method. The results revealed the presence of high tensile and compressive residual stresses on the aluminium and copper sides, respectively. The residual stresses were detected on the weld zone as well as the thermo-mechanically affected zone (TMAZ) of the aluminium plate. In contrast, the compressive residual stresses in the copper plate had a much narrower width along the weld line. Peak tensile stresses up to 240 MPa were found in the TMAZ of the aluminium plate.


INTRODUCTION
Anguillulosis is a ubiquitous digestive parasitosis. Rare in Tunisia, it is due to a round worm, strongyloid stercoralis, whose natural lodging is the duodeno-jejunal mucosa. Its malignant form is rare but it represents a potentially life-threatening disease.

AIM
We report a case of malignant anguillulosis occurring in a context of immunosuppression.

OBSERVATION
The case we report is about a 46-year-old man treated by a long-term corticosteroid therapy for Takayasu disease. He was hospitalized for an acute digestive syndrome. Biopsies were performed but the evolution was rapidly marked by multiorgan failure, sepsis and death of the patient. Histological analysis of the digestive biopsies concluded to an oeso-gastroduodenal anguillulosis.

CONCLUSION
Anguillulosis is a rare parasitosis but it can pose a health problem especially in its malignant form wich can be a life-threatening.


This perimeter intruder detection system (PIDS) is a system applicable to surveillance and perimeter control of areas of responsibility where risks are assessed, like swimming-pools, school precincts, museums, embassies, warehouses, and the like. It consists of a string of an arbitrary number of spaced but communicated micro-controllers, each one driving infra-red (IR) and/or ultrasound emitters and digital output transducers. The system uses radar effect and it carries continuous perimeter patrol by performing sequential surveillance of detector outputs as well as distributed pattern recognition analysis. All micro-controllers support a common code which includes turning the emitters sequentially on and off, pattern recognition routines, and serial transmission of alarm byte. Butterfly alarms are avoided via software and adequate geometrical configuration of the emitter beam net. One master micro-controller closes the string synchronizes and conducts the others. When the master micro-controller receives the "intruder" signal, it triggers the physical alarm, its next order being to restart patrolling.


The asymmetric unit of the title compound, C(10)H(13)NO(4)S, comprises two crystallographically independent mol-ecules. The crystal structure is stabilized by weak inter-molecular C-H⋯O hydrogen bonds, which link mol-ecules along the b axis. The crystal is a nonmerohedral twin, the refined ratio of the twin components being 0.344 (2):0.656 (2).


Establishing a better balance in questions of discrimination by associations is an urgent task to realize a well-functioning, truly inclusive pluralist society. While associations continue to claim exceptions from anti-discrimination law, membership in voluntary private associations can provide access to goods that might considerably influence life chances. Restrictive membership policies may thus conflict with anti-discrimination efforts of the liberal democratic state. Upon critical examination, I find that neither the current U.S. Supreme Court approach that protects a group's explicit message, nor the alternative approach that would shield all predominantly expressive groups, adequately protects the important liberty, equality, and democracy interests at stake. I therefore propose a goods approach that develops a more sophisticated conceptualization of associational goods by devising three parameters to operationalize the harm caused by exclusion: their materiality, availability, and valence. This avoids the stark dichotomy between extensive protection and intrusive regulation of associations by introducing the option of decoupling goods from membership, thereby offering a new logic for balance that allows all citizens a sufficient set of opportunities while not unduly restricting associational freedom of expression.


Children with obesity typically have larger left ventricular heart dimensions during adulthood. However, whether this is due to a persistent effect of adiposity extending into adulthood is challenging to disentangle due to confounding factors throughout the lifecourse. We conducted a multivariable mendelian randomization (MR) study to separate the independent effects of childhood and adult body size on 4 magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) measures of heart structure and function in the UK Biobank (UKB) study. Strong evidence of a genetically predicted effect of childhood body size on all measures of adulthood heart structure was identified, which remained robust upon accounting for adult body size using a multivariable MR framework (e.g., left ventricular end-diastolic volume (LVEDV), Beta = 0.33, 95% confidence interval (CI) = 0.23 to 0.43, P = 4.6 × 10−10). Sensitivity analyses did not suggest that other lifecourse measures of body composition were responsible for these effects. Conversely, evidence of a genetically predicted effect of childhood body size on various other MRI-based measures, such as fat percentage in the liver (Beta = 0.14, 95% CI = 0.05 to 0.23, P = 0.002) and pancreas (Beta = 0.21, 95% CI = 0.10 to 0.33, P = 3.9 × 10−4), attenuated upon accounting for adult body size. Our findings suggest that childhood body size has a long-term (and potentially immutable) influence on heart structure in later life. In contrast, effects of childhood body size on other measures of adulthood organ size and fat percentage evaluated in this study are likely explained by the long-term consequence of remaining overweight throughout the lifecourse.


Effects of histidine or methionine imbalance and dietary levels (3-50%) of casein on food intake and preference of young, adult, and diabetic (2.5 month old) rats were examined. Depressions in food intake and growth caused by ingestion of the imbalanced diet were greatest in young rats and least or absent in diabetic rats. Alloxan diabetes induced hyperphagia and elevated concentrations of plasma branched-chain amino acids and decreased concentrations of tryptophan and tyrosine. The diabetic rats fed the imbalanced diet for 9 days had a higher concentration of the limiting amino acid in the plasma than the adult normal rats fed the same diet. The diabetic rats preferred the imbalanced diet over a protein-free diet when they were fed these diets concurrently. Ingestion of the imbalanced diet by normal rats caused greater changes in plasma and brain amino acid patterns than did the protein-free diet. Unlike the diabetic rats, the normal rats, especially the young rats, strongly preferred the protein-free diet over the imbalanced diet. The normal rats also preferred a 10% casein diet supplemented with L-methionine over a low or high casein diet. It seemed that young rats were able to select a protein diet that supported maximal growth when proportions of dietary amino acids were balanced. It also seemed that the susceptibility of the rats to amino acid imbalance varied directly with the status of overall protein synthesis of the animals.


Purpose: To study the clinical profile, ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM) findings, and treatment outcome of ocular surface squamous neoplasia with intraocular extension (OSSN-IO). Methods: It was a retrospective case series of 7 eyes of OSSN-IO treated at our center from March 2015 till December 2016. Results: Mean age of presentation was 53 years. Clinical signs of intraocular involvement were evident in 3 cases (43%). In the remaining 4 cases (57%), it was diagnosed on UBM alone. Mean tumor height on UBM was 5.06 mm (6.6 mm for nodular and 3.8 mm for nodulo-ulcerative pattern). Of 7 cases, 2 were managed with exenteration, 4 cases with enucleation + limited excision ± external beam radiotherapy, and 1 was lost to follow-up. Complete regression was noted in 83% cases (5/6) and they remain disease free at a mean follow-up of 23.2 months. One case died of metastasis at 7 months. Histopathological examination showed well- to moderately differentiated tumor in all cases. Conclusions: Use of UBM in high-risk OSSN cases may help pick up IO invasion. Tumors that are at high risk for IO invasion are thick nodular tumors (> 5 mm), tumors with nodular or ulcerative morphology, and those with prior surgical intervention.


In this paper, we present a layer-wise learning of stochastic neural networks (SNNs) in an information-theoretic perspective. In each layer of an SNN, the compression and the relevance are defined to quantify the amount of information that the layer contains about the input space and the target space, respectively. We jointly optimize the compression and the relevance of all parameters in an SNN to better exploit the neural network's representation. Previously, the Information Bottleneck (IB) framework (\cite{Tishby99}) extracts relevant information for a target variable. Here, we propose Parametric Information Bottleneck (PIB) for a neural network by utilizing (only) its model parameters explicitly to approximate the compression and the relevance. We show that, as compared to the maximum likelihood estimate (MLE) principle, PIBs : (i) improve the generalization of neural networks in classification tasks, (ii) push the representation of neural networks closer to the optimal information-theoretical representation in a faster manner.


