Background During the COVID-19 pandemic, there was a great transition in the modalities of health care services, such as the telemedicine landscape, with some speed. Because of the lack of vaccines or effective therapies, social distancing and quarantine were the only widely accessible precautions, creating a compelling reason for alternatives for in-person care. Many countries applied teleconsultation or provided online applications during the COVID-19 pandemic. However, it is not currently known whether this available service has satisfied the patients' needs during the COVID-19 pandemic. Aim To detect the preferred modality of health services by the Saudi population during COVID-19 and to assess the satisfaction with respect to the provided health services in the Aseer region of Saudi Arabia. Methodology A descriptive cross-sectional approach was used targeting all accessible populations in Saudi Arabia. Data were collected from participants using an electronic pre-structured questionnaire. The tool covered participants' socio-demographic data, participants' medical and family history, COVID-19 infection, health problems during the pandemic, received services, modalities of available services, and their satisfaction regarding the provided health service. Results A total of 2102 participants completed the study questionnaire. Exactly 773 (36.8%) respondents had a health problem during the COVID-19 pandemic. The most-reported modality of health services used was calling the 937 number, which is call center of the Ministry of Health (34.7%), followed by using health applications to get an appointment (33.9%). Also, 447 (88.7%) participants reported that the provided medical services were helpful. Regarding their satisfaction, 156 (31%) were just satisfied with the provided services and 280 (55.6%) were highly satisfied. Conclusions In conclusion, the current study showed a high level of public satisfaction regarding different modalities of health services provided during the COVID-19 pandemic in Saudi Arabia. This satisfaction was moderately high among telehealth users and those who had hospital visits for health care.


A potential ground station at the lunar south pole has prompted studies of orbit architectures that ensure adequate coverage. Constant communications can be achieved with two spacecraft in different combinations of Earth-Moon libration point orbits. Halo and vertical families, as well as other orbits near L1 and L2 are considered. The investigation includes detailed results using nine different orbits with periods ranging from 7 to 16 days. Natural solutions are generated in a full ephemeris model, including solar perturbations. A preliminary station-keeping analysis is also completed.


ART FRONTS: VISUAL CULTURE AND RACE POLITICS IN THE MID-TWENTIETH-CENTURY UNITED STATES Erin Park Cohn Supervisor: Kathy Peiss Art Fronts argues that visual culture played a central and understudied role in the African American freedom struggle in the middle part of the twentieth century. In particular, it traces the political lives and cultural productions of a generation of visual artists, both black and white, who seized on the Depression-era ethos of art as a weapon to forge a particular form of visual activism that agitated for social, political, and economic equality for African Americans. Participating in the proliferation of visual culture that characterized early twentieth-century America, the activist artists of this generation took advantage of opportunities to reproduce images widely and thus convey political messages in powerful and immediate ways. Art Fronts traces the careers of these artists from the early days of the Depression, when artists affiliated with the Communist Party first created images in service of African American civil rights, through the Cold War, which limited but did not destroy the links they forged between art and activism. By highlighting changes and continuities in African American cultural politics over the course of four decades, it offers fresh perspectives on the contours of the long civil rights movement. Art Fronts thus participates in recent efforts to challenge the classic narrative of the history of the civil rights movement, yet draws that scholarship in a new direction, pointing to the importance of culture, and particularly visual culture, in all phases of the movement. Indeed, visual artists were highly active in the long civil rights movement, while the images they created and circulated in service of the cause served as a necessary visual forum for a range of competing ideas about the politics of race and civil rights. Degree Type Dissertation Degree Name Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) Graduate Group History First Advisor Kathy Peiss Second Advisor Thomas J. Sugrue Third Advisor Gwendolyn DuBois Shaw This dissertation is available at ScholarlyCommons: http://repository.upenn.edu/edissertations/156


Humans be created in the image of God.  All people are called to holiness, that is to perfection, just as the Father in heaven is perfect. The theme called to holiness is first placed in the frame of the Basic Diocese of Surabaya which deals with the great theme of the Disciples of Christ. The theme of holiness contains elements about:  what, when, where, who, why and how. The Kipling method or the 5W-1H method helps the writer in describing this holiness theme. Being called to holiness in context has the same meaning as being called to be holy. Holiness itself has a charge as perfect love. Holiness and love are two inseparable things, because God is both Holy and Love. Human union with God is the essence of holiness. Holiness has a relationship with the perfection of love, so holiness cannot be understood separately from one's attitude and actions towards God through his actions towards the poor who suffer. Holiness is a lifestyle that is connected with daily life according to the Beatitues that Jesus conveyed to His disciples.


Mortality-linked securities such as longevity bonds or longevity swaps usually depend on not only mortality risk but also interest rate risk. However, in the existing pricing methodologies, it is often the case that only the mortality risk is modeled to change in a stochastic manner and the interest rate is kept fixed at a pre-specified level. In order to develop large and liquid longevity markets, it is essential to incorporate the interest rate risk into pricing mortality-linked securities. In this paper we tackle the issue by considering the pricing of longevity derivatives under stochastic interest rates following the CIR model. As for the mortality modeling, we use a two-factor extension of the Lee-Carter model by noting the recent studies which point out the inconsistencies of the original Lee-Carter model with observed mortality rates due to its single factor structure. To address the issue of parameter uncertainty, we propose using a Bayesian methodology both to estimate the models and to price longevity derivatives in line with (Kogure, A., and Y. Kurachi. 2010. "A Bayesian Approach to Pricing Longevity Risk Based on Risk Neutral Predictive Distributions." Insurance: Mathematics and Economics 46:162–172) and (Kogure, A., J. Li, and S. Y. Kamiya. 2014. "A Bayesian Multivariate Risk-neutral Method for Pricing Reverse Mortgages." North American Actuarial Journal 18:242–257). We investigate the actual effects of the incorporation of the interest rate risk by applying our methodology to price a longevity cap with Japanese data. The results show significant differences according to whether the CIR model is used or the interest rate is kept fixed.


Laboratory-derived mucoid variants of Pseudomonas aeruginosa were selected by plating the standard PAO1 laboratory strain with bacteriophage. These mucoid variants formed two distinct groups of strains on the basis of phage typing. The first group had the same phage-typing pattern as the parent PAO1 strain, while the second group had a distinctly different phage-typing pattern. One strain from each group was assessed along with the parent PAO1 strain for its outer membrane protein (OMP) and lipopolysaccharide (LPS) profiles by sodium dodecyl sulfate-gel electrophoresis followed by appropriate staining. The mucoid derivatives were found to differ from the parent PAO1 nonmucoid strain in having lost a high-molecular-weight LPS species. Furthermore, the reversion of the mucoid strains to the nonmucoid phenotype was accompanied by a return of the missing high-molecular-weight LPS species. No observable difference between the mucoid derivatives and the parent nonmucoid strain was noted in the OMP profiles. The opposite was found in the case of four isolates of mucoid P. aeruginosa from patients with cystic fibrosis. Two OMP bands (of approximately 55 and 25 kilodaltons) were present in the mucoid isolates but missing in their sister nonmucoid strains. In the case of the cystic fibrosis isolates, no difference in the LPS profiles within mucoid-nonmucoid pairs was noted.


Heat and mass transfer is an evaporation process from liquid droplet that occur in spray drying technology. So, it becomes important to understand the basic elements of spray drying, namely droplet. The formation technology involves drying is used in many industries. Various models of analogies of heat and mass transfer analogies have been formulated, with the aim of obtaining the characteristics that occur in the system. The analogy model most often used to obtain heat and mass transfer coefficients from droplet is the analogy model Ranz W. E. and Marshall W. R. The analogy has requirements, including the Lewis number (Le) which ranges in the number one. The purpose of this experiment is to compare the results obtained from the analogy of the Ranz-Marshall equation model applied to the droplet by making a modification of the C1 and C2 values that exist in the stagnant film model. In this experiment, the analysis results obtained from the modification of the stagnant film model is that the heat transfer phenomenon that occurs in droplet does not yet fully have good results. Where the value of C1 still cannot represent the value that can be used to obtain C2 properly.


Background: Although urinary retention caused by the retroverted gravid uterus is uncommon, acute urinary retention is an emergency condition. Cases: We present here two cases of acute urinary retention at 12 weeks' gestation secondary to retroverted gravid uterus. Although some preventive measures were suggested to the patients, recurrences of urinary retention occurred during the following 2-3 weeks and in their next pregnancies. Conclusion: In cases that urinary retention due to retroverted gravid uterus once occurred, we have to pay attention to the recurrence of urinary retention during the next pregnancies.


Background Human fetal metabolism is a largely unknown area. However, this knowledge might play a pivotal role in improving nutritional strategies for prematurely born infants to ameliorate long-term outcome. Phenylalanine kinetics are of special interest because there is debate as to whether neonates are able to hydroxylate phenylalanine adequately to the semi-essential amino acid (AA) tyrosine. Objective To quantify human fetal phenylalanine and tyrosine metabolism. Methods Eight fasted healthy pregnant women undergoing elective Caesarean section at term received continuous stable isotope infusions of [1-13C]phenylalanine and [ring-D4]tyrosine starting before surgery. Umbilical blood flow was measured using ultrasound. Maternal and umbilical cord blood was collected and analysed for phenylalanine and tyrosine enrichments and concentrations using gas–chromatography mass–spectrometry. Data are expressed as median (25th–75th percentile). Results Women were in a catabolic state for which net fetal AA uptake was responsible for at least one quarter. Maternal and fetal hydroxylation rates were 2.6 (2.2–2.9) and 7.5 (6.2–15.5) μmol phenylalanine/(kg/h), respectively. Fetal protein synthesis rates were higher than breakdown rates: 92 (84–116) vs 73 (68–87) μmol phenylalanine/(kg/h), respectively. The median metabolised fraction of available phenylalanine and tyrosine in the fetus was less than 20% for both AA. Conclusion Although all fetuses were born at term, on average they still showed considerable net AA uptake and growth (converted to tissue ∼11 g/(kg/d)). The low metabolic uptake (AA usage) implies a very large nutritional reserve capacity of nutrients delivered through the umbilical cord. Fetuses at term are quite capable of hydroxylating phenylalanine to tyrosine.


