1. Heparin and heparan sulphate strongly inhibited human leucocyte elastase activity in an automated assay using the soluble substrate, n-succinyl-(L-alanine)3-p-nitroanilide (50% inhibition of 250 microliters of 10 micrograms of human leucocyte elastase/ml was obtained with 80 microliters of 2.8 micrograms of heparin/ml and 8 micrograms of heparan sulphate/ml). Less significant inhibition at the same concentrations was seen with the other glycosaminoglycans tested: hyaluronic acid and chondroitin sulphates A-C. 2. Heparin and heparan sulphate also strongly inhibited human leucocyte elastase activity towards insoluble human lung elastin, as determined by an e.l.i.s.a. for soluble elastin-derived peptides released by elastolytic activity on the elastin. This inhibition was shown not to be due to a direct interference of the glycosaminoglycans in the e.l.i.s.a. nor to the inhibition causing a change in the size of the elastin-derived peptides. However, unlike the chromogenic assay with n-succinyl-(L-alanine)3-p-nitroanilide as substrate, where heparin was the more effective inhibitor, in this assay system heparan sulphate was the more effective inhibitor (50% inhibition of 100 microliters of 50 ng of human leucocyte elastase/ml was obtained with 100 microliters of 4.5 micrograms of heparin/ml and 0.8 microgram of heparan sulphate/ml). These results suggest that heparin and heparan sulphate, as components of cellular and basement membranes, are likely to have a role in protecting structural proteins, such as elastin, from the proteolytic activity of human leucocyte elastase.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Background In the Netherlands, maternity care is divided into midwife-led care (for low-risk women) and obstetrician-led care (for high-risk women). Referrals from midwife-led to obstetrician-led care have increased over the past decade. The majority of women are referred during their pregnancy or labour. Referrals are based on a continuous risk assessment of the health and characteristics of mother and child, yet referral for non-medical factors and characteristics remain unclear. This study investigated which maternal characteristics are associated with women's referral from midwife-led to obstetrician-led care. Materials and methods A retrospective cohort study in one midwife-led care practice in the Netherlands included 1096 low-risk women during January 2015–17. The primary outcomes were referral from midwife-led to obstetrician-led care in (1) the antepartum period and (2) the intrapartum period. In total, 11 maternal characteristics were identified. Logistic regression models of referral in each period were fitted and stratified by parity. Results In the antepartum period, referral among nulliparous women was associated with an older maternal age (aOR, 1.07; 95%CI, 1.05–1.09), being underweight (0.45; 0.31–0.64), overweight (2.29; 1.91–2.74), or obese (2.65; 2.06–3.42), a preconception period >1 year (1.34; 1.07–1.66), medium education level (0.76; 0.58–1.00), deprivation (1.87; 1.54–2.26), and sexual abuse (1.44; 1.14–1.82). Among multiparous women, a referral was associated with being underweight (0.40; 0.26–0.60), obese (1.61; 1.30–1.98), a preconception period >1 year (1.71; 1.27–2.28), employment (1.38; 1.19–1.61), deprivation (1.23; 1.03–1.46), highest education level (0.63; 0.51–0.80), psychological problems (1.24; 1.06–1.44), and one or multiple consultations with an obstetrician (0.68; 0.58–0.80 and 0.64; 0.54–0.76, respectively). In the intrapartum period, referral among nulliparous women was associated with an older maternal age (1.02; 1.00–1.05), being underweight (1.67; 1.15–2.42), a preconception period >1 year (0.42; 0.31–0.57), medium or high level of education (2.09; 1.49–2.91 or 1.56; 1.10–2.22, respectively), sexual abuse (0.46; 0.33–0.63), and multiple consultations with an obstetrician (1.49; 1.15–1.94). Among multiparous women, referral was associated with an older maternal age (1.02; 1.00–1.04), being overweight (0.65; 0.51–0.83), a preconception period >1 year (0.33; 0.17–0.65), non-Dutch ethnicity (1.98; 1.61–2.45), smoking (0.75; 0.57–0.97), sexual abuse (1.49; 1.09–2.02), and one or multiple consultations with an obstetrician (1.34; 1.06–1.70 and 2.09; 1.63–2.69, respectively). Conclusions This exploratory study showed that several non-medical maternal characteristics of low-risk pregnant women are associated with referral from midwife-led to obstetrician-led care, and how these differ by parity and partum period.


Introduction and objectives: Inguinal operations are the most performed surgeries in children. There is a divergent view on use of pre-operative antibioticprophylaxis to prevent Surgical site infections (SSI) after these surgeries. The aim of this study was to detect if the use of cefotaxime had a significantimpact on prevention of SSI in children under 8 years undergoing elective inguinal surgery at the University Teaching Hospitals (UTHs), Lusaka.
Method: This was a cohort study. A total of 170 patients below 8 years of age undergoing elective inguinal herniotomy, orchidopexy or patent processus vaginalis (PPV) ligation at UTHs were enrolled. Group A with 85 patients received preoperative cefotaxime while group B with 85 patients did not receive any antibiotics. A data collection sheet was used to record pre-operative demographic details. Intraoperative variables and post-operative outcomes. No patient received post-operative antibiotics. Follow up to look for SSI was done at 2 weeks and 30 days.
Results: Out of 170 patients, 11(6.47%) had SSI. Six of the 85 that received surgical antibiotic prophylaxis (SAP) had SSI while 5 of the 85 that did not receive SAP had SSI (P=0.551). Deep SSI were seen in 2 patients that did not receive SAP(p=0.155) and grew Staphylococcus aureus in their cultures. Only 1 adverse allergic reaction to preoperative antibiotics was noted.
Conclusion: Despite a low risk of adverse reactions, there is no benefit of using pre-operative antibiotics to prevent SSI in children undergoing elective inguinal surgery.


As incidence of diabetes is increasing worldwide, besides it is associated with complications, the present study aimed to investigate the effect of a traditional botanical, ginseng on diabetes induced alterations in kidney functions. Thirty male rats were used in the study by randomly allocating them into three groups, each of ten rats, namely the control group, diabetes group (D), and diabetes+ ginseng group (DG). The latter two groups were rendered diabetic by I/P injection of streptozotocin (50 mg/kg). Daily ginseng extract was administered orally (100 mg/kg BW), one week post streptozotocin (STZ) injection. Ninety days post STZ injection; rats were sacrificed, where serum and kidneys were obtained for determination of metabolic profile, serum electrolytes, kidney function tests, renal tissue enzymes, and renal antioxidant status, together with histopathology. The obtained results revealed a modest improvement in metabolic profile due to ginseng extract administration. However, the kidney functions were greatly improved as evidenced by amelioration of urea nitrogen, creatinine, total protein concentrations and serum electrolytes. Also an increase was noted in renal tissue enzymes and antioxidants with a decrease in malondialdehyde and renal pathology. In conclusion, ginseng extract may be of supportive treatment to combat diabetes complications.


Sustainable architecture is a major subject in glow of the environmental degradation that the world faces today. This paper disputes that we must use a strategic framework for sustainable construction in Jordan. There is no doubt that large-scale development in the built environment and its physical infrastructure is needed in the so-called 'developing countries'. However, these problems need to be addressed in a way that is socially and ecologically responsible. There is great urgency to make sustainable interventions now, while these built environments are being created, rather than try and change things after the fact. The architects must improve the energy effectiveness regarding to construction that require high initial venture. There are a number of challenges to the introduction of sustainable construction technologies and practices, and certain enablers need to be developed to help Jordan adopt a more sustainable path. Technical issue is then seen as the only way of addressing environmental poverty. The role of society such as consumers, customers and decision makers for sustainable architecture has been ignored. Sustainable Construction in Jordan should follow a strategy for addressing medium-term and longterm technological, institutional and value enablers for development. This must be supported by a Stakeholder Plan for Action, and to find the means to implement these suggestions at a local level by developing regional action plans. Keywords: sustainable architecture, constructions, development, strategy, Jordan.


Objective: We report a patient in whom symptomatic delayed cerebral vasospasm was suspected after mechanical thrombectomy, and medical treatment led to an improvement. Case Presentation: A 52-year-old female. To treat embolic cerebral infarction related to occlusion of the left internal carotid artery (ICA), mechanical thrombectomy was performed, and the recanalization of the occluded blood vessel was achieved. Immediately after treatment, findings suggestive of vasospasm of the left middle cerebral artery (MCA) were noted, but subsided 2 days after admission. Transient right hemiplegia occurred 5 days after admission, and restenosis at the same site was observed. Medical treatment resulted in the disappearance of stenosis 6 days after admission. Conclusion: Considering the risk of delayed cerebral vasospasm after mechanical thrombectomy, follow-up should be carefully conducted.


In this paper, risk evaluation index system of electronic business is put forward for core manufactures. At the same time, risk evaluation method is established on the basis of fuzzy mathematics and grey theory, and its effectiveness and feasibility are tested in the practical example.


As plant-based foods comprise an ever-increasing proportion of the diet, understanding the nutritional composition of these products is critical. In this study we assess the nutritional content of all commercial plant-based products across multiple sectors (supermarkets, fast food & sit down restaurants, food delivery companies and manufacturers) in the US, UK and Canada. We identified 3488 unique products. Across all sectors, 45% of main meals had >15g protein, 60% had <10%kcal from saturated fat; 29% had >10g fibre per meal; 86% had <1000mg sodium. At restaurants, meat-based main meals were significantly higher in protein and sodium compared to vegetarian and vegan meals. The meat-based options were also significantly higher in saturated fat than the vegan but not vegetarian options. We conclude that plant-based items tend to be lower in saturated fat and sodium than their meat-based counterparts but improvements are needed to optimise their nutritional composition.