Thermal effects on self-assembled FePt and FePtAg nanoparticles were investigated by using X-ray photoelectron spectroscopic measurements. A significant up-movement of carbonaceous coating of FePt and FePtAg annealed films was first observed during annealing. The movement is considered a crucial reason of the particle agglomeration and loss of positional order at high annealing temperatures. In the case of FePtAg nanopaticles, the rich Ag content of the surfaces of the annealed film suggests the Ag up-segregation during high temperature annealing treatment. In addition, Raman measurement reveals the carbonaceous surfaces of the FePt and FePtAg annealed films consist of amorphous carbon.


OBJECTIVE
To evaluate the responses of serum beta-CTX and osteocalcin in patients who were undergoing treatment with teriparatide or strontium ranelate (SR).

SUBJECTS AND METHODS
We analyzed 14 patients (12 women and 2 men; mean age of 71 years) taking teriparatide, and 13 female patients (mean age of 70 years) taking SR; all the patients having previously been on bisphosphonates. Serum beta-CTX and osteocalcin levels were determined before and after the first and third months of teriparatide treatment and up to the fourth month of treatment with SR.

RESULTS
We observed an initial significant increase in osteocalcin levels during the first month (165%, p = 0.01) followed by a peak of beta-CTX (180%, p = 0.02) after the third month of treatment with teriparatide. An increase in these markers was also observed with SR: 49% in osteocalcin (p = 0.002) and 80% in beta-CTX (p = 0.008).

CONCLUSION
SR had a predominantly short-term bone-forming effect in postmenopausal women with osteoporosis previously treated with bisphosphonates in a lesser degree than with teriparatide.


Studies on the effect of fresh and dried aqueous extracts of garlic (cold and hot) on Na + , K + , Cl - , HCO 3 - and urea levels of rats were carried-out. Animals were divided into 5 groups of 5 rats each. Groups I and II were treated with fresh cold and hot extract respectively, while groups III and IV received dried cold and hot extract respectively. Group V served as untreated control. Treatment was by oral administration at 100mg/kg body weight for seven consecutive days. Analysis of the results showed significant (P + and Cl - levels of the treated groups when compared with the control. However, reduction in the levels of K + and HCO 3 - was insignificant (P> 0.05). The extracts appeared to have no effect on urea level when compared with the control group. The decrease observed in these electrolytes monitored were more with fresh cold extract than with others. The results therefore suggest that fresh cold garlic extract may be useful in the management of electrolyte related disorders. Key words : Garlic; Electrolytes; Urea Journal of Pharmacy and Bioresources Vol. 2 (1) 2004: 1-4


The syndrome known as metatarsalgia is common, and only in a small proportion of cases is there a recognizable disease entity to explain the complaint of pain. In the majority of cases pain is attributed to reversal of the metatarsal arch, to prominence of a metatarsal head in the sole, or to the indirect effects of a severe hammer toe. Three types of pathological lesion have been found to occur in the flexor tendon sheaths and in the accessory plantar ligaments of most patients: (a) Rupture of the flexor tendon sheaths under the metatarsophalangeal joints; (b) Degeneration and rupture of the accessory plantar ligaments; (c) Derangement of the 'Sleeve' of the metatarsophalangeal joint.


Calculated annual excess skin friction stress at various locations in Quincy Bay (outer Boston Harbor) was found to be correlated positively with sediment sand content. The correlation was optimized when a critical shear stress (τc) of 0.085 Pa was assumed for the bay. The excess shear stress was correlated negatively with sediment lead (Pb) and polychlorinated biphenyl (PCB) concentrations. These correlations suggest that area surveys of properties like sand content may be sufficient to estimate τc.


In Difflugia corona , a free-living amoeboid cell, locomotion is hampered by a heavy shell or test made of sand grains and other debris. Locomotion involves pseudopod extension, attachment to the substratum, and forcible pseudopod retraction which pulls the shelled cell body forward. When observed through a polarizing microscope, the extending pseudopodia appear isotropic or very weakly birefringent. Upon attachment to the substratum a positively birefringent fibrillar array develops rapidly at the attachment point and extends from this region bade to the cell body within the test. These birefringent fibrils extend through and parallel to the long axis of the pseudopod. As the pseudopod retracts, the birefringent fibrillar array disappears, and hyaline blebs, suggestive of syneresis, appear on the pseudopodial surface. The birefringent fibrils correspond in position and approximate diameter (1 µ) to retractile fibrils visible with the Nomarski differential interference microscope. Individual organisms were fixed for electron microscopy at a time when the pseudopodia were firmly attached to the substratum. Electron-microscopic examination of thin sections of pseudopodia revealed many 1-µ bundles of intimately associated, aligned, 55-75 A microfilaments. The orientation and size of the bundles indicate that they probably correspond to the birefringent, refractile fibrils observed in living cells. Microfilaments have also been observed both as randomly oriented and dispersed cytoplasmic components, and as aligned filaments in the ectoplasm adjacent to the plasmalemma. During pseudopod extension with sporadic streaming, birefringent 'flashes' have been observed at the front of the pseudopod. These flashes are believed to represent a photo-elastic phenomenon.


A detailed description of a video system for controlling space shuttle payloads and experiments is presented in the preliminary design review and critical design review, first and second engineering design reports respectively, and in the final report submitted jointly with the design package. The material contained in the four subsequent sections of the package contains system descriptions, design data, and specifications for the recommended 2-view system. Section 2 contains diagrams relating to the simulation test configuration of the 2-view system. Section 3 contains descriptions and drawings of the deliverable breadboard equipment. A description of the recommended system is contained in Section 4 with equipment specifications in Section 5.


The mechanism by which carbonate substitution within the hydroxyapatite (HA) lattice improves osteoconduction is unclear. Discs of dense, sintered, phase-pure HA and carbonate substituted hydroxyapatite (CHA) were cultured with human CD14+ cells in the presence of macrophage-colony stimulating factor (M-CSF) and soluble receptor activator of nuclear factor (NF)-κB (sRANKL), during which time osteoclasts developed and resorbed the ceramic surface. Discs were then seeded with human osteoblasts (HOBs), and proliferation and collagen synthesis measured. Proliferation was increased on resorbed compared to control (unresorbed) surfaces on both materials. Collagen synthesis was increased on CHA compared to HA, an increase accelerated on a previously resorbed surface. The results suggest that osteoclasts can condition synthetic bioceramic surfaces and alter the responses of osteoblasts which subsequently populate them. Carbonate substitution may enhance osteoconduction via effects on enhanced bioresorption.


Study of fluid flow characteristics at microscale level is gaining importance with shrinking device sizes. Better understanding of fluid flow and heat transfer in microchannels will have important implications in biomedical industry, MEMS, electronic chip cooling, heat exchangers, and microfluidic devices. Also, due to short lengths employed in microchannels, entrance header effects can be significant and needs to be investigated. In this work, three dimensional model of microchannels, with aspect ratios (α=a/b) ranging from 0.1 to 10, are numerically simulated using CFD software, FLUENT. Heat transfer effects in the entrance region of microchannel are presented by plotting average Nusselt number as a function of non-dimensional thermal entrance length x*. The numerical simulations with both circumferential and axial uniform heat flux (H2) boundary conditions were performed for four wall, three wall and two wall cases. Large numerical data sets, generated in this work for rectangular cross sectional microchannels for three walls and two walls H2 boundary condition, can provide better understanding and insight into the transport processes in the microchannel.


