Autosomal recessive mutations in the 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase 3 gene impair the formation of testosterone in the fetal testis and give rise to genetic males with female external genitalia. Such individuals are usually raised as females, but virilize at the time of expected puberty as the result of increases in serum testosterone. Here we describe mutations in 12 additional subjects/families with this disorder. The 14 mutations characterized to date include 10 missense mutations, 3 splice junction abnormalities, and 1 small deletion that results in a frame shift. Three of these mutations have occurred in more than 1 family. Complementary DNAs incorporating 9 of the 10 missense mutations have been constructed and expressed in reporter cells; 8 of the 9 missense mutations cause almost complete loss of enzymatic activity. In 2 subjects with loss of function, missense mutations testosterone levels in testicular venous blood were very low. Considered together, these findings strongly suggest that the common mechanism for testosterone formation in postpubertal subjects with this disorder is the conversion of circulating androstenedione to testosterone by one or more of the unaffected 17 beta-hydroxysteroid dehydrogenase isoenzymes.


Context
In prognostic research, Galectin-3 (Gal-3) has gained recognition in renal fibrosis and nephrosis for its characteristics of promoting inflammation and fibrosis. High levels of Gal-3 may function as a predictor of adverse outcomes for patients with end-stage renal disease (ESRD).

Objective
The review intended to systematically examine the significance of Gal-3 in the forecast of adverse outcomes for dialysis patients, using a method of evidence-based medicine.

Design
The research team performed a systematic narrative review and meta-analysis by searching the Excerpta Medica Database (EMBASE) and the PubMed, Cochrane, and Web of Science databases for pertinent studies published before June 1, 2022. The search contained both meshes and free terms, such as Galectin 3, Gal-3, renal dialysis, hemodialysis, peritoneal dialysis, HD, and PD.

Setting
The review took place at First People's Hospital of Linping District in Hangzhou, China.

Outcome Measures
The research team used the Newcastle-Ottawa Scale (NOS) for assessment of the quality of the included research. The team created two reports to assess the value of Gal-3 in prediction of risk: (1) one for studies using continuous variables and (2) one for studies using categorical variables, dividing patients into high- and low-level Gal-3 groups with a cut-off value of Gal-3, being Gal-3 < 10.5 ng/mL for the lower tertile, and Gal-3 ≥ 13.4 ng/mL for the higher tertile. The team performed the meta-analysis using Stata 15.0, analyzed publication bias using Egger's test and directly showed it in a funnel plot.

Results
The search found 1061 publications, with eight studies with 5194 participants being included in the current review. For the continuous variables, Gal-3 was associated with all-cause risk of death-Hazard ratio (HR) 1.06, 95%CI 1.01-1.12, and P = .024-and cardiovascular (CV) events-HR 1.13, 95%CI 1.07-1.203, and P = .000, but no significant correlation existed between Gal-3 and risk of CV mortality-HR 1.07, 95%CI 0.99-1.16, and P = .091. For the categorical variables, a high level of Gal-3 was correlated with a high risk of dying, from all causes-HR 2.05, 95%CI 1.50-2.80, and P = .000.

Conclusions
Clinicians can use Gal-3 as a standalone forecaster of all-cause mortality and CV events for hemodialysis patients because correlates with these outcomes. Further research is necessary to determine its predictive value for CV mortality. Investigators need to perform further research with a large sample size on the predictive value of Gal-3 for dialysis patients, particularly PD patients, from a variety of ethnic backgrounds to improve the precise treatment for high-risk patients.


The induction of type 1 immune responses (interleukin [IL]-12, interferon [IFN]-γ) has been shown to be important in mediating protection against many intracellular infections including Histoplasma capsulatum. Costimulatory molecules such as CD40 ligand (CD40L) have been shown to be a central regulator of type 1 responses in vivo. To study the role of CD40L in mediating protection against infection with H. capsulatum, CD40L-deficient (CD40L−/−) and CD40L+/+ mice were infected with H. capsulatum and assessed for various parameters. After a lethal challenge of H. capsulatum, CD40L−/− mice were not substantially different from CD40L+/+ mice in terms of mortality, fungal burden, or production of IFN-γ, IL-12, nitric oxide, or tumor necrosis factor α. Moreover, CD40L−/− mice treated with anti–IFN-γ or anti–IL-12 at the time of infection had accelerated mortality, providing further evidence that IL-12 and IFN-γ are produced in vivo in the absence of CD40L. In addition, CD40L−/− mice infected with a sublethal dose of H. capsulatum survived infection, whereas all mice infected with the same dose and treated with anti–IFN-γ had accelerated mortality, demonstrating that IFN-γ but not CD40L was essential for primary immunity to H. capsulatum infection. Interestingly, depletion of either CD4+ or CD8+ T cells resulted in accelerated mortality in CD40L−/− mice, suggesting a critical role for these cells in response to infection. Finally, CD40L−/− mice initially infected with a sublethal dose of H. capsulatum were protected from secondary infection with a lethal dose of H. capsulatum, demonstrating that CD40L is not required for the maintenance of memory immunity.


In particle size measurement with dynamic light scattering (DLS), it is difficult to get an accurate recovery of a bimodal particle size distribution (PSD) with a peak position ratio less than ~2:1, especially when large particles (>350nm) are present. This is due to the inherent noise in the autocorrelation function (ACF) data and the scarce utilization of PSD information during the inversion process. In this paper, the PSD information distribution in the ACF data is investigated. It was found that the initial decay section of the ACF contains more information, especially for a bimodal PSD. Based on this, an information-weighted constrained regularization (IWCR) method is proposed in this paper and applied in multiangle DLS analysis for bimodal PSD recovery. By using larger (or smaller) coefficients for weighting the ACF data, more (or less) weight can then be given to the initial part of the ACF. In this way, the IWCR method can enhance utilization of the PSD information in the ACF data, and effectively weaken the effect of noise at large delay time on PSD recovery. Using this method, bimodal PSDs (with nominal diameters of 400:608 nm, 448:608 nm, 500:600 nm) were recovered successfully from simulated data and it appears that the IWCR method can improve the recovery resolution for closely spaced bimodal particles. Results of the PSD recovery from experimental DLS data confirm the performance of this method.


Transformers represent one of the oldest and most mature elements in a power transmission and distribution network. The new superconducting transformers are smaller and lighter than conventional ones and they have lower power losses. Also, the new 2G superconducting tapes with high resistivity in the normal state allow to build transformers with high short-circuit strength. The short-circuit current limiting feature of the superconducting transformer, which is the most important benefit of replacing conventional windings by superconducting ones, provides protection and significantly reduces the wear and tear of circuit breakers and other substation power equipment. This paper describes the design and test results of a model of a 1-phase, 8.8 kVA superconducting transformer with windings made of 2G HTS tape. The authors also present the results of a numerical analysis of the design. A special regard is given to the ability of the device's superconducting winding to limit the short-circuit current, in particular its resistivity in normal state at a temperature of 77 K.


Vasopressin (VP) is distributed in many parts of the brain. VP regulates the hypothalamo-pituitary-adrenal axis together with the corticotropin-releasing hormone. It closely follows a 24-h rhythm in the suprachiasmatic nucleus (SCN) and influences memory and behavior in the septum. clinical evidence suggests that VP might be related to depression and dementia. In this review, the central distribution of VP-containing cells, the physiological action of VP and related findings in depressed patients and demented patients are described.


Co-housing has re-emerged in affluent cities as a model of dwelling that aims to reduce ecological impact and increase social welfare. Although it is the subject of growing academic interest, there are significant gaps in knowledge and a tendency toward wishful thinking about its promise that is not supported by evidence. We examine co-housing from a feminist political ecology perspective with the aim of contributing to an improved research agenda, not just on co-housing but commoning more widely. Drawing on qualitative fieldwork conducted at co-housing projects in the Netherlands and the UK, we cast new light on how to assess the impact of sharing practices at the level of the collectivized household. Our findings support the claim that commons thinking is not really commons if it takes the work of social reproduction (caring labour) for granted or overlooks differences between people along the lines of gender, class, race/ethnicity, age and ability. We argue that greater attention to difference entails a new set of questions and criteria, and that these are necessary for assessing the extent to which co-housing projects enable the 'inclusive commoning' that their proponents rather wishfully envisage.


ABSTRACT To end the COVID-19 pandemic, it is essential to increase vaccine coverage in the United States (U.S.). In this study, we examine the facilitators that helped hesitant adopters – those who are both vaccinated and report some degree of hesitancy – overcome barriers to vaccination. Drawing on a sample of 867 hesitant adopters in Arkansas, we find social networks, individual actions, health care organizations and professionals, employers, religious communities and leaders, and the media all play a role in helping the vaccine hesitant overcome barriers to vaccination. Our findings demonstrate vaccine hesitancy and uptake occur simultaneously, and overcoming hesitancy in the U.S. population requires multifaceted strategies from multiple entities. We provide recommendations for overcoming barriers, including hesitancy, based on our findings.


With their Sequential Reciprocity Equilibrium (SRE), Dufwenberg and Kirchsteiger (2004) developed a solution concept that incorporates reciprocity in sequential games. A SRE evaluates the kindness or unkindness of a strategy based purely on the actions it prescribes at the equilibrium path. However, given that it is not the objective of the SRE to evaluate threats and promises, it does not consider the actions outside the equilibrium path, where threats and promises are included. This article develops a new solution concept, Fair Threat Equilibria, which main objective is to give more reasonable predictions when threats and promises are included.