The monsoon circulation in the Northern Indian Ocean (NIO) is unique since it develops in response to the bi-annual reversing monsoonal winds, with the ocean currents mirroring this change through directionality and intensity. The interaction between the reversing currents and topographic features have implications for the development of the Island Mass Effect (IME) in the NIO. The IME in the NIO is characterized by areas of high chlorophyll concentrations identified through remote sensing to be located around the Maldives and Sri Lanka in the NIO. The IME around the Maldives was observed to reverse between the monsoons to downstream of the incoming monsoonal current whilst a recirculation feature known as the Sri Lanka Dome (SLD) developed off the east coast of Sri Lanka during the Southwest Monsoon (SWM). To understand the physical mechanisms underlying this monsoonal variability of the IME, a numerical model based on the Regional Ocean Modeling System (ROMS) was implemented and validated. The model was able to simulate the regional circulation and was used to investigate the three-dimensional structure of the IME around the Maldives and Sri Lanka in terms of its temperature and velocity. Results revealed that downwelling processes were prevalent along the Maldives for both monsoon periods but was applicable only to latitudes above 4°N since that was the extent of the monsoon current influence. For the Maldives, atolls located south of 4°N, were influenced by the equatorial currents. Around Sri Lanka, upwelling processes were responsible for the IME during the SWM but with strong downwelling during the NEM. In addition, there were also regional differences in intra-seasonal variability for these processes. Overall, the strength of the IME processes was closely tied to the monsoon current intensity and was found to reach its peak when the monsoon currents were at the maximum.


SUMMARY Parameterization in crop simulation modelling is a general procedure to calibrate a crop model to explore the best fit for a certain regional environment of interest. The parameters of radiation use efficiency (RUE) and light interception coefficient (k) of cotton (Gossypium hirsutum) for different cultivars were estimated under various irrigation conditions in South Texas in 2006 and 2007. A calibration procedure was then performed for determination of RUE using the environmental policy impact calculator (EPIC) crop model (Williams et al.1984). This was carried out using data sets obtained separately from the data for parameter estimation. The estimates of k and RUE were 0·63 and 2·5 g/MJ, respectively, which were determined based on the field experiment and variation of simulated lint yield. When the parameters were used with EPIC to simulate the variability in lint yields, a correlation coefficient of 0·86 and root mean square error (RMSE) of 0·22 t/ha were obtained, presenting no significant differences (paired t-test: P=0·282) between simulation and measurement. The results demonstrate that an appropriate estimate of the model parameters including RUE is essential in order to make crop models reproduce field conditions properly in simulating crop growth, yield and other variables.


This is the first report of Opsius stactogalus (Hemiptera: Cicadellidae) in Tamarix chinensis, a native specie from Europe. It was found on Federal Zone of Lake Texcoco from State of Mexico, Mexico.


According to the "amyloid hypothesis of Alzheimer's disease," beta-amyloid is the primary driving force in Alzheimer's disease pathogenesis. Despite the development of many transgenic mouse lines developing abundant beta-amyloid-containing plaques in the brain, the actual link between amyloid plaques and neuron loss has not been clearly established, as reports on neuron loss in these models have remained controversial. We investigated transgenic mice expressing human mutant amyloid precursor protein APP751 (KM670/671NL and V717I) and human mutant presenilin-1 (PS-1 M146L). Stereologic and image analyses revealed substantial age-related neuron loss in the hippocampal pyramidal cell layer of APP/PS-1 double-transgenic mice. The loss of neurons was observed at sites of Abeta aggregation and surrounding astrocytes but, most importantly, was also clearly observed in areas of the parenchyma distant from plaques. These findings point to the potential involvement of more than one mechanism in hippocampal neuron loss in this APP/PS-1 double-transgenic mouse model of Alzheimer's disease.


Ordered mesoporous MnO2 nanoarrays were successfully prepared via a vacuum-assisted nanocasting route from an SBA-15 template. To achieve better purification performance for As(III), iron oxides with varied ratios were dispersed into the 2D hexagonal channels, and a series of FeMn-x adsorbents were obtained. Consisting of both iron and manganese oxides, these adsorbents could realize powerful oxidation and effective adsorption of As(III) simultaneously, revealing a synergetic arsenic removal process. The saturation adsorption capacity was 10.55 mg g−1 and >95% adsorption stability could be reached within a relatively short time. Furthermore, owing to the optimum Fe/Mn ratio, the FeMn-2 sample could easily bring the residual concentration down to below 10 ppb, when dealing with trace As(III) concentrations as low as 300 ppb, which provides a convenient method to efficiently capture trace As(III) from water for in-depth purification.


Abstract Bilateral defense cooperation agreements, or DCAs, are now the most common form of institutionalized defense cooperation. These formal agreements establish broad defense-oriented legal frameworks between signatories, facilitating cooperation in such fundamental areas as defense policy coordination, research and development, joint military exercises, education and training, arms procurement, and exchange of classified information. Although nearly a thousand DCAs are currently in force, with potentially wide-ranging impacts on national and international security outcomes, DCAs have been largely ignored by scholars. Why have DCAs proliferated? I develop a theory that integrates cooperation theory with insights from social network analysis. Shifts in the global security environment since the 1980s have fueled demand for DCAs. States use DCAs to modernize their militaries, respond to shared security threats, and establish security umbrellas with like-minded states. Yet, demand alone cannot explain DCA proliferation; to cooperate, governments must also overcome dilemmas of mistrust and distributional conflicts. I show that network influences increase the supply of DCAs by providing governments with information about the trustworthiness of partners and the risk of asymmetric distributions of gains. DCAs become easier to sign as more states sign them. I identify two specific network influences—preferential attachment and triadic closure—and show that these influences are largely responsible for the post-Cold War diffusion of DCAs. Novel empirical strategies further indicate that these influences derive from the proposed informational mechanism. States use the DCA ties of others to glean information about prospective defense partners, thus endogenously fueling further growth of the global DCA network.


Abstract The residual effect of broiler litter on soil properties is not well documented. Field studies were conducted in Coffeeville on an Ariel silt loam soil and Cruger on a Dubbs silt loam soil to evaluate the residual effect of repeated broiler litter application to cotton (Gossypium hirsutum L.) on soil properties. Broiler litter was applied at 0, 2.2, 4.5, and 6.7 Mg ha−1 and 4.5 Mg ha−1 plus 67 kg N ha−1 from 2002 to 2007. Phosphorus and K were applied as recommended by the Mississippi Soil Testing Laboratory. After 3 years of consecutive applications, in 2005 each plot was divided into two equal sub-plots where one half continued to receive the same treatments, whereas the other one half was not fertilized from 2005 to 2007. Soil samples were taken from all plots at the end of the experiment in 2007. Continuous broiler litter application over 6 years increased soil total C, N, microbial biomass C, and soil test P levels at both locations. However, soil bulk density was reduced at the highest broiler litter application rates only at Coffeeville. Three years after broiler litter application was terminated, at rates greater than 2.2 Mg ha−1 soil pH, total soil C and N, microbial biomass C, and soil test P levels were still greater than the control at Coffeeville location. In this study, we have shown that after 3 years broiler litter application to cotton resulted in positive residual effects on the soil nutrient pool and maintained soil fertility levels, particularly under no-till system.


Multimetallic alloys have demonstrated promising performance for the application of metal-air batteries, while it remains a challenge to design multimetallic single-atom catalysts (MM-SACs). Herein, metal-C3N4 and nitrogen-doped carbon are employed as cornerstones to synthesize MM-SACs by a general two-step method, and the inherent features of atomic dispersion and the strong electronic reciprocity between the multimetallic sites have been verified. The trimetallic FeCoZn-SACs and quatermetallic FeCoCuZn-SACs are both found to deliver superior oxygen evolution reaction and oxygen reduction reaction activity, respectively, as well as outstanding bifunctional durability. Density functional theory calculations elucidate the crucial contribution of Co sites of FeCoCuZn-SACs to the efficient catalysis of both the ORR and the OER. More importantly, Zn-air batteries with FeCoCuZn-SACs as cathodic catalysts exhibit a high power density (252 mW cm-2), high specific capacity (817 mAh gZn-1), and considerable stability (over 225 h) for charging-discharging processes. This work provides a visual perspective for the advantages of MM-SACs toward oxygen electrocatalysis.


In May 2010 South African President Jacob Zuma will have been in office for one year. During this time, the Zuma administration has been far less ambitious in its foreign policy than previous administrations. However, South Africa is not in a position where it is able to withdraw from foreign engagement, as regional issues — such as Zimbabwe, the Democratic Republic of Congo (DRC) and Swaziland — continue to demand attention. The Zuma administration's approach in the future, in terms of both substance and style, will need to be informed by lessons from past engagement, including South African peacekeeping efforts in countries such as the DRC and Burundi, and South African mediation efforts in countries such as Angola, Côte d'Ivoire and the Comoros. Certainly, South Africa's record of success in taking on international responsibilities over the past 10 years has been mixed, but there is scope for past experience to shape future engagement positively. Indications of this can be seen, for example, in Zuma's efforts to redress former President Thabo Mbeki's clumsy mediation efforts in Angola by deciding to make his first state visit as South Africa's president to Luanda. Zuma's approach to Zimbabwe could build on the foundation set by Mbeki's long engagement with that country.


The problem of constrained coverage path planning involves a robot trying to cover maximum area of an environment under some constraints that appear as obstacles in the map. Out of the several coverage path planning methods, we consider augmenting the linear sweep-based coverage method to achieve minimum energy/ time optimality along with maximum area coverage. In addition, we also study the effects of variation of different parameters on the performance of the modified method.


