We present a novel annotation framework for representing predicate-argument structures, which uses dependency trees to encode the syntactic and semantic roles of a sentence simultaneously. The main contribution is a semantic role transmission model, which eliminates the structural gap between syntax and shallow semantics, making them compatible. A Chinese semantic treebank was built under the proposed framework, and the first release containing about 14K sentences is made freely available. The proposed framework enables semantic role labeling to be solved as a sequence labeling task, and experiments show that standard sequence labelers can give competitive performance on the new treebank compared with state-of-the-art graph structure models.


The average American diet, which is high in protein and low in fruits and vegetables, generates a large amount of acid, mainly as sulfates and phosphates. The kidneys respond to this dietary acid challenge with net acid excretion, as well as ammonium and titratable acid excretion. Concurrently, the skeleton supplies buffer by active resorption of bone. Indeed, calciuria is directly related to net acid excretion. Different food proteins differ greatly in their potential acid load, and therefore in their acidogenic effect. A diet high in acid-ash proteins causes excessive calcium loss because of its acidogenic content. The addition of exogenous buffers, as chemical salts or as fruits and vegetables, to a high protein diet results in a less acid urine, a reduction in net acid excretion, reduced ammonium and titratable acid excretion, and decreased calciuria. Bone resorption may be halted, and bone accretion may actually occur. Alkali buffers, whether chemical salts or dietary fruits and vegetables high in potassium, reverse acid-induced obligatory urinary calcium loss. We conclude that excessive dietary protein from foods with high potential renal acid load adversely affects bone, unless buffered by the consumption of alkali-rich foods or supplements.


This paper presents an approaching forward collision probability index (AFCPI) for alerting and assisting driver in keeping safety distance to avoid the forward collision accident in highway driving. The time to collision (TTC) and time headway (TH) are used to evaluate the TTC forward collision probability index (TFCPI) and the TH forward collision probability index (HFCPI), respectively. The Mamdani fuzzy inference algorithm is presented combining TFCPI and HFCPI to calculate the approaching collision probability index of the vehicle. The AFCPI is easier to understand for the driver who did not even have any professional knowledge in vehicle professional field. At the same time, the driver's behavior is taken into account for suiting each driver. For the approaching index, the value 0 is indicating the 0% probability of forward collision, and the values 0.5 and 1 are indicating the 50% and 100% probabilities of forward collision, respectively. The AFCPI is useful and easy-tounderstand for alerting driver to avoid the forward collision accidents when driving in highway. Keywords—Approaching index, forward collision probability, time to collision, time headway.


Live‐cell detection of intracellular enzyme activity requires that substrates are cell‐permeable and that the generated products are easily detected and retained in cells. Our objective was to create a novel fluorogenic substrate that could be used for real‐time detection of apoptosis in living cells. We have synthesized a highly cell‐permeable caspase‐3 substrate, DEVD‐NucView488, by linking a fluorogenic DNA‐binding dye to the caspase‐3 recognition sequence that renders the dye nonfunctional. On substrate cleavage, the dye is released and becomes highly fluorescent on binding to DNA. DEVD‐NucView488 detected caspase‐3 activation within a live‐cell population much earlier and with higher sensitivity compared with other apoptosis reagents that are currently available. Furthermore, cells incubated with DEVD‐NucView488 exhibited no toxicity and normal apoptotic progression. DEVD‐NucView488 is an ideal substrate for kinetic studies of caspase‐3 activation because it detects caspase‐3 activity in real‐time and also efficiently labels DNA in nuclei of caspase‐3‐activated cells for real‐time fluorescent visualization of apoptotic morphology. The strategy utilized in the design of this fluorogenic substrate can be applied in future endeavors to develop substrates for detecting real‐time intracellular enzyme activity.—Cen, H., Mao, F., Aronchik, I., Fuentes, R. J., Firestone, G. L. DEVD‐NucView488: a novel class of enzyme substrates for real‐time detection of caspase‐3 activity in live cells. FASEB J. 22, 2243–2252 (2008)


A summary of the gross properties of isovector E2 resonances in nuclei and a survey of recent experimental efforts to study these resonances are presented. The main emphasis is on applications of radiative capture and photonuclear reactions, which have proved to be valuable tools for these studies. Planned and ongoing activities in this field are discussed.


BACKGROUND & AIMS
The luminal microenvironment including acid and nitric oxide (NO) has been implicated in Barrett's esophagus carcinogenesis. We investigated the ability of acid and NO to induce DNA damage in esophageal cells.

METHODS
Transformed and primary Barrett's esophagus and adenocarcinoma cells were exposed to either acid, (pH 3.5), +/- antioxidant or NO from a donor or generated by acidification of nitrite in the presence of ascorbate +/- NO scavenger. Phosphorylation of histone H2AX and the neutral comet assay were used to detect DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs). Intracellular levels of reactive oxygen species and NO were detected with fluorescent dyes. Mitochondrial viability was measured with a rhodamine dye. Long-term survival was assessed by clonogenic assay.

RESULTS
Exposure to acid (pH 3.5) for > or =15 minutes induced DSBs in all cell lines (P < .05). There was a concomitant increase in intracellular reactive oxygen species in the absence of mitochondrial damage, and pretreatment with antioxidants inhibited DNA damage. Exposure to physiologic concentrations of NO produced from the NO donor or acidification of salivary nitrite induced DSBs in a dose- (>25 micromol/L) and cell-dependent manner (adenocarcinoma >Barrett's esophagus, P < .05). This occurred preferentially in S-phase cells consistent with stalled replication forks and was blocked with a NO scavenger. NO also induced DSBs in primary Barrett's esophagus cells treated ex vivo. Cells were able to survive when exposed to acid and NO.

CONCLUSIONS
Both acid and NO have the potential to generate DSBs in the esophagus and via distinct mechanisms.


Abstract A new method for decomposition of speed-dependent vibration signals measured on rotating machinery is presented. The method uses a number of measured signals from an array of sensors to decompose the vibration response into: (1) the direction of the progression of motion; (2) its frequency content; (3) the various wavelengths; and (4) speed of rotation (or time). For the simple case of shaft vibration, two sensors spaced at 90° are required to separate the vibration pattern into forward- and backward-travelling components. For the case of a rotating disc, more sensors are required to decompose the response further into different spatial wavelengths and their directions of progression. This decomposition of the response allows monitoring and identification of potentially dangerous vibration patterns which exhibit large backward- or forward-progressing components. The new method is shown to provide better resolution in the time-frequency (speed–frequency) representation where usually overlapping patterns are separated. Several analytical and experimental results that demonstrate the usefulness of the proposed method are shown.


Abstract Background: Simple transposition of the great arteries (TGA) is a cyanotic critical congenital heart defect representing a neonatal cardiovascular emergency, which requires surgery early after birth. In case of inadequate mixing between systemic and pulmonary circulations, creating an unrestrictive interatrial communication is mandatory. The aim of the present study was to identify the most important echocardiographic parameters that can predict the need for balloon atrial septostomy (BSA) in TGA neonates. Material and methods: We retrospectively reviewed the echocardiographic recordings of newborns with TGA referred to our emergency room during a 6-year period. We measured the following echocardiographic parameters: atrial septal defect (ASD) size, interatrial septum (IAS) length, peak/mean inter-atrial pressure gradient, transverse diameter of the left atrium (LA), and transverse diameter of the right atrium (RA). Also, the ratio between ASD/IAS, the ratio between LA/RA, the ratio between mitral/tricuspid annulus, the ASD peak gradient/ASD diameter and the ASD diameter/(LA:RA ratio) were calculated. Results: There were 37 neonates with simple TGA presented to the emergency room, split into two groups: those with BAS (n = 21) and those without BAS (n = 16). Besides significant differences between the two groups in ASD size, peak/mean interatrial pressure gradient, and LA:RA ratio, we found that ASD peak gradient/ASD diameter was significantly higher, but ASD diameter/(LA:RA ratio) was significantly lower in the group that required BAS compared with the group without BAS. Multivariate analysis showed that ASD diameter/(LA:RA ratio) was an independent predictor of septostomy requirement, with a cut-off value of 2.58. Conclusion: ASD diameter/(LA/RA ratio) is a useful echocardiographic parameter that can provide supplementary information regarding inadequate mixing and the need for BAS in neonates with TGA.


A blockchain replaces central counterparties with time-consuming consensus protocols to record the transfer of ownership. This settlement latency slows cross-exchange trading, exposing arbitrageurs to price risk. Off-chain settlement, instead, exposes arbitrageurs to costly default risk. We show with Bitcoin network and order book data that cross-exchange price differences coincide with periods of high settlement latency, asset flows chase arbitrage opportunities, and price differences across exchanges with low default risk are smaller. Blockchain-based trading thus faces a dilemma: Reliable consensus protocols require time-consuming settlement latency, leading to arbitrage limits. Circumventing such arbitrage costs is possible only by reinstalling trusted intermediation, which mitigates default risk.


AIMS AND OBJECTIVES
The aim was to explore nurse empowerment and the factors associated with it from the viewpoint of surgical nurses.

DESIGN
A multicentre cross-sectional, descriptive, correlational study design was used.

SETTING AND PARTICIPANTS
  The data were collected from 11 units of seven largest Lithuanian hospitals located in three major cities during the period of 11/2007 to 01/2008. All the nurses (N = 270) working in the abdominal perioperative settings were invited to participate in the study; 247 questionnaires were returned giving the response rate of 91 %. The data were analyzed on the basis of 218 responses. The statistical analysis was performed by SPSS (12.0 version).

INSTRUMENTS
Two instruments, both originally developed in Finland and adapted to the Lithuanian cultural context, were used: Nurse Empowerment Scale (NES) and Good Nursing Care Scale for Nurses (GNCS-N).

RESULTS
Surgical nurses evaluated their work empowerment positively. Several background factors were associated with nurse empowerment, such as nurse education, type of nurse license (working area), the continuing nurse education (completed courses during last 5 years), the workload at hospital, the work independence, and work satisfaction. The connection between nurse empowerment and quality of nursing care was also identified (r = 0.139-0.525, p < 0.01).

