6 years after resection and postirradiation of an "asymptomatic" thymoma, myasthenia gravis developed in a 46 year old man which improved within 6 months following initiation of immunosuppressive therapy with azathioprine. In a 28 year old man with incomplete operative removal of a metastasizing malignant thymoma, a myasthenia gravis appeared 8 weeks after surgery, i.e. before irradiation of the tumor relics. Myasthenia improved upon irradiation of the tumor relics and was no longer demonstrable one year after onset of its clinical signs. During the whole period of manifestation of the myasthenia, antibodies to skeletal muscle were deomonstrated in the first case, while, in the second case, in which antinuclear factors were present in the serum throughout the course of the myasthenia, muscular antibodies were detected only prefinally, i.e. in a stage without clinical symptoms of myasthenia. A review of the literature indicates that myasthenia gravis is a particularly frequent event in postthymectomy-syndromes (e.g. polymyositis, thyreoiditis, lupus erythematosus, hematological and dermatological syndromes). In postthymectomy-myasthenia, latency of manifestation, clinical distribution and its course may be rather variable. The problems of diagnosis, immunology and therapy of postthymectomy-myasthenia are discussed and general conclusions concerning postthymectomy-syndromes are drawn.


This paper is to provide an explanation and a description about the diaspora of Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II and his descendants (Zuriat) descendants and his followers in Maluku islands. This study is limited to three regions; Ternate Island, Bacan Island, and Ambon City. The main problem in this research is what lies behind the occurrence of diaspora from zuriates of Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II and his followers, and their roles in these three locations. Sultan Mahmud Badaruddin II (SMB II) was one of the greatest and the most prominent Sultan in Palembang Sultanate. In addition, he was also respected because he dared to oppose foreign parties, especially Dutch and British who were eager to seizing Palembang's natural wealth which known had dominated the trade of tin and pepper as the result it led to several wars with the Sultanate. This battle was won by Dutch, which resulted in capturing and exiling of the Sultan and his followers to Batavia (1821) and Ternate in 1822. It was the beginning of the exile of Palembangnese into Maluku Islands. The second exile took place in 1825, after the resistance led by Sultan Ahmad Najamuddin Prabu Anom, the son of Sultan Ahmad Najamuddin II. Fifty years later, the exile occurred again in the descendants of SMB II, and other Sultanate families. This second exile spread out to several points. It was the beginning of diaspora of Palembangnese zuriat began almost everywhere in Maluku Islands. It can be said that the concentration of the Palembangnese is more common in the three places mentioned above. They made relation, and created new cultural patterns. In addition, some of them are also considered important because they become ellites. It becomes the most interesting point to be discussed through a historical perspective, by prioritizing historical methodology and oral traditions that will become references as well as being the main source in this paper.


In this paper, we consider the convergence of a very general asynchronous-parallel algorithm called ARock, that takes many well-known asynchronous algorithms as special cases (gradient descent, proximal gradient, Douglas Rachford, ADMM, etc.). In asynchronous-parallel algorithms, the computing nodes simply use the most recent information that they have access to, instead of waiting for a full update from all nodes in the system. This means that nodes do not have to waste time waiting for information, which can be a major bottleneck, especially in distributed systems. When the system has $p$ nodes, asynchronous algorithms may complete $\Theta(\ln(p))$ more iterations than synchronous algorithms in a given time period ("more iterations per second").
Although asynchronous algorithms may compute more iterations per second, there is error associated with using outdated information. How many more iterations in total are needed to compensate for this error is still an open question. The main results of this paper aim to answer this question. We prove, loosely, that as the size of the problem becomes large, the number of additional iterations that asynchronous algorithms need becomes negligible compared to the total number ("same quality" of the iterations). Taking these facts together, our results provide solid evidence of the potential of asynchronous algorithms to vastly speed up certain distributed computations.


Traumatic brain injury (TBI) is one of the leading causes of mortality and morbidity worldwide, especially in low and middle income countries. The outcome of TBI does not only depend on the initial trauma, but is also affected by secondary neurological damage that follows the trauma. These secondary effects can be reduced by implementing an evidence based protocol of management for TBI.
Aim: To evaluate the effect of TBI management protocol on short term outcome.
Methods: retrospective evaluation of medical records of severe TBI patients admitted to ICU during three months prior to implementing the protocol for short term outcome (group 1), then prospective observation of short term outcome of patients with severe TBI admitted to ICU, and managed with the TBI protocol for three months.
Results: there was statistically significant difference between the two groups regarding the GCS after 7 days (p=0.017), the length of ICU stay (p=0.009) and the duration of mechanical ventilation (p=0.013).
Conclusion: There is some evidence that following an evidence based protocol of management for severe TBI improves short term outcome.


The demand for quality education in Nigeria is so high because education is considered as not only an investment in human capital but also a pre-requisite for economic growth and development. This study investigated market targeting and fundraising in public universities in Anambra State. The objective of the study was to establish that market targeting is effective and efficient tool for fundraising in public universities. Descriptive survey research design was adopted through the use of questionnaire in cluster of B1 on 5 points scale. The population of the study comprised of 5078 teaching and non-teaching staff of public universities in the study area while a sample of 362 was selected using Taro Yamane formula. Face and content validity of the instrument was obtained using opinions of three experts in the field while Cronbach Alpha was used to test the reliability of the research instrument and correlation coefficient value of 0.71 which was considered high was obtained. Mean and standard deviation was used to answer the research question while correlation analysis was used to test the hypothesis at 0.05 level of significant. The result showed that market targeting helps in attracting more donors for fundraising of public universities in Anambra State. The results also showed that there was a significant relationship between market targeting and fundraising of public universities. Based on the findings, the researcher recommends among others that public universities should as a matter of urgency adopts market targeting in their fundraising so as to attract donors for fundraising which will help them to sustain the educational delivery. Also, educational institutions in Nigeria should adopt marketing strategies in their fundraising activities because marketing and communications enhances and protects institutional reputation, advances and strengthens the university's brand, encourages community engagement, and reinforces the university's relevance in the lives of key target audiences, including current and prospective students, alumni, donors, friends, and faculty and staff.


Business rules represent the core of an administration and affect either the business processes or the behaviours of the system participants. The rules are expressions that define or constrain business aspects of each administration. They are used to create and validate business structures or to check the process behaviour. Rules are implicitly expressed in any domain and in any type of document or application at Information System level. In this work we analyze and propose a framework to support the generation of business process specifications taking advantage of business rules separation.


This study investigates the effects of liquidity and credit risks on the stability of banks with empirical evidence from the Afghanistan banking sector over the period 2014–2020. The stability of a bank is measured through the dependent variable of its capital adequacy ratio. Credit risk (calculated by the ratio of impaired loans) is included as an independent variable along with liquidity risk. The bank specific factors, namely bank net interest margin, size of the bank, return on assets, loan growth rate, liquidity gap, return on equity, loan to asset and macro-economic factors, inflation and GDP growth rate are included as control variables. This study includes all 10 operationalized banks in Afghanistan, excluding the two branches of foreign banks. The panel dataset was collected from banks' websites and the macroeconomic data was derived from World Bank reports. This study employed the simultaneous equation approach of a two-stage least square and a fixed effect panel regression model to investigate the affiliation between liquidity and credit risks and their effects on the stability of banks. The results of this study indicate that liquidity and credit risks don't have a mutual relationship, while the interaction of both types of risks jointly impacts bank stability. It shows that NIM, loan assets, ROA, liquidity gap, loan growth rate, and ROE have positive impacts on bank stability, whereas the size of the bank has negative effects on bank stability. Among the macroeconomic variables, only the growth rate of GDP signifies a negative effect on the stability of banks. The finding under this paper recommends that the governance body of the banking sector drafts policies aimed at strengthening bank capital and taking liquidity measurement according to the best standards introduced by the Basel committee. Also, to create frameworks for measuring liquidity and capital standards.


Abstract:Before he recognized the role of the Tradition in the Church, Newman rooted his life in the Bible, memorizing the King James Version. He commented on it throughout his life. This essay canvasses Newman's reading of the Fourth Gospel, and brings to light the theology of the word presupposed by Newman's interpretation of Scripture.


Nasojejunal feeding was used in 48 infants and found to be a practical and useful means of feeding premature and otherwise ill infants in whom conventional feeding was judged hazardous. A limp, polyvinyl tube with an outside diameter of 1.5 mm and a .9 mm bore was passed from the stomach through the pylorus. A tiny, reusable gold bead helped weight-direct the tip of the tube. Full enteral infant feeding can be accomplished nonsurgically for a period of weeks with less regurgitation, aspiration, and gastric distention than seen with gastric tube, gavage, or gastrostomy feeding. In order to avoid the potential dangers inherent in bypassing the pylorus, the need for close attention to the amount, the type, and, especially, the osmolarity of the jejunal feeding is stressed.


Even if predictive control has proved to be an efficient strategy, the maintenance of a high level of performances may be impossible to reach with a fixed predictive controller in case of important parameter variations. A solution is then to develop an adaptive version of the predictive controller for systems with parametric disturbances. This paper presents a direct version of adaptive generalized predictive control, based on the work of Wang and Henriksen. The algorithm is rewritten in an original form minimizing a performance index, using a least-squares type strategy for the controller parameter online identification, including a conditional updating test in the adaptation loop. An application of this structure to an engine drive with an automatic gear box with continuous variations of the reduction ratio is finally developed. The model of this system is derived as a starting point from the well-known two-masses problem. In this study, only the engine speed is measured, the acceleration (variable to be controlled) remains not measurable.


The main argument in this article is that the academic as well as policy related focus on sexual violence has brought women's concerns to the table of international security concerns, namely to the United Nations Security Council through a number of resolutions in recent years. This has been important in order to create better protection measures and bring women's agency to the forefront of political concern. However, the woman centered focus on protection measures might have overshadowed the role of the perpetrators of sexual violence crimes and the need to focus on prevention measures.


