Energy consumption in buildings depends on several physical factors, including its physical characteristics, various building services systems/appliances used, and the outdoor environment. However, the occupants' behavior that determines and regulates the building energy conservation also plays a critical role in the buildings' energy performance. Compared to physical factors, there are relatively fewer studies on occupants' behavior. This paper reports a systematic review analysis on occupant behavior and different modeling approaches using the Scopus and Science Direct databases. The comprehensive review study focuses on the current understanding of occupant behavior, existing behavior modeling approaches and their limitations, and key influential parameters on building energy conservation. Finally, the study identifies six significant research gaps for future development: occupant-centered space layout deployment; occupant behavior must be understood in the context of developing or low-income economies; there are higher numbers of quantitative occupant behavior studies than qualitative; the extensive use of survey or secondary data and the lack of real data used in model validation; behavior studies are required for diverse categories building; building information modeling (BIM) integration with existing occupant behavior modeling/simulation. These checklists of the gaps are beneficial for researchers to accomplish the future research in the built environment.


— The Progression of the human existence from the primitive state to the present technological complex state is just an outcome of observation of this environment. By observing the environment and controlling the various physical parameters like temperature, pressure of the environment we are able to sustain on this beautiful earth. In order to control physical parameters there is a need of a specific system called Data Acquisition System (DAS). Man has developed many different Data Acquisition Systems like Microprocessor based, PLC based, from Rock world to the Rocket world. This paper describes the implementation of Data Acquisition Systems using Embedded Processors.


Wireless sensor network is an important research topic that has attracted a lot of attention in recent years. However, most of the interest has focused on wireless sensor network to gather scalar data such as temperature, humidity and vibration. Scalar data are insufficient for diverse applications such as video surveillance, target recognition and traffic monitoring. However, if we use camera sensors in wireless sensor network to collect video data which are vast in information, they can provide important visual information. Video sensor networks continue to gain interest due to their ability to collect video information for a wide range of applications in the past few years. However, how to efficiently store the massive data that reflect environmental state of different times in video sensor network and how to quickly search interested information from them are challenging issues in current research, especially when the sensor network environment is complicated. Therefore, in this paper, we propose a fast algorithm for extracting key frames from video and describe the design and implementation of the algorithm in Android for wireless video sensor network.


SARS-CoV-2 infects a broader range of mammalian species than previously anticipated, suggesting there may be additional unknown hosts wherein the virus can evolve and potentially circumvent effective vaccines. We find that SARS-CoV-2 gains a wide host range by binding ACE2 sites essential for ACE2 carboxypeptidase activity. Six mutations found only in rodent species immune to SARS-CoV-2 are sufficient to abolish viral binding to human and dog ACE2. This is achieved through context-dependent mutational effects (intramolecular epistasis) conserved despite ACE2 sequence divergence between species. Across mammals, this epistasis generates sequence-function diversity, but through structures all bound by SARS-CoV-2. Mutational trajectories to the mouse conformation not bound by SARS-CoV-2 are blocked, by single mutations functionally deleterious in isolation, but compensatory in combination, explaining why human polymorphisms at these sites are virtually non-existent. Closed to humans, this path was opened to rodents via permissive cardiovascular phenotypes and ancient increases to ACE2 activity, serendipitously granting SARS-CoV-2 immunity. This reveals how ancient evolutionary trajectories are linked with unprecedented phenotypes such as COVID-19 and suggests extreme caution should be taken to monitor and prevent emerging animal reservoirs of SARS-CoV-2. One sentence summary A conserved mechanism essential for ACE2 catalytic activity is exploited by SARS-CoV-2 binding, allowing the virus to infect a wide range of species.


Many electrical engineers would agree that, had it not been for Boolean logic, the improvement of object-oriented languages that would make simulating replication a real possibility might never have occurred. In fact, few mathematicians would disagree with the synthesis of IPv4, which embodies the theoretical principles of robotics. Despite the fact that this discussion might seem perverse, it fell in line with our expectations. In this work we disprove that even though Web services can be made wireless, extensible, and amphibious, compilers can be made probabilistic, wearable, and flexible. This is crucial to the success of our work.


The stress field near a contact edge in fretting fatigue tests depends on the deformation type at the contact edge. During one cycle of loading in a fretting fatigue test, nine types of the stress field, among which six are independent, can possibly exist. In this study, the detailed forms of the singular stress variation range near the contact edge, i.e., the differences of singular stress fields corresponding to the maximum and the minimum loads, have been theoretically analyzed. The theoretical results were compared with numerical results obtained by the boundary element analysis. It was found that the singular order of the stress field obtained by the theoretical solution agrees well with the numerical results. It should be noted that the stress variation range presents different singular behavior for different deformation types. Therefore, the fatigue strength evaluation should be carried out in a manner corresponding to the stress variation range type. It was found that a fretting fatigue crack was initiated in the maximum shear stress range direction, and then kinked into the maximum tangential stress range direction following the initiation stage of the crack.


A major hindrance to rendering spoken dialog systems capable of ongoing, continuous listening without requiring a push-to-talk device is the problem of distinguishing speech which is intended for the system from that which is overheard. We present a decision-theoretic approach to this problem that exploits Bayesian models of spoken dialog at four levels of analysis within a domain-independent, multi-modal computational architecture called Quartet . We applied Quartet to the task of navigating PowerPoint slide shows during a spoken presentation in a prototype system called Presenter . We describe the runtime behavior of Presenter as well as the results of an experimental study comparing the performance of Presenter to human subjects in discriminating arbitrarily formed spoken requests for slide navigation during a recorded lecture.


A Scattering-Parameters (S-Parameters) based macromodel of distributed-lumped networks is presented. The networks can include capacitive cutsets, inductive loops, RLC meshes, and lossy transmission lines. An efficient network reduction algorithm is developed to reduce the original network into a network containing one multiport component together with the sources and loads of interest. The S-Parameters of the circuit components are approximated by Taylor series to simplify the reduction process. Exponentially Decayed Polynomial Function (EDPF) approximation is used to derive the macromodel, the higher accuracy can be obtained by selecting time constant according to an error criterion. The macromodel is always stable for a stable system and very flexible that the accuracy of the model can be controlled by adjusting the order of approximation. The experimental results indicate that our model can approach the accuracy of SPICE with one or two order less computing time.


This paper describes a new approach for precise image shift detection between two images. The approach is based on an analysis of the phase difference spectrum between two images. Image shifts are directly evaluated from the phase difference spectrum without Fourier inversion. The cross s~ectrum is utilized as the weight parameter distribution. Synthetic and real images of typical image patterns were used in the experiment. Accuracy as high as 0.01 pixel, which has never been stably obtained with conventional methods such as phase-only correlation, is achieved stably and reliably for all of the image patterns.


We present a switching Kalman filter model (SKFM) for the real-time inference of hand kinematics from a population of motor cortical neurons. First we model the probability of the firing rates of the population at a particular time instant as a Gaussian mixture where the mean of each Gaussian is some linear function of the hand kinematics. This mixture contains a "hidden state", or weight, that assigns a probability to each linear, Gaussian, term in the mixture. We then model the evolution of this hidden state over time as a Markov chain. The expectation-maximization (EM) algorithm is used to fit this mixture model to training data that consists of measured hand kinematics (position, velocity, acceleration) and the firing rates of 42 units recorded with a chronically implanted multi-electrode array. Decoding of neural data from a separate test set is achieved using the switching Kaiman filter (SKF) algorithm. Quantitative results show that the SKFM outperforms the traditional linear Gaussian model in the decoding of hand movement. These results suggest that the SKFM provides a real-time decoding algorithm that may be appropriate for neural prosthesis applications.


The removal of phospholipids ('degumming') is the first step in the process of refining crude vegetable oil. Membrane separation has been often proposed as an alternative to the conventional procedure (water degumming). Until now, the instability of polymeric membranes in organic solvents has been the major obstacle in applying this technique. In this work, a local synthesized polyvinylidenefluoride (PVDF) and a commercial polyimide (PI) membrane were evaluated for their flux and rejection properties during degumming of soybean oil in a laboratory-scale cross-flow ultrafiltration cell. Degumming experiments were done at different temperatures and feed flows, keeping constant both the feed concentration and the transmembrane pressure. PVDF and PI membranes gave selectivity values and permeate color that did not differ significantly from each other. Retention coefficients larger than 98% were obtained in all cases. In every experiment, a decline in permeate flux with time occurred at the beginning of the degumming process. By increasing the feed rate, a higher permeate flux was obtained. The results show that the PVDF membrane had a higher productivity than the PI one. Copyright © 2003 Society of Chemical Industry


Emission trading is widely considered to be the most effective policy to minimize the overall costs for CO2 abatement. However, the political feasibility of an emission trading scheme may crucially depend on the free initial allocation of emission permits to carbon-intensive industries in order to offset the reduction in profits. This paper aims to analyze these potential profit impacts and the possible compensation to affected generation companies through modeling the Australian National Electricity Market under a potential emission trading scheme. Historical emission-based and historical generation-based allocation approaches are used in this paper to calculate and compare the percentages of carbon permits that should be freely allocated. Two carbon permit price scenarios are used to analyze the sensitivity of the optimal percentage of free allocation to carbon permit price.


In this paper we will present the results of our survey on Economic Freedom, and impact of its individual categories on economic growth in former socialist countries which have joined the European Union (Bulgaria, Croatia, Czech Republic, Estonia, Hungary, Latvia, Lithuania, Poland, Romania, Slovak Republic and Slovenia). To measure economic freedom we will use The Index of Economic Freedom published by the Heritage Foundation in cooperation with the Wall Street Journal. We find that economic freedom has a positive, but statistically insignificant impact on economic performance. Our result also indicates that individual categories of the Economic Freedom have a different impact on economic performance.