CONCLUSIONS
Surgical nurses feel empowered at their work when they have higher education and have completed the continuing education courses. Nurses should have possibility to continue their studies at the university. Independent at work, satisfied, and motivated nurses have more power at their work in the surgical units in Lithuania. However, further research is needed to explore nurse empowerment in other fields of nursing care nationally and internationally.


Objective The hypothalamic-pituitary adrenal (HPA) axis is intimately involved in the stress response. Similar to other stressors, acute nicotine administration has been shown to stimulate ACTH and corticosterone/cortisol secretion in both rodents and humans, raising the possibility that activation of the HPA axis by nicotine may mediate some of the effects of nicotine. We hypothesized that chronic stress increases the ability of nicotine to activate the HPA axis and that the nature of the stress (mild vs. severe) may be critical in subsequent activation of the HPA axis by nicotine. Method Male C57/BL6 mice (25 g, 8 wks old) were exposed to one of the two stressors (swim in 15°C or 32°C for 3 min/day for 5 days). Controls were not exposed to either stressor. On day 8, half of the mice in each group received saline and the other half received nicotine (0.5 mg/kg, s.c.). Fifteen min later, the mice were then sacrificed, trunk blood was collected and assayed for levels of ACTH and corticosterone using radioimmunoassays. Results Acute exposure to either stressor increased serum ACTH and corticosterone levels. Similarly, as compared to saline, nicotine injection increased the level of corticosterone and ACTH. While there was no significant difference in basal ACTH and corticosterone level in stressed groups as compared to non-stressed controls, the group subjected to the severe stressor (swim in 15°C water), had significantly higher levels of ACTH in response to an acute nicotine challenge (15°C = 86.8 pg/mL, 32°C = 54.5 pg/mL, control= 48 pg/mL). Conclusion These results confirm our hypothesis that chronic stress leads to an enhanced sensitivity of the HPA axis to a nicotine challenge and that the severity of the stress is important in this regard. The present results may help to understand how stress may increase the risk of nicotine use and possibly help in the design of novel treatments for nicotine addiction.


In this paper, an adaptive bilateral motion estimation (ABIME) algorithm is proposed for frame rate up-conversion of high definition (HD) video. The proposed ABIME algorithm can be used as a refinement step after a true motion estimation algorithm. It refines the motion vector field between successive frames by employing a spiral search pattern and by adaptively assigning weights to candidate search locations. An adaptive early termination technique is also proposed for reducing the computational complexity of the ABIME algorithm. In addition, a high performance hardware architecture is proposed for implementing the ABIME algorithm. The proposed hardware uses an efficient memory organization and a novel data reuse scheme in order to reduce the memory bandwidth and control overhead. The proposed hardware is capable of processing 278 1920x1080 full HD frames per second (fps), therefore doubling the frame rate to 556 fps. The proposed early termination technique reduces the energy consumption of the proposed hardware by 29%1.


In this paper, we evaluate the impact of the multi-antenna schemes on the performance of the ad-hoc WLAN systems in a quasi-static Rayleigh fading environment. We use a Markov chain model to calculate the saturated throughput of an IEEE 802.11 network working in an ad-hoc mode. The throughput has a random nature due to the slowly random changing environment. Hence, the cumulative distribution function (CDF) of the throughput is considered as the performance measure. The effect of different multi-antenna schemes, such as the Alamouti scheme and the maximum ratio receiver combining (MRRC) technique, on this performance measure is evaluated based on the obtained analytical results. We also study the effect of different system parameters on the ad-hoc multi-antenna WLAN performance


Market share is highly corrected with customer satisfaction and business success; many companies increase their outsourcing level to keep their core competition. Supplier selection problems have become an important issue of production management. Process yield is a standard criterion in the manufacturing industry as a common measure on process performance. The index SPK provides an exact measure on the process yield for normal processes. However, most studies considered the assessment of index SPK for just one single supplier; the testing procedure for suppliers selection has not been done at present. Hence, the principal purpose of this research is to determine the more capable process between two competing suppliers. Two tests are presented based on SPK, and four bootstrap methods are used for obtaining the test statistics. By Monte Carlo simulations, performance comparisons of these methods are performed in terms of empirical size and selection power. Finally, a case on the color filter manufacturing process is investigated to demonstrate the applicability of the proposed method.


Hydroa vacciniforme-like lymphoma is a rare cutaneous T-cell lymphoma occurring in children associated with Epstein–Barr virus (EBV) infection. We reported a 15-year-old Chinese boy who presented with a 3-month history of recurrent special clinical manifestations including vesicles, erythematous papules, ulcer, crusting, and smallpox-like scar on his head, face, neck, limbs, and ankles. EBV-DNA level was positive. Immunohistochemistry showed CD2(+++), CD3(+++), CD4(+), CD5(++), CD7(+), CD8(±), CD56(+), ki67 (30%+), Gr-B(+++). The patient showed a significant improvement in clinical symptoms after being treated with interferon alpha and prednisone.


We have investigated the effect of nifedipine on acetylcholine-induced bronchoconstriction in 8 asthmatics and on histamine-induced bronchoconstriction in another 8 asthmatics on a single-blind basis. Expiratory spirograms were done at the beginning of the examination in all subjects, and repeated after 10 mg of oral nifedipine or a placebo. The change of respiratory resistance during the inhalation of acetylcholine or histamine was recorded continuously by an Astograph. Using this device, we were able to obtain the direct-writing dose-response curve of respiratory resistance measured during quiet breathing. Resting airway tone appeared to be generally unaffected by nifedipine, as there was no significant change in baseline spirograms. Nifedipine increased significantly the threshold of bronchial responsiveness, i.e., the cumulative dose of acetylcholine (Dmin) at which the respiratory resistance started to increase, compared with placebo (p less than 0.02). However, Sd, the slope of the increasing rate of respiratory resistance in the dose-response curve, was not attenuated by nifedipine. In histamine inhalation tests, neither Dmin nor Sd were modified by nifedipine. The discrepancy observed between the effects of nifedipine on acetylcholine- and histamine-induced bronchoconstriction may imply that, in asthmatics, nifedipine exerts its effect mainly by stabilizing mast cells rather than by directly inhibiting bronchial smooth muscle contractility. This hypothesis is based on the fact that mast cells have acetylcholine receptors on their surfaces but no histamine H1-receptors.


Ghana's public works program, Labour-Intensive Public Works (LIPW), was initiated in 2010 with the goal of providing short-term employment opportunities to the poorest and building community assets. Public works programs have the potential to promote social inclusion by benefiting vulnerable groups, particularly youth and women. The LIPW program in its operational design, included provisions to support women workers, including having on-site crèches and latrines and provided flexibility of employment so that women could easily access the program. Although, the program did not exclude qualified youth, operational designs did not lay emphasis on youth engagement. The LIPW program could be positioned as a youth employment avenue, as well as promoting social inclusion and enhancing the overall well-being of its beneficiaries. As such, this study reviews the operational opportunities within the Ghana LIPW program design targeting women and youth and provides recommendations for enhancing social inclusion for these groups in future programming. This study will be useful for public works program implementers, as well as policy makers, looking to boost social inclusion within their programming.


Several biochemical and hormonal abnormalities associated with renal insufficiency lead to complex disorders of bone which are described by the term renal osteodystrophy. Assessment of renal osteodystrophy in its early stages is primarily biochemical since symptoms generally do not occur until osteodystrophy is advanced. Therapy should be initiated early in the course of renal insufficiency in order to prevent the development of severe skeletal abnormalities. Foremost among the multiple factors involved in the pathogenesis of hyperparathyroidism are retention of phosphorus and low levels of calcitriol. The principal therapies for the prevention and treatment of hyperparathyroidism include the use of calcium salts taken with meals, as phosphorus binders, to prevent the absorption of phosphorus from the intestine, correction of acidosis and careful use of vitamin D metabolites such as calcitriol or 1-alpha-hydroxycholecalciferol. The prevalence of aluminum induced osteomalacia appears to be declining as aluminum salts have been replaced by calcium containing phosphate binders and there is increased attention to adequate water purification for dialysis. Other disorders such as adynamic bone and the accumulation of beta 2-microglobulin may require bone biopsy for accurate diagnosis and are more difficult to treat effectively.


: Ten American river otters (Lutra canadensis) were evaluated clinically before release into Oklahoma waterways. Otters were immobilized for physical, radiographic, and electrocardiographic examinations and for collection of blood samples. Hematologic and serum biochemical analyses, urinalyses, parasitologic examinations, surgical omental biopsies, and necropsy findings were included. Respiratory tract disease, bacterial and parasitic infections, and starvation apparently were contributing causes of postrelease mortality in 4 of the otters.


We investigated the impacts of drought on ammonia-oxidizing archaea (AOA) and bacteria (AOB) in a salt marsh and compared the response to the total bacterial community. We analyzed abundance and community composition of amoA genes by QPCR and TRFLP, respectively, in three vegetation zones in 2014 (pre-drought), 2016 (drought), and 2017 (post-drought), and analyzed bacterial 16S rRNA genes by QPCR, TRFLP, and MiSeq analyses. AOA and AOB abundance in the Spartina patens zone increased significantly in 2016, while abundance decreased in the tall S. alterniflora zone, and showed little change in the short S. alterniflora zone. Total bacterial abundance declined annually in all vegetation zones. Significant shifts in community composition were detected in 2016 in two of the three vegetation zones for AOA and AOB, and in all three vegetation zones for total bacteria. Abundance and community composition of AOA and AOB returned to pre-drought conditions by 2017, while bacterial abundance continued to decline, suggesting that nitrifiers may be more resilient to drought than other bacterial communities. Finding vegetation-specific drought responses among N-cycling microbes may have broad implications for changes in N availability and marsh productivity, particularly if vegetation patterns continue to shift as predicted due to sea level rise.


