Anagrus delicatus Dozier is a common egg parasitoid of the planthopper Prokelisia marginata (Van Duzee). P. marginata inhabits salt marshes along the Atlantic and Gulf Coasts of the United States and feeds exclusively on salt marsh cordgrass, Spartina alterniflora Loisel. A. delicatus is closely associated with its host throughout its range. Two larval instars of A. delicatus were identified from their host eggs. Male and female wasps take an average of 54.2, 35.9, and 21.7 d to develop from egg to adult at 16, 22, and 30°C, respectively. The developmental threshold temperature is approximately 7.1°C, and wasps require a minimum of 504 degree-days (DD) to complete development. The sex ratio of emerging adults is skewed toward females (1:2.4, M/F). Females eclose with an average of 33 eggs (range, 21-46) and are capable of immediate mating and oviposition. Females can produce male offspring parthenogenetically, and virgin females parasitize significantly more hosts during the first 24 h than mated females. Life for adult females was relatively short: females fed honey and water lived an average of 3.3 d, but those provided only water averaged just 2.0 d. Females laid 25% of their eggs on the first day, and oviposition ceased by the third day. In all, oviposition for honey-fed females ceased after only 43% of the eggs were laid. Host eggs are capable of being parasitized throughout development, but parasitoid survival in older host eggs (embryos) is lower than in younger eggs.


Abstract. In this paper an approach to mimic the influence of appendages on the pressure distribution on a boat's hull in RANS simulations is given. While, of course, the appendages could be modelled explicitly in the RANS simulation, this significantly increases the cell count and CPU-time requirements of the simulations, particularly for boats with multiple appendages.
 In this approach it is assumed that the pressure fields generated by the appendages can be decomposed into two parts: one related to lift (asymmetric) and one related to the displaced volume (symmetric). For these parts actuator line momentum theory is utilized, and doublet mass sources are described based on potential flow theory.
 An initial assessment of the approach's capabilities and accuracy is presented based on the SYRF wide light series (Claughton, 2015), showing good promise. An application example with particular focus on the reduction of CPU-time requirement is given based on a boat fitted with canting keel and DSS foil.


716 www.anesthesia-analgesia.org September 2017 • Volume 125 • Number 3 Copyright © 2017 International Anesthesia Research Society DOI: 10.1213/ANE.0000000000001887 There has never been a better time for patients with lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) like mucopolysaccharidoses, gangliosidoses, and lipidoses such as Hurler, Scheie, and Sanfilippo syndrome as well as Fabry, Schindler, Tay–Sachs, and Niemann–Pick disease. This is because during the last 4 decades clinicians and researchers have vastly expanded our understanding of these rare diseases, resulting in several new treatments for LSDs, with many deficient enzymes currently manufactured for human use in partnership with pharmaceutical companies. This progress in the care of patients with LSDs has been possible in part because of the support provided by the Food and Drug Administration. The review article in this issue by Kloesel and Robert1 summarizing the broad range of inborn errors of metabolism including LSDs and their implications on anesthesia care is very timely in the setting of emerging new therapies and therefore improved the survival of patients with these disorders. It is estimated that there are more than 50 inherited LSDs, thus increasing the likelihood of an anesthesia provider encountering these relatively rare disorders with approximately 1:8000 incidence. LSDs are caused by defects in lysosomal function and result in the accumulation of lipids, glycoproteins, and glycosaminoglycans (mucopolysaccharides) within the cells because they are not broken down by the defective lysosomal enzyme. Intracellular storage of these molecules causes cellular dysfunction and clinically present as organomegaly, developmental delay and intellectual deficits, coarse facial features, airway abnormalities, cardiovascular impairment, joint and bony deformities, as well as visual, and auditory deficits. They are mostly inherited in an autosomal-recessive pattern with a few exceptions. The Westminster bone marrow transplant team led by Dr J. R. Hobbs in 19812 paved the way to introduce this treatment modality for children with LSDs. This led to the first successful bone marrow transplant in a child with Maroteaux–Lamy syndrome at the University of Minnesota in 1981.3 The 13-year-old child had severe manifestations of this storage disorder and was only able to breathe sitting forward. She required an elective tracheostomy before transplantation. Needless to say, the upper airway for anesthesia induction posed a significant challenge, but, as fate would have it, oral endotracheal intubation was accomplished successfully with the thiopental-succinylcholine sequence, a Macintosh blade, and a properly preformed styleted endotracheal tube directed into the larynx inserted blindly into the laryngeal inlet (barely visible even with significant downward and upward laryngeal pressure) just below the epiglottis. Bone marrow transplantation provided the missing enzyme and reversed organomegaly and significantly improved the life of the patient. She went on to graduate from school as a valedictorian (Figure) and remained alive until April of 2016, when she succumbed to an infection after attempted heart valve surgery at an East Coast Hospital. Since then other therapies have emerged and include enzyme-replacement therapy, as listed in the Table, substrate reduction of the accumulated product (miglustat and eligustat for Gaucher disease), rescue of misfolded lysosomal glycoproteins (by the use of pharmacologic chaperones), ex vivo and in vivo gene therapy and nanoparticle-based therapies.4 There are several enzyme replacement therapies in clinical trials namely for Niemann–Pick disease, mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) I, II, IIIA, IVA, VI, Pompe, α-mannosidosis, metachromatic leukodystrophy, and ceroid-lipofuscinosis.5 In general, the children do better if they are diagnosed earlier and given the missing enzyme by one of the methods outlined. After this, they show improvement, including normal development. Gene therapy trials have been completed or are in progress for almost all of the LSDs. In our own institution, we have shown that in children with MPS, if left untreated, the disease progresses significantly with increased airway obstruction secondary to continued intracellular accumulation of unmetabolized substrate such as glycosaminoglycans.6 Just like the changes in airway anatomy, all other associated comorbidities continue to worsen as well. Successful Lysosomal Storage Diseases: Past, Present, and Future


Abstract Gastric cancer (GC) is the fifth most incident and the fourth deadliest cancer worldwide. GC is a heterogeneous disease from the histological and molecular standpoints. This malignancy is mostly diagnosed at advanced stages of the disease, where the available therapeutic interventions are not effective. The emergence of immunotherapy has transformed the landscape of cancer treatment, including GC, and currently immune checkpoint inhibitors have been approved for the treatment of patients with recurrent/metastatic GC. This review summarizes the main clinical trials evaluating the use of immune checkpoint inhibitors in GC. It also highlights the potential of biomarkers for patient selection for GC immune checkpoint inhibition therapy, including programmed cell death ligand 1 expression and tumor mutational burden, and characteristics of the GC molecular classification, such as microsatellite instability status and Epstein-Barr virus infection, as predictors of response to blockade of the programmed cell death 1/programmed cell death ligand 1 axis.


We present the design of a radiometer that can simultaneously measure both centroid wavelength and irradiance of a light source without recording its spectrum, when the light source has a finite spectral bandwidth. It consists of two photodiodes separated with a beam splitter in its basic construction, which can be referred to as a dual-photodiode radiometer. This radiometer is calibrated by measuring the spectral responsivities of two photodiodes against the spectral irradiance at the input aperture. The concept of the simultaneous measurement is valid under the condition that the spectral responsivities are linear against wavelengths within the spectral bandwidth of the source to be tested. The feasibility and expected accuracy are analyzed by numerical simulations and experimentally tested for the realization of a UVA irradiance meter, which shows an agreement within 0.2 nm and 0.6% for centroid wavelength and irradiance, respectively, with other reference instruments.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the role of cyclophilin A (CypA) and CD147 in the process of skin aging.

METHODS
Twenty cases of tissue samples from junior group(<15 years old), middle age group(30-40 years old)or old age group (>65 years old) were collected from photophobic and exposal parts of skin, respectively. Immunohistochemistry (IHC) and in situ hybridization (ISH) were carried out to semi-quantitatively detect the expression level of CyPA and CD147.

RESULTS
IHC demonstrated that both CyPA and CD147 were expressed in both photophobic and exposal parts of normal human skin in all 3 groups. The expression levels of both CyPA and CD147 were increased with increase in age. There were significant differences in both CyPA and CD147 expression among 3 groups (P<0.05). CyPA and CD147 were also positively correlated in all 3 groups. Similar results were achieved by ISH.

CONCLUSION
The interaction between CD147 and CyPA might play an important role in the process of skin aging.


Background: Patello-femoral stability is principally influenced by anatomic factors. Understanding the anatomy and biomechanics of the patello-femoral joint provides insight on the etiology and management of patellar instability. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) has emerged as an auxiliary method for investigating patello-femoral instability, particularly for detecting osteochondral lesions and for evaluating the medial patello-femoral ligament (MPFL). Objective: descriptive study including analysis of MRI knee done for patients with patellar instability suspected clinically with or without history of trauma. Patients and Methods: thirty patients were included in this study, all with suspicious patellar instability from Ain-Shams University, orthopedic clinic and other private clinics. A cross-sectional study was held where all the patients under-went MRI routine knee protocol. MRI knee images were interpreted for identification of different pathologies contributing to patellar instability. Results: sixty percent of the patients included in our study had MPFL injury, 43% showed patella alta, 83% showed trochlear dysplasia (by different measurements) and 43% showed lateral displacement of TT. Conclusion: MRI the modality of choice in diagnosing different pathologies of patellar instability, for its value in assessing soft tissue structures, detailed imaging of the cartilage and applying all measurement required.


Chronic rhinosinusitis with nasal polyps (CRS NP) is the most prevalent ear, nose, and throat (ENT) disorder in cystic fibrosis (CF) patients. CRS NP can occur in CF children at the age of ≥ 8 months and becomes the chronic disease. Tenacious secret and bacterial infection cause obstruction, edema and hypoxia of paranasal sinuses and contribute to significant morbidity in CF patients. The active monitoring and treatment of CRS NP aimed at improvement of the aeration of paranasal sinuses, mucociliary clearance, and the control of chronic upper airway infection are necessary. Functional Endoscopic Sinus Surgery (FESS) may be the method of choice if surgical treatment is considered. FESS facilitates paranasal sinuses drainage. Due to recurrent course of CRS NP in most CF patients, lifelong follow-up by an ENT specialist and postoperative management using topical steroids and/or antibiotics are required.