The essay discusses Jakub Sobieski's diaries and memories, which belong to the finest specimens of such writing in Polish Baroque. The diary and memoirs of the Moscow campaign of 1617-1618 have survived in only a few copies, with the most important ones in Biblioteka Czartoryskich in Cracow. Reconstruction of Prince Wladyslaw's struggle for the Russian crown is mostly based on a handwritten testimony called Diariusz ekspedycyjej moskiewskiej dwuletniej krolewica Wladyslawa A. D. 1617 [The Diary of the Two-Year Moscow Campaign by Royal Prince Wladyslaw in 1617]. The events described in the diary span from April 5th, 1617 to December 28th, 1618. The author has arranged the material chronologically, focusing on the text as historical evidence. The conclusion of the text, where Sobieski quotes a fragment of Tacitus's Annals , points out to the argumentative function of the work, which was supposed to explain to Poles (the king, the sejm and senate, the nobility) that commissaries were right in signing the Truce of Deulino, regarding the safety of the homeland threatened by Turks and Tatars, and the budgetary difficulties of the Crown and Lithuania. The second work by Sobieski is more of a Baroque memoir, composed as a temporal sequence (some fragments have the structure of diary). The author reconstructs the events of the Moscow campaign, beginning with the death of tsar Ivan the Terrible (1584), and leads the narrative to the end of 1618, when the Truce of Deulino. The work is characterized by greater coherence in presentation of facts, their selection, and a more general point of view, pointing out to the failure of Polish dynastic policy. Sobieski seems to be critical of the Polish intervention and the Polish raison d'etat in this respect. He is also critical of the young prince's campaign of 1617-1618; he was a commissioner for treaties with Moscow during the campaign.


As the world gets more and more technologically advanced, we find new technology coming in deeper and deeper into our personal lives even at home. Home automation is becoming more and more popular around the world and is becoming a common practice. The process of home automation works by making everything in the house automatically controlled using technology to control and do the jobs that we would normally do manually. Home automation takes care of a lot of different activities in the house. The objective of this project is to enable users to remotely control their home appliances and systems using a cell phone-based interface. To access the control unit, the user should send an authentication code along with the required/desired function/action to his/her home control system via Mobile. Upon being properly authenticated, the cell phone-based interface at home (control unit) would relay the commands to a microcontroller that would perform the required function/action and control the device using relays. So, that we can control devices sitting at a remote place.


The mortality rate of breast cancer can be effectively reduced by early diagnosis. Imaging modalities are used to diagnose through computer for women breast cancer. Digital mammography is the best imaging model for breast cancer screening technique and diagnosis. Digital breast tomosynthesis (DBT), a three-dimensional (3-D) mammography, is an advanced form of breast imaging where multiple images of the breast from different angles are captured and reconstructed (synthesized) into a three-dimensional image set. This chapter discusses the research work carried out on the computer diagnosis of women breast cancer through digital breast tomosynthesis and concludes with further improvement in the computer-aided diagnosis.


Highly heterogeneous floodplains can give rise to secondary flow structures responsible for the bulk of lateral momentum exchange. Quantifying the redistribution of momentum is required to predict lateral profiles of flow velocity and the associated water level in a river. In the work herein, we focus on studying secondary flow structures and the momentum redistribution associated with a lateral bed-roughness variation in a channel with low relative submergence of the roughness elements, h=k = 3, 2 and 1.5, where h is the flow depth and k is the roughness height. A series of laboratory experiments were performed in a flume containing rows of cubes. They were arranged in two types of regular patterns, with higher and lower frontal density, and placed side by side such that the bed roughness varies in the lateral direction. The measurements were performed using stereoscopic PIV in a vertical cross plane spanning between the two roughness types. The time-averaged and turbulence statistics of the three components of the velocity field were analyzed. First, we focus on the intensity of the secondary currents. As the flow becomes shallower (lower relative submergence), the cross-stream velocity normalized by the streamwise velocity increases. A large-scale secondary current at the border between the two roughnesses as observed in [1] (though in their case between smooth and rough regions) appears for h=k = 3. As h=k decreases, this structure reaches to the same size as the secondary flow generated by the roughness elements. Also, the discharge distribution between the two sides of the channel becomes less uniform with decreasing h=k. In this sense, the relative importance of the roughness difference increases with decreasing water depth. Moreover, higher discharge is observed on the side with higher equivalent sand roughness, contrary to what is observed for smooth-to-rough transition [1, 2]. Time series of the streamwise velocity fluctuations are calculated using Taylor's "frozen turbulence" hypothesis. In this representation, streamwise velocity streaks are apparent for h=k = 3, but they appear to lose coherence for the most shallow case of h=k=1.5.


The pulsatile secretion patterns of GH were investigated in seven beagle bitches by collecting blood samples every 10 min for 6 h during euthyroidism and 1.5 years after induction of primary hypothyroidism. Hypothyroidism was induced by surgical removal of the thyroid gland and subsequent destruction of any remnant thyroid tissue by oral administration of sodium [(131)I]iodide. Some of the physical changes observed in the dogs with primary hypothyroidism mimicked those of acromegaly. During both euthyroidism and hypothyroidism GH was secreted in a pulsatile fashion. The mean (+/-s.e.m. ) basal plasma GH concentration was significantly higher (P=0.003) in the hypothyroid state (4.1+/-1.6 microg/l) than in the euthyroid state (1.2+/-0.4 microg/l). Likewise, the mean area under the curve (AUC) for GH above the zero-level during hypothyroidism (27.0+/-10.0 microg/lx6 h) was significantly higher (P=0.004) than that during euthyroidism (11.7+/-2.0 microg/l x 6 h). The mean AUC for GH above the baseline was significantly lower (P=0.008) during hypothyroidism (2.4+/-0.8 microg/l x 6 h) than during euthyroidism (4.5+/-1.8 microg/lx6 h), whereas there was no significant difference in GH pulse frequency. The mean plasma IGF-I level was significantly higher (P<0.01) in the hypothyroid state (169+/-45 microg/l) than in the euthyroid (97+/-15 microg/l). The results of this study demonstrate that primary hypothyroidism in dogs is associated with elevated basal GH secretion and less GH secreted in pulses. This elevated GH secretion has endocrine significance as illustrated by elevated plasma IGF-I levels and some physical changes mimicking acromegaly. It is discussed that the increased GH release in hypothyroid dogs may be the result of the absence of a response element for thyroid hormone within the canine pituitary GH gene and alterations in supra-pituitary regulation.


This report is devoted to the problem of absence universal databases of patients with different chronic eye diseases and continuity of these patients between medical organizations. On the basis of MONIKI there has was held a prospective, observational cohort study of patients since 2016, with diagnoses: uveal melanoma — the first group of patients, degenerative States of the optic nerve and retina (multiple sclerosis, glaucoma) — the second group, — and vascular retinal diseases (venous occlusion, diabetic retinopathy) — the third group. There were 114 patients — in the first, 68 — in the second, 92 — in the third. There were developed statistically significant parameters of patients examination, adaptation of registers to application and increase of their efficiency continues to be corrected. All patients underwent standard ophthalmological examination, in addition-gonioscopy, ultrasound (ultrasound) in a and b-scan mode, including ultrasound biomicroscopy (UBM), optical coherence tomography (OCT), fluorescence angiography (FAG), computed tomography (CT) and/or magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the orbit. According to the indications, patients were examined by related specialists. For each patient group, prior results were obtained. They were late detection, untimely treatment and referral patients to other medical organizations, which proves the need to systematize patients with various pathologies and the subsequent continuity of medical organizations as for the timely detection of the disease, as for adequate and timely treatment not only at the local, but also at the regional or Federal levels. The integration of patients register with various ophthalmic diseases has a priority course in the development of healthcare in the Moscow region.