The DoD Architecture Framework is now popularly used for describing overall requirements and architectural design of the system-of-systems (SoS). However, it is very hard to validate and verify the architecture products, as most of them are modeled with informal constructs. The paper proposes an approach of executable architecture modeling and simulation by introducing formal UML specification. Firstly, definitions of executable architecture are provided, upon which both structural and behavioral meta-models of SoS architecture are built by extending fUML meta models. Then, a simulation language is defined based on Process Algebras, and the semantics of emergent behavior of SoS is discussed. The executable models of a SoS architecture are therefore constructed through: (1) modeling the structures and behaviors of SoS, (2) translating the models into process terms and (3) specifying simulation rules upon the process terms. Since Process Algebras based executable tools are available over relevant research institutions, it is not difficult to build a simulation execution environment. Finally, a case study is used to illustrate the feasibility of the approach. Keyword: executable architecture; meta model; executable model; algebraic semantics


After more than a decade of budget squeezing by the previous Conservative government, the new Labour administration announced on Monday a $1.75 billion boost for science over the next 3 years. And, in an unprecedented partnership, more than one-third of the new money is being provided by the Wellcome Trust, the world9s largest biomedical research charity. The announcement is one of the highlights of a detailed review of all government spending, carried out by the new government in its first 14 months in office, that will form the basis of multiyear budget forecasts.


Modeling the relationship between chemical structure and molecular activity is a key task in drug development and precision medicine. In this paper, we utilize a novel deep learning architecture to jointly train coordinated embeddings of chemical structures and transcriptional signatures. We do so by training neural networks in a coordinated manner such that learned chemical representations correlate most highly with the encodings of the transcriptional patterns they induce. We then test this approach by using held-out gene expression signatures as queries into embedding space to recover their corresponding compounds. We evaluate these embeddings' utility for small molecule prioritization on this new benchmark task. Our method outperforms a series of baselines, successfully generalizing to unseen transcriptional experiments, but still struggles to generalize to entirely unseen chemical structures.


A physico-chemical analysis of the heterogenous population of opioid receptors was carried out. A new difference approach to the analysis of heterogenous receptor systems was developed. This procedure permits to estimate even in high stringency conditions of parameters of three or more types of receptors from the binding isotherms or competitive replacement curves as well as to determine the total receptor concentration in the system. A DELTA computer program based on this difference approach has been developed. The experimental results obtained through the use of the difference technique led to a kinetic model of interaction between morphine and D-Ala2, D-Leu5-enkephalin with rat brain receptors. This model based on the interaction of each ligand with three types of specific binding sites can be used for the determination of kinetic and thermodynamic parameters.


This paper analyses Maillart's Vessy Bridge from a design point of view using thrust lines. As it has previously been shown (Fivet and Zastavni [4], Zastavni [7,8]) that Robert Maillart used graphic statics to design the line and the structural features of his bridges, it proves appropriate to reconstruct the working drawings of one of his most complete works. Thrust lines, forces trajectories and funicular polygons within the scope of graphic statics refer to reference loading cases and their choices. Furthermore, it questions the manipulation of forces, with mechanisms such as prestressing and interpreting thrust in geometrical terms.


PURPOSE
The distribution of temperature in a dental implant following hot food and beverage consumption is essential for evaluating the hazard this process may have on bone health. The purpose of this study was to predict the temperature distribution in the dental implant with/without a crown and the bone crest in contact with it using the finite element method.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A 3D model of the implant and the mandible was prepared by using computer-aided design software. Implants were investigated in three cases: without crown (BHI), with ceramic crown (MHIc), and with zirconia crown (MHIz). Subsequently, temperature distribution was numerically determined along the implant system for two heat loadings.

RESULTS
In loading type I, the maximum temperature of the surrounding bone at the cervical implant/bone interface was obtained in the BHI model (39.1°C), and the lowest was obtained in the MHIc model (37.6°C). The maximum temperature rise in loading type II also took place in the BHI model (41.7°C). Moreover, the BHI model showed a rapid rise to the maximum temperature followed by a fast recovery compared to its two counterparts (MHIc, MHIz). In both loading types, the maximum temperature at the first point of contact between the implant and bone, and apical implant/bone interface was slightly higher in the MHIz than that in the MHIc. The maximum temperature in all the models was higher when subjected to cyclic loading. The maximum temperatures reached in all the models were lower than threshold temperatures, so thermal loading alone does not harm the jawbone. Moreover, the BHI was more vulnerable than the MHIc and the MHIz.

CONCLUSIONS
The results of this study suggest that dental implants should be covered with crowns as soon as possible, and patients with dental implants should avoid consumption of hot food and beverages without allowing time for the heat to dissipate.


We report a new, thermoelectric method for performing enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay (ELISA) in a microfluidic device. The concentration of the analyte is determined by measuring the heat of an enzymatic reaction between glucose and glucose oxidase using thin-film antimony/bismuth thermopile. The feasibility of lab-on-a-chip thermoelectric ELISA is demonstrated by measuring the concentration of 8-hydroxy-2-deoxyguanosine (8OHdG) in urine samples from amyloid precursor protein transgenic mice. The detection method is based on formation of a complex between 8OHdG, anti-8OHdG capture antibody and glucose oxidase linked IgG antibody. The complex is immobilized at the lower channel wall of the microfluidic device, over the measuring junctions of the thermopile. The amount of heat detected by the thermoelectric sensor is inversely proportional to the concentration of 8OHdG. Standard calibration curve was created using synthetic 8OHdG. The regression line equation of the standard calibration curve was used to estimate the concentration of 8OHdG in mouse urine.


The Alberti-Ulhmann criterion states that any given qubit dichotomy can be transformed into any other given qubit dichotomy by a quantum channel if and only if the testing region of the former dichotomy includes the testing region of the latter dichotomy. Here, we generalize the Alberti-Ulhmann criterion to the case of arbitrary number of qubit or qutrit states. We also derive an analogous result for the case of qubit or qutrit measurements with arbitrary number of elements. We demonstrate the possibility of applying our criterion in a semi-device independent way.


This article examines the environmental problems of the Western region in the Republic of Kazakhstan. The authors emphasize that for many decades the oil fields of Kazakhstan have developed mainly a raw material management system with extremely high technogenic loads on the environment. It is noted that for Kazakstani economy, oil and gas production and especially their export play a key role in generating income and growth within the gross product. At the same time, the authors point out that the impact of the oil and gas field on the environment in recent years has been characterized by its intensity, diversity and significant scale. The issue of developing new hydrocarbon raw materials deposits is considered, which is accompanied by geological exploration, drilling and construction works, laying of pipelines and roads. The authors come to the conclusion that a strong anthropogenic impact on all components of the environment causes an active change in the chemical and physicochemical properties of the soil, disrupts the hydrological regime of territories, leads to impoverishment and changes in the species composition, structure and productivity of phytocenoses, a reduction in the spatial distribution and number of animal populations. In conclusion, the authors put forward a number of fundamental tasks for solving environmental problems of the industry.


Ballistic one-dimensional transport in semiconductor nanowires plays a central role in creating topological and helical states. The hallmark of such one-dimensional transport is conductance quantization. Here we show conductance quantization in InSb nanowires at nonzero magnetic fields. Conductance plateaus are studied as a function of source-drain bias and magnetic field, enabling extraction of the Landé g factor and the subband spacing.


This thesis is focused on the detailed physicochemical characterisation of zinc oxide (ZnO) nanoparticles (NPs) intended for use in toxicological investigations. A characterisation protocol has been developed in order to determine detailed physicochemical characteristics of 5 ZnO NP samples, selected to investigate in in vitro toxicity assays. The characterisation protocol aims to establish the samples' distribution of particle sizes, morphology, crystallinity, phase content, purity, surface composition, dispersion and solubility and as such includes the following techniques: inductively coupled plasma mass spectrometry (ICP-MS), X-ray diffraction (XRD), BET gas adsorption, thermogravimetric analysis with evolved gas analysis by Fourier transform infra-red spectroscopy (TGA-EGA with FTIR), FTIR, X-ray photoelectron spectroscopy (XPS), nuclear magnetic resonance spectroscopy (NMR), scanning electron microscopy (SEM), transmission electron microscopy (TEM), dynamic light scattering (DLS), plunge freezing transmission electron microscopy (PF-TEM) and Zeta potential measurement. Initially 12 commercial samples were sourced and screened using TEM to obtain information on the average particle size. 3 of the commercial samples were then selected to carry forward to toxicity studies: EN-Z-1, EN-Z-2 and EN-Z-3. Synthesis of ZnO NPs was investigated in house by a flame spray pyrolysis and a polyol route; 2 synthesized samples were carried forward to the toxicity studies: EN-Z-4 and EN-Z-6. A coating was detected on the surface of EN-Z-1 (a colloidal suspension in water), identified as an aliphatic polyether (TGA-EGA, FTIR, XPS and NMR). Physically and chemically adsorbed H2O and CO2 was detected at the surface of the other 4 samples, which were all dry powders. A small amount hydrozincite was present in EN-Z-2 and EN-Z-3, identified by XRD, TGA-EGA, FTIR, XPS and NMR. Additionally, a small amount of diethylene glycol was identified on the surface of EN-Z-6, left over from synthesis.
The dispersion and solubility of the samples in water, Dulbecco's modified Eagle Medium (DMEM) and bovine serum albumin (BSA) was investigated by DLS, PF-TEM and ICP-MS the results of which are presented in Chapter 6. Most samples showed similar dissolution kinetics and equilibrium solubility with the exception of EN-Z-1 which showed slower dissolution, presumably due to the coating present on
the NPs. Due to the equilibrium solubility of ZnO in DMEM, for concentrations of ZnO below 10 μg/ml, a significant amount is dissolved or re-precipitated as zinc carbonate. The agglomeration and solubility of ZnO NPs was found to increase when suspended in DMEM as compared to in water. The solubility of ZnO was found to increase with decreasing solution temperature (37 and 25 oC). The addition of BSA was found to have a dispersing effect on ZnO NP suspensions. PF-TEM was investigated as an alternative technique to DLS for measuring size distributions of ZnO NPs in suspensions. It was determined that PF-TEM measurements give an accurate representation of the range of agglomerates in the suspension, however the sampling size is very low and data processing is time consuming and therefore the technique should be used as a complementary technique to DLS.
The cytotoxicity and genotoxicity of ZnO NPs was assessed using the MTT (thiazolyl blue tetrazolium bromide) and comet assay respectively. A lower toxicity was measured for ZnO NP powder samples as compared to the coated colloidal dispersion. The polymer coating enhances NP interaction with lipid membranes which may increase toxicity through increased cellular uptake followed by intracellular dissolution. Coated and uncoated ZnO NPs are taken up by A549 cells and were located in both the cytoplasm and the nucleus. In cells exposed to 100 μg/ml EN-Z-4 and EN-Z-6, smaller than primary particle size NPs were located in the cells, suspected to be zinc carbonate particles formed from dissolved zinc precipitating from solution in the extracellular or intracellular environment.