Materials and methods Seven different sets of experiments (series I-VII) were carried on, in most of which the John Baer variety of tomato was used. In the first three series irradiation was carried out when the plants were from 1 to 3 centimeters in height; in the fourth, three medium doses were given at two-week intervals,-at a time when the plants seemed to be recovering from the effects of the previous dose. In the last three groups, the plants were not exposed until small buds had formed. The general procedure was to plant seeds in 5-inch pots in the greenhouse. The plants of the first three series were irradiated before the true foliage leaves had developed. Soon afterwards these seedlings and an equal number of controls were transplanted to larger pots where they grew to maturity. Plants of series V, VI, and VII were transplanted at an early+ age but were not irradiated until small buds had formed. Irradiations of the first five groups were made with a Victor X-ray machine with the following "set-up": 5-inch spark gap, 5 milliamperes current, no filter, distance30 cm., time from 20 to 30 minutes. For the last group, an Acme machine was used with the potential 90 K.V., 5nmilliamperes current, no filter, distance 30 cm., time 20 minutes.


BACKGROUND
The aim of this study was to generate and evaluate a new protocol that defined non-viability in the pregnancy of unknown location (PUL) population and therefore ensured no viable intra-uterine pregnancy (IUP) would be interrupted if uterine curettage was performed. A secondary aim was to evaluate published biochemical criteria that define non-viability in a PUL population to establish if these criteria could result in inadvertent termination of pregnancy (TOP) if uterine curettage was performed.

METHODS
All clinically stable women classified as having a PUL were included in this study. Protocol 1 was developed retrospectively based on data from 500 consecutive PULs. Using this protocol, no cases of viable IUPs would undergo uterine curettage and the potential for TOP was eliminated. This protocol was then validated prospectively on the data from a further 503 consecutive PULs. Results were then compared with three established criteria (Protocols 2-4) for the use of uterine curettage as a diagnostic tool to classify the location of PULs. Protocol 2 defined non-viability when the hCG ratio (hCG at 48 h/hCG at 0 h) was <or=1.66; Protocol 3 advised uterine curettage at serum hCG levels of >or=2000 U/l or when the initial serum hCG was <2000 U/l with a serum hCG rise of <35% over 48 h (hCG ratio<1.35); Protocol 4 advised uterine curettage with a serum hCG rise of <50% over 48 h (hCG ratio<1.50). The number of uterine curettages performed and viable IUPs that would have undergone an unplanned TOP were recorded for all protocols.

RESULTS
A total of 12 572 consecutive women were scanned: 1003 (8.0%) women were classified as PULs. Training set consisted of 500 PULs: 278 (55.6%) failing PULs, 176 (35.2%) IUPs and 46 (9.2%) ectopic pregnancies (EPs). Test set consisted of 503 PULs: 255 (50.7%) failing PULs, 203 (40.4%) IUPs and 45 (9.0%) EPs. Protocol 1 when developed retrospectively on the training set would have resulted in 293 uterine curettages and no potential TOP. Protocol 1 tested prospectively on 503 PULs would have resulted in 272 uterine curettages and no potential TOP. Three established criteria were tested on the entire data set (n=1003). Protocol 2 would have resulted in 114 uterine curettages and 14 (12.3%) potential TOPs; Protocol 3 would have led to 611 uterine curettages and seven (1.2%) potential TOPs; Protocol 4 would have resulted in 617 uterine curettages and three (0.5%) potential TOPs. No harm came to the women whose EP diagnosis was delayed.

CONCLUSIONS
Established criteria for the use of uterine curettage in the management of PULs, including those advocated by the American Society for Reproductive Medicine (ASRM), can theoretically result in an inadvertent TOPs. On the basis of these data, a change in contemporary clinical practice should be considered to avoid further damage to wanted pregnancies. We conclude that uterine curettage should not be used in the routine diagnostic workup of women with a PUL.


Recently, a stable hollow Sc20C60 cage with Th point group symmetry has been proposed, due to its volleyballlike shape called volleyballene. Here the structural and electronic properties for Sc20C60 cage with a europium atom are further studied based on density functional theory. The results give two stable low-lying Eu@Sc20C60 isomers, called cage-a and cage-b, respectively, which still retain the cage-like shape of Sc20C60 volleyballene. After a Eu atom is encaged into the Sc20C60 volleyballene, the HOMO—LUMO gaps decrease from 1.47 eV of the Sc20C60 cage to 0.46 eV of cage-a and 0.21 eV of cage-b. Due to the half-filled 4f-electron orbital states of the Eu atom, the two low-lying Eu@Sc20C60 isomers have net magnetic moments of 7μB. This study further provides the possible applications for the Sc20C60 volleyballene, and enriches the species of magnetic cage-like molecules, which provides more information for magnetic storage and magnetic control.


Muslim communities in Europe vary greatly in regards to their ethnic origin and geographical location as well as their religious and cultural backgrounds. From Muslims in the Balkans, settled in the area for centuries, to the first-generation immigrants of Asian or African Muslims in the Western Europe, these communities live in a legal and political framework where the Islamic law is not recognized as a legitimate source of law and thus is not applied by the state authorities. According to some scholars, the specific conditions in European Muslim communities contribute to a series of social and political changes, briefly referred to as the 'privatization' and 'individualization' of Islam. Given the distinctive character of the Islamic decision making process, a new paradigm has emerged in the construction of Islamic knowledge and interpretative authority. Within this new paradigm established 'traditional' authorities operate in coexistence with Internet based muftis, on-line fatwa databases and individual Islamic blogs. The Internet arguably holds the potential to reshape inequities in the distribution of information tied to other forms of mass media. This paper examines how, and if ever, the Internet Islamic sites after several years of operation change the process of decision making and construction of Islamic knowledge within European Muslim minorities.


Magneto-optical phenomena associated with cyclotron and magnetoplasma oscillations in a homogeneous two-dimensional electron system are theoretically studied. First, the electromagnetic wave (EW) polarization conversion under uniform cyclotron resonance (CR) conditions is discussed. A shift of the polarization conversion resonance with respect to conventional CR is calculated. This shift is more pronounced for a two-dimensional system with high electron density. Particular attention is given to the EW polarization conversion under non-uniform cyclotron and magnetoplasma resonances in two-dimensional electron plasma in the attenuated total reflection (ATR) arrangement. A crossover from magnetoplasma to a non-uniform cyclotron type of resonance, which takes place when the coupling between the ATR prism fields and the two-dimensional electron system grows, is studied. At any coupling strength, the polarization conversion at the resonance reaches 100% if the electron scattering in the two-dimensional system is neglected. The conclusion is drawn that the regime of non-uniform CR is more profitable from a practical point of view since the actual electron scattering in a two-dimensional system does not greatly deteriorate a high polarization conversion at resonance. The studied phenomena can be observed on gallium arsenide heterostructures at terahertz. This paper was presented at the 3rd Russian Workshop on Nanophotonics, Nizhnii Novgorod, Russia, 26-29 March 2001.


Notes some of the psychosocial aspects of AID patients and offers general guidelines for caregivers in dealing with the factors of impact, regression, acknowledgment, and reconstruction. Identifies the main tools of ministry as those of presence, affirmation, and listening. Challenges the church to go beyond society's negativism regarding AIDS and to offer the sort of reconciliation made manifest in the scriptures.


The aim of the study is to evaluate the content of organic carbon (Corg) in the soils of Polish grasslands (GL). The Tiurin's method (mineral soils) and the mass loss method (soil of organic origin) were used. It was found that: /i/ the average Corg content of mineral soils is 2.44% and of organic soils – 10.42%; /ii/ according to the Polish criteria, about 84% of GL mineral soils are classified as classes with high and very high Corg content, and over 15% and 1% – in classes with medium and low Corg content, respectively; more than 99% of organic soils belong to two classes with the highest Corg content and less than 1% to the class with an average content; /iii/ according to the European Soil Bureau, the share of GL mineral soils with a high Corg content is slightly over 4%, medium – slightly over 47%, and low and very low – around 50%; for organic soils they are 67%, 29%, and 4%, respectively; /iv/ the reserves of organic carbon in the 0–30 cm layer on the entire surface of GL soils amount to 412.7 million tons of Corg. There are opportunities to increase the Corg stock in meadow soils.


Behaviour change, specifically that which decreases cancer risk, is an essential element of cancer control. Little information is available about how awareness of risk factors may be changing over time. This study describes the awareness of cancer risk behaviours among adult New Zealanders in two cross-sectional studies conducted in 2001 and 2014/5.Telephone interviews were conducted in 2001 (n = 436) and 2014/5 (n = 1064). Participants were asked to recall things they can do to reduce their risk of cancer. They were then presented with a list of potential risk behaviours and asked if these could increase or decrease cancer risk.Most New Zealand adults could identify at least one action they could take to reduce their risk of cancer. However, when asked to provide specific examples, less than a third (in the 2014/5 sample) recalled key cancer risk reduction behaviours such as adequate sun protection, physical activity, healthy weight, limiting alcohol and a diet high in fruit. There had been some promising changes since the 2001 survey, however, with significant increases in awareness that adequate sun protection, avoiding sunbeds/solaria, healthy weight, limiting red meat and alcohol, and diets high in fruit and vegetables decrease the risk of developing cancer.