This study investigated the use of bioreactors and constructed wetlands to remediate oriented strand board (OSB) process wastewater. The first study evaluated the use of free cell bioreactors to reduce the biological oxygen demand (BOD). Control samples had significantly higher BOD levels than other treatments, and air+bacteria+nutrients treatment achieved significantly lower in BOD than air-only. Toxicity, total phenol, and total organic carbon concentrations decreased in all treatments. The initial constructed wetland was a screening study to determine which plants could acclimate to OSB process water. Plants that survived were placed into a floating constructed wetland (water hyacinth) or an emergent wetland (soft rush and Chinese water chestnut). A significant decrease in BOD occurred between days 15 and 30, with the emergent wetlands dropping by 51.7% and the floating wetlands by 52.7%. Toxicity, total phenol, and total organic carbon concentrations decreased in all treatments. This research suggests that an OSB facility may want to have an aerated pond that then feeds a constructed wetland. This could not only provide a means to treat and dispose of the wastewater in an environmentally favorable manner, but also provides the secondary benefits of a wetland and its associated land enrichment.


Abstract The argan tree is a multi-purpose tree (fruit tree, medicinal, cosmetic, and pastoral plant) found in the semi-arid and arid regions of North Africa. It is under strong human pressure such as the impact of population growth, crop expansion, overgrazing, and wood and fruit exploitation that are also the main causes of desertification in the rest of the world. Over the years, interest in this beneficial tree and demand for its products have increased: especially with the increase in the price of argan oil, which is now one of the most expensive and much in demand oils in the world. This increase has led to many socio-political, economic and cultural changes at the national, regional and local levels, especially in farming behaviour and the habits of the local population. This bibliographic research was therefore conducted in order to analyse the various changes and their consequences on the planning, conservation, and management methods implemented in the argan tree area and their effects on the habits of the local population in order to ensure the sustainability of the Argan Tree Biosphere Reserve in Morocco. Indeed, the aims of this study were, firstly, to analyse the change dynamic of argan forest area in the ABR; and secondly, to investigate the impact of various socio-political, economic and cultural changes resulting from increased prices of argan oil on planning, conservation, and management methods of argan tree ecosystem and on the habits of the local population.


Insights regarding the merits of recurrent event and time‐to‐first‐event analyses are needed to provide guidance on strategies for analyzing intervention effects in randomized trials involving recurrent event responses. Using established asymptotic results we introduce a framework for studying the large sample properties of estimators arising from semiparametric proportional rate function models and Cox regression under model misspecification. The asymptotic biases and power implications are investigated for different data generating models, and we study the impact of dependent censoring on these findings. Illustrative applications are given involving data from a cystic fibrosis trial and a carcinogenicity experiment, following which we summarize findings and discuss implications for clinical trial design.


There are numerous problems with the hypothesis that brain dopamine (DA) systems, particularly in the nucleus accumbens, directly mediate the rewarding or primary motivational characteristics of natural stimuli such as food. Research and theory related to the functions of mesolimbic DA are undergoing a substantial conceptual restructuring, with the traditional emphasis on hedonia and primary reward yielding to other concepts and lines of inquiry. The present review is focused upon the involvement of nucleus accumbens DA in behavioral activation and effort-related processes. Viewed from the framework of behavioral economics, the effects of accumbens DA depletions and antagonism on food-reinforced behavior are highly dependent upon the work requirements of the instrumental task, and DA depleted rats are more sensitive to increases in response costs (i.e., ratio requirements). Moreover, interference with accumbens DA transmission exerts a powerful influence over effort-related choice behavior. Rats with accumbens DA depletions or antagonism reallocate their instrumental behavior away from food-reinforced tasks that have high response requirements, and instead these rats select a less-effortful type of food-seeking behavior. Nucleus accumbens DA and adenosine interact in the regulation of effort-related functions, and other brain structures (anterior cingulate cortex, amygdala, ventral pallidum) also are involved. Studies of the brain systems regulating effort-based processes may have implications for understanding drug abuse, as well as energy-related disorders such as psychomotor slowing, fatigue or anergia in depression and other neurological disorders.


A 3 m-long sediment core from Macassa Bay, Mozambique, was collected in order to trace past sea-level changes. Diatom stratigraphy, organic carbon content and mineral magnetic parameters were used as proxies in this study combined with AMS 14C dating. The core covers the last c. 6600 yrs, i.e. from the mid-Holocene marine transgression onwards. Five zones were established based on the diatom assemblages and the organic carbon content. At c. 6600 cal. yrs BP, sea level shows a rising trend culminating c. 6500 cal. yrs BP. This period was followed by a series of fluctuations. A lagoon formed during a period of sea regression between c. 6300 and 4500 cal. yrs BP. A second marine transgression was observed between 4500 and 1000 cal. yrs BP. The sea reached its present level after 1000 cal. yrs BP. The inferred variations in mean sea level, mainly based on the stratigraphic occurrence of Pseudopodosira sp., were compared with other studies and correspond relatively well with results from coastal areas in Namibia and Sri Lanka. The reasons behind a mass occurrence of the diatom taxa Pseudopodosira sp. remain unclear. Two theories are presented in the study; either the genera grew in the Indian Ocean during the Holocene, or it represents reworking from Tertiary bedrock in the vicinity. Pseudopodosira sp. seems, however, to be a relevant sea-level indicator as it is in either case transported by the sea to the sampling site.


Physical human-robot interaction (pHRI) is reliant on human actions and can be addressed by studying human upper-limb motions during interactions. Use of force myography (FMG) signals, which detect muscle contractions, can be useful in developing machine learning algorithms as controls. In this paper, a novel long-term calibrated FMG-based trained model is presented to estimate applied force in dynamic motion during real-time interactions between a human and a linear robot. The proposed FMG-based pHRI framework was investigated in new, unseen, real-time scenarios for the first time. Initially, a long-term reference dataset (multiple source distributions) of upper-limb FMG data was generated as five participants interacted with the robot applying force in five different dynamic motions. Ten other participants interacted with the robot in two intended motions to evaluate the out-of-distribution (OOD) target data (new, unlearned), which was different than the population data. Two practical scenarios were considered for assessment: i) a participant applied force in a new, unlearned motion (scenario 1), and ii) a new, unlearned participant applied force in an intended motion (scenario 2). In each scenario, few long-term FMG-based models were trained using a baseline dataset [reference dataset (scenario 1, 2) and/or a learnt participant dataset (scenario 1)] and a calibration dataset (collected during evaluation). Real-time evaluation showed that the proposed long-term calibrated FMG-based models (LCFMG) could achieve estimation accuracies of 80%-94% in all scenarios. These results are useful towards integrating and generalizing human activity data in a robot control scheme by avoiding extensive HRI training phase in regular applications.


This article endeavours to compare the two business confidence indicators in South Africa (that of the BER and SACOB) in terms of their respective relationships as business cycle indicators. Although bearing the same name of business confidence indicator, totally different economic variables are measured in compiling the indices. The BER?s business confidence indicator is a psychological measurement of the level of satisfaction with prevailing business condition, while SACOB?s business confidence indicator is basically a composite coincident/leading indicator of the business cycle and by implication an indicator of business confidence. Both business confidence indicators correlate highly between themselves and show signs of having leading indicator capabilities of the South African business cycle. However, the leading indicator characteristics of both indices are not better than the official leading indicator and are also of a declining order. In terms of causality, both the indicators seem to be moving towards a coincident relationship rather than a leading one with the business cycle. Only the BER business confidence indicator displays comparable cyclical turning point attributes.


W ith the housing boom coming to an end, rising interest rates, and decreasing consumer spending on home improvement products, the home improvement industry is on the brink of change. The industry is seeing increased costs for fuel, raw materials, and lumber in addition to shortages of raw materials. Past years sales growth rates (9.3% in 2005) are expected to slow to 4-5% as the industry reaches maturity. Will Lowes Companies domestic growth strategy be sufficient in the years to come? Robert Niblock, Lowes chief executive expressed confidence in the companys ability to maintain its momentum when he stated, Recent data suggest continued favourable trends in employment levels and income growth which will offset some of the monetary pressures consumers are facing, such as rising fuel prices and interest rates. He also stated, As trends in the housing market normalize from the rapid growth experience over the past few years, we believe we have the programs in place to continue to capture share and deliver solid earnings growth.


We outline the work of James Buchanan and his influence and contributions to political economy, institutional analysis, and self-governance. In addition to pioneering the public choice movement, we argue that Buchanan's greatest contribution to political economy was initiating the constitutional level of analysis in economics. In doing so, we highlight Buchanan's main emphasis on the elementary principles of economics and how they fit into the broader agenda of economist as teacher and enabler of improving the democratic process; the role of economists as studying exchange; the reconciliation of the economists' zeal for reform with positive economic theory and how this notion advances the importance of constitutional-making from the bottom-up; and finally, the introduction of the main puzzle in political economy regarding constitutional constraint. We argue that it is in the broader field of development economics and self-governance research that his ideas concerning the "rules level of analysis" can have its deepest impact.


Degenerated retinas, globs of liver fat, wildly fluctuating blood sugar and insulin levels—all can spell trouble for people. But they are a way of life for Astyanax mexicanus , better known as the blind cave fish or Mexican tetra. For decades, biologists have studied these pale 6-centimeter-long fish to understand the ecological and evolutionary effects of subterranean life. Now, some researchers argue that the fishes' adaptations can shed light on human diseases including retinal degeneration and diabetes. And results presented last week at the 2016 International Conference on Subterranean Biology back up that view. The U.S. National Institutes of Health sees promise in cave fish as well, having agreed to fund the work of several cave fish biologists.