In this article we present a technique of data analysis applied to three-dimensional tables as, for instance, matrix-valued time-series. The main goal of the method is to describe the evolution of the statistical units with respect to time in a space summarizing the set of matrices. Moreover, our technique points out similar statistical units provided by a classification of their trajectories.


We derive the bolometric–to–X-ray correlation for a local sample of normal and starburst galaxies and use it, in combination with several UV reddening schemes, to predict the 2–8 keV X-ray luminosity for a sample of 24 Lyman break galaxies in the Hubble Deep Field and Chandra Deep Field North. We find that the mean X-ray luminosity, as predicted from the Meurer UV reddening relation for starburst galaxies, agrees extremely well with the Brandt stacking analysis. This provides additional evidence that Lyman break galaxies can be considered as scaled-up local starbursts, and that the locally derived starburst UV reddening relation may be a reasonable tool for estimating the UV extinction at high redshift. Our analysis shows that the Lyman break sample cannot have far-IR to far-UV flux ratios similar to nearby ultraluminous infrared galaxies, since this would predict a mean X-ray luminosity 100 times larger than observed, as well as far-IR luminosities large enough to be detected in the submillimeter. We calculate the UV reddening expected from the Calzetti effective starburst attenuation curve and the radiative transfer models of Witt & Gordon for low-metallicity dust in a shell geometry with homogeneous or clumpy dust distributions and find that all are consistent with the observed X-ray emission. Finally, we show that the mean X-ray luminosity of the sample would be underpredicted by a factor of 6 if the far-UV is unattenuated by dust.


The consistent problem with operators and planners for power systems has been related to minimizing transmission losses. An important role is played by reactive power by keeping voltage stability and reliability in the system in order to support the transfer of real power. The optimal reactive power dispatch is associated with the problem of non-linear optimization along with many constraints. In this paper, a study is highlighted for an algorithm that optimizes reactive power with the help of particle swarm algorithm and compare the result with Newton-Raphson method. Reduction of system active power loss is the goal of the function in the projected algorithm. Here, the control variables identified are transformer tap positions, generator bus voltages, and shunt capacitor banks with switch. This projected algorithm is performed on Oman 6 bus electrical grid as oman electricity transmission company has an instability voltage issue in chosen 6 bus.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine the relationship between customer satisfaction measured as Extended Performance Satisfaction Index (EPSI) and the financial performance of the banking sector for seven European countries over the period 2004–2014.

Design/methodology/approach
Using panel models, this study finds a significant positive influence of EPSI on banking financial performance at the country level.

Findings
Findings suggest that the value of the customer satisfaction index is important in explaining the financial performance of the banking industry at the aggregative country level. The customer satisfaction index measured as EPSI has a strong positive influence on the financial performance of the banking industry for the various North European countries studied. It was shown that EPSI has a positive influence on both total assets and total equity, with a higher relative influence and stronger significance on the total assets of the banking sector than on total equity.

Originality/value
The study contributes to understanding the importance of measuring and maintaining customer satisfaction as a profitability driver in the banking industry, providing new cross-country evidence. It also contributes to the literature focussing on a group of countries that have not previously been studied.


During the 1974-75 summer at Macquarie Island the breeding success and distribution of Great Skuas Stercorarius skua in relation to numbers of rabbits were studied on the plateau and the coastal terrace. On the plateau there was a strong correlation between the occurrence of rabbits and of nesting Skuas. On the coastal terrace, however, no such relation was found. The Skuas bred with similar success in both areas. Remains of food in Skuas' territories indicated that Skuas, nesting on the plateau, preyed heavily on rabbits from 200 to 1,200 grams in weight, with eighty-two per cent of rabbits eaten weighing less than 450 and ninety-eight per cent weighing less than 740 grams. Skuas, nesting on the terrace, in contrast, took few rabbits and depended largely on killing and scavenging on penguins and elephant seals. Present relations between predators and prey on the island are briefly discussed.


Temporal factors are tied to the growth of facts in realistic applications, such as the progress of diseases and the development of political situation, therefore, research on Temporal Knowledge Graph (TKG) attracks much attention. In TKG, relation patterns inherent with temporality are required to be studied for representation learning and reasoning across temporal facts. However, existing methods can hardly model temporal relation patterns, nor can capture the intrinsic connections between relations when evolving over time, lacking of interpretability. In this paper, we propose a novel temporal modeling method which represents temporal entities as Rotations in Quaternion Vector Space (RotateQVS) and relations as complex vectors in Hamilton's quaternion space. We demonstrate our method can model key patterns of relations in TKG, such as symmetry, asymmetry, inverse, and can capture time-evolved relations by theory. And empirically, we show that our method can boost the performance of link prediction tasks over four temporal knowledge graph benchmarks.


Ethanol extract of dietary vegetable, Gongronema latifolium , was evaluated for anti-ulcer activity. The extract was obtained from air-dried, pulverized leaves of the plant following its maceration in ethanol, filteration with Whatman No. 1 filter paper and drying at 110°C. Fractionation of the dry crude ethanol extract was stepwisely carried out in with n-hexane, chloroform and ethylacetate, respectively, and their residual ethanol extract washed several times in ethanol. The four fractions were dried at low temperature and stored for use. The anti-ulcer activity of the crude extract was tested on indomethacininduced and acid/ethanol-induced models of ulcer induction in rats. The activities of the fraction of the crude ethanol extract with respect, to reduction of ulcer index was evaluated only on indomethacininduced ulcer model. The crude ethanol extract significantly (p<0.05) inhibited ulceration dose - dependently in the two ulcer models. This inhibition was higher in acid/ethanol model than in the indomethacin-induced ulcer model. The sub-fractions from the crude extract also inhibited ulcer with the chloroform fraction exhibiting the highest ulcer protection. Keywords : Gongronema latifolium , ulcer, protection, indomethacin, acid/ethanol. African Journal of Biotechnology Vol. 12(38), pp. 5705-5708


Web‐based learning is becoming prevalent in science learning. Some use specially designed programs, while others use materials available on the Internet. This qualitative case study examined the process of acquisition of integrated science process skills, particularly the skill of controlling variables, in a web‐based learning environment among grade 5 children. Data were gathered primarily from children's conversations and teacher–student conversations. Analysis of the data revealed that the children acquired the skill in three phases: from the phase of recognition to the phase of familiarization and finally to the phase of automation. Nevertheless, the acquisition of the skill only involved the acquisition of certain subskills of the skill of controlling variables. This progression could be influenced by the web‐based instructional material that provided declarative knowledge, concrete visualization and opportunities for practise.


We have investigated the possible water adsorption forms on the stepped Si(110) surface. Calculations have been performed by using the empirical tight-binding method. Two types of adsorption model of water on a single layer stepped Si(110) surface have been considered, one of them is the dissociative type (H, OH) and the other one is the molecular type (H20). The total electronic energy and TDOS calculations lead to a dissociative type of water adsorption on the stepped Si(110) surface excluding the molecular type as it was found on the flat Si(110) surface.


Several questions remain unanswered regarding the extent to which the principles and practices of patient-centered care are achievable in the context of a forensic mental health hospital. This study examined patient-centered care from the perspectives of patients and providers in a forensic mental health hospital. Patient-centered care was assessed using several measures of complementary constructs. Interviews were conducted with 30 patients and surveys were completed by 28 service providers in a forensic mental health hospital. Patients and providers shared similar views of the therapeutic milieu and recovery orientation of services; however, providers were more likely to perceive the hospital as being potentially unsafe. Overall, the findings indicated that characteristics of patient-centered care may be found within a forensic mental health hospital. The principles of patient-centered care can be integrated into service delivery in forensic mental health hospitals, though special attention to providers' perceptions of safety is needed.


Background A lack of self-efficacy, the confidence in one's own competencies to cope with the symptoms of arthritis, has been found to be related to negative aspects of psychological functioning such as feelings of depression and anxiety. There is an increasing attention for positive adaptation to chronic diseases, inspired by the upcoming field of positive psychology. The relationships between self-efficacy and positive adaptation in patients with polyarthritis has not been investigated. Objectives To study the relationships of pain, fatigue, functional limitations and self-efficacy with indicators of positive adaptation to polyarthritis, namely purpose in life, positive affect and social and work participation. Methods 331 patients (61% women, mean age=61 years, mean disease duration=14 years) participated in a questionnaire study. Positive adaptation was measured with PIL (purpose in life), PANAS (positive affect) and IPA (social and work adaptation). Self-efficacy to cope with pain and self-efficacy to cope with other symptoms of arthritis were measured with ASES. Pain was assessed with a VAS, fatigue with SF36 Vitality scale and functional limitations with HAQ-DI. Hierarchical multiple regression analyses were applied to analyse the relationships of physical health (pain, fatigue, functional limitations) and self-efficacy with positive adaptations. Results In regression analyses physical health (pain, fatigue, functional limitations) significantly explained positive adaptation (R2: 0.15-0.50). Explained variance in positive adaptation significantly increased when Pain self-efficacy (ΔR2:0.03-0.06) or other symptoms self-efficacy (ΔR2: 0.07-0.18). In most analyses pain and other symptoms self-efficacy pain and other symptoms self-efficacy were stronger predictors of positive adaptation than pain, fatigue or functional limitations. Except for one model (purpose in life, other symptoms self-efficacy) self-efficacy was found to be partly mediating the relationship between physical health (pain, fatigue, functional limitations) and positive adaptation. Conclusions This study showed that self-efficacy is significantly related to positive adaptation in polyarthritis. A longitudinal study should be done to get more insight in the causality of the relations. Disclosure of Interest : None declared DOI 10.1136/annrheumdis-2014-eular.6008


ECHR, as an international treaty is part of the Albanian legal system. Among international law instruments, the ECHR enjoys a privileged status in the Albanian legal system by virtue of Article 17 paragraph 2 of the Constitution according to which restrictions to human rights and freedoms cannot infringe the substance of those rights and freedoms and in no case can exceed the restrictions provided for in the ECHR. Article 1 of the Convention requires States to secure the substance of the rights to those in their jurisdiction. The effect of Article 13 is thus to require the provision of a domestic remedy to deal with the substance of an arguable complaint under the Convention and to grant appropriate relief. The scope of this paper is to analyse the effectiveness of the complaint to the Constitutional Court with regard to length of proceedings as part of due process of law in terms of proceedings during the court trial and after the process has been finalized and the final decision should be executed.