In this work the structure of a plasma sheath in the presence of an oblique magnetic field is investigated. The effect of plasma magnetization, plasma ionization and plasma–neutral collisions on the sheath is examined for different orientations of the magnetic field. It is shown that the width of the plasma sheath is dependent not only on the collision frequencies and the plasma magnetization but also on the angle of magnetic field orientation. The size of the sheath layer decreases with the increase in the angle between the magnetic field and wall. The grain inside the sheath acquires a more positive charge when the magnetic field is perpendicular to the wall in comparison with the parallel to the wall case. This results in the different levitational equilibrium of the grain. The implication of the results for measuring the sheath characteristics is discussed.


We study the transmission of monetary policy through bank securities portfolios for the United States using granular supervisory data on bank securities, hedging positions, and corporate credit. We find that banks that experienced larger market value losses on their securities during the monetary tightening cycle in 2022 extended relatively less credit to firms. Such a spillover effect was stronger for (i) available-for sale securities, (ii) unhedged securities, (iii) low-capitalized banks, and (iv) banks that have to include unrealized gains and losses on their available-for-sale securities in their regulatory capital. Our findings provide evidence for a forceful transmission channel of monetary policy that is shaped by the regulatory framework of the banking system.


The ~1640 Ma Ahvenisto AMCG complex in southeastern Finland is the most prominent occurrence of massif-type anorthosite and associated monzodioritic rocks in the Fennoscandian rapakivi suite. The petrology of the complex has been reasonably well studied, but the petrogenetic relationships among the different rock-types nevertheless remain ambiguous. In this study, we shed light on the source of AMCG complexes by providing updated geochronology, petrogenetic considerations, and an extensive geochemical framework for the Ahvenisto complex. Similar U–Pb mineral ages and Nd–Sr–Pb isotope compositions, as well as complementary major-element and REE data, suggest that the anorthositic and monzodioritic rocks of the Ahvenisto complex are comagmatic. Geochemical evidence implies a two-stage magmatic evolution, where isotopic differences between the slightly more juvenile olivine-bearing gabbroic rocks ( e Nd in the range +0.2 to +0.4, Sr i in the range 0.7034 to 0.7035) and leucogabbronorites and anorthosites ( e Nd between −0.9 and −0.5, Sr i between 0.7037 and 0.7041) reflect the influence of crustal contamination of the primary mantle-derived melt during the first stage. The bulk of the monzodioritic rocks ( e Nd in the range −1.1 to −0.2, Sr i in the range 0.7028 to 0.7040) represent second-stage residual liquids after extensive fractionation of plagioclase from a relatively evolved, high-Al tholeiitic magma with a pronounced crustal isotope signature. Although the Rb–Sr isotopic systematics of the rapakivi granites have been compromised, their geochemistry and Nd isotope compositions ( e Nd between −2.1 and −0.1) are consistent with a derivation mostly from a crustal source.


Single coronary artery is a rare congenital anomaly associated with sudden cardiac death even though most of the cases are asymptomatic. Cardiac computerized tomography angiography plays an essential role in establishing the diagnosis of single coronary artery and designating the arterial course. Being aware of coronary anomaly is crucial in some cases scheduled for catheter ablation of premature ventricular complex neighboring to coronary arteries to prevent radiofrequency ablation related vascular injury.


Ion-Polar molecule collisions are studied in the Perturbed Rotational State approach. The basic idea is that the molecular rotation is nearly adiabatically deformed during the collision. The semiclassical, impact-parameter method is adopted. This formulation of the collision problem gives an easy way to calculate the rotational excitation cross sections. Numerical examples are given for the low-energy collision between a proton and a CN molecule. A scaling law is derived so that the numerical results obtained can be used also for many other collision systems.


We present a methodology for verifying epistemic and real-time temporal properties of multi-agent systems. We introduce an interpreted systems semantics based on diagonal timed automata and use a real-time temporal epistemic language to describe properties of multi-agent systems. We develop a bounded model checking algorithm for this setting and present experimental results for a real-time version of the alternating bit-transmission problem obtained by means of a preliminary implementation of the technique.


One of the roots of evolutionary computation was the idea of Turing about unorganized machines. The goal of this work is the development of foundations for evolutionary computations, connecting Turing's ideas and the contemporary state of art in evolutionary computations. To achieve this goal, we develop a general approach to evolutionary processes in the computational context, building mathematical models of computational systems, functioning of which is based on evolutionary processes, and studying properties of such systems. Operations with evolutionary machines are described and it is explored when definite classes of evolutionary machines are closed with respect to basic operations with these machines. We also study such properties as linguistic and functional equivalence of evolutionary machines and their classes, as well as computational power of evolutionary machines and their classes, comparing of evolutionary machines to conventional automata, such as finite automata or Turing machines.


The physical origins of the Fundamental Plane (FP) scaling relations are investigated using large samples of early{type galaxies observed at optical and near{infrared wavelengths. The slope a in the FP relation r ee / a 0 hi b ee is shown to increase systematically with wavelength from the U{band (0:35m) through the K{band (2:2m). A distance{independent construction of the observables is described which provides an accurate measurement of the change in the FP slope between any pair of bandpasses. The variation of the FP slope with wavelength is strong evidence of systematic variations in stellar content along the elliptical galaxy sequence, but is insuucient to discriminate between a number of simple models for possible physical origins of the FP. The intercept of the diagnostic relationship between log D K =D V and log 0 shows no signiicant dependence on environment within the uncertainties of the Galactic extinction corrections, demonstrating the universality of the stellar populations contributions at the level of (V ? K) = 0:03 mag to the zero{point of the global scaling relations. Several other constraints on the properties of early{type galaxies|the slope of the Mg 2 { 0 relation, the slope of the FP in the K{band, the eeects of stellar populations gradients, and the eeects of deviations of early{type galaxies from a dynamically homologous family|are included to construct an empirical, self{consistent model which provides a complete picture of the underlying physical properties which are varying along the early{type galaxy sequence. The fundamental limitations to providing accurate constraints on the individual model parameters (variations in age and metallicity, and the size of the homology breaking) appear to be subtle variations between diierent stellar populations synthesis models and poorly constrained velocity { 2 { dispersion aperture eeects. This empirical approach nonetheless demonstrates that there are signiicant systematic variations in both age and metallicity along the elliptical galaxy sequence, and that a small, but systematic, breaking of dynamical homology (or a similar, wavelength independent eeect) is required. The intrinsic thickness of the FP can then be easily understood as small variations in age, metallicity, and deviations from a homology at any particular point along the FP. The model parameters will be better constrained by measurements of the change of the slope of the FP with redshift; predictions for this evolution with redshift are described. This model for the underlying physical properties that produce the FP scaling relations provides a comprehensive …


The primary purpose of this review is to collate the results of research into energy use and emissions in organic farming, and to provide advisors with an analysis of the results, access to the data used and a review of the benchmarking methodologies available. The review will inform those working in the development of benchmarking tools and advising farmers on practices to improve their performance. Specifically it will:
•Identify organic management practices to reduce energy inputs and minimise the global warming potential of the system
•Identify appropriate auditing methodologies
•Facilitate access to input data (energy use and emissions figures for agricultural activities) which can be used in the development of an auditing tool
•Summarise the energy and emissions levels found in organic farming systems and comparable conventional systems.


Background: hepatitis B virus (HBV) infection is a major public health problem that affects billions of people worldwide. The lack of information on HBV prevalence among the general population is an obstacle to formulate effective policies to reduce the bur den of viral hepatitis. Objectives: This population based serological survey was conducted in Kermanshah province to determine the local prevalence and risk factors of HBV infection. Patients and Methods: 1979 healthy subjects were selected from all districts of Kermanshah province (in the west of Iran) using random cluster sampling. Subjects between 6 and 65 years of age were included with mean age of 35 ± 13. Serum samples were tested for HBcAb, HBsAg and anti-HDV antibody. To carry out lab tests the third generation of ELISA was used. Various risk factors were recorded and multivariate analysis was performed. Results: The prevalence of HBsAg and HBcAb in Kermanshah was 0.75% (95% CI 0.44; 1.21) and 8.28% (95% CI 7.13; 9.56), respectively. One case of HDV-Ab was found. Predictors of HBsAg or HBcAb in multivariate analysis were: old age, being male, history of tattooing and history of dental procedure. Conclusions: approximately 8% and less than 1% of general population in Kermanshah are HBcAb seropositive and active carriers of HBV infection, respectively. Age, sex and history of tattoo and dental procedures are major risk factors of HBV seropositivity in this province.


This paper proposes a space-vector modulation (SVM) algorithm for a five-phase open-end winding motor drive system, fed by a dual nonsquare matrix converter (MC). The input to each of the MCs (MC-1 and MC-2) is a three-phase utility grid, and the output is a five-phase with variable voltage, variable frequency capability. The major contribution of this paper is the elimination of the detrimental common-mode voltage (CMV) that appears across the motor winding. In addition, the proposed SVM allows for a unity power factor at the input side, while boosting the output phase voltage by up to 150% of input. This paper presents a comprehensive analysis, to obtain the expression for the SVM modulating signals that are used to generate the switching pulses for the MC. To verify the idea, a modular, reconfigurable 5-kW MC prototype, feeding a five-phase induction motor is built. The control algorithm is implemented on a dSPACE-1006 platform. The test shows that the CMV is successfully eliminated from the motor winding. Other results (i.e., current and voltage waveforms) are also found to be in very close agreement with the theoretical prediction and MATLAB simulation.


Using the Global Financial Crisis (GFC) as a breakdown, we revisit the risk and return characteristics of publicly traded real estate companies from 14 countries proxied by FTSE EPRA indices over the period 2000 to 2015 in presence of errors-in-variables. We extend the seminal work of Bond, Karolyi and Saunders (2003), and shed a new light on the relative performance of listed real estate before and after the GFC. First, we suggest the use of various asset pricing models including the Fama-French (2015) five-factor asset pricing model with global and country-level factors. Second, we implement unbiased estimators to correct for the econometric bias induced by errors-in-variables (EIV) in asset pricing models. Third, we deal with the impact of illiquidity (measured by serial correlation) on the risk properties of international securitized real estate returns. Our findings show that international listed real estate risk factors changed radically after the GFC, which has resulted in more homogeneous markets internationally and less diversification opportunities for US-based investors.