In complex reservoirs, the position of geological and fluid boundaries can vary significantly in all directions; for comprehensive reservoir understanding and optimal placement of the wellbore, these boundaries should be mapped and understood in three dimensions (3D). To a degree, this is possible using dip calculations from density and gamma ray images. These are measurements close to the wellbore, in the order of inches, and only represent a very small volume of the reservoir. With ultradeep electromagnetic (EM) technology, resistivity changes can be identified more than 100 ft (30 m) from the borehole. Thus far, the most common inversion run on these data has been one-dimensional (1D), allowing mapping the position of resistivity boundaries only above and below the wellbore. Even with their considerable depth of investigation of approximately 100 ft (30 m), this only provides a snapshot of the reservoir.
 To better understand complex subsurface geology and fluid position, particularly in fields with a history of production and fluid injection, a full 3D inversion of ultradeep EM data is necessary. Discussed here are 3D inversion results of synthetic and field EM data representing complex subsurface geology and demonstrating the additional reservoir understanding that a full 3D inversion can provide. The 3D inversion allows the position of resistivity boundaries to be mapped in 3D around the wellbore. By allowing for changes other than just those occurring above and below the wellbore to be considered, this provides a more comprehensive picture than obtained from 1D inversions.
 1D inversions for the wells under investigation exhibit a good representation of the position of lithology and fluid boundaries above and below the wellbore; however, it is evident from the azimuthal resistivity images that there are significant changes in the position of resistivity boundaries to the sides, not represented by the 1D inversions. Building up a complete picture of the reservoir from these images and the 1D inversion is difficult because the images do not directly indicate a distance to the resistivity boundaries identified. Qualitatively, these images are an excellent tool to verify the 3D inversion results, which clearly exhibit the distribution of resistivity in all directions in the region of 82 ft (25 m) in these wells.
 Complex reservoirs require a 3D inversion to truly map and quantify the distance to resistivity boundaries associated with lithology and fluid variations in all directions around the wellbore. Traditional 1D inversions only provide a simplified representation of the geology and fluid distribution. When applied in real time, 3D visualization of the reservoir can allow improved well placement decisions, with the potential for making well-informed alterations not only to the well's inclination (as in traditional geosteering) but also to its azimuth. Additionally, a 3D inversion provides greater understanding of the reservoir by clearly displaying changes in the resistivity all around the wellbore to a significant distance.


Lumbar punctures (LPs) are interventional procedures used to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), a bodily fluid needed to diagnose central nervous system disorders. Most lumbar punctures are performed blindly without imaging guidance. Because the target window is small, physicians can only accurately palpate the appropriate space about 30% of the time and perform a successful procedure after an average of three attempts. Although various forms of imaging based guidance systems have been developed to aid in this procedure, these systems complicate the procedure by including independent image modalities and requiring image-to-needle registration to guide the needle insertion. Here, we propose a simple and direct needle insertion platform utilizing a single ultrasound element within the needle through dynamic sensing and imaging. The needle-shaped ultrasound transducer can not only sense the distance between the tip and a potential obstacle such as bone, but also visually locate structures by combining transducer location tracking and back projection based tracked synthetic aperture beam-forming algorithm. The concept of the system was validated through simulation first, which revealed the tolerance to realistic error. Then, the initial prototype of the single element transducer was built into a 14G needle, and was mounted on a holster equipped with a rotation tracking encoder. We experimentally evaluated the system using a metal wire phantom mimicking high reflection bone structures and an actual spine bone phantom with both the controlled motion and freehand scanning. An ultrasound image corresponding to the model phantom structure was reconstructed using the beam-forming algorithm, and the resolution was improved compared to without beam-forming. These results demonstrated the proposed system has the potential to be used as an ultrasound imaging system for lumbar puncture procedures.


ABSTRACT The effectiveness of community-based extension approaches has been widely documented, however their sustainability remains weak. Institutionalization has been proposed as a way of achieving sustainability. This paper shares experiences of the learning and planning phase of the institutionalization of the volunteer farmer-trainer (VFT) approach in three dairy producer organizations (POs) in Kenya. The paper builds a detailed understanding of the key steps and social processes involved and the wider lessons that might be learned regarding institutionalization in the context of local institutions such POs. We draw on data from key informant interviews, focus groups discussions and workshops. The first phase of the process which spanned one year involved engagements with stakeholders at different levels; from VFTs, dairy cooperative management, government extension and local NGOs. The process involved awareness creation, joint learning at the individual, group and organization level, a strengths-weaknesses-opportunities-threats (SWOT) analysis of producer organizations and identifying opportunities for harnessing resources for support functions. We highlight the important supporting social and institutional processes that are required for this to happen. These include getting acceptance and support from key stakeholders, developing a shared understanding, stakeholder ownership of the process, commitment from top leadership of POs and institutional structures to support the process. For the process to be actualized, we discuss mechanisms that need to be put in place.


Abstract Background: We have previously examined the link between diabetes mellitus (DM) and malignancy with respect to mortality, but little is known about how the cancer affects glycemic control. Therefore, the aim of this study was to evaluate metabolic parameters in patients with cancer with and without DM. Methods: We selected 1404 patients with newly diagnosed prostate, breast, lung, colorectal, and pancreatic cancer from the institutional cancer registry from 2010–2015. Records were selected and matched 2:1 cancer without DM (n=936) and cancer and concurrent DM patients (n=468). Patients were matched by year of diagnosis, age, gender, and cancer type. Metabolic parameters during the year after cancer diagnosis were examined using linear mixed models with fixed effects for time, cancer type, DM status and individual-specific random effect allowing each patient to have a different intercept. Results: Prostate cancer accounted for the majority of cases (n=199), followed by lung cancer (n=91), breast cancer (n=71), colorectal cancer (n=54), and pancreas cancer (n=53). Mean overall hemoglobin A1c (HbA1c) was 6.9 (1.2)%. Pancreas cancer patients had higher HbA1c overall (p=0.02). There was no change in HbA1c one year post cancer diagnosis (p=0.28). Mean glucose in non-DM was 108(18) mg/dL and 146 (45) mg/dL in DM pts. Lung and pancreas cancer patients had higher glucose values overall (p<0.001). Time (p<0.001), DM (p<0.001) and time * DM (p=0.02) were significant in a mixed model. A decrease in glucose over the year was observed in DM patients across all cancer types. Conclusions: A diagnosis of malignancy does not worsen glycemic control within the first year of cancer diagnosis. This should be reassuring to endocrinologists and oncologists who treat patients with DM and cancer. Longer term studies, and analysis in larger and more diverse patients groups are needed.


OBJECTIVEHigh-flow, extracranial-intracranial (EC-IC) bypass operations are performed to prevent strokes among patients with giant aneurysms who cannot tolerate internal carotid artery (ICA) occlusion. However, the volume flow through the bypass, compared with preoperative ICA flow, has not been evaluated for any type of bypass. We describe a prospective case study that tested the ability of the high-flow EC-IC bypass to replace the volume flow of the ipsilateral ICA after deliberate ICA occlusion. METHODSSeven consecutive patients with giant aneurysms of the ICA who experienced test occlusion failure underwent nonocclusive, excimer laser-assisted, EC-IC bypass surgery before permanent ICA occlusion. Volume flow values in the ICAs, the basilar artery, the EC-IC bypass, and the middle cerebral arteries were measured with magnetic resonance angiography. RESULTSNo significant changes in volume flow to the ipsilateral and contralateral hemispheres were observed after bypass surgery and therapeutic ICA occlusion. Before bypass surgery, the volume flow through the ipsilateral ICA was 243 ± 74 ml/min, that through the contralateral ICA was 264 ± 32 ml/min, and that through the basilar artery was 141 ± 43 ml/min. After bypass surgery and therapeutic occlusion of the ipsilateral ICA, the volume flow through the bypass was 199 ± 72 ml/min, that through the contralateral ICA was 303 ± 82 ml/min, and that through the basilar artery was 153 ± 72 ml/min. No significant preoperative versus postoperative changes in middle cerebral artery flow were observed on either side. CONCLUSIONThe flow through the high-flow EC-IC bypass was able to replace the volume flow of the ipsilateral ICA after deliberate ICA occlusion for the treatment of giant aneurysms.


A variety of nutrition screening instruments have been developed and implemented for identifying the risk of undernutrition among community and hospitalized older adults. Despite the high prevalence of undernutrition amongst older adults in long-term care, few screening instruments have been developed or evaluated in this setting. This review aims to evaluate the validity, reproducibility and feasibility of nutrition screening instruments developed for use, or described as being used, with older adults in long-term care. Ten publications encompassing nine independent nutrition screening tools were identified using electronic databases and manual searches of reference lists. The Mini Nutritional Assessment-Short Form (MNA-SF) was the most widely evaluated nutrition screening instrument and met the requirements for a valid instrument (sensitivity and specificity >0.9) for use in the long-term care setting. Modified versions of the MNA for use in China and South Africa also demonstrated acceptable levels of sensitivity and specificity. Other nutrition screening instruments were found to have variable levels of sensitivity and specificity and while some demonstrated levels consistent with the MNA-SF, only two were evaluated across more than one study population, Body Mass Index (BMI)+weight loss and BMI+albumin. These same instruments reported the highest levels of inter-rater and test-retest reproducibility, although this was only tested in one other instrument (Chinese Nutrition Screen -modified MNA). In conclusion, it is evident from this review that further work in this area is needed. Based on validity, reproducibility and feasibility it appears that BMI+weight loss is the most suitable nutrition screening instrument for use in the long-term care setting at this time. MNA-SF is promising; however, there is currently no data for inter-rater or test-retest reproducibility in the long-term care setting.