We study the dependence of low field mobility on various parameters such as well width and interface roughness for a two‐dimensional electron gas confined to a AlGaN/GaN quantum well as a function of temperature. The potential profile, the energy levels, electron concentrations and wave functions for each level are found from the self‐consistent numerical solution of Schrödinger and Poisson equations for the quantum well. Then the scattering rates for electrons due to acoustic phonons, optical phonons and interface roughness are obtained using the self consistently calculated wave functions. Ensemble Monte Carlo technique is used to find the drift velocities of the two‐dimensional electrons along the interface. The mobility of two‐dimensional electrons is extracted from these data. Electron transport properties of bulk GaN is also studied in order to compare the two and three‐dimensional mobility values. It is seen that electron mobilities upto 40 × 103 cm2/Vs can be obtained in a 2DEG confined to an AlGaN/GaN hetero interface. The results of simulation are compared with experimental findings and it is seen that the agreement between simulation and experiments in two dimensions is very satisfactory. (© 2005 WILEY‐VCH Verlag GmbH & Co. KGaA, Weinheim)


Abstract The introduction of treated plant fibres into sand concretes leads to a reduction in density, improved ductility and thermal conductivity, and makes sand concrete an environmentally friendly and ecological material. The recovery of waste in this type of material allows the production of new ecological and sustainable materials used either in the new construction or in the rehabilitation of old buildings. In this context, a comparative study was based on the valorisation of marble and ceramic waste as sand in sand concrete made from straw fibres. To carry out this study, we introduced these wastes at substitution rates of 10% and 20%, separated and mixed, and studied the development of the properties of these concretes (density, workability, air content, compressive strength and bending tensile strength) and their behaviour with respect to durability (capillary and immersion absorption and chloride penetration). The study shows that the recovery of this waste as sand in sand concrete based on straw fibres gives satisfactory results. The chemical resistance, thermal conductivity and microstructure are under study, the results of which will be the subject of another publication.


Abstract Flood verification and mitigation based on ground survey has been impeded by many factors. For instance, damage assessment exclusively by onsite expedition could be delayed by restricted access, especially during heavy flooding. To devise appropriate mitigation measures, resources required to thoroughly investigate the incidents in response to disaster could be overwhelming. Moreover, inadequate equipment and non-standardized flood reporting process could also undermine the maneuver. As a consequent, rescue mission was inevitably deferred until the reported incidents had been confirmed. To address these issues, this paper presents an internetworking system for assisting flooding disaster mitigation. Its main contributions were two folds. Firstly, its data intelligent was driven by convergence of both user and official reports of flood incidents and those automatically detected from remotely sensed images. Secondly, the reliability of reported information was ensured by two-factor verification, i.e. by using a state-of-the-art deep learning strategy and by official investigations. The verified incidents were then presented in augmented graphical reports, which were practical in public inquiry and official uses in devising efficient and cost-effective disaster mitigation measures. The developed system was deployed in different cities, most affected by recent floods. Numerical and subjective assessments herein demonstrate the merits of the system.


The motion of electrons is affected by microwave in RF cavity. Meanwhile electrons can also generate radiation and have influence on microwave in the cavity. Ac cording to Maxwell theory, RF field in the RF cavity can be expressed by modes. So equations about such actions are established according to Maxwell theory and Lorentz force acting on electrons in the cavity. These equations are also called self-consistent equations for action between microwave and electron beam in RF cavity. Based on the equations, the single-gap RF cavity is investigated one- dimensionally (including how microwave increases and saturates in the cavity) an d the factors influencing the output power are also studied. It is concluded tha t nonlinear action is very important, and that output power is not only determin ed by cavity structure but also by the beam modulation.


This article underscores the weakness of clinical judgment as a mechanism for prediction with examples from other areas in the psychological literature. Clinical judgment has as its Achilles'heel the reliance on a person to incorporate multiple pieces of information while overcoming human judgment errors—a feat insurmountable thus far. The actuarial approach to risk assessment has overcome many of the weaknesses of clinical judgment and has been shown to be a much superior method. Nonetheless, the static/historical nature of the risk factors associated with most actuarial approaches is limiting. Advances in risk prediction will be found in part in the development of dynamic actuarial instruments that will measure both static/historical and changeable risk factors. The dynamic risk factors can be reevaluated on an ongoing basis, and it is proposed that the level of change in dynamic factors necessary to represent a significant change in overall risk will be an interactive function with static risk factors.


Mobile devices are everywhere, and the scope of their use is growing from simple calling and texting through Internet browsing to more technical activities such as creating message processing filters and connecting different apps. However, building tools which provide effective support for such advanced technical use of mobile devices by non-programmers (mobile end user development or mEUD) requires thorough understanding of user needs and motivations, including factors which can impact user intentions regarding mEUD activities. We propose a model linking these mEUD factors with mobile users' attitudes towards, and intent of doing mEUD, and discuss a number of implications for supporting mEUD. Our research process is user-centered, and we formulate a number of hypotheses by fusing results from an exploratory survey which gathers facts about mEUD motivations and activities, and from a focus group study, which delivers deeper understanding of particular mEUD practices and issues. We then test the hypothesized relationships through a follow-up enquiry mixing quantitative and qualitative techniques, leading to the creation of a preliminary mEUD model. Altogether we have involved 275 mobile users in our research. Our contribution links seven mEUD factors with mEUD intentions and attitudes, and highlights a number of implications for mEUD support.


We introduce a novel technique of ventricular septal defect (VSD) closure through right ventricular incision and through the VSD. It should provide extended and better-anchored coverage of the VSD margin and create a completely leak-free "sandwich" double patch by using large interrupted horizontal mattress sutures only, with no incision in the left ventricle wall. The patch is sutured better with large transseptal/transmural mattress sutures, minimizing perioperative risk of shunt recurrence. The second patch at the right ventricular side is easily placed. The patch in our method is considerably smaller than in the infarction exclusion technique. This method of VSD repair via right ventricular incision and trans-VSD approach is safe and simple, and it has so far given good, safe, and completely leak-free outcomes.


Distributed beamforming in wireless ad hoc networks has the promise of greatly improving network throughput. However, unlike traditional beamforming from a fixed array, the random locations of the nodes collaborating to form the array lead to a random beam pattern. In particular, the position and size of side lobes can vary greatly and have a significant impact on the concurrent transmissions that are the source of much of the throughput gain realized from distributed beamforming. Here, we present a simple model that captures this randomness and then use the model to consider the average throughput of a large ad hoc wireless networks. Numerical results are compared to those obtained if one employs the oft-used pie-wedge approximation for a directed antenna beam, and the difference is shown to be significant in regions where the side lobe interference is non-negligible.


Reaction of linear conjugated enynones, 1,5-diarylpent-2-en-4-yn-1-ones, with malononitrile in the presence of lithium diisopropylamide LDA, as a base, in THF at room temperature for 3–7 h resulted in the formation of the product of dimerization, multisubstituted polyfunctional cyclohexanes, 4-aryl-2,6-bis(arylethynyl)-3-(aryloxomethyl)-4-hydroxycyclohexane-1,1-dicarbonitriles, in yields up to 60%. Varying the reaction conditions by decreasing time and temperature and changing the ratio of starting compounds (enynone and malononitrile) allowed isolating some intermediate compounds, which confirmed a plausible reaction mechanism. The relative stability of possible stereoisomers of such cyclohexanes was estimated by quantum chemical calculations (DFT method). The obtained cyclohexanes were found to possess photoluminescent properties.


Background Triamcinolone acetonide (TAC) is used frequently in the treatment of keloid scars, but has presented controversial results. In this study, we aim to evaluate the effectiveness of TAC compared with other common therapies used in keloid treatment. Methods MEDLINE, Embase, Web of Science and the Cochrane Library databases were searched until January 2018. Key data were extracted from eligible randomized controlled trials. Both pairwise and network meta-analyses were conducted for synthesizing data from eligible studies. Results Ten randomized controlled trials were included in this meta-analysis. The relative risk of keloids associated with seven adjuvants was analyzed, including placebo, pulsed dye laser (PDL), 5-fluorouracil (5-FU), silicone, verapamil, TAC+5-FU and TAC+5-FU+PDL. Patients treated with the following adjuvants appeared to not have significantly reduced risk of keloid in relation to those treated with TAC: placebo (OR=1.86, 95% CI 1.12–2.61), PDL (OR=1.32, 95% CI 0.53–3.30), 5-FU (OR=1.13, 95% CI 0.48–2.68), silicone (OR=1.28, 95% CI 0.59–2.78), verapamil (OR=1.86, 95% CI 0.67–5.14), TAC+5-FU (OR=0.77, 95% CI 0.38–1.58) and TAC+5-FU+PDL (OR=0.80, 95% CI 0.16–4.03). The surface under the cumulative ranking curve values for each adjuvant were as follows: TAC, 59.9%; placebo, 17.4%; PDL, 46.3%; 5-FU, 48.9%; silicone, 56.2%; verapamil, 84.7%; TAC+5-FU, 68.5% and TAC+5-FU+PDL, 18.1%. Conclusion There were no differences between the efficacy of TAC and other common therapies in keloid treatment. TAC also acts as an effective alternative modality in the prevention and treatment of keloids. Incorporating adjuvants particularly verapamil appeared to be significantly associated with a decreased risk of keloids.


High mobility group box-1 (HMGB-1), a typical damage-associated molecular pattern protein released from various cells, was first identified in 1973. It is usually stored in the nuclei of cells. Several modifications of HMGB-1 promote its translocation to the cytosol, and it is actively or passively released from cells. When outside of the cells, HMGB-1is crucial in inflammation. It exerts its biological functions via interaction with its receptors, including receptor for advanced glycation end products (RAGE) and Toll-like receptor 4(TLR4). A large number of studies showed a close link between inflammation and thrombosis. This review demonstrated the increased expression of HMGB-1 in thrombosis-related diseases, including coronary artery disease, stroke, peripheral arterial disease, disseminated intravascular coagulation, and venous thrombosis. Besides, it summarized the current understanding of the emerging link between HMGB-1 and thrombosis from three aspects: platelet, NETs, and coagulation and fibrinolysis factors. Finally, it explored the possible therapeutic strategies targeting HMGB-1 for treating thrombosis-related diseases.


Library subject guide for Heritage courses. Here you will find advice about the library, information about the best resources for your subject and help using e-books, journals, databases and referencing.


We present a method for the digital fabrication of surfaces whose appearance varies based on viewing direction. The surfaces are constructed from a mesh of bars arranged in a self-occluding colored heightfield that creates the desired view-dependent effects. At the heart of our method is a novel and simple differentiable rendering algorithm specifically designed to render colored 3D heightfields and enable efficient calculation of the gradient of appearance with respect to heights and colors. This algorithm forms the basis of a coarse-to-fine ML-based optimization process that adjusts the heights and colors of the strips to minimize the loss between the desired and real surface appearance from each viewpoint, deriving meshes that can then be fabricated using a 3D printer. Using our method, we demonstrate both synthetic and real-world fabricated results with view-dependent appearance.