Ubiquitous occurrences of phthalic acid esters (PAEs) or phthalates in a variety of consumer products have been demonstrated. Nevertheless, studies on their occurrence in various types of bottled drinks are limited. In this study, fifteen PAEs were analyzed in six categories of bottled drinks (n = 105) collected from the Chinese market, including mineral water, tea drinks, energy drinks, juice drinks, soft drinks, and beer. Among the 15 PAEs measured, DEHP was the most abundant phthalate with concentrations ranging from below the limit of quantification (LOQ) to 41,000 ng/L at a detection rate (DR) of 96%, followed by DIBP (DR: 88%) and DBP (DR: 84%) with respective concentration ranges of below LOQ to 16,000 and to 4900 ng/L. At least one PAE was detected in each drink sample, and the sum concentrations of 15 PAEs ranged from 770 to 48,004 ng/L (median: 6286 ng/L). Significant differences with respect to both PAE concentrations and composition profiles were observed between different types of bottled drinks. The median sum concentration of 15 PAEs in soft drinks was over five times higher than that detected in mineral water; different from other drink types. Besides DEHP, DBIP, and DBP, a high concentration of BMEP was also detected in a tea drink. The estimated daily dietary intake of phthalates (EDIdrink) through the consumption of bottled drinks was calculated based on the concentrations measured and the daily ingestion rates of bottled drink items. The EDIdrink values for DMP, DEP, DIBP, DBP, BMEP, DAP, BEEP, BBP, DCP, DHP, BMPP, BBEP, DEHP, DOP, and DNP through the consumption of bottled mineral water (based on mean concentrations) were 0.45, 0.33, 12.5, 3.67, 2.10, 0.06, 0.32, 0.16, 0.10, 0.09, 0.05, 0.81, 112, 0.13, and 0.20 ng/kg-bw/d, respectively, for Chinese adults. Overall, the EDIdrink values calculated for phthalates through the consumption of bottled drinks were below the oral reference doses suggested by the United States Environmental Protection Agency (U.S. EPA).


Introduction: It is known that anthropometrical data differ with gender, race, and age. In practice, researchers often use the statistical data obtained from previous studies for biomechanical modeling in sports. Accuracy is reduced by unsuitable racial data. Knowing the racial differences and statistical error can help scientists achieve a reasonable compromise between the accuracy of the estimates and the time required to complete the measurements. The purpose of this study was to determine anthropometrical differences between Chinese and Germans.

METHODS: A method developed by Shan (1993, 1995) was utilized in this study. The process of the method is as follows: measure the characteristic profiles of a human body, reconstruct the entire body in the computer with the help of measured profiles, subdivide the body into several thousand columns, and finally calculate anthropometrical data such as segmental masses, centers of mass, radii of gyration, and moments of inertia. Sixty subjects (15 female Germans, 15 female Chinese, 15 male Germans, and 15 male Chinese) took part in this study. Correlation and regression analyses were made of body weight and/or height as independent variables.

RESULTS: For the same body weight and height: the trunk of a Chinese is 1.8% (male 1.9%, female 1.7%) taller than that of a German, the leg of a German is 1.8% longer than that of a Chinese, the head of a Chinese is 2.6% (male 3.0%, female 2.3%) heavier than that of a German, and the leg of a German is 1.7% (male 1.6%, female 1.8%) heavier than that of a Chinese. The segmental masses are better estimated by body weight (r=0.6 - 0.8, p<0.1) than by body height or by body weight and height. The segmental lengths are well estimated by body height (r=0.6-0.7,). It is advised to estimate the segmental moment of inertia using both body weight and height. The statistical analysis in this study also shows that there are poor correlations between segmental radii of gyration and body weight or/and height (r=0.1-0.5,).

CONCLUSIONS: This study showed that anthropometrical models should consider racial differences to optimize the accuracy of calculations. For the estimation of segmental masses and lengths, a single parameter lead to suitable results.

REFERENCES:
Shan, G. B. (1993). A Low Costing Method for Measuring Anthropometrical Data.
In XIVth Congress of the International Society of Biomechanics. Paris, 1230-1231.
Shan, G. B., Nicol, K. (1995). Method for Obtaining Anthrometrical Data. In XVth
Congress of the International Society of Biomechanics. Jyvaskyla, 832-833.


Over the past few decades, nanotechnology has emerged as a topic of great interest with a wide range of scientific investigations. This highly sophisticated technology covers a vast array of materials and devices including the high-resolution imaging for the early diagnosis of diseases and targeted delivery of genes or drugs leading to a more efficient therapeutic outcome. The limited efficacy of currently available therapeutic options against the neurological disorders have evoked tremendous efforts towards the development of novel treatment strategies. In this respect, multifunctional nanoparticles for targeted delivery of drugs across the blood-brain barrier have been designed to improve the bioavailability and reduce the side effects. Nanoengineered materials or nanodevices with ability to interact with biological systems including the nervous system have been designed for tracking the real-time dynamics of receptors in the central nervous system as well as neuronal recording or stimulation that may result in the neuroprotection or neural regeneration. Indeed, application of the cutting-edge nanotechnologies may revolutionize our knowledge about the neurophysiology and neurobiology including the cellular or molecular events in neurons leading to the more efficient treatments in central nervous system disorders. In the present article, an overview of the theranostic (therapeutic and diagnostic) potential of nanopharmaceuticals in the neurological disorders has been provided. Biomedical Reviews 2014; 25: 25-34.


【This study assessed and compared the expectation levels of in- and out-patients at hospitals of different size in relation to patients' view of their rights. A survey of out-patients visiting university hospitals (204 patients) and small to mid size community hospitals (215 patients) in Seoul and Kyeongki Province was conducted, where the respondents reported their perceptions of patient rights. Based on the survey, their respective expectation levels for the medical services that they would receive was assessed and analyzed for exploring possible factors for their selecting small to mid sized hospitals over larger hospitals. The results showed difference in perceptions between patients visiting or staying in lager and smaller hospitals. Namely, for out-patients, those at university hospitals had higher perceptions only about their rights to privacy while in hospital, whereas in the case of in-patients, those at small to mid size hospitals had higher perceptions only about their rights to access to inspection information. With respect to the results from analysis of difference in the expectation level for medical services between university and non-university hospital patients, it was found that in-patients at university hospitals had higher perceptions about their rights to choose to see hospital visitors while in hospital and rights to access to religious facilities.】


In order to clarify the charging characteristics of suspension droplets in ion flow field under different temperatures and humidity, the effective charging factor used to characterize the charging characteristics of suspension droplets is introduced in this paper, and a calculation method of charging factor is proposed based on the upstream finite element method (FEM). Then, the charging factor under different temperatures and humidity is calculated, and the analytic expression of the charging factor considering the influence of temperature and humidity is obtained by fitting the calculation results. The influence of suspension droplets on the ion flow field is analyzed. The results show that the charging factor is small and increases little with the relative humidity when the relative humidity is less than 60%, and the charging factor is large and increases rapidly with the relative humidity when the relative humidity is more than 60%. At the same relative humidity, the charging factor increases linearly with the temperature. The influence of charged suspension droplets on the ion flow field can be ignored when the relative humidity is less than 60% and must be considered under high temperature and humidity. The calculation method and analytic expression of the charging factor proposed in this paper can be used to model of ion flow field considering the influence of temperature and humidity and provide technical support for the construction of HVDC transmission lines across high temperature and humidity.


PurposeThe objective of this paper is to examine the impact of cross-docking on the retail out of stock (OOS).Design/methodology/approachThe research is based on a three-phase Delphi study consisting of a seeding/literature review phase, a pre-testing phase and a three-round Delphi study. The Delphi study used in this paper brings together leading supply chain management experts with leading academics.FindingsThe findings of the paper show that cross-docking may impact the retailers OOS drivers positively or negatively. The study demonstrates that cross-docking has a negative impact on ordering, placement, delivery, handling, DC handling and receipt. On the other hand, cross-docking has a positive effect on supplier ordering. Finally, academics and supply chain managers disagreed on the effect of cross-docking on the promotions driver. Academics consider that cross-docking has a positive impact on promotions OOS driver, while supply chain managers believe the opposite.Research limitations/implicationsThe Delphi study was administrated to supply chain managers from a single major FMCG company, which is a supplier of grocery retailers. By including supply chain managers from the retailers' side, more perspectives on the impact of cross-docking on the OOS drivers can be investigated.Originality/valueThe study develops an original instrument to investigate the impact of cross-docking on OOS drivers. This is the first scholarly work to investigate the relationship between a distribution strategy and the OOS drivers.