Folic acid supplementation before conception and during the first trimester of pregnancy prevents about 70% of all neural tube defects (NTD). Folic acid is a cofactor in the homocysteine metabolism. Its product--S-adenosylmethionine is a major methyl donor for reactions taking place in a cell. The 677 C-->T mutation in the methylene tetrahydrofolate reductase gene leads to thermolability and decreased activity of the enzyme. In the individuals homozygous for that mutation hyperhomocystynemia and lowered plasma folate level are observed. Presence of the MTHFR 677 C-->T mutation increases the requirements for folic acid, especially at the time of rapid foetal growth. Studies showed higher rate of TT homozygotes in people with NTD and their parents compared with the control group. Hyperhomocystynemia has been associated with higher risk of recurrent miscarriages in women. It was also proved that stillbirths are a risk factor associated with NTDs. TT homozygosity varies among different country populations, from 6% to 16%. An additional risk factor for NTD is MTHFR 1298 A-->C mutation. Combined heterozygosity for the 1298 A-->C and 677 C-->T mutations is associated with increased homocysteine and lowered plasma folate levels. This genotype is more frequent in NTD patients compared with controls. Further investigations in the field of genetic aspects of NTD in Poland will be very important for the primary prevention of NTD.


This study investigates the causes, effects and remedies to defects on highway as it affects quality along Pipeline road in Kamazo, Chikun Local Government Area of Kaduna State. The methods used in data collection are, GIS used in mapping the congested area, use of questionnaire and oral interview. One hundred (100) copies of questionnaires were administered to drivers and passengers using the road, in which Cross-Tabulation and 5-point Likert Scale was used for the analysis. Common defects observed are: Potholes, cracks, silt deposit on roadway, honey combs, depression, grasses on shoulders, scouring, fade markings, road signs, vegetation in hydraulic structures, structural failure of hydraulic structures, loss of materials, failed pavement, etc. Common causes of quality defects on highways are: High volume and frequency of heavy duty trucks; roadway as predominant mode of transportation; Lack of maintenance culture; Poor budget allocation for maintenance. Poor funding; defective Design; Poor construction; Defective constructional materials; Poor supervision; Poor drainage system; Defective implementation of QC/QA protocols; Age of road, etc. Common effects of quality defects on highways are: Defective road quality; Inability to forecast travel time; Fuel consumption; Induces stress on road users; Frequent vehicle breakdown on the roadway; High cost of transportation fare indices for inflation; Loss of time on the roads; Accident; Defective distribution of goods and services; Defective security emergency response, etc. Possible remedies to these defects are: provision of adequate funding to maintenance agencies; collate data from monitoring and evaluation; schedule and plan for maintenance; diversify travel modes; improve on QA/QC required for roadwork; provide coordinated and computerized weigh bridge and regular collection of axle loads data; tax vehicles according to axle load beyond certain boundaries to generate fund required to maintain roads; road markings and furniture to be in place; provision of lightings; quality supervision; use of quality materials to required standard & specifications; adopt build-operate-transfer (road retainer ship).


Hernando de Soto's book, The Mystery of Capital: Why Capitalism Triumphs in the West and Fails Everywhere Else, has been widely hailed as a seminal contribution to our understanding of the relationship between legal institutions and development. This review suggests that although the book is engaging and stimulating, its central claims require a great deal of further clarification and analysis. De Soto argues that the main reason why Western countries have been so successful over the past two centuries is because of the quality of their 'formal property systems.' He also argues that the crucial determinant of success for formal property regimes is whether they are designed to reflect the extralegal arrangements that people have created in the absence of appropriate formal law. Although not particularly novel, the first claim is interesting because of de Soto's emphasis on how formal property systems enhance accountability. The analysis could be strengthened, however, by clarifying the distinction between two forms of accountability, namely, exposure to sanctions that involve deprivation of property, and removal of anonymity. This distinction is important because the two mechanisms for achieving accountability are not equally dependent on the quality of formal property regimes. De Soto's second claim is less than compelling because of his failure to examine whether it is safe to assume that rules that reflect parties' extralegal arrangements are likely to be either efficient or fair.


Background and importance On the basis of resolution 189/2018 published by our city health council, the hospital pharmacy service was entrusted with the centralisation of the procedure for the acquisition, compounding, distribution and dispensing of methadone to drug addicts in integral attention centres. In order to improve and increase the beyond use date (BUD) of methadone oral solutions, we carried out a physicochemical stability study. Aim and objectives To develop an analytical method and validation to carry out a physicochemical stability study of two oral solutions of methadone to increase their BUD. Method development should be made in an effective and reproducible manner. Material and methods The study was carried out on two formulations of methadone 10 mg/mL, which were prepared with and without parabens as preservatives. A high performance liquid chromatography (HPLC) Agilent 1100 was used, provided with a quaternary pump and an ultraviolet diode array detector to determine methadone. First we carried out the analytical method development to achieve the analytical performance characteristics. Then we performed validation of the analytical method obtaining linearity, instrumental intra-assay and inter-assay precision, and accuracy and recovery percentage. Results Chromatographic conditions were: flow rate 1.6 mL/min, 55% acetonitrile and 45% phosphate buffer (adjusted to pH=10) as the mobile phase. Injection volume was 50 µL, the temperature in the column compartment was 40°C. The column used was the Xterra C18 because methadone pKa is 8.3. Retention time for methadone was 4.5 min and for parabens 1.5 min. The final methadone determination method was validated for a standard of 10 mg/mL and applied for the determination of methadone with two parabens. The most relevant results were: correlation coefficient r=0.9957 for methadone in the range tested (7.5–12.5 mg/mL); instrumental precision 0.33% for standards (n=10); intra-assay precision 0.53% (n=6) and inter-assay precision 1.95% (n=12). The relative standard deviation percentage for accuracy was 1.28%, and the percentage recovery was 101.5 ±1.5%. Conclusion and relevance Analytical method development and validation procedures are vital in the discovery and development of drugs and pharmaceuticals to ensure performance of the method. The proposed HPLC conditions to determine methadone were proved to be valid and reproducible for carrying out physicochemical stability studies of different methadone oral solutions. References and/or acknowledgements No conflict of interest.


Computer science is playing a driving role in transforming today's society through information technology. In this transformation we observe power shifts increasingly strengthening centralised organisations, which are negatively perceived by many people. We outline technical questions that computer science should pay attention to in order to enable individuals in preserving their interest and to take meaningful decisions based on reliable information.


Author(s): Garcia, Jonathan | Advisor(s): Sejnowski, Terrence J | Abstract: Chemical synapses exhibit a diverse array of internal mechanisms that affect the dynamics of transmission efficacy. Many of these processes, such as release of neurotransmitter and vesicle recycling, depend strongly on activity-dependent influx and accumulation of Ca2+. To model how each of these processes may affect the processing of information in neural circuits, and how their dysfunction may lead to disease states, requires a computationally efficient modelling framework, capable of generating accurate phenomenology without incurring a heavy computational cost per synapse. In this dissertation, I derive physically grounded mathematical models of the instantaneous rate of Ca2+-triggered neurotransmitter release. The Ca2+ traces that drive these dynamics come from simulations in MCell of spike-evoked Ca2+ influx and buffered diffusion through the presynaptic space, an approach that overcomes observational limitations of physiological experiments. With these Ca2+ traces, I drive a validated kinetic model of the SNARE complex, which mediates spike-triggered vesicle fusion for both synchronous and asynchronous release. The profiles of the resulting release rate histograms inform the parameters of the phenomenological release models, including the time scales and the facilitation of release probability. Based on these results, I construct an event-driven model of presynaptic dynamics, treating all Ca2+-sensitive processes, not just vesicle release, as Poisson processes with decaying rate parameters that may undergo activity-dependent facilitation. This approach provides a unified framework for modelling both spontaneous and spike-evoked presynaptic vesicle dynamics, for an arbitrary number of processes that define interaction between an arbitrary number of vesicle pools and recycling pathways. I validate the model against MCell and demonstrate a runtime complexity that bridges the gap between full molecular simulations and abstract synaptic models. Furthermore, I verify that Ca2+-dependent recycling mechanisms are essential for maintaining transmission fidelity during high-frequency stimuli. Finally, the versatility of the framework enables one both to model diverse types of synapses and to perform test and control modelling experiments by including different sets of features and controlling their rates and responsiveness. I present this model as a highly extensible tool for future investigations into the functional impact of different synaptic mechanisms on information processing and dysfunction in model networks.


This study presents a comparison between two dipoles acting as representatives of ultra-high frequency radio frequency identification (RFID) circularly polarised (CP) and linearly polarised (LP) tag antennas, respectively. As the CP dipole is derived from the LP dipole, they have equivalent reflection coefficient and radiation efficiency values, allowing the comparison to be focused on polarisation and radiation pattern. Then, a comparison of RFID angular and read range is investigated. This is conducted by combining the interrogation of CP and LP tags emulators by CP and LP readers with regulated power. The emulators are made up of the CP and LP dipoles embedded onto RFID tags with analog front-ends. A methodology is described for measuring the maximum angular and read ranges, involving maximum power allowed by European regulation. A 17.9% extra range is achieved by the CP tag and the CP reader compared to the LP tag with any kind of reader. Furthermore, null cancellation is observed in the former case in the region of interest.


Molecular fluorescence from the surface of ZnTBP porphyrin (ZnTBPP) molecular layers on Cu(100) is induced with nanoprobe excitation in the tunnelling regime. The observed well-defined molecular fluorescence is a perfect match with the standard photoluminescence data of ZnTBPP molecules. The decoupling of the electronic state of the top layer ZnTBPP is controlled by the thickness of the molecular layers. The excitation mechanism of molecular luminescence may be attributed to the hot electron injection into the molecules in proximity to the tip apex of a scanning tunnelling microscope. This approach features simplicity, bipolar operation and good reproducibility. The research provides a new way for the integration of molecular fluorescence with a nanoprobe and the development of a nanoscale molecular light source.