Neoplagioporus zacconis (Yamaguti, 1934) (Trematoda: Opecoelidae) was found from the intestine of the pale chub, Zacco platypus, for the first time in Korea. The worms were characterized morphologically by oval body shape, bipartited seminal vesicle, sinistrally located genital pore, and lobed ovary, and distinguished from the two other species of Neoplagioporous by body shape and distribution of vitelline follicles. The morphological characteristics, except the ovary, well corresponded to those of the previous descriptions. The morphological difference of the ovary was considered as a character of geographical phenotypic variation.


Abnormal cardiovascular control after spinal cord injury (SCI) results in hypotension soon after injury. Later, paroxysmal hypertension and bradycardia in response to sensory stimulation below the level of injury develop in most people with SCI. In this study, we used a radiotelemetry system, in rats (n = 7), to investigate the effect of a clinically relevant compression model of SCI at T5 spinal segment on mean arterial pressure (MAP) and heart rate (HR) at rest and in response to colorectal distension. The transducers were implanted 1 month before clip compression (50-g) injury and continuous recording of MAP and HR was established for a period of 2.5 months. SCI was associated with hypotension (86+/-3 mm Hg) at 1 day after injury. In the following 2 days, MAP gradually returned to preinjury levels. By contrast, HR increased at 1 day after SCI and remained unchanged thereafter. Three days after SCI, colorectal distension caused an increase in MAP of 8+/-2 mm Hg accompanied by bradycardia (-18 bpm). One week after SCI, colorectal distension induced an increase in MAP of 9+/-2 mm Hg and bradycardia (-41 bpm). In the following days, the magnitude of reflex hypertension gradually increased, reaching 21+/-4 mm Hg at 1.5 months after SCI. In summary, our data show that resting MAP rapidly returns to control values after SCI. Episodic hypertension associated with autonomic dysreflexia can develop in rats within 1 month after incomplete SCI.


A novel approach for hardware-accelerated high-speed collision detection is presented in this article. It focuses on dedicated hardware for collision detection queries and its interaction with the memory interface. A specialised tree-traversal algorithm is presented that exploits arbitrary memory interfaces optimally to minimise delay of collision queries. Along with this a novel caching technique is introduced that combines high-speed access to the bounding-volume hierarchy with minimal resource consumption. Simulation and synthesis results are presented that prove the conjunction of both techniques to enable real-time collision queries at rates required by force-feedback while fitting onto a standard field-programmable gate array.


Risk factors for cardiovascular disease like high blood pressure, high levels of total cholesterol, tryglicerides, LDL-cholesterol, HDL-cholesterol or uric acid can be detected early in childhood and, are no longer exclusive pathology of the adults, nowadays. We can detect the presence of these modifi cations in children, and also we can detect early,in the fi rst decade of life, subclinical impairment of the vasels due to obesity and high blood pressure, in fact, fi rst signs of the atherosclerosis. Pediatric population should be cheked for cardiovascular risk factors any time begining with 3 years of age, by measuring blood levels of uric acid, total serum cholesterol (TC), low-density lipoprotein (LDL), triglicerides (TG) and high-density lipoprotein (HDL) and by measuring the intima-media thickness in carotid artery (IMTc) and the blood pressure.


The use of Rehmannia glutinosa of the family Scrophulariaceae, in traditional medicine is well known. This study was conducted to elucidate the effect of air curing of the seed rhizome of R. glutinosa on its storability and yield. Methods and Results: The root of the R. glutinosa cultivar (Dagang) was harvested in at the end of November. The seed rhizomes were air cured for one to seven days. They were subsequently wrapped with newspaper and further stored in a plastic container at 1℃. It was observed that the weight loss and decay rates were significantly lower in the air cured seeds than in the untreated ones. Moreover, the decay rate of the control was approximately 50%, 120 days after storage. However. the decay rate of all the air cured treatment groups was less than 1%. Additionally, air curing led to an increase in the germination rate of the seeds and the root yield when compared with the untreated groups. Taken together, the ideal treatment period for air curing was found to be 3 days. Under these conditions, the germination rate and yield were 88.7% and 2,185 ㎏/10a, respectively. Conclusions: This study successfully demonstrated that the air curing of seed rhizomes can lead to a considerable increase in the storability and yield of R. glutinosa.


The purpose of this research was to describe and interpret the positive body image experiences of women actively engaged in pole fitness. A total of seven women between the ages of 20 and 36 years participated in semistructured one-on-one interviews and follow-up interviews. Participant observation was also used to generate data. Data were analyzed using an interpretative phenomenological analysis approach, and the positive body image experiences of women are represented by five themes: (a) observation and exposure fostering body acceptance, (b) performance promoting self-confidence, (c) personal growth and sexual expression, (d) unconditional community support creates comfort, and (e) body appreciation through physical skill development. Findings suggest that women engaging in pole fitness may experience positive body image, and the words of participants provide insight into the components of pole fitness that may foster positive body image. Pole fitness may provide a unique exercise context whereby women can develop and maintain positive body image.


Knowledge of the mechanical properties of the small arteries is important for understanding physiological and pathophysiological conditions in the human peripheral circulation. We have recently developed a new method for the noninvasive measurement of arterial elastic properties in human fingers using photoelectric plethysmography. In this study, the pressure-volume relationship, an index for expressing arterial elasticity, was measured by this method in the finger arteries of 91 healthy subjects and 102 patients with coronary artery disease. Aging effects on the elastic properties of finger arteries were examined in healthy subjects classified into three groups: under 30, 31-49, and over 50 years of age. The pressure-volume curve shifted downward with increase in age, indicating that the elasticity of finger arteries decreased with age. Patients with 75% or greater coronary stenosis, as compared with age-matched healthy subjects, showed distinctly lower elasticity of finger arteries. As the number of diseased coronary arteries increased, the elasticity of finger arteries tended to decrease steadily. The elasticity of finger arteries decreased in coronary disease patients with hypertension much more than in those without hypertension. These results suggest that age-related changes in arterial elasticity can occur in peripheral small arteries, and that peripheral arteries in patients with coronary atherosclerosis are less elastic than those in healthy subjects.


Oral cancer occurs at a cancer site that is easily examined; yet more than 40% of oral cancers are diagnosed at a late stage when the chance of death is high and treatment can be devastating. Although oral cancer screening is part of every oral health professional's (OHP) training, it is often difficult for OHPs to differentiate high-risk oral premalignant lesions (OPLs) from benign reactive lesions. A primary goal of this thesis was to evaluate two approaches to enhancing visualization of clinical lesions: the application of toluidine blue (TB) stain, used to improve contrast of suspicious mucosal areas in normal tissue (Project 1), and fluorescence visualization (FV), used to identify an alteration to tissue optics that is associated with morphological and biochemical change seen in cancers and premalignant disease (Projects 2 and 4). A second goal was to develop and evaluate an educational strategy for oral cancer screening in community dental clinics aimed at strengthening conventional screening activities and providing a framework for integration and assessment of visualization techniques in community settings (Projects 3 and 4). Studies were conducted on patients within two settings: referral clinics of the BC Oral Cancer Prevention Program (Projects 1 and 2) and community dental clinics in the Vancouver lower mainland (Projects 3 and 4). Use of two settings is important: technology developed within high-risk referral settings needs to be re-evaluated in community clinics where the spectrum of disease is different and expertise is variable. Among key results of these studies were: a strong association between TB positive staining and increased (6-fold) cancer risk for OPLs; an association of FV and high-risk clinical, histological and molecular change; and; identification of barriers and facilitators for oral cancer screening in OHPs with evaluation of a triaging framework to support key decision points in community practices. In summary this thesis data supports the use of TB and FV visualization approaches in high-risk clinics to improve detection of OPLs. In addition, the community studies have produced a framework for transfer of new technology into general dental practice building upon an enhanced triage and referral system.


Context Standard pregnancy intentions measures do not always align with how people approach pregnancy. Studies that have investigated beyond a binary framework found that those with "ambivalent" feelings towards pregnancy are less likely to use contraception consistently, but the reasons for this are unclear. We sought to gain a nuanced understanding of pregnancy desires, and how perceptions about pregnancy are associated with contraceptive use. Methods We used non-probability quota sampling based on sex, age, and geographic region for a web-based survey of heterosexual men and women, aged 21–44 years, who could become pregnant/impregnate and were not currently pregnant (n = 1,477; 51% female). The survey was created using unique items informed by recent literature. Bivariate and multivariable analyses explored relationships between various perceptions about pregnancy with pregnancy desires categorized as: wanting a pregnancy, not wanting a pregnancy, and not trying but would be okay with a pregnancy. We conducted a sub-group analysis of those who were not trying but would be okay with a pregnancy (n = 460), using descriptive statistics to examine how consistent contraceptive use was associated with emotions and beliefs about avoiding pregnancy. Results After adjustment, those who felt that pregnancy may not always be avoidable, but instead determined by fate/higher power, or a natural process that happens when it is meant to, were significantly more likely (aOR: 1.83, 95% CI: 1.05–3.36; aOR: 2.21, 95% CI: 1.29–3.76, respectively) to report not trying but being okay with pregnancy, whereas those with negative feelings about a pregnancy were less likely to feel okay about a pregnancy (aOR: 0.11, 95% CI: 0.08–0.15), versus not wanting a pregnancy. In the sub-group analysis, those who felt pregnancy was determined by fate/higher power or a natural process were more likely to report not using contraception consistently (70%, 68%, respectively). Conclusions Those who state they are not trying but would be okay with pregnancy may not use contraception consistently because of beliefs that pregnancy is predetermined. Our findings support less categorical and more multidimensional approaches to measuring fertility intentions, with important implications for reproductive health service provision.