Words with Power is the crowning achievement of the latter half of Northrop Frye's career. Portions of the work can be found in Frye's notebooks as far back as the mid-1960s when he had just finished Anatomy of Criticism, and he completed the book shortly before his death in 1991. Beyond summing up his ideas about the relation of the Bible to Western culture, Words with Power boldly confronts a host of questions ranging from the relationship between literature and ideology to the real meaning of words like 'spirit' and 'faith.' The first half of the 'double mirror' structure looks at the language in which the Bible is written, arguing that it is identical to that of myth and metaphor. Frye suggests, therefore, that given this characteristic, the Bible should be read imaginatively rather than historically or doctrinally. However, he is also careful to point out the ways in which the Bible is more than a conventional work of fiction. The second half is an astonishing tour de force in which Frye demonstrates how both the Bible and literature revolve around four primary concerns of human life. This edition goes beyond the original in its documentation of Frye's dazzlingly encyclopedic range of reference. Profound and searching, Words with Power is perhaps the most daring book of Frye's career and one of the most exciting.


Here we report the development of a PLA/thermo-responsive (PDEGMA) blend 3D electrospun fibre-based scaffold to create an enzymatic-free 3D cell culture platform for the expansion of mammalian cells with the desired phenotype for clinical use. Human corneal stromal cells (hCSCs) were used as an exemplar as they have been observed to de-differentiate to an undesirable myo-fibroblastic phenotype when cultured by conventional 2D cell culture methods. Scaffolds were functionalised with a cell adherence peptide sequence GGG-YIGSR by thiol-ene chemistry to improve cell adherence and phenotype support. This was obtained by functionalising the thermo-responsive polymer with a thiol (PDEGMA/PDEGSH) by co-polymerisation. These incorporated thiols react with the norbornene acid functionalised peptide (GGG-YIGSR) under UV exposure. Presence of the thiol in the scaffold and subsequent peptide attachment on the scaffolds were confirmed by fluorescence labelling, ToF-SIMS and XPS analysis. The biocompatibility of the peptide containing scaffolds was assessed by the adhesion, proliferation and immuno-staining of hCSCs. Significant increase in hCSCs adherence and proliferation was observed on the peptide containing scaffolds. Immuno-staining showed maintained expression of the desired phenotypic markers ALDH, CD34 and CD105, while showing no or low expression of the undesired phenotype marker α-SMA. This desired expression was observed to be maintained after thermo-responsive passaging and observed higher when cells were cultured on PLA scaffolds with 10 wt% PDEGMA/4 mole% PDEGS-Nor-GGG-YIGSR. This paper describes the fabrication and application of a first generation, biocompatible thermo-responsive peptide conjugates fibrous scaffolds. The ease of fabrication, successful adherence and expansion of a therapeutically relevant cell type makes these scaffolds a promising new class of materials for the application of cell culture expansion platforms in the biomaterials and tissue engineering field.


We report capacitive-division traveling-wave amplifiers having measured midband gains of 8 dB with a 1-98 GHz 3-dB-bandwidth, and 11 dB gain with a 1-96 GHz bandwidth. The capacitive-division topology raises the input Q of each cell, giving the amplifier increased bandwidth over conventional designs with the same active device technology; using 0.15-/spl mu/m gate length InGaAs-InAlAs HEMTs, bandwidths exceeding 150 GHz are feasible.<<ETX>>


This article examines the nature of student workload and how perceptions of it are formed. Inferences are drawn from five detailed case studies, taken from a wider sample of university students who completed an hourly diary for one week. A subsample was also interviewed. Perceptions of workload are not synonymous with time spent studying, but can be weakly influenced by them. There are both class effects from contextual variables and individual differences within a class. Perceptions of workload are influenced by content, difficulty, type of assessment, teacher–student and student–student relationships. Workload and surface approaches to learning are interrelated, in what appears to be a complex reciprocal relationship. It is possible to inspire students to work long hours towards high quality learning outcomes if attention is paid to teaching approaches, assessment and curriculum design in the broadest sense. It is, therefore, important to have open evaluation systems which gather feedback on a wide arra...


Wetlands cannot exist without water, but wetland hydrology is difficult to characterize. As a result, compensatory wetland mitigation often only assumes the proper hydrology has been created. In this study, water sources and mass transfer processes in a natural and constructed wetland complex were investigated using isotopes of water and strontium. Water isotope profiles in the saturated zone revealed that the natural wetland and one site in the constructed wetland were primarily fed by ground water; profiles in another constructed wetland site showed recent rain was the predominant source of water in the root zone. Water isotopes in the capillary fringe indicated that the residence time for rain is less in the natural wetland than in the constructed wetland, thus transpiration (an important water sink) was greater in the natural wetland. Strontium isotopes showed a systematic difference between the natural and constructed wetlands that we attribute to the presence or absence of peat. In the peat‐rich natural wetland, δ87Sr in the pore water increased along the flowline due to preferential weathering of minerals containing radiogenic Sr in response to elevated Fe concentrations in the water. In the constructed wetland, where peat thickness was thin and Fe concentrations in water were negligible, δ87Sr did not increase along the flowline. The source of the peat (on‐site or off‐site derived) applied in the constructed wetland controlled the δ87Sr at the top of the profile, but the effects were restricted by strong cation exchange in the underlying fluvial sediments. Based on the results of this study, neither constructed wetland site duplicated the water source and weathering environment of the adjoining natural wetland. Moreover, stable isotopes were shown to be effective tools for investigating wetlands and gaining insight not easily obtained using non‐isotopic techniques. These tools have potential widespread application to wetlands that have distinct isotopic endmember sources.


When Netflix revealed its trailblazing subscription video streaming service, it was both a game changer and disruptor in the digital entertainment industry. Are micro-credentials set to do the same? Certainly, micro-credentials are both disrupting and paving the way to a new tertiary & professional education landscape. Like Netflix, Micro-credentials offer flexibility, can be 'on-demand' and can represent a range of topics or themes that can be personalised to individual choices and needs. However, in a learning context, there is much more to ensuring they are 'bingeworthy' for both learners and industries. By 'bingeworthy', we mean engaging and meaningful enough to motivate the learner to want to complete more and for industry to be convinced of their value.
With the rush toward micro-credentials, there is ambiguity about what it takes to make these verifiable learning achievements high value to institutions, learners and employers. Ensuring a strong value proposition for all stakeholders and a great experience are critical in determining whether they will be 'bingeworthy' and worthy of investment. Our team uses a combination of Design Thinking (Liedtka & Ogilvies, 2011; Liedtka, 2018) and 'Participatory Co-Design' (PCD) (Kristiansen & Bloch-Poulsen, 2013), to conceptualise, design, pilot, learn and iterate micro-credentials.
Design thinking offers a systematic way of problem solving and solution-finding that is people-centred and iterative and uses a variety of ethnographic research techniques as well as other sense-making tools (Liedtka, 2018). The 'intellectual roots' of design theory are steeped in a design process that is learning-focused and hypothesis-driven (Schon, 1982). Defining attributes include 'problem centredness, nonlinearity, optionality and the presence of uncertainty and ambiguity' (Liedtka, 2015, p.926).
The concept 'Participatory Co-Design' is derived from Sociocultural Theory and represents a theoretical commitment to learning from, and designing for, local contexts' (Gomez, Kya and Mancevice, 2018, p.403). For us, it offers a powerful pathway to productive partnerships that combine educational and industry expertise and insights to assess the current state, reimagine the future state and find solutions that work and are meaningful for all stakeholders. This is key to the stakeholder value chain and fundamental in designing the micro-credential experience.
Our poster follows our process for getting started with micro-credentials and what comprises micro-credential experiences that are 'bingeworthy'.