Nanostructuring constitutes a promising strategy to increase efficiency and stability of contemporary photocatalysts. Here, we report on the synthesis of highly crystalline Ta2O5 nanotubes (NTs) by using carbon nanotubes (CNTs) as sacrificial hard templates and elucidate the role of residual Fe nanoparticles—often used as catalyst for the CNT growth—on their photocatalytic performance toward H2 evolution. We show that, when using as grown CNTs, the resulting Ta2O5 NTs contained detectable amounts of Fe and possessed negligible photocatalytic activity. When CNTs were, however, purified from Fe by thermally annealing the CNTs at 2100 °C, the same synthetic procedure yielded pure Ta2O5 NTs that showed a 40-fold increase in activity compared to the Fe-containing counterpart. A complementary set of analytical techniques in a combination with additional model experiments indicate that the detrimental effect of the residual Fe on the photocatalytic activity originates from atomic doping and formation of a segreg...


Transfer reactions are important tool in nuclear astrophysics. These reactions allow us to identify states in nuclei and to find the corresponding energies, to determine if these states can contribute to astrophysical nuclear reactions and ultimately to determine the strength of that contribution. In this paper,the basic details of how transfer reactions may be used in nuclear astrophysics are set out along with some common pitfalls to avoid.


Objective To analyze the effects of norepinephrine(NE) on the proliferation and migration of endothelial progenitor cells(EPCs) and the related mechanism.Methods NE,adrenoceptor antagonist,and MAPK signal pathway blocker of various concentrations were used to treat peripheral EPCs derived from healthy adults.The proliferation potential,migration capacity and activation of ERK1/2 were assessed after different treatments.Results NE increased the proliferation potential of EPCs in a dose-dependent manner.The number of EPCs increased by(48.3±23.3)%,(70.5±35.6)%,(82.4±14.9)% and(100.3±48.1)% after treatment with NE at 0.01 μmol/L,0.1 μmol/L,1 μmol/L and 10 μmol/L,respectively.Addition of alpha adrenoceptor antagonist phentolamine,selective beta 2 adrenoceptor antagonist I127,JNK blocker SP600125 and ERK1/2 blocker A6355 could block the above effects of NE,and beta 1 adrenoceptor antagonist metoprolol and p38 blocker PD169318 failed to block the effects of NE.NE at 10 μmol/L significantly promoted the migration of EPCs(P0.05).These effects could be blocked by addition of phentolamine(10 μmol/L) and I127(10 μmol/L),but not by addition of metoprolol.NE(0.1,1 and 10 μmol/L) activated ERK1/2 pathway in a dose-dependent manner,which could also be blocked by phentolamine and I127,but not by metoprolol.Conclusion NE can increase the proliferation potential and migration capacity of EPCs via activating ERK1/2 pathway with alpha and beta 2 adrenoceptor.


Background. Delays in initiation and interruptions in the radiotherapeutic management of head and neck malignancies have radiobiologic implications in allowing for the accelerated repopulation of surviving tumor cells. This phenomenon has been demonstrated to translate into poorer survival outcomes and tumor control, typically manifesting as tumor progression that may require a new radiotherapy set-up. Such adjustments are accounted for with a repeat computed tomography (CT) simulation which entails increased resource costs, patient inconvenience and further treatment delays. Even with maximal efforts to minimize treatment delays, the real-world effects of the current pandemic on the logistics and compliance to daily radiotherapy remain significant. A comparison of the incidence of tumor progression before and during the pandemic is thus investigated, with repeat CT simulation utilized as a surrogate.
Objective. This study aims to compare the incidence of repeat CT simulation among patients with head and neck cancer treated before and during the COVID-19 pandemic. Various patient- and/or treatment-related factors, including treatment delay, that may associate with the likelihood of repeat simulation are also investigated in this review.
Methods. Medical and radiation treatment records of patients with head and neck malignancies who underwent CT simulation before and during the pandemic were retrospectively reviewed and prospectively followed up until completion of treatment.
Results. A total of 72 patients were included, with an average age of 45 years (range: 7–82). The median time to radiotherapy initiation was 37 days (SD ± 37, range of 0–278) from initial CT simulation and was similar between the groups (p = 0.774). Repeat simulation was observed more frequently in the pandemic group (76.2% vs 23.8%, p = 0.007). Patients who had delayed radiotherapy initiation (p = 0.005, OR 13.59; CI 2.23–82.87) or had treatment interruptions (p = 0.004, OR 23.21; CI 2.79–193.29) had a higher incidence of repeat simulation.
Conclusion. A higher incidence of repeat simulation was observed in this population treated six months into the pandemic. Delays in radiotherapy initiation and treatment interruptions were significantly associated with repeat simulation. Strategies should be employed to prevent disease progression among this subset of patients to minimize the burden on radiotherapy resources and preserve oncologic outcomes.


Background Ever since the COVID-19 pandemic struck Uganda, much emphasis by the policy makers and researchers were on the health effects of the pandemic at the expense of the economic effects hence creating a research gap. The cardinal aim of this study was therefore to examine the economic effects of the pandemic on the wellbeing of the market vendors in Kampala city, which was the epicenter of the COVID-19 pandemic. The specific objectives of this study were; examining how the COVID-19 pandemic economically affected the market vendors in Kampala city, and determining if the pandemic was a demand or supply side shock. Methods the study employed the Blinder-Oaxaca (B-O) decomposition technique, which was originally used in labor economics to decompose earnings gaps and to estimate the level of discrimination. This decomposition method analyses changes in a given variable over time. Descriptive statistics such as means, frequencies, and percentages were generated to gain insights into the data. Consumption and Sales were used as proxies for demand whereas the proxy for supply was production. Results The decomposition results from the Oaxaca estimates show that consumption, sales, and production reduced after the introduction of the COVID-19 restriction. The pandemic affected the market vendors economically through reduced consumption, sales, and disruption of the supply chain. It is recommended that the government provide appropriate support in form of income support, access to low credit and building the digital capacity of market vendors. Research contribution: This study contributes to the understanding of the economic effects of the pandemic on one of the most vulnerable groups-the market vendors. JEL Codes: 1,118,131


Rating: Mature Archive Warning: Choose Not To Use Archive Warnings Fandom: Supernatural Relationship: Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester, Bobby Singer & Dean Winchester & Sam Winchester Character: Sam Winchester, Dean Winchester, Anna Milton, Bobby Singer, Ellen Harvelle, Castiel, Adam Milligan Additional Tags: Other Additional Tags to Be Added, Alternate Universe Canon Divergence, Time Travel, Some chapters have extra warnings Stats: Published: 2017-01-09 Updated: 2020-07-07 Chapters: 97/? Words: 290534


OF DISSERTATION FLAG F -VECTORS OF POLYTOPES WITH FEW VERTICES We may describe a polytope P as the convex hull of n points in space. Here we consider the numbers of chains of faces of P . The toric g-vector and CD-index of P are useful invariants for encoding this information. For a simplicial polytope P , Lee defined the winding number wk in a Gale diagram corresponding to P . He showed that wk in the Gale diagram equals gk of the corresponding polytope. In this dissertation, we fully establish how to compute the g-vector for any polytope with few vertices from its Gale diagram. Further, we extend these results to polytopes with higher dimensional Gale diagrams in certain cases, including the case when all the points are in affinely general position. In the Generalized Lower Bound Conjecture, McMullen and Walkup predicted that if gk(P ) = 0 for some simplicial polytope P and some k, then P is (k− 1)-stacked. Lee and Welzl independently use Gale transforms to prove the GLBC holds for any simplicial polytope with few vertices. In the context of Gale transforms, we will extend this result to nonpyramids with few vertices. We will also prove how to obtain the CD-index of polytopes dual to polytopes with few vertices in several cases. For instance, we show how to compute the CD-index of a polytope from the Gale diagram of its dual polytope when the Gale diagram is 2-dimensional and the origin is captured by a line segment.


mode control. In contrast to the previous works of sliding mode control, the concept of quasi sliding mode control is firstly introduced such that continuous control input is obtained to avoid chattering phenomenon. Furthermore, under the proposed control law, the system states can be stabilized and driven into an arbitrary and predictable neighborhood of zero. This method can also be easily extended to a general class of chaotic systems.


The studies described in this thesis were achieved within the graduate school Wageningen Institute of Animal Science (WIAS), carried out at the Institute for Animal Science and Health (ID-Lelystad BV) at the department of Genetics and Reproduction, and financially supported by the product division NRS of CR-DELTA. This thesis describes choices and decisions made to develop a random regression test-day model. Studies included were performed on Dutch dairy cattle data. Random regression test-day models are preferred above lactation models, because they model both the level and shape of the lactation curve. Single test-day records are used instead of cumulative lactation yields. Therefore, the correction of fixed effects is better and more precise, herd-test-date effects can be accounted for, and if the lactation curve is modeled by a covariance function (i.e., with a random regression function) information from the number, intervals and ordering of test-day records is included. The trend in breeding values for sires was 94 kg of milk per year compared to 106 kg in a repeatability model. Selection in the past was for the level of production and has not influenced the shape of the lactation curve. Correlations between breeding values were high and standard deviations were slightly higher in the test-day model. But for sires with more persistent daughters breeding values seemed to fluctuate less in the random regression test-day model. For correct modeling of the variance structure higher order functions are needed. A fourth order Legendre polynomials was sufficient for both the genetic and permanent environmental effect. More complete information and a correction for heterogeneity of variance over days in milk allowed a reduction in the least order of fit. However, a multiple-trait random regression test-day model with three parities and a full fit is huge (i.e., 2 × 15 parameters to be estimated per animal) and probably overparameterized. Therefore, a stepwise-reduced rank procedure was applied, which allowed to half the number of parameter without reducing the goodness of fit considerably. For further extension of the random regression test-day model for the traits milk, fat and protein the stepwise-reduced rank procedure is suggested.