In progressive multifocal leukoencephalopathy (PML) the JC virus (JCV) load in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) is discussed as a parameter for disease progression. To investigate the evolution of viral shedding into the CSF, the JCV DNA concentration was quantified by competitive polymerase chain reaction (PCR) in multiple CSF samples from prior to and during an unsuccessful intrathecal salvage therapy in 2 human immunodeficiency virus-infected patients with biopsy-proven PML. With continuous clinical progression the virus load varied considerably intra- and interindividually, ranging from nondetectable to 1.2x108 genome equivalents/10 microliter CSF. Whereas an overall increase during progressive disease was confirmed, the virus burden was either constant or fluctuated irregularly during the intermediate stage of disease. This shows a variability of viral shedding during active disease that must be taken into account when the JCV load is measured by quantitative PCR for both the diagnosis of PML and monitoring under investigational treatment.


Variations and mutations in the human genome, such as 22q11.2 microdeletion, can increase the risk for congenital defects, including aortic arch malformations. Animal models are increasingly expanding our molecular and genetic insights into aortic arch development. However, in order to justify animal-tohuman extrapolations, a human morphological, and molecular reference model would be of great value, but is currently lacking. Here, we present interactive three-dimensional reconstructions of the developing human aortic arch system, supplemented with the protein distribution of developmental markers for patterning and growth, including T-box transcription factor TBX1, a major candidate for the phenotypes found in patients with the 22q11.2 microdeletion. These reconstructions and expression data facilitate unbiased interpretations, and reveal previously unappreciated aspects of human aortic arch development. Based on our reconstructions and on reported congenital anomalies of the pulmonary trunk and tributaries, we postulate that the pulmonary arteries originate from the aortic sac, rather than from the sixth pharyngeal arch arteries. Similar to mouse, TBX1 is expressed in pharyngeal mesenchyme and epithelia. The endothelium of the pharyngeal arch arteries is largely negative for TBX1 and family member TBX2 but expresses neural crest marker AP2a, which gradually decreases with ongoing development of vascular smooth muscle. At early stages, the pharyngeal arch arteries, aortic sac, and the dorsal aortae in particular were largely negative for proliferation marker Ki67, potentially an important parameter during aortic arch system remodeling. Together, our data support current animal-to-human extrapolations and future genetic and molecular analyses using animal models of congenital heart disease. 2013 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.


Shishi Matsuri or the Lion Festival is very popular and is often observed in different parts of Japan. Known also as Shishimai or Lion Dance performance, it is a religious festival and an art performance. The fieldwork for this study was carried out in Murashima village, Sugeta town, Ehime prefecture, Japan. The festival is held annually in November and involves everyone in the village. The performers are the local villagers themselves. Although Shishi Matsuri reinforces the sense of belonging, it also creates a sense of collectivity and unity as everyone joins in. Continuation of a tradition of this kind is bound with a number of difficulties and challenges. Financial issues, decreasing young population and natural disasters are but a few such matters faced every year. This study aims to understand the reasons and motivations that make it possible for the community members to carry on with the tradition of the festival despite challenges and difficulties.


There has been a need to improve the selectivity for shrimp and fish in tropical shrimp fisheries areas like Tanzania to reduce by-catch in coastal fisheries. The reduction of juvenile shrimp and fish can constitute a strategy to minimise discard. A study was done to review the literature and to evaluate possible solutions for the Tanzanian shrimp fishery. In this report, modified fishing gear with a selection grid and a square cod end is proposed which could improve the selection and reduce by-catch. The selection grid is made from aluminium mounted at an angle of 33° in the net section and has a length and width of 1.65 m and 0.8 m respectively, with bars 14 mm apart. Mesh size for the square mesh cod end was chosen 45 mm. A full scale prototype of the selection grid and square mesh cod end was constructed. The proposed function of a designed grid system is that larger shrimp and larger fish are guided into the cod end, and that small shrimp and juvenile fish will escape through the sorting grid. The use of square mesh cod end gives an additional opportunity for juveniles to escape.


Conventional Automatic Test Pattern Generation (ATPG) algorithms would fail when applied to asynchronous circuits due to the absence of a global clock and presence of more state holding elements that synchronize the control and data paths, leading to poor fault coverage. This paper presents a Design for Test (DFT) approach aimed at making asynchronous NCL circuits testable using conventional ATPG tools when incorporated with synchronous-based designs. The proposed approach performs scan and test points insertion on NCL designs using custom ATPG library. Experimental results show significant increase in fault coverage for NCL cyclic and acyclic pipelined designs.


Some results relating to "" partial ordering on s-unitary matrices are given. Theorems relating to Lowener , Star and "" partial ordering on s-unitary matrices are obtained.. Further "" partial ordering preserved under s-unitary similarity has been proved.


The biomathematical processing of growth data aims the separation of the deterministic variation of the growth variable from the superposed random fluctuations. For the quantitative representation of the deterministic component, 3 possibilities are noted (mean values polygon, empirical regression, and least squares fitting of functions). By 2 examples of measured growth data, the suitability of these approaches will be discussed to give reproducible results and to avoid artifacts. The model free recording of the deterministic component by empirical regression is recommended.


This is a review of Delinda Collier's 2020 book, Media Primitivism: Technological Art in Africa, that examines its importance to the fields of art history and media studies. Collier raises fundamental concerns about racist allegories that are often left unquestioned in foundational media theory texts. In so doing, she engages the role of mediation in African art history without relying on primitivizing rhetoric.


Catalysis is one of the most important processes in nature, science, and technology, that enables the energy efficient synthesis of essential organic compounds, pharmaceutically active substances, and molecular energy sources. In nature, catalytic reactions typically occur in aqueous environments involving multiple catalytic sites. To prevent the deactivation of catalysts in water or avoid unwanted cross-reactions, catalysts are often site-isolated in nanopockets or separately stored in compartments. These concepts have inspired the design of a range of synthetic nanoreactors that allow otherwise unfeasible catalytic reactions in aqueous environments. Since the field of nanoreactors is evolving rapidly, we here summarize—from a personal perspective—prominent and recent examples for polymer nanoreactors with emphasis on their synthesis and their ability to catalyze reactions in dispersion. Examples comprise the incorporation of catalytic sites into hydrophobic nanodomains of single chain polymer nanoparticles, molecular polymer nanoparticles, and block copolymer micelles and vesicles. We focus on catalytic reactions mediated by transition metal and organocatalysts, and the separate storage of multiple catalysts for one-pot cascade reactions. Efforts devoted to the field of nanoreactors are relevant for catalytic chemistry and nanotechnology, as well as the synthesis of pharmaceutical and natural compounds. Optimized nanoreactors will aid in the development of more potent catalytic systems for green and fast reaction sequences contributing to sustainable chemistry by reducing waste of solvents, reagents, and energy.


Considers noncoherent decoding of trellis coded M-DPSK transmission, and attempts to unify and contrast the approaches to this problem which have been previously reported. In the second part of the paper, the maximum likelihood block decoders for the AWGN channel are outlined, first assuming that the decoder has no knowledge of the state of the encoder at the beginning of the block, and then assuming that it knows the state. Because these exhaustive decoders suffer from an exponential growth in complexity with block length, two simplified decoders are proposed that approach the performance of the exhaustive decoders with a much more manageable complexity. Through a union bound analysis and computer simulations, it is shown that it is possible to achieve large gains over uncoded systems with a very reasonable decoder complexity. >


IMPORTANCE
Lowering blood pressure (BP) is widely used to reduce vascular risk in individuals with diabetes.

OBJECTIVE
To determine the associations between BP-lowering treatment and vascular disease in type 2 diabetes.

DATA SOURCES AND STUDY SELECTION
We searched MEDLINE for large-scale randomized controlled trials of BP-lowering treatment including patients with diabetes, published between January 1966 and October 2014.

DATA EXTRACTION AND SYNTHESIS
Two reviewers independently extracted study characteristics and vascular outcome data. Estimates were stratified by baseline BP and achieved BP, and pooled using fixed-effects meta-analysis.

MAIN OUTCOMES AND MEASURES
All-cause mortality, cardiovascular events, coronary heart disease events, stroke, heart failure, retinopathy, new or worsening albuminuria, and renal failure.

RESULTS
Forty trials judged to be of low risk of bias (100,354 participants) were included. Each 10-mm Hg lower systolic BP was associated with a significantly lower risk of mortality (relative risk [RR], 0.87; 95% CI, 0.78-0.96); absolute risk reduction (ARR) in events per 1000 patient-years (3.16; 95% CI, 0.90-5.22), cardiovascular events (RR, 0.89 [95% CI, 0.83-0.95]; ARR, 3.90 [95% CI, 1.57-6.06]), coronary heart disease (RR, 0.88 [95% CI, 0.80-0.98]; ARR, 1.81 [95% CI, 0.35-3.11]), stroke (RR, 0.73 [95% CI, 0.64-0.83]; ARR, 4.06 [95% CI, 2.53-5.40]), albuminuria (RR, 0.83 [95% CI, 0.79-0.87]; ARR, 9.33 [95% CI, 7.13-11.37]), and retinopathy (RR, 0.87 [95% CI, 0.76-0.99]; ARR, 2.23 [95% CI, 0.15-4.04]). When trials were stratified by mean baseline systolic BP at greater than or less than 140 mm Hg, RRs for outcomes other than stroke, retinopathy, and renal failure were lower in studies with greater baseline systolic BP (P interaction <0.1). The associations between BP-lowering treatments and outcomes were not significantly different, irrespective of drug class, except for stroke and heart failure. Estimates were similar when all trials, regardless of risk of bias, were included.

CONCLUSIONS AND RELEVANCE
Among patients with type 2 diabetes, BP lowering was associated with improved mortality and other clinical outcomes with lower RRs observed among those with baseline BP of 140 mm Hg and greater. These findings support the use of medications for BP lowering in these patients.