In this talk we coin the term language-oriented modularity to refer to the process of constructing and composing DSALs to better support aspect-oriented modularity. Language-oriented modularity strives to keep our aspect language as abstract as possible and our software code as modular as possible. While general purpose aspect-oriented languages offer low-level abstractions for modularizing a wide range of crosscutting concerns, they lack the modularity abstractions to tackle all cases of crosscutting. With language-oriented modularity, a solution to unanticipated crosscutting concerns is to construct and combine multiple DSALs to form aspect-oriented modularity of new kinds. We evaluate the Awesome composition framework in terms of its support for language-oriented modularity.


Abstract Objective  Effective flipped classroom (FC) education fosters learner engagement, promoting higher-level cognitive skills. FC learning in graduate medical education (GME) has increased, but few educators have significant experience with FC facilitation. There are no evidence-based practices to support professional development of FC facilitation skills in GME. The objective of this study is to identify best practices for effective FC facilitation in GME. Study Design  We conducted a mixed-methods, cross-sectional study of faculty educators who participated in a randomized controlled trial (RCT) using FC for physiology education in neonatal–perinatal medicine. Educators completed a 25-question survey about effective strategies for FC facilitation. A subset of educators participated in interviews to share their FC facilitation experiences and strategies to maximize learner engagement. Quantitative survey data were analyzed with descriptive statistics. Qualitative survey and interview data were coded and analyzed inductively to identify themes. Results  Seventy-five educators completed the survey (75/136, 55% response rate), and 11 participated in semistructured interviews. While educators facilitated a median of two FC sessions (interquartile range: 1, 5) during the RCT, 43 (57%) had not received prior training in FC facilitation. Qualitative data analyses generated five themes that aligned with quantitative survey results: (1) educator preferences, (2) unique FC facilitation skills, (3) learning environment optimization, (4) subject matter expertise, and (5) learner behavior management. Sixty-two educators (83%) felt they were well prepared to lead FC sessions. Thirty-six educators (48%) reported that unprepared learners disrupt the learning environment, and the provision of clear expectations and adequate time to prepare for FCs improves learner preparation. Strategies to facilitate effective FC sessions included creating a safe learning environment and engaging learners in critical thinking. Conclusion  Educators highlighted faculty development needs, strategies, and actions to promote effective FC facilitation. Further exploration through learner interviews will provide additional evidence for the development of best practices and resources for FC facilitation. Key Points Educators prefer the FC educational modality over traditional didactic lectures. Prior experiences in simulation debriefing provide foundational skills for new FC facilitators. Setting learner expectations and ensuring safe space in the classroom encourage learner engagement. Educator and learner preparation for FC is essential to optimize the learning experience. Unique approaches in facilitation are required to support all types of learners.


Introduction The aim of this study was to determine the best site for bone mineral density (BMD) measurements based on T-scores, age, and beverage consumption. Material and methods In this prospective study, 271 women stratified by age (average age: 61.9 years) underwent dual energy X-ray absorptiometry (DEXA) scanning of their lumbar spine, hips, and forearms. Osteoporosis was defined as a BMD of 2.5 standard deviations or more below the mean peak bone mass based on a reference population of adult women (translated as a T-score ≤ –2.5), as measured by DEXA. Participants were also evaluated regarding alcohol and caffeine consumption by a semiquantitative questionnaire. Results A significant discrepancy was observed in the classification of osteoporosis at different locations, with hip and forearm showing the best correlation (Pearson's r = 0.627, p < 0.001). In addition, for participants over 50 years of age, hip and forearm showed the best correlation. Significant correlations were also noted between forearm T-scores and caffeine consumed and, to a lesser extent, the level of alcohol consumption. In the group ≤ 50 years of age, lumbar spine and forearm T-scores were only associated with alcohol consumption. In the group over 50 years of age, hip and forearm T-scores were only associated with caffeine consumption. Conclusions Bone mineral density measurements at the hip and forearm correlated with caffeine consumption in elderly Taiwanese women. This is an important finding since age and caffeine consumption are known risk factors for osteoporosis.


Gastric cancer is common throughout Europe. In 2000 there were 192 000 new diagnoses, with 158 000 deaths. Outcome has remained poor despite advances in therapy, and an overall 5-year survival rate of about 20 per cent compares very unfavourably with that of 70 per cent achieved in Japan. European surgeons have tried to emulate the Japanese results. Dutch1 and UK2 trials have examined whether extended lymphadenectomy might prove as effective in Western patients. In both trials there was little initial difference between Western D1 dissection and more radical D2 dissection. Prolonged follow-up in the Dutch trial suggests a survival advantage in the D2 group, particularly if splenectomy and pancreatectomy are avoided. In contrast, in a randomized trial an Italian group3 has produced results similar to those of the Japanese, and reports from Germany4 and the UK5 have described similar advantages for D2 lymphadenectomy. Nevertheless, a Cochrane review of extended versus limited lymphadenectomy concluded that the former provided no benefit from the evidence available6. There are a number of confounding variables here, including the learning curve for a complex procedure, surgeon and surgical centre experience, and compliance with technical aspects. Although further trials might determine the best procedure for Western patients, these are unlikely to be done. Treatment decisions are now being made on the basis of surgical opinion. The Japanese rules were developed to standardize surgery so that outcomes could be compared meaningfully within and between institutes. Standardization and audit in Europe are an alternative to ensure that the most effective procedure is available to all patients. A consensus on standards in surgery is, therefore, essential to minimize differences and, by inference, improve outcomes. This would also enable robust comparisons of newer interventions, including minimally invasive procedures and innovative interventional endoscopy. Non-surgical treatments have been evaluated extensively in well designed trials. The Medical Research Council Adjuvant Gastric Infusional Chemotherapy (MAGIC)7, French cooperative8 and US Intergroup9 trials have all shown benefit with perioperative chemotherapy and postoperative chemoradiotherapy. Nevertheless, the 5-year survival rates of 36–45 per cent in these trials are significantly inferior to Japanese results. The Adjuvant Chemotherapy Trial of S-1 for Gastric Cancer (ACTS-GC)10 has reported a 3-year survival rate of 70 per cent in the control surgery arm compared with 80 per cent in the treatment arm. These trials have confirmed a biological effect with these modalities in gastric cancer, establishing their role in radical treatment. Further studies are required to build on the results. Assessment of biological responses to chemotherapy has shown that not all patients benefit from initial cycles. Early identification and exclusion of nonresponders might have advantages. Those not responding could proceed to surgery rather than undergoing additional non-contributory treatments, whereas responders would proceed with perioperative treatments. Management is thus evolving into an individualized approach, depending on particular characteristics of the patient. A greater understanding of the basic features of tumour biology should extend such tailored concepts. The role of biological agents, the most appropriate chemotherapy combinations and the place of chemoradiotherapy need to be evaluated in future studies. The sample size for such trials will need to be large if meaningful results are to be achieved. The MAGIC trial took 7 years to recruit 500 patients. Its successor is designed to recruit 1100 patients over 3 years. The Japanese have again set the standard as the ACTS-GC achieved this sample size in 3 years, recruiting from over 100 centres. Future studies must be fully supported and completed in a timely manner. Individual research groups will be unable to complete such studies on their own and funding bodies will be keen to ensure that their resources are used wisely, with worthwhile outcomes likely. Such trials will need multicentre collaboration, almost certainly with an international approach. The recent increase in oesophagogastric junctional cancers has been unprecedented in gastrointestinal cancer epidemiology. Siewert and Stein11 have classified these tumours according to their likely origin. However, there are uncertainties with


Gene expression profile‑based taxonomy of breast cancer (BC) has been described as a significant breakthrough in comprehending the differences in the origin and behavior of cancer to allow individually tailored therapeutic approaches. In line with this, we hypothesized that the gene expression profile of histologically normal epithelium (HNEpi) could harbor certain genetic abnormalities predisposing breast tissue cells to develop human epidermal growth factor receptor 2 (HER2)‑positive BC. Thus, the aim of the present study was to assess gene expression in normal and BC tissue (BCTis) from patients with BC in order to establish its value as a potential diagnostic marker for cancer development. An array study evaluating a panel of 84 pathway‑ and disease‑specific genes in HER2‑positive BC and tumor‑adjacent HNEpi was performed using quantitative polymerase chain reaction in 12 patients using microdissected samples from frozen tissue. Common prognostic and predictive parameters of BC were assessed by immunohistochemistry and in situ hybridization. In the BCTis and HNEpi samples of 12 HER2‑positive subjects with BC, the expression of 2,016 genes was assessed. A total of 39.3% of genes were deregulated at a minimal two‑fold deregulation rate and 10.7% at a five‑fold deregulation rate in samples of HNEpi or BCTis. Significant differences in gene expression between BCTis and HNEpi samples were revealed for BCL2L2, CD44, CTSD, EGFR, ERBB2, ITGA6, NGFB, RPL27, SCBG2A1 and SCGB1D2 genes (P<0.05), as well as GSN, KIT, KLK5, SERPINB5 and STC2 genes (P<0.01). Insignificant differences (P<0.07) were observed for CCNA1, CLU, DLC1, GABRP and IL6 genes. The ontological gene analyses revealed that the majority of the deregulated genes in the HNEpi samples were part of the functional gene group directly associated with BC origin and prognosis. Functional analysis showed that the most frequent gene deregulations occurred in genes associated with apoptosis and cell cycle regulation in BCTis samples, and with angiogenesis, regulation of the cell cycle and transcriptional activity in HNEpi samples. The molecular profiling of HNEpi breast tissue revealed gene expression abnormalities that may represent potential markers of increased risk for HER2‑positive malignant transformation of breast tissue, and may be able to be employed as predictors of prognosis.