We have made transgenic mice using the human erythropoietin receptor (hEpoR) encoding gene contained within a 15-kb DNA fragment. The transgenic mice that incorporated the hEpoR transgene into the genome were analyzed for tissue specific expression of hEpoR mRNA using reverse transcriptase and DNA amplification. In the control animals, endogenous EpoR transcripts were identified in bone marrow and spleen; no transcripts were detected in heart, kidney, liver, or brain. In the transgenic mice, hEpoR transcripts were detected in bone marrow and spleen but not in heart, kidney, or liver, suggesting that the transgene contains sufficient genetic information to direct appropriate expression in hematopoietically active tissues. The hematological parameters of the transgenic mice were within normal limits, consistent with the relatively low level of hEpoR transcripts detected. Surprisingly, hEpoR transcripts but not mouse EpoR transcripts were detected in the brains of the transgenic mice. Brain hEpoR transcripts were observed in all transgenic mice assayed, indicating that transgene expression in the brain did not result from the effects of aberrant integration sites. Comparable expression of the transgene was also observed in the embryonic brain. Interestingly, we observed significant expression of the endogenous EpoR gene in the early embryonic brain (Day 10) of normal mice at levels comparable to that observed in the adult spleen and bone marrow. The level of endogenous EpoR expression in the brain decreased during embryonic development to nondetectable levels prior to birth preceding the decrease of endogenous EpoR expression in the fetal liver, while hEpoR expression in the brains of transgenic mice persisted throughout embryonic development into adulthood. These data suggest that the hEpoR transgene contains appropriate regulatory sequences to direct tissue specific expression in tissues associated with hematopoietic activity and in the embryonic brain, but lacks the control elements to provide levels of expression comparable to that of the endogenous gene or to selectively silence brain expression in the adult mouse.


Determining the seed quality and germination requirements for threatened orchid species in storage is vital for future conservation efforts. Seeds of many Australian terrestrial orchid species are held in conservation collections around the country, but few have been germinated in vitro, fuelling concerns over their long-term viability. This study tested three methods of assessing orchid seed quality; asymbiotic germination was compared with vital staining using triphenyltetrazolium chloride or fluorescein diacetate. Six culture media were examined for efficacy in promoting asymbiotic seed germination of four Australian terrestrial orchid species (Pterostylis nutans, Microtis arenaria, Thelymitra pauciflora and Prasophyllum pruinosum). Germination occurred on all media but germination rates were consistently highest on BM1 and development was most advanced on BM1, P723 and Malmgren media. Subsequent trials tested the efficacy of BM1 for asymbiotic germination of additional genera (Caladenia, Calochilus and Diuris), several congeneric species, and two species collected from several different provenances within each of their ranges. The results indicate that asymbiotic germination on BM1 medium is an effective technique for testing the performance of Australian terrestrial orchid seeds. The efficacy of vital stains to determine seed viability, however, remains uncertain, as significant disagreement between degree of staining and germinability was observed for some species.


We examine optimal provision of riskless government bonds under asymmetric information and safe asset scarcity. Paradoxically, corporations have incentives to issue junk debt precisely when intrinsic demand for safe debt is high since uninformed investors then migrate to risky overheated debt markets. Uninformed demand stimulates informed speculation which drives junk debt prices closer to fundamentals, encouraging pooling at high leverage. Acting as borrower of (cid:133)rst resort, the government can issue safe bonds which siphon o⁄ uninformed demand for risky corporate debt and reduce socially wasteful informed speculation. Thus, government bonds either eliminate pooling at high leverage or improve risk sharing in such equilibria. The optimal quantity of government bonds is increasing in intrinsic demand for safe assets and non-monotonic in marginal Q.


The set of frames exchanged in automotive applications must meet two constraints: it has to be feasible from a schedulability point of view and it should minimize the network bandwidth consumption. This latter point is important since it allows the use of low cost electronic components and it facilitates an incremental design process. The purpose of this study is to propose efficient algorithms for solving the NP-hard problem of generating a set of schedulable frames that minimize the bandwidth usage. This study presents novel algorithms for building bandwidth-minimizing sets of frames that meet the schedulability requirement. In our experiments, these proposals have proved to be more effective than the existing approaches.


A time series of aerial censuses of Cape fur seal colonies, spanning four decades (1972–2009) and three countries (South Africa, Namibia, and Angola), was analyzed to assess spatio-temporal changes in population numbers. A weighted quantile regression approach was used to estimate trends in pup counts that were used as proxies for numbers of older animals at breeding colonies. There was a 74% increase in the number of breeding colonies over the study period, from 23 in 1973 to 40 in 2009. There was also a significant northward shift in the distribution of the breeding population. This was largely attributable to events in the northern part of the population's range coinciding with Namibia, where seal numbers declined at most colonies in the south of Namibia while several new breeding colonies developed in the northern part of Namibia and one in southern Angola. Despite range expansion and the development of new colonies, the overall size of the population in 2009 was similar to that of the early 1990s, according to the pup count models. Potential mechanisms for the observed changes, and their management implications, are discussed.


Between 1999 and 2002, Pacific Gas Transmission Company (PGT) (now TransCanada Pipeline Company) and AVISTA Corporation, together with technical support provided by the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and the U.S. Department of Energy (DOE) examined the feasibility of developing a subsurface, natural gas-storage facility in deep, underlying Columbia River basalt in south-central Washington state. As part of this project, the 100 Circles #1 well was drilled and characterized in addition to surface studies. This report provides data and interpretations of the geology and hydrology collected specific to the Canoe Ridge site as part of the U.S. DOE funding to the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in support of this project.


The dynamics of a two-mode laser is studied in the presence of a selective saturable absorber interacting only with one of the modes. The specific nature of the system is determined by the presence of the out-of-phase relaxation oscillation, which becomes undamped when a sufficiently dense saturable absorber interacts with the weaker mode. If the absorber interacts with the stronger mode, the in-phase relaxation oscillation is excited, and the situation becomes similar to that observed in a single-mode laser. In the case of a slowly relaxing absorber, the difference of populations of its working levels can be adiabatically excluded. This procedure substantially simplifies the model and does not change its dynamic characteristics.


BACKGROUND Injuries are affected by weather conditions, which influence various human activities. However, only a few studies have reported an association between injuries and weather conditions despite the fact that extreme weather conditions can occur more frequently with climate change. The goal of this study was to evaluate the association between outdoor temperature and traumatic and nontraumatic injury using emergency ambulance delivery. METHODS We designed a prognostic study to evaluate the different effects of outdoor temperature depending on types of injury. Using a generalized additive model, we examined the association between outdoor temperatures and injuries in Korea from 2006 to 2008, adjusting for confounders such as relative humidity, day of the week, and long-term time trends. A random effects model was used to estimate combined effects across all areas. RESULTS The city-combined effect estimate for nontraumatic injuries was 1.95% (95% confidence interval, 1.28–2.62%) corresponding to a 1°C increase in mean temperature, whereas the relationship for traumatic injuries was not linear. The risk of nontraumatic injury related to temperature for males and elderly individuals was higher than for females and younger people. CONCLUSION The risk of injury attributable to outdoor temperature was found to vary according to the injury type. This information may be useful for developing adaptation strategies related to climate change. LEVEL OF EVIDENCE Prognostic study, level III.


The in vitro kinetics of muramic acid-alanine bond hydrolysis and pneumococcal purpura-producing principle generation by incubation of Streptococcus pneumoniae cell wall preparations with the bacterial autolysin N-acetylmuramyl-L-alanine amidase were similar. The generated purpura-producing principle preparation had a weight-average molecular weight of ca. 2.6 X 10(7) and possessed the glycan and teichoic acid constituents of the pneumococcal cell wall. The results support the idea that the pneumococcal purpura-producing principle is a high-molecular-weight, glycan-teichoic acid fragment released by hydrolysis of the muramic acid-alanine bonds in the bacterial cell wall.


The study's goal was to see if using think-pair-share to enhance students' vocabulary mastery was beneficial. The pre-experimental approach was used in this study. MA YMPI Rappang's population was in its second year. The total number of pupils in the population was 65 (XI IPA=19, XI IPS 1= 24, XI IPS 2 = 22), and one class was chosen as a sample using cluster random sampling. This class had a total of 24 students (XI IPS 1). The vocabulary test was the tool employed in this study. The findings of this research revealed that the pre-test received a mean score of 25.91, while the post-test received a mean score of 60.00. This revealed that the pre-test and post-test scores differed significantly. The t-test value (15.112) was higher than the t-table value (2.069). This signifies that HO was turned down and H1 was chosen. The study found that teaching vocabulary utilizing the think-pair-share method helps improve students' vocabulary knowledge among MA YMPI Rappang second-year students.