Detailed field mapping exercise was carried out as well as system logging of the various outcropping lithostratigraphic units in the eastern Gongola sub basin with the aim of establishing any similarity or otherwise with the western sub basin. The study reveals that the pre-Aptian to Coniancian lithostratigraphy succession of both areas of the sub-basins are somewhat similar and comprises of the following units; the Bima Group (lower, middle and upper Bima formations) followed by the Yolde Formation, the Kanawa Formation. The mid Turonian sandy equivalents are directly above the Kanawa Formation and are represented by the Deba-Fulani Member restricted to the southern of the Gongola sub basin, the Dumbulwa Member restricted to the northern part of the sub basin and the Gulani Formation confined to the eastern part of the sub basin. The mid-Santonian tectonic event affected the pre-Santonian succession resulting into the folding, faulting and uplifting of the various lithostratigraphic units. This subsequently led to the formation of synclines and anticlines. The pre Santonian Fika Shale presumed to have been directly above the Gulani Formation is rarely observed in the eastern Gongila sub-basin compare to the western sub basin where it is in found several places. This suggests that the denudational activities spanning from Santonian to Paleocene in the eastern Gongola sub basin was severe before the emplacement of the Neogene Biu Basalt that slowed down the activities. The Campanian-Masatrichtian and the Paleocene successions are restricted to the western Gongola sub-basin.


The genetic control of resistance to Septoria nodorum in common wheat line Transec have been investigated. There have been concluded that high level of resistance of this line is connected with the presence in its genome of partially recessive gene which is located on wheat-rye translocation T4BS.4BL-2RL or closely linked with it. Plant plasmon can have an influence on inheritance of resistance to Septoria blotch in hybrid progeny.


Physical forces have been hypothesized to direct the process of bone regeneration during distraction osteogenesis. However, despite significant clinical experience, relatively little is known about how the mechanics of distraction influence bone formation. This study investigated net fixator forces and strains in the distraction callus during bilateral lengthening of tibiae in New Zealand White rabbits. Distractions yielded a classic viscoelastic response with a sharp increase in fixator force, followed immediately by significant relaxation. Tension acting on mesenchymal gap tissue caused by distraction was estimated to reach more than 30 N by the time full lengthening was achieved. Average maximum cyclic strains within the distraction zone during ambulation were estimated to be 14% to 15% and supported by the results of fluoroscopic imaging. Paradigms for fracture healing have hypothesized that such strains are incompatible with new bone formation. The documented clinical success of distraction osteogenesis at stimulating large volumes of new bone suggests that other mechanisms that warrant additional investigation may be at work during distraction.


Data structures known as $k$-d trees have numerous applications in scientific computing, particularly in areas of modern statistics and data science such as range search in decision trees, clustering, nearest neighbors search, local regression, and so forth. In this article we present a scalable mechanism to construct $k$-d trees for distributed data, based on approximating medians for each recursive subdivision of the data. We provide theoretical guarantees of the quality of approximation using this approach, along with a simulation study quantifying the accuracy and scalability of our proposed approach in practice.


This study was conducted to examine if adding microbial inoculants or propionic acid to alfalfa silages contaminated with Escherichia coli O157:H7 would inhibit the growth of the pathogen during or after ensiling. Alfalfa forage was harvested at the early bloom stage, wilted to a dry matter concentration of 54%, chopped to 19-mm lengths, and ensiled after treatment with one of the following: (1) distilled water (control); (2) 1×10(5) cfu/g of E. coli O157:H7 (EC); (3) EC and 1×10(6) cfu/g of Lactobacillus plantarum (EC+LP); (4) EC and 1×10(6) cfu/g of Lactobacillus buchneri (EC+LB); and (5) EC and 2.2g/kg of propionic acid (EC+PA). Each treatment was ensiled in quadruplicate in laboratory silos for 0, 3, 7, 16, and 100d and analyzed for EC counts, pH, and organic acids. In addition, samples from d 100 were analyzed for chemical composition, ammonia-N, counts of yeasts and molds, and aerobic stability. Escherichia coli O157:H7 was detected in all silages until d 7, but by d 16 it was not detected in those treated with EC+LB and EC+LP, though it was still detected in EC and EC+PA silages. However, by d 100, the pathogen was not detected in any silage. The rate of pH decrease to 5.0 was fastest for the EC+LP silage (7d), followed by the EC+LB silage (16d). Nevertheless, all silages had attained a pH of or less than 5.0 by d 100. The rapid decrease in pH in EC+LP and EC+LB silages was observed due to higher lactate and acetate concentrations, respectively, relative to the other silages during the early fermentation phase (d 3-16). Propionic acid was only detected in the EC+PA silage. Yeast counts were lowest in EC+LB and EC+PA silages. Subsamples of all d-100 silages were reinoculated with 1×10(5) cfu/g of EC immediately after silo opening. When the pathogen was subsequently enumerated after 168h of aerobic exposure, it was not detected in silages treated with EC+PA, EC+LB, or EC+LP, which all had pH values less than 5.0. Whereas the EC silage had a pH value of 5.4 and 2.3 log cfu/g of the pathogen. Certain bacterial inoculants can hasten the inhibition of E. coli O157:H7 during ensiling, such as propionic acid, and they can also prevent its growth on silage contaminated with the pathogen after ensiling.


The fundamentals of engineering and structural properties such as mechanical strength, durability, bond strength, and self-healing behaviour of a genetically-enriched microbe-incorporated construction material have been explored in the present study. The alkaliphilic Bacillus subtilis bacterium is able to survive inside the concrete/mortar matrices for an extended period due to its spore forming ability. The bioremediase-like gene of a thermophilic anaerobic bacterium BKH2 (GenBank accession no. KP231522) was thus transferred to the bacillus strain to develop a true self-healing biological agent. Incorporation of the transformed bacterial cells at different concentrations in the bio-concrete/mortar exhibited higher mechanical strengths and improved durability of the samples in comparison to the normal cement–sand mortar/concretes. Microstructural analyses confirmed the formation of a novel gehlenite (Ca2Al2SiO7) phase besides calcite deposition inside the matrices of the transformed Bacillus subtilis-amended cementitious materials. The gradual development of nano rod-shaped gehlenite composite within the bio-mortar matrices was due to the biochemical activity of the bioremediase-like protein expressed within the incorporated bacterial cells. This development significantly increased the true self-healing property as well as enhanced the mechanical strength of the bio-concrete/mortar material which was sustained for a prolonged period. This study demonstrates a new approach towards the enhancement of structural properties and true self-healing activity by genetically-enriched spore-forming Bacillus sp. with advancement towards sustainable and green construction technology.


A Globodera pallida genomic library, population Guiclan (Pa2/3), was screened for TG and TC microsatellite motifs. Screening of 50,000 clones revealed 48 positive matches. After sequencing, primers were designed to amplify 14 microsatellite loci. The specificity of the loci was tested with DNA templates of other populations of G. pallida, and also on other species of Globodera. Appearance of amplification products on several of these DNA templates showed that the microsatellite flanking regions are relatively conserved between G. pallida populations as well as between Globodera species. Evidence for allele polymorphism between individuals was demonstrated by using nine loci primers, in G. pallida population Guiclan and from a population of a closely related species G. "mexicana". Some alleles appeared to be species specific.


In database and large-scale data analytics, recursive aggregate processing plays an important role, which is generally implemented under a framework of incremental computing and executed synchronously and/or asynchronously. We identify three barriers in existing recursive aggregate data processing. First, the processing scope is largely limited to monotonic programs. Second, checking on conditions for monotonicity and correctness for async processing is sophisticated and manually done. Third, execution engines may be suboptimal due to separation of sync and async execution. In this paper, we lay an analytical foundation for conditions to check if a recursive aggregate program that is monotonic or even non-monotonic can be executed incrementally and asynchronously with its correct result. We design and implement a condition verification tool that can automatically check if a given program satisfies the conditions. We further propose a unified sync-async engine to execute these programs for high performance. To integrate all these effective methods together, we have developed a distributed Datalog system, called PowerLog. Our evaluation shows that PowerLog can outperform three representative Datalog systems on both monotonic and non-monotonic recursive programs.


Universities have been urged to prepare graduates for successful professional lives and fulfilling lives as civically responsible citizens. Pedagogies of engagement, like servicelearning, are touted as one means to achieve these goals. Connections between first-year experience and service-learning programs have been slow to develop. Further, empirical studies on service-learning in university honours education are similarly scarce. This article examines first-semester honours postsecondary students' sense of civic responsibility before and after completing a service-learning program linking a course on the Evolution of Community to direct volunteerism in struggling schools. Based on pre-post-responses (n=119) to the Level III-Civic Responsibility Survey, analysis of variance with repeated measures showed that participants' sense of civic responsibility was significantly increased over time on each of the dependent variables (i.e., community connectedness, civic attitudes, civic efficacy). Community connectedness scores increased significantly at the .005 level, F(1, 118) = 9.703, p = .002. The changes in civic attitudes and civic efficacy scores were extremely significant at the .0005 level, F(1, 118) = 14.498, p < .0005 and F(1, 118) = 23.56, p < .0005,


–The stability testing of first quadrant quarter-plane (QP) two dimensional recursive digital filters had been a classical problem for the last two decades. In literature, the two major types of stability testing methods available are algebraic and mapping methods. Even though the algebraic methods can determine the stability in finite number of steps, it has a few practical limitations in its implementations and it consumes very large time to find the exact stability as it requires larger number of calculations. Moreover, the accuracy of the algebraic methods is also affected by the finite word length effects of the computer. The mapping methods, in general cannot guarantee the stability of given recursive digital filter in finite number of steps as it can determine the stability only in infinite number of steps. Out of the mapping methods, Jury's row and column algorithms have been considered as highly efficient, even though they still run short of accuracy due to the undefined length of the FFT used. Hence, the best mapping method is not yet available, though some researchers like Bistritz have been working on this problem even now.The main aim of this paper is to find the simple and fast solution for testing the stability of first quadrant quarter-plane two dimensional recursive digital filters. In this work, it is assumed that the given transfer function is devoid of non-essential singularities of second kind. A new mapping stability test procedure for two dimensional quarter-plane recursive digital filter (QP) is proposed which is primarily based on the row and column concatenation method. One important advantage of the proposed test procedure is that it requires single 1-D polynomials to be tested for stability for two dimensional recursive digital filters of any order.This method gives a simple and best solution procedure even for barely stable or barely unstable recursive digital filters. Sufficient examples are taken from the literature for two dimensional recursive digital filters and the same accurate results as that found in the literature are also obtained using this method.