Chronic uremia is often characterized by wasting of muscle and fat mass, which has been defined as protein-energy wasting (PEW), and is responsible for substantial worsening of patient outcome in terms of morbidity and mortality, mostly from cardiovascular events. Despite major advances in patient treatment, nutritional outcome in patients with end-stage renal disease has not improved substantially in recent years. Extensive research in this field has provided plausible explanations for this limitation by indicating that the pathogenesis of PEW in kidney disease is complex and multifactorial. Complexity involves underlying metabolic alterations, including inflammation, oxidative stress, and insulin resistance. In addition, patient heterogeneity is increasing with large numbers of obese individuals as a result of the ongoing obesity epidemics. Several tissues are involved in cross-talk and contribute to metabolic derangements, including adipose tissue, the gut, and the central nervous system, with novel mediators including the gastric hormone ghrelin. Acknowledging its complex pathogenesis may favor the development of novel and more effective therapeutic tools for PEW. These should ideally be effective in treating the underlying common mechanisms of wasting, which appear to include oxidative stress, inflammation, and insulin resistance.


The Leaning Bell Tower of Pisa has been included in the list of the World Heritage Sites by United Nations Educational, Scientific and Cultural Organization since 1987. Over the last twenty years, the Tower has successfully undergone a number of interventions to reduce its inclination. Despite its importance in the Italian cultural heritage, no studies about the dynamic behaviour of this monument had been carried out until the 1990s. Starting from the results obtained by the Committee for the Safeguard of the Tower, a novel investigation campaign about the dynamic parameters characterising the Tower has begun in 2014. This paper aims at discussing the main results obtained until today. After a short history of the construction and of the interventions on the Tower, the following topics are discussed: a review of historical seismicity, dynamic identification, definition of seismic input, site response analysis, and seismic response accounting for soil-structure interaction. The studies made on the Tower highlight the importance of soil-structure interaction in the survival of the Tower due to strong seismic events since the middle ages.


Campomanesia eugenioides , Campomanesia xanthocarpa (Berg) and Campomanesia xanthocarpa var. littoralis are native fruits plants distributed in Brazil, which are popularly recognized for their nutritional, economic and cultural values. Given the scarcity of the controlled scientific studies comparing native Campomanesia varieties, the objective of this study was to characterize the fruits of Campomanesia eugenioides , Campomanesia xanthocarpa and Campomanesia xanthocarpa var. littoralis , regarding chemical composition and nutritional value through the quantification of carbohydrates, lipids, moisture, ash, proteins and fibers; the minerals Ca, Mg, P, Cu, Zn, Mn, Fe, K, Na content; vitamin C and carotenoids content. These varieties showed distinct physicochemical characteristics with small differences mainly about ash content and caloric values. Nevertheless, C. xanthocarpa var. littoralis showed higher values for fiber content, total soluble solids, and total titratable acidity. C. eugenioides species highlighted in relation to the vitamin C and mineral contents, with an exception for C. xanthocarpa var. littoralis that showed higher iron content. C. xanthocarpa had the highest carotenoid content, confirming that these fruits have functional properties and high nutritional value. Finally, this study will provide important scientific data supporting the application of valuable fruits from three edible Campomanesia species for producing bioactive ingredients and natural preservatives for food products.


The post‐translational acetylation of lysine residues is found in many nonhistone proteins and is involved in a wide range of biological processes. Recently, we showed that the nucleoprotein of the influenza A virus is acetylated by histone acetyltransferases (HATs), a phenomenon that affects viral transcription. Here, we report that the PA subunit of influenza A virus RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase is acetylated by the HATs, P300/CREB‐binding protein‐associated factor (PCAF), and general control nonderepressible 5 (GCN5), resulting in accelerated endonuclease activity. Specifically, the full‐length PA subunit expressed in cultured 293T cells was found to be strongly acetylated. Moreover, the partial recombinant protein of the PA N‐terminal region containing the endonuclease domain was also acetylated by PCAF and GCN5 in vitro, which facilitated its endonuclease activity. Mass spectrometry analyses identified K19 as a candidate acetylation target in the PA N‐terminal region. Notably, the substitution of the lysine residue at position 19 with glutamine, a mimic of the acetyl‐lysine residue, enhanced its endonuclease activity in vitro; this point mutation also accelerated influenza A virus RNA‐dependent RNA polymerase activity in the cell. Our findings suggest that PA acetylation is important for the regulation of the endonuclease and RNA polymerase activities of the influenza A virus.


Proceedings: AACR 104th Annual Meeting 2013; Apr 6-10, 2013; Washington, DC

There is evidence that mechanical properties and deformability can be used as a biomarker to distinguish between healthy and cancerous cells. A number of biophysical techniques such as atomic force microscopy (AFM), and optical tweezers have been used to measure the mechanical properties of cancer cells. Deformability of a whole cell, which depends on the properties of the cytoplasm, the cytoskeleton and the nucleus, can be defined in terms of the strain response of the cell to an applied stress. Two different cell mechanical behaviors have been observed: 1) circulating white blood cells behave as liquid drops with a cortical tension; 2) most tissue cells behave as viscoelastic solids. In this study, micropipette aspiration was used to investigate deformability differences between two breast cancer cell lines: BT-20 and Hs578T. Hs578T breast cancer cells have been reported to have a stem-like phenotype, whereas BT-20 cells are more recognized as being non-stem-like. Cancer cells were aspirated one-by-one at controlled pressures into small glass micropipettes with radius, Rp, while the length of the aspirated section of the cell inside the micropipette, L, was measured. Two different aspiration procedures have been developed: 1) ramp test and 2) creep test. In the ramp test, suction pressure was increased linearly using a syringe pump, while for the creep test, the pressure was increased rapidly and then kept constant during the experiment. Using the ramp test, graphs of cell deformation (L/Rp) versus applied pressure, showed a linear trend for small deformations for both BT-20 and Hs578T cells, while for large deformations, the graphs were no longer linear. One explanation for this, was that above a deformation threshold the cells were exhibiting liquid-like behavior. This was tested using a constant aspiration pressure in the creep test. It was seen that half of the cells fully entered the micropipettes at constant pressure, a character of liquid drops, while the rest reached an equilibrium position, which implies a viscoelastic behavior for the cells. It could be concluded that for small deformations, cells mostly have solid-like behavior, while for large deformations they could exhibit liquid-like or viscoelastic behaviors. We also found that stem-like cancer cells are softer than non-stem-like cells with no significant differences between the mechanical properties of their cytoplasmic and nuclear regions, which allows them to deform more easily while undergoing extravasation and intravasation processes during metastasis. Our hypothesis is that the stem-like or non-stem-like phenotype of cancer cells is correlated with differences in mechanical properties. If these differences are significant enough, mechanical properties could be used as a biomarker for stemness of cells, which could eventually lead to a new diagnostic method in cancer research. This work was supported by grant CBET-1106118 from the National Science Foundation.

Citation Format: Ameneh Mohammadalipour, Fabian Benencia, Monica M. Burdick, David F. J. Tees. Mechanical properties of cancer cells: a possible biomarker for stemness. [abstract]. In: Proceedings of the 104th Annual Meeting of the American Association for Cancer Research; 2013 Apr 6-10; Washington, DC. Philadelphia (PA): AACR; Cancer Res 2013;73(8 Suppl):Abstract nr 3766. doi:10.1158/1538-7445.AM2013-3766


On the international scale of measurement, Vietnam stands out as a country that has successfully accomplished the objectives of minimizing the spread of COVID-19. These objectives have been achieved through several factors, including the Government's commitment, excellent success of the health service, and the "wholeheartedness" of the armed forces, especially the social consensus, which is clearly reflected in the decisions and policies made. Among those crucial decisions, the stable social security system has been the key priority of the government of Vietnam because it provides a strong foundation for the disadvantaged, who are not expected to overcome the pandemic based on their low-level "resistance." The article aims at illustrating Vietnam's social security interventions and strategies when faced the global COVID-19 pandemic and it also draws some experience that need to be referenced in implementing Social Security Society witnessed from Vietnamese reality.


In this chapter, Dorothy Williams explores important new understandings and ideas about information literacy and other literacies of relevance to learning in higher education. Arguing that the information process and the learning process are closely intertwined, she identifies information literacy as a meta-competency that in the networked environment encompasses other literacies such as media literacy, digital literacy and e-literacy. She notes the increasing emphasis, in emerging definitions of information literacy, not only on information sources and searching but also on higher-order capabilities relating to information use in knowledge creation and sharing, and she suggests that there are implications here for the design of information literacy programmes. At the same time she suggests a need to develop new pedagogical approaches – in particular, approaches that engage closely with learners' personal experiences and conceptions of information seeking and use in specific contexts, and encourage critical reflection on differing approaches and perspectives. This in turn suggests a redefinition of the librarian's role as information literacy educator, with a shift away from direct instruction towards a key role in facilitating the dialogical interactions between learner and tutor, and among learners, that are at the heart of constructivist and relational conceptions of learning and teaching. Introduction The ability to find, critically evaluate and use information meaningfully in response to need has long been recognized as central to learning and decision-making. The library and information profession has consistently argued for its significance in relation to a wide range of learning theories and educational concepts in the English-speaking world over many years – independent learning, resource-based learning, problem-based learning and critical thinking, to name but a few. It is argued that schools, colleges and universities need to ensure learners develop confidence in information handling to equip them to make decisions and cope with change throughout life, as active critical citizens, life-long learners and evidence-based practitioners. By the last decade of the 20th century the term 'information literacy', initially coined in the 1970s (Carbo, 1997), had become widely used in the library and information profession to denote the ability to search for, evaluate and use information. Yet it could be said that there have been as many attempts to define the precise nature of information literacy as there have been learning theories.