Indonesia is beset by uneven regional resource endowment and interregional income inequalities. Kataoka (2011) concluded that these are largely determined by the labor productivity differential, using the Duro and Esteban (1998) inequality decomposition approach. We empirically explored the extent to which interprovincial differentials in efficiency explain Indonesia's pre- and post-crisis income inequalities, by employing Cheng and Li's (2006) approach. They proposed the interpretive additive inequality decomposition of Theil's second measure by causal factors and showed that interregional income inequality consists strictly of Theil's second measure of productivity as well as of labor participation rates and their interaction terms. Their method improves Duro and Esteban's (1998) inequality decomposition in which terms can take positive or negative values, although a strict Theil index maintains a non-negative value for its property. Moreover, negative decomposition values are hardly interpretive, contributing to overall inequality. To incorporate efficiency factors, we estimated the production frontier and efficiency score of each observation point, using the data envelopment analysis of Coelli et al. (1998). We adopted the piecewise-linear frontier exhibiting variable returns to scale. Efficiency is gauged by standard Farrell output-oriented measures. Our DEA model employs multiple inputs (capital and labor) and a single output to estimate two provincial output values: those without technical inefficiency, assuming variable returns to scale (denoted as ye) and those without scale inefficiency, assuming constant returns to scale (denoted as ys). Using other variables of labor (denoted as l) and actual output (denoted as ya), labor productivity (denoted as ya/L) can be expressed with three multiplicative components: pure labor productivity (denoted as ye/L), pure technical efficiency (denoted as ya/ys), and scale efficiency (denoted as ys/ye). Applying Cheng and Li's (2006) inequality decomposition, interprovincial productivity differentials show the sum of the corresponding Theil second measure components and their interactions. We used annual observations of 26 contiguous provincial output and input factors from 1993 to 2010, sourced from Kataoka's (2013) dataset. Taking into account of the effects of natural resource endowment on the corresponding provinces' economies, two different output values were employed: aggregate GDP and GDP without the oil and gas sector. We found that the impact of technical inefficiency on interprovincial productivity differentials has a declining trend for the observation periods. Cheng, Y.-S. and S.-K. Li., 2006. 'Income inequality and efficiency: A decomposition approach and applications to China', Economics Letters 91 (1): 8-14. Coelli, Tim, Rao, D.S. Prasada, Battese, George E., 1998. An Introduction to Efficiency and Productivity Analysis. Kluwer Academic Publishers, Boston. Duro, Juan Antonio, Esteban, Joan, 1998. Factor decomposition of cross-country income inequality, 1960-1990. Economics Letters 60: 269-275. Kataoka, M., 2013. Capital stock estimates by province and interprovincial distribution in Indonesia, Asian Economic Journal, 27(4): 411-430.


A 12-year-old Japanese boy had ectopic eruption of the permanent maxillary canines and permanent mandibular second molars accompanied by root resorption of the adjacent permanent teeth. The permanent maxillary lateral incisors were extracted, and fenestration traction treatment was performed for the ectopically erupting canines. They were moved to the occlusal position orthodontically using a lingual arch appliance and sectional arch wire. The mandibular second molars were moved distally with an appliance designed to minimize the load on the teeth. The treatment is discussed with consideration of the diagnosis and appliances.


Algorithmic management is a core concept to analyse labour control on online labour platforms. It runs the risk, however, of oversimplifying the existing variety and complexity of control forms. In order to provide a basis for further research, this article develops a typology of labour
 control forms within crowdwork and discusses how they influence perceptions of working conditions. It identifies the two most relevant forms of labour control in crowdwork: direct control mainly takes the form of automated output control, while indirect control aiming at creating motivation
 and commitment is mainly exerted through ranking and reputation systems (gamification). The article shows that these forms of control and their combination are linked with very different ways of how platform workers perceive working conditions on platforms. In addition, the analysis
 shows significant differences regarding the perception of working conditions between those who work on platforms in addition to a regular employment as opposed to those who are self-employed and rely more strongly, if not fully, on their income from platform work. The analysis is based on
 qualitative and quantitative research on crowdwork platforms. In particular, it builds on an online survey conducted with 1,131 crowdworkers active on different types of platforms.


Abstract Openness and transparency are general administrative principles, closely related to lawfulness, accountability, responsiveness, participation and other elements of good administration. Despite their long existence in theory and legal documents, both at the European and national levels, the content and the relation of and among the respective principles is blurred. This applies even in single-case administrative procedures through the classic rights of defense, such as the right to access to information or the right to be heard. The paper explores these dimensions based on comparative analyses of the EU Charter, the OECD principles on good administration and governance and the Slovene law on administrative procedures, proving compliance between Slovene and European regulation. Furthermore, a consistent definition is proposed. Transparency is thus understood as parallel to participation. Both are seen as subcategories of openness which, as the sum of the rights of defense, is based on lawfulness and leads to accountability and ethics. However, as revealed by an empirical survey in 2015, the Slovene public administration sees these issues in a rather formal way. Finally, suggestions are made for future legislation and its implementation in terms of open and good administration.


— Businesses face the problem of processing extremely large amount of data every day. Finding and analyzing relationships between enormous set of connected data will be the key to successful business. Thus, our work discusses graph databases which are designed for dealing with densely connected data. The paper is focused on comparing Neo4j graph database and traditional Oracle relational database for querying data warehouses. The first results show that Neo4j graph database better deals with more complex questions when amount of data increases, which is very important for multidimensional analysis. Moreover, the query performance does not depend on graph dimensionality but only on size of subgraph covered by query.


The solution to the telegrapher equations is often presented as a D'Alembert expression for the voltage in terms of the voltage at a previous time or for the current in terms of the current at a previous time. In this paper, we present a complete solution for the coupled set of transmission-line equations such that the voltage or current is in terms of both the previous time voltage and current amplitudes. The key features of these equations are: they require only the initial voltage and current amplitudes, positive- and negative-direction traveling waves do not have to be identified, they are valid on a nonuniform transmission line, and they are related to the frequency-domain ABCD-parameter equations and the D'Alembert expressions for coupled functions. A method is presented for evaluating this set of equations numerically and results are given for a transmission-line filter and for a transmission line with a nonuniform section.


Abstract. A climatology of the occurrence of enhanced wind shear in the UTLS is presented, which gives rise to define a tropopause shear layer (TSL). Enhanced wind shear in the tropopause region is of interest because it can generate turbulence which can lead to cross-tropopause mixing. The analysis is based on ten years of daily northern hemispheric ECMWF ERA-5 reanalysis data. The vertical extent of the region analysed is limited to the altitudes from 1.5 km above the surface up to 25 km, to exclude the planetary boundary layer as well as enhanced wind shear in higher atmospheric layers like the mesosphere/lower thermosphere. A threshold value of S2t = 4 · 10−4 s−2 is applied, which marks the top end of the spectrum of atmospheric wind shear to focus on situations which cannot be sustained by the mean static stability in the troposphere according to linear wave theory. This subset of the vertical wind shear spectrum is analysed for its vertical, geographical, and seasonal occurrence frequency distribution. A set of metrics is defined to narrow down the relation to planetary circulation features, as well as indicators for momentum gradient sharpening mechanisms. The vertical distribution reveals that large shear values occur almost exclusively at tropopause altitudes, within a vertically confined layer of about 1–2 km extent directly above the local lapse rate tropopause (LRT). The TSL emerges as a distinct feature in the tropopause-based 10 year temporal and zonal mean climatology, spanning from the tropics to latitudes around 70° N, with average occurrence frequencies of the order of 1 %–10 %. The horizontal distribution of the tropopause based enhanced vertical wind shear exhibits distinctly separated regions of occurrence, which are generally associated with jet streams and their seasonality. At midlatitudes, enhanced wind shear values occur most frequently in regions with an elevated tropopause and at latitudes around 50° N, associated with jet streaks within northward reaching ridges of baroclinic waves. At lower latitudes in the region of the subtropical jet stream, which is mainly apparent over the East Asian continent, the occurrence frequency of enhanced tropopause-based wind shear reaches maximum values of about 30 % during winter and is tightly linked to the jet stream seasonality. The interannual variability of the occurrence frequency for enhanced wind shear might furthermore be linked to the variability of the zonal location and strength of the jet. The east-equatorial region features a bi-annual seasonality in the occurrence frequencies of tropopause based enhanced vertical wind shear. During the summer months, large areas of the tropopause region over the Indian ocean are up to 70 % of the time exposed to large values of wind shear, which can be attributed to the emergence of the tropical easterly jet. During winter, this occurrence frequency maximum shifts eastward over the maritime continent, where it is exceptionally pronounced during the 2011 la Niña year, as well as quite weak during the El Niño phases of 2010 and 2015/2016. This agrees with the atmospheric response of the Pacific Walker circulation cell in the ENSO ocean-atmosphere coupling.


Summary Serbs in America (SAD) started to accept the idea of Slavic and Serbian Sokolism at the beginning of 1909, when also started first ideas for formation of Serbian Sokol societies. During the second half of the same year two societies were formed, and during years to follow societies were formed in all other places of America (USA) inhabited with Serbs. During 1910 five societies were formed, among them also Serbian Sokol society in Gary (Indiana). Goal of this paper is to research the work of Society and all his activities from its formation until end of June 1914. During writing authors used historical method.


Abstract In recent years, influenced by the deepening reform of colleges teaching English in China, teaching English for college students has gradually been favoured and promoted. At present, many universities still use traditional English teaching methods. The traditional English teaching method only allows college students to learn basic grammar and vocabulary, without the ability of independent learning. Given these problems, this paper first proposes a framework for cultivating college students' autonomous learning ability in English teaching based on output-based education (OBE) theory. Then, the OBE theory is introduced in detail. At the same time, the framework is applied in a university. After a semester of study, the results are combined with teachers' and college students' questionnaire surveys. Finally, after the questionnaire results and analysis, the framework proposed in this paper is better than other traditional English teaching methods. The experiment also shows that it not only improves the adaptability of college students' English teaching but also improves their independent learning ability while learning English.