With the development and applications of satellite remote sensing technology, the edge detection accuracy of remote sensing image is increasingly high. It is difficult to extract an excellent edge from remote sensing image using traditional method because of the turbulence by earth atmosphere and ground resolution of the sensor. In this paper, a novel edge detection method based on cellular neural network (CNN) is presented. In order to get the reasonable template, particle swarm optimization (PSO) is utilized to search the optimal one. The experimental results show that, compared with the traditional edge detection algorithms of Sobel operator and LOG operator, the proposed edge detection method produces excellent results which are more complete and realistic.


Spectral emissivity properties of reflective coatings This article deals with the spectral radiative properties of coatings consisting of hollow ceramic microspheres. They were selected from the commercial coatings available in the Slovak and Czech Republics. The aim was to measure and compare their spectral emissivity properties with standard facing coatings by means of infrared spectroscopy. The measured data demonstrates that the coatings have the same radiative properties as a standard building coating. Two reflective measurement methods (DRIFT and ATR) were used for this purpose. These results have been compared, and the DRIFT method was finally recommended for determining the spectral radiative properties of the materials measured.


This doctoral thesis describes the additive manufacturing of porous structures starting from preceramic mixtures. Preceramic polymers are a class of inorganic polymers which can be converted to a ceramic with high yield. The use of a preceramic polymer has been explored in this work with the double aim of providing the desired ceramic phases and of facilitating the shaping processes.
The work is divided in three parts. In a first project, the powder-based three-dimensional printing technology has been applied to a preceramic polymer powder. Complex porous structures with Kagome and octahedral geometries have been replicated. The preceramic polymer was successively converted to a unique SiOC phase upon heat treatment in inert atmosphere. This approach, in contrast to the use of a ceramic powder, allows an easier shaping and the achievement of relatively higher green densities, due to the dissolution and re-solidification of the polymer in the process. The shaping of fine porous structures is particularly suited to this material because problems related to gas release during the polymer-to-ceramic transformation are limited.
In a second project, the same powder-based technology was applied to mixtures of a preceramic polymer and ceramic fillers. In this case, the preceramic polymer acts as a binder for the fillers during the printing process. Upon heat treatment in air, the polymer is converted to silica, which then can be reacted with the fillers in the mixture in order to form silicate ceramic phases. This approach is very versatile and has been used to form apatite-wollastonite bioceramic composites, which have been shaped into porous scaffolds with designed porosity and cylindrical or cubic geometries.
Finally, a different technology, which is an extrusion-based printing, has been applied. In this technique, as opposite to powder-based technologies, the part is not supported during its buildup, therefore a careful tailoring of the ink rheology is necessary in order to create spanning features. In this context, mixtures of a preceramic polymer and fillers were formulated which had a suitable shear-thinning behaviour, with the help of suitable additives. A hardystonite ceramic, which is a bio-silicate phase, was formed upon heat treatment in air. Hardystonite scaffolds with orthogonal pores were successfully shaped by the deposition of fine (< 0.5 mm) filaments.


This book is a major reassessment of an American region and a regional consciousness. Concentrating on moments of crisis in Southern history, as well as on major literary figures, Richard Gray shows how generations of Southerners have been engaged in 'writing the South', in reinventing their place even as they describe it. The first half of the book focuses on the colonial period, when the first white settlers tried to understand an unfamiliar land by seeing it in terms of familiar mythology; the years immediately prior to the Civil War, when the South had to defend its 'peculiar institution' of slavery; and the later nineteenth century, when Southerners were struggling to justify their past, explain the present, and prophesy the future. In the second half Dr Gray looks in detail at the twentieth-century South, and particularly at major writers of the Southern renaissance, such as William Faulkner and the Nashville Agrarians.


LIKE ALL VOLUMES IN the Paideia Commentary series, this book employs cultural, literary, and theological considerations in order to explain the meaning of the final form of the text for students who wish to explore its theological significance. James Thompson agrees with the recent scholarly consensus that Hebrews was written by a secondgeneration Christian who combines the traditions of the Jewish synagogue and Platonic philosophy to "reorient a community that has been disoriented by the chasm between the Christian confession of triumph and the reality of suffering that it has experienced" (p. 20). Consequently, the writer of Hebrews presents the theological argument of Christ's superiority over the first covenant not in order to offer an abstract Christology nor to warn against the dangers of regression into Judaism, but rather to urge the readers to be faithful to the Christian gospel, which in spite of Christians' persecutions and suffering is the one supreme reality. Thompson carefully traces the flow of the argument and meticulously relates passages to the broader context of the book. He also discusses in detail the rhetorical and cultural background of passages, and consistently explores the relevance of the writer's argument for the situation of the original readers. While Thompson's interpretation is generally compelling, he offers little in the way of new insights into Hebrews. Perhaps this is to be expected, since he writes for students and not for the guild. But he includes a great deal of material that is of interest to academicians and does not assist students in understanding the theological message of the book. He repeatedly cites at length Jewish and GrecoRoman parallels without drawing out their interpretive significance. He discusses rhetorical categories and features, but these discussions often provide little insight beyond what could be gleaned by a careful reading of the text itself. Moreover, the discussion of theological issues is always brief and usually offers suggestions regarding contemporary application rather than robust theological reflection. Finally, the emphasis upon the community's situation and its need to embrace faithfulness leads to a reduction of the function of Jesus in Hebrews, largely to that of an example of faithfulness rather than the object of faith. This is a truncated construal of the Christology of Hebrews, which presents Jesus not only as the great example of obedience but also as the agent of God's eschatological salvation; and thus Christians are called to place their confidence in Christ's work. In Hebrews, faithfulness is the expression of faith in God's salvation through Christ. In spite of these shortcomings, this commentary offers students a helpful introduction to the Hebrews, for it provides a clear and generally compelling interpretation of the thought of this difficult and complex book.


Legionnaires' disease is a potentially fatal pneumonia caused by Legionella pneumophila, an aquatic bacterium often found within the biofilm niche. In man-made water systems microbial biofilms increase the resistance of legionella to disinfection, posing a significant threat to public health. Disinfection methods currently used in water systems have been shown to be ineffective against legionella over the long-term, allowing recolonization by the biofilm-protected microorganisms. In this study, the anti-biofilm activity of previously fabricated polyamino-phenolic ligands and polyamidoamine dendrimers was investigated against legionella mono-species and multi-species biofilms formed by L. pneumophila in association with other bacteria that can be found in tap water (Aeromonas hydrophila, Pseudomonas aeruginosa, Escherichia coli, Klebsiella pneumoniae). Bacterial ability to form biofilms was verified using a crystal violet colorimetric assay and testing cell viability by real-time quantitative PCR and Plate Count assay. The concentration of the chemicals tested as anti-biofilm agents was chosen based on cytotoxicity assays: the highest non-cytotoxic chemical concentration was used for biofilm inhibition assays, with dendrimer concentration 10-fold higher than polyamino-phenolic ligands. While Macrophen and Double Macrophen were the most active substances among polyamino-phenolic ligands, dendrimers were overall twofold more effective than all other compounds with a reduction up to 85 and 73% of legionella and multi-species biofilms, respectively. Chemical interaction with matrix molecules is hypothesized, based on SEM images and considering the low or absent anti-microbial activity on planktonic bacteria showed by flow cytometry. These data suggest that the studied compounds, especially dendrimers, could be considered as novel molecules in the design of research projects aimed at the development of efficacious anti-biofilm disinfection treatments of water systems in order to minimize legionellosis outbreaks.


In this paper we consider the control of a reentrant manufacturing system with setup times, as introduced by Kumar and Seidman. In most literature on control of a network of servers with setup times, first a policy is introduced and then the resulting network behavior is analyzed. In manufacturing systems the network typically is fixed and given a priori. Furthermore, optimal steady state behavior is desired. Therefore, this paper follows a different approach. First optimal steady state network behavior is determined, then a feedback controller is presented which makes the network converge towards this desired steady state behavior. The resulting controller is a non‐distributed controller: each server needs global state information. For a manufacturing system this is not a problem, since global information typically is available. Finally it is shown that a distributed controller (each server needs only local state information) can also be used to achieve the same result. Copyright © 2008 John Wiley and Sons Asia Pte Ltd and Chinese Automatic Control Society


The structure, stability, and electron affinity of the even numbered molecular platinum fluorides PtF(2)(n) (n = 1-4) were studied by scalar relativistic density functional and coupled cluster methods. The di, tetra, and hexafluorides possess triplet ground states, while PtF(8) is a singlet. Formation of the latter from PtF(6) and F(2) is found to be endothermic. Differences between adiabiatic and vertical electron affinities are only significant for PtF(2).


A number of functions for the autofocusing of microscopes and other optical instruments are to be found in the literature. In this article we compare 11 of them to determine, in an objective manner, which functions are most suitable for implementation with real-time video acquisition systems. Three different images, each representing a typical class of image, are used in the comparison. Among the best focus functions found in our study are the squared magnitude gradient, the squared Laplacian, and the normalized image standard deviation.


Writing software packages for seismic inversion is a very challenging task because problems such as full-waveform inversion or least-squares imaging are algorithmically and computationally demanding due to the large number of unknown parameters and the fact that waves are propagated over many wavelengths. Therefore, software frameworks need to combine versatility and performance to provide geophysicists with the means and flexibility to implement complex algorithms that scale to exceedingly large 3D problems. Following these principles, we have developed the Julia Devito Inversion framework, an open-source software package in Julia for large-scale seismic modeling and inversion based on Devito, a domain-specific language compiler for automatic code generation. The framework consists of matrix-free linear operators for implementing seismic inversion algorithms that closely resemble the mathematical notation, a flexible resilient parallelization, and an interface to Devito for generating optimized stencil code to solve the underlying wave equations. In comparison with many manually optimized industry codes written in low-level languages, our software is built on the idea of independent layers of abstractions and user interfaces with symbolic operators. Through a series of numerical examples, we determined that this allows users to implement a series of increasingly complex algorithms for waveform inversion and imaging as simple Julia scripts that scale to large-scale 3D problems. This illustrates that software based on the paradigms of abstract user interfaces and automatic code generation and makes it possible to manage the complexity of the algorithms and performance optimizations, thus providing a high-performance research and production framework.