Analysis of the electron paramagnetic resonance (EPR) of transition ion complexes requires data taken at different microwave frequencies because the spin Hamiltonian contains operators linear in the frequency as well as operators independent of the frequency. In practice, data collection is hampered by the fact that conventional EPR spectrometers have always been designed to operate at a single frequency. Here, a broadband instrument is described and tested that operates from 0.5 to 12 GHz and whose sensitivity approaches that of single-frequency spectrometers. Multifrequency EPR from triclinic substitutional (0.5%) Cu(II) in ZnSO4 is globally analyzed to illustrate a novel approach to reliable determination of the molecular electronic structure of transition ion complexes from field-frequency 2D data sets.


A class of one-relator groups such that every group in the class is determined by a triple of integers and is an HNN-extension of some Baumslag -- Solitar group is considered. A criterion for two groups in this class to be isomorphic and criterion for two non-isomorphic groups to be a homomorphic image of each other are obtained. This result leads to a negative answer to the question 3.33 from "Kourovka Notebook".


This article presents the results of a 15-year longitudinal study of the major educational peacebuilding initiatives in Israel and the occupied Palestinian territories, during times of relative peace and of acute violence (1993–2008). Using longitudinal field research data and surveys, it examines how peace initiatives, that work across conflict lines, adapt to hostile and unfavorable environments. Additionally, it investigates the criteria that allows some peacebuilding initiatives to survive and persist, when the large majority do not. Building on the organizational and social movement studies literature, I contend that organizations need to successfully attend to a variety of challenges such as maintaining resources, maintaining legitimacy, managing internal conflict, and maintaining commitment to have a significant chance for survival. Moreover, I argue that for organizations committed to working across difference and inequality in unfavorable and hostile conflict environments, it is critical for organizational effectiveness and survival to pay heed to the quality of the cross-conflict relationships, as well as, to matters of equality.


CTRC-AACR San Antonio Breast Cancer Symposium: 2008 Abstracts

Abstract #4029

Background : Apocrine carcinoma (AC) of the breast is a rare malignant tumor and is lack of standardized criteria for the diagnosis. Thus clinicopathological features and radiologic findings have not been determined. We retrospectively analyzed the clinical presentation and the multimodality imaging findings of mammography, ultrasography and MRI and correlated with pathologic results. Materials and Methods : We retrospectively examined data on 850 patients who had been surgically treated for primary breast carcinoma between 2003 and 2008. Among them, there were 10 cases with the diagnosis of apocrine carcinoma. Ten patients underwent mammography and ultrasonography and six patients underwent MR imaging. Eight patients underwent pre-operative US-guided core needle biopsy. We analyzed the radiologic findings and pathologic results. Results : The present study showed that the frequency of apocrine carcinoma was 1.2%. Almost all patients were symptomatic and painless lump was the most common complaint. Patient ranged in age from 38 to 62 year (mean, 50.5 years). The mean lesion size was 1.9cm (range, 1.1-3.5cm). Common imaging features were as follows: mass or focal asymmetry without microcalcifications (n=7), mass with microcalcifications (n=3) on mammography; a mass with an round to irregular shape (n=9), indistinct-margin(n=8) on ultrasonography. On six dynamic contrast-enhanced MRI, enhancing masses in 3, mass with spotty nodular enhancement adjacent to the tumor in 3, which showed rapid enhancement and delayed washout pattern in five cases and plateau enhancement pattern in one case. Specifically, 3 patients had unilateral multifocal cancer. Two patients showed ipsilateral axillary lymphadenopathy. Pathologic examination revealed AC (n=3), AC with apocrine carcinoma in situ (n=3), apocrine carcinoma in situ (n=1) and, AC with intraductal component and EIC positivity (n=3). Mass with spotty nodular enhancement on MRI was correlated with intraductal component and EIC positivity. Conclusion : The radiologic findings of apocrine carcinoma of the breast are not specific. Occasionally, apocrine carcinoma shows mass with spotty nodular enhancement adjacent to the tumor on MRI and this finding is correlated with intraductal component and EIC positivity.

Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 4029.


Gastritis is a public health problems with a fairly high prevalence. It affects up to 50% of adults in western countries. Gastritis in Indonesia is quite high with a prevalence of 274,396 cases from 238,452,952 inhabitants or 40.8%. This study used various data from the Indonesian Government Agency. Data on gastritis cases was obtained from the Health Office of North Buton Regency from 2017 to 2019. The data was obtained from the annual health profile published by the Health Office of the North Buton Regency. The conclusion is that most of the patients with gastritis are female with a distribution that tends to decrease in cases every year. The cases of gastritis since 2017 have shown a decrease in the cases of gastritis. This shows that health efforts made by health workers have begun to show results even though the prevalence of gastritis cases is still high. On the other hand, the prevention of gastritis cases is starting to show good results.
Keywords: Gastric disease, North Buton Regency, Indonesia


Background: The resolution of 8K ultra-high-definition imaging technology (7680 × 4320 pixels) is 16-fold higher than the current high-definition technology (1920 × 1080 pixels). 8K/two-dimensional (2D) laparoscopy was clinically available in 2014, but few reports concerning its application have been published. The aim of this study was to evaluate the appropriate methods of usage and problems learned from clinical use of 8K/2D laparoscopy. Subjects and Methods: The patients were 100 colorectal surgery patients who underwent 8K/2D laparoscopy at Asahikawa Medical University Hospital between November 2018 and March 2021. We evaluated the effectiveness, operating conditions, methods and issues of 8K/2D laparoscopy. Results: The median age was 68.5 years. The primary disease was malignancy of the left side of the colon and rectum in 92 patients. The right-sided colectomy was performed in five cases, total proctocolectomy of ulcerative colitis was performed in 3 cases. The proper application of 8K/2D laparoscopy can be achieved by adhering to certain tips, such as darkening the operation room and keeping an appropriate distance from the monitor. Regarding intraoperative complications caused by the 8K/2D laparoscope, skin burns due to heat from the tip of the laparoscope were observed in one patient. There were no cases of complications due to the 8K/2D laparoscopy. Conclusion: 8K/2D laparoscopy can be used safely in colorectal surgery. There are still some tips for proper use, such as keeping an appropriate distance to the monitor and darkening the room. However, 8K/2D laparoscopy can provide delicate images and can be used without any operational problems.


This is in published form the doctoral dissertation which Ferraro redacted under the direction of Fr. Donatien Mollat, S.J. (who has also prefaced the book) and was accepted by the theological faculty of the Gregorian University The theme of the Johannine (( hour 1) is discussed in three main parts: the background of the Johannine use, in OT (specifically in Daniel), in the apocrypha, a t Qumran, in Philo; analysis in ten chapters of the gospel pericopes in which the term ((hour)) occurs (also the related terms, kairos, nyn, arti); conclusions of the study, showing how the ((hour)) of Jesus is associated with the christological titles, with formulas like ego eimi, and with John's eschatology. The ((hour 1) of Jesus is par exceZZence that which marked his passage from this world to the Father, when Christ's person, his mission, and his mystery received their supreme expression. The structural analysis of several important passages, the abundant references, the extensive bibliography, and the indices also contribute to make of this book a very useful reference work on a central aspect of Johannine theology.


This paper gives a description of the infrared photovoltaic detector technology developed by LETI and now industrialized by SOFRADIR. Results obtained on several kinds of arrays both in the 3-5 mu m and 8-12 mu m wavelength ranges are presented. The technological choices made by the laboratory to achieve components with increased complexities are also given.


The superiority of gallium nitride FET (GaN FET) over silicon MOSFET is examined in this paper. One of the outstanding features of GaN FET is low reverse-recovery charge, which enables continuous conduction mode operation of totem-pole bridgeless boost power factor correction (PFC) circuit. Among many bridgeless topologies, totem-pole bridgeless shows high efficiency and low conducted electromagnetic interference performance, with low cost and simple control scheme. The operation principle, control scheme, and circuit implementation of the proposed topology are provided. The converter is driven in two-module interleaved topology to operate at a power level of 5.5 ㎾, whereas phase-shedding control is adopted for light load efficiency improvement. Negative bias circuit is used in gate drivers to avoid the shoot-through induced by high speed switching. The superiority of GaN FET is verified by constructing a 5.5 ㎾ prototype of two-module interleaved totem-pole bridgeless boost PFC converter. The experiment results show the highest efficiency of 98.7% at 1.6 kW load and an efficiency of 97.7% at the rated load.


Abstract Fluctuations in the global angular momentum of a two-layer zonally homogeneous global model of the atmosphere are dominated by very low frequencies, periods longer than 100 days. This variability is confined to the tropics, where it is associated with variations of approximately ±5 m s−1 in the zonal winds. Lagged correlations suggest that the variations in angular momentum are a response to variability in the zonally averaged eddy flux of vorticity in the tropics. A zonally symmetric model is constructed to determine the response to an impulsive rearrangement of vorticity across the tropics. The response of the angular momentum in the zonally symmetric model, in convolution with the tropical eddy flux of vorticity derived from the full model, provides a successful model of the variations in angular momentum in the full model. The relevance of the results to James and James' finding ultralow-frequency variability in a five-layer model and to the possibility of ultralow-frequency variability in th...