ABSTRACTThe offset-midpoint traveltime pyramid describes the diffraction traveltime of a point diffractor in homogeneous media. We have developed an analytic approximation for the P-wave offset-midpoint traveltime pyramid for homogeneous orthorhombic media. In this approximation, a perturbation method and the Shanks transform were implemented to derive the analytic expressions for the horizontal slowness components of P-waves in orthorhombic media. Numerical examples were shown to analyze the proposed traveltime pyramid formula and determined its accuracy and the application in calculating migration isochrones and reflection traveltime. The proposed offset-midpoint traveltime formula is useful for Kirchhoff prestack time migration and migration velocity analysis for orthorhombic media.


HSV-1 is a neurotropic virus that displays several important adaptations to the nervous system of the host organism, each of which can be rationally exploited in the design of gene therapy vectors for neurological applications. Replication-incompetent (replication-defective) helper-independent recombinant vectors are nontoxic tools for gene transfer that preserve most of the neurotropic features of HSV-1, particularly the ability to express genes after establishing latent infections, and are thus proficient candidates for therapeutic gene transfer in neurons. A clinical trial with the use of a replication-incompetent vector, NP-2 (Diamyd Inc), for the treatment of pain has been initiated. Attenuated replication-competent (oncolytic) vectors are becoming suitable and powerful tools to eradicate brain tumors, such as malignant gliomas, as a result of the ability to replicate and spread only within the tumor mass. Some attenuated replication-competent vectors, such as G-207 and HSV-1716 (Crusade Laboratories Ltd), have been used in clinical trials for the treatment of cancers including recurrent malignant glioma. Helper-dependent amplicon vector technology takes advantage of the capacity of the virus particle to accommodate < or = 150 Kbp of foreign DNA, enabling these vectors to deliver complete genomic loci to the nucleus of mammalian cells, making amplicons particularly useful agents in protocols that require stable and physiological transgene expression. However, difficulties in obtaining large stocks of helper-free amplicons continue to limit the use of these vectors in the clinic.


A microtransformer that is monolithically integrated with rectifier diodes is developed as the first step towards developing a monolithic microswitching converter that can be integrated with semiconductor devices and magnetic components. This microtransformer consists of planar coils and CoZrRe amorphous magnetic layers on Si substrate. Two Schottky barrier diodes are formed on the Si substrate and directly connected to the secondary coil. This microtransformer chip is shown to perform both conversion and rectifying functions.


The purpose of this study was to analyze the trends, research methodology and findings of various researches on family resilience published in Korea over the past 13 years. A total of 93 publications related to family resilience between 1999 and June of 2012 were analyzed; 72 journal articles and 21 doctoral dissertations which had not been published in academic journals. The results are as follows; (1) There has been steady increase in the number of related researches since 1999, with a significant increase since the mid-2000s as various nontraditional families emerged and the perception of family problems began to change. (2) With regards to the methodology, the majority of the studies were empirical, using quantitative methods in both data collection and analysis. Most measurement scales employed were based on inventories developed by foreign researchers. (3) The research subjects encompass a wide range of individuals and groups from both vulnerable families and families from the general population. Additionally, some researches focused on special interest areas including program development & evaluation and scale development. Although research on family resilience has increased in quantity, there needs to be more qualitative, longitudinal and theory grounded studies on different families and individual types to better understand family resilience in depth. In addition, specific measurement scales reflecting the unique Korean family culture should be developed. Other challenges and suggestions for future research on family resilience are discussed.


When the liberty to freely express oneself is at odds with another's right to freedom of religion, we are confronted with the classic dilemma of choosing between two equally fundamental, constitutionally and internationally protected rights. The contours of the said two rights however, are far from clear. Whilst freedom of expression is not an absolute right, its limits are controversial. Equally, while it is undisputed that freedom of religion is an internationally protected human right enshrined in various international instruments, there is no comprehensive international treaty which addresses as its subject the content and extent of the right of freedom of religion, thus it is uncertain whether it entails the right to have one's religious faith and symbols protected from insult.The unsettled boundaries of dispute arising from the clash between two fundamental rights have led to bitter tensions between freedom of expression and concerns to protect and respect religious sentiments. Religious communities feel outraged that their religious beliefs and sacred symbols are mocked, insulted, attacked or vilified. Aggrieved believers argue that "respect" for religious beliefs and symbols is fundamental to, and part and parcel of, the right of freedom of religion and that freedom of expression, although equally fundamental, is not without its limits. On the other hand, the authors and creators of these controversial works argue that any law seeking to restrict their works amounts to a violation of the sacrosanct right of freedom of expression, which is the bedrock of any democratic society.These arguments require an exploration of the rationales underpinning the freedoms of expression and religion to determine the boundaries and limits of each of these rights. On the far right, the United States endows the freedom of expression with sacrosanct status, which can be limited only where there is a risk of imminent danger or physical harm to third parties or a threat of an imminent outbreak of violence. In marked contrast is the German model, where an individual's religious sentiments, dignity and identity are protected from scurrility and ridicule and any form of degrading speech against any religion is outlawed. Lying between these two extremes are the European Court of Human Rights and the Australian systems which have endeavored to strike a delicate balance between respect for religious sentiments and free speech. This paper will bring these perspectives to bear on the challenge of balancing the rights of freedoms of expression and religion.Part I of this paper examines the content of the right to freedom of religion and whether it entails a right to protection from ridicule, scurrility, vilification and insults directed at one's religious teachings, symbols or beliefs from the perspective of international human rights law. Parts II and III review the approach of regional and national 'models of regulation' (the United States, Germany, the European Court of Human Rights, and Australia) to examine the unique experiences of these systems and the benefits, pitfalls and complexities inherent in legislating against speech or conduct which 'hurts' the sentiments of groups or individuals, who find their religious beliefs the subject of provocative, insulting, vilifying or offensive expressions. To end this 'clash' between secular libertarians and the faithful, this paper argues that a contextualized approach should be adopted in individual cases to carefully examine the value of the speech concerned, the 'harm' caused by it, and the position of the targeted individuals, group or community in that particular society and generally. It is only through such a contextualized consideration of the rights concerned, can an appropriate balance be struck to secure the interests concerned.


The ways of using quantum-chemical methods in the spectro-chemistry of organic compounds are considered and the advances in the calculation of electronic and vibrational spectra are characterised. The effectiveness of the combined application of quantum-chemical and spectroscopic methods and the possibility of using LCAO-MO methods for the interpretation of ultraviolet, infrared, and Raman spectroscopic data in the study of molecular structure in the ground and excited states are demonstrated in relation to a number of examples. The bibliography includes 134 references.


A case of a 72-year-old male with a leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava causing Budd-Chiari syndrome is described. Percutaneous decompression of the portal system was attempted but with no success. At autopsy, a large tumor arising from and completely obstructing the inferior vena cava was found, histologically proven to be a leiomyosarcoma. Over 50 cases of leiomyosarcoma of the inferior vena cava have been reported in the literature, the majority of which occurred in women and 1/3 of which were associated with the Budd-Chiari syndrome. Histologically up to two mitotic figures per 10 high power fields have been scored. This case indicates the unreliability of a low mitotic index as an indicator of benign behavior of smooth muscle neoplasms of the venous system.


ABSTRACT Genetic screens based on the use of MudJ-generated lac fusions permitted the identification of novel genes regulated by the Rcs signal transduction system in Salmonella enterica serovar Typhimurium. Besides genes that are also found in the Escherichia coli genome, our screens identified Salmonella-specific genes regulated by RcsB, including bapA, siiE, srfA, and srfB. Here we show that the srfABC operon is negatively regulated by RcsB and by PhoP. In vivo studies using mutants with constitutive activation of the Rcs and/or PhoPQ system suggested that there is an overlap between these regulatory systems in the control of Salmonella virulence.


The Sm binding sites of different spliceosomal U small nuclear RNAs (snRNAs), the RNA structural elements required for interaction with common snRNP proteins, have been considered to be similar or identical. Here we show that this is not the case. Instead, structural and sequence features unique to U1 or U5 snRNAs that contribute to common protein binding are identified. The determinants of Sm protein binding in both RNAs are complex, consisting in U5 of minimally two and in U1 of minimally four separate structural elements. Even the most conserved features of the two RNAs, single‐stranded regions whose generalized sequence is PuA(U)nGPu, are not functionally interchangeable in protein binding. At least one of the newly defined RNA elements functions in assembly with the common proteins, but is not required for their stable binding thereafter. U1, but not U5, snRNP requires a trimethyl guanosine cap structure for its transport to the nucleus. This is not a consequence of the differences in common snRNP binding to the two RNAs, but is due to structural features of U1 RNA that do not contribute to Sm protein binding.


The carbon-rich boron-carbide (B11C)C-C has been designed from first principles within the density functional theory. With respect to the most common boron carbide at 20% carbon concentration B4C, the structural modification consists in removing boron atoms from the chains linking (B11C) icosahedra. With C-C instead of C-B-C chains, the formation of vacancies is shown to be hindered, leading to enhanced mechanical strength with respect to B4C. The phonon frequencies and elastic constants turn out to prove the stability of the carbon-rich phase, and important fingerprints for its characterization have been identified.