This study aims to investigate the influence of leadership, government regulation and human resource competence on the achievement level of government capital expenditure in West Sumatera province. This research is a causative research. The population of this study is organization units (OPD) in the West Sumatera Province office. We employed total sampling as the sampling method with 48 OPDs. The data collection has been conducted by using survey with questionnaires. This study analyzed the data by using Multiple Regression under SPSS for windows version 22 software package. The results found that 1) leadership has a significant impact on the achievement level of government capital expenditure, 2) The government regulation has a significant influence on the achievement level of government expenditure and 3) Human resource competence has also significantly affected the achievement level of government capital expenditure. Accordingly, based on the results we conclude that to increase the achievement level of the government expenditure, the management of OPDs have to give more attentions on the understanding of government regulation, hence, they can make a better decision on the using of government capital expenditure. Moreover, the quality of human resource especially on capital and service procurement should be improved which has an impact on the absorption of local government budget.


The new round of curriculum reform requires the promotion on the development of students' core literacy, and how the core literacy of chemistry can take root in the chemistry classroom is inseparable from the guidance and nurture of teachers in the teaching process. The "Professional Standards for Secondary School Teachers" clearly stipulates that pedagogical content knowledge (PCK) is regarded as the professional knowledge of teachers. PCK is the core content of teachers' professional knowledge and an important guarantee for teachers to carry out teaching activities. Teachers' PCK level is not only a direct measure of their teaching achievements, but also an important criterion for guiding novice teachers to become experienced teachers. The research subjects selected for this study are the middle school chemistry teachers in Yan'an City. By using the Delphi method to investigate the understanding of Yan'an middle school chemistry teachers on the core literacy of chemistry and to explore the PCK mastery of middle school chemistry teachers at different stages, it serves to deepen the Yan'an middle school chemistry teachers' own knowledge and learning of PCK while help to promote the improvement of the teaching level and professional development of chemistry teachers in Yan'an middle schools. At the end of the paper, the relevant suggestions made based on the investigation of the chemistry PCK study of middle school chemistry teachers in Yan'an City on the core literacy of the chemistry subject will improve the overall building level of the middle school chemistry teachers of Yan'an City.


Efforts have been made to utilize AI constructs to identify flaws in the Space Shuttle Main Engine (SSME) faceplate regions. In order to expand the applicability of these algorithms to a larger problem domain, the automatic visual inspection system(AVIS) has been modified to enable a user with little or no image processing background to define a system capable of identifying flaws on a given set of imagery. This system requires the user to simply identify flawed regions and the selection of processing and feature descriptors is performed automatically. This paper explicates the motivations, definitions, and performance issues associated with the AVIS paradigm.


Higher education and society in general are changing rapidly. The student body is more diverse and larger. Arguments rage about the vocational relevance of higher education. The unit of resource is declining. The way ahead appears fraught with difficulty. However, computer-based technology is advancing at breakneck speed. Is it the 5th Cavalry charging to the rescue of the beleaguered educational troops? The argument that will be advanced in this paper is that such a view is simplistic. The key issue is that pedagogic purposes and individual student needs should be first defined so as to identify the best means of meeting those purposes and needs. The general argument that dialogue based on dialectical communication lies at the heart of the learning process will then be applied to the use of learning technology in language learning. It will be demonstrated how, through a dialectical process, the appropriate use of learning technologies in meeting students' changing needs can be progressively refined. DOI: 10.1080/0968776960040202


Critics claim that excessive risk avoidance is characteristic of public sector workers. To test this contention, the financial risk tolerance scores of public sector and private sector employees who had used financial planning services were compared on a financial risk tolerance scale. Public sector employees scored lower on financial risk tolerance relative to private sector employees. Differences remained even after controlling for other variables linked to risk tolerance.


Tunisia, which was occupied by France in 1881, gained its independence in 1956. For this reason, modern Tunisian literature has been delayed to reach an artistic form. Various developments were necessary for modernization to be experienced in Tunisia, just like in other Arab countries. First of all, there had to be an awareness and awakening movement that would save the people from the oppression and cruelty of the French. As a matter of fact, it is possible to encounter this awakening, which we can call the "Islah" movement, in the works of literary figures. Schools such as Zaytouna University, The Sadiki College and Khaldounia Madrasa were established for the development of the country culturally. The purpose of these schools is to provide students with a Western-style education as well as religious education. In this regard, The Sadiki College and Haldûniye Madrasa have played a complementary role for the religious education given at Zaytouna University. In addition, al-Râ'id al-Tûnisî, al-Hâdhira, al-Sa'âde al-'Uzmâ ve al-'Âlam al-Adabi etc. established in the country. Publications have a very important role in delivering the produced literary products to the public and in establishing modern Tunisian literature. "Jama'at taht al-Sur" which was located in the capital Tunisia in the 1930s and 1940s, was a place where the literary figures and artists of the period came together. This place also constitutes an important part of the literature in terms of laying the foundations of modern Tunisian literature. Finally 20th century writers such as Abu'l-Qâsım al-Shabbî, Ali Douagi and Mahmoud al-Mas'adi, who were among the names that left their mark on Tunisian literature in the century, were among the key names of literature related to the legacy they passed on to Tunisian literature and to the next generations. In this study, it will be attempted to briefly give a place to the main objectives that have influenced the establishment of modern Tunisian literature, which has an important place in Arabic literature


In the context of hardware trust and assurance, reverse engineering has been often considered as an illegal action. Generally speaking, reverse engineering aims to retrieve information from a product, i.e., integrated circuits (ICs) and printed circuit boards (PCBs) in hardware security-related scenarios, in the hope of understanding the functionality of the device and determining its constituent components. Hence, it can raise serious issues concerning Intellectual Property (IP) infringement, the (in)effectiveness of security-related measures, and even new opportunities for injecting hardware Trojans. Ironically, reverse engineering can enable IP owners to verify and validate the design. Nevertheless, this cannot be achieved without overcoming numerous obstacles that limit successful outcomes of the reverse engineering process. This paper surveys these challenges from two complementary perspectives: image processing and machine learning. These two fields of study form a firm basis for the enhancement of efficiency and accuracy of reverse engineering processes for both PCBs and ICs. In summary, therefore, this paper presents a roadmap indicating clearly the actions to be taken to fulfill hardware trust and assurance objectives.


We present graphene-based CO2 sensing and analyze its cross-sensitivity with humidity. In order to assess the selectivity of graphene-based gas sensing to various gases, measurements are performed in argon (Ar), nitrogen (N2), oxygen (O2), carbon dioxide (CO2), and air by selectively venting the desired gas from compressed gas bottles into an evacuated vacuum chamber. The sensors provide a direct electrical readout in response to changes in high concentrations, from these bottles, of CO2, O2, nitrogen and argon, as well as changes in humidity from venting atmospheric air. From the signal response to each gas species, the relative graphene sensitivity to each gas is extracted as a relationship between the percentage-change in graphene's resistance response to changes in vacuum chamber pressure. Although there is virtually no response from O2, N2 and Ar, there is a sizeable cross-sensitivity between CO2 and humidity occurring at high CO2 concentrations. However, under atmospheric concentrations of CO2, this cross-sensitivity effect is negligible – allowing for the use of graphene-based humidity sensing in atmospheric environments. Finally, charge density difference calculations, computed using density functional theory (DFT) are presented in order to illustrate the bonding of CO2 and water molecules on graphene and the alterations of the graphene electronic structure due to the interactions with the substrate and the molecules.


Gallium nitride (GaN) has some unique material properties including direct band gap, ability to form a heterostructure resulting in two dimensional electron gas (2DEG) formation and a wide band gap (3.4eV) to offer high breakdown voltage. Such material properties make GaN extremely attractive for optoelectronics and power electronics applications. In this thesis, GaN HFETs applications as an Ultraviolet light detector and for power electronics sector are explored.
In comparison to other GaN based UV detectors, the AlGaN/GaN HFET is found to be ultra sensitive to UV illumination. A very high dc responsivity (~4.3×107A/W) value is reported and gain mechanisms in the devices are shown to be due to a photo voltage effect in both the AlGaN barrier layer and the GaN buffer region. Understanding of the gain mechanisms from this work will help optimise the design of the future UV photo detectors.
For power electronics applications, GaN HFETs grown on a Si substrate are characterized. To reduce buffer leakage both Iron (Fe) and Carbon (C)-doped structures are considered. The vertical leakage mechanism is identified as a Poole Frenkel emission process for both the Fe and C-doped structures. A novel method to reduce the gate leakage current in GaN HFETs is established by using surface chemical treatments. Sulfuric acid works by oxidizing the surface which has a strong passivating effect on the gate leakage current. The surface leakage mechanism is explained by a combination of Mott hopping and Poole Frenkel models.
The fluorine ion implant technique is used in GaN HFETs for the development of enhancement mode transistors required in power switching applications. The requirement for a +3V threshold voltage in the power electronics sector is met by combining the fluorine implant with a deposited dielectric layer under the gate. More efficient fluorine incorporation is observed in AlInN/GaN HFETs compared to conventional AlGaN/GaN HFETs. The recipe for fluorine implant in AlInN/GaN HFETs is also optimized to maintain high channel conductivity and transconductance.


The performance measure provided in the following tables is the expected number of objective function evaluations to reach a given target function value (ERT, expected running time), divided by the respective value for the best algorithm. Consequently, the best (smallest) value is 1 and the value 1 appears in each column at least once. See [13] for details on how ERT is obtained. All numbers are computed with no more than two digits of precision.