On May 7th , 2007, two 20 m3 tankers of propane exploded simultaneously, whereas a third one was rocketed without rupture. Although those explosions should be considered as BLEVEs, damage was rather mechanical than thermal because the vessels were almost empty. In a way, the explosions behaved as pneumatic bursts, with overpressure effects up to 400 m, and fragments projection up to 900 m. The fragments projection widely differed from the usual pattern, with a very high number of fragments (6 to 7 per vessel), and a main direction of propagation perpendicular to the vessels axis. Observations are consistent with calculations based on classical BLEVE modelling. The analysis confirms that safety distances for BLEVEs and pneumatic bursts should be given by fragment projection. The propagation of glowing fragments should also be considered as a main hazard


Background Point of care ultrasound (PoCUS) is an efficient, inexpensive, safe, and portable imaging modality that can be particularly useful in resource-limited settings. However, its impact on clinical decision making in such settings has not been well studied. The objective of this study is to describe the utilization and impact of PoCUS on clinical decision making at an urban emergency department in Dar es Salaam, Tanzania. Methods This was a prospective descriptive cross-sectional study of patients receiving PoCUS at Muhimbili National Hospital's Emergency Medical Department (MNH EMD). Data on PoCUS studies during a period of 10 months at MNH EMD was collected on consecutive patients during periods when research assistants were available. Data collected included patient age and sex, indications for ultrasound, findings, interpretations, and provider-reported diagnostic impression and disposition plan before and after PoCUS. Descriptive statistics, including medians and interquartile ranges, and counts and percentages, are reported. Pearson chi squared tests and p-values were used to evaluate categorical data for significant differences. Results PoCUS data was collected for 986 studies performed on 784 patients. Median patient age was 32 years; 56% of patients were male. Top indications for PoCUS included trauma, respiratory presentations, and abdomino-pelvic pain. The most frequent study types performed were eFAST, cardiac, and obstetric or gynaecologic studies. Overall, clinicians reported that the use of PoCUS changed either diagnostic impression or disposition plan in 29% of all cases. Rates of change in diagnostic impression or disposition plan increased to 45% in patients for whom more than one PoCUS study type was performed. Conclusions In resource-limited emergency care settings, PoCUS can be utilized for a wide range of indications and has substantial impact on clinical decision making, especially when more than one study type is performed.


Although the manifestation of borderline personality disorder (BPD) is situated in adolescence and young adulthood, in clinical practice the diagnosis and treatment often get delayed until adulthood. Preliminary research shows good results for structured treatments in young people with BPD. Early intervention programs for BPD show promising results in improvement of the level of functioning. This case study of a fourteen-year-old girl with BPD illustrates early intervention within the program Helping Young People Early (HYPE). This case illustrates the understanding, recognition and revision of relational patterns in emotional and relational problems. In addition, the case highlights the multidisciplinary integration of psychotherapeutic, systemic theoretical and psychosocial ingredients within a multidisciplinary early intervention program for BPD.


Understanding the neurobiology of social bonding in non-human primates is a critical step in understanding the evolution of monogamy, as well as understanding the neural substrates for emotion and behavior. Coppery titi monkeys (Callicebus cupreus) form strong pair bonds, characterized by selective preference for their pair mate, mate-guarding, physiological and behavioral agitation upon separation, and social buffering. Mate-guarding, or the "maintenance" phase of pair bonding, is relatively under-studied in primates. In the current study, we used functional imaging to examine how male titi monkeys viewing their pair mate in close proximity to a stranger male would change regional cerebral glucose metabolism. We predicted that this situation would challenge the pair bond and induce "jealousy" in the males. Animals were injected with [18F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG), returned to their cage for 30 min of conscious uptake, placed under anesthesia, and then scanned for 1 hour on a microPET P4 scanner. During the FDG uptake, males (n=8) had a view of either their female pair mate next to a stranger male ("jealousy" condition) or a stranger female next to a stranger male (control condition). Blood and cerebrospinal fluid samples were collected and assayed for testosterone, cortisol, oxytocin, and vasopressin. Positron emission tomography (PET) was co-registered with structural magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and region of interest analysis was carried out. Bayesian multivariate multilevel analyses found that the right lateral septum (Pr(b>0)=93%), left posterior cingulate cortex (Pr(b>0)=99%), and left anterior cingulate (Pr(b>0)=96%) showed higher FDG uptake in the jealousy condition compared to the control condition, while the right medial amygdala (Pr(b>0)=85%) showed lower FDG uptake. Plasma testosterone and cortisol concentrations were higher during the jealousy condition. During the jealousy condition, duration of time spent looking across at the pair mate next to a stranger male was associated with higher plasma cortisol concentrations. The lateral septum has been shown to be involved in mate-guarding and mating-induced aggression in monogamous rodents, while the cingulate cortex has been linked to territoriality. These neural and physiological changes may underpin the emotion of jealousy, which can act in a monogamous species to preserve the long-term integrity of the pair.


Two different models are presented that allow for efficiently performing routing of a quantum state. Both cases involve an $XX$ spin chain working as a data bus and additional spins that play the role of sender and receivers, one of which is selected to be the target of the quantum state transmission protocol via a coherent quantum coupling mechanism making use of local and/or global magnetic fields. Quantum routing is achieved in the first of the models considered by weakly coupling the sender and the receiver to the data bus. On the other hand, in the second model, local magnetic fields acting on additional spins located between the sender and receiver and the data bus allow us to perform high-fidelity routing.


BACKGROUND
Although patients with cervical kyphosis are not ideal candidates for cervical disc arthroplasty (CDA), there is a paucity of data on patients with a straight or slightly lordotic neck.

OBJECTIVE
To correlate cervical lordosis, T1-slope, and clinical outcomes of CDA.

METHODS
The study retrospectively analyzed 95 patients who underwent 1-level CDA and had 2-yr follow-up. They were divided into a high T1-slope (≥28°) group (HTSG, n = 45) and a low T1-slope (<28°) group (LTSG, n = 50). Cervical spinal alignment parameters, including T1-slope, cervical lordosis (C2-7 Cobb angle), and segmental mobility (range of motion [ROM]) at the indexed level, were compared. The clinical outcomes were also assessed.

RESULTS
The mean T1-slope was 28.1 ± 7.0°. After CDA, the pre- and postoperative segmental motility remained similar and cervical lordosis was preserved. All the clinical outcomes improved after CDA. The HTSG were similar to the LTSG in age, sex, segmental mobility, and clinical outcomes. However, the HTSG had higher cervical lordosis than the LTSG. Furthermore, the LTSG had increased cervical lordosis (ΔC2-7 Cobb angle), whereas the HTSG had decreased lordosis after CDA. Patients of the LTSG, who had more improvement in cervical lordosis, had a trend toward increasing segmental mobility at the index level (ΔROM) than the HTSG.

CONCLUSION
In this series, T1-slope correlated well with global cervical lordosis but did not affect the segmental mobility. After CDA, the changes in cervical lordosis correlated with changes in segmental mobility. Therefore, segmental lordosis should be cautiously preserved during CDA as it could determine the mobility of the disc.


Purpose
The purpose of this paper is to examine, within a context of manufacturing transformation, whether corporate responsibility for employees (CRE) promotes the service innovation performance (SIP) of the firm; whether this effect is mediated by employee innovative behavior (EIB), and how two control mechanisms (process-control (PC) and outcome-control mechanism) moderate the relationship.

Design/methodology/approach
Drawing on social exchange and control mechanism theory, this paper establishes a conceptual model and adopts a hierarchical regression analysis to examine the model with a sample of 110 manufacturing firms from China.

Findings
The study finds that CRE positively affects SIP. EIB mediates such effect. Output-control weakens the effect of CRE on EIB, and PC does not impact on the relationship.

Practical implications
The findings suggest that, facing tremendous pressure in manufacturing transformation, firms must be cautious in treating their employees. Given that EIB is crucial to improving the SIP, and in turn to meet the ever upgrading customer demands, firms ought to actively take responsibilities to protect employees' interests, and cautiously adopt control mechanisms. Thus employees could be motivated to involve in service innovation actively. This effect not only benefits employees with a sustainable career but also help the firm survive in this tough transformation period.

Originality/value
This study is one of the first (if any) research that examining the impact of CRE on SIP and EIB. The findings are an extension of the existing research, and show the explanation potential of corporate social responsibility on EIB and SIP in a difficult time such as manufacturing transformation.


Abstract:The British Department of Antiquities (DOA) in Palestine intentionally constructed historical discontinuities to distance British rule from its Ottoman predecessor and tie it instead to earlier periods in the history of the land. To do this, however, the DOA had to unwittingly rely upon, and revalidate, political and cultural patterns laid by the Ottomans in the age of reforms. The article exposes this dynamic by delving into the written and visual record of the DOA in one of its first preservation projects in the "Tower of Ramleh." The case of the tower as a multifaceted ruin shows that the "post-Ottoman" historical framing for the twentieth-century Middle East is not merely a matter of analytic investigation in hindsight, but a reality acknowledged and shaped by historical actors. It reveals thus far hidden agendas of the British rule in Palestine and enables the re-introduction of the history erased by it.


Summary

The gelling properties of farmed meagre (Argyrosomus regius) mince mixed with linseed and/or psyllium fibres (up to 4.0%, w/w) were studied. The effects of chilled storage time (15 days vs. 1 day) and cold gelling (setting at 2 ± 2 °C) were measured. Linseed addition increased ω3 PUFA content and worsened the gel products' texture. Psyllium functional fibre addition had only a negative effect upon breaking force and deformation, not affecting the remaining textural properties and improving water-holding capacity (WHC) from 61–77 to 70–85%. The incorporation of 4.0% (w/w) psyllium seems to be advisable. Quality of heat-induced meagre gels was unaffected by chilled storage time. Production of an acceptable cold set gel is feasible provided that enough time is allowed for completion of the setting process. Overall results showed a potential for combining small-sized meagre (<2 kg) and psyllium fibres to produce high added-value functional foods.


Exposure to mercury in the environment continues to be a significant worldwide concern, especially for developing embryos and fetuses. While extensive research effort has focused on the effects of mercury on the developing nervous system, mu ch less is known concerning adverse effects of mercury on other organ systems, including the development of skeletal muscle. We exposed developing zebrafish embryos to a range of concentrations of mercuric chloride (100 to 400 μg/liter or ppb) and compared them to control embryos (0 μg/L mercuric chloride). Embryos were examined at 48 hours post fertilization (hpf) for morphometry and morphological deformities of skeletal muscle fibers in the trunk and tail. Embryos exposed to 400 ppb mercuric chloride showed decreased trun k and tail areas compared to control embryos. A dose-dependent reduction in muscle fiber length was observed, and exposure to all con centrations of mercuric chloride used in this study resulted in decreased muscle fiber immunohistochemical staining with anti-myosin antibo dies. Irregular muscle fiber diameters, twisted muscle fibers, and degenerated muscle fibers were observed in sections of embryos sta ined with eosin at the higher exposure concentrations. Evidence presented in this study suggests that exposure to even low concentrations of mercuric chloride adversely affects skeletal muscle fiber development or muscle fiber integrity, or both.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the influence of socioeconomic and gestational factors on admission due to pneumonia in the post-neonatal period.