Recent court decisions have indicated that in dealing with their students and colleagues, faculty must balance academic freedom and the individual right of fair consideration. It is also important for faculty and administrators to distinguish between decision-making procedures and criteria. It is quite clear from two recent United States Supreme Court cases that subjective evaluation by professional judgment is permissible as long as standard procedures of procedural due process are followed. In short, courts are more likely to review the application of the criteria than their substance.


We demonstrate that the surface morphology of off-center magnetron sputtered EuBa2Cu3O7-δ (EBCO) thin films on MgO (100) substrates is improved significantly by using the intermittent deposition method. This method comprises three steps. First, an initial EBCO layer, 2 to 10 unit cell layers thick, is grown at 630–660°C under a low oxygen partial pressure of 0.1 Pa. Then the initial layer is in situ annealed for 30 min under the same conditions used for the deposition. Finally, another EBCO layer is grown on top of the first layer. An EBCO thin film grown in this way has an extremely smooth surface and the surface resistance at 50 GHz is 3 mΩ or less at 77 K, which compares with the best value ever reported.


Objective — to accurate some possible associations of insulin resistance (IR) index METS‑IR with blood pressure (BP) level, parameters of visceral obesity (VO), values of lipid, carbohydrate and uric exchange in persons with essential hypertension (EH) who were the representatives of nonorganized population of Kharkov's region.
Materials and methods. The retrospective study included some data about 165 patients (pts) — 74 (44.8 %) females and 91 (55.1 %) males aged to 20 — 65 years old (an average age is 56.42 ± 1.18 years old) with EH of I — II stages who had been examined and undergone treatment in the clinics of the L. T. Mala National Therapy Institute of NAMS of Ukraine (Kharkiv). Uncomplicated EH in pts included in the study was combined with the components of cardiometabolic risk (CMR) such as excessive body mass (EBM), VO, intolerance to glucose, hyperuricemia, nonalcoholic fatty liver disease and dyslipoproteinemia). The persons with type 2 diabetes mellitus were excluded from the study. Among anthropometric measures derived from the history cases there was body mass index (BMI) and based on it some parameters of VO such as body fat percentage (BFP), total fat mass (TFM) and fat mass index (FMI). The data about pts' BP as well as data about serum glucose and uric acid (UA) levels had been also taken from the history cases. For analysis of lipid exchange state the characteristics of pts' lipid profile measured by enzyme method on analyser such as total cholesterol (TC), high‑density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL‑C), triglycerides (TG), very‑low density lipoprotein cholesterol (VLDL‑C), low‑density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL‑C), coefficient of atherogenity (CA) and non‑high‑density lipoprotein cholesterol (non‑HDL‑C) as a difference between TC and HDL‑C were derived from the history cases. The values of lipid ratios reflected a functional state of lipid transport systems such as direct cholesterol transport system, reverse cholesterol transport system and system of lipoprotein lipolysis which were closely associated with IR had been calculated additionally.
Results. It was established that in persons with EH combined with EBM and VO included in the study the secondary lipid abnormalities increased CMR more significantly than glycemia and uricemia and it was confirmed by correlations of METS‑IR index with lipid exchange values and lipid ratios characterized the state of direct cholesterol transport system, reverse cholesterol transport system and system of lipoprotein lipolysis. The pts with EH and VO compared with persons who had EBM are shown to have more significant pathological deviations in the system of lipoprotein lipolysis of TG‑containing VLDL promoted a reduction in HDL synthesis and reverse cholesterol transport disorder and combined with elevation of METS‑IR index.
As a whole independently on IR there were no significant correlations of METS‑IR index with BP level, serum glucose and parameters of VO such as BMI, BFP, TFM and FMI in pts with EBM and VO included in the study. There was a weak association between METS‑IR index and serum concentration of UA (r = 0.337; p = 0.004 in pts with EBM and r = 0.301; p = 0.004 in pts with VO). But in the case of IR presence in persons with EBM some associations of METS‑IR index with age (r = 0.391; p = 0.029), BFP (r = 0.544; p = 0.002), TFM (r = 0.436; p = 0.014), FMI (r = 0.513; p = 0.003) and serum UA level (r = 0.443; p = 0.013) were found.
Conclusions. METS‑IR index for CMR evaluation and confirmation of IR presence is concluded to be worth calculated in persons without type 2 diabetes mellitus and BMI > 25 kg/m2 who had hypertriglyceridemia and/or low HDL‑C independently on glycemia level.


This study tried to estimate the environmental value of Youngsan river estuary as there are conflicts on the management policy about Youngsan river estuary. For estimating the detailed functional values of Youngsan river estuary, this study used the contingent valuation method with multi attribute utility theory for . In addition, the survey was separately practiced to on-site and off-site. According to estimating results, the annual value of Youngsan river estuary is about 27.4 billion Korean won. The results of this study are expected to contribute to determine the appropriate level of investment and management policies with regard to the estuary and to provide methodological guidelines for follow-up study.


In the Japanese Spallation Neutron Source (JSNS) of Japanese Proton Accelerator Research Complex (J-PARC), proton beam with a high power such as 1 MW is induced to the target consisted of mercury. As increasing in the beam power, the damage of the target becomes serious. Reduction of the peak current density at the target is a key for a constant beam operation. For reduction of the peak current density, a non-linear beam optics using octupole magnets has been developed. In order to adjust beam optics efficiently, a beam tuning tool was developed based on the SAD code. It was found that calculated beam profile with the excitation of octupole magnets was in good agreement with the experimental result for 0.8 MW beam. By using octupole magnet, a considerable flat distribution can be obtained. The peak current density can be reduced as much as 30 %, which mitigates 76 % of the pitting damage at the target.


Introduction: Septoplasty is a commonly performed surgical procedure worldwide in otorhinolaryngology. Septoplasty aims to correct the deviated nasal septum at the midline thereby opening the nasal airway in patients with long standing nasal obstruction secondary to septal deviation. Nasal breathing is important for proper facial growth and improvement of quality of life in children. Most surgeons are still reluctant to perform septoplasty in children. But septoplasty should be performed in children if there are severe breathing problems related to septal deviation.
Objectives: The objectives of this study were to identify the incidence of children presenting with symptomatic nasal septal deviation and to analyze the early outcomes of septal surgery in children with regard to improvement in nasal symptoms, residual disease and need for revision surgery.
Methodology: Children less than seventeen years of age who underwent septoplasty for symptomatic DNS from 1st January 2009 to 31st December 2018 were enrolled in the study. Patients having the follow up record of at least 6 months after surgery were included in the final analysis.
Results: There were 37 male and 13 female children enrolled in the study. Male to female ratio was 2.84:1.Majority of children in the study were of 13 years (24%). Left sided DNS was seen in 28 children and right sided DNS in 22 children. Bleeding requiring re-packing, septal hematoma, recurrent DNS, synechia and septal perforation were the common complications, which were comparable to adult population.
Conclusion: Early correction of the obstructed nose due to deviated nasal septum is essential to provide normal nasal breathing, relieve complications of mouth breathing and to promote normal craniofacial growth. Septoplasty can be performed in pediatric population with relatively good results without occurrence of nasal deformity and equal complications as that in adults.