To date, high mortality in women due to malignancy breast cancer related to the metastasis to the bone is a significant challenge. As, magnetic nanoparticles (MNPs) conjugated with the biocompatible polymers was employed for the delivery of some hydrophobic anticancer agents, the main aim of the current research was to assess whether cisplatin‐loaded MNPs enhanced the anticancer effect of free cisplatin in breast cancer cells. MNPs decorated with PEG were synthesized by an improved coprecipitation technique, and then cisplatin was loaded onto the MNPs via a simple mixing method. Afterward, its morphology, size, chemical structure, magnetic property, hydrodynamic diameter, zeta potential, and crystal structure were characterized by scanning and transmittance electron microscopy, Fourier transforms infrared spectroscopy, vibrating sample magnetometer, dynamic light scattering, and X‐ray powder diffraction and flame atomic absorption spectroscopy respectively. Additionally, the effects of cisplatin and MNPs‐PEG‐cisplatin on viability, migration and adhesion capacity of T47D cells were investigated by evaluating α2‐integrin and β1‐integrin; mRNAs were assessed by real‐time RT‐PCR. Consequently, the in vitro assay results showed a considerable dose‐dependent inhibitory effect of cisplatin and MNPs‐PEG‐cisplatin on proliferation, migration, and adhesion of T47D cells. Finally, current research was shown that MNPs‐PEG‐cisplatin strongly increased anticancer effects compared with free cisplatin in the T47D cell line.


A field trail was carried out at South-Surma, Sylhet, in 2009-10 and at FSRD site Jalalpur, Sylhet in 2010-11 in collaboration with WRC and OFRD, BARI to examine the response of 7 wheat varieties at two levels of lime in split-plot design where lime was applied in main plots and different wheat varieties were grown in sub-plots. The seeds were sown on 05 December 2009 and 30 November 2010 for the growing season of 2009-10 and 2010-11, respectively. The wheat varieties used in this study were Shatabdi, Sufi, Sourav, Bijoy, Prodip, BARI Gom-25 and BARI Gom-26. The index of relative performance of each variety in comparison to mean yield of all varieties under the contrast conditions of liming and non-liming was estimated to determine relative adaptability of wheat variety under experimental soil conditions. The result indicated that most of the yield components viz., spikes/m 2 , 100-grain weight, and grain yield of wheat were significantly improved by liming for both the years and locations. There were variations in lime response among the wheat varieties. The index of relative adaptability (IRA %) for yield of BARI Gom-26 and Bijoy was more than 100% for both the years. The results indicated that these two wheat varieties are relatively tolerant to low pH and could be adapted in acidic soil of Sylhet. Bangladesh J. Agril. Res. 38(1): 97-104, March 2013 DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.3329/bjar.v38i1.15194


There has been a marked decrease in the incidence of cervical cancer thanks to cytological screening with the Pap smear test. In Belgium, this screening is rather opportunistic. Over 39% of Belgian women between 25 and 64 years of age are never or only rarely screened by cytological tests. Moreover, there is an excess use of Pap smears because of women who rely on their yearly cervical smear and because many Pap smears are obtained from women beyond the target age range of 25 to 64 years. Sexually active adolescents are increasingly being recognized as a population distinct from adult women. They are at a high risk of acquiring the human papillomavirus (HPV), but most infections and cervical intraepithelial lesions caused by HPV are efficiently cleared by the immune system. We present a description of cervical cancer screening in Belgium using the database of the National Health Insurance Institute (RIZIV/INAMI) and the Belgian Health Care Knowledge Centre (KCE). We describe why elimination of Pap testing in the adolescent population reduces costs and harms without increasing cervical cancer rates. Expectant management, education on the risk factors for cervical cancer and HPV persistence, and HPV vaccination are very important in adolescents and young adults.


Nb3Sn strands which will be used for the ITER TF coils should be chrome plated thickness of 1.8 mum to reduce AC loss and improve the thermal stability of cable. During heat treatment, the RRR value can be affected by Cr diffusion. In this work, the effect of Cr diffusion was systematically studied, using the KSTAR and ITER candidate strands. For the KSTAR strand, the Cu/non-Cu ratio was systematically varied from 1.53 to 0.69 by chemical etching whereas the samples were heat treated by the same schedule. For the ITER candidate strand, on the other hand, the Cu/non-Cu ratio was fixed to the specification value of 1.0, and the variation of the RRR value was studied with respect to the heat treatment schedule, especially the retention time of the 650degC plateau was varied from 100 to 200 hours. It was also compared with the Cr diffusion distance obtained from EPMA (electron probe microanalysis). We found that the RRR value of the ITER candidate strand becomes lower than the ITER requirement of 100, if the heat treatment at 650degC is longer than 200 hours. The RRR can be reached up to 161 when the duration of 650degC plateau is reduced to 100 hours, while satisfying all other ITER requirements including the critical current density.


Foreword by Meredith Cathcart Preface Acknowledgments About the Authors 1. Yes, ADHD Is a Real Disorder! Myth or Fact? Diagnostic Criteria Manifestations of ADHD Prevalence of ADHD Recognizing and Understanding ADHD in Young Children What Causes ADHD? Creating an Optimal Learning Environment Summary 2. Recognizing ADHD: Primary Symptoms and Common Impairments Inattention Hyperactivity Impulsivity Other Behaviors Often Seen in Children With ADHD Impairments in Executive Functioning Temperament and ADHD Summary 3. Developing and Reinforcing Appropriate Social Skills Preschool and Elementary School as the Training Ground What Are Social Skills and Why Are They So Important? Social-Skills Development Strategies That Support Social Skill Development Five Problem-Solving Areas That Challenge Children With ADHD Suggestions for Reinforcing Appropriate Social Behaviors Challenging Settings for Children With ADHD Summary 4. Help, This Kid Is Driving Me Crazy!!: Proactive Classroom Management and Positive Behavior Supports Developing a Personal Philosophy of Behavior Management Analyzing Behavior Putting the Strategies to Practice Summary 5. How Do I Teach This Kid? Classroom Strategies to Support All Learners Classroom Success Is Possible Treating Children With ADHD Fairly Defining the Objective of the Lesson The Differentiated Classroom Making Appropriate Accommodations Beyond Accommodations and Interventions: The Special Education Referral Learning Disabilities Other Health Impaired Summary 6. Why Is Writing So Hard? Specific Strategies to Develop Writing Skills Why Writing Is So Hard Teaching Early Writing Analyzing Writing Tasks Scaffolds for Writing Success The Dreaded Book Report! The Even More Dreaded Written Report Summary 7. What Teachers Should Know About Medication What Medications Are Most Commonly Used to Treat ADHD? What Changes Can I Expect to See With My Students on Stimulants? Do Stimulants Cure ADHD? How Do These Medicines Work? How Long Does a Child With ADHD Need to Be on Medication Before It Works? How Will I Know If My Student Is Over-Medicated? If the Medicine Works, Does That Confirm That the Diagnosis of ADHD Is Correct? What Are the Possible Side Effects of Stimulants That My Student Might Experience? What Information From Teachers Is Helpful to Doctors? Are Stimulants Addictive? Can Stimulants Lead to Problems With Abuse of Other Drugs? Are There Particular Kids Who Would Be Expected to Do Poorly on Stimulants? Are There Children Who Need to be on Medication Only at School? Are there Problems With Adverse Drug Interactions if a Child Is on a Stimulant? I've Heard That Kids Can Become Psychotic on Stimulants. Is It True? Can Stimulants Be Used by Children Younger Than Age 5? My Students Used to Do Well on Ritalin, but Now It Doesn't Seem to Work. What's Going On? Are There Any Good Natural Remedies Available for Treating ADHD? One of My Students Is on Prozac. Is This Commonly Used in Young Children With ADHD? Do Medications Help Learning Disabilities? One of My Students Is Very Defiant and Oppositional. Will Medications Help With This? Summary 8. Communicating Effectively With Parents Parents: The Most Important Resource Respect and Acknowledge the Challenges Parents Face Criticism Is the Least Effective Form for Change ADHD as an "Excuse" Helping Parents Separate Enabling From Supportive Decisions When It Seems a Child Might Have ADHD When Parents Don't Disclose That Their Child Is Taking Medication Regular Communication Is Critical Summary 9. Taking Care of Yourself Recognizing the Signs of Stress Suggested Ways to Lower Stress Resource A: Recognizing ADHD in Preschool and Primary Grades: Real Profiles Resource B: Other Disorders Sometimes Associated With ADHD Resource C: Childhood Disorders and Conditions That Can Mimic ADHD in Young Children Resource D: Recommended Books for Teachers Resource E: Useful Web Sites References Index


Presents some examples of changes in the spectra of high-Tc material during excitation with an electron beam. The temperature dependence of the signals reveals a number of dips in intensity which appear to be related to anomalies in the resistivity and to specific heat data. The features are not apparent in non-superconducting samples. The possibility of probing the defect structure of the material by signals produced at rare-earth ion states is considered. The data suggest cathodoluminescence is potentially a useful characterisation technique of these oxides.


Summary
The effect of superinfection of adenovirus-infected cells with poliovirus in the presence of guanidine (P+G) has been analysed by pulse-labelling of cells with [35S]-methionine followed by polyacrylamide gel electrophoresis and autoradiography. The addition of P+G while reducing total polypeptide synthesis selectively inhibits cellular polypeptide synthesis and allows the visualization, particularly early in infection, of other labelled polypeptides previously obscured. Thus, at least three polypeptides i.e. ICSP-3, core-1 and 'p-core 2' can be detected in the absence of virus DNA synthesis. The addition of P+G also causes a retardation of the synthesis of the virus-induced polypeptides giving a clear sequence of translation viz ICSP-3: core-1: p-core 2 → ICSP-1 → hexon → penton base → fibre. Since a similar sequence can be demonstrated by the use of the inhibitor cordycepin, it seems possible that this reflects a sequence of transcription. P+G addition also effectively inhibits the formation of virus particles.