METHODOLOGY
Cohort. Children born in the city Pelotas, Brazil, in 1993. Cases were children admitted to hospital for 24 hours or more, between the ages of 28 and 364 days, with a diagnosis of pneumonia.

RESULTS
Of the 5,304 children in the cohort, 152 (2.9%) were hospitalized with pneumonia. The positive predictive value of the clinical diagnosis compared to the radiological assessment was 76%. Analysis by conditional logistic regression showed that social class and maternal schooling were strongly inversely associated with pneumonia Children of adolescent mothers were twice as likely to be admitted. The relative risk for children whose mothers were of parity three or greater was 2.8 relative to primiparae. Maternal weight gain during pregnancy of less than 10 kg was associated with a 40% increase in risk.

CONCLUSION
Socioeconomic factors were important determinants of pneumonia admissions. Maternal age, parity and weight gain were also significant risk factors.


In this article, we present the actuarial method, a simple and popular nonparametric estimator of the unknown distribution of the time to occurrence of an event of interest, especially for data containing a significant proportion of incomplete observations. We discuss its asymptotic properties under the random censorship model and illustrate the method using data from a clinical trial. We also discuss one another closely related estimator under a more restrictive model and provide references to others. Copyright © 2010 John Wiley & Sons, Inc.


A method of solvent sublation was developed for the enantioseparation of racemic ofloxacin (rac Oflx) and racemic tryptophan (rac Trp). In this method, dibenzoyl-L-tartaric acid (L-DBTA) and di-(2-ethylhexyl) phosphoric acid (D2EHPA) and sodium lauryl sulfate (SDS) were used as chiral coextractants and foamer, respectively. Several important parameters influencing the separation performances, such as pH in aqueous phase, concentrations of rac mixtures, L-DBTA, D2EHPA, and SDS, were investigated. Under the optimal operation conditions, the enantiomeric excess and enantioselectivity were 60.08% and 5.58 for Oflx and 65.09% and 6.31 for Trp, respectively. The yields of D-enantiomer and L-enantiomer were 34.23% and 8.54% for Oflx and 18.59% and 3.93% for Trp, respectively. The results suggest that the enantioselectivities have been enhanced compared with the traditional chiral extraction. This technique is an efficient chiral separation method, with many advantages such as low expenditures of organic solvent, low consumption of chiral extractant, and easy realization of multistage operation.


After a brief account of the history of asbestos, this paper reviews the types and characteristics of asbestos and its occurrence in the world (mainly the USSR, Canada, and South Africa). The types of asbestos mined in South Africa are discussed, as are its primary applications. Asbestos production in South Africa is detailed in relation to that of the rest of the world, and the mining and extraction techniques are descriptionbed. The main mining operations in South Africa are then descriptionbed, and this is followed by a discussion of the health hazards associated with asbestos and the ways in which they are combated. The review ends with an account of the methods used to rehabilitate the environment in asbestos-mining areas, and a brief discussion of the short- and long-term prospects for asbestos.


The report presents a mathematical model of the motion control of an autonomous solid body moving in incompressible stratified viscous fluid and analytical and numerical analysis of this model. It is assumed that the body does not have its own propulsion system, but is equipped with controlled rudders - wings of finite span. It is moved by the influence of the buoyancy force and wings lift. The control is produced by the angle of attack of the wing change for ensuring access to the given point by this solid body. This body motion is considered to be plane-parallel motion. This paper results are based on the mathematical model which was presented by the authors at XII MTM Congress held in September 2015 and XIII MTM Congress held in March 2016.


To enable young physicians to complete their pediatric training, the American Academy of Pediatrics will grant fellowships of $500 to $1,000 each to pediatric interns and residents for the year beginning July 1, 1973. Candidates must meet the following requirements: (1) legal resident of the United States or Canada; (2) have completed, or will have cornpleted by July 1, one year of straight pediatric internship, or one year of mixed internship, providing more than 50% of this time is spent in pediatric training, and have made a definite commitment for a first year pediatric residency acceptable to the American Board of Pediatrics; (3) first year residents in a training program who have a definite commitment for a second year, both programs acceptable to the American Board of Pediatrics; (4) have real need of financial assistance; and (5) support their applications with a letter from the Chief of Service substantiating the requirements mentioned above.
 The fellowships have been provided through grants to the Academy by Mead Johnson Laboratories, Gerber Products Company, and Fellows of the American Academy of Pediatrics.
 Although the fellowship awards are primarily intended for the support of first and second year pediatric residents, it is also recognized that some may desire a third or fourth year of residency. Up to 25% of the fellowships may be awarded to persons in this category. Consideration will be given to geographic spread of appointments so that all sections of the country will be represented, and preference will be exhibited for well qualified but smaller training centers which perhaps have fewer resources for residents in training than do some of the larger centers.


Purpose: To evaluate the antiviral potential of a tetranortriterpenoid, gedunin, against dengue virus (DENV) replication by targeting the host chaperone, Hsp90. Methods: The compound, gedunin, was tested against the replication of DENV in vitro using BHK-15 cells transfected with DENV-2 subgenomic replicon. Molecular docking of gedunin with Hsp90 protein was performed for evaluation of mode of action, using the program, Autodock vina. Results: In vitro antiviral data showed that gedunin significantly (p < 0.05) reduced DENV replication with EC 50 of 10 μM. Further, in silico molecular docking data revealed strong interaction of gedunin with the ATP/ADP binding site of the host protein, Hsp90, with an estimated average free binding energy of -8.9 kcal/mol. Conclusion: The results validate gedunin as a potential antiviral candidate. Further in vitro assays and in vivo viral challenge studies are required to confirm the exact mode of action and pharmacological profile of gedunin in DENV infections. Keywords: Dengue virus replication, Hsp90, Gedunin, Antiviral, Molecular docking


Oxidative stress is considered to be a major cause of cellular injuries in a variety of chronic health problems, such as carcinogenesis and neurodegenerative disorders. Caffeic acid phenethyl ester (CAPE), derived from the propolis of honeybee hives, possesses a variety of biological and pharmacological properties including antioxidant and anticancer activity. In the present study, we focused on the diverse antioxidative functionalities of CAPE and its related polyphenolic acid esters on cellular macromolecules in vitro. The effects on human erythrocyte membrane ghost lipid peroxidation, plasmid pBR322 DNA, and protein damage initiated by the water-soluble initiator 2,2'-azobis(2-amidinopropane) hydrochloride (AAPH) and hydrogen peroxide (H(2)O(2)) were monitored by formation of hydroperoxides and by DNA nicking assay, single-cell alkaline electrophoresis, and SDS-polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis. Our results showed that CAPE and its related polyphenolic acid esters elicited remarkable inhibitory effects on erythrocyte membrane lipid peroxidation, cellular DNA strand breakage, and protein fragmentation. The results suggest that CAPE is a potent exogenous cytoprotective and antigenotoxic agent against cell oxidative damage that could be used as a template for designing novel drugs to combat diseases induced by oxidative stress components, such as various types of cancer.


White matter hyperintensities (WMH) are associated with brain aging and behavioral symptoms as a possible consequence of disrupted white matter pathways. In this study, we investigated, in a cohort of asymptomatic subjects aged 50 to 80, the relationship between WMH, hippocampal atrophy, and subtle, preclinical cognitive and neuropsychiatric phenomenology. Thirty healthy subjects with WMH (WMH+) and thirty individuals without (WMH−) underwent comprehensive neuropsychological and neuropsychiatric evaluations and 3 Tesla Magnetic Resonance Imaging scan. The presence, degree of severity, and distribution of WMH were evaluated with a semi-automated algorithm. Volumetric analysis of hippocampal structure was performed through voxel-based morphometry. A multivariable logistic regression analysis indicated that phenomenology of subclinical apathy and anxiety was associated with the presence of WMH. ROI-based analyses showed a volume reduction in the right hippocampus of WMH+. In healthy individuals, WMH are associated with significant preclinical neuropsychiatric phenomenology, as well as hippocampal atrophy, which are considered as risk factors to develop cognitive impairment and dementia.


Time trends of hexabromocyclododecane (HBCD) isomers were studied for glaucous gull and ringed seal from East Greenland. The ringed seal results extended a previous time trend (1986-2008) to 2010. α-HBCD was the only isomer consistently above quantification limits. For glaucous gull liver, annual median values of α-HBCD (1994-2010) ranged from 22 to 120 ng/g lipid weight (lw) with no significant trend, while HBCD in ringed seal blubber from the same area showed a significant increase from 3.9 to 11 ng/g lw (1986-2010). Reasons for this difference are unknown, but might include different feeding habits and species-specific metabolisation processes. Concentrations of several organochlorine (OC) compounds were determined for glaucous gull and ringed seal samples collected from the same area in 2004. HBCD concentrations in glaucous gull liver appeared relatively low when compared to OC concentrations in the same tissue and to both HBCD and OCs in ringed seal blubber from the same area. Enantiomer fractions (EF) deviated significantly from racemic for all annual mean EFs in glaucous gull suggesting metabolisation processes toward an enrichment of (-)α-HBCD. For ringed seal, this enrichment was less pronounced and only significant for two of the ten years. For neither species, significant changes in EF were found over time.


In this study, the photocatalytic hydrogen evolution reaction from aqueous methanol
was investigated upon simulated solar light using platinum loaded on cobalt doped TiO2 (Pt/Co-TiO2)
composites.