In this study we evaluate limited lead sets for the reconstruction of 12-lead ECGs and body surface potential maps (BSPMs). For 12-lead ECG reconstruction, we focused on four available limited lead systems (V2, V1V5, V1V6, V2V5) to derive the standard 12-lead ECG and the EASI lead system as an alternative to the existing 12-lead ECG. We used a data set of 44 continuous 16-lead balloon inflation ECG registrations during percutaneous coronary interventions. For reconstruction of BSPMs an optimal lead selection algorithm was applied to a set of 744 BSPMs, consisting of recordings from subjects with myocardial infarction, left ventricular hypertrophy, and no apparent disease.Median root mean square (RMS) error for 12-lead ECG reconstruction were in decreasing order: V1V6: 165 muV, V2 131 muV, V1V5: 124 muV, EASI: 96 muV, and V2V5: 87 muV. In the BSPM reconstruction experiments, it was shown that by repositioning the six precordial leads the RMS error decreased from 35.4 muV to 26.7 muV. In summary, the results from this study have indicated that limited lead systems offer potential in all forms of cardiac monitoring and assessment, but certain lead sets show higher reconstruction errors.


As outlined in the Third National Agricultural Policy (NAP3), there is a need to enhance competitiveness and to increase value-addedness to the whole supply chain as well as to position Malaysia as an international halal food hub. This seems to be a noble idea but the paper argues that its implementation as a national policy must still be critically assessed and evaluated as it has far-reaching implications for the national economy. This paper discusses the concepts and trends related to supply chains and then relates it to several possible "hub" concepts that is relevant to Malaysia's policy to become an international halal food hub. The paper then provides an overview of the domestic halal meat industry, including its present structure, major companies, achievement of food safety, quality and halal certification and major issues faced by the industry. It then discusses the potentials of global meat products. Finally, brief policy considerations are discussed.


On 15 July 2009, the Constitutional Court handed down a judgment declaring minimum sentences invalid for 16- and 17-year-olds. The judgment is the culmination of efforts that started a few years ago when the Criminal Law Amendment Act 105 of 1997 was introduced into Parliament. The initial version of the Act did not exclude children from being subject to minimum sentences. However, lobbying from civil society advocates saw the exclusion of children below the age of 16 from its operation. Nevertheless, 16- and 17-year-olds were included in the ambit of the Act, though the procedure for them was different from the procedure for adults.


any other, has different forms of organization, social relationships and patterns of accumulation depending on the prevailing economic and political situation. It is a form of labour in which women are not passive victims taking the easy, idle and corrupt way out, but in which they are active economic planners making the best of the limited economic options available to them as circumstances dictate—reproducing their families, seeking dignity and security in their communities.


The origins of electronic spectral broadening in solutions, glasses and proteins are discussed via three pulse stimulated echo peak–shift measurements. Spectral densities for dye molecules in polar solutions are presented and discussed in terms of molecular models for the dynamics. The breakdown of the harmonic bath picture at low frequencies is presented. Finally, echo measurements on light harvesting complexes of purple bacteria are presented and it is shown that the energy transfer timescale can be obtained from peak–shift measurements.


Introduction: Proper handling and disposal of medical waste is an important issue. However, a lack of awareness on medical waste management is a dangerous hazard for humans and the environment. Aim: To determine the knowledge and practices of Health Care Workers (HCWs) about medical waste management in Yemen. Materials and Methods: A cross-sectional study was conducted among 337 HCWs in four main hospitals in Ibb city, Yemen, from November 2019 to May 2020. Knowledge and practice of medical waste disposal were assessed using a self-administered questionnaire to gather data from the respondents in Arabic language. Data analysis was performed using Statistical Package for the Social Sciences (SPSS) v. 25.0. Mann-Whitney, Chi-square, and Spearman and correlation tests. Results: Most of the participants had a diploma (47.8%), occupation was nursing (41.2%), with less than five years experience (50.7%). The study showed that respondents demonstrated good knowledge and practice about medical waste management. There was a moderate positive correlation between knowledge and practice domains. Occupation significantly influenced knowledge (p=0.001) and practice (p=0.002) of the participants. Type of hospital showed a statistically significant relation to knowledge (p=0.001). Education significantly influenced the knowledge (p=0.030) of the study participants. conclusion: Occupation, type of hospital and education level are the factors which significantly influenced the knowledge of Yemeni nurses. Contentious education should be focused on medical waste management among HCWs.


Time‐lapse ERT imaging was combined with VMS data in a brownfield. The setup monitored an infiltrated saline tracer across the vadose zone. The spatial distribution of the tracer was monitored with geophysics. Flow mechanisms inferred from VMS data improved subsoil characterization. Both technologies combined can improve site conceptual models.


GAW is a "path-finder" experiment to test the feasibility of a new generation of Imaging Atmospheric Čerenkov telescopes that join high flux sensitivity with large field of view capability using Fresnel lens, stereoscopic observational approach, and single photon counting mode. GAW is an array of three telescopes that will be erected at the Calar Alto Observatory site (Spain, 2150 m a.s.l.). To evaluate the performance of GAW, a consistent data–set has been simulated, including a Crab-like source observation, and a proper image analysis code has been developed, as described in this contribution. The expected performance of GAW are also reported, mainly for what concerns effective area, angular resolution, Čerenkov flux as function of the core distance, ability in the γ/proton separation, and sensitivity. The first telescope realization, foreseen within the end of this year, will allow to verify if the parameters used in the analysis are in agreement with the "real" performance of the GAW apparatus.


Ten different bacteriophages were isolated from untreated city sewage water. These phages were stable at 57 degrees C for 40 min. A modified agar layer technique was used to obtain high titre phages. Ninety-four of a stock of 101 cultures of Escherichia coli, which were isolated from inflamed portions of intestines of chickens, were lysed by one or more of these phages. The E. coli of a known serological grouping were phage typed.


Background: Digital health metrics have the potential to advance the monitoring and understanding of impaired body functions, for example in persons with neurological disorders. However, their integration into clinical research and practice is challenged by insufficient validation of the vast amount of existing and often abstract metrics. Here, we propose a data-driven framework to select and validate a clinically-relevant core set of digital health metrics extracted from a technology-aided assessment. As a use-case, this framework is applied to metrics extracted from the Virtual Peg Insertion Test (VPIT), a sensor-based assessment of upper limb sensorimotor impairments.
Methods: The framework builds on a use-case specific pathophysiological motivation of digital health metrics to represent clinically-relevant impairments, models the influence of confounds from participant demographics, and evaluates the most important clinimetric properties (discriminant validity, structural validity, test-retest reliability, measurement error, learning effects). This approach was applied to 77 kinematic and kinetic metrics extracted from the VPIT, using data from 120 neurologically intact controls and 89 subjects with neurological disorders (post-stroke, multiple sclerosis, or hereditary ataxia). An exploratory factor analysis to discuss the initially proposed pathophysiological hypotheses was performed and the sensitivity of the metrics to clinically-defined disability levels was investigated.
Results: Applied to the VPIT, the framework selected 10 (13.0%) clinically-relevant core metrics. These assess the severity of multiple sensorimotor impairments in a valid, reliable, and informative manner for all three disorders while being least susceptible to measurement error and learning effects. The digital health metrics of the VPIT provided additional clinical value by detecting impairments in neurological subjects that did not show any deficits according to conventional scales, and by covering several sensorimotor impairments of the arm and hand with a single assessment.
Conclusions: The proposed framework could help to address the insufficient evaluation, standardization, and interpretability of digital health metrics. In the presented use-case, it allowed to establish validated core metrics for the VPIT, paving the way for its integration into clinical neurorehabilitation trials.


The synthesis of acid protease by Aspergillus oryzae AS3042 was enhanced significantly with the mixed culture of Aspergillus niger SL-09 using solid-state fermentation technique. The influence of carbon sources, nitrogen sources and the addition of phytic acid on acid protease production were investigated. The enzyme production varied depending on the nitrogen source. Apart from that, it was found that the enzyme activities formed in the mixed culture were enhanced dramatically by the addition of phytic acid to the medium. The response surface methodology (RSM) was used to optimize the medium composition for the production of acid protease and by this method the enzyme activity was enhanced near 5-fold higher than that obtained in the basal medium. Key words: Acid protease, Aspergillus niger, Aspergillus oryzae, solid-state culture, optimization, response surface methodology (RSM).


Poly(vinyl chloride)/organophilic montmorillonite (PVC/OMMT) nanocomposites were prepared by means of melt blending. A liquid epoxy resin was used to aid PVC chains in intercalating into silicate layers. The effects of the preparation methods and epoxy resin contents on the melt intercalation of PVC were investigated. The morphology development, mechanical properties and optical properties of the PVC/OMMT composites were tested as functions of epoxy resin content and OMMT content. Wide-angle X-ray diffraction, transmission electron microscopy and scanning electron microscopy were used to characterize the morphology of the resulting composites. After being pretreated by the epoxy resin, the OMMT layers were largely intercalated into the PVC matrix, and even exfoliated at high epoxy resin content. The addition of epoxy resin led to a decrease in optical clarity of the composites but improved the processing stability, as indicated by yellowness index and haze measurement. However, the optical clarity of the composites containing 4 phr of epoxy resin (PVC/E-OMMT) was improved by increasing the OMMT content, as shown by light transmission. Both the tensile strength and notched Izod impact strength of the PVC/E-OMMT composites reached their maximum values when the OMMT content was 0.5 phr and the epoxy resin content was 2 phr. With further increase of the OMMT content and the epoxy resin content, the tensile strength decreased but was still higher than that of original PVC. The method of addition of epoxy resin had little effect on the physical properties but mainly influenced the morphology of PVC/OMMT nanocomposites. © 2003 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. J Appl Polym Sci 89: 2184–2191, 2003


Chromatography is a widely used technique of separation which depends on the differential interaction of molecules between a stationary phase and a mobile phase. In most modern life science laboratories, purification of proteins plays an important role. Almost all types of laboratory‐based liquid chromatography techniques used for purification of proteins are carried out using the stationary phase contained in tubular columns. Although individual methods for sample loading or elution of these columns are usually different depending on the specific technique used, this general experimental procedure that uses tubular columns is known as column chromatography. This unit is focused on setting up laboratory‐based column chromatography methods for separation of proteins using three commonly used chromatographic techniques for separation of proteins, such as size exclusion, ion exchange, and affinity chromatography.