OBJECTIVE To determine the utility of CT in assessment of lymph node metastasis in patients with prostatic cancer. METHODS We conducted a retrospective study of 131 patients with prostatic cancer and a negative bone scan, in whom CT was utilized to assess lymph node metastasis. The mean age was 67.7 +/- 7.1 years. Lymphadenectomy of both obturator chains was performed in 85 patients (65%); by surgery in 65 patients (76%) and laparoscopy in 20 (24%). RESULTS 6% had a positive CT scan. In the univariate analysis only PSA (p = 0.04) was shown to be a predictive factor for a positive CT. The maximum yield of CT was at cut-off 30 ng/ml PSA; patients with lower values had a negative predictive value of 98%. When lymphadenectomy was performed, 14% of the patients with a negative CT presented lymph node invasion, for a sensitivity of 8%, specificity of 100% and diagnostic accuracy of 86%. CONCLUSION Due to the scanty prevalence of positive CT scans and its low sensitivity, this imaging technique may be obviated in patients undergoing radical treatment with PSA < or = 30 ng/ml.


Any patients who would normally use a catheter and leg bag could benefit from exchanging their leg bag for a catheter valve, as long as they have the manual dexterity to open their valve at regular intervals and remember to do so. The Sims Portex Catheter Valve is a lightweight and compact catheter valve that is discrete and offers more comfort than a leg bag system, especially to the more mobile patient. This article examines this type of catheter valve and assesses its relevance for use in both the community and the acute sector.


It is known that in the North Sea basin the depths to major reflectors as determined from surface seismic data are often larger than the well‐log depths. From a study of data sets which tie 21 wells, I found a strong correlation between the occurrence of the depth error and the presence of shales in the subsurface. Assuming that the error is caused by elliptical velocity anisotropy in shales, I measured the anisotropy from a comparison of the well‐log sonic data and the interval velocity profile obtained from the surface seismic data and also from a comparison of the seismic depth and the well‐log depth. It was found that the two methods of measurements agree with each other and also agree qualitatively with the previous laboratory measurements of anisotropy in shale samples. The results strongly suggest that the depth anomaly in the North Sea basin is caused by the velocity anisotropy of shales. A simple method to correct the seismic depth is given.


Newly metamorphosed Kenyan reed frogs, Hyperolius viridiflavus ferniquei, are able to regenerate amputated digits. The terminal digital pad is also completely reformed. Differentiation of the regenerating digital pad was studied by scanning electron microscopy. External differentiation of the digital pad began late in the second postamputational week with the appearance of small patches of specialized epidermal cells on the ventral surface of the regenerating digit. The differentiation of the pad spread out radially until late in the fourth week, when its overall shape approximated that of the normal digital pad. The appearance of patches of digital pad epidermis on the ends of spike regenerates arising from the forearm was also confirmed.


Abstract Questions: Is multi-stemming a survival strategy in response to chronic disturbance? Is multi-stemming under phylogenetic control? What environmental factors are associated with multi-stemming? When do trees initiate growth of multiple stems? Do multi-stemmed trees have limited stature? Location: Subtropical Indian Ocean coastal dune forest at Cape Vidal in the Greater St. Lucia Wetland Park, northeastern South Africa. Methods: Tree physiognomy and environmental conditions were sampled in 20 transects that were 300 m long and 5 m wide. Results: 38.9 % of trees were multi-stemmed, with no correlation between multi-stemming and taxonomic grouping. The multi-stemming trait was most associated with stem decumbency and substrate erosion and multi-stemmed individuals were less common in protected dune slacks. Trees at Cape Vidal appear to facultatively produce multiple stems from an early stage. There was no trade-off between tree height and stem number. Conclusions: Coastal winds and the unstable dune substrate are important environmental correlates of multi-stemming. Both short stature and the high incidence of multi-stemming are related to the tree-disturbance interaction. The taxonomically widespread phenotypic plasticity in this trait indicates the importance of multi-stemming to tree survival even under low levels of disturbance. Nomenclature: Coates Palgrave (2002).


The "EOIP; Every Thing Over IP" networks are widely replacing today's different pillar networks in to the single converged network for Telephony(Any type of Access i.e. Mobile or Fixed Line) and data. Definitely new services will be expected in the NGN / EOIP such as broadcast media transmission and video on demand. But one major issues are always from past so many years are associated with Internet Protocol regarding voice transmission is Quality because one of the basic property involves with voice transmission is it requires real time transmission without this it will losses its charm[8]. A major consideration with the NGN is that it provides an equivalent voice service quality and resiliency as the current telephone network. The analysis carried out for this paper looked that without making any real time arrangement in data network in case of IP network will definitely detorate the Quality of service. So arrangement of Real time is mandatory for network quality and QOS of voice .By using the RTP& RTCP as a Application Layer Signaling Control Protocol in EOIP network will ensure the bare minimum packet loss(pay load) for telephony. The scope of this paper will prove that real time application i.e. voice transmission if it sent over non real time network with RTP/RTCP(Application Layer Signaling Control Protocol) the quality increases & provides an equivalent voice service quality and resiliency as the current telephone network.


PURPOSE
Low self-concept and self-esteem are thought to be the main predictors of psychological problems in children and adolescents. Children with spina bifida are thought to be at an increased risk for low self-concept and self-esteem given their disabilities. We examined the impact of urinary continence on self-concept in children with myelomeningocele.

MATERIALS AND METHODS
A total of 50 patients 7 to 19 years old with spina bifida were evaluated using the Hartner self-perception profile. Each patient was asked to self-rate on a scale of 1 to 4 using specific domains of self-concept, including scholastic competence, social acceptance, athletic competence, physical appearance, behavioral conduct and global self-worth. Continence and several other factors, namely ambulatory status, family situation and insurance status, were reviewed simultaneously.

RESULTS
There were no statistically significant differences between continent patients with spina bifida and controls. Overall children with spina bifida rated lower in scholastic competence, social acceptance and behavioral conduct than controls. Girls with spina bifida scored lower in perceived athleticism, physical appearance and global self-worth than boys with spina bifida. Continent girls were self-rated higher in social acceptance and global self-worth than incontinent girls. Continent boys were self-rated higher in scholastic competence, social acceptance, physical appearance and behavior compared to incontinent boys.

CONCLUSIONS
Continence is associated with better self-concept in children with spina bifida and incontinent girls are at particularly high risk for poor self-esteem. Urologists' efforts to promote continence are likely to have a positive effect on self-concept in boys and girls with spina bifida.


Spectroscopic characterization of a Ho:LuVO4 crystal grown by the Czochralski method has been performed, including the absorption and emission spectra. We demonstrate a 2 μm room temperature Ho:LuVO4 laser, resonantly pumped by a 1.94 μm Tm:YAP laser. By use of an output coupler with T=10% transmission, the Ho:LuVO4 laser generated continuous-wave output power of 2.5 W at 2074.18 nm, with a beam quality factor of Mx2=My2=1.3, for a total incident pump power of 19.4 W. The slope efficiency with respect to the pump power was 17.6%, and the optical-to-optical efficiency was 12.9%. Moreover, we obtained a Ho:LuVO4 laser that operated at 2073.77 and 2055.27 nm, by using different output couplers with transmissions of T=15 and 30%.


The Lattice energy of a cubic nickel crystal has been calculated by using the embedded atom method. The embedding energy has been determined by means of quantum mechanical approximations. The lattice energy changes of the static structure including 864 atoms with Bain and shear stresses have been obtained. The energies of the fcc and bcc phases caused by Bain stress have been compared. The variation of the barrier energy required for the transition between these structures has been investigated as a function of shear stress intensity. As a conclusion, we have determined that the barrier energy of fcc→bcc transition rises in shear stress fields.


Within our cities the importance of urban green spaces such as forests, parks, wetlands, and protected areas are increasingly recognised for their contribution to human health and wellbeing, and in the provision of ecosystem services. Meanwhile, cities contain much social, cultural, economic, and environmental diversity, and natural resource management strategies for green areas need to account for the diversity of perspectives and conflict spaces that such urban diversity can encapsulate. Here, the empirical focus is on an urban protected area, Macassar Dunes, in Cape Town, bordered by vast informal and township settlement, and subject to a co-management arrangement for the last ten years between representatives of local residents, academic researchers, and conservation and planning authorities. This study examines the range of perceived 'bridges' and 'barriers' to co-management from the perspectives of stakeholders in the peak co-management body, the Maccasar Dunes Co-Management Association Management Committee (MDCA MC). This analysis finds the arrangements are perceived as both highly valuable and highly contested amongst MDCA MC stakeholders, with a wide array of bridges and barriers identified. In a complementary analysis the range of place meanings attached to Macassar Dunes within the MDCA MC are examined using the 'sense of place' concept. The contention of this thesis is that exploring issues of place through recognising places and their meanings as relational, political and contested can contribute to a co-management theory and practice which is more sensitive to the places through which it is enacted, and provide possibilities for understanding conflict in co-management arrangements.


Abstract New panel data for a large random sample of Estonian firms are used to examine the incidence and dynamics of ownership structures that have occurred since privatization. While there is much path dependence in ownership structures, considerable changes in ownership have also taken place. Econometric findings indicate that (i) inertia in ownership distributions is important, (ii) big firms and capital intensive firms are more likely to be owned by outsiders, (iii) economic performance does not play a decisive role, and (iv) large minority ownership stakes increase the probability that initial majority ownership will change, and, compared to minority ownership by insiders, when outsiders acquire minority ownership positions they are much more likely to eventually assume majority ownership. These results do not confirm the view that there would be a rapid movement toward efficient ownership structures, which underlies much conventional theory on privatization. J. Comp. Econom., September 1999, 27(3), pp. 422–441. Hamilton College, Clinton, New York 13323; and Center for East European Studies, Copenhagen Business School, Dalgas Have 15, 2000, Frederiksburg, Denmark.