* The prevalence of mental illness among homeless people is high * The prevalence of schizophrenia among residents of hostels in Edinburgh was lower in 1992 (9%) than in 1966 (25%) despite the 66% reduction in non-geriatric psychiatric beds over the same period * The policy of community care and reduction in numbers of psychiatric beds need not lead to an increase in the prevalence of schizophrenia in homeless people in hostels * The prevalence of schizophrenia among homeless people remains much higher than in the general population


A dynamic view on meanings as context change potentials provides a substantial account of the dependence of focused answers on the context set up by their preceding questions. Questions pose conditions on the focal structure of their answers and can further restrict the domain of subsequent focusing operators like only . Standard analyses of focus define congruence in terms of identity between the question meaning and the focal alternatives of the answer. Most existing dynamic analyses of questions have been developed in the tradition of the partition theory of Groenendijk and Stokhof. This chapter presents update semantics of questions and focuses building on Gawron's dynamic model of domain restriction. It describes how dynamic analysis gives an interesting characterization of the notion of discourse congruence which covers contextual restrictions. Finally, the chapter explains how questions can restrict the domain of quantificational sentences used later in a discourse within dynamic semantics. Keywords: discourse congruence; domain restriction; dynamic semantics; Gawron's dynamic model; partition theory


BJECTIVES
Acute kidney injury (AKI) is a frequent event in patients with an acute heart failure (AHF) and is associated with a poor short and long-term outcome. The aim of this study was to describe diagnostic yield of selected novel biomarkers in prediction of AKI in patients admitted for AHF.

METHODS
We performed a prospective cohort study of 72 consecutive patients (46/26 M/F) aged 69±10,3 years admitted for AHF. Renal damage was defined according to KDIGO guidelines. Patients were divided into the two groups: AKI- (without renal injury, n=52) and AKI+ (with renal injury, n=20). Urine samples for AKI biomarkers measurements (NGAL, TIMP2, IGFBP7) were collected at the admission. The ROC and linear logistic regression of new biomarkers and selected clinical variables was performed for the evaluation of the AKI prediction.

RESULTS
The patients with AKI+ were older (median age: 75 vs 64 years, p=0.01), had lower BMI (median: 28 vs 29.5 kg/m2, p=0.04), were with a higher proportion of patients with HF with a reduced ejection fraction (55 % vs 23.1 %, p=0.01) and a higher level of serum NTproBNP. Urinary NGAL at admission was significantly higher in the AKI+ compared to the AKI - group (152 vs 19.5 ng/mL, p<0.0001); also median of u-TIMP-2 and u-IGFBP-7 in the AKI+ patients was significantly higher: 194.1 versus 42.5 ng/mL (p<0.0001) and 379 versus 92.4 pg/mL (p<0.0001) resp. Age, u-NGAL, u-TIMP2, u-IGFBP7, s-haemoglobin, NTproBNP and LVEF were associated with the development of AKI. Urine concentration of IGFBP-7 was measured, which is the best marker for the prediction of AKI (AUC 0.94).

CONCLUSION
Urine concentrations of NGAL, TIMP2, IGFBP7 at the time of admission for AHF predicted a development of AKI. Age, NTproBNP, LVEF and s-haemoglobin were also associated with AKI in AHF patients (Tab. 3, Fig. 3, Ref. 22). Text in PDF www.elis.sk Keywords: biomarkers, cardiorenal syndrome, acute heart failure.


The use of the Internet for business-critical and real-time services is growing day after day. Random node (link) failures and targeted attacks against the network affect all types of traffic, but mainly critical services. For these services, most of the time it is not possible to wait for the complete network recovery; the best approach is to act in a proactive way by improving redundancy and network robustness. In this paper, we study network resilience and propose a resilience factor to measure the network level of robustness and protection against targeted attacks. We also propose strategies to improve resilience by simple alterations in the network topology. Our proposal is compared with previous approaches, and experimental results on selected network topologies confirmed the effectiveness of the approach.


In the deep penetration laser welding of materials as well as in other laser material processing it is usual for the laser to generate a keyhole in the material. One of the principal mechanisms of energy absorption in the keyhole is the Fresnel absorption process on the keyhole wall. In order to take account of the Fresnel absorption process properly it is necessary to include the effect of multiple reflections in the keyhole. With this end in view an axisymmetrical numerical model is presented in which the keyhole geometry is not fixed at the outset, but instead the keyhole wall is considered to be a free boundary whose shape changes after each iteration in the numerical process. In this connection each complete set of reflections constitutes a step in the iteration process. Convergence is reached for a reasonably wide set of initial geometries and discretization steps. The model is used to analyse keyhole profiles and intensity distributions with depth for the cases of a Gaussian and of a uniform top-hat distribution in the laser beam. The model allows the effect of inverse bremsstrahlung absorption in the keyhole to be taken into account, this being the other principal mechanism for the absorption of laser light in the keyhole.


BACKGROUND Thrombosis is a relatively rare event in children. However, many conditions in the neonatal period result in an increased risk of thrombus formation. The major risk factor is the indwelling intravascular catheter. Numerous small studies have reported experience of thrombolytic treatment for neonatal thrombotic disease with a wide range of different thrombolytic agents in various forms of administration, dosage, and duration, but no conclusions on the most effective treatment for neonates has been reached. OBJECTIVE To assess the efficacy and safety of thrombolytic treatment of neonatal catheter related thrombus (CRT) formation with recombinant tissue plasminogen activator (rt-PA). METHOD Over a six year period, 14 neonates with CRT were treated with the same rt-PA protocol (an initial bolus of 0.7 mg/kg over 30–60 minutes followed by infusion of 0.2 mg/kg/h). RESULTS Complete clot dissolution was documented in 11 patients, and partial clot lysis in two patients, leading to a patency rate of 94%. In two cases, local bleeding occurred, resulting in treatment failure in one case. Finally, antithrombin III substitution was required in one case. No other complications such as severe bleeding were recognised. CONCLUSION With the use of close clinical and haematological monitoring on a neonatal intensive care unit combined with serial two dimensional colour echocardiography, the present rt-PA protocol was shown to be a safe and effective method of clot dissolution in neonates.


To determine the importance of bacteremia in hospitalized patients with diarrhea in Bangladesh, from September 1982 through August 1983 the authors obtained blood for culture from 1,824 patients who were suspected of having sepsis (44% of all admissions). Nontyphoid bacteremia occurred in 243 patients. The most common pathogens were the Enterobacteriaceae (n = 66 episodes), Staphylococcus aureus (n = 65), Pseudomonas aeruginosa and other non-glucose-fermenting bacilli (n = 50), Streptococcus pneumoniae (n = 40), and Haemophilus influenzae (n = 16). When compared with an equal number of control patients without bacteremia, bacteremic patients were significantly (p less than 0.05) more likely to be under 1 year of age (46.5% of bacteremic patients vs. 30.0% of control patients) and more often had abdominal tenderness (20.1% vs. 11.5%), hypoproteinemia (a serum protein level less than 60 g/liter) (58.9% vs. 42.9%), and a prior intravenous infusion (49.0% vs. 30.9%). The case-fatality rate was 29.7% in bacteremic patients versus 7.8% in controls (relative risk (RR) = 3.8, p less than 0.001). Factors that were associated with an increased risk of death in bacteremic patients were infection with a Gram-negative pathogen (RR = 2.48), decreased peristalsis (RR = 2.66), hypoproteinemia (RR = 3.36), hypothermia (RR = 2.54), and hypotension (RR = 2.19). Bacteremia appears to be an important link between diarrheal illness and death in Bangladesh. In children with diarrhea who are suspected of being septic, early implementation of antimicrobial therapy that is effective against the broad range of pathogens identified appears to be indicated.


The diesel engine, which has high compression ratio than other heat engines, has been using as the main power source of marine transport. Especially, since marine diesel engines offer better specific fuel consumption (SFC), it is environment-friendly compared to those used in other industries. However, attentio should be focused on emissions such as nitrous oxide (N 2 O) which is generated from combustion of low-grade fuels. Because N2O in the atmosphere is very stable, the global warming potential (GWP) of N 2 O is 310 times as large as that of CO 2 , and it becomes a source of secondary contamination after photo-degradation in the stratosphere. It has been hitherto noted on the N 2 O exhaust characteristics from stationary power plants and land transportations, but reports on N 2 O emission from the marine diesel engine are very limited. In this experimental study, a author investigated N 2 O emission characteristics by using changed diesel fuel components of nitrogen and sulfur concentration, assessed on the factors which affect N 2 O generation in combustion. The experimental results showed that N 2 O emission exhibited increasement with increasing of sulfur concentration in fuel. However, all kinds of nitrogen component additives used in experiment could not change N 2 O emission.


ABSTRACT Properly prepared design documents are crucial to the success of construction projects. Poor design documents can have a range of adverse effects on various construction project stakeholders. This research explored the significance of various consequences of Design Documents' Deficiencies (DDDs) on large construction projects. A comprehensive literature review, and questionnaire survey were conducted. Overall, 15 consequences were identified. Based on responses from 41 designers and 30 contractors, a significance index was assigned to each of the identified consequences of DDDs. The most significant consequences of DDDs were 'design changes' and 'frequent change orders', respectively. The test of agreement revealed a moderate-high level of agreement between designers and contractors. The findings were used to recommend an action plan for preventing the occurrence of DDDs. It is envisioned that this research will increase the awareness of the consequences of DDDs, and hence, contribute to their reduction. The study contributes to the literature by identifying various consequences of DDDs from diverse sources and synthesizing them into a single study. The study also provides separate and combined viewpoints of two key stakeholders of construction projects on the impact DDDs can have on themselves, and the project as a whole. The study contributes to the literature by identifying the various consequences of DDDs in a fast-growing economy in which minor design errors can translate to substantial financial losses. Further, the identified consequences can be employed as performance measures for assessing an organizations' progress towards continuous improvement of their design practice.


A variety of axially chiral biaryldiols were synthesized in good yields with excellent atropo-enantioselectivities through construction of axially chiral indoles catalyzed by asymmetric hydrogen-bond donors. In addition, the new axially chiral compounds were proved to be efficient and practical catalysts for asymmetric catalysis. The strategy not only provides a novel method to synthesize axially chiral compounds but also extends the scope of chiral catalysts.