A hybrid real-time control system for the Donner 600-crystal positron tomograph has been implemented using a UNIX host computer interfaced to CAMAC via SCSI. Coincidence logic and front-end electronics have been previously described. Low-level data acquisition is carried out in this system using eight LeCroy 3588 histogrammers, which together after derandomization, acquire events at rates up to 4 MHz, and two dedicated Motorola 6809 microprocessors, which arbitrate fine timing control during acquisition. A SUN Microsystems UNIX workstation is used for high level control. Communications between the high and low level units is carried out via a Jorway 73A SCSI-CAMAC crate controller and a serial interface. Use of the workstation allows an easily-extensible user-friendly interface in an X-windows environment, as well as real-time communication to the low-end acquisition units. In the UNIX configuration, a general purpose process serves as a message center between the user interface and the CAMAC devices. The message center transfers user-specified data acquisition protocols to the tomograph hardware. A separate high priority UNIX process is used to rapidly receive sinogram data into memory during active acquisitions. This hybrid approach allows user interface and programming simplicity at the UNIX end, while supporting rapid data transfer for dynamic positron emission tomography.<<ETX>>


Author(s): LaLonde, Rebecca Lyn K. C. | Advisor(s): Toste, F. Dean | Abstract: The addition of nitrogen, oxygen, and carbon nucleophiles to carbon-carbon unsaturated bonds is an atom economical method of generating structural complexity from simple starting materials. As soft Lewis acids with high oxidation potentials, gold(I)-complexes are attractive catalysts for these types of transformations. Although many reactions catalyzed by gold(I) have now been reported, we identified two conspicuous deficiencies: few of enantioselective methods and a lack of nucleophilic additions to alkenes. This dissertation will describe advances on both fronts. First, we will discuss the discovery and characterization of chiral phosphinegold(I)-bis-p-nitrobenzoate complexes which catalyze the asymmetric hydroamination of allenes. Second, the isolation of proposed alkene hydroamination intermediates will be reported.Chapter 1. A brief perspective on the current resurgence of homogeneous gold(I)-catalysis will be presented, with an emphasis on the development of enantioselective reactions.Chapter 2. The metal catalyzed asymmetric hydroamination of allenes has been an unsolved problem in syntheic chemistry for many years. In this chapter, we describe our efforts to apply chiral biarylposphinegold(I) complexes to this transformation. Over the course of this work, we characterized a polymeric mono-cationic complex (R)-[BINAP(Au2Cl)]BF4, and uncovered a dramatic counterion effect. This discovery led to the utilization of phosphinegold(I)-bis-p-nitrobenzoate complexes for the asymmetric hydroamination of allenes. The catalysts were applied to the enantioselective formation of vinyl pyrrolidines and piperidines in 70-99% enantiomeric excess. The structure of a bis-p-nitrobenzoategold(I) complex, (R)-ClMeOBiPHEP(AuOPNB)2, was verified by X-ray crystallography. Chapter 3. Chiral ligands and counterions were employed in the gold(I)-catalyzed enantioselective intramolecular additions of hydrazines and hydroxylamines to allenes. Chiral phosphinegold(I)-bis-p-nitrobenzoate complexes are versatile catalysts for the enantioselective hydroamination of allenes. The addition of oxygen nucleophiles, however, required the use of chiral anions. These complementary methods allow access to chiral vinyl isoxolidines, tetrahydrooxazines, and differentially protected pyrazolidines.Chapter 4. This chapter will describe the first direct experimental evidence for the elementary step of gold-promoted nucleophilic addition to an alkene. Alkylgold(I) complexes were formed from the gold(I)-promoted intramolecular addition of various amine nucleophiles to alkenes. Deuterium-labeling studies and X-ray crystal structures provided support for a mechanism involving anti-addition of the nucleophile to a gold-activated alkene. This mechanism was verified by DFT analysis. Ligand studies indicated that the rate of aminoauration was drastically increased by use of electron-poor arylphosphines, which were also shown to be favored in ligand exchange experiments. Attempts at protodeauration led only to recovery of the starting olefins, though the gold could be removed under reducing conditions to provide the purported hydroamination products. The reactivity of alkylgold complexes with zinc and palladium are described. An unexpected oxidation to gold(III) was also uncovered.Chapter 5. Investigations into the gold(I)-catalyzed addition of carbon nucleophiles to allenes will be discussed. One such reaction, a gold(I)-catalyzed 5-endo-trig reaction, worked with a variety of carbon nucleophiles, incuding silyl enol ethers, β-ketoesters and dinitriles. This transformation opens access to a variety of substituted cyclopentenes. These carbocycles are complementary to the products available through the Conia-ene and 5-endo-dig methodology. In addition, we demonstrate the transfer of chirality from an allene precursor, producing a quaternary stereocenter with a vicinal tertiary center. We also report a gold(I)-catalyzed 5-endo/exo-trig cyclization of substrates which contain two-carbon linkers between the pendant nucleophile and allene. Investigations into the mechanism of this cyclization are included, as well as attempts to isolate a proposed allylgold(I) intermediate.Chapter 6. A synopsis of our results will be presented, with a perspective on the evolving field of gold(I)-catalysis.


This work describes the development of a dispersive liquid–liquid microextraction (DLLME) sample preparation procedure for the determination of Ca, Mg, Na, and K in renewable biodiesel samples by atomic spectrometry. The proposed DLLME was based on the extraction of the analyte from biodiesel into a micro-drop of an acid:alcohol extraction aqueous phase at the bottom of a conical tube. Among the parameters that influence the extraction procedure, sample mass, extraction solution volume, acid concentration and composition of the extraction solution were evaluated to achieved satisfactory extractions. Using a 20 mg kg−1 Ca–Mg–Na–K–P metallo-organic standard biodiesel B100, the optimized extraction conditions of DLLME were established using a 24 full factorial design and Doehlert matrix multivariate analysis. The best results were obtained with 3.0 g sample mass and 780 μL of 5.0% (v/v) HNO3 : isopropyl alcohol [3 : 1 (v/v)] extraction solution. The accuracy of the sample preparation procedure was evaluated by a recovery test, and the recovery percentages were within the 90.2–94.7% interval with a relative standard deviation (RSD) < 2.0%. The precision of the method was evaluated by analysis of 10 independent and multielement standard solutions, and the values were less than 2.0%-Ca, 2.5%-Mg, 1.7%-Na, and 1.3%-K. The limits of detection (LOD) were 32.3, 4.3, 3.0, and 5.8 μg kg−1 for Ca, Mg, Na, and K, respectively. Therefore, the developed procedure was successfully applied for Brassica napus L., Crambe Hochst abyssinica, Helianthus annuus and Jatropha curcas biodiesel samples, and the results were in the ranges of 0.92 ± 0.07–1.46 ± 0.04 mg kg−1 (Ca), 0.42 ± 0.02–9.60 ± 0.29 mg kg−1 (Na), 0.11 ± 0.01–2.69 ± 0.05 mg kg−1 (K), and 17.84 ± 0.76–57.63 ± 0.95 (Mg) μg kg−1. The DLLME can be used as an alternative and non-destructive sample preparation procedure for biodiesel samples.


The subcellular localization (SCL) of a microbial protein provides clues about its function, its suitability as a drug, vaccine or diagnostic target and aids experimental design. The first version of PSORTdb provided a valuable resource comprising a data set of proteins of known SCL (ePSORTdb) as well as pre-computed SCL predictions for proteomes derived from complete bacterial genomes (cPSORTdb). PSORTdb 2.0 (http://db.psort.org) extends user-friendly functionalities, significantly expands ePSORTdb and now contains pre-computed SCL predictions for all prokaryotes—including Archaea and Bacteria with atypical cell wall/membrane structures. cPSORTdb uses the latest version of the SCL predictor PSORTb (version 3.0), with higher genome prediction coverage and functional improvements over PSORTb 2.0, which has been the most precise bacterial SCL predictor available. PSORTdb 2.0 is the first microbial protein SCL database reported to have an automatic updating mechanism to regularly generate SCL predictions for deduced proteomes of newly sequenced prokaryotic organisms. This updating approach uses a novel sequence analysis we developed that detects whether the microbe being analyzed has an outer membrane. This identification of membrane structure permits appropriate SCL prediction in an auto-updated fashion and allows PSORTdb to serve as a practical resource for genome annotation and prokaryotic research.


This paper holds that the application of the results of the inventions of science and technology have improved human welfare in various sectors of human life. It has helped mankind in every aspect of life; in areas of transport, communication, medicine, agriculture, architecture, energy, electricity etc. in sort the line is almost unending. In fact, its success has been tremendous in making human life less burdensome. But it emphasizes that since technology is based on science, and it is manmade, it is absolutely unreliable and has caused incalculable damage to mankind because of tragic cases of failures. Also there are destructive effects of technology on mankind due to its misuse in the manufacture of weapons of mass destruction particularly in areas of chemical weapons, atomic bombs, biological weapons, nuclear weapons. Weapons of mass destruction are the greatest threat to the continued existence of mankind on earth today. Therefore, we opine that it should be the primary duty of the world leaders to be in full control of the production and use of technological inventions to prevent their misuse. If not, mankind stands the risk of self-destruction and self-dehumanization.


Abstract The rootworm Diabrotica speciosa (Germar) is native to South America and causes severe economic losses to several crops due to root feeding and disease spread. In maize (Zea mays L.), losses in production come from larval rootworm attack on plant roots resulting in plant health problems, including stalk lodging. More options for controlling this pest are needed to create well balanced, integrated pest management programs for farmers in this region. Natural sources of tolerance in maize genotypes are important for maize breeding programs, and this study investigated the expression of tolerance in several Brazilian maize landraces to D. speciosa. Plant vigor and compounds associated with plant health, including chlorophylls, carotenoids, glycine betaine, and proline were assessed for each landrace. Five landraces and one maize cultivar were selected based on their levels of antibiosis-resistance to D. speciosa that were determined in a prior screening. The percent reduction in plant growth was used as the measure of tolerance. The landrace Azteca was classified as tolerant to D. speciosa larval feeding, displaying less reduction in plant matter despite having lower plant vigor. This landrace also had higher amounts of chlorophyl and carotenoid pigments, suggesting a positive correlation between tolerance to D. speciosa and higher contents of these photosynthetic pigments. The compatible osmolytes glycine betaine and proline do not seem to be associated with tolerance in maize landraces to D. speciosa larvae. Landrace Azteca seems promising for plant breeding, and repeated field studies are needed to confirm its suitability in maize integrated pest management.