Spinal cord transection (ST) inactivates the neuromuscular complex and triggers progressive muscular atrophy of the affected skeletal muscles. Disruption in neural input also leads to a reduction in mitochondrial volume. The mitochondria lifecycle can be generally divided into processes of biogenesis, expression of OXPHOS proteins, fusion, fission, and mito/autophagy; specifically, the balance between biogenesis vs. mitophagy dictates the rate of formation and destruction, respectively. Here, we examined the expression profiles of the markers associated with the mitochondrial lifecycle up to one month following ST in phenotypically slow (soleus; SOL) and mixed (plantaris; PLT) skeletal muscle. We hypothesized that ST would induce a reduction in mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) copy number, decrease expression in markers associated with biogenesis, and increased proteins that regulate mito/autophagy. Adult female Sprague Dawley rats were randomly divided into control (CON; n=6), 1 day (1dST; n=5), 8 day (8dST; n=8), and 28 day post‐ST (28dST; n=8). Compared to CON relative SOL and PLT muscle masses (absolute mass / body mass) were 98, 65, and 62% and 85, 60, and 73% at 1, 8 and 28d post‐ST, respectively (p<0.05). Compared to CON, no significant changes were observed in mtDNA copy number in ST muscles following amplification using standard end‐point PCR protocols for mtDNA (ND1, COX1, or ATP6) and nuclear (β2M) genes (p>0.05). Total protein was isolated from SOL and PLT, separated using standard SDS‐PAGE protocol, and probed for markers associated with various stages of the mitochondrial lifecycle using standard western blot protocols. Upstream markers known to influence mitochondrial lifecycle signaling (Rev‐Erbα, AMPK) showed a varied temporal and muscle‐specific response: in 1dST SOL muscles, Rev‐Erbα increased 74% from CON then decreased 43% at 28dST, whereas 8dST PLT muscle exhibited a 44% increase (p<0.05). In 8dST SOL and PLT muscles, the pAMPK:AMPK ratio was elevated 366 and 85% from CON, respectively (p<0.05). Markers for mitochondrial biogenesis (PGC‐1α, NRF1, NRF2) in SOL and PLT muscles were largely unchanged, although a ~50% decrease in Tfam protein expression was observed at each ST time point compared to CON (p<0.05). Mitofusion2, a marker for mitochondrial fusion, was unchanged (p>0.05). However, for markers detecting mitochondrial fission (MFF, Drp1, Fis1), we observed a ~60% increase in MFF expression in 1dST SOL and PLT muscles (p<0.05). As expected markers for mitophagy (Parkin, PINK, p62, LC3 I/II) were significantly elevated: Parkin increased ~70% at 28dST (p<0.05), whereas LC3 I/II increased 65% and 112% at 1dST in in SOL and PLT muscles, respectively (p<0.05), and remained significantly elevated in PLT muscles at 8dST (27%) and 28d (37%) (p<0.05). Taken together, these data suggest that mitochondrial volume and expression of markers regulating mitochondrial biogenesis and fusion are not influenced by acute ST despite a decrease in muscle mass. However, selective markers for fission and mitophagy are significantly elevated in both SOL and PLT muscles, suggesting that mitochondrial destruction mechanism are activated acutely following ST injury. Lastly, selective proteins of the OXPHOS protein complex significantly increased in 1dST SOL and PLT muscles suggesting possible activity‐dependent regulation of mitochondrial gene expression.


Abstract I review observational studies of the large-scale star formation process in nearby galaxies. A wealth of new multi-wavelength data provide an unprecedented view on the interplay of the interstellar medium and (young) stellar populations on a few hundred parsec scale in 100+ galaxies of all types. These observations enable us to relate detailed studies of star formation in the Milky Way to the zoo of galaxies in the distant universe. Within the disks of spiral galaxies, recent star formation strongly scales with the local amount of molecular gas (as traced by CO) with a molecular gas depletion time of ∼2 Gyr. This is consistent with the picture that stars form in giant molecular clouds that have about universal properties. Galaxy centers and star-bursting galaxies deviate from this normal trend as they show enhanced star formation per unit gas mass suggesting systematic changes in the molecular gas properties and especially the dense gas fraction. In the outer disks of spirals and in dwarf galaxies, the decreasing availability of atomic gas inevitably limits the amount of star formation, though with large local variations. The critical step for the gas-stars cycle seems therefore to be the formation of a molecular gas phase, a process that shows complex dependencies on various environmental properties and is being investigated by intensive simulational work.


The heat treatment of holding grape mash at 60°C for 30 minutes allowed recovery of a higher concentration of specific phenolic compounds into juice without giving caramelized flavours and odours. Physicochemical and sensory properties of four grape juice blends prepared from three selected grape cultivars, 'Castel 19637', 'Lucie Kulman', 'Sovereign Coronation' and water were evaluated on the selection for a non-alcoholic wine-like beverage. A descriptive sensory study was conducted using 18 trained panelists to assess the color, sweetness, astringency, viscosity and overall acceptability of the beverages. Overall, considering the sensory attributes, concentration of bioactive phenolics, antioxidant capacity measured by ferric reducing antioxidant capacity, and moderate sugar content, the blend of 'Castel 19637': water (3:2, v:v) was found to have more potential to be used in developing a wine-like functional beverage. 'Castel 19637', which was originally developed as a red wine grape cultivar, can be recommended as a suitable grape cultivar for developing a functional beverage.


A guide to information sources on the Republic of France, with hyperlinks to information within European Sources Online and on external websites.


This paper presents the experience of a clinical case, in which it was possible to follow the unfolding of precious decisions and, with these, determinant positions in the life of Sofia, a twelve-year-old young woman who was referred after a difficult choice, which surprised the people who lived with her. With this work, it is possible to explain the direction of treatment, making an analogy with the film The choice of Sofia, where the protagonist also came across difficult choices in her life. We start, thus, by exploring the choice of phenomenal order to articulate on the unconscious choice, which is structural.


Last years, there has been a renewed interest in the utilization of statistical field theory methods for the description of systems at equilibrium both in the vicinity and away from critical points, in particular in the field of liquid state physics. These works deal in general with homogeneous systems, although recently the study of liquids in the vicinity of hard walls has also been considered in this way. On the other hand, effective Hamiltonian pertaining to the $\phi^4$ theory family have been written and extensively used for the description of inhomogeneous systems either at the simple interface between equilibrium phases or for the description of wetting. In the present work, we focus on a field theoretical description of the liquid vapor interface of simple fluids. We start from the representation of the grand partition function obtained from the Hubbard-Stratonovich transform leading to an exact formulation of the problem, namely neither introducing an effective Hamiltonian nor associating the field to the one-body density of the liquid. Using as a reference system the hard sphere fluid and imposing the coexistence condition, the expansion of the Hamiltonian obtained yields a usual $\phi^4$ theory without unknown parameter. An important point is that the so-called capillary wave theory appears as an approximation of the one-loop theory in the functional expansion of the Hamiltonian, without any need to an underlying phenomenology.


The laser welding of thermoplastics has been established in several industrial applications, but it has not yet been able to weld transparent thermoplastics without an IR-absorber. However, by the use of special optics in combination with a proper wavelength, absorber-free laser beam welding can be utilized in a large number of applications primarily in medical device technology or in high-tech products. The availability of high brilliance fiber lasers with new wavelengths makes these applications possible. The different wavelengths are achieved by doping the fibers with the laser-active elements ytterbium (1060 – 1080 nm), erbium (1530 – 1600 nm) or thulium (1800 – 2100 nm). Starting from 1200 nm the intrinsic absorption of several visually transparent polymers reaches a sufficient value to allow laser welding without any IR-absorber. To generate a heat source in the joining area, the intensity distribution and the wavelength of the laser must be aligned to the absorption characteristics of the polymer. The usage of special optics with high numerical aperture keeps the laser intensity on top of the material and below the melting threshold. Only in the welding area does the intensity reach the necessary value to determine the welding of the transparent components.The laser welding of thermoplastics has been established in several industrial applications, but it has not yet been able to weld transparent thermoplastics without an IR-absorber. However, by the use of special optics in combination with a proper wavelength, absorber-free laser beam welding can be utilized in a large number of applications primarily in medical device technology or in high-tech products. The availability of high brilliance fiber lasers with new wavelengths makes these applications possible. The different wavelengths are achieved by doping the fibers with the laser-active elements ytterbium (1060 – 1080 nm), erbium (1530 – 1600 nm) or thulium (1800 – 2100 nm). Starting from 1200 nm the intrinsic absorption of several visually transparent polymers reaches a sufficient value to allow laser welding without any IR-absorber. To generate a heat source in the joining area, the intensity distribution and the wavelength of the laser must be aligned to the absorption characteristics of the polymer. ...


