OBJECTIVE
To evaluate antinuclear antibody (ANA) tests in established cases of systemic lupus erythematosus (SLE) and rheumatoid arthritis (RA) by indirect immunofluorescence microscopy (F-ANA) and enzyme-immunoassays detecting antinucleosomal antibodies (ANSA-EIA).

METHODS
Sera from 50 patients with SLE and 65 patients with RA were analyzed regarding abnormal concentrations of F-ANA (serum dilution>or=1:200=95th percentile among 300 healthy blood donors). The sera were also analyzed with 2 commercial ANSA-EIA kits.

RESULTS
An abnormal F-ANA titer occurred in 76% of the SLE sera compared to 23% in RA, and was not related to present use of antirheumatic drugs. At dilution 1:50, 84% of the SLE sera were F-ANA-positive compared to 20% of healthy women. Forty percent and 56%, respectively, of the SLE sera tested positive in the 2 ANSA-EIA kits. By the most sensitive assay, 96% of the ANSA-positive SLE sera produced a homogenous (chromosomal) F-ANA staining pattern compared to 18% of the ANSA-negative SLE sera. Ten of the 15 F-ANA-positive RA sera (63%) generated homogenous F-ANA staining and 13 (20%) tested positive in the most sensitive ANSA-EIA, but with no correlation to the F-ANA staining pattern.

CONCLUSION
The sensitivity of F-ANA at an abnormal titer was surprisingly low (76%) in established cases of SLE. ANSA occurred in 56% of the SLE sera, but also in a fair number (20%) of RA sera. Practically all ANSA-positive SLE sera were identified by chromosomal F-ANA staining. We conclude that the antigen-specific antinucleosomal EIA does not have high enough diagnostic specificity to justify use of this analysis for routine diagnostic purposes.


The physical challenges of asthma present problems for children and their parents. Nurses can minimize the physical difficulties experienced by asthmatic children and enhance their emotional growth and self confidence by teaching and support.


Nuclear Magnetic Resonance (NMR) is one of the most versatile techniques since it enables the characterization of solid, liquid and gaseous systems in a plethora of in-vitro and in-vivo experiments. Despite its multidisciplinary scope, it still suffers from two drawbacks, namely the intrinsic low sensitivity and the fast return to equilibrium. Dissolution Dynamic Nuclear Polarization (D-DNP) is a powerful scheme to enhance the signals of nuclear spins by up to five orders of magnitude and it is at the forefront of current research in NMR. The main detriment is that the great efforts spent in producing the hard-earned hyperpolarized signals fade because of rapid longitudinal relaxation with a time constant T1. Long-Lived States (LLS) are states with lifetimes that may be much longer than T1. In a two-spin system, they can be defined as a T/S Imbalance (TSI) between the average population of the three triplet (T) states on the one hand and the population of the singlet (S) state on the other. So far, para-hydrogen is the only molecule routinely used as a source of long-lived hyperpolarization. In recent years, it has been shown that it is possible to create a TSI in magnetically in-equivalent spins, by exploiting DNP to lower the spin temperature well below the Zeeman splitting. The present thesis is devoted to combine D-DNP with LLS in the perspective of preparing enhanced and long-lasting NMR signals in systems comprising magnetically equivalent protons. We proved that that is possible to induce the TSI via D-DNP in partly deuterated ethanol and in fumaric acid. In ethanol the TSI has been revealed by 1H-13C cross-relaxation that leads to population differences across observable transitions. In fumarate, we resorted to a symmetry-breaking addition of D2O catalysed by fumarase which makes the TSI observable on the two magnetically in-equivalent protons of malate. In principle, our strategy should allow one to prepare either an excess or a deficiency of para-water, which we like to refer to as "forbidden fruits" of spectroscopy. Water is challenging since its TSI may suffer from relaxation due to fast proton exchange and to spin-rotation. We assessed conditions suitable to slow down proton exchange by dilution in aprotic solvents, yielding lifetimes of water as a molecular entity on a timescale compatible with D-DNP experiments. We designed an arrangement of coaxial tubes to measure T1 of water vapour at known pressures and temperatures. The experimental T1 are rather small (i.e., tens of ms) and in fair agreement with predictions if spin-rotation is the dominant relaxation mechanism. Empirical evidence of the survival of the hyperpolarized signal of water after dissolution in our lab suggests that the exchange of water molecules between the gaseous and liquid phases is either inefficient or slow in most of cases we studied. I report preliminary results of the application of our D-DNP scheme to induce a TSI in water. Considering the complexity of the project, further investigation is needed to unravel and optimize recent observations in view of identifying an unambiguous fingerprint of dilute para-water.


The objective of this work is to generate recommendations on the management of allogeneic stem cell transplantation (allo-SCT) in primary myelofibrosis (PMF). A comprehensive systematic review of articles published between 1999 and 2015 (January) was used as a source of scientific evidence. The recommendations were produced through a Delphi process involving a panel of 23 experts appointed by the European LeukemiaNet and the European Blood and Marrow Transplantation Group. Key questions included patient selection, donor selection, pre-transplant management, conditioning regimen, post-transplant management, prevention, and management of post-transplant relapse. Patients with intermediate-2 or high-risk disease and age < 70 years should be considered candidates for allo-SCT. Patients with intermediate-risk 1 disease and age < 65 years should be considered candidates if they have refractory transfusion-dependent anemia, or a peripheral blood (PB) blast percentage > 2%, or adverse cytogenetics. Splenectomy before transplantation must be decided on a case-by-case basis. Patients with intermediate-2 or high-risk disease who lack a human leukocyte antigen (HLA)-matched sibling or unrelated donor should be enrolled in a protocol that uses HLA non-identical donors. PB was considered the most appropriate source of hematopoietic stem cells for transplants from HLA-matched unrelated donors and siblings. The optimal intensity of the conditioning regimen has yet to be defined. Strategies such as discontinuation of immunosuppressive drugs, infusion of donor lymphocytes, or both were considered adequate to prevent clinical relapse. In conclusion, we provide consensus-based recommendations aimed at optimizing allo-SCT in PMF. Unmet clinical needs were highlighted.


The potential of acrylamide formation and degradation was studied in fructose-asparagine reaction system at different temperatures (120–200°C). Kinetic data for concurrent formation and degradation of acrylamide was analysed based on a simplified form of chemical reaction in series in which acrylamide occurred as an intermediate. Experimental results revealed that the reaction proceeds zero order and first order with respect to asparagine and fructose, respectively. The thermal degradation of acrylamide was determined to be first order in fructose-glycine reaction system. The concurrent formation and degradation of acrylamide followed a typical kinetic pattern at the temperatures studied. Thermal degradation was observed within 60 min at T > 150°C, while only the accumulation was noted at T < 150°C. The mathematical model fitted to experimental data very well within temperature range of 120–200°C. The temperature dependence of both acrylamide formation and degradation were found to obey Arrhenius law, and the activation energies were 52.1 kJ/mol and 72.9 kJ/mol, respectively.


While crowdsourcing approaches in content moderation systems increase the governance capacity of social media, they also offer a loophole for malicious users to massively report and restrict disliked content. To fill the knowledge gap about large-scale, bottom-up attempts at restraining online expressions, we focus on a type of public and institutionalized mass reporting: anti-smear (反黑) campaigns within Chinese online fandom communities, where fans coordinate together and collectively report content they perceive as inappropriate. Based on detailed data of more than two hundred anti-smear groups collected from Weibo and interviews with active participants, our paper examines the motives and dynamics of anti-smear campaigns, the coordination strategies used to game the content moderation system, and the diffusion of anti-smear culture among fandom networks. We argue that anti-smear is essentially a practice of information control and reflects an intolerant mindset of social media users towards dissidents. This paper also points out the vulnerability of community-based content moderation systems to be weaponized in a polarized age, which brings great challenges to platform governance.


The endometrium plays a central role among the reproductive tissues in the context of early embryo-maternal communication and pregnancy. This study investigated transcriptome profiles of endometrium samples from day 18 pregnant vs non-pregnant heifers to get insight into the molecular mechanisms involved in conditioning the endometrium for embryo attachment and implantation. Using a combination of subtracted cDNA libraries and cDNA array hybridisation, 109 mRNAs with at least twofold higher abundance in endometrium of pregnant animals and 70 mRNAs with higher levels in the control group were identified. Among the mRNAs with higher abundance in pregnant animals, at least 41 are already described as induced by interferons. In addition, transcript levels of many new candidate genes involved in the regulation of transcription, cell adhesion, modulation of the maternal immune system and endometrial remodelling were found to be increased. The different expression level was confirmed with real-time PCR for nine genes. Localisation of mRNA expression in the endometrium was shown by in situ hybridisation for AGRN, LGALS3BP, LGALS9, USP18, PARP12 and BST2. A comparison with similar studies in humans, mice, and revealed species-specific and common molecular markers of uterine receptivity.


BACKGROUND
Results in previous qualitative studies of the association of the apoptosis inhibitor survivin with prognosis of breast cancer patients have been contradictory.

METHODS
Survivin mRNA was measured by quantitative TaqMan reverse transcription-PCR in 275 breast cancer tissues from patients with operable tumors and was correlated with established clinicopathologic factors, relapse-free survival [(RFS); 102 events], and overall survival [(OS); 81 events].

RESULTS
High survivin mRNA concentrations were found mainly in tissues from younger patients and in high-grade cancer tissues. High survivin concentrations were most strongly associated with estrogen receptor- or progesterone receptor-negative tumors. In univariate Cox regression analysis for RFS, survivin concentrations were significantly associated with poor prognosis with a hazard ratio (HR) of 1.99 (95% confidence interval, 1.31-3.02; P = 0.001) for every 10-fold increase in expression. For OS, a significant contribution of survivin to poor prognosis was found with a HR of 2.76 (1.67-4.55; P <0.001). Multivariate analyses were performed including established clinicopathologic factors. For RFS, age (P = 0.027), nodal category (P <0.001), and survivin [HR = 1.78 (1.18-2.68); P = 0.006] contributed significantly to the model. For OS, only nodal category (P <0.001) and survivin [HR = 3.05 (1.83-5.10); P <0.001] were significant.

CONCLUSION
Survivin demonstrates a strong, independent, association with poor prognosis. Survivin might be used as a new marker to stratify breast cancer patients for more optimal treatment modalities, or it could be a promising new target for therapy.


BACKGROUND
Although job satisfaction is among the most widely researched topics, relatively little research has been done on this issue as it relates to early childhood educators. This study was designed to contribute significantly to the deficient body of knowledge about working conditions and job satisfaction of day care teachers, in particular with regard to differences in job satisfaction depending on day care centres' ownership.

METHODS
Analyses were based on cross-sectional comparison of 469 questionnaires (42.55% response rate) from day care teachers working at public day care centres with those working at day care centres run by churches or parents' initiatives.

RESULTS
A significant difference in job satisfaction was found between these three types. The important interaction between socio-demographic characteristics, psychosocial working conditions, and job satisfaction could be demonstrated.

CONCLUSION
The present study is one of the few that examines the impacts of day care centres ownership on pedagogical staffs' job satisfaction and indicates that the type of the centre is a potential factor explaining variations. Results provide a valuable basis for the development of solution-focused approaches to improve pedagogical staff working conditions.


Slug, a member of the Snail family of transcriptional factors, is a newly identified suppressive transcriptional factor of E-cadherin. The present study investigated the expression pattern of Slug in thymomas to evaluate its clinical significance. Immunohistochemistry was used to investigate the expression pattern of the Slug protein in archived tissue sections from 100 thymoma and 60 histologically normal thymus tissue samples. The associations between Slug expression and clinicopathological factors, such as prognosis, were analyzed. Positive expression of Slug was detected in a greater proportion of thymoma samples [51/100 (51%) patients, P<0.001] compared with normal thymus tissues [9/60 (15%) cases]. Of the 100 patients with thymoma, 42 (42%) displayed high levels of Slug expression (high-level group) and 58 (58%) displayed low levels of Slug expression (low-level group). The 10-year survival rate was improved for patients in the low-level group when compared with those in the high-level group (P=0.002). A multivariate analysis using the Cox proportional hazards regression model demonstrated that Slug overexpression was not an independent prognostic factor. In conclusion, the present study demonstrated that Slug overexpression was associated with poor prognosis in patients with thymoma. Therefore, Slug may be a potential diagnostic biomarker and a predictor of poor prognosis in thymoma patients.


This study is targeted to compare the performance of three-dimensional (3D) breath-hold gradient and spin-echo sequence (GRASE) and conventional respiratory-trigger fast spin-echo sequence (FSE) for magnetic resonance urography (MRU). Image quality and diagnostic performance of urinary tract dilation from two data sets were evaluated by three radiologists. The results showed that 3D GRASE MRU had a better performance compared with the FSE MRU, indicating 3D GRASE technique could be a feasible option for 3D MRU.


The family Asterocheridae Giesbrecht has several genera associated with sponges including Asterocheres Boeck, 1859. The type genus is commonly found in sponges but it is also recorded in echinoderms, bryozoans, and corals. A revision of the diagnosis of Asterocheres conducted in 2010 was the beginning of a reorganization process, culminating in the present status of 63 valid species. This study describes a new species and genus of the Asterocheridae. Neoasterocheres gen. nov. shares many characteristics with Asterocheres sensu stricto, except for the antennule segmentation which shows ancestral segments IX-XII fused to segment XIII. The new species of Neoasterocheres gen. nov. was found in association with the sponge Callyspongia sp. sampled at the Yatch Club Bay, located in Todos-os-Santos Bay, Salvador city, Bahia State, Brazil. A revision of the Asterocheres sensu stricto indicates that A. enewetakensis Humes, 1997, A. dysideae Humes, 1996b, A. humesi Varela, 2012, A. rotundus Malt, 1991, A. scutatus Stock, 1966, and A. serrulatus (Humes, 1996a) share this fusion and therefore should be transferred to the new genus. A redescription of Neoasterocheres serrulatus n. comb. is also provided, based on the examination of type specimens.


- Cancer occurs as a result of mutations, or abnormal changes, in the genes responsible for regulating the growth of cells and keeping them healthy. The cells in our bodies replace themselves through an orderly process of cell growth: healthy new cells take over as old ones die out. Cell, in due course of time, gains the ability to keep dividing without control or order, producing more cells just like it and forming a tumor. The breast has developed from cells in the breast due to a malignant tumor. In this paper an attempt is made to find out the role of protein in reaching the different stages of breast cancer on the basis of experts opinion using the weighted multi expert neural networks system


Purpose – The purpose of this paper is to evaluate the changing use of language concerning the drug Ecstasy and their potential consequences over the last ten years. Design/methodology/approach – The research used metadata analysis of different resource types to assess the changing frequency with which the terms Ecstasy and MDMA occur. Findings – Since 2011 there has been an increase in the use of the term "MDMA" relative to "Ecstasy". The prevalence of the term MDMA is higher than that of Ecstasy in both academic literature and web based information resources. This is also found in the public's own use of the terms. The shift from one term to the other highlights the lack of uniformity in the way Ecstasy and MDMA are reported. This underlines the need for clarity and consistency in reporting this substance so that correct information is disseminated for use by the general public, law enforcement agencies and healthcare professionals. Originality/value – This paper establishes a time line for when the ter...


Replication of human immunodeficiency virus type 1 (HIV-1) is regulated by virus-encoded regulatory proteins, as well as by a variety of cellular factors. Productive infection of human T lymphocytes by HIV-1 is dependent upon the activation status of the target cells. In general, short-term mitogenic stimulation of CD4 T cells is used to enhance infection of peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMC) in vitro. Recently, we demonstrated that adoptive transfer of human PBMC into lethally irradiated BALB/c mice, radioprotected with severe combined immunodeficiency (SCID) mouse bone marrow, leads to marked T-cell activation and proliferation. In the present study, we investigated the effect of such xenoactivation of human T cells on their susceptibility to HIV-1 infection. Human cells that were recovered from human/Balb radiation chimeras supported efficient replication of laboratory strains of HIV-1, as well as of HIV-1 clinical isolates. The multiplicity of infection required to attain effective virus replication in the recovered xenoactivated human cells was 10- to 100-fold lower than that needed for infection of short- or long-term phytohemagglutinin (PHA)-stimulated blasts or of various T-cell lines. Analysis of human cell surface activation markers has indicated that xenoactivation in the mouse, in contrast to in vitro stimulation with PHA, is associated with a marked downregulation of CD25 (interleukin 2 receptor). Our results demonstrate that human cells recovered from human/Balb radiation chimeras, which are hypersensitive to HIV-1 infection, differ from in vitro-stimulated cells in their activation status. Therefore, this system could be used to study host factors that participate in HIV-1 infection and replication in vitro and in vivo.


Spin polarization of Auger electrons arising from photoionization of atoms by circularly polarized light is studied theoretically. We present numerical calculations for the spin-polarization and angular anisotropy parameters of Auger decay for the Ar L3M2,3M2,3, Kr M4,5N2,3N2,3, Xe N4,5O1O2,3 and Xe N4,5O2,3O2,3 transitions. Our model employs Dirac-Fock wavefunctions using intermediate coupling for the final ionic states. We give complete data sets including relative intensities, angular distribution and all spin polarization parameters for the transitions considered, that are calculated consistently within one model.


Abstract A 29-year-old man was bitten on the forearm by a wild Gila monster. Radiographs demonstrated subcutaneous air. During a period of observation, erythema and edema progressed from the forearm to the axilla and he developed a significant leukocytosis. No purulence was found upon surgical evaluation. We hypothesize that air was introduced into the wound by the "pulsing," chewing-like action that the Gila monster made while it was attached to the man's forearm.


Drugs have become an integral part of our lives. It is a boon for the humanity for prevention, diagnosis, treatment and cure of disease. Besides beneficial effects drugs do have some adverse environmental effects. The disposal methods create a lot of dilemma in the minds of drug users and caregivers. This has given birth to the descipline of Ecopharmacovigilance. There are various countries, especially European and American with regulatory requirements which governs ERA of pharmaceuticals. Most drugs can be thrown in the household trash, but consumers should take certain precautious before tossing them out according to the Food and drug administration (FDA). A few drugs should be flushed down the toilet, besides, take back programs at the level of community offer safe disposable alternative. Despite the safety reason for flushing drugs, some people are questioning the practice because of trace levels of drugs and residues are  found in surface water, such as river , lakes and in some community, drinking water supplies. Exposure of human beings and animals to drugs through the environment affect them directly or indirectly. Measures like safe disposable methods, education about judicious and rational use of drugs and development of biodegradable products may go a long way in achieving or minimising environmental pollution by drug. Key works- Ecopharmacovigilance, drug disposal ERA, FDA


In this paper, we present an accelerated numerical method based on random projection for sparse linear regression. Previous studies have shown that under appropriate conditions, gradient-based methods enjoy a geometric convergence rate when applied to this problem. However, the time complexity of evaluating the gradient is as large as $\mathcal{O}(nd)$, where $n$ is the number of data points and $d$ is the dimensionality, making those methods inefficient for large-scale and high-dimensional dataset. To address this limitation, we first utilize random projection to find a rank-$k$ approximator for the data matrix, and reduce the cost of gradient evaluation to $\mathcal{O}(nk+dk)$, a significant improvement when $k$ is much smaller than $d$ and $n$. Then, we solve the sparse linear regression problem via a proximal gradient method with a homotopy strategy to generate sparse intermediate solutions. Theoretical analysis shows that our method also achieves a global geometric convergence rate, and moreover the sparsity of all the intermediate solutions are well-bounded over the iterations. Finally, we conduct experiments to demonstrate the efficiency of the proposed method.


In the vehicular Adhoc network there are lot of works proposed, this paper speaks about the network in different concept such that, a system where users aboard communication-enabled vehicles are interested in downloading different contents from Internet-based servers. This development captures many of the infotainment services that vehicular communication is envisioned to enable, including news reporting, navigation maps and software updating[14], or multimedia file downloading. In this paper, we outline the performance limits of such a vehicular content downloading system by modelling the downloading process as an optimization problem, and maximizing the overall system throughput. Our approach allows us to investigate the impact of different factors, such as the roadside infrastructure deployment, the vehicle-to-vehicle relaying, and the penetration rate of the communication technology, even in presence of large instances of the problem. Results highlight the existence of two operational regimes at different penetration rates and the importance of an efficient, yet 2-hop constrained, vehicle-to-vehicle relaying.


We consider the semiparametric estimation of fractional cointegration in a multivariate process of cointegrating rank r > 0. We estimate the cointegrating relationships by the eigenvectors corresponding to the r smallest eigenvalues of an averaged periodogram matrix of tapered, differenced observations. The number of frequencies m used in the periodogram average is held fixed as the sample size grows. We first show that the averaged periodogram matrix converges in distribution to a singular matrix whose null eigenvectors span the space of cointegrating vectors. We then show that the angle between the estimated cointegrating vectors and the space of true cointegrating vectors is Op(ndu−d), where d and du are the memory parameters of the observations and cointegrating errors. The proposed estimator is invariant to the labeling of the component series and thus does not require that one of the variables be specified as a dependent variable. We determine the rate of convergence of the r smallest eigenvalues of the periodogram matrix and present a criterion that allows for consistent estimation of r. Finally, we apply our methodology to the analysis of fractional cointegration in interest rates.


We develop and analyze an optimization-based method for the coupling of a static peri-dynamic (PD) model and a static classical elasticity model. The approach formulates the coupling as a control problem in which the states are the solutions of the PD and classical equations, the objective is to minimize their mismatch on an overlap of the PD and classical domains, and the controls are virtual volume constraints and boundary conditions applied at the local-nonlocal interface. Our numerical tests performed on three-dimensional geometries illustrate the consistency and accuracy of our method, its numerical convergence, and its applicability to realistic engineering geometries. We demonstrate the coupling strategy as a means to reduce computational expense by confining the nonlocal model to a subdomain of interest, and as a means to transmit local (e.g., traction) boundary conditions applied at a surface to a nonlocal model in the bulk of the domain.


Over the past several years, some users of the GPS navigation system have already benefitted from the addition of various new signals in addition to the legacy C/A- and P(Y)-code. With the introduction of the Block IIR-M satellites in 2005, a new civil signal (L2C) was transmitted on the L2 frequency, and a new signal on a new frequency (L5) was introduced as a standard signal with the Block IIF satellites beginning in 2010. These new signals provide direct access to dual-frequency observations and thus enable improved ionospheric corrections for civil, including aeronautical, users. In addition, a new Civil Navigation (CNAV) broadcast message has been defined in the GPS Interface Specifications (IS-GPS-200 and IS-GPS-705).


This study aims to detect the possibility of fraud on BUMN companies listing on the Indonesia Stock Exchange 2012-2016 by using eight of Beneish's Model .The object of this study is all BUMN companies listing on the Indonesia Stock Exchange which publishes audited financial statements for fiscal year 2012 - 2016, which amounted to 20 (twenty) companies. The sampling technique is by using purposive sampling method where the sample is determined based on certain criteria determined by the researcher and has limitations in terms of generalization. The sample of research is 50 (fifty companies) Data collection method using documentation method Data analysis technique used is descriptive quantitative analysis using Beneish Ratio Index Variable in this research is Days' Sales In Receivables Index (DSRI), Gross Margin Index ( GMI), Asset Quality Index (AQI), Sales Growth Index (SGI), and Total Accruals To Total Assets Index (TATA)) Based on the eight models of Beneish's Model, the Days' Sales In Receivables Index (DSRI), Gross Margin Index GMI), Asset Quality Index (AQI), Sales Growth Index (SGI), and Total Accruals To Total Assets Index (TATA) have no effect on fraud. K e ywords:  financial statement, fraud , Beneish's Model


Personal or private home pages are Web sites published and maintained by individuals or informal, small groups. The paper presents the personal home page as a new object of sociological, psychological, linguistic, and communication studies research. It shows how theories of identity, self-presentation and computer-mediated communication are being applied to personal home pages. The paper is the first systematic review of about thirty personal home page studies. In oder to integrate the diverse empirical findings a communication studies framework is used: Personal home pages are regarded as media products with specific production processes, product characteristics, and reception processes. The paper ends by suggesting some possible directions for future research.


Objective: Synthesis, characterization and biological screening of some new 1,6-disubstituted Octahydro-1H-pyrrolo[3,4-b]pyridine Schiff base (13a-n) derivatives. Methods: The scaffold of Octahydro-1H-pyrrolo [3,4-b]pyridine Schiff bases was prepared, synthesised and screened for their biological activity. Results: The structure of newly synthesized compounds was characterized by spectral data and screened for their biological activity like antioxidant, antimicrobial, antifungal, and chelating efficacy activities against various bacteria and fungi strains. Screening revealed that several of these compounds (13a-n) showed potential biological activity. Conclusion: Investigation on newly synthesised 1,6-disubstituted Octahydro-1H-pyrrolo[3,4-b]pyridine Schiff base (13a-n) derivatives for their biological activity revealed that some of the compounds showed good antioxidant, chelating and antimicrobial properties. The fact that the newly synthesised Schiff bases in this study are chemically related to the current medication and suggests further work is clearly warranted and to be explored.


Aims:

Develop and analyze a mathematical model of the effect of inpatient rehabilitation of tobacco smokers on tobacco smoking using Kenya as a case study.
Perform stability analysis on the smoking free equilibrium point and endemic equilibrium point of the model.
Use numerical simulation to investigate the impact of inpatient rehabilitation of tobacco smokers on smoking.

Place and Duration of Study: Department of Mathematics and Actuarial Science, School of Pure and Applied Sciences (SPAS), Kenyatta University, Kenya, between May 2019 and September 2020.
Tobacco smoking is a serious burden in Kenya and the world at large. Smoking harms nearly every organ of the body and affects the overall health of a person. Despite the overwhelming facts about the consequences of tobacco smoking, it remains a bad wont which is socially accepted and widely spread. In this research we numerically analyze the dynamics of smoking incorporating the impact of inpatient rehabilitation to curb the smoking habit. We first present a three-compartment model incorporating inpatient rehabilitation, then develop the system of ordinary differential equations governing the smoking dynamics. The basic reproduction number is determined using next generation matrix method. The model equilibria were computed and the stability analysis carried out. The results of stability analysis indicate that the disease-free equilibrium (DFE) is both locally and globally asymptotically stable for RS < 1 while the endemic equilibrium is both locally and globally asymptotically stable for RS > 1. Numerical simulations of model carried out with the help of MATLAB shows that, when rehabilitation is implemented effectively, it helps in minimization of smoking in the community.


The donor properties of a series of heteroarylphosphines (bearing 2- and 3-furyl, 2- and 3-thienyl, and 1-methylpyrrol-2-yl groups directly bound to phosphorus) towards selenium and platinum(II) acceptors have been investigated by 31P n.m.r. studies of the one-bond coupling constants 1J(77Se–31P) and 1J(195Pt–31P). It is shown that the respective coupling constants increase as the heteroaryl groups become more electron withdrawing, indicating an increased s character for the phosphorus lone pair. The implications of this for the relative donor properties of the heteroarylphosphines and PPh3 are considered.


In patients with difficult airways, there can be difficulty with advancing the endotracheal tube into the airway even with a good view of the glottis using video laryngoscopy. The purpose of this study was to determine if the time required to intubate an airway and the number of gaze changes by the laryngoscopist could be decreased by using a novel video laryngoscope technique. Sixteen experienced Certified Registered Nurse Anesthetists were recruited to intubate a manikin with a normal or difficult airway using both the laryngoscope first technique and a new endotracheal tube first technique (4 intubations total) in a randomized sequence. The data were analyzed with the Mann-Whitney (U) test to compare the differences between the normal and difficult airway conditions. Although no significant difference was noted in the time to intubation between intubation techniques, the number of gaze changes was found to be significantly fewer in the tube first technique (P=.0009). A steep learning curve, associated with the accommodation of the manikin, was demonstrated by a decrease in time and gaze changes with subsequent intubations. Incorporating the endotracheal tube first technique into an education curriculum could increase patient safety by decreasing the time to secure a difficult airway.


A126 Breast cancer cells coexist with normal mammary cells. It is unclear whether breast cancer cells promote pre-neoplastic phenotypes of surrounding normal mammary cells and whether there is any preventive approach to inhibit this process of carcinogenesis. We studied the possible stimulation effects of paracrine signaling from breast cancer cells to non-cancerous mammary epithelial cells. Media was conditioned in the presence of metastatic human breast cancer cells, MDA-MB-231 with high levels of activated Signal Transducers and Activators of Transcription 3 (Stat3). The persistent tyrosine phosphorylation of Stat3 is frequently found within breast carcinoma. The conditioned media from MDA-MB-231 cancer cells was then used to treat MCF-10A, a non-cancerous breast epithelial cell line. Western blot analysis demonstrated that soluble factor(s) secreted by MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells were sufficient to amplify p-Stat3 (Y705) levels within MCF-10A cells and increased cell proliferation, and global DNA methylation changes in MCF-10A cells treated with conditioned media from MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. These results also prompted us to question which specific cytokines were responsible for this boost in Stat3 phosphorylation. ELISA analysis confirmed low levels of IL-6 secretion by MCF-10A and high levels of IL-6 secretion by MDA-MB-231. Human recombinant IL-6 was added to MCF-10A cells and the stimulation of Stat3 phosphorylation and cell proliferation were observed.
 >Treatment of MCF-10A cells with 10 μM JSI-124, a Jak/Stat3 inhibitor, blocked increasing Stat3 phosphorylation and cell proliferation after treatment with conditioned media. Further, we demonstrated for the first time that the addition of dietary and chemoprevention agent, curcumin blocks the increase in Stat3 phosphorylation and cell proliferation in MCF-10A cells treated with conditioned media from MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. Curcumin not only blocks the paracrine signaling stimulatory effects from MDA-MB-231 cells on MCF-10A cells but also inhibits the cell viability of MDA-MB-231 breast cancer cells. We will further examine whether curcumin can inhibit global DNA methylation changes in MCF-10A cells treated with conditioned media from MDA-MB-231 cancer cells.


Gold nanoparticles have attracted considerable attention owing to their appealing plasmonic properties that have found applications in sensing, imaging, and energy harvesting. In the present article, we report the synthesis of anisotropic concave Au nanocuboids using a seeded growth method controlled by a seed concentration. Unlike conventional nonconcave counterparts which typically present two fundamental plasmonic modes (transverse and longitudinal modes), our experimental measurements and theoretical analysis show that the anisotropic concave Au nanocuboid has three plasmonic resonances. Theoretical calculations based on a finite element method confirm that the third resonance is a transverse "edge" mode, which is enhanced by the sharpened edges of the concave surfaces. This third resonance is found to be separated from the conventional broad transverse mode band. Because of the separation of the resonance mode, the quality-factor of the original transverse mode shows nearly a 3-fold enhancement.


Purpose. Scientific substantiation of the expedient depth of mining the non-metallic deposits of rocky minerals on the basis of mathematical and statistical methods, which will ensure resource-saving and rational use of natural resources. Methods. To solve the purpose set, the following methods are used: graphical-analytical – when optimizing the maximum depth of mining the deposits of building materials, and the method of mathematical modeling – for determining the maximum depth of mining the non-metallic deposits with internal dumping. By means of statistical processing according to systematized types of deposits, the patterns of a change in the maximum depth of mining the basic deposits, depending on the main parameters of the quarry field, have been studied. Findings. A new methodology, which is distinguished by taking into account in-pit dumping, has been developed for calculating the maximum depth of granite quarries, which most of all influences the efficiency of mining operations and the value of economic indicators while ensuring the maximum economic effect with the achievement of a rational maximum depth of mining the deposit. A new, theoretically substantiated methodology has been created for determining the maximum depth of mining the mineral deposits for the production of crushed-stone products while providing the resource- and land-saving during the quarry operation. Originality. For the first time for these deposits, the dependence of their maximum mining depth on the main parameters of the quarry field and the place of internal dumping of overburden rocks has been determined. This has become a determining factor in the appropriate mining of deep non-metallic deposits of building materials with internal dumping, which provides a minimal land disturbance. Practical implications. The research results have been tested and implemented in working projects for mining the Liubymivske, Chaplynske, Pervomaiske, Mykytivske, Trykratske and Novoukrainske granite deposits; as a result of additional mining of mineral reserves, their additional increment in the volume from 1 to 48 million m3 is possible, which will ensure 5-40 years of sustainable operation of the mining enterprise.


The determination of an elderly person's competence in guardianship decisions rests primarily on the written statement of an examining physician. We evaluated this physican input by retrospectively reviewing 40 competency case files of persons over age 60 from the Harris County Probate Courts. Of the 40 physician letters reviewed: 10 (25%) did not include a medical or psychiatric diagnosis; 37 (92.5%) did not include results of a formal mental status exam; 19 (47.5%) of the letters were essentially unsupported statements of incompetence. Finally, 29 (