The mathematical modeling of solar cells and panels is critical in many photovoltaic applications. However, the standard single-diode solar cell model, commonly selected to model these devices, is implicit and difficult to be integrated into simulation software. Therefore, exact explicit solutions of this model, more suitable for computing purposes, have been proposed based on the Lambert W-function. This work introduces an explicit single-diode, easy-to-use six-parameter solar cell model. The proposed model is formulated with elementary functions. The model is developed and tested over seven photovoltaic technologies as an alternative to traditional approaches. Results of the extensive comparison of the three models (implicit, explicit Lambert W, and explicit six-parameter) show that the proposed approach is more accurate (14.81% relative improvement on average compared to the traditional methods), almost as fast as the Lambert W approach and much faster than the implicit approach. Due to its simplicity and accuracy, the proposed model will become an alternative in photovoltaic applications such as energy prediction and maximum power point tracking.


Abstract : A Defense Women's Health Research Program sponsored protocol was conducted at Yuma Proving Ground (YPG), AZ, on 19-27 September 1995. Four female subjects participated in four activities in a hot, dry environment: walk-rest exercise in MOPP-0 and MOPP-4 at 3 mph for a maximum of 2 h 40 min and self-paced, two-person litter carriage with a 68 kg (150 lbs) "casualty" in the same uniforms. Metabolic rates for the walking and self-paced litter carriage tasks were also measured. The results are summarized in Table 1. For walking in MOPP-0, mean endurance time (ET) was 140 plus or minus 40 min and the increase in rectal temperature (Tre) was 0.93 plus or minus 0.27 C vs. an ET of 29 plus or minus 8 min and a Tre of 1.28 plus or minus 0.40 C in MOPP-4. For the litter carriage the ET values in MOPP-0 and MOPP-4 were 59 plus or minus 35 min vs. 43 plus or minus 19 min and for Tre the values were 0.69 plus or minus 0.51 C vs. 0.76 plus or minus 0.41. For walking, the increased physiological strain related to the chemical protective (CP) clothing worn in MOPP-4 was the apparent reason for the reduced activity time on the second day. During both days of litter carriage, the most common reason for termination was skeletal-muscular problems rather than heat stress, but the last subject in MOPP-4 stopped with indicators of thermal strain. This suggests that although muscular-skeletal problems were the proximate limiting factor for most subjects, thermal strain would have occurred within a short time. Mean results for Tre were compared with values predicted by two models: the Heat Strain Decision Aid (HSDA) and the SCENARIO model. Comparisons of predictive modeling results to subject responses show reasonable agreement with mean subject responses for both models.


I extend the Cox, Ross, Rubinstein binomial model to price Parisian options and compare it with Monte-Carlo simulation. The CRR tree is extended to solve the path-dependence of Parisian options by keeping track of a vector of prices that the Parisian option may take at each tree node under different scenarios. The extended model can be applied to price a class of path-dependent options with minimal modifications. I also incorporate the method for choosing the number of time-steps that will yield more precise price estimates. The results are then compared to those given by closed-form formulas in the limiting cases by setting time-below the barrier (in a knock-out option) to be zero or longer than the option maturity. The extended binomial model requires less computing time to produce accurate results when compared with the Monte-Carlo approach. Moreover, with a small modification, the extended binomial model can price American style Parisian options. On the other hand, Monte-Carlo simulation is superior to account for discrete price monitoring and to provide likely error in the pricing estimates.


Introduction Loss of an eye caused by cancer, trauma, or congenital defect creates a deep psychological impact on an individual's life especially social and professional life. Custom-made prosthesis, compared to stock prosthesis, provides a better fit to the eye socket, better cosmetic results, and less discomfort to the patient in the long term. The main objective of this article was to describe 3 different alternative and practical techniques of fabricating custom-made ocular prosthesis. Case Report An impression of anophthalmic socket was made with the addition of cured silicone-based precision impression material in all techniques. A master cast was prepared and duplicated with condensation silicone. A self-cure acrylic resin was polymerized in the silicone model and was fitted into the patient's eye socket. A digital photograph of the patient's iris was made using a digital camera and printed on good-quality photo paper in various shades and sizes in the first and the second techniques. Then the photo paper was coated with PVC so as not to allow any color flowing. The proper iris was then inserted to the acrylic base. The prosthesis was final processed using orthodontic heat polymerizing clear acrylic resin. In the other technique, after the trying-in process with wax pattern, an acrylic base was fabricated using heat polymerizing scleral acrylic resin. The prosthetic iris was fabricated from a transparent contact lens by painting the lens with watercolor paints and attaching it to an acrylic resin with tissue conditioner. The final process was made with heat polymerizing transparent acrylic resin. Conclusions Custom-made prosthesis allows better esthetic and functional results to the patient in comparison to stock prosthesis. Further follow-up is necessary to check the condition and fit of the ocular prosthesis in such patients.


Human hunter-gatherers evolved a life strategy that involved extensive sharing of food and support within and across generations, social behaviors that coevolved with the cognitive and emotional mental apparatus needed to sustain such sophisticated sociality. Adults at all ages produced surplus food which was transferred downwards to children, to support their prolonged period of nutritional dependency, until around age 20. Over a long period of economic development, and a shorter period of demographic transition, generational relations interacted with the changing environment, including changing population age distributions, life cycle behavior, technologies, and institutional arrangements. Similar patterns may have held during land abundant subsistence agriculture, but in intensive agriculture, perhaps due to their property rights in land, the elderly became net consumers in a stage of partial retirement, when they were sustained in part by food transfers from their adult children. At the same time, assets in general became more important – land, buildings, property of all sorts. These assets provided an alternative means for the elderly to support themselves in retirement. These trends continued as agriculture gave way to industry, with retirement earlier and more complete. The growth of a public sector reinforced the pattern of downward transfers with public education and health care for children. However, as states industrialized and the welfare state grew, transfers to the elderly for pensions and health care became increasingly important, with a fiscal effect exacerbated by population aging. At the same time, the growth of capital and financial institutions provided new forms of asset accumulation along with private pensions. These two trends reduced the role of the family in providing for the elderly. Our evolved sociality and ethic of sharing and fairness is now expressed through welfare state redistributive programs, and continuing and intensifying public and private investment in children. But now population aging, interacting with the public programs for the elderly, has led to a reversal in the direction of resource flows across age, from downward (old to young) to upward (young to old). We are currently able both to invest in the young and care for the newly dependent elderly. However, the old age dependency ratio is projected to double or triple in coming decades in the rich industrial countries. The public costs of the elderly may increasingly compete with investments in children through the public sector budget constraint. It remains to be seen whether the elderly, in the context of new public policies, will opt to work until substantially older ages, and whether the rapid growth of health care expenditures will be restrained.


The experimental realisation of a set of surface-based devices for controlling the positions and velocities of Rydberg atoms initially travelling in pulsed supersonic beams is described. The unique aspect of these devices is that they are based on the geometry of two-dimensional electrical transmission-lines and are therefore suited to integration with chip-based microwave circuits to realise a complete Rydberg laboratory on a chip. Such a chip-based laboratory could be exploited in hybrid approaches to quantum information processing, and for studies of collisions and decay processes of highly excited atoms and molecules. The devices operate through the generation of inhomogeneous electric fields and take advantage of the large electric dipole moments associated with high Rydberg states to exert forces on the atoms. In the experiments, helium atoms in Rydberg-Stark states with principal quantum numbers ranging from 48 to 52 and electric dipole moments of 10000 D are employed. The devices developed include electrostatic guides which permitted control over the transverse motion of beams of atoms. These were used to transport samples, initially travelling at 1950 m/s and deflect them away from their initial axis of propagation. The guided atoms were detected by pulsed electric field ionisation. To control the longitudinal motion of the samples, the transmission-lines were modified to permit the generation of sets of continuously moving electric traps. The resulting transmission-line decelerators were then employed to guide, accelerate and decelerate atoms trapped in three-dimensions. Accelerations up to 2.3 x 10^{7} m/s^{2} were applied to decelerate samples from 2000 m/s to zero-velocity in the laboratory-fixed frame of reference, leading to the removal of 80 meV of kinetic energy, the largest achieved in any Stark decelerator to date. The decelerated atoms were trapped in stationary electric traps and detected in situ. The phase-space acceptances of the decelerators were calculated to characterise the effects of acceleration and deceleration on the trapped atoms. The results of the calculations were employed in the interpretation of the experimental data, and to identify effects of collisions and blackbody transitions.


New materials for achieving direct electric field control of ferromagnetism and resistance behavior are highly desirable in the development of multifunctional data storage devices. In this paper, HfO2 nanoporous films have been fabricated on porous anodic alumina (PAA) substrates by DC-reactive magnetron sputtering. Electrically induced resistive switching (RS) and modulated room temperature ferromagnetism are simultaneously found in a Ag/HfO2/PAA/Al (Ag/HP/Al) heterostructure. The switching mechanism between low resistance state and high resistance state is generally attributed to the formation/rupture of conductive filaments which may consist of oxygen vacancies. The combination of the electric field control of magnetization change and RS makes HP films possible for the multifunctional data storage media materials.


This study examines whether Malaysian public listed companies (PLCs) use deferred taxes to avoid an earnings decline. In addition, this study also examines whether corporate governance mechanisms attenuate the extent to which deferred taxes are used to manage earnings. Using a sample of 221 PLCs listed on the main and second boards of Bursa Malaysia in 2008 with a complete set of data available from 2005 to 2008, this study finds that Malaysian PLCs use both the accrual and valuation allowance components of net deferred tax liabilities to avoid a decline in earnings. The study also finds that ownership structure and board structure affect the extent to which earnings management is associated with a deferred tax component.