Research on cultural transfers between science and religion has not paid enough attention to popular science. This article develops models that grasp the complexities of the epidemiology of science-based representations in non-scientific contexts by combining tools from the cognitive science of religion, the history, sociology, and philosophy of science, and the study of new religious movements. The popularization of science is conceptualized as a process of cognitive optimization, which starts with the communication efforts of scientists in science-internal forums and accelerates in popular science. The popularization process narrows the range of scientific representations that reach the public domain in structured ways: it attracts minimally counterintuitive representations, minimizes the massively counterintuitive, and re-represents (or translates) hard-to-process concepts in inferentially rich metaphors. This filtered sample trigger new processes of meaning-making as they are picked up and re-embedded in new cultural contexts.


Amphoteric amphiphilic compounds, due to their unique properties, may represent a group of safe and biocompatible surface-active agents for effective colloidal stabilization of nanoformulations. For this reason, the aim of this work was to develop and characterize the oil-in-water nanoemulsions based on two betaine-derived surfactants with high biodegradability, i.e., cocamidopropyl betaine and coco-betaine. In the first step, we investigated ternary phase diagrams of surfactant-oil-water systems containing different weight ratios of surfactant and oil, as the betaine-type surfactant entity (S), linoleic acid, or oleic acid as the oil phase (O), and the aqueous phase (W) using the titration-ultrasound approach. All the received nanoemulsion systems were then characterized upon droplets size (dynamic light scattering), surface charge (electrophoretic light scattering), and morphology (transmission electron as well as atomic force microscopy). Thermal and spinning tests revealed the most stable compositions, which were subjected to further kinetic stability analysis, including turbidimetric evaluation. Finally, the backscattering profiles revealed the most promising candidate with a size <200 nm for potential delivery of active agents in the future cosmetic, pharmaceutical, and biomedical applications.


The Euro-lupus project provides updated information on the epidemiologic characteristics of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) at the change of the millennium and defines several clinical and immunological prognostic factors. The Euro-lupus cohort is composed of 1000 patients with SLE who have been followed prospectively since 1991. Among other findings, this project has shown that a) the age at onset of the disease, the gender and the autoantibody pattern, among other factors, modify the disease expression and define some specific SLE subsets; b) most of the SLE inflammatory manifestations are less common after long-term evolution of the disease, thus probably reflecting the effect of therapy as well as the progressive remission of the disease in many patients and c) a more prominent role of thrombotic events is becoming evident affecting both morbidity and mortality in SLE.


Mineral assemblages in metapelitic rocks of the Ramah Group from the externides of the Torngat Orogen near Saglek Fiord, northern Labrador have been analyzed in detail. A progression from the upper greenschist to the middle amphibolite facies is preserved along the metamorphic field-gradient, and six metamorphic zones have been defined based on the following mineral assemblages: Zone 1: Chl-Bt; Zone 2: Cld-Chl-And; Zone 3: Cld-Chl-Ky; Zone 4: St-Chl; Zone 5: Ky-Bt; and Zone 6: Sil-St-Bt, Grt-Bt, and Grt-St-Bt. Reaction isograds separating the zones are as follows: And = Ky between zones 2 and 3, Cld+Ky = St+Chl between zones 3 and 4, St+Chl = Ky+Bt between zones 4 and 5, and Ky = Sil between zones 5 and 6. Qualitative and quantitative P-T estimates suggest variation along the metamorphic field-gradient from Mg , resulting in the stability of chlorite up to middle-amphibolite-facies conditions and restriction of garnet to the highest-grade assemblages. Variations in both bulk-rock Al content and tie-line topologies controlled Al-saturation in the mineral assemblages. At low grades, only the Al-rich bulk compositions were Al-saturated, with reactions involving the Tschermak exchange vector affecting the position of the Al-saturation surface. At higher grades, after the Cld-Chl and St-Chl tie-lines became unstable, Al-saturation was possible in Al-poorer rocks containing biotite. There are systematic variations in X Mg distribution between coexisting Ms, Bt, Chl and possibly Cld that do not seem attributable to the presence of ferric iron in these minerals. This is consistent with the presence of non-ideal mixing in the Ms-Cd and possibly Chl solid solutions.


The two newest agents in the class of nonsedating antihistamines were studied in a wide variety of family practice patients. In a Phase IV, prospective, alternating sequence, open-label design, patients having allergic rhinitis (AR) were assigned to receive either astemizole (n = 659) or terfenadine (n = 639). The resultant treatment groups, typical of family practices, were comparable for demographics, signs and symptoms of allergic rhinitis, and clinical profile. The groups differed in that astemizole patients had a longer history of AR and a higher frequency of family history of AR. Patients who were treated for 3 to 8 weeks were grouped for analyses. The frequency and severity of the signs and symptoms of AR and patient complaints decreased markedly in both groups. Self-reported improvement in quality of life based on nine measures was the same for each group. No differences were seen between treatments when positive-rated outcomes were combined in the final overall assessment by physicians and patients. In rating the success of therapy, physicians' ratings of "excellent" and patients' ratings of "felt much better" were reported more frequently (P < 0.05) for astemizole, while physicians' ratings of "good" and patients' ratings of "better" were reported more frequently (P < 0.05) for terfenadine.


The overall problem with which this thesis is concerned is the alternative uses to which the woodlands of Surrey can be put. At present the majority of the woodlands are not managed in any way. The alternative uses considered were agriculture, amenity, including conservation and recreation, and forestry. The evaluation of these uses was carried out in the following manner. 1 The suitability of each use was assessed with respect to the requirements of each use. 2 A comparison was made of the benefits and inputs required for each use. 3 Finally, the evaluation was made giving consideration to the physical, economic and social factors of Surrey and the UK. To carry out this evaluation ten topics emerged as requiring detailed investigation; 1 Geographical setting and identification of the main site types in Surrey. 2 The characteristics of the woodlands in Surrey. 3 The characteristics of agriculture in Surrey. A Requirements for forestry operations. 5 The potential for increased timber production in Surrey. 6 UK and World timber supply and demand. 7 Legal framework for forestry in the UK. 8 Agriculture and the development of Surrey's woodlands. 9 The amenity value of the woodlands in Surrey. 10 The marketing of timber. Having made the evaluation of the alternative uses of woodland in Surrey the conclusion is that timber production would be the optimum use. The following are the important factors which emerged in favour of this argument. 1 There will be a rise in the real price of timber and the UK will need to increase its domestic output of timber. 2 The amenity use of Surrey's woodlands involves a high opportunity cost. 3 Surrey's woodlands can play a role in increasing the volume of home grown timber.


The vacuum component of the
Universe is investigated in both the quantum and the classical regimes of its
evolution. The associated vacuum energy density was reduced by more than 78
orders of magnitude in 10-6 sec in the quantum regime and by nearly
45 orders of magnitude in 4 × 1017 sec in the classical regime. The
vacuum energy was spent for the organization of new microstates during the
expansion of the Universe. In the quantum regime, phase transitions were more
effective in reducing the vacuum energy than in producing new microstates. Both
of these phenomena have been recorded in the history of the Universe. Herein,
the need for the evolution of the Universe's vacuum component is discussed.
Indeed, through this evolution, all 123 crisis orders of dark energy are
reduced by conventional physical processes. A table of the vacuum energy's
evolution as the function of red shift and a short discussion about vacuum
stability are presented.


As drivers age, their risk of being involved in a car collision decreases. The present study investigated if this trend is due, in part, to some risky drivers having a collision early in their driving lives and subsequently reducing their risky driving after that negative experience. Accelerometers and video cameras were installed in the vehicles of 16- to 17-year-old drivers (N = 254), allowing coders to measure the number of g-force events (i.e., events in which a threshold acceleration level was exceeded) per 1,000 miles and the number of collisions. Among the 41 participants who experienced a severe collision, the rate of g-force events dropped significantly in the 1st month after the collision, remained unchanged for the 2nd month, and increased significantly in the 3rd month. There were no changes in the rate of g-force events at comparable time points for the drivers not involved in a collision. Being involved in a collision led to a decrease in risky driving, but this may have been a temporary effect.


The purpose of this research is aware of the views members' delegation scientific Azad University, Mazandaran province compared to level having chief's universities of indicators of competence. For this purpose society statistical desired in this study, are all members' delegation scientific Azad University, Mazandaran province that all of them is 882 people. The statistical sample in this study, based on Table Krejcy and Morgan are 269 people that has been selected to simple random sampling and of this number after distributing the questionnaires, 213 person responded to questions. Method of present study is descriptive of type survey. The reliability of questionnaire was determined using the coefficient alpha Cronbach's 94% that is represents durability above questionnaire. Was obtained by using analytical methods and descriptive statistics for the following results: Assessment of members delegation scientific of the criteria mental competence, personality, communication, management and leadership and achieve results university chiefs is positive because in all cases the calculated t level confidence 95% of t table is larger.


An inductor with air-gap used in high-frequency switch-mode power supply has high extra eddy current winding losses due to the air-gap, resulting in low efficiency and high temperature rise in the inductor. In order to reduce the extra winding losses, many techniques are proposed. But all these techniques make the winding and core structures much more complicated. In this work, by 2D eddy current finite element analysis (FEA) field simulation, eddy current winding loss mechanism in the inductor with air-gap was deeply investigated and then a new simple inductor structure was proposed to reduce the winding losses greatly. Moreover, analysis and design for the new structure was also performed.