Purpose This study aimed to investigate the impact of characteristic ischemic stroke and outcomes during the first COVID-19 pandemic lockdown. Patients and Methods A retrospective, observational cohort study of a comprehensive tertiary stroke center was conducted. Patients with ischemic stroke were divided into pre-COVID-19 lockdown (11/1/2019 to 1/30/2020) and COVID-19 lockdown (1/31/2020 to 4/30/2020) period groups. Patient data on stroke admission, thrombolysis, endovascular treatment, and 3-month routine follow-up were recorded. Data analysis was performed using SPSS according to values following a Gaussian distribution. Results The pre-COVID-19 lockdown period group comprised 230 patients compared to 215 patients in the COVID-19 lockdown period group. Atrial fibrillation was more predominant in the COVID-19 lockdown period group (11.68% vs 5.65%, p=0.02) alongside patients who were currently smoking (38.8% vs 28.7%, p=0.02) and drinking alcohol (30.37% vs 20.00%, p=0.012) compared with that of the pre-COVID-19 lockdown period group. For patients receiving thrombolysis, the median door-to-CT time was longer in the COVID-19 lockdown period group (17.0 min (13.0, 24.0) vs 12.0 min (8.0, 17.3), p=0.012), median door to needle time was 48.0 minutes (35.5, 73.0) vs 43.5 minutes (38.0, 53.3), p=0.50, compared with that of the pre-COVID-19 lockdown period group. There were no differences for patients receiving mechanical thrombectomy. The median length of hospitalization (IQR) was no different. Discharge mRS scores (IQR) were higher in the COVID-19 lockdown period group (1.0 (1.0, 3.0) vs 1.0 (1.0, 2.0), p=0.022). Compared with the pre-COVID-19 lockdown period, hospitalization cost (Chinese Yuan) in the COVID-19 period group was higher (13,445.7 (11,009.7, 20,030.5) vs 10,799.2 (8692.4, 16,381.7), p=0.000). There was no difference observed in 3-month mRS scores. Conclusion Patients presenting with ischemic stroke during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown period had longer median door-to-CT time and higher hospitalization costs. There were no significant differences in 3-month outcomes. Multidisciplinary collaboration and continuous workflow optimization may maintain stroke care during the COVID-19 pandemic lockdown.


Patients presenting with early refills, escalating doses, frequent "lost" prescriptions and non-responders to opioid medications continue to be challenging. When presented to the patient, suspicions such as drug abuse or addiction often result in denial or angry responses. Understanding and treating the opioid addict and physically opioid dependent chronic pain patient requires knowledge of both addiction and chronic pain and a means of classification that provides direction for treatment. A categorical and dimensional framework that distinguishes between the chronic pain patient and the addict abusing opioids is presented, which will allow the clinician to assess and treat appropriately.


Biofilms found at building exteriors are known to cause deterioration and degradation of the exteriors. One of the modern strategies to prevent biofilm formation is to apply coatings to surfaces. In this paper, preliminary investigations on the effects of surface properties on formation and cleaning of biofilms were illustrated. The surface properties investigated were surface energy (achieved by using different coating materials) and surface roughness (achieved by applying mechanical treatments). The biofilms studied were Pseudomonas fluorescens and Arthronema africanum. The results showed that surface roughness influences the formation of biofilms to a greater extent than surface energy. However, insignificant effects of both surface roughness and surface energy were observed on cleaning of biofilms.


OBJECT
During brain surgery, it would be beneficial to irrigate the surgical cavity with a solution that promotes neuronal growth and survival. The authors find that incubation of cultured neurons with normal saline, also known as buffered salts, which are often used in brain surgery in humans, does not support neuron survival. Neuregen is an optimized serum-free culture medium that promotes regeneration of adult rat and human central nervous system neurons in vitro. It includes balanced salts, glucose, amino acids, vitamins, essential fatty acids, hormones, antioxidants, and other ingredients. The authors hypothesize that brain lesions irrigated and soaked in Neuregen nutrients will have better neuron survival rates in deafferented regions than lesions irrigated with saline.

METHODS
Lesioning of the rat fimbria-fornix area was achieved by aspiration through the cortex; animals were killed 4 weeks later. Brain sections were stained with cresyl violet for neuron counts in the medial septum and cortex. Treatment of the lesion cavity with Neuregen resulted in a 55% increase in neuron density in the septum compared with saline treatment (p = 0.02). Cortical lesions treated with Neuregen showed a 27% increase in neuron density compared with saline-treated lesions (p = 0.015); the neuron density in Neuregen-treated rat brains was equivalent to that seen with sham treatment. Efficacy of Neuregen with basic fibroblast growth factor (bFGF) was significantly better than with Dulbecco modified Eagle medium bFGF, but not better than Neuregen alone. Neuregen produced a coincidental fourfold reduction in glial fibrillary acidic protein immunoreactivity at 4 weeks compared with saline (p = 0.002), to levels equivalent to those found in sham lesions.

CONCLUSIONS
These results indicate that a highly optimized nutrient medium promotes neuron survival after brain surgery.


This paper describes a system for autonomous spray painting using a UAV, suitable for industrial applications. The work is motivated by the potential for such a system to achieve accurate and fast painting results. The PaintCopter is a quadrotor that has been custom fitted with an arm plus a spray gun on a pan-tilt mechanism. To enable long deployment times for industrial painting tasks, power and paint are delivered by lines from an external unit. The ability to paint planar surfaces such as walls in single color is a basic requirement for a spray painting system. But this work addresses more sophisticated operation that subsumes the basic task, including painting on 3D structure, and painting of a desired texture appearance. System operation consists of (a) an offline component to capture a 3D model of the target surface, (b) an offline component to design the painted surface appearance, and generate the associated robotic painting commands, (c) a live system that carries out the spray painting. Experimental results demonstrate autonomous spray painting by the UAV, doing area fill and versatile line painting on a 3D surface.


Foliar biomass investment in support and assimilative compartments was studied in four temperate deciduous tree species along a natural light gradient across the canopy. The species ranked according to shade tolerance as Betula pendula Roth. < Populus tremula L. < Fraxinus excelsior L. < Tilia cordata Mill. Long-term light conditions at sampling locations were characterized as seasonal mean integrated quantum flux density (Q(int), mol m(-2) day(-1)) estimated by a method combining hemispherical photography and light measurements with quantum sensors. Leaf morphology was altered by Q(int) in all species. Both lamina and petiole dry mass per lamina area (LMA and PMA, respectively) increased with increasing Q(int). Shade-tolerant species had lower LMA at low Q(int) than shade-intolerant species; however, PMA was not related to shade tolerance. Across species, the ratio of petiole dry mass to lamina dry mass (PMR) varied from 0.07 to 0.21. It was independent of Q(int) in the simple-leaved species, but decreased with increasing Q(int) in the compound-leaved F. excelsior, which also had the largest foliar biomass investment in petioles. Differences in leaf mass and area, ranging over four orders of magnitude, provided an explanation for the interspecific variability in PMR. Species with large leaves also had greater biomass investments in foliar support than species with smaller leaves. This relationship was similar for both simple- and compound-leaved species. There was a negative relationship between PMR and petiole N concentration, suggesting that petioles had greater carbon assimilation rates and paid back a larger fraction of their construction cost in species with low PMR than in species with high PMR. This was probably the result of a negative relationship between PMR and petiole surface to volume ratio. Nevertheless, petioles had lower concentrations of mineral nutrients than laminas. Across species, the ratio of petiole N to lamina N varied from only 3 to 6%, demonstrating that petiole costs are less in terms of nutrients than in terms of total biomass, and that the petiole contribution to carbon assimilation is disproportionately lower than that of the lamina contribution.


The European Union law-making process is an instance of a peer-production system. We mine a rich dataset of law edits and introduce models predicting their adoption by parliamentary committees. Edits are proposed by parliamentarians, and they can be in conflict with edits of other parliamentarians and with the original proposition in the law. Our models combine three different categories of features: (a) Explicit features extracted from data related to the edits, the parliamentarians, and the laws, (b) latent features that capture bi-linear interactions between parliamentarians and laws, and (c) text features of the edits. We show experimentally that this combination enables us to accurately predict the success of the edits. Furthermore, it leads to model parameters that are interpretable, hence provides valuable insight into the law-making process.


The field of human-computer interaction (HCI) is rapidly expanding. Alongside the extensive technological developments that are taking place, a profusion of new theories, methods, and concerns has been imported into the field from a range of disciplines and contexts. An extensive critique of recent theoretical developments is presented here together with an overview of HCI practice. A consequence of bringing new theories into the field has been much insightful explication of HCI phenomena and also a broadening of the field's discourse. However, these theoretically based approaches have had limited impact on the practice of interaction design. This chapter discusses why this is so and suggests that different kinds of mechanisms are needed that will enable both designers and researchers to better articulate and theoretically ground the challenges facing them today.


Objective: To increase retention of overdentures in cleft palate patients by means of heightened telescopic copings with a newly designed attachment. In this study, a "precision attachment" is described to develop the stability and retention of telescopic overdentures. Case: A cleft palate patient was treated with a newly designed overdenture. Intraoral examination revealed poor tooth structure and retention. Therefore, a new semiprecision attachment was designed in order to increase retention and stabilization. Conclusion: The patient's tolerance was increased with the new overdenture.


In the field of information processing, most of the existing text clustering algorithm is based on Vector Space Model(VSM). However, VSM can not effectively express the structure of the text so that it can not fully express the semantic information of the text. In order to improve the ability of expression in the semantic information, this paper presents a new text structure graph model. With the weighted graph, this model expresses the characteristics term of the text and its associated location information. On this basis of spectral graph seriation, a spectral clustering algorithm is put forward. This algorithm replace solving common subgraph with matrix computation, then reduce the computational complexity of graph clustering. There are also algorithm analysis and experiment in the paper. The results of the study show that the text clustering algorithm based on spectral graph seriation is effective and feasible.


The automobile industry has demonstrated itself to be one of the most quickly growing industries. However, the growth in the automotive industry has direct implications for fossil fuel reserves. The vigorously depleting fossil fuel reserves, the eminently increasing petroleum prices, the constant increase in pollution levels, and the hazardous effects of atmospheric environmental degradation are the driving forces for gravitation toward vehicular light weighting. The current article discuses the process of lightening the weight of front car seats, which is one of the most indispensable components of the automobile. This article demonstrates the feasibility of replacing metal automotive seats with E-Glass–based fiber-reinforced polymer (FRP) composite automotive seats. Various types of investigations and comparative analyses, such as analysis for displacement, force, force-to-weight ratio, maximum and minimum stresses, and unit cost of fiber composites, are performed on the conventional car seat composed of steel alloy 4340 and that composed of FRP composites. It can be demonstrated from the various analyses that a substantial weight reduction of front car seat is obtained with respect to alloy steel when FRPs are used as substitutional materials. The weight of the steel alloy front car seat is reduced by 79.76 % with the utilization of carbon fiber composite as an alternative material, whereas the component weight was reduced by 57.27 and 70.31 % with the utilization of glass fiber composite and Kevlar materials, respectively. A cost analysis is also performed, and it is determined that the costs of carbon fiber composite, glass fiber composite, and Kevlar are quite a bit higher than that of alloy steel. The stress analysis for alloy steel and fiber composites exhibits that the maximum stresses of glass fiber composite, carbon fiber composite, and Kevlar are about 1.95, 2.96, and 2.40 times higher than alloy steel.