Purpose: The purpose of this study was to investigate the effects of copayments for doctor visits and prescription drugs on health services utilization in the Type I Medicaid beneficiaries in Korea. Method: This study examined data from the 2007 survey on Health Services Use and Health Status of Medicaid Beneficiaries performed by the Ministry for Health Welfare and Family Affairs. To analyze these sample survey data, the SURVEYFREQ, SURVEYMEANS, and SURVEYREG procedures which incorporate the sample design into the analyses were used. Results: Findings of this study indicate that copayments for doctor visits and prescription drugs of Medicaid Type I beneficiaries have cut overall medical costs. However, although results should be interpreted very carefully because of the relatively low , copayments have cut more health services utilization of people who need more health services because of their complex diseases and disability. In addition, besides copayment, several factors are affecting differences in health services utilization before and after copayments implementation. Conclusion: These results highlight the need to examine the effects of copayments more thoroughly according to the kinds of disease, the severity of disease, and the level of copayment.


Abstract Background To assess the implications of coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19)–related travel disruptions, we compared demographics and travel-related circumstances of US travelers seeking pretravel consultation regarding international travel at US Global TravEpiNet (GTEN) sites before and after the initiation of COVID-19 travel warnings. Methods We analyzed data in the GTEN database regarding traveler demographics and travel-related circumstances with standard questionnaires in the pre-COVID-19 period (January–December 2019) and the COVID-19 period (April 2020–March 2021), excluding travelers from January to March 2020. We conducted descriptive analyses of differences in demographics, travel-related circumstances, routine and travel-related vaccinations, and medications. Results Compared with 16 903 consultations in the pre-COVID-19 period, only 1564 consultations were recorded at GTEN sites during the COVID-19 period (90% reduction), with a greater proportion of travelers visiting friends and relatives (501/1564 [32%] vs 1525/16 903 [9%]), individuals traveling for >28 days (824/1564 [53%] vs 2522/16 903 [15%]), young children (6 mo–<6 y: 168/1564 [11%] vs 500/16 903 [3%]), and individuals traveling to Africa (1084/1564 [69%] vs 8049/16 903 [48%]). A smaller percentage of vaccine-eligible travelers received vaccines at pretravel consultations during the COVID-19 period than before, except for yellow fever and Japanese encephalitis vaccinations. Conclusions Compared with the pre-COVID-19 period, a greater proportion of travelers during the COVID-19 period were young children, were planning to visit friends and relatives, were traveling for >28 days, or were traveling to Africa, which are circumstances that contribute to high risk for travel-related infections. Fewer vaccine-eligible travelers were administered travel-related vaccines at pretravel consultations. Counseling and vaccination focused on high-risk international travelers must be prioritized during the COVID-19 pandemic.


Background Linked deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) hypermethylation investigations of promoter methylation levels of candidate genes may help to increase the progressiveness and mortality rates of juvenile myelomonocytic leukemia (JMML), which is a unique myelodysplastic/myeloproliferative neoplasm caused by excessive monocyte and granulocyte proliferation in infancy/early childhood. However, the roles of hypermethylation in this malignant disease are uncertain. Methods Bone marrow samples from a JMML patient and peripheral blood samples from a healthy monozygotic twin and an unrelated healthy donor were collected with the informed consent of the participant's parents. Whole-genome bisulfite sequencing (WGBS) was then performed. Gene Ontology (GO) and Kyoto Encyclopedia of Genes and Genomes (KEGG) pathway analyses were performed to analyze specific differentially methylated region (DMG) related genes. The target genes were screened with Cytoscape and Search Tool for the Retrieval of Interacting Genes/Proteins (STRING), which are gene/protein interaction databases. A data mining platform was used to examine the expression level data of the healthy control and JMML patient tissues in Gene Expression Omnibus data sets, and a survival analysis was performed for all the JMML patients. Results The STRING analysis revealed that the red node [i.e., the cystic fibrosis transmembrane conductance regulator (CFTR)] was the gene of interest. The gene-expression microarray data set analysis suggested that the CFTR expression levels did not differ significantly between the JMML patients and healthy controls (P=0.81). A statistically significant difference was observed in the CFTR promoter methylation level but not in the CFTR gene body methylation level. The overall survival analysis demonstrated that a high level of CFTR expression was associated with a worse survival rate in patients with JMML (P=0.039). Conclusions CFTR promoter hypermethylation may be a novel biomarker for the diagnosis, monitoring of disease progression, and prognosis of JMML.


We have developed the BSAC audio decoder for T-DMB (terrestrial DMB) receiver. Here, we introduce and present an efficient implementation of BSAC audio decoder which consists of fast computation algorithm of filterbank, effective memory management of DSP, auto sampling frequency detection, simple lip sync method for A/V synchronization, error recovery circuit against some contaminating audio data and compact SDRAM hardware interface to receive the parsed MPEG-2 TS (transport stream). Because this decoder operates with low power consumption in spite of various functions, it is efficient for portable multimedia devices


Biofilms, consisting of microorganisms and their secreted extracellular polymeric substances (EPSs), serve as "ecosystem engineers" stabilizing sedimentary environments. Natural sediment bed provides an excellent substratum for biofilm growth. The porous structure and rich nutrients allow the EPS matrix to spread deeper into the bed. A series of laboratory‐controlled experiments were conducted to investigate sediment colonization of Bacillus subtilis and the penetration of EPS into the sediment bed with incubation time. In addition to EPS accumulation on the bed surface, EPS also penetrated downward. However, EPS distribution developed strong vertical heterogeneity with a much higher content in the surface layer than in the bottom layer. Scanning electron microscope images of vertical layers also displayed different micromorphological properties of sediment‐EPS matrix. In addition, colloidal and bound EPSs exhibited distinctive distribution patterns. After the full incubation, the biosedimentary beds were eroded to test the variation of bed stability induced by biological effects. This research provides an important reference for the prediction of sediment transport and hence deepens the understanding of the biologically mediated sediment system and broadens the scope of the burgeoning research field of "biomorphodynamics."


The volume presents a selection of poems originally composed in German by Austrian-Italian author Benno Geiger and translated into Italian for the first time. This publication aims to make Geiger's poetical work available to a broader audience and place it aside his better known writing on Art History. Geiger's specific role as a mediator and bridge between two cultures makes his poetical work extremely significant, as well as considering his prolific activity as a literary translator to which he devoted himself throughout his life. The current edition provides bilingual parallel text, preceded by an introductory essay and a biographical profile of the author. The critical apparatus highlights both the intertextual references and the writer's complex links with the Italian and German poetical traditions.


In the systems of the exploitation of means of transport in order to assure correct carrying out of the assigned transport tasks, it is necessary to maintain the required number of vehicles in the state of task availability. It is obtained as a result of carrying out of service and repair processes at the traffic maintenance subsystem posts. From the point of view of the effectiveness of the operation of the systems of the exploitation of means of transport, the damaged technological objects should be serviced in the shortest possible time. In the case of the system of the exploitation of means of transport the task of the traffic maintenance subsystem is the servicing of the required number of damaged means of transport over the assigned time interval defined by the transport task timetable. One of the methods of the evaluation of the degree of carrying out of the processes at the traffic maintenance subsystem posts is defining the efficiency of the posts of the subsystem. This paper presents the method of defining the efficiency of traffic maintenance subsystem in the system of the exploitation of means of transport measured by the probability value of servicing of the required number of technological objects over the assigned time interval. The resulting characteristics were presented on a general basis as well as in the form of exponential distribution and Erlang distribution. Moreover, for the utilization data obtained in tests carried out in an actual means of transport system the values of the analyzed characteristics were defined. The evaluation of the efficiency of the traffic maintenance subsystem posts may serve as the basis of decision making as to the change of the number and type of the used service and repair posts in the tested system as well as modification of the carried out exploitation strategy. The suggested method may be used for individual post, a group of posts of a given type as well as for a subsystem of traffic maintenance analyzed as a whole.