Abstract : The current training program terminates in the summer of 1998. We had originally planned to develop a training program in biostatistics for cancer research for submission to the National Cancer Institute (Task 9). However this plan was delayed by the loss of the grant Principal investigator and Biostatistics Core Director Dr. Kim, who was recruited by the University of Wisconsin in the summer of 1997. This was a setback but the program continued to provide high quality training and research in biostatistics applied to breast cancer problems under the leadership of Dr. Little. Two of the most outstanding graduate students produced by the Department of Biostatistics in recent years, Daowen zhang and Huayun Chen, were supported by the Training Grant and have gone on to assume tenure-track positions that involve cancer research as part of their responsibilities. Two other very promising Trainees, Mr. Gong Tang and Mr. Lang Li, have passed the Ph.D. Part I Qualifying Examination and are starting their dissertation research. One of these students will continue to be supported in the Cancer Center as a Research Assistant in 1998-99. A national search was conducted for Dr. Kim's permanent replacement as Director of the Cancer Center Biostatistics Core this year, and Professor Jeremy Taylor accepted the position in June. Professor Taylor is currently Professor in Residence at UCLA and has extensive experience in cancer and AIDS research at UCLA One of his priorities when assuming the position will be to further develop ties between the Biostatistics Department and the Cancer Center at Michigan, and to write an NIH training grant for Biostatistics in Cancer Research. The experience gained from the current training grant will be invaluable when that proposal is developed.


Mobile, Ala., June 28, 1900. To the Editor: —A medical officer of the British Army, operating in South Africa, has recently pointed out the difficulty of distinguishing the red cross as now displayed, at distances even of three or four hundred yard during calm weather, when the Red Cross flag hangs limp from the flagstaff. Recent reports of opposing forces firing on the Red Cross have been published, and no doubt, in some instances, these attacks might be accounted for by this fact. Would it not appear advisable to equip the hospital corps with tents of different color from those of the troops in the field, and to uniform the members of the corps in a color so distinctive that they could be recognized at a distance. If the hospital tent were of solid green color, and the hospital corps wore a red jacket, it would be possible to readily


Abstract : Historical surface marine observations are summarized by 1-degree square area and long term month to describe the seasonal distribution of wind stress over the California Current. Off the coasts of southern California and Baja California, an alongshore equatorward component is present throughout the year. The distributions north of Cape Mendocino are characterized by marked changes in direction and magnitude between summer and winter. The predominant wind stress maximum shifts northward coherently from off Point Conception in March to south of Cape Blanco in September, and extends approximately 500 km in the offshore direction and 1000 km in the alongshore direction. Maximum values of surface wind stress occur during July near Cape Mendocino. The wind stress curl is positive near the coast and negative in the region offshore.


Modelisations of galactic 1.275 MeV emission produced by the decay 22Na have been performed for several frequency-spatial distributions of ONe novae. Recent results of nova rates and their distributions in our Galaxy have been used. These modelisations allow to estimate the lower-limit of the 22Na mass ejected per ONe novae detectable with the future spectrometer (SPI) of the INTEGRAL observatory as a function of their frequency-spatial distribution in the Galaxy. Calculations using recent estimations of the expected 22Na mass ejected per ONe nova show that the diffuse galactic 1.275 MeV emission will be difficult to detect with SPI.


Background: Antimicrobial resistance (AMR) is a multifaceted global challenge, partly driven by inappropriate antibiotic prescribing. The COVID-19 pandemic impacted antibiotic prescribing for common bacterial infections. This highlights the need to examine risk of hospital admissions related to common infections, excluding COVID-19 infections during the pandemic. Methods: With the approval of NHS England, we accessed electronic health records from The Phoenix Partnership (TPP) through OpenSAFELY platform. We included patients with primary care diagnosis of common infections, including lower respiratory tract infection (LRTI), upper respiratory tract infections (URTI), and lower urinary tract infection (UTI), from January 2019 to August 2022. We excluded patients with a COVID-19 record 90 days before to 30 days after the infection diagnosis. Using Cox proportional-hazard regression models, we predicted risk of infection-related hospital admission in 30 days follow-up period after the diagnosis. Results: We found 12,745,165 infection diagnoses from January 2019 to August 2022. Of them, 80,395 (2.05%) cases were admitted to hospital in the follow-up period. Counts of hospital admission for infections dropped during COVID-19, e.g., LRTI from 3,950 in December 2019 to 520 in April 2020. Comparing those prescribed an antibiotic to those without, reduction in risk of hospital admission were largest with LRTI (adjusted odds ratio (OR) of 0.35; 95% CI, 0.35-0.36) and UTI (adjusted OR 0.45; 95% CI, 0.44-0.46), compared to URTI (adjusted OR 1.04; 95% CI, 1.03-1.06). Conclusion: Large effectiveness of antibiotics in preventing complications related to LRTI and UTI can support better targeting of antibiotics to patients with higher complication risks.


In the last few years, the amount of information that is available on the Internet to the users grows rapidly. Due to this, the searching process for information or certain items and decision-making in most cases became difficult and very complex. The recommendation system technique is very important to help users how to deal with information overload. In this paper, we present collaborative filtering and Multi Attribute Decision Making (MADM) method that increases the accuracy of the system. The (MADM) technique is implemented to generate the recommendations. This technique is based on all ratings of most similar users that lead to improve the accuracy of traditional collaborative filtering approach. The experimental evaluation has shown that the proposed recommendation system outperforms the traditional system in terms of accuracy by (12-15) %.


The purpose of this study was to describe a pantarsal arthrodesis using a medial locking plate in an overweight dog. A 5-year-old, 28 kg, female dachshund presented with a left plantigraded hindlimb with calcaneous osteolytic injury and bone exposure. First, the patient was treated for the skin wound and started on a weight-loss program. A customized locking plate was used in the pantarsal arthrodesis. A normal hindlimb position and gait were observed after 27 days, and bone fusion was achieved at 60 days postoperatively. Implant removal was performed at 120 days, and the patient was discharged. The dog was kept on weight-loss therapy until it achieved a body weight of 11 kg. The customized bone implant used for pantarsal arthrodesis proved feasible and effective in treating an obese dog with low bone density.


Abstract Introduction Management strategies for large omphaloceles remain controversial. In this study, we discuss the use of GRAVITAS (gravitational autoreposition sutures), the method used at our institution when successful primary closure is deemed questionable. Patient's primary clinical course and long-term outcomes were analyzed. Materials and Methods This is a single-center retrospective analysis of all consecutive patients with omphaloceles treated between 1997 and 2018. Decision for GRAVITAS was made when the defect was estimated too large for primary closure. Traction sutures were placed in the fascia surrounding the defect and then suspended from the top of the incubator to allow gravitational autoreposition of the herniated organs. Ventilation and muscle relaxation were maintained until secondary closure, which was performed after the obtruding viscera had been reduced by repeated adjustment of the suture's tension. Data are presented as mean ± standard deviation. Results Out of 49 patients with omphaloceles, 12 were treated with GRAVITAS, 33 underwent primary closure, and 4 were treated using Schuster's technique. Mean time to secondary closure after GRAVITAS was 7 ± 10 days. In nine of the patients who had isolated omphalocele, secondary closure was achieved after 4 ± 2 days. Ventilation time was 5 ± 2 days, and time to full feeds was 18 ± 16 days. In three patients (one with Fallot's tetralogy, one with Cantrell's pentalogy, and one with lung hypoplasia), abdominal closure was achieved after 17 ± 15 days. Due to cardiorespiratory comorbidity, ventilation time was >30 days. Five patients received initial closure of the skin and secondary fascial closure after 18 ± 15 months. One patient with prior fascial closure underwent later repair of an abdominal wall hernia. During follow-up (30 ± 35 months), one patient with gastrointestinal obstruction due to adhesions required laparotomy, and one patient with gastroesophageal reflux disease underwent fundoplication. Conclusion GRAVITAS is a feasible method for staged closure of large omphaloceles when successful primary closure is deemed questionable.


In this article I map out the major debates on global governance and the feminist critiques of the mainstream interventions in these debates. I argue that the shift from government to governance is a response to the needs of a gendered global capitalist economy and is shaped by struggles, both discursive and material, against the unfolding consequences of globalization. I suggest feminist interrogations of the concept, processes, practices and mechanisms of governance and the insights that develop from them should be centrally incorporated into critical revisionist and radical discourses of and against the concept of global governance. However, I also examine the challenges that the concept of global governance poses for feminist political practice, which are both of scholarship and of activism as feminists struggle to address the possibilities and politics of alternatives to the current regimes of governance. I conclude by suggesting that feminist political practice needs to focus on the politics of redistribution in the context of global governance.


We report a direct synthesis of ultrasmall c(RGDyK) peptide-coated Fe3O4 NPs (<10 nm in hydrodynamic diameter) and demonstrate their in vivo tumor-specific targeting capability. The Fe3O4 NPs are synthesized by thermal decomposition of iron pentacarbonyl in the presence of 4-methylcatechol (4-MC), and the peptide is coupled to the nanoparticles through 4-MC via Mannich reaction. The c(RGDyK)-MC-Fe3O4 NPs have an overall diameter of approximately 8.4 nm and are stable in physiological conditions. When administrated intravenously, these c(RGDyK)-MC-Fe3O4 NPs accumulate preferentially in the integrin alphavbeta3-rich tumor area, which are readily tracked by MRI.


Falkingham concludes that these results show the importance of economic activity in the determination of dependency and in so doing they point to the inadequacy of much of the debate on retirement provision. The 1983 Green Paper on the reform of the State Earnings Related Pension Scheme (SERPS) used the argument that future higher dependency levels would be too great for the economy to bear without a reduction in the cost of state pension provision. In failing to acknowledge the importance of economic activity on dependency, policy options other than the reduction in the cost of pensions, such as the scope for increasing employment levels, increasing female labour market participation and encouraging 'guestworkers' into the economy were not considered. The author concludes her paper with a brief discussion of some of these alternatives, acknowledging that there are ethical and practical considerations to be taken into account.