Controversial results of cobalt-based composites create doubts about their photocatalytic
activity. Thus, cobalt doped TiO2 composites were synthesized differently, and the photocatalytic
activity was examined for the photocatalytic hydrogen generation.

The current study aims to investigate the influence of cobalt doping and platinum loading
on the photocatalytic activities of TiO2 nanoparticles for the photocatalytic H2 generation.

The 0.5 wt.% Co-TiO2 and bare TiO2 photocatalysts were synthesized using two different
methods, namely, reflux and hydrothermal synthesis. Additionally, the Pt deposition on the prepared
Co-TiO2 and TiO2 catalysts (1 wt.% Pt) was performed using a photo-platinization method.

The as-prepared catalysts were characterized by X-ray diffraction (XRD), scanning electron microscopy/
energy dispersive X-ray analysis (SEM/EDX), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), ultraviolet-
visible spectroscopy (UV-vis), X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), electron paramagnetic
resonance (EPR), and electrochemical impedance spectroscopy (EIS).

 The XRD and EPR studies clearly indicated that the Co was incorporated into the titanium
dioxide lattice. The EIS results suggested that the reduction of protons over Co-TiO2 and bare TiO2
materials was possible from a thermodynamic point of view. However, the photocatalytic results revealed
that the formed amount of H2 was extremely low and close to the detection limit. The evolution
of H2 from aqueous methanol (10 vol%) showed higher rates when employing 1 wt.% Pt loaded on
0.5 wt.% Co-TiO2 photocatalysts under simulated solar light irradiation. A maximum of 317 ± 44
μmol.h-1 was observed over the Pt/Co-TiO2-HT photocatalyst.

 EPR results confirmed that the cobalt ions were introduced into the TiO2 lattice by trapping
the photogenerated conduction band electrons and decreasing the defects in the crystal cell. The
Mott−Schottky analysis of electrochemical impedance measurements showed that all catalysts were ntype
semiconductors and that cobalt doping induces impurity level within the band gap of TiO2. The
experimental results of photocatalytic H2 generation from methanol-reforming demonstrated that no
significant impact of Co-doping on the photocatalytic H2 formation was observed neither for bare
TiO2 samples nor for the platinized materials. Based on these experimental findings, a possible mechanism
for the continuous photocatalytic activity of Pt/Co-TiO2 photocatalysts under simulated solar
light was proposed.


The purpose of this paper is to prove existence of coincidence points and a common fixed point theorems for four maps in cone metric spaces. AMS Subject Classification: 47H10, 54H25


Very little is said about the Australian artist Roy de Maistre in scholarship on Francis Bacon, apart from the fact that he provided guidance about painting processes and other technical issues. There are a number of reasons for this and this article seeks to look at the relationship between de Maistre and Bacon. Although their period of overlap was short-lived, lasting less than a decade, de Maistre was an important figure in Bacon's early career and significant in his transition from design to painting. Since De Maistre aided Bacon both in his development as a painter and also in his career by introducing him to useful contacts and involving him in exhibitions, perhaps the focus should now be placed on points of stylistic and thematic influence.


An operator on the Norwegian Continental Shelf was confronted with declining production of hydrocarbons, making a particular well no longer profitable. The typical solution for this issue is to sidetrack and recomplete, however, this method is both time-consuming and costly.
 The existing completion of the well included multiple sand screens, where production of hydrocarbons was achieved through a single narrow nozzle for each screen. It was believed that these nozzles were fully blocked by scale and/or sand, and a potential solution was to punch or perforate the basepipe. However, any accidental puncturing of the screens would open the door to the possibility of increased sand production and would eventually kill the well. The only acceptable tolerance for penetration depth was 1.75 mm (0.0689″).
 Explosives were ruled out as an option due to the lack of control over penetration depth, as well as the irregular shape of the holes that would be produced. Instead, an electrical-mechanical punching tool was chosen as the preferred solution. This tool was chosen for its precision and control of penetration depth, as well as the uniform shape of the machined holes.
 Following the operator's assessment of production logging tool data, it was decided to create five holes at every 60° increment in the two deepest sand screens to increase the flow area through the screen. Precision and control of penetration depth were of the utmost importance. The remaining sand screens in the well were isolated by a straddle to prevent excessive gas production.
 The intervention was completed in December 2020, with both of the targeted sand screens punched in one run utilizing a combination of an electrical-mechanical punching tool and a mechanical rotational sub to ensure correct tool orientation. As of the beginning of June, 2023, the operator has kept the well in production due to the significant shift in hydrocarbon production rates.
 This study presents an innovative and cost-effective solution that eliminated the need for a costly workover recompletion operation and, prevented the potential failure of the well. By implementing the electrical-mechanical punching tool, the operator was able to remove blockages in the sand screens with precision and control, leading to a substantial increase in hydrocarbon production. This approach offers valuable insights and a viable alternative for addressing declining production in wells with similar completion configurations.


In this paper the rheological-dynamical theory of the analytical dynamics of discrete visco-elasto-plastic system is presented. The rheological-dynamical analogy (RDA) has been developed on the basis of mathematical-physical analogy between the rheological model and the discrete dynamical model with viscous damping and is aimed to be used for the analysis of inelastic deforming of materials and structures. In this presentation, the coupled initial conditions of the stress-strain state of the rheological visco-elasto-plastic model are applied for the study of discrete dynamics system. Mechanical systems that have their masses and elastic forces distributed, such as cables, rods, beams, plates, etc., rather than lumped together in concentrated masses by springs belong to this class of vibrations of continuous media. These systems consist of an infinitely larger number of particles, and hence require an infinitely large number of coordinates to specify their configurations. These notes give an example illustrating how discrete model can be derived from special limits of the continuum model using the principle of analogy. This technique is useful because discrete model is often much easier to deal with than continuum model, both conceptually and computationally.


ABSTRACT:Through an analysis of Tony Kushner and Jeanine Tesori's musical Caroline, or Change, this article identifies shame as an affective response to white privilege that has the political potential to challenge systemic racism. In contrast to most scholarship on Caroline, or Change, the article focuses on the character of Rose rather than on Caroline or Rose's stepson, Noah. Rose implements a rule to help her avoid the shame she feels when confronting the socio-economic disparity between her family and their maid, Caroline. This rule incites the plot's conflict, providing the musical a dramatic and political centre that deserves further analysis. In its analysis of Rose's shame, this article offers a theoretical outline of the temporality of shame that differentiates it from guilt. Doing so, the article illuminates how Caroline, or Change challenges systemic racism by identifying white privilege as immanently iterated in the present.


In this paper, the construction and design of analysis and synthesis filter banks using analysis subfilters that consist of second-order pseudo-passive digital filters, and synthesis subfilters that consist of low-order finite impulse response (FIR) digital filters are presented. The use of low-order FIR digital filters reduces the group delay of the analysis and synthesis filter banks. Five sets of examples on 1-dimensional (1D) and 2-dimensional (2D) analysis and synthesis filter banks with different types of passband that include full-band, lowpass, highpass, bandpass, and bandstop are presented


In this column, the authors summarize four research studies relevant to normal birth. Topics of the studies summarized include the harms of screening for macrosomia late in pregnancy, the risk factors for and im-pact of postpartum pain in childbearing women, the effects of a breastfeeding approach called ''biological nurturing'' on reflexive behavior in newborns, and the effects of prenatal yoga on labor and birth outcomes. Journal (3),


Model tests on a perforated breakwater system were carried out to evaluate effectiveness in different states of sea. Force measurements were made in three long-crested irregular wave systems and, by spectral analysis, the full-scale statistical characteristics of force were obtained. The effect of perforating the back wall was studied to determine the extent of further reduction of force on the structure. An interior perforated wall was also added for force reduction but was not as effective as the perforated back wall. The system was mounted on piles and imbedded in sand for a quasi-quantitative study of scouring in regular waves. In this case, the elevation of the breakwater walls above the sandy bottom was varied. Both the perforations and the elevation contributed to significant reduction in observed scour. The end result of these experiments is to provide information on the kind of improved performance that might be expected as each variation is introduced which, in turn provides input to design for particular applications.


Background Transfusion-transmissible infections (TTIs) are life-threatening for patients requiring blood transfusion. The prevalence of these blood-borne infections among blood donors may reflect the burden of these diseases among populations in developing countries. Unsafe blood transfusion remains a major global health problem; therefore, TTIs are an important issue in transfusion medicine. Patients and methods A cross-sectional study was undertaken during March 2017 to June 2017 to focus on the magnitude of blood-borne infections among blood donors at Port Sudan Central Blood Bank and to assess the characteristics of reactive and nonreactive blood donors as well as association between coinfection and blood types. A total of 513 donors were encountered, and each blood donor was screened for HIV, hepatitis B virus (HBV), hepatitis C virus (HCV), and syphilis immunologically. Results A total of 513 blood donors were enrolled in this study. Of these, 501 (97.7%) were males and 12 (2.3%) were females, with mean age of 32±9.7 years (range: 17–60 years); all of them are replacement blood donors. Overall, 103 (20.1%) blood donors were reactive, with 97 (18.9%) reactive for one blood-borne infection and six (1.1%) coinfected with two of the four TTIs. The prevalence of HBV, HCV, HIV, and syphilis accounts for 11.7, 0.4, 1.4, and 6.6%, respectively. Six (1.1%) of the study blood donors were coinfected: four (0.8%) with HBV–syphilis and two (0.4%) with HBV–HIV. Conclusion TTIs is outstretched among the blood donors and have increased significantly over time. Stringent selection of blood donors is highly recommended to emphasize the safety of blood to the recipient. However, switch to central blood transfusion service rather than replacement donation may help to reduce the dangerous effect of TTIs.


A graph is called odd (respectively, even) if every vertex has odd (respectively, even) degree. Gallai proved that every graph can be partitioned into two even induced subgraphs, or into an odd and an even induced subgraph. We refer to a partition into odd subgraphs as an odd colouring of G. Scott [Graphs and Combinatorics, 2001] proved that a graph admits an odd colouring if and only if it has an even number of vertices. We say that a graph G is k-odd colourable if it can be partitioned into at most k odd induced subgraphs. We initiate the systematic study of odd colouring and odd chromatic number of graph classes. In particular, we consider for a number of classes whether they have bounded odd chromatic number. Our main results are that interval graphs, graphs of bounded modular-width and graphs of bounded maximum degree all have bounded odd chromatic number.