The effect of thresher machines on maize , Cadiz cultivar was studied based on some technical indicators. Two types of machines (Maize thresher local M.T.L and Maize thresher MGI.Ty60) were tested at three velocity cylinder threshing  of 200,250 and 300rpm  and three ranges of grain moistures of 15%, 17% and 19%. The experiments were carried out in a factorial experiment under complete randomized design with three replications. The results showed that the Maize thresher local M.T.L machine was significantly better than the Maize thresher MGI.Ty60  machine in all studied conditions. The results showed a production process of 1.196 and 1.147 t\h, power consumption of 11.361 and 12.234 kW, cracked grain percentage of 4.024% and 4.374%, broken maize of 5.973% and 6.729%,threshing efficiency of 83.918% and 83.263% , whole grain percentage 76.851%and 76.126 and grain cleanliness of 88.845% and 87.483% for Maize thresher local M.T.L and Maize thresher MGI.Ty60 machines, respectively. The velocity cylinder threshing 200 rpm  was significantly superior to the other two levels of 250 and 300rpm in breakage percentage , cracked grain percentage , whole grain and grain cleanliness .  while the moisture content of grain at range of 15% was significantly superior to the other ranges of 17% and19% in all studied conditions


Large-scale sea surface height (SSH) changes in the extraequatorial South Pacific Ocean are investigated using satellite altimetry data of the past 12 yr. The decadal SSH signals in the 1990s were dominated by an increasing trend in the 30°–50°S band and a decreasing trend in the central South Pacific Ocean poleward of 50°S. In recent years since 2002 there has been a reversal in both of these trends. Spatially varying low-frequency SSH signals are also found in the tropical region of 10°–25°S where the decadal SSH trend is negative in the eastern basin, but positive in the western basin. To clarify the causes for these observed spatially varying SSH signals, a 11U2-layer reduced-gravity model that includes the wind-driven baroclinic Rossby wave dynamics and the responses forced by SSH changes along the South American coast was adopted. The model hindcasts the spatially varying decadal trends in the midlatitude and the eastern tropical regions well. Accumulation of the wind-forced SSH anomalies along Rossby wave characteristics is found to be important for both previously reported long-term trends and their reversals in recent years. The boundary forcing associated with the time-varying SSH signals along the South American coast is crucial for understanding the observed SSH signals of all time scales in the eastern tropical South Pacific basin, but it has little impact upon the midlatitude interior SSH signals.


Six new3,4-Dihydro-1H-pyrimidine-5-carbohydrazideDerivatives (3a-f) have been synthesized in a three step reaction. In first step 5-(Ethoxycarbonyl)- 6-methyl-4-substitutedaryl-3,4-dihydropyrimidin-2(1H)-ones obtained (1af) and in second step 4-Substitutedaryl-6-methyl-2-pyrimidinone-5- Carbohydrazides (2a-f). Third step involves synthesis of 4-Substitutedaryl- 6-methyl-2-pyrimidinone-5-(N-p-tosyl) Carbohydrazides (3a-f). Their structures are confirmed by IR, 1H- NMR, C13NMR and Mass. The compounds were tested for antihypertensive activity by non-invasive tail-cuff, and evaluated by carotid artery cannulation method for determining the diastolic blood pressure. Hypertension was induced by DOCA-salt.Anti-inflammatory activitywas carried out by carrageenan induced rat-pawoedemamethod. Test compounds c1-8 exerted comparative anti-hypertensive activity at 10 mg/kg dose level compared to nifedipine. Compounds 3c, 3e, 3f and 2 b, 2c, 2f showed excellent results on evaluation by directmethod. Test compounds 3c, 3e and 2f exerted moderate to comparative anti-inflammatory activity at the 100 mg/kg dose level compared to indomethacin. Their further investigation for analgesic activity and acute ulcerogenesis was carried out, compounds 3b, 3c and 3e showed low ulcerogenic activity.


Portugal went to war in March 1916 with a government and an army that did not sit comfortably with each other. The young republican regime's relationship with its armed forces was difficult despite its popularity among a small number of officers and a larger number of non-commissioned officers (NCOs). The Republic was seen as essentially hostile to the existence of a powerful officer caste. Matters were made worse by Portugal's controversial intervention in the Great War and the subsequent decision to send an expeditionary force to France. Many within the army saw themselves as a sacrificial offering made by politicians for purely partisan gain. Unsurprisingly, the army was a mainstay of the anti-interventionist Sidónio Pais, who took power in December 1917 and held it until his murder one year later.


Polyester mooring lines have been used in the offshore industry since the late '90s. With increasing oil exploration and production in deeper waters, using polyester lines provides greater benefit than using traditional steel wires and chains. Some advantages of using polyester include a reduction of mooring line weight, a reduction in vessel offset and a reduction in the dynamics of the line tensions. However, unlike steel, polyester lines exhibit axial stiffness characteristics that are nonlinear and vary with time and loading history.Tahar (2001) developed a comprehensive theory and numerical tool to capture this behavior. The formulas allow relatively large elongation and nonlinear stress-strain relationships, as typically observed in polyester fibers. The mooring line dynamics are based on a rod theory and finite element method (FEM), with the governing equations described in a generalized coordinate system.Since this theory is computationally intensive, the benefits outweigh the costs less than they do for the practical approach recommended by API. Therefore, the fully coupled dynamic analysis tool CHARM3D has been modified to incorporate the API-recommended approach. Two axial stiffnesses (EA), post installation (static) stiffness and storm (dynamic) stiffness, have been convoluted into a dual stiffness to represent the total response of the floating platform in a single run. In the traditional method, the analyses are done twice, one run for each stiffness. Then, the extremes from each run are used as governing values for design. This paper presents the global performance comparison between the dual stiffness method and the traditional method. The effect of motions on SCR strength is also investigated using ABAQUS software.Copyright © 2012 by ASME


BACKGROUND
426 children were examined, using the isotropic photorefraction method (Atkinson et al. 1981). The aim of this study was to analyze whether the frequency of convergent strabismus and/or amblyopia would increase, particularly in cases of high ametropia, and whether the early prescription of spectacles would be beneficial. The preliminary results of this study are presented here.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
426 children aged between 5 and 12 months were examined. Family history, particularly involving strabismus, ametropia and amblyopia, was ascertained and taken into consideration.

RESULTS
Spherical refraction: 92% of the children were emmetropic or slightly hyperopic (< or = +2.5 D). 3.4% were hyperopic (> +2.5 D spherical equivalent) and 4.6% were myopic (0.9 > or = -2.0 D). Astigmatism: 85% had no or mild (< or = 1.5 D) astigmatism. Values greater than 3.5 D were rarely seen. Anisometropia: 67% of the children had no side-difference and only 2.4% had anisometropia with values greater than 1.5 D. Family history/orthoptic findings: 2.6% of the examined population had strabismus. In 12.2% of all the cases one or more first degree relatives had strabismus. Hyperopia and strabismus were found more frequently in this latter group, namely hyperopia (> +2.5 D spherical equivalent) in 13.6% and strabismus in 11.5%.

CONCLUSIONS
Refractive errors greater than 2.5 D were seldom seen in this study, and yet were more frequently detected in families with a history of strabismus. In our opinion, isotropic photorefraction is a method most suitable to screening these especially high-risk groups.


In part I, the autofrettage of a smooth thick-walled tube of the austenitic stainless steel AISI 304 L was studied by finite-element (FE) modelling. It was shown that low- temperature autofrettage is more efficient than autofrettage at room temperature, since it produces a larger beneficial compressive residual tangential (hoop) stress at the inner bore of the tube and hence permits a more significant enhancement of the fatigue resistance against pulsating internal pressure. The objective of the present study (part II) was to investigate the technically more relevant case of a thick-walled tube with a cross-bore made of the same steel. For this purpose, three-dimensional FE calculations were performed in order to characterize the influences of the autofrettage pressure and temperature on the stress and strain changes, in particular at the site of the cross-bore, also taking into account the effects of work hardening and reverse yielding. The results indicate that low-temperature autofrettage can also be applied advantageously in the case of thick-walled tubes with a cross-bore by virtue of the significantly larger residual compressive stresses, compared to room temperature autofrettage. From the quantitative FE calculations, the optimal combination of autofrettage temperature and pressure were concluded to lie in the range of to , respectively. The calculated results were found to be in fair agreement with the measured values.


Proposed is a dual-mode-access cache to reduce power consumption in set associative caches for embedded systems. The proposed scheme introduces a pre-cache buffer to determine how to access the cache. This is a buffered dual-mode cache scheme. The proposed cache shows better prediction rates and lower power consumption than conventional caches, such as the phased cache or the way-prediction cache. Cacti and Simplescalar simulators have been used for these simulations using SPEC2000 benchmark programs. Experimental results show that the proposed cache reduces power consumption by an average of 19.7% over conventional caches.


The purpose of this paper is to study generalizations of Gamma-homology in the context of operads. Good homology theories are associated to operads under appropriate cofibrancy hypotheses, but this requirement is not satisfied by usual operads outside the characteristic zero context. In that case, the idea is to pick a cofibrant replacement Q of the given operad P. We can apply to P-algebras the homology theory associated to Q in order to define a suitable homology theory on the category of P-algebras. We make explicit a small complex to compute this homology when the operad P is binary and Koszul. In the case of the commutative operad P=Com, we retrieve the complex introduced by Robinson for the Gamma-homology of commutative algebras.