Background: Multiple variables affect medical specialty choice, including temperament, sociodemographic factors, and personal experiences. Many studies address specific variables for specific specialties, but few assess the relative impact of each factor. Purpose: To identify the relative influence of temperament in choosing a specialty. Methods: A sociodemographic and personal experiences questionnaire and a 240-question temperament and character inventory was distributed to 682 medical students. Their scores for 6 medical specialties were examined using analyses of variance, multivariate analyses of variance, and discriminant analysis. Results: Students choosing surgery, emergency medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology were higher on novelty seeking than other students. Future surgeons were lower in harm avoidance and reward dependence (RD) than the others. Students choosing primary care specialties, emergency medicine, and obstetrics and gynecology were all high on RD; with pediatrics being highest. Students differed from college students, the women differed from the men, and the Asian Americans differed from the other groups. Conclusion: The implications of these findings are discussed for career counseling and future research.


ObjectivesThe aim of the study was to explore the potential role of myeloid differentiation factor 88 (MyD88), which acts as an adaptor in the TLR4 signalling pathway, in immune responses of the pancreatic duct during acute pancreatitis. MethodsPrimary cultures of pancreatic duct epithelial cells from Wistar rats and cultures of the pancreatic ductal ARIP cell line were treated with lipopolysaccharide (LPS), and expression of toll-like receptor 4 mRNA was determined using real-time PCR, expression of MyD88 protein using Western blot, and levels of inflammatory cytokines using enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay. These experiments were repeated using ARIP cells in which MyD88 expression was stably knocked down. ResultsToll-like receptor 4 and MyD88 expression were similar between pancreatic duct epithelial cells and ARIP cells after LPS stimulation. Myeloid differentiation factor 88 knockdown led to significantly lower levels of inflammatory cytokines after LPS induction in ARIP cells. ConclusionsMyeloid differentiation factor 88 knockdown attenuates LPS-induced inflammatory responses in pancreatic ductal cells, suggesting that the MyD88 pathway plays a critical role in their immune defense activity.


The distribution of water in the different body compartments were determined in the adult male Indian camels with one hump. The average distributions were as follows: serum volume, 5.9% of body wt.; blood volume, 8.3% of body wt.; total body water (urea space), 68.7% of body wt.; extracellular water (thiocyanate space), 23.3% of body wt.; intracellular water, 45.4% of body wt.; and interstitial water, 17.4% of body wt. The serum and blood volumes of the camel were higher than similar values in other ruminants. When these values were compared with similar values in man, it was observed that the camel had significantly higher serum volumes, total body water, and intracellular water volumes. The capacity of the camel to hold more water might help the animal in withstanding the deprivation of water for a prolonged period in comparison to other animals.


Welcome to the age of Aquarius—an era of consciousness, idealism, good will, compassion, sensitivity, self expression, and—in the words of the song from Hair—harmony and understanding. Goodbye to the Piscean age, in which we learned to enjoy materialism too much, neglected the soul, and ended up mechanized, computerized, sanitized—yet polluted, brutalized, alienated, and lonely.

Now harmony and understanding are long overdue. Doing one's own thing in the context of communal togetherness is a good substitute for alienation. Unfortunately, the age of Aquarius also manifests a heavy dose of irrationality and anti-intellectualism. Here I do not allude to the extremist avatars of the new era who threaten to bomb university computing centers and corporate headquarters. The universal opprobrium that has been thrown at these misfits is evidence that they will never be a force in this country. I am more concerned with the view held by humanists, artists, environmentalists, and even some scientists that associates many of the negative aspects of society with scientific and technological progress.


To detect bias in face recognition networks, it can be useful to probe a network under test using samples in which only specific attributes vary in some controlled way. However, capturing a sufficiently large dataset with specific control over the attributes of interest is difficult. In this work, we describe a simulator that applies specific head pose and facial expression adjustments to images of previously unseen people. The simulator first fits a 3D morphable model to a provided image, applies the desired head pose and facial expression controls, then renders the model into an image. Next, a conditional Generative Adversarial Network (GAN) conditioned on the original image and the rendered morphable model is used to produce the image of the original person with the new facial expression and head pose. We call this conditional GAN -- MorphGAN. Images generated using MorphGAN conserve the identity of the person in the original image, and the provided control over head pose and facial expression allows test sets to be created to identify robustness issues of a facial recognition deep network with respect to pose and expression. Images generated by MorphGAN can also serve as data augmentation when training data are scarce. We show that by augmenting small datasets of faces with new poses and expressions improves the recognition performance by up to 9% depending on the augmentation and data scarcity.


Strategies to exploit and enable the digitalization of industrial processes are on course to become game-changers in optimizing (bio)chemical facilities. To achieve this, these industries face an increasing need for process models and, as importantly, an efficient way to store the models and data/information. Therefore, this work proposes developing an online information storage system that can facilitate the reuse and expansion of process models and make them available to the digitalization cycle. This system is named NyctiDB, and it is a novel non-relational database coupled with a bioprocess ontology. The ontology supports the selection and classification of bioprocess models focused information, while the database is in charge of the online storage of said information. Through a series of online collections, NyctiDB contains essential knowledge for the design, monitoring, control, and optimization of a bioprocess based on its mathematical model. Once NyctiDB has been implemented, its applicability and usefulness are demonstrated through two applications. Application A shows how NyctiDB is integrated inside the software architecture of an online educational bioprocess simulator. This implies that NyctiDB provides the information for the visualization of different bioprocess behaviours and the modifications of the models in the software. Moreover, the information related to the parameters and conditions of each model is used to support the users' understanding of the process. Additionally, application B illustrates that NyctiDB can be used as AI enabler to further the research in this field through open-source and reliable data. This can, in fact, be used as the information source for the AI frameworks when developing, for example, hybrid models or smart expert systems for bioprocesses. Henceforth, this work aims to provide a blueprint on how to collect bioprocess modeling information and connect it to facilitate and empower the Internet-of-Things paradigm and the digitalization of the biomanufacturing industries. Graphical Abstract


We examined three patients with AIDS who had large, sharply demarcated areas of thinned retina consistent with inactive cytomegalovirus retinitis and who were not treated with ganciclovir. These lesions appeared identical to clinically inactive areas of cytomegalovirus retinitis after effective antiviral treatment. All patients were receiving azidothymidine or ribavirin, or both, which have activity against the human immunodeficiency virus and which may improve immune function. All patients also received oral acyclovir at doses ineffective against cytomegalovirus retinitis.


The amplitude for Higgs boson decay into two photons in a homogeneous and time-independent magnetic field is investigated by proper-time regularization in a gauge invariant manner and is found to be singular at large field values. The singularity is caused by the component of the charged vector boson field that is tachyonic in a strong magnetic field. Also tools for the computation of the amplitude in a more general electromagnetic background are developed.


Although Small and Medium Sized businesses (SMEs) play a significant role in the economic development and trade facilitation in developing economies like Uganda, the most frequently cited constraint to their development concerns the lack of access to appropriate and usable financing. Informal financing arrangements are increasingly becoming common in Uganda. However, even with this multitude of informal sector, financing possibilities remain insufficient to meet the demands of the SMEs. Among the options cited to be in existence in the formal sector is Lease Financing. Many companies ranging from Big to small sized businesses have been beneficiaries of lease financing. Leasing in most developing economies like Uganda is still hugely underdeveloped when compared to economies in the developed world and emerging markets like South Africa. The research analysis focuses on examining whether the potential for the development of leasing in developing countries exists and analyzes the factors for the underdevelopment of the leasing industry in Uganda. The study should be especially useful to professionals in the finance industry, entrepreneurs and business proprietors, scholarS.


Flavonoids are considered to be the physiologically active components in herbal drugs with diuretic effects (1); Betulae folium, Orthosiphonis folium, and Solidaginis herba are the most frequent such herbs in use (2). Only a few results exist about release and actual quantity of flavonoids in the case of common infusions (3). Especially in the case of hot water extracts from several herbal components no investigations have been carried out.


We report on efficient diode-pumped mid-infrared lasers based on Tm:LiYF4, Tm:Y3Al5O12, and Tm:YAlO3 crystals. These lasers operate in the continuous-wave (CW) regime and deliver watt-level output power at the wavelengths of 2.2-2.3 µm (the 3H4→3H5Tm3+ transition). In particular, a 1.8 at. % Tm:YAlO3 laser pumped at 789 nm generates a maximum CW output power of 1.32 W at 2272-2277 nm with a slope efficiency of 33.1% (with respect to the absorbed pump power), a linear laser polarization (E∥b), and a fundamental transverse output mode (the measured Mx2=1.26, My2=1.68). In the quasi-CW regime, the output peak power is scaled up to 2.69 W. The pump quantum efficiency and the fractional heat loading are estimated and discussed.


4 books in slipcase. Mises attributes the tremendous technological progress and the consequent increase in wealth and general welfare in the last two centuries to the introduction of liberal government policies based on free-market economic teachings, creating an economic and political environment which permits individuals to pursue their respective goals in freedom and peace. Mises also explains the futility and counter-productiveness of government attempts to regulate, control, and equalise all people's circumstances: "Men are born unequal and...it is precisely their inequality that generates social cooperation and civilisation."


In this paper, we present a new agent-based model for the simulation of tax compliance and tax evasion behavior (SIMULFIS). The main novelties of the model are the introduction of a "behavioral filter approach" to model tax decisions, the combination of a set of different mechanisms to produce tax compliance (namely rational choice, normative commitments and social influence), and the use of the concept of "fraud opportunity use rate" (FOUR) as the main behavioral outcome. After describing the model in detail, we display the main behavioral and economic results of 1,920 simulations calibrated for the Spanish case and designed to test for the internal validity of SIMULFIS. The behavioral outcomes show that scenarios with strict rational agents strongly overestimate tax evasion, while the introduction of social influence and normative commitments allows to generate more plausible compliance levels under certain deterrence conditions. Interestingly, the relative effect of social influence is shown to be ambivalent: it optimizes compliance under low and middle deterrence conditions, but not when deterrence is made harder. Finally, SIMULFIS economic outcomes are broadly in line with theoretical expectations, thus supporting the reliability of the model.