The photocatalytic production of hydrogen peroxide from water and dioxygen under visible light irradiation was made possible by using polymeric cyano-bridged heteronuclear metal complexes (MII[RuII(CN)4(bpy)]; MII = NiII, FeII and MnII), where the photocatalytic two-electron reduction of O2 and water oxidation were catalysed by the Ru and MII moieties, respectively.


The goal of this project is to develop a new heuristic for pseudo-tree regeneration in S-DPOP. S-DPOP is a version of DPOP which should show performance improvements when resolving problems after small changes. Examples of such problems are: tracking moving targets in sensor networks, truck-task scheduling and also matching patients and donors in kidney exchanges - a new problem for DCOP, which we investigate in this project . In this project, the DCOP-platform FRODO, developed by the artificial intelligence lab (LIA) at EPFL, will be used. Because there is no existing im- plementation of S-DPOP on FRODO, a significant part of the project consists in implementing S-DPOP on FRODO for the first time. The most important part of the project is the development and validation of a new DFS heuristic, which should maximize the amount of reuse when a problem is resolved after a minor change. Furthermore, we want to evaluate the performance of S-DPOP and the new heuristic on a real-life problem. For this, we use the kidney exchange problem, which is a problem class that has been studied in the centralized setting, but which is new to the DCOP community.


The use of chemical additives to stabilize expansive soils is a common practice. However, the environmental concerns associated with the greenhouse gas generation during the production of these chemicals have launched engineers in search of sustainable stabilization alternatives. Microbial Induced Calcite Precipitation (MICP) is a bio-cementation technique that could be a potential solution to this problem. Typically, MICP is achieved via bio-augmentation; however, bio-stimulation was argued to be a more realistic alternative due to its field implementation potential. Hence, in this research study, two expansive soils with varying plasticity characteristics were examined to understand the potential of MICP in treating expansive soils. These two soils were subjected to MICP treatments using enrichment and cementation solutions. The treatment effectiveness was studied via response measures such as Atterberg limits, unconfined compressive strengths, one-dimensional swell test and Calcium Carbonate precipitation. The results indicate that MICP has potential in stabilizing expansive soils and further research is warranted to explore this idea.


Background The Fucose-Mannose Ligand (FML) of Leishmania infantum is a complex glycoprotein which does not elicit adequate immunogenicity in human. In recent years, adjuvant compounds derived from plants have been used for improving the immunogenicity of the vaccines. Glycyrrhizin (GL) is a natural triterpenoid saponin that has known immunomodulatory activities. In the present study, we investigated the effects of a co-treatment with FML and GL on the production of cytokines and nitric oxide ( NO) by macrophages, in vitro . Methods Lipopolysaccharide (LPS) stimulated murine peritoneal macrophages were treated with FML (5 μg/ml) of Leishmania infantum and various concentrations of GL (1 μg/ml, or 10 μg/ml or 20 μg/ml). After 48h of treatment, cell culture supernatants were recovered and the levels of TNF-α, IL-10, IL-12p70, and IP-10 were measured by sandwich ELISA and NO concentration by Griess reaction. Our results indicated that the treatment of activated with FML plus GL leads to enhanced production of NO, TNF-α, IL-12p70, and reduction of IL-10 levels in comparison with FML treatment alone. therefore,


Previous investigations demonstrated that fibronectin is an essential adhesive glycoprotein for the corneal epithelial cells. Fibronectin mediates attachment and spreading of the corneal epithelial cells. However, it seems to be important to know the changes in cellular receptor activity in order to understand the interactions of corneal epithelial cells and underlying extracellular matrix. In this investigation, we studied the effects of various culture times and conditions on the receptor activity of rabbit corneal epithelial cells for fibronectin. The cultured cells were placed on tissue culture plates that were coated with various concentrations of four extracellular matrices: fibronectin, laminin and collagen types I and IV. Freshly isolated corneal epithelial cells without culture did not spread on fibronectin and laminin; they spread only on collagen types I and IV. When the epithelial cells were cultured for 12 h or more, they spread on fibronectin. However, the spreading of the cells on collagen types I and IV was the same regardless of the culture period (up to 20 h). Only a small number of epithelial cells spread on laminin at the highest concentration examined after culture for 12 h or more. Thus, the corneal epithelial cells responded differently to fibronectin, collagen types I and IV, and laminin. Perhaps the receptor for fibronectin appears when epithelial cells are cultured, but the receptor(s) for collagen types I and IV are always present on the cell surface of corneal epithelial cells.


A postsurgical pseudomeningocoele (PSPM) forms when cerebrospinal fluid extravasates through a dura-arachnoidal tear and becomes encysted within the wound. Patients may become symptomatic with wound swelling, headache and radiculopathy. A uniform method of repairing PSPMs is described which includes separation of the dura from the arachnoid, dural repair under operating microscope control, and the use of overlapped local flaps to reinforce the dura and obliterate the PSPM sac. Four recent cases are presented which were successfully treated using this method.


Two characteristics that make convex decomposition algorithms attractive are simplicity of operations and generation of parallelizable structures. In principle, these schemes require that all coordinates update at the same time, i.e., they are synchronous by construction. Introducing asynchronicity in the updates can resolve several issues that appear in the synchronous case, like load imbalances in the computations or failing communication links. However, and to the best of our knowledge, there are no instances of asynchronous versions of commonly-known algorithms combined with inertial acceleration techniques. In this work we propose an inertial asynchronous and parallel fixed-point iteration from which several new versions of existing convex optimization algorithms emanate. Departing from the norm that the frequency of the coordinates' updates should comply to some prior distribution, we propose a scheme where the only requirement is that the coordinates update within a bounded interval. We prove convergence of the sequence of iterates generated by the scheme at a linear rate. One instance of the proposed scheme is implemented to solve a distributed optimization load sharing problem in a smart grid setting and its superiority with respect to the non-accelerated version is illustrated.


Current Chinese segmenting method doesn't consider grammar and semantics during the process of segmenting. So segmenting accuracy and speed are not good. Therefore, on the base of analyzing the peculiarity of Chinese, a knowledge-based Chinese segment method, KSM, is presented. It uses a dictionary of hierarchical structure to get all the re-segmented words and makes ambiguity processing easy and effective. It gets support not only from letters and words knowledge, but from grammar and semantics knowledge. It removes wrong segmentation by checking grammar and semantics. Also It can learn new words to improve the accuracy of segmenting.


The crystal structure of the title bimetallic cyanide-bridged complex, [K[HoRu(CN)(6)(H(2)O)(2)] x 2H(2)O](n), was determined by means of single-crystal X-ray diffraction techniques. The coordination about the central holmium(III) ion is eightfold in a square-antiprismatic arrangement, while the ruthenium(II) ion is octahedrally coordinated. Channels permeating the crystal lattice contain the potassium cations and two zeolitic water molecules. The Ho(III) and K atoms lie at sites with mm symmetry and the Ru atom is at a site with 2/m symmetry.


The experiment was conducted to characterize cowpea (Vigna unguiculata (L.) genotypes based on morphological characters. The experiment was carried out at the screen house of the Institute of Agricultural Research and Training (IAR&T), Moor Plantation, Ibadan in 2015 and 2016 using nine (9) cowpea varieties. Soil was sieved with 2mm sieved and sterilized. The experiment was laid out in Completely Randomized Design (CRD) with four replicates. Morphological data were collected based on descriptor for cowpea (IBPGR, 1983). For quantitative traits, analysis of variance revealed that genotype and years effect mean squares from pooled data were highly significantly different for days to first and 50% flowering (P ˂ 0.01), interaction between genotype and years effect also had significant effect on days to first and days to 50% flowering (P ˂ 0.05).Higher significant values were obtained for terminal leaf width, pod weight, pod length, days to physiological maturity, total seed weight per plant, 100 seed weight and number of seed per plant in 2015 than the year 2016. However there were no significant differences obtained for terminal leaf length, pod per peduncle, number of pod per plant, seed length, seed width, seed thickness, and number of seed per pod in both years. Qualitative characters results show thatgenotypic effect, year effect and their interactions were not significant for plant vigour. Modupe, Ife 98-12, Oloyin-Pelebe, Ife BPC, Oloyin-Nla and Sokoto genotypes had intermediate twining tendency. Drum and Mulla had pronounced twining tendency while Ife Brown had no twining tendency. Based on pooled cluster analysis the dendrogram grouped the varieties in two different major clusters A and B. Cluster A comprised of seven genotypes; Oloyin-Nla, Oloyin-Pelebe, Sokoto, Ife BPC, Modupe, Ife 98-12 and Ife Brown. Cluster B comprised of two genotypes; Drum and Mulla. This implies that genotypes within the same cluster had similar genetic background, while genotypes in cluster A are distant on the chromosome as compare to genotypes on cluster B respectively.Keywords: Genetic evaluation, Vigna unguiculata, Cowpea, Morphological Characters


In overcoming the problems of economic, many rural communities in Gunung Kidul Regency have switched to developing natural asset-based village tourism. The village tourism management is mostly carried out through BUMDes. The problem of developing rural tourism is the problem of tourism promotion, where the process of promoting village tourism tends to be carried out separately, especially through online promotion. It has an impact on tourists who are not easy to find tourist destination maps of villages in Gunung Kidul Regency. This study uses a combination of asset-based approach and integrated information system as an effort to provide a way out to promote the exoticism of natural assets such as beaches, hills, caves, culinary and other assets to be more explored and more heavily promoted among tourists. As a result, tourism promotion which was originally carried out separately has now been integrated, so that a new spirit is created for tourists to visit these tourist sites. The integrated information system makes easier for tourists to see the map and the beautiful charm of a tourist village in Gunung Kidul, Yogyakarta.