Overtreatment in extreme prematurity, is an ongoing debate and often translated as 'what are the limits of viability?' The concerns stemming from this issue are the risks of long-term morbidity and mortality. Although many medical specialties are concerned with overtreatment, in neonatology and especially in extreme prematurity, the paradox of the emotional impact of happiness of a new life and fear about worrying outcome issues is absolutely unique. Many discussants have asked for defining therapeutic limits in extreme prematurity. Statistical approaches from epidemiologic outcomes have oversimplified those limits in terms of criteria as simple as gestational age or birth weight. Current scientific, epidemiologic and medical-economic knowledge have demonstrated the complexity of the issue. For example, in recent years, these infants have required intensive care less often than in previous years. Gestational age alone has been shown to be a poor prognostic factor for both mortality and severe morbidity. Recently more complex models have been proposed including more relevant prognostic risk factors like chorioamnionitis, prenatal steroids or gender. Furthermore, the absolute number of preterm infants increases significantly with increasing gestational age. The impact on public health resources of late preterms, who are not concerned by futile treatment issues, is much more important compared to extreme preterm infants. But, the emotional and symbolic aspects of periviability are dramatic and very complex. Ethical and medical dilemmas in decision making around withholding or withdrawing treatment will be strongly influenced by the underlying culture, economic situations of countries and individual spiritual believes of both caregivers and families. © 2013 Bentham Science Publishers.


Microwave imaging is a promising imaging modality for the early detection of breast cancer. The two most important signal processing components of a radar-based microwave imaging system are the early-time artifact removal and the image reconstruction algorithm. Several image reconstruction algorithms have been developed and their performance has been evaluated in a number of studies. However, most of these evaluation studies were either performed on numerical breast phantoms or used an idealized artifact removal algorithm. In this paper, a range of both data independent and data adaptive imaging algorithms are evaluated using experimental breast phantoms in combination with a realistic artifact removal algorithm. The clutter rejection capabilities of each algorithm are assessed in the presence of experimental noise and residual artifacts using a range of appropriate image quality metrics.


Changes of stoichiometry in the perovskite SrTi03 have been investigated in the SrOLa203-Ti02
system, which result in the formation of layered structures within the
perovskite matrix. When present in low concentrations, the layers are distributed in a
disordered fashion and therefore cannot be detected by diffraction techniques. They
may, however, be observed using high-resolution electron microscopy (HREM) ,
which revealed a tendency for the layers to group together at low concentrations. As
the frequency of layers increased, they were observed to form ordered arrays, and led
to three different layered families of stoichiometric compounds which may be defined
by the layer structure and the interlayer spacing. These are summarised in the
following table, where the layer orientation given refers to planes in perovskite:
Composition change
Addition of SrO
Addition of 0
Removal of Ti
Layer orientation
{100}
{110}
{111 }
Compositional series
Sr n+1 Tin03n+1
Sr n-4La4 Tin0 3n+2
Sr n-3La4 Tin0 3n+3
Ordered members
(7=1,2 and 3
(7=4, 4.5 and 5
(7=3,4 and 5
Previous studies have not agreed regarding the stability of the n=3 {lOO} layered
compound. In this report, the well-ordered nature of this material has been verified
using HREM, and the structures of all of the {lOO} and {Ill} layered phases refined
by the Rietveld method. The n=4.5 and n=5 {11 O} layered materials have not been
reported previously, although isostructural compounds are known.
A new compound with the composition Sr3La2Ti201Q has been identified, and its
structure determined using a combination of HREM and Rietveld analysis. It contains
slabs of the n=l {lOO} layered structure, resulting in ribbons of Ti06 octahedra
running parallel to the b axis. In the electron microscope, the surfaces of crystals were
found to be covered by a rim of disordered material. This was observed to crystallise
into the perovskite structure under the influence of the electron beam.
ii
For many of the compounds described above, HREM revealed defects in the layer
stacking and layer structure. The nature of these defects has been investigated using
computer-based models and, where appropriate, simulation of HREM images.
Much of the behaviour of the layered compounds has been discussed in terms of
elastic strain. The layer structures of all of the compounds had a different size than
the corresponding perovskite dimension, and so the cell parameters converged toward
the perovskite value as the thickness of the perovskite lamellae increased.
Consideration of elastic strain can explain this behaviour, as well as the stability
ranges of the layered families.
Experiments designed to synthesise an n=3 {lOO} layered compound containing
copper were not successful. However, three solid solution ranges were found,
including complete solid solution between Sr2Ti04 and La2Cu04.


To assess the clinical efficacy and safety of ustekinumab(UST) combined with sphincter-preserving surgery in the treatment of perianal fistulizing Crohn's disease(pfCD).

 A single-center retrospective study. The baseline data of pfCD patients who met the inclusion and exclusion criteria and visited the Anorectal Department of the Affiliated Hospital of Nanjing University of Traditional Chinese Medicine from January 2020 to March 2022 were collected. Patients were assessed for fistula response and remission by rectal magnetic resonance image(MRI) and perianal disease activity index(PDAI). Patients' fistula response and remission were assessed by rectal MRI and PDAI. Patients were assessed for clinical response and remission by using Crohn's disease activity Index( CDAI). Patients' anal function was assessed by using the Wexner score. The differences in CDAI,PDAI and inflammatory parameters, including C-reactive protein(CRP) and erythrocyte sedimentation rate(ESR), at 0 week, 8 weeks and 16 weeks were statistically analyzed.

 A total of 64 pfCD patients were included. Fistula response was 23.4% (8 weeks), 40.6% (16 weeks), and 51.6% (follow-up endpoint); fistula remission was 21.9% (follow-up endpoint); fistula MRI remission was 9.3% (follow-up endpoint); clinical response was 68.8% (8 weeks) and 79.7% (16 weeks); and clinical remission was 46.9% (8 weeks) and 59.4% (16 weeks). CDAI, PDAI and inflammatory parameters at the 8th and 16th week of treatment were significantly lower than those before treatment (p<0.05). There was no significant difference in postoperative anal function (p<0.05). The incidence of adverse events was 1.6%.

 UST combined with sphincter-preserving surgery is safe and effective in the treatment of pfCD.This therapy can effectively improve the fistula condition and systemic manifestations.


There are many user interests on coasts and in estuaries, including economic activities (ports, harbours, navigation, fishing, mineral extraction), recreation (bathing, walking, sailing, fishing, birdwatching), flood defence, water quality, nature conservation, and conservation of the historical and archaeological heritage. Often these interests are conflicting, and managers frequently have to attempt a compromise or make hard decisions based on a prioritized course of action which reflects economic, political and legal constraints (see, for example, Barrett 1992; Kay & Alder 1999; Flemming 2000). Often the decisions are taken on the basis of inadequate background information and a poor understanding of the functioning of the invariably complex coastal system under consideration. In a world of increasingly rapid technological and economic development, sea-level rise, and possible global climate change, central tasks facing the coastal and estuarine manager are to predict and manage change, undertaken against a background of constantly moving goalposts. There is an urgent need for a much better framework of background environmental data and more effective and reliable management tools, founded on sound scientific understanding, which can provide the necessary guidance and basis for policy formulation. Although, these needs have been recognized, and some progress has been made in the past few years, an adequate suite of such tools and frameworks for environmental monitoring are still some way off. Fundamental to a successful management strategy is an adequate understanding of the basic physical, chemical, biological and human properties and processes which affect coasts and estuaries, including their interactions and variability on different


Introduction Financial incentive schemes have been commonly used by the hearing aid industry as a way of encouraging device sales. These schemes can lead to a conflict of interest as the hearing device dispenser is torn between personal reward over the best interests of their client. This conflict of interest has the potential for the dispenser to develop "moral distress", a negative state of mind when an individual's ethical values contrast with those of the employing organization. The purpose of this study was to investigate if there was a relationship between financial incentives and moral distress in Australian audiologists and audiometrists. Methods An online survey was distributed to all members of Audiology Australia and the Australian College of Audiology via email. Participants rated their perceived moral distress from 0 to 10 on the Moral Distress Thermometer and answered four questions about financial incentives in their respective workplace. Results A total of 65 participants, 42 females and 23 males, completed the online survey. A quarter of participants rated their moral distress corresponding to levels of uncomfortable or above. A statistically significant association was found between financial incentives, sales target setting, and higher perceived moral distress in participants. Conclusions For our sample, the implementation of financial incentives created ethical challenges for practicing audiologists and audiometrists. Modifications to employee rewards programs as well as a regulation of device sales are recommended.


Recently with base apply MANET with the application for the service discovery and delivery which are various techniques are being proposed the result of such MANET base research techniques from actual inside. This dissertation proposes T-Chord(Trustworthy-based Chord) Ring system for MANET to guarantees from such requirements. T-Chord Ring system in order to manage Efficiently the services which the mobile nodes provide is the service discovery system which uses P2P overlay network Technique in mobile environment. The system which is proposed MANET communications in order to accomplish a service discovery operation with physical network class and logical network class will be able to minimize problems from about MANET service discoveries, and uses the dispersive hash table technique for a service discovery and effectiveness of service discovery improves and will be able to guarantee the expandability of network size. The mobile nodes(mobile device) have a mobility from MANET and operate with service request node, service provide node and service transmit node. The mobile nodes will be able to elect cluster header using Trustworthy that was evaluated service request, provision and delivery in each other. The system which is proposed a service discovery and a delivery efficiently will compose the cluster head which will grow of P2P overlay networks and will be able to accomplish. The system which proposes from dissertation is composed of Trustworthy evaluations of MANET mobile nodes, service information collection which is dispersed and P2P overlay networks that composed of Chord algorithm modules which provide O(Log N) efficiencies. The system comparison evaluation analyzes an efficiency from the expandability side of effectiveness and the network of service discovery technique and the service discovery message over head, service discovery and delivery of former times and service discovery and delivery is excellent gives proof from MANET.