Reverse engineering of sequence diagrams refers to the process of extracting meaningful information about the behavior of software systems in the form of appropriately generated sequence diagrams. This process has become a practical method for retrieving the behavior of software systems, primarily those with inadequate documentation. Various approaches have been proposed in the literature to produce from a given system a series of interactions that can be used for different purposes. The reason for such diversity of approaches is the need to offer sequence diagrams that can cater for the users' specific goals and needs, which can vary widely depending on the users' perception and understandability of visual representations and the target application domains. In this paper, we systematically review existing techniques in this context while focusing on their distinct purposes and potentials of providing more understandable sequence diagrams. In addition, a qualitative evaluation of such techniques is conducted to expose their adequacy and applicability for effective program comprehension. Finally, we list a set of possible extensions to the unified modeling language sequence diagram standard that we anticipate will enhance its versatility and understandability of program control flow, followed by a number of concluding remarks.


Three cross-walls were installed to brace the diaphragm walls prior to excavation for a cross-over tunnel of the Taipei Metro in front of the South Gate of the old Taipei City and has now been a National Heritage. The tunnel had the maximum excavation depth of 20.1 m. Three-dimensional finite element analyses have been performed to evaluate the effectiveness and the influence of the cross-walls in reducing the wall deflections. The nonlinear Hardening-Soil model has been adopted in the analyses. The results of the analyses indicate that the maximum wall deflections are much reduced as a result and the effectiveness of cross-walls is thus proved.


The sociological research carried showed that provision of educational information is the main method of motivating people to change their lifestyle and break harmful habits. The mass media are in the first position in the rating as the most effective public awareness development means and healthcare professional advice goes second. A patient usually receives such advice when visiting a healthcare institution to be given diagnosis or treatment or in the course of health assessment or scheduled preventive medical examination. 45% of the Krasnoyarsk Region smokers considered changing their lifestyle and quitting smoking, 36,9% of the residents made such attempt and 8,4% broke the harmful habit after watching television features and under the influence of outdoor advertising. Information that was received from a doctor about risks of developing major no communicable diseases (cardiovascular, oncology, respiratory) due to smoking motivated only 36, 9% of the population to change the lifestyle, which mostly included young people aged 18-24. For 63,6% of the region residents there was no positive effect of health professional advice received during a visit to a healthcare institution for a certain purpose. Thus, the received results testify to the bigger importance of educational promotion of mass media in motivation to change of a way of life and refusal of smoking, in comparison with information received from health workers.


Solid-state disks (SSDs) with high I/O performance are increasingly becoming popular. To extend the life time of flash memory, one can apply wear-leveling strategies to manage data blocks. However, wear-leveling strategies certainly inevitably degrade write performance. In addition to low write performance, wear-leveling strategies make one block unwritable when one bit of this block is invalid. Although data reconstruction techniques have been widely employed in disk arrays, the reconstruction techniques has not been studied in the context of solid-state disks. In this paper, we present a new fine-grained data-reconstruction algorithm for solid-state disks. The algorithm aims to provide a simple yet efficient wear-leveling strategy that improves both I/O performance and reliability of solid-state disks. Simulation experiments show that all data blocks have very similar in terms of erasure times. The number of extra erasures incurred by our algorithm is very marginal.


Water drops sliding down inclined planes are an everyday phenomenon and are important in many technical applications. Previous understanding is that the motion is mainly dictated by viscous and capillary forces. Here we demonstrate that, in addition to these forces, drops on hydrophobic surfaces are affected by self-generated electrostatic forces. In a novel approach to determine forces on moving drops we imaged their trajectory when sliding down a tilted surface and apply the equation of motion. We found that drop motion on low-permittivity substrates is significantly influenced by electrostatic forces. Sliding drops deposit a negative charge on the surface, which interact with the positively charged drops. We derive an analytical model to describe the force and validate it by numerical computations. The results indicate how to describe and facilitate drop motion in applications, such as in microfluidics, water management on car surfaces, and the creation of sliding drop electrical generators.


This paper explores the erosion and problematization of 'the organization' as a demarcated entity. Utilizing Foucault's reflections on 'state-phobia' as a source of inspiration, I show how an organization-phobia has gained a hold within Organization Theory (OT). By attending to the history of this organization-phobia, the paper argues that OT has become increasingly incapable of speaking about its core object. I show how organizations went from being conceptualized as entities of major importance to becoming theoretically deconstructed and associated with all kinds of ills. Through this history, organizations as distinct entities have been rendered so problematic that they have gradually come to be removed from the center of OT. The costs of this have been rather significant. Besides undermining the grounds that gave OT intellectual credibility and legitimacy to begin with, the organization-phobia resulting from this history has been implicated in dismantling organizations, and in making OT progressively irrelevant to a wider public.


Purpose: To compare efficacy and accuracy of wavefront-guided (WFG) and wavefront-optimized (WFO) PRK and LASIK for the treatment of myopia with low to moderate astigmatism. Methods: In this prospective cohort study, 215 active duty military service members (430 eyes, mean spherical equivalent -3.61 ± 1.53 D) electing either PRK or LASIK were randomized to undergo WFG or WFO treatment. Up to 12 months postoperative visual outcomes following surgeries were compared between 4 treatment groups: WFG PRK, WFG LASIK, WFO PRK and WFO LASIK for myopia with 0.25 to 0.50 D astigmatism (≤ 0.50 D cyl subgroup) and ≥ 0.75 D astigmatism (≥ 0.75 D cyl subgroup). High and low contrast visual acuities were assessed and vector analysis was performed. Results: At 12 months postoperatively, the surgically induced astigmatism, magnitude of error, correction and flattening indices were significantly different between treatment groups (P values ≤ 0.001) in the ≤ 0.50 D cyl subgroup. In ≥ 0.75 D cyl subgroup, there were no significant differences in vector analysis parameters except for the magnitude of error and correction index (P values ≤ 0.010). The treatment groups were comparable in terms of postoperative uncorrected distance visual acuity, manifest spherical equivalent and best corrected low contrast visual acuity. Conclusions: No treatment modality showed consistent superiority in correcting low to moderate astigmatism. Overall, both PRK and LASIK using either wavefront-guided or wavefront-optimized laser platform were similarly effective and accurate in treating myopia with low to moderate amount of astigmatism.


The operation safety of any turbo-installation depends on the effectiveness and reliability of working of its basic constructs. For that purpose it is required to use modern approaches to constructions of turbine equipment of the Thermal Power Station (TPS) and Heat Power Plant (HPP). It is impossible without a detailed investigation of thermal and gas-dynamic processes. The investigations of thermal and gas dynamic processes in a steam turbine exhaust hood have been carried out. The numerical solving of the conjugate heat transfer problem was used. This approach allowed to define the thermal field of steam and solid case, and the velocity field of steam. These results of investigations will be used in solving inverse heat transfer problems for definition of heat transfer coefficients on inner surfaces of the exhaust hood.


The general objective of the project is to provide a set of tools for the creation of traffic systems that enhance the safety and mobility of vulnerable road users (VRUs). This is being achieved in two ways: 1. By evaluating a number of RTI applications in signalling and junction control, in order to ascertain what benefits can be obtained for vulnerable road users by such local measures. 2. By developing a model of the traffic system that incorporates vulnerable road users as an integral part. The present workpackage, one of the last ones within the project, is intended to link the two strands together. The workpackage consists of two main parts: 1. Experiments with pedestrians and bicyclists. Two experiments were carried out, one in England (Bradford) and one in Sweden (Vijrjo), both applying microwave detectors for detection of pedestrians in a signalized intersection, but applying the detection in different ways. An observational study was carried out in Groningen (the Netherlands) to analyze bicycle/car interactions at an intersection with a cycle path. The aim of the experiment was to test the usefulness of a system giving car drivers warning in situations when a bicyclist approaches an intersection on a parallel bicycle path. 2. Reliability and validity testing of the submodels of the VRU-oriented traffic model WLCAN.


Silk fibroin (SF) is being considered as an emerging class of dielectric material in electronics, such as organic thin-film transistors (OTFTs). SF has several advantageous properties, including high transparency, flexibility, and solution-processibility. In this study, we investigated the effects of processing solvent and post-treatment on the surface properties and structural development of SF films, which were used in the gate-dielectric of OTFTs. The SF films cast from aqueous solution exhibited an amorphous structure with random coil conformations, leading to poor dielectric properties that were inadequate for developing OTFTs. In contrast, the use of formic acid solution and sequential methanol vapor treatment after film casting induced a smoother SF surface. Moreover, its crystallinity also improved dramatically. Furthermore, the SF films cast from formic acid solution and treated with methanol vapor were capable of growth of highly ordered organic semiconductor thin films deposited on these films. As a result, pentacene TFTs fabricated with the SF films showed high performance and stable operation with nearly zero turn-on voltage, negligible hysteresis, and high bias stability. This indicates a strong correlation between the structure of the SF film and dielectric performances of OTFTs. We believe that our study would be useful in designing silk materials, which are highly compatible with the human interface and other biological environments.