Abstract #2001 Background: The aim of this study was to determine factors that predict under-evaluation of atypical lesion or malignancy in patients diagnosed with benign papilloma at ultrasound-guided core needle biopsy (CNB), and to develop a prediction algorithm for scoring the possibility of a diagnosis upgrade to atypical lesion or malignancy based on clinical, radiological and pathological factors. Methods: The study enrolled patients diagnosed with benign papilloma at ultrasound-guided CNB who subsequently underwent surgical excision of the lesion. Multivariate analysis was used to identify relevant clinical, radiological and pathological factors that may predict malignancy. Results: A total of 262 patients with benign papilloma at CNB were identified. Of the 110 patients who underwent subsequent surgical excision, 22 (20%) were diagnosed with atypical papilloma or malignancy. Multivariate analysis revealed that mass or calcification on mammography, size on imaging >15 mm, peripheral location, and a palpable lesion were independent predictors of malignancy. A scoring system was developed based on logistic regression models and beta coefficients for each variable. The area under the ROC curve was 0.868 (95% CI: 0.794-0.941), and the negative predictive value was 100% for a score of 0 or 1 (Of the 110 patients, 58 patients had the score of 0 or 1). Conclusions: A scoring system to predict malignancy in patients diagnosed with benign papilloma at CNB was developed based on four factors: peripheral location, palpable lesion, mass or calcification on mammography, size on imaging. This system was able to identify a subset of patients with lesions likely to be benign, indicating that imaging follow-up rather than surgical excision may be appropriate. Citation Information: Cancer Res 2009;69(2 Suppl):Abstract nr 2001.


To enable robotic weed control, we develop algorithms to detect nutsedge weed from bermudagrass turf. Due to the similarity between the weed and the background turf, manual data labeling is expensive and error-prone. Consequently, directly applying deep learning methods for object detection cannot generate satisfactory results. Building on an instance detection approach (i.e. Mask R-CNN), we combine synthetic data with raw data to train the network. We propose an algorithm to generate high fidelity synthetic data, adopting different levels of annotations to reduce labeling cost. Moreover, we construct a nutsedge skeleton-based probabilistic map (NSPM) as the neural network input to reduce the reliance on pixel-wise precise labeling. We also modify loss function from cross entropy to Kullback-Leibler divergence which accommodates uncertainty in the labeling process. We implement the proposed algorithm and compare it with both Faster R-CNN and Mask R-CNN. The results show that our design can effectively overcome the impact of imprecise and insufficient training sample issues and significantly outperform the Faster R-CNN counterpart with a false negative rate of only 0.4%. In particular, our approach also reduces labeling time by 95% while achieving better performance if comparing with the original Mask R-CNN approach.


Partnerships between scientists and teachers are an important focus of the current reform in science education. This study examined the roles and the dynamics of interactions in an NSF-funded Graduate Teaching Fellows in K-12 Education (GK-12) project. Data sources included interviews with teachers, fellows, and students at eight K-12 schools. Data were analyzed for emergent categories recognized by teachers and fellows alike. Roles played by the fellows were those of science/ math expert, scientist/mathematician role model, source of material resources, source of curricular enrichment, and teaching partner. Teacher roles were perceived as liaison between fellow and schools, teaching partner, teaching mentor, and science/math learner. Although the project underdefined the roles of the teachers, teachers showed noteworthy consistency in perception of their roles. The roles of the fellows differed from those of the project description and evolved idiosyncratically within each teacher-fellow partnership. Because a consistent understanding between project directors and participants regarding roles is critical to the success of a project, the authors suggest that further research into roles that emerge within partnerships is vital for the future development of K-12 projects.


Topical issues of analysis and modelling of financial support for development of critical infrastructure objects are considered. The processes of reproduction of the national economy are considered within the framework of the matrix of financial flows (matrix of social accounts), which integrally describes the relationship between the markets and the institutional structure of the economy, makes it possible to allocate individual processes and conduct their analysis for criticality (profitability). The toolkit of these matrixes is taken as a basis for assessing the reproduction processes and identifying their criticality.To this end, a matrix of financial flows has been prepared, which has a block structure (goods and services, production and formation of income, financial flows, budgets of institutional sectors, gross investments, external sector), and generally includes 21 accounts, determining the reproduction processes under the scheme "GDP by income categories – net savings of institutional sectors". The criticality of economic infrastructure is proposed to be assessed as the share of reproducing (gross, net) income in the structure of GDP, as the volatility of these incomes to GDP. Modelling of financial support for the development of critical infrastructure objects consists in the formation of internal conditions of economic growth – in ensuring the subjectivity of economic agents and the growth of national savings. Measures to improve the parameters of criticality in the processes of reproduction of economic infrastructure have been proposed. Methodological and informational sources of research were methodological provisions on national accounting and statistical materials of the State Statistics Service of Ukraine.


three main concerns we have with the paper's estimates are as follows: ■ The total number of patients on monotherapy in Box 3 of the article adds to 1.1 million, whereas elsewhere the authors state that 60% of all 1.2 million Australian patients treated for hypertension are on monotherapy, giving an estimate of 0.72 million. (These estimates of 60% and 1.2 million are not referenced in the article.) One reason for this discrepancy is that the authors have treated the sum of column 4 in Box 2 as patients, not patient-years of treatment (some patients are on dual or triple therapy), leading to a 40% overestimate of numbers of patients on monotherapy reported in Box 3. ■ Utilisation of prescription drugs is recorded by PBS/RPBS only if the cost to patient is subsidised. Therefore, PBS/RPBS expenditure divided by total patient numbers (Box 2) underestimates consumer cost for diuretics and -blockers, both of which cost less than the non-concessional copayment. Of total PBS/RPBS scripts, 16% are for non-cardholders,2 and the cost per script to these patients is about three to four times the prevailing 1998 cardholder copayment. As a rough estimate, total consumer cost for these agents may need to be doubled, and their omission is therefore material. Although non-concessional patients still have a saving, it is less than that estimated in the article. ■ Sensitivity analysis should have been performed on the following critical assumptions: (1) proportion of use for hypertension for each class of drugs, (2) the number of unsubsidised users of diuretics and blockers, and (3) the proportion of patients on each agent who are on monotherapy. It is vital that the current scrutiny by all stakeholders of PBS/RPBS expenditure be informed by reasonable estimates of inappropriate utilisation. The contribution made by the authors in developing a technique to estimate appropriate use for this group of drugs is valuable. However, use of unreferenced estimates of key variables, insufficient application of sensitivity analyses, algebraic errors and inappropriately combining PBS with non-PBS data may cloud rather than shed light on this issue.


Metal halide perovskites have aroused burgeoning interest in the field of photovoltaics owing to their versatile optoelectronic properties. The outstanding power conversion efficiency, high specific power (i.e., power to weight ratio), compatibility with flexible substrates, and excellent radiation resistance of perovskite solar cells (PSCs) enable them to be a promising candidate for next‐generation space photovoltaic technology. Nevertheless, compared with other practical space photovoltaics, such as silicon and III‐V multi‐junction compound solar cells, the research on PSCs for space applications is just in the infancy stage. Therefore, there are considerable interests in further strengthening relevant research from the perspective of both mechanism and technology. Consequently, the approaches used for and the consequences of PSCs for space applications are reviewed. This review provides an overview of recent progress in PSCs for space applications in terms of performance evolution and mechanism exploration of perovskite films and devices under space extreme environments.


Embedded Real Time applications use multi threading to share of real time application. The advantage of multi-threading include greater throughput, more efficient CPU use, Better system reliability improved performance on multiprocessor computer. Real time systems like Flight control systems require very precise timing; multi threading itself becomes an overhead cost mainly due to context switching of the real-time operating system (RTOS). In this paper we propose a new approach to improve the overall performance of embedded systems by implementing register files into processor register bank itself. So that the system use multithreading by moving the context switching component of the real-time operating system (RTOS) to the processor hardware. This technique leads to savings of processor clock cycles used by context switching, By this approach the hard real time embedded systems performance can be improved


Introduction: Multiple tests are available to determine whether a patient is infected with Helicobacter pylori. Some of the methods for identification of this organism include: direct methods like smear examination, culture, histological sections and DNA probe technique; others are indirect like urea breath test and serology. The plethora of diagnostic tests available for the presence of Helicobacter pylori indicate that none of them is 100% accurate. Material and Methods: During a period of one year of this study, blood and antral biopsy specimens from 70 dyspeptic patients and 10 control subjects were collected. All the specimens were processed within 2-3 hours. Rapid urease test, Primary smear, Culture was done on freshly prepared brian-heart infusion agar supplemented with 7% horse blood, vancomycin (6 mg/L) and amphotericin B (2 mg/L). Plates were incubated at 37°C for 7 days in mcIntosh fildes jar under microaerophilic conditions. The prescence of H.pylori was confirmed by colony morphology, secondary smear stained with Gram's stain, Oxidase test, Catalase test and Urease test. Histology was done using Heamatoxylin & Eosin staining and Giminez staining. Serology was also performed using a commercial kit - Novum Helicobacter pylori IgG and IgA ELISA manufactured in Germany. Results: Rapid urease test was positive in 51.4% with a sensitivity and specificity of 60% each. Gram's stain was positive for H.pylori in 44.2% with a sensitivity ans specificity of 62.5% and 80% respectively. Culture was positive in 4.2% cases only and had a sensitivity and specificity of 7.5% and 100% respectively. The H.pylori positivity was 68.5% by IgA serology with a sensitivity and specificity of 75% and 36.7% respectively. In the control group 30% were positive by IgG and 40% by IgA serology.


This volume contains a diverse set of chapters that offer a good balance of quantitative and qualitative methodologies; focus on children, youth, or both children and youth; and come from a variety of theoretical perspectives. Two prominent themes of the volume are adolescents' transition to adulthood and children's time-use issues.


Abstract Carex sect. Ceratocystis is distributed in Eurasia and North America, with a few disjunct taxa in the Southern Hemisphere. Despite being one of the most intensively studied groups within Carex, its taxonomy remains a complex issue due to hybridization and faint morphological boundaries. Two main contrasting approaches to its taxonomy may be distinguished, synthetic and analytical, widely differing in the number of considered taxa. The status of several morphotypes from Europe and the Mediterranean Basin are particularly problematic. We used phylogenetic analyses of nuclear ITS and plastid rps16 and 5′trnK sequences along with cytogenetic data to evaluate the main taxonomic approaches and to infer evolutionary patterns in Europe and North Africa, with a special focus on the problematic morphotypes. Three major clades were found which mostly match morphological features of the utricle. Carex durieui should be excluded from section Ceratocystis. Although a linear agmatoploid series has been generally proposed to account for the cytogenetic evolution of section Ceratocystis, our results suggest chromosome number increase but not in a linear fashion. Different extensive hybridization areas in South Europe are suggested for some of the problematic morphotypes (Pyrenean-Cantabrian Mountains, Atlantic-Iberian Strip and Corsica).