The increased need to intentionally develop intercultural competence through the curriculum is high on the agenda of institutions of higher education. The purpose of this article is to demonstrate that a compulsory study abroad experience can be meaningful and effective for intercultural competence development when it is embedded in the larger context of the formal curriculum of a degree programme. The research explores the relationship between a study abroad with an intentional intercultural training and the development of intercultural sensitivity. The training is facilitated through pre-departure sessions, reflective essay writing and a re-entry session. Cultural mentors provide support and feedback on the reflective tasks. CHEN & STAROSTA's Intercultural Sensitivity Scale (2000) was used to explore levels of intercultural sensitivity after study abroad. Instead of the widely used prepost test, this study administered a post-then test. Both the test group and the control group showed increased levels of intercultural sensitivity after study abroad. The test group that received an intentional intercultural training before, during and after study abroad showed a significantly higher level of intercultural sensitivity than the control group in both the then and post test.


Background An excess of non-right-handedness has been shown among patients with schizophrenia. However it is not clear whether this finding can be accounted for by an increase in left-handedness, mixed-handedness or both. It is not known whether atypical patterns of hand preferences occur in other functional psychotic illnesses. Method The Annett hand preference questionnaire was administered to patients with schizophrenia (n=120); affective psychosis (n=55); schizoaffective psychosis (n=41), and control subjects (n=86). Handedness was classified into three categories: right, mixed and left-handedness. Results The hand preference patterns of patients with functional psychotic illnesses were not significantly different from controls. Patients with schizophrenia showed a non-significant excess of mixed-handedness compared with controls. Patients with schizophrenia and affective psychosis showed a non-significant decrease in left-handedness compared with controls. Conclusions Although our results showed a trend in the hypothesised direction, we failed to demonstrate that patients with psychotic illness differed from controls on self-reported hand preference patterns.


The repair problem in distributed storage addresses recovery of the data encoded using an erasure code, for instance, a Reed–Solomon (RS) code. We consider the problem of repairing a single node or multiple nodes in RS-coded storage systems using the smallest possible amount of inter-nodal communication. According to the cut-set bound, communication cost of repairing <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$h\geqslant 1$ </tex-math></inline-formula> failed nodes for an <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$(n,k=n-r)$ </tex-math></inline-formula> maximum distance separable (MDS) code using <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$d$ </tex-math></inline-formula> helper nodes is at least <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$dhl/(d+h-k)$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, where <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$l$ </tex-math></inline-formula> is the size of the node. Guruswami and Wootters (2016) initiated the study of efficient repair of RS codes, showing that they can be repaired using a smaller bandwidth than under the trivial approach. At the same time, their work as well as follow-up papers stopped short of constructing RS codes (or any scalar MDS codes) that meet the cut-set bound with equality. In this paper, we construct the families of RS codes that achieve the cut-set bound for repair of one or several nodes. In the single-node case, we present the RS codes of length <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$n$ </tex-math></inline-formula> over the field <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">${\mathbb F}_{q^{l}}, l=\exp ((1+o(1))n\log n)$ </tex-math></inline-formula> that meet the cut-set bound. We also prove an almost matching lower bound on <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$l$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, showing that super-exponential scaling is both necessary and sufficient for scalar MDS codes to achieve the cut-set bound using linear repair schemes. For the case of multiple nodes, we construct a family of RS codes that achieve the cut-set bound universally for the repair of any <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$h=1,2, {\dots },r$ </tex-math></inline-formula> failed nodes from any subset of <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$d$ </tex-math></inline-formula> helper nodes, <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$k\leqslant d\leqslant n-h$ </tex-math></inline-formula>. For a fixed number of parities <inline-formula> <tex-math notation="LaTeX">$r$ </tex-math></inline-formula>, the node size of the constructed codes is close to the smallest possible node size for codes with such properties.


Abstract We study the complexity of the topological isomorphism relation for various classes of closed subgroups of the group of permutations of the natural numbers. We use the setting of Borel reducibility between equivalence relations on Borel spaces. For profinite, locally compact, and Roelcke precompact groups, we show that the complexity is the same as the one of countable graph isomorphism. For oligomorphic groups, we merely establish this as an upper bound.


OBJECTIVE
The Continuous Glucose Monitoring (CGM) Initiative recently introduced universal subsidized CGM funding for people with type 1 diabetes under 21 years of age in Australia. We thus aimed to evaluate the cost-effectiveness of this CGM Initiative based on national implementation data and project the economic impact of extending the subsidy to all age-groups.

RESEARCH DESIGN AND METHODS
We used a patient-level Markov model to simulate disease progression for young people with type 1 diabetes and compared government-subsidized access to CGM with the previous user-funded system. Three years of real-world clinical input data were sourced from analysis of the Australasian Diabetes Data Network and National Diabetes Services Scheme registries. Costs were considered from the Australian health care system's perspective. An annual discount rate of 5% was applied to future costs and outcomes. Uncertainty was evaluated with probabilistic and deterministic sensitivity analyses.

RESULTS
Government-subsidized CGM funding for young people with type 1 diabetes compared with a completely user-funded model resulted in an incremental cost-effectiveness ratio (ICER) of AUD 39,518 per quality-adjusted life-year (QALY) gained. Most simulations (85%) were below the commonly accepted willingness-to-pay threshold of AUD 50,000 per QALY gained in Australia. Sensitivity analyses indicated that base-case results were robust, though strongly impacted by the cost of CGM devices. Extending the CGM Initiative throughout adulthood resulted in an ICER of AUD 34,890 per QALY gained.

CONCLUSIONS
Providing subsidized access to CGM for people with type 1 diabetes was found to be cost-effective compared with a completely user-funded model in Australia.

ARTICLE HIGHLIGHTS
Identifying efficient funding models for CGM is of international importance. From an economic perspective, we evaluated the Australian government's recent CGM Initiative, which has provided subsidized access to CGM for people with type 1 diabetes under 21 years of age. Using real-world clinical input data in a Markov model, we found that subsidized access to CGM for people with type 1 diabetes across the life span was cost-effective compared with user-funded CGM. Our findings support ongoing subsidization of CGM among youth and extending eligibility to people with type 1 diabetes of all ages.


INTRODUCTION As the fundamental movement patterns are refined through practice and instruction, the quality and quantity of performance improve, and the patterns are integrated into more complex motor activities, such as those in games and sports. Developmental biomechanics is the study of movement patterns and how they change. due to interaction between human beings and their environment. The majority of research concerning motor development has been focused upon children . These studies have been descriptive in nature, with limited process-oriented experimentation. The stage theory is the primary analytical model for the study of developmental movement patterns (Stage theory models were advanced by Wild, 1938; Seefeld et al, 1982; Sybstages were introduced by Roberton et al., 1976; Adrian, Toole, Randall proposal is that movement patterns be considered as a continuum rather than aso discrete stages.) There are representative movement patterns of children and assessment of developmental stages. One of the Biomechanical approach is to identify the range'of motion, planes of motion and axis of motion. If the goal is maximum speed or distance, then the level of maturation of the movement pattern is evaluated by the amount and complexity of space , temporal aspects, sequencing of the body parts and the speed of these parts utilised, The maturation, the highest stage of development means the fastest and most effective timing of the body parts. Motor development is one part of the study of human development. The growth and development is manifested in both physical structure and motor performance These factors interact and are determined genetically as weil as soci,ally, culturally and economically. 58 The aim of this lecture was to discuss the biomechanical requirements during ,the motor pattern development pracess and to display the motor performance scores, referential values of motor development in different stage of different groups categorised by gender and age expressed in percentiles, based on crosssectional investigation of Hungarian youth (Eiben, Barabas,Pant6, 1991; Bretz Kaske, 1994) The motor performance development appears in the most important factors such as strength (explosive strength or power), muscular endurance, running speed, balance, flexibility and connected with aerobic performance. METHODS A variety of motor tests can be used to document levels of motor development. Strength is included with motor performance because it is an essential component of motor performance and because motor performance tasks are often used as indicator of aspects of muscular strength. Tests of strength and motor performance obviously overlap. Performance tests incorporating fundamental motor skills require some combination of strength and motor control in jumping, throwing arid running task too. The motor performance tests used to assess motor development were: hand grip strength, standing broad jump, medicine ball push, 30 sec sit-ups, 60 m dash and 12 min. endurance run (Haag-Dassel, 1975; Mathews) Measurable neuromuscular modifications characterise the growing process of children and adolescents. Characteristics and performances of postural contral system are affected by the alterations of sensory and muscular subsystems. The stability of equilibrium in an upright posture, postural sway modifications accompany the normal ageing process. In the posturographic investigation the displacements of centre of pressure as weil as the vertical projection of centre of mass, the time functions on anteroposterior and mediolateral directions and Fourier spectra have been recorded in traditional and / or sharpened Romberg positions, with open and closed eyes Special track tasks with voluntary moving of centre of pressure have been solved by the subjects with audio-visual feedback. There are data of different agegroups to lay the foundation of mass Investigations in the schools as weil as special equilibrium measurements in sports requiring high accuracy equilibrium (Subjects of nursery school, primary school, secondary school and university student took part in the investigation.) The measuring equipment included "Adam type" force platform, Psycho 8 differential measurement device, ADDON microcomputer and personal computer. The measuring programs were (1) stabi,lometry in a traditional Romberg position, (2) movement co-ordination test in connection with the voluntary displacement of centre of mass contralIed by an audio-visual biofeedback system. (3) Dispersion display of sampled data describing the moving of the centre of mass, completed with displacement -time diagram and Fourier spectra RESULTS Strength and motor performance generally improve with age during childhood and adolescent, but the pattern of improvement is not uniform for all task. There are fundamental differences between performances of boys and those of girls in each age group and each test The boys performances are higher and better than those of girls The differences among the girls' age groups decreased as their age advanced and they finally stabilised at a relatively low value and a relatively early age, at the age of 12-13. This phenomenon appears in every performance test Changes in measured performance values of static strength (hand grip strength), muscular endurance (sit-ups), jumping performance (standing broad jump), throwing performance (medicine ball push), running performance (60 m dash and 12 min endurance run) are presented and discussed. The age -and sex-associated trends in strength and motor performance derived from cross-sectional (Hungarian Youth Study) and longitudinal studies (Beunen & Malina, 1988) are consistent Significant correlation has been found between the results of Romberg test (with closed eyes) and the co-ordination test described above as weil as between the co-ordination test performance and the reaction time. Real time visual feedback enhances motivation and helps the subject link perception to movement Fourier spectra ref/ect the nature of the sway and give objective information about amplitudes of harmonic components of body sway as weil as the dominant frequencies. CONCLUSIONS Gradual neuromuscular maturation and the development of a variety of fundamental movement patterns occur. during childhood The fundamental motor skills are reasonably developed in most children by age six or seven, although the mature patterns for same basic skills develop somewhat later. Strength and motor performance generally improve with age during chi/dhood and ado/escence, but the pattern of improvement is not uniform for all tasks Growth and development, changes of anthropometrical variables of the structure influence the functions as weil as the location of centre of gravity, mass of muscle, length of extremities As the main propelling force in the stepping-running-jumping pattern is derived from extension at the knee; to this is added the force of gravity, which rotates the entire body around the metatarsophalangeal joints and the extension at the ankle and hip keep the eentre of gravity in an advantageaus position to move it in the desired direclion we have to assume basic determination of motor pattern by growth and development .