[reaction: see text] In the presence of NaY faujasite as the catalyst, the reaction of bifunctional anilines (1-4: XC6H4NH2; X = OH, CO2H, CH2OH, and CONH2) with methyl alkyl carbonates [MeOCO2R': R' = Me or MeO(CH2)2O(CH2)2] proceeds with a very high mono-N-methyl selectivity (XC6H4NHMe up to 99%), and chemoselectivity as well, with other nucleophilic functions (OH, CO2H, CH2OH, CONH2) fully preserved from alkylation and/or transesterification reactions. Aromatic substituents, however, modify the relative reactivity of amines 1-4: good evidence suggests that, not only steric and electronic effects, but, importantly, direct acid-base interactions between substituents and the catalyst are involved. Weakly acidic groups (OH, CH2OH, CONH2, pKa > or = 10) may help the reaction, while aminobenzoic acids (pKa of 4-5) are the least reactive substrates. The solvent polarity also affects the reaction, which is faster in xylene than in the more polar diglyme. The mono-N-methyl selectivity is explained by the adsorption pattern of reagents within the zeolite pores: a B(Al)2 displacement of the amine on methyl alkyl carbonate should occur aided by the geometric features of the NaY supercavities. Different factors account for the reaction chemoselectivity. Evidence proves that the polarizability of the two nucleophilic terms (NH2 and X groups) of anilines is relevant, although adsorption and confinement phenomena of reagents promoted by the zeolite should also be considered.


ABSTRACT Objectives Fatigue and physical behavior are essential factors affecting disability levels in people with multiple sclerosis. The relationship between fatigue and physical behavior has not been investigated systematically. The aim of the study was to determine the associations between fatigue severity and physical behavior in MS and compare fatigue and physical behavior of MS patients with healthy controls. Method: Forty individuals with MS with an Expanded Disability Status Scale ≤2 and 30 healthy controls were included in this cross-sectional study. Fatigue was evaluated with the Fatigue Severity Scale (FSS). The effects of fatigue on daily function were assessed by the Fatigue Impact Scale (FIS). Physical behavior was measured with an accelerometer, and outcomes were categorized by the amount of activity, activity category, and energy consumption. Results MS subjects reported more fatigue as compared to healthy controls on the FSS (p = 0.000), and fatigue affected daily function more in MS as compared to controls (FIS: p = 0.000). MS participants showed lower scores on all dimensions of physical behavior (p < 0.05). Fatigue was associated with functional limitations (p < 0.05), objective physical activity level, sedentary and moderate activities (p < 0.05), and energy consumption (p < 0.05) in MS. Conclusions Individuals with MS with no or minimal disability reported more fatigue and less active physical behaviors than healthy controls. Fatigue was inversely associated with physical activity level, moderate activity and, energy consumption. Fatigue was positively associated with sedentary activity and functional limitations in MS. Clinicians should be aware of these relationships when planning rehabilitation strategies. Trial registration: ClinicalTrials.gov identifier: NCT03255460.


"Given that individual learning agendas determine what is "learnt" in the language classroom, it is generally recognized that students need to be fully involved in what happens there. Task-based learning satisfies this need, involving the learners at every level of the educational process as they pass through comprehension, decision-making, implementation, preparation, rehearsal, performance and reflection. If carried out in the target language, these stages have obvious advantages in terms of authenticity and meaning, but task-based work can also be beneficial in encouraging learners to address their learning needs, to assess themselves, and to become self-directed" (Finch, 1999, p.179).


Strategic models of coalition bargaining formation have demonstrated the importance of institutional features for an understanding of cabinet formation in West European democracies. Yet little is know about the empirical regularities of government formation processes. In this article we analyse the duration of formation processes using a semi-parametric estimation procedure on a dataset of 304 government formations in thirteen multi-party democracies. The results are consistent with a bargaining approach under incomplete information.


542 patients were subjected to ERCP at various periods after cholecystectomy. In this selected patient material there was a 56% incidence of morphological abnormalities in the biliary system, stenosis of the papilla and choledocholithiasis being the most frequent pathological findings. Laboratory examinations proved to be irrelevant with respect to the morphology of the bile ducts. A direct relationship between the clinical symptoms and the surgical procedure was established only in cases presenting with biliary duct stenosis (11% of all cases examined). In the majority of patients the postcholecystectomy complaints were due to incorrect surgical indication or inadequate surgical technique. Postcholecystectomy syndrome can be prevented by more accurate evaluation of the patient prior to and during surgery.


In this study, the possibility of utilisation of forest pastures for sustainable animal production purposes in the west Mediterranean part of Turkey with special reference to Isparta province was examined. Due to climate conditions, topography and the limited natural resources of Isparta province located in the west Mediterranean part of Turkey, animal husbandry has not developed well enough, resulting in very few number of the farmers engaged in animal production. The number of cattle in the province accounts for only 1% of total number of cattle in Turkey (11 million). While the grassland area accounts for 9%, the forest land accounts for 40% of whole area of Isparta. To develop and improve animal husbandry in Isparta, there is a need to create and use new resources such as forest pastures as they occupy a large amount of land in the region. Therefore, the possibility of using forest pastures and their contributions for sustainable animal production are discussed.


Monte Carlo (MC) simulations have been carried out to study the adsorption on square and triangular lattices of particles with two bonding sites that, by decreasing temperature or increasing density, polymerize reversibly into chains with a discrete number of allowed directions and, at the same time, undergo a continuous isotropic-nematic (IN) transition. The process has been monitored by following the behavior of the adsorption isotherms (chemical potential μ as a function of the surface coverage θ) for different values of lateral interaction energy/temperature. The numerical data were compared with mean-field analytical predictions and exact functions for noninteracting and 1D systems. The obtained results revealed the existence of three adsorption regimes in temperature. (1) At high temperatures, above the critical one characterizing the IN transition at full coverage T(c)(θ = 1), the particles are distributed at random on the surface and the adlayer behaves as a noninteracting 2D system. (2) At very low temperatures, the asymmetric monomers adsorb, forming chains over almost the entire range of coverage, and the adsorption process behaves as a 1D problem. (3) In the intermediate regime, the system exhibits a mixed regime and the filling of the lattice proceeds according to two different processes. In the first stage, the monomers adsorb isotropically on the lattice until the IN transition occurs in the system and, from this point, particles adsorb, forming chains so that the adlayer behaves as a 1D fluid. The two adsorption processes are present in the adsorption isotherms, and a marked singularity can be observed that separates both regimes. Thus, the adsorption isotherms appear as sensitive quantities with respect to the IN phase transition, allowing us (i) to reproduce the phase diagram of the system for square lattices and (ii) to obtain an accurate determination of the phase diagram for triangular lattices.


We introduce gadolinium in chalcogenide glasses to exert unexpectedly the multiple magical effects on both optical and thermal mechanical properties of chalcogenide glasses. Notable increases in transition temperature Tg and microhardness Hv were observed due to structural densification and microcrystallization. Calculated molar volume values, differential scanning calorimetry and x-ray diffraction measurements provide supporting evidence. Gadolinium also acts as an oxygen getter by removing or weakening oxygen-related absorption bands, which is associated with the higher negative electrode potential.


This paper investigates predicting the financial risk of publicly-traded corporations using their revenue reports. Unlike many existing algorithms where a prediction model is learnt using real-valued ground truth risks, we propose to solve the prediction as a learning-to-rank problem with pairwise constraints (e.g., company A is financially more stable than company B). To further increase the flexibility of our approach, we solve the pairwise learning formulation in its dual format, which makes our model nonlinear and thereby can be applied to complex prediction tasks. The advantage of using pairwise supervision is not just limited to the easier acquisition of training data, it also motivates new problem settings. We explore one such setting - the prediction model can actively ask humans informative questions so as to improve the prediction accuracy. Our work aims to address three limitations of existing works: (i) Pointwise supervision - we adopt pairwise supervision which reduces the cost of collecting training samples; (ii) Linearity - we kernelize the formulation to make it nonlinear which would broaden its applicability; (iii) Training data bottleneck - the proposed model can actively involve humans into the learning loop, such that when the initial training samples does not carry enough knowledge, additional examples can be added to learn a better prediction model. Using the proposed efficient optimization method, we evaluate our approach on real text files (annual revenue reports) and compare with state-of-the-art methods. The superior empirical result demonstrates the performance of our proposed approach, and validates the effectiveness of our active knowledge injection in the context of human-machine interaction.


The purpose of this study was to analyze the possibility of using Information and Communication Technologies as a pedagogical means for creating a learning environment and how thesetechnologies could contribute to the interdisciplinary approach foreseen in the current national curriculum policies of medical education. Analysis of the data focused on the following topics: the political-pedagogical project in the context of the curriculum policies of the medical course; information and communication technologies from the viewpoint of interdisciplinarity and the difficulties they pose in the pedagogical praxis. A preliminary analysis pointed to the following aspects: the importance of the political-pedagogical project as a guideline for the teaching purposes; interdisciplinar y integration as a process for a better teaching qualit y; the TIC as a learning facilitator; the difficulties of the students in selecting information from a virtual environment and finally, the challenge of forming general practitioners.


Radiotherapy (RT) treats cancer effectively with high doses of ionizing radiation (IR) to killing cancer cells and shrinking tumors while bearing the risk of developing different side effects, including secondary cancer, which is most concerning for long-term health consequences. Genomic instability (GI) is a characteristic of most cancer cells, and IR-induced GI can manifest as delayed homologous recombination (HR). Radioadaptive response (RAR) is capable of reducing genotoxicity, cell transformation, mutation, and carcinogenesis, but the rational evidence describing its contributions to the reduction of radiation risk, in particular, carcinogenesis, remains fragmented. In this work, to investigate the impact of RAR on high-dose, IR-induced GI measured as delayed HR, the frequency of recombinant cells was comparatively studied under RAR-inducible and -uninducible conditions in the nucleated cells in hematopoietic tissues (bone marrow and spleen) using the Rosa26 Direct Repeat-green fluorescent protein (RaDR-GFP) homozygote mice. Results demonstrated that the frequency of recombinant cells was significantly lower in hematopoietic tissues under RAR-inducible condition. These findings suggest that reduction in delayed HR may be at least a part of the mechanisms underlying decreased carcinogenesis by RAR, and application of RAR would contribute to a more rigorous and scientifically grounded system of radiation protection in RT.