We employ a classification system for tetralogy (TF) that correlates clinical findings with the nature and severity of right ventricular (RV) outflow obstruction. Group 0 infants are acyanotic, Group 1 and 2 infants have intermittent or mild cyanosis with hypoxic spells, Group 3 infants have severe cyanosis without spells, and Group 4 infants have severe cyanosis and pulmonary artery (PA) hypoplasia without spells. Since 1964, 59 infants were identified as having TF, documented by catheterization. Contrary to previous reports, the majority (40 of 59) were acyanotic (Group 0) at birth. Cyanosis and hypoxic spells subsequently developed at mean ages of 6.1 and 13.4 mo respectively, due to increasing muscular infundibular hypertrophy, as well as fibrosis and growth failure of the RV outflow tract, due to diminished pulmonary blood flow. At catheterization (mean age 12.7 mo) only two were still in Group 0. An understanding of the progressive nature of TF suggests that infants in groups 1-3 can have total correction before significant undergrowth of the RV outflow tract occurs. Shunts are performed only in Group 4 infants. Twenty-eight infants from ten weeks to two years old had total correction. Five were under six months. There were two operative deaths (7%) and no late deaths. Heart block did not occur. Late hemodynamic studies in 17 patients reveal good relief of RV obstruction (mean RV-PA gradient 19 mm Hg) and no significant shunts. The natural history of TF in infancy can be successfully interrupted in most cases by early correction.


We describe the design and development of a technology-based inference-making intervention system that includes a set of interactive learning modules, each of which engages students to (a) view age-appropriate children's videos, (b) learn vocabulary words that are central to main ideas in each video, (c) respond to inferential questions, (d) receive scaffolding and specific feedback for each question, and (e) engage in a set of read-aloud lessons implemented by the classroom teacher and designed to promote transfer of inferencing from non-reading to reading contexts. First, we present the design principles that guided development, drawing on an integrated language comprehension framework. Next, we describe the design process, drawing on a field test of the usability and feasibility of the intervention system. Findings revealed that students and teachers found the system to be usable and helpful for support inferencemaking, and that it was feasible for classroom use. Then, we provide evidence from a field trial that showed that children who used the intervention system made gains in language comprehension, and that a version with 'offline' questioning (questions asked after viewing videos) was slightly superior to an 'online' version (questions asked during viewing). Finally, we highlight lessons learned that are informing additional development.


An experiment conducted at Carnegie Mellon University in using students for technology transfer is described. It consisted of sending six students who has completed their sophomore studies in CMU's Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering to visit semiconductor firms in the summer of 1990. They took with them AWEsim, a CMU-developed circuit simulation program. Although the idea of using students for technology transfer won the endorsement of all the participants, reviews were mixed for the circuit simulation program.<<ETX>>


Fulvestrant (Faslodex) is administered by intramuscular injection and is converted into ketone, sulfate, sulfone and glucuronide metabolites. Glucuronidation, catalyzed by 18 members of the UDP-glucuronosyltransferase (UGT) enzyme family, plays a major role in the elimination of natural estrogens. The present study was aimed at identifying and characterizing human UGT enzymes involved in the glucuronidation of this antiestrogen as well as other synthetic estrogen derivatives with aliphatic chains on the E2 molecule. In contrast to E2, which is conjugated by UGT1A1, -1A3, -1A8, -1A10, and -2B7, fulvestrant is glucuronidated by UGT1A1, -1A3, -1A4, and -1A8. The four UGT1A-fulvestrant conjugating enzymes glucuronidate this substrate at position 3, whereas only UGT1A8 also produces fulvestrant-17-glucuronide. For E2, only UGT1A3 and UGT2B7 are capable to conjugate at 17-hydroxyposition. These observations indicate that addition of an aliphatic chain to the E2 molecule modifies the specificity of the UGT enzymes toward the C18 molecules. To further investigate the specificity of these enzymes, a series of E2 derivatives with aliphatic or phenyl chains at position 2, 7α, and 11β was also tested for its conjugation with human UGT enzymes. It was observed that, in addition to UGT1A3, UGT1A1 and UGT1A8 also played important roles for the glucuronidation of these compounds. This suggests that the basic structure of E2 is one of the major determinants for the glucuronidation catalyzed by this group of enzymes. Considering the high level of UGT1A3 and -1A4 expression in the gastrointestinal tract and mammary gland, our results suggest that fulvestrant can be inactivated both in intestine and in its target tissue.


Whdlms' tumor development, like most tumors, involves multiple genetic alterations affecting divershd genes. Only one of these has thus far been identified, the Wilms' tumor I (WTI) gene on 11p 13, which functions as a tumor suppressor gene. We assessed the involvement of the WTI gene constitutionally and somatically in 26 Wilms' tumor patients. Of these, the clinical data suggest a constitutional pre‐disposition in 12 bilateral cases and 7 cases with early onset. We employed Southern blot analysis and PCR‐based markers for analyses of somatic allelic losses in chromosome bands 11 p 13, 11 p 15 and 16q and screened for point mutations in exons 2–10 of the WTI gene with denaturing gradient gel electrophoresis (DGGE). Of the 12 cases with multiple tumors, I exhibited a constitutional 11 p 13 deletion and a somatic stop mutation in exon 4 of the WTI gene and 2 harbored constitutional mutations in the WTI gene: a pre‐mature stop codon in exon 6 in a boy with bilateral cryptorchidism and bilateral Wilms' tumors and an intragenic deletion in a girl with bilateral WT. Three additional bilateral tumors displayed WTI rearrangements or allelic losses with 11 p 13 markers. Four of 7 patients with an early onset of unilateral tumor had losses of 11p 13, though no WTI mutations were detected. Two of the remaining cases that did not show any somatic or constitutional 11 p 13 alterations had Beckwith‐Wiedemann syndrome, known to involve the 11 p 15 region.


PURPOSE
Based on the premises of assertive community treatment and intensive case management, we designed a program delivered by social workers that is targeted at transition to community treatments and social support.

DESIGN AND METHODS
Narrative review and qualitative analysis of three patients who participated in the program.

FINDINGS
Case reports revealed that patients' social networks are small and their relationships are commonly conflictual and unstable.

PRACTICE IMPLICATIONS
Access to patients' social networks is a challenging task. Based on our preliminary experiences with the program, we suggest that more efforts should be made to enhance patients' social and interpersonal abilities.


By varying the hydrolysis and hydrothermal processing parameters in preparing TiO2 nanoparticles different sizes of TiO2 nanoparticles are obtained.(1) At higher autoclaving temperature,lower pH and longer autoclaving period,larger sizes of TiO2 nanoparticles are prepared.(2) The nanoporous electrodes made from sintering smaller TiO2 nanoparticles show relatively poor IPCE and low absorption in UV-Vis spectrum,(3) Higher IPCE can be achieved with TiO2 nanoporous electrodes made from sintering larger TiO2 nanoparticles.These electrodes are suitable for studying behavior of the photoelectrochemistry of dye sensitized nanoporous electrodes.


BACKGROUND
Obstructive sleep apnea (OSA) patients have increased cardiovascular morbidity and mortality. The cardiovascular markers associated with OSA are currently not defined.

OBJECTIVES
The aims of this study were to determine whether OSA is associated with serum cardiac risk markers and to investigate the relationship between them.

METHODS
Sixty-two male patients were classified into two groups with respect to apnea-hypopnea index (AHI): group 1, sleep apnea (n = 30), with AHI > 5; and group 2 (n = 32), with AHI < 5. We compared cardiovascular risk factors in both groups with control subjects (n = 30) without OSA (AHI < 1). Serum cholesterol, triglyceride, high-density lipoprotein cholesterol (HDL-C), low-density lipoprotein cholesterol (LDL-C), apolipoprotein A-I, apolipoprotein B, lipoprotein (a), C-reactive protein (CRP), and homocysteine were measured. Statistical significance was assessed with analysis of variance at p < 0.05. In correlation analysis, Pearson correlation was used.

RESULTS
There was no significant difference between group 1 and group 2 in total cholesterol, LDL-C, HDL-C, triglyceride, apolipoprotein A-I, apolipoprotein B, and lipoprotein (a). All of the M-mode echocardiographic parameters were in the normal reference range. Serum homocysteine and CRP levels were significantly increased in group 1 compared to group 2 (p < 0.05). Serum CRP values were increased in both group 1 and group 2 when compared with control subjects (p < 0.05). Serum homocysteine values were higher in group 1 than in control subjects (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS
Our results show that OSA syndrome is associated not only with slight hyperhomocysteinemia but also with increased CRP concentrations. Increased plasma concentrations of homocysteine and CRP can be useful in clinical practice to be predictor of long-term prognosis for cardiovascular disease and the treatment of OSA.


The influence of the ortho and para isomers on the crystal morphology of meta-chloronitrobenzene (m-CNB) was observed for both melt-grown crystals and crystals grown from solution using acetone as a solvent. The role of the O-CNB and p-CNB isomers in modifying the m-CNB morphology is the same, irrespective of whether growth takes place from the solution or the melt. The morphological changes are therefore much more influenced by the presence of other isomers than by the acetone solvent.