When dealing with transient conditions, standard process design approach may lead to poor equipment specification or even to a complete failure in evaluating the design reference conditions. The three presented case-histories highlight the importance of dynamic process simulation as a design tool that allows both a targeted definition of the design conditions for equipment and an accurate prediction of the system behavior during transient operations thus enabling a predictive evaluation and validation of operating procedures. The three case-histories refer to different fields of application and to different levels of complexity, but in all the cases the power of the design approach based on dynamic simulation is demonstrated. The first case-history is relevant to the design of instrumentation and relevant control scheme on a pump discharge. In a floating LNG regasification terminal, a small flow and high pressure pump used for header pressurization and vaporizers cooldown faced severe damage due to peak flow conditions during the initial phase of operation. Dynamic process simulation was used to design the flow orifice, the discharge maximum flow valve and to define the header's pressurization procedure. The second case-history is relevant to the behavior prediction of a complex compressor system during the start-up phase. A large propane compressor in a multilevel refrigeration cycle is currently operated with a steam condensing turbine allowing smooth start-up. The plant's owner planned the turbine's replacement with an electric motor, reducing the start-up ramp from several minutes to few seconds. Dynamic model, following a field data tuning phase, was used to evaluate the behavior of the compressor system during the sharp startup ramp and to validate the Compressor's vendor design for the control system. The third case-history is relevant to the development of an innovative design approach. Following Techint's design and construction experience in LNG regasification terminal, a rigorous dynamic model has been developed in order to study the behavior of the Boil Off Gas (BOG) handling system during transient operations (LNG unloading and LNG Carrier reloading). The model can be tuned on existing terminals and used in identifying the real system bottlenecks during revamp studies as well as to optimize transient operation management. As a design tool, the model can be used in the future to optimize the BOG system design.


In this study, we reveal noncontact frictional forces between surfaces in the presence of peristaltic permittivity modulation. Our setup comprises a conducting medium, an air gap, and a dielectric substrate on which we have a space-time-modulated grating that emits electromagnetic radiation. The radiation receives energy and momentum from the grating, which is eventually absorbed by the conducting medium or propagates away from the grating on the dielectric side, resulting in electromagnetic power loss and lateral forces at the surfaces.


Isolated skeletal metastasis of endometrial carcinoma is very unusual. Herein, we report a 62-year-old woman diagnosed as FIGO stage IC, grade I, endometrial carcinoma who was found to have isolated femur and tibia metastases just after completing local radiotherapy. Incisional biopsy revealed metastatic adenocarcinoma. Following radiotherapy, medroxyprogesterone acetate and zoledronic acid was given. After a month, spontaneous right proximal femur fracture occurred and new bone metastasis was detected. Local radiotherapy and six cycles of paclitaxel and carboplatin were given; however, during a 3-year follow-up, bone metastases progressed. We review the endometrial carcinoma with bone metastasis in literature.


Glancing angle deposition is a novel method to prepare graded index coatings. By using this method and physical vapour deposition, ZrO2 is used to engineer graded index filter on BK7 glass substrate. Controlling the deposition rate and the periodic oscillation of oblique angle of deposited material, a 10-period graded index ZrO2 filter with high reflection near 532 nm and high transmittance at wavelength 1064 nm is fabricated. The causes of difference between the theoretical and experimental results are discussed in detail. The material properties and electron gun nonlinearity are possibly the main origins of the difference, which result in the variations in both thickness control and deposition rate of the film material.


This study investigated the interaction effect of sex on cognitive behaviour therapy and logotherapy on risky sexual behaviours among adolescents, in public secondary schools in Benin metropolis, Edo State, Nigeria. The study adopted a quasi-experimental design, using pre-test—post-test, non-equivalent control grous. The population of the study comprised of SS II students in the Thirty-one (31) mixed public senior secondary schools in Benin Metropolis. The sample of the study consisted of one hundred and thirty-five (135) Senior Secondary Two (SSII) students. The study adapted the "Adolescent Sex Behaviour Inventory'' developed by Friedrich (2004). The instrument was validated while the reliability coefficient of 0.926 was established. The collected data were analysed, using descriptive and inferential statistics. The findings of the study revealed that there is significant difference in the treatment interaction by sex in reducing risky sexual behaviours among school adolescents. Therefore, it was concluded that sex could play a role in the reduction of risky sexual behaviours among school adolescents. Based on the findings, it was recommended that school counsellors should encourage parents to give sex education early and discuss sex-related issues that are appropriate for their children in all stages to avoid the consequences of risky sexual behaviours.


Gene expression processes can be broken down to sets of chemical reactions. By consequence, any accurate representation necessarily accounts for discreteness and stochasticity. However, subtle assumptions can still yield erroneous results, masking key discrete effects. For instance, transcription and translation are delayed processes, but this is often ignored. Thus, effects such as delay-induced stochastic oscillations at the single-cell level have remained relatively unexplored. We have explored and systematically analysed several minimal models of gene regulation, where a transcriptional repressor negatively regulates its own expression [1,2]. By means of modelling and exact stochastic simulations, we studied the influence of negative feedback strength and transcriptional/translational rates and delays on expression dynamics. Negative feedbacks do not necessarily lead to noise reduction, and qualitatively distinct expression profiles can be generated from structurally identical network topologies [1]. Also, once explicit delays are incorporated to both transcription and translation processes [2], new types of non-classic effects can be observed. For instance, an oscillatory regime emerges through a Hopf bifurcation in both deterministic and stochastic frameworks. Additionally, delays increase the number of accessible states in a multimodal regime, introducing features typical of excitable systems. These techniques and findings have never been described in gene expression analysis before. Our work provides deeper insight into the mathematical subtleties that should be considered for proper design of single gene/single cell experiments with oscillatory, multimodal, and burst-like expression profiles. [1] Marquez-Lago T, Stelling J. Counter-intuitive stochastic behavior of simple gene circuits with negative feedbacks. Biophysical J. 2010 Vol. 98(9):1742-1750. [2] Zavala E, Marquez-Lago T. Delays Induce Novel Stochastic Effects in Negative Feedback Gene Circuits. Biophysical J. 2014 Vol. 106(2): 467-478