A model has been developed for correcting geometric artifacts observed in intravascular ultrasound imaging during coronary artery stent implantation. Geometric artifacts occur when the position of the transducer inside the stent is off-centered and inclined. In coronary applications, the position of the catheter changes a lot due to the curved nature of the arteries. This gives images that do not correspond to the expected cross section of the stent and lead to ambiguous interpretation by physicians. The authors' work consists of estimating and correcting artifacts in all stent images where the catheter is positioned off-centered and not parallel with the vessel axis. Estimation is made using the analytical model of geometric artifacts which predicts positioning of the ultrasound catheter inside the stent (tilt angle, off centering in both directions x and y, azimuth angle). Correction consists in using the predicted values of artifacts to calculate the equivalent stent image seen by a centered and non-inclined catheter. The "corrected" image is then used to compute clinical parameters for quantitative analysis of stent implantation.


Microwave moisture measurements refer to a methodology by which the water content of materials is non-invasively determined using electromagnetic fields of radio and microwave frequencies. Being the omnipresent liquid on our planet, water occurs as a component in most materials and often exercises a significant influence on their properties. Precise measurements of the water content are thus extremely useful in pure sciences, particularly in biochemistry and biophysics. They are likewise important in many agricultural, technical and industrial fields. Applications are broad and diverse, and include the quality assessment of foodstuffs, the determination of water content in paper, cardboard and textile production, the monitoring of moisture in sands, gravels, soils and constructions, as well as the measurement of water admixtures to coal and crude oil in reservoirs and in pipelines. Microwave moisture measurements and evaluations require insights in various disciplines, such as materials science, dielectrics, the physical chemistry of water, electrodynamics and microwave techniques. The cooperation of experts from the different fields of science is thus necessary for the efficient development of this complex discipline. In order to advance cooperation the Workshop on Electromagnetic Wave Interaction with Water and Moist Substances was held in 1993 in Atlanta. It initiated a series of international conferences, of which the last one was held in 2005 in Weimar. The meeting brought together 130 scientists and engineers from all over the world. This special issue presents a collection of some selected papers that were given at the event. The papers cover most topics of the conference, featuring dielectric properties of aqueous materials, electromagnetic wave interactions, measurement methods and sensors, and various applications. The special issue is dedicated to Dr Andrzej W Kraszewski, who died in July 2006 after a distinguished career of 48 years in the research of microwave applications. Dr Kraszewski was a pioneer in moisture content sensing and the founder of microwave aquametry. He organized the first conferences on electromagnetic wave interactions with water and moist substances and helped to maintain the progress of microwave aquametry research internationally. Andrzej Kraszewski is missed by the microwave moisture measurement community who appreciated both his unusual technical ability and his pleasant and endearing character. Andrzej W Kraszewski, 1933–2006 We hope you will enjoy reading these papers and will extend your scientific curiosity to this field. Finally, we would like to thank all the authors, referees and the staff of Measurement Science and Technology for their contributions and support which have made the publication of this special issue possible.


OBJECTIVE
To investigate the effect of sCD40L on biological behavior of leukemia cell line K562 and the possible mechanism.

METHODS
The different concentration of sCD40L was used to treat K562 cells, and the optimum concentration of sCD40L was screened by detecting the proliferation inhibition rate of K562 cells. The optimum concentration of sCD40L was used to treat K562 cells, the cell apoptosis rate and expression level of P53 and BCL-2 were detected by flow cytometry and the expression levels of Caspase 8 and Caspase 3 were detected by ELISA.

RESULTS
The optimum concentration of sCD40L was 4 µg/ml. After treated with sCD40L, the cell apoptosis rate, the expression of apoptosis-related factor P53 and the expression of Caspase 8 and Caspase 3 were significantly up-regulated in K562 cells,but the expression of BCL-2 was significantly down-regulated.

CONCLUSION
4 µg/ml sCD40L can inhibit the cell proliferation and promote the apoptosis of K562 cells, its mechanism may be related with mitochondrial and P53 pathway.


Abstract Several lines of evidence indicate that reactive oxygen species (ROS) overproduction under the metabolic syndrome condition is the leading cause of cardiovascular events. Calcium is an important stimulus for vasoconstriction and plays a pivotal role in the development of hypertension. Here, we investigate whether a relationship exists between metabolic syndrome-induced mitochondrial ROS overproduction and Ang II-mediated Ca2+ release in vascular smooth muscle cells (VSMC). The effect of mitochondrial ROS on AT1 expression, and Ca2+ and IP3 generation was studied in 2 VSMC models of metabolic syndrome using fura-2/AM probes and ELISA-based assay. Ang II-mediated aortic ring contraction in SD rats fed with high-fat diet (HFD) was measured using a force transducer connected to chart recorder. In the metabolic syndrome, almost 2-fold increased mitochondrial O2 − significantly upregulated AT1 expressions by ~60%, companied by elevated Ca2+ and IP3 levels in VSMC and enhanced aortic rings contraction. All these increments were blocked by rotenone (inhibitor of mitochondrial respiratory chain complex I), ruthenium red (inhibitor of calcium uniporter), cyclosporin A (inhibitor of mitochondrial permeability pore), and N-acetylcysteine. Therefore, in the states of metabolic syndrome, ROS overproduction in mitochondrial complex I enhances Ang II-mediated vascular contraction via an AT1-dependent pathway. In addition, the import of Ca2+ from endoplasmic reticulum to mitochondria via calcium uniporter and mitochondrial permeability pore seems to serve as a mechanism to further aggravate mitochondrial damage and vascular dysfunction that may contribute to the occurrence of hypertension.


Abstract Seeds (true seed plus endocarp) of Viburnum acerifolium have underdeveloped linear embryos and deep simple epicotyl morphophysiological dormancy. Seeds mature and are dispersed in autumn, and radicles and epicotyls emerge the following autumn and late autumn-winter, respectively. Embryos in seeds incubated at 25/15 C became fully elongated in 16 wk, whereas those incubated at 5 C hardly grew at all. The optimum continuous temperature regime for both rate and percentage of radicle emergence was 25/15 C. At this regime, however, ≥20 wk were required for radicles to emerge in a high percentage of the seeds. GA3 had little or no effect on radicle emergence. In seeds subjected to a winter → spring → summer → autumn temperature regime in controlled environments, radicles emerged in autumn in the 20/10 → 15/6 C portions of the sequence. In those subjected only to the summer → autumn portions of the sequence, radicles also emerged in autumn at 20/10 → 15/6 C. Thus, in nature, the cold winter season has no effect on dormancy-break. Radicles of seeds planted in a nonheated greenhouse in November 1998 emerged in October 1999, when mean maximum and minimum temperatures were about 19 and 9 C, respectively. The optimum continuous temperature regime for both rate and percentage of epicotyl emergence was 15/6 C. For seeds planted in the nonheated greenhouse in November 1998, rate of epicotyl emergence peaked in early January 2000, when mean maximum and minimum temperatures were about 10 and 5 C, respectively.


This paper presents an Adobe Flash-based augmented reality video streaming application and its practical use in web marketing. The application enables augmenting the content of a web cam view by adding video content to it. Aller Media, a Nordic media company, used the application for advertising two Finnish movies with promotional video content. We have examined combining of conventional print media and digital media and the suitability of the augmented reality video streaming application for the web environment and marketing purposes. Additionally, we measured the technical performance of the application. The feedback from Aller Media and the end-users indicates that the application is useful for marketing purposes. In addition, the results show that the application is well suited for web environment as its performance is sufficient and as the distribution is more efficient compared to desktop or mobile applications.


The objective is to evaluate the impact of the earlier availability of COVID-19 vaccinations to children and boosters to adults in the face of the Delta and Omicron variants. We employed an agent-based stochastic network simulation model with a modified SEIR compartment model populated with demographic and census data for North Carolina. We found that earlier availability of childhood vaccines and earlier availability of adult boosters could have reduced the peak hospitalizations of the Delta wave by 10% and the Omicron wave by 42%, and could have reduced cumulative deaths by 9% by July 2022. When studied separately, we found that earlier childhood vaccinations reduce cumulative deaths by 2,611 more than earlier adult boosters. Therefore, the results of our simulation model suggest that the timing of childhood vaccination and booster efforts could have resulted in a reduced disease burden and that prioritizing childhood vaccinations would most effectively reduce disease spread.


The popularity and profile of African dance have exploded across the African diaspora in the last fifty years. Hot Feet and Social Change presents traditionalists, neo-traditionalists, and contemporary artists, teachers, and scholars telling some of the thousands of stories lived and learned by people in the field. Concentrating on eight major cities in the United States, the essays explode myths about African dance while demonstrating its power to awaken identity, self-worth, and community respect. These voices of experience share personal accounts of living African traditions, their first encounters with and ultimate embrace of dance, and what teaching African-based dance have meant to them and their communities. Throughout, the editors alert readers to established and ongoing research, and provide links to critical contributions by African and Caribbean dance experts.Contributors: Ausettua Amor Amenkum, Abby Carlozzo, Steven Cornelius, Yvonne Daniel, Charles "Chuck" Davis, Esailama G. A. Diouf, Indira Etwaroo, Habib Iddrisu, Julie B. Johnson, C. Kemal Nance, Halifu Osumare, Amaniyea Payne, William Serrano-Franklin, and Kariamu Welsh