At rest, the actual cardiac output (CO) exceeds the CO required to cover the oxygen consumption VO2, provided the hemoglobin level and the non-Hb parameters impacting on cellular oxygen supply (e.g. paO2, pH and body temperature) are normal. The size of this hemodynamic buffer as a function of Hb levels and the non-Hb parameters can be quantified for any clinically conceivable combination including VO2. As Hb levels decrease, the patient's condition is progressively destabilized in the sense that the gradual vanishing of the buffer makes him increasingly sensitive to abnormalities of the non-Hb parameters, such as hypermetabolism, arterial hypoxemia, and alkalosis. This concept is used to illustrate the course of patients participating in an autologous blood predeposit program.


Serum triglycerides are transported by low-density lipoproteins: chylomicrons and VLDL. In the blood compartment, these lipoproteins undergo the action of lipoprotein lipase and are transformed into more dense particles captured by the liver. Several epidemiology studies have evidenced a strong relationship between serum triglyceride level and ischemic cardiovascular risk. This relationship tapers of or disappears after corrections for age, weight and HDL level in multivariate analysis. A recent meta-analysis demonstrated that the relative risk of cardiovascular events reached 1.14 in men and 1.32 in women, independently of confounding factors. Thus at the population scale, the impact of triglycerides on cardiovascular risk is weak. Certain forms are associated with high cardiovascular risk. For example, agarose gel electrophoresis can be used to identify a form of hypertriglyceridemia characterized by an accumulation of two populations of VLDL (double pre-ss). The prevalence of clinically patent vascular manifestations is 4 times greater in patients with this form of dyslipidemia than in subjects with hypertriglyceridemia without the double pre-ss. These observations point out the need for developing discriminating diagnostic methods to identify hyptriglyceridemic individuals with high cardiovascular risk.


A rich, witty, and accessible introduction to the anthropology of contemporary cultures,Cultural Complexity emphasizes that culture is organized in terms of states, markets, and movements. Hannerz pays special attention to the interplay between the centralizing agencies of culture, such as schools and media, and the decentering diversity of subcultures, and considers the special role of cities as the centers of cultural growth. Hannerz discusses cultural process in small-scale societies, the concept of subcultures, and the economics and politics of culture. Finally, he presents the twentieth-century globalization of culture as a process of cultural diffusion, polycentralism, and local innovation, focusing on periods of intensive cultural productivity in Vienna, Calcutta, and San Francisco.


The study of the functioning of hepatitis B viruses in liver cells using methods of mathematical modeling is considered one of today's pressing issues. In this article, the domains of functionaldifferential equations in a mathematical model of regulatory mechanisms of hepatocytes interacting with hepatitis B viruses (HBV) are presented. Characteristic molecular genetic systems regulatory mechanisms of the interrelated activities of liver cells and HBV are analyzed. A series of computational experiments show that the "chaos" and "black hole" theories describe two of the more dangerous regimes. As a result of the analysis of the "chaos" regime, small regions with normal behavior, "r-windows" were revealed. These regions allow the system to move from a "chaos" regime to a "regular" or normal regime. The features of the area of the regulatory activities of molecular genetic mechanisms of hepatocytes and HBV under a chaotic regime were characterized by analyzing the dynamics of the Lyapunov exponent. Small regions with regular behavior, "r-windows" in the field of dynamic chaos were defined. The regulatory nature of hepatocytes and HBV can be moved from the region of dynamic chaos to the normal region by using "r-windows". The results of a computational experiment quantitatively analyzing the regulatory mechanisms of liver cells and HBV are presented.


This article describes the combined clinical experience of a multidisciplinary group of professionals on the sleep disturbances of children with fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) focusing on sleep hygiene interventions. Such practical and comprehensive information is not available in the literature. Severe, persistent sleep difficulties are frequently associated with this condition but few health professionals are familiar with both FASD and sleep disorders. The sleep promotion techniques used for typical children are less suitable for children with FASD who need individually designed interventions. The types, causes, and adverse effects of sleep disorders, the modification of environment, scheduling and preparation for sleep, and sleep health for their caregivers are discussed. It is our hope that parents and also researchers, who are interested in the sleep disorders of children with FASD, will benefit from this presentation and that this discussion will stimulate much needed evidence-based research.


Federated learning is a method of training models on private data distributed over multiple devices. To keep device data private, the global model is trained by only communicating parameters and updates which poses scalability challenges for large models. To this end, we propose a new federated learning algorithm that jointly learns compact local representations on each device and a global model across all devices. As a result, the global model can be smaller since it only operates on local representations, reducing the number of communicated parameters. Theoretically, we provide a generalization analysis which shows that a combination of local and global models reduces both variance in the data as well as variance across device distributions. Empirically, we demonstrate that local models enable communication-efficient training while retaining performance. We also evaluate on the task of personalized mood prediction from real-world mobile data where privacy is key. Finally, local models handle heterogeneous data from new devices, and learn fair representations that obfuscate protected attributes such as race, age, and gender.


We describe the management of a case of anorexia nervosa (body mass index, -BMI-, 13,6 Kg/m2) in a bank teller. The case was detected through routine occupational health surveillance. After being evaluated by different specialists (general practitioner, psychiatrist and endocrinologist) and being closely monitored (by psychology, nursing, and occupational medicine), the worker regained weight to a near normal BMI (17 Kg/m2) in less than a year and a half. Eating disorders are a common pathology (non-occupationally related), but their high prevalence (5% of the population over a lifetime) and social and job-related impact (affecting more than 20% of cases), make them a necessary focus of attention for health promotion in the workplace. Health prevention, promotion and surveillance may be also reinforced at the workplace.


Bediuzzaman Said Nursi (1877-1960) was born in Nurs eastern part of the Ottoman Empire. He studied religious sciences in childhood is a provision for later life. He was concerned with the state of the backward Muslims at that time. Thus, he proposed a system of education which he described as Madrasah al - Zahra. Thought it was brought for the first time in Istanbul in 1907. In Madrasah al- Zahra will be integrated religious education and modern science within a single system. Modern science and theology will be complementary. This is to achieve happiness and welfare in the Moslem societies. In the Madrasah al - Zahra which he aspired was to gather scholars of religion and science as well as the Sufis. They can engage in dialogue and mutual understanding between each other. The education is a very important thing, to combat the ignorance. Moslems had been kept away from understanding the Qur'an and practice its contents. That is done by the enemies of Islam. Therefore, Madrasah al - Zahra aspired to fully support the teaching of the Qur'an. With the education system Madrasah al - Zahra was going to put together the various tribes and peoples that had been broken to pieces. The thought of Bediuzzaman Said Nursi is still relevant until today. The Islamic higher education in Indonesia today is a rollicking turned into a university, whose goal is to integrate the science of religion and general science or science as conceived by Said Nursi. In a university that will occur dialogue among scholars, intellectuals and the mutashawwif. Hopefully, amen.


Silicon micromachining is a promising approach to realize low frequency capacitive ultrasonic transducers and condenser microphones. The construction of micromachined low frequency capacitive ultrasonic transducers or microphones, respectively, differs considerably from that used for high frequency cMUTs. This paper presents an analytical model used for the simulation. The effects of different airgap geometry and backplate perforation on frequency response and sensitivity for transducers in the audible and ultrasonic frequency range will be shown. Finally optimization criteria are discussed considering the maximum receiving sensitivity and the resonance frequency shifting of the membrane due to the effect of the backvolume.


Abstract Context is an important but largely ignored dimension of quality service encounters. This paper contributes to the hospitality service industries literature by examining how the front-of-house and back-of-house boundary work (Nippert-Eng 1996, 2003) engaged by Room Attendants working within the hotel guest room space impact on the hospitality impression management performed. Qualitative data from fieldwork engaging with hotel employees located within the tourist resort of Queenstown New Zealand are used to explore the multiple fronts on which the front-of-house and back-of-house boundaries are simultaneously negotiated. The results suggest that Room Attendants negotiate the front-of-house and back-of-house boundary through objects – such as the guest room and articles belonging to the guest – and aspects of self– such as impression management, safety, socialising and self-responsibility for room checking. The results support the importance of considering context when seeking to understand the complexities associated with the (re)production of a reliably positive service encounter.


Field Oriented Control (FOC) technique is one of the mostly applied algorithm to control the speed and the flux of a three-phase electric drive. The paper focuses on high speed or high-pole count motor FOC drives when both the sampling over reference frequency ratio F and the carrier over reference frequency mf is low. The paper presents that the stability range of a speed sensor-less FOC motor drive can be extended by recalculating the reference signal of the Space Vector Modulation (SVM) algorithm at the negative peak of the carrier signal as well by approximating the rotor flux angle change over one half carrier period. The result was verified by computer simulations and laboratory measurements.