Presently, there is a scarcity of empirical research about art therapy programs in medical settings. Therefore, a survey was created to determine the demographics, therapeutic techniques, materials, and resources of American Art Therapy Association members residing in the New York metropolitan area who work with cancer patients. Four hundred ninety-six surveys were mailed and 386 returned, resulting in a 77.82% return rate. Four notable survey results are discussed: (1) the most effective art materials (collage, paint); (2) the most effective techniques (writing, relaxation, collage); (3) the most supportive health professionals (social workers, psychologists, nurses); and (4) the most helpful resources for respondents (creating artwork, supervision, spiritual/religious practice). In addition, this paper reports on other data of interest to art therapy professionals, including employment status, treatment formats, settings, and annual income.


Purpose: Evaluate the results of the different forms of responses in the melodic temporal ordering test in relation to frequency and duration. Methods: The sample was composed of 33 subjects, for convenience, aged between 17 and 27 years old, normal hearing individuals, presenting no complaints regarding auditory processing and having no hearing impairment, syndromes or craniofacial malformation history; no physical disability (manual), as well as no neurological and speech impairment and education level greater than nine years. They were subjected to the temporal ordering test with musical tone, called melodic Duration Pattern Test (DPT) and Frequency Pattern Test (FPT), applied under three response conditions (motor, humming and motor), performed on the same date. For that, at a first moment, the induvial were asked to recognize the stimuli verbally, then characterize the stimuli in an imitative pattern and, finally, to recognize the stimuli in manual responses. Results: Statistically significant differences were not observed between the three forms of responses for DPT and FPT. However, it is remarkable that there was a greater number of changes for FPT than for DPT, regardless the form of response. Furthermore, motor and verbal responses presented more changes for humming, in FPT. Conclusion: The different forms of response (motor, humming and motor) for the melodic DPT and FPT did not change the results.


Broadband low-loss semiconductor saturable absorber mirrors (SESAMs) in the 1.55-/spl mu/m wavelength range were monolithically grown by solid source molecular beam epitaxy using a Burstein-Moss blue-shifted Ga/sub 0.47/In/sub 0.53/As-InP distributed Bragg reflector. Absorbers with fast and slow temporal responses were used to start up and to stabilize a stretched pulse mode-locked fiber laser. Reliable operation at a fundamental repetition rate was obtained without multiple pulse break-up with pulse energy of over 250 pJ.


Solid-organ transplant recipients are at a 3- to 5-fold increased risk of a de novo malignant neoplasm developing compared with the general population. The most frequently developed virus-associated malignant neoplasms are Kaposi sarcoma (standardized incidence ratio [SIR], 208.0), nonmelanoma skin cancer (SIR, 28.6), and posttransplant lymphoproliferative disorder, primarily non-Hodgkin lymphoma (SIR, 8.1). Immunosuppressive agents such as corticosteroids, antimetabolites, calcineurin inhibitors, and mammalian target of rapamycin (mTOR) inhibitors play a key role in either causing or preventing this complication. It is hypothesized that some of these regimens can impair cancer surveillance, facilitate the action of oncogenic viruses, and promote direct oncogenic activity. Evolving research has shown promising dual antitumor and immunosuppressive properties of the mTOR inhibitor class. The effective management of posttransplant neoplasms most likely involves the use of these medications among other preventative options. These measures include monitoring certain viral loads as well as immunosuppressant drug levels. Reducing these levels to as low as possible for healthy engraftment and altering regimens when appropriate are management strategies that could lessen this complication of solid-organ transplant. More studies examining the effects of therapeutic drug monitoring are needed to determine specific plasma drug concentrations that will ensure organ engraftment without the development of de novo malignant neoplasms.


Orientation of hydroxyapatite (HAp) crystals is one of the promising ways to utilize their anisotropic nature of chemical and biological properties. On the other hand, the development of super conducting magnet technology enables to introduce a high magnetic field which can control crystal orientation of non-magnetic materials with magnetic anisotropy. In this study, a horizontal 10 T static magnetic field was imposed on slurry containing HAp crystals under the horizontal mold rotation during slip casting process so as to introduce c-axis orientation for some amount of crystals in the sample, and then it was sintered in atmosphere without the magnetic field. From SEM observation and X-ray diffraction, it has been found that the c-axis of pillar shape HAp crystals in the sample treated with the magnetic field and the mold rotation were oriented to a particular direction and it was enhanced by the subsequent sintering process, while the c-axis crystal orientation of the sample treated without the magnetic field and with the mold rotation was not observed before and after the sintering.


As part of an effort to characterize Alzheimer's disease-like neuropathy in the canine brain we have determined the age of onset of spontaneous beta-amyloid deposition in 103 laboratory-raised beagles. Tissue samples for each subject were obtained from hippocampal and cortical regions and examined for the incidence and density of beta-amyloid deposition after staining with modified Bielschowsky silver stain and immunohistochemistry. Amyloid deposition was characterized as diffuse plaque or cloud-like formation. The diffuse type of beta-amyloid plaque formation predominated in all brain regions examined. A threshold effect of plaque development was observed; no plaques were apparent in dogs before the age of 10 years, while 36% of dogs aged 11.1-12.9, 60% of dogs aged 13.0-15.0, and 73% of dogs aged 15.1-17.8 developed beta-amyloid deposits. Additionally, a significant increase in plaque density was observed with increasing age.


Nucleosomes positioned on the HIV-1 5′ long terminal repeat (LTR) regulate sense transcription as well as the establishment and maintenance of latency. A negative-sense promoter (NSP) in the 3′ LTR expresses antisense transcripts with coding and non-coding activities. Previous studies identified cis-acting elements that modulate NSP activity. Here, we used the two chronically infected T cell lines, ACH-2 and J1.1, to investigate epigenetic regulation of NSP activity. We found that histones H3 and H4 are present on the 3′ LTR in both cell lines. Following treatment with histone deacetylase inhibitors (HDACi), the levels of H3K27Ac increased and histone occupancy declined. HDACi treatment also led to increased levels of RNA polymerase II (RNPII) at NSP, and antisense transcription was induced with similar kinetics and to a similar extent as 5′ LTR-driven sense transcription. We also detected H3K9me2 and H3K27me3 on NSP, along with the enzymes responsible for these epigenetic marks, namely G9a and EZH2, respectively. Treatment with their respective inhibitors had little or no effect on RNPII occupancy at the two LTRs, but it induced both sense and antisense transcription. Moreover, the increased expression of antisense transcripts in response to treatment with a panel of eleven latency-reversing agents closely paralleled and was often greater than the effect on sense transcripts. Thus, HIV-1 sense and antisense RNA expression are both regulated via acetylation and methylation of lysine 9 and 27 on histone H3. Since HIV-1 antisense transcripts act as non-coding RNAs promoting epigenetic silencing of the 5′ LTR, our results suggest that the limited efficacy of latency-reversing agents in the context of 'shock and kill' cure strategies may be due to concurrent induction of antisense transcripts thwarting their effect on sense transcription.


In General Relativity, the spacetimes of black holes have three fundamental properties: (i) they are the same, to lowest order in spin, as the metrics of stellar objects; (ii) they are independent of mass, when expressed in geometric units; and (iii) they are described by the Kerr metric. In this paper, we quantify the upper bounds on potential black-hole metric deviations imposed by observations of black-hole shadows and of binary black-hole inspirals in order to explore the current experimental limits on possible violations of the last two predictions. We find that both types of experiments provide correlated constraints on deviation parameters that are primarily in the tt-components of the spacetimes, when expressed in areal coordinates. We conclude that, currently, there is no evidence for a deviations from the Kerr metric across the 8 orders of magnitudes in masses and 16 orders in curvatures spanned by the two types of black holes. Moreover, because of the particular masses of black holes in the current sample of gravitational-wave sources, the correlations imposed by the two experiments are aligned and of similar magnitudes when expressed in terms of the far field, post-Newtonian predictions of the metrics. If a future coalescing black-hole binary with two low-mass (e.g., ~3 Msun) components is discovered, the degeneracy between the deviation parameters can be broken by combining the inspiral constraints with those from the black-hole shadow measurements.


An inversion technique is developed to recover the temperature distribution along the radius of a cylindrical billet at the end of the induction heating phase in a semi-solid process using the surface temperature measurement. In the process, a metallic billet is first heated in an induction furnace until it reaches a semi-solid state (partially liquid and partially solid). Then, it is injected into a die and kept there until it solidifies. Subsequently, the die opens, the part is ejected and the cycle starts again. The temperature distribution within the billet at the end of the heating phase is of prime importance for the success of the process and the quality of the product. The inverse algorithm is applied to experimental data recorded by an infrared camera on the side of an aluminium billet heated in an IHS induction heating station. The temperature distribution in the billet is predicted for different heating power levels.


The authors report a case in which congenital microcoria was associated with glaucoma; a complete histopathological study was performed and the relation between microcoria and glaucoma was considered. The association with extra-ocular abnormalities, particularly renal lesions is noticed.


Chara corallina class XI myosin is by far the fastest molecular motor. To investigate the molecular mechanism of this fast movement, we performed a kinetic analysis of a recombinant motor domain of Chara myosin. We estimated the time spent in the strongly bound state with actin by measuring rate constants of ADP dissociation from actin·motor domain complex and ATP-induced dissociation of the motor domain from actin. The rate constant of ADP dissociation from acto-motor domain was >2800 s-1, and the rate constant of ATP-induced dissociation of the motor domain from actin at physiological ATP concentration was 2200 s-1. From these data, the time spent in the strongly bound state with actin was estimated to be <0.82 ms. This value is the shortest among known values for various myosins and yields the duty ratio of <0.3 with a Vmax value of the actin-activated ATPase activity of 390 s-1. The addition of the long neck domain of myosin Va to the Chara motor domain largely increased the velocity of the motility without increasing the ATP hydrolysis cycle rate, consistent with the swinging lever model. In addition, this study reveals some striking kinetic features of Chara myosin that are suited for the fast movement: a dramatic acceleration of ADP release by actin (1000-fold) and extremely fast ATP binding rate.