There is a general tendency to increase nitrogen level in rice production to insure an increased yield. On the other hand, percentage of ripened grains is getting decreased with such an increased fertilizer level. Decreasing of the percentage is one of the important yield limiting factors. Especially the newly developed rice variety, 'Tongil' is characterized by a relatively low percentage of ripened grains as compared with the other leading varieties. Therefore, these studies were aimed to finding out of some measures for the improvement of ripening in rice. The studies had been carried out in the field and in the phytotron during the period of three years from 1970 to 1972 at the Crop Experiment Station in Suwon. The results obtained from the experiments could be summarized as follows: 1. The spikelet of Tongil was longer in length, more narrow in width, thinner in thickness, smaller in the volume of grains and lighter in grain weight than those of Jinheung. The specific gravity of grain was closely correlated with grain weight and the relationship with thickness, width and length was getting smaller in Jinheung. On the other hand, Tongil showed a different pattern from Jinheung. The relationship of the specific gravity with grain weight was the greatest and followed by that with the width, thickness and length, in order. 2. The distribution of grain weight selected by specific gravity was different from one variety to another. Most of grains of Jinheung were distributed over the specific gravity of 1.12 with its peak at 1.18, but many of grains of Tongil were distributed below 1.12 with its peak at 1.16. The brown/rough rice ratio was sharply declined below the specific gravity of 1.06 in Jinheung, but that of Tongil was not declined from the 1.20 to the 0.96. Accordingly, it seemed to be unfair to make the specific gravity criterion for ripened grains at 1.06 in the Tongil variety. 3. The increasing tendency of grain weight after flowering was different depending on varieties. Generally speaking, rice varieties originated from cold area showed a slow grain weight increase while Tongil was rapid except at lower temperature in late ripening stage. 4. In the late-tillered culms or weak culms, the number of spikelets was small and the percentage of ripened grains was low. Tongil produced more late-tillered culms and had a longer flowering duration especially at lower temperature, resulting in a lower percentage of ripened grains. 5. The leaf blade of Tongil was short, broad and errect, having light receiving status for photosynthesis was better. The photosynthetic activity of Tongil per unit leaf area was higher than that of Jinheung at higher temperature, but lower at lower temperature. 6. Tongil was highly resistant to lodging because of short culm length, and thick lower-internodes. Before flowering, Tongil had a relatively higher amount of sugars, phosphate, silicate, calcium, manganese and magnesium. 7. The number of spikelets of Tongil was much more than that of Jinheung. The negative correlation was observed between the number of spikelets and percentage of ripened grains in Jinheung, but no correlation was found in Tongil grown at higher temperature. Therefore, grain yield was increased with increased number of spikelets in Tongil. Anthesis was not occurred below 21 in Tongil, so sterile spikelets were increased at lower temperature during flowering stage. 8. The root distribution of Jinheung was deeper than that of Tongil. The root activity of Tongil evaluated by -naphthylamine oxidation method, was higher than that of Jinheung at higher temperature, but lower at lower temperature. It is seemed to be related with discoloration of leaf blades. 9. Tongil had a better light receiving status for photosynthesis and a better productive structure with balance between photosynthesis and respiration, so it is seemed that tongil has more ideal plant type for getting of a higher grain yield as compared with Jinheung. 10. Solar radiation during the 10 days before to 30 days after flowering seemed enough for ripening in suwon, but the air temperature dropped down below 22 beyond August 25. Therefore, it was believed that air temperature is one of ripening limiting factors in this case. 11. The optimum temperature for ripening in Jinheung was relatively lower than that of Tongil requriing more than . Air temperature below 21 was one of limiting factors for ripening in Tongil. 12. It seemed that Jinheung has relatively high photosensitivity and moderate thermosensitivity, while Tongil has a low photosensitivity, high thermosensitivity and longer basic vegetative phase. 13. Under a condition of higher nitrogen application at late growing stage, the grain yield of Jinheung was increased with improvement of percentage of ripened grains, while grain yield of Tongil decreased due to decreasing the number of spikelets although photosynthetic activity after flowering was. increased. 14. The grain yield of Jinheung was decreased slightly in the late transplanting culture since its photosynthetic activity was relatively high at lower temperature, but that of Tonil was decreased due to its inactive photosynthetic activity at lower temperature. The highest yield of Tongil was obtained in the early transplanting culture. 15. Tongil was adapted to a higher fertilizer and dense transplanting, and the percentage of ripened grains was improved by shortening of the flowering duration with increased number of seedlings per hill. 16. The percentage of vigorous tillers was increased with a denser transplanting and increasing in number of seedlings per hill. 17. The possibility to improve percentage of ripened grains was shown with phosphate application at lower temperature. The above mentioned results are again summarized below. The Japonica type leading varieties should be flowered before August 20 to insure a satisfactory ripening of grains. Nitrogen applied should not be more than 7.5kg/10a as the basal-dressing and the remained nitrogen should be applied at the later growing stage to increase their photosynthetic activity. The morphological and physiological characteristics of Tongil, a semi-dwarf, Indica Japonica hybrid variety, are very different from those of other leading rice varieties, requring changes in seed selection by specific gravity method, in milling and in the cultural practices. Considering the peculiar distribution of grains selected by the method and the brown/rough rice ratio, the specific gravity criterion for seed selection should be changed from the currently employed 1.06 to about 0.96 for Tongil. In milling process, it would be advisable to bear in mind the specific traits of Tongil grain appearance. Tongil is a variety with many weak tillers and under lower temperature condition flowering is delayed. Such characteristics result in inactivation of roots and leaf blades which affects substantially lowering of the percentage of ripened grains due to increased unfertilized spikelets. In addition, Tongil is adapted well to higher nitrogen application. Therefore, it would be recommended to transplant Tongil variety earlier in season under the condition of higer nitrogen, phosphate and silicate. A dense planting-space with three vigorous seedlings per hill should be practiced in this case. In order to manifest fully the capability of Tongil, several aspects such as the varietal improvement, culural practices and milling process should be more intensively considered in the future.he future.


ARIANE-78.4 is a computer system designed to o f fe r an adequate environment for construct ing machine t rans la t ion programs, for running them, and for (humanly) rev is ing the rough t rans la t ions produced by the computer. ARIANE-78 has been operat iona l at GETA for more than 4 years now. This paper refers to version 4. I t has been used for a number of appl icat ions (russian and japanese, engl ish to french and malay, portuguese to engl ish) and has constant ly been amended to meet the needs of the users. Parts of th is system have been presented before [ 2 ,3 ,7 ,8 ] , but i t s whole has only been described in in ternal technical documents.


Drawing on data from an experiential ethnographic project undertaken in Brazil, this paper explores how gender is being experienced and negotiated by women football players within the context of the game's incorporation into Western capitalism. Acceptance of women into this historically male sport is growing and opportunities are increasing, but access is heavily contingent on compliance with a new 'hyper-femininized' ideal of Western athletic femininity. Through empirical data, we look at the embodied experiences of a small cohort of professional women football players as they navigate this shifting terrain in Brazil. This paper explores the discrepancies between representation and lived experience and the implications for agency, empowerment, and self-expression among players as they confront new forms of constraint being imposed on their bodies. Through this microcosm of women's football, we get a glimpse at how global restructuring along the lines of Western capitalist development is affecting bodies and minds.


A 2-year-old boy was presented with symptoms of chest infection. The chest radiograph showed a large mediastinal mass, which led to further investigations including biopsy of the tumour. Histopathological analysis revealed a diagnosis of lipoblastoma. We highlight the imaging appearance of the lesion. Although histopathological analysis is required for the confirmation of the diagnosis, cross-sectional imaging is useful in evaluating the extent of the tumour for surgical planning.


The acyldepsipeptide (ADEP) antibiotics operate through a clinically unexploited mechanism of action and thus have attracted attention from several antibacterial development groups. The ADEP scaffold is synthetically tractable, and deep-seated modifications have produced extremely potent antibacterial leads against Gram-positive pathogens. Although newly identified ADEP analogs demonstrate remarkable antibacterial activity against bacterial isolates and in mouse models of bacterial infections, stability issues pertaining to the depsipeptide core remain. To date, no study has been reported on the natural ADEP scaffold that evaluates the sole importance of the macrocyclic linkage on target engagement, molecular conformation, and bioactivity. To address this gap in ADEP structure-activity relationships, we synthesized three ADEP analogs that only differ in the linkage motif (i.e., ester, amide, and N-methyl amide) and provide a side-by-side comparison of conformational behavior and biological activity. We demonstrate that while replacement of the naturally occurring ester linkage with a secondary amide maintains in vitro biochemical activity, this simple substitution results in a significant drop in whole-cell activity. This study provides direct evidence that ester to amide linkage substitution is unlikely to provide a reasonable solution for ADEP instability.