We present a new method for improving the performances of variational autoencoder (VAE). In addition to enforcing the deep feature consistency principle thus ensuring the VAE output and its corresponding input images to have similar deep features, we also implement an adversarial generative training mechanism to force the VAE to output realistic and natural images. We present experimental results to show that the VAE trained with our new method outperform state of the art in generating face images with much clearer and more natural noses, eyes, teeth, hair textures as well as reasonable backgrounds. We also show that the VAE trained with the new method can extract more effective features that outperform state of the art in facial attribute recognition.


Man, in contact with the pathogens in his environment, responds by developing immunity with or without symptomatic illness. The incidence of infectious disease in a community depends on the parasitic factor or "infection pressure," and the host factor, "herd immunity," i.e., the resistance of the community as a whole to the infection. Environment is only a secondary factor which alters the relative values of the two primary factors. Morbidity varies directly as the "infection pressure," and inversely as the "herd immunity." The great difficulty heretofore has been to separate the two factors expressing morbidity. In diphtheria, to some extent, this is now possible by means of the Schick test. By using clues gained from the study of diphtheria, and examining the age-incidence, severity, and fatality, of other infections under various environmental conditions, the hypothesis is reached that herd-immunity increases with the herd's past experience of the bacterial causes of most, if not all, infectious diseases. This immunity may be acquired latently, without illness, and, even if not always enough to prevent symptomatic infection, may be such that severity and fatality are decreased. The process is an example of the general biological mechanism by which the members of a species acquire adaptative variations more suitable to the environment. Of recent years air-borne droplet infections have caused less fatality and trouble to the English herd than a century ago. The manifold increase of the density and of the motion in the English herd must have greatly raised the average infection-pressure, but since severity of clinical disease has diminished and incidence has not increased in proportion, the herd-immunity of the English must have outstripped the increase of infection-pressure, i.e., the herd has become more closely adapted to its bacterial environment. It must not, however, be forgotten that adaptive fluctuations in parasitic characters must also play some part in all the phenomena of infectious disease.


Aims: The studied drug is lacking the presence of chromophore so a reaction with NBD-Cl is optimized to facilitate its chromatographic detection, so the main aim of the work is to quantify pamidronate in a sensitive and accurate way either in bulk or dosage forms. Methodology: The quantification of this group of drugs is a challenging task as they lack the presence of chromophore groups in their structure. The proposed method depends on the chromatographic quantification of the studied drug after its derivatization via its reaction with 4Chloro-7-nitro-2,1,3-benzoxazole and the product is separated on ODS C18 column (5 μm, 15 cm x 5 mm, i.d.) as a stationary phase and methanol : water (8:2, v/v) as a mobile phase. The flow rate was 1 ml/min. Results: The studied drug can be determined in the range of 900 3000 ng/mL after optimizing the assay conditions to get optimum stationary – mobile phases match. Method validation is performed Original Research Article Abdel-Gawad et al.; JPRI, 32(37): 1-6, 2020; Article no.JPRI.63689 2 according to USP-guidelines and different validation parameters like, linearity, accuracy, precision and robustness are calculated and found to be excellent. Conclusion: The proposed method is accurate, sensitive and can be applied for the routine analysis of pamidronate in quality control laboratories.


Theileria parva (T. parva) causes a highly serious bovine disease called East Coast fever (ECF), which is characterized by pyrexia, dyspnea and cachexia and is of great economic importance in African countries. We hypothesize that the clinical symptoms of ECF could be explained by a cytokine dysregulation. In this study, we investigated the relationship between T. parva DNA load and expression levels of cytokine mRNAs in leukocytes from experimentally infected calves by quantitative PCR. The p104 gene, which encodes the T. parva 104 kDa microneme-rhoptry protein, was detected in cattle blood from day 10 after T. parva-infected tick infestation, and the protozoan DNA load was increased together with severity of disease. The mRNA expressions of pro-inflammatory cytokines, such as interleukin (IL)-1beta and IL-6, were up-regulated with protozoan DNA load increasing. In addition, the level of a type-2 cytokine (IL-10) transcript was also increased during the acute phase. In contrast, the down-regulation or no detectable levels of the expression of type-1 cytokines, such as IL-2 and interferon (IFN)-gamma were observed in T. parva-infected animals. Thus, our observations indicated that high protozoan load and resulting intense inflammatory responses might be involved in the severity of clinical signs observed in T. parva-infection.


This paper focusses on issues related to the limitation of effective email service usage that can, in turn, affect the quality of communication in Middle Eastern countries' organisations. The use of email services have become more common in Middle Eastern countries following the recent introduction of electronic technologies and email systems are now used as a way to manage everyday work in Saudi Arabia organisations and universities. However, most employees in Saudi Arabian organisations and universities are not fully familiar with the use of email services and do not use them effectively, rarely checking or replying to their emails and leaving their mailboxes cluttered with unwanted emails they have not deleted. A properly functioning email service could lead to better communication which could, in turn, lead to better information security systems across Saudi Arabian universities. Princess Nora University (PNU) is used as a case study.
Most universities and organisations worldwide have their own guidelines for effective use of email and make them available to their employees, whether in the form of formal training, or published guidelines. Unfortunately, few universities in Saudi Arabia have guidelines for effective use of email features for their employees. A survey has been conducted to measure the effectiveness of email usage within a single Saudi Arabian university, PNU. Based on the survey results and an analysis of the role of the Saudi culture and environment, culturally adapted guidelines will be implemented for effective usage of email at PNU. The guidelines should help in motivating employees to make greater and more effective use of the email service to improve communication between employees.


Aim: To investigate the association between LRP5 gene polymorphisms and response to alendronate in Chinese osteoporotic women. Materials & methods: Six hundred and thirty nine Chinese postmenopausal women with osteopenia or osteoporosis were included and received alendronate treatment. The A1330V polymorphism of LRP5 was investigated. Bone mineral density (BMD) and bone turnover markers (ALP and b-isomerized carboxy-telopeptide of type I collagen [b-CTX]) were measured before and after treatment. The correlation of LRP5 polymorphisms with changes in BMD and bone turnover biomarkers were analyzed after treatment. Results: After 12 months of treatment, participants with CC and CT genotypes had a larger increase in lumbar spine BMD and a larger decrease in serum b-CTX and ALP levels than those with TT genotype (all p < 0.001). No significant genotype–treatment interaction was found in hip BMD. Conclusion: The A1330V polymorphism of LRP5 is possibly correlated with response to alendronate treatment in Chinese women with osteoporosis, and the TT genotype could possibly predict a weak response to alendronate.


Spherical monogenics of complex degree correspond to local eigenfunctions of the (Atiyah-Singer) Dirac operator on the unit sphere. Sm−1 of . In this paper we will consider the L2 -boundary value theory for this class of functions. The main Theorem is a higher dimensional version of the Kerzman-Stein Theorem of complex analysis in the plane.


Histograms of extrinsic information are used to explain the performance gain of standard turbo codes with number of iterations. The simulation results presented clearly show the Gaussian nature of the extrinsic information and they also establish a heuristic link with performance gain. Based on the histogram plots, a modified form of turbo encoding and decoding structure is proposed. The encoder is formed with three parallelly concatenated recursive systematic convolutional (RSC) encoding blocks separated by two random interleavers, subsequently a heuristic method is proposed about the way the extrinsic information is fed to the three blocks in the decoder. A new scaling of extrinsic information is proposed based on the observations made on new structure as well as performance gain in standard turbo structure.


In this study, the influence of a material's plastic properties on the crack tip fields and dislocation density behavior is analytically and numerically analyzed using the conventional mechanism-based strain-gradient plasticity (CMSGP) theory established using the Taylor model. The material constitutive equation is implemented in a commercial finite element code by a user subroutine, and the crack tip fields are evaluated with novel parameters in the form of the intrinsic material length, characterizing the scale over which gradient effects become significant. As a consequence of the strain-gradient contribution, FE results show a significant increase in the magnitude of the stress fields of CMSGP when the material length parameter is considered. It is found that the density of geometrically necessary dislocations (GND) is large around the crack tip, but it rapidly decreases away from the crack tip. On the contrary, the density of statistically stored dislocations (SSD) is not as large as geometrically necessary dislocations around the crack tip, but it decreases much slower than GND away from the crack tip. A couple effect of material work hardening and the crack tip distance is identified.


OBJECTIVES: Incidence of opportunistic protozoal infections causing diarrheal illnesses in patients with HIV has decreased since the introduction of highly active antiretroviral therapy (HAART). The objective of this study was to determine whether the parasites, cryptosporidia, and microsporidia were effectively eradicated or only suppressed following treatment. DESIGN: Six HIV-positive patients with diarrheal symptoms caused by cryptosporidia or microsporidia were prospectively followed up with stool samples and duodenal biopsies. Samples were taken before HAART, between 1 to 3 months, and 6 months post-HAART. METHODS: Duodenal samples were analyzed using routine histology and transmission electron microscopy. Stool samples were analyzed by both light microscopy and polymerase chain reaction (PCR) techniques. RESULTS: Patients who responded successfully to HAART eradicated both cryptosporidial and microsporidial organisms. Symptoms improved within 1 month of therapy but complete eradication of the organisms was only observed after 6 months of treatment. CONCLUSIONS: AIDs-related cryptosporidiosis and microsporidiosis can be cured following successful antiretroviral therapy.


Generally, the planning of highway is designed on the basis of the traffic volume prediction. Because the influence factors of the traffic volume prediction are indeterminate, it leads to great discrepancy between the traffic prediction and the actual volume. Grey-markov forecasting model was founded by applying the model of GM (1,1) and Markov random process theory. The model utilizes the advantages of Grey-markov GM (1,1) forecasting model and Markov random process in order to discover the developing and varying tendency of the forecasting data sequences. When Markov random process is being used to decide the transfer rule of the state, it can not only make full use of the information of the historical data, but also improve the forecasting accuracy of random series. So it develops the applying range of grey forecasting and presents a new method of data sequences with large random. The analysis of an example indicates that the grey-markov model has good forecasting accuracy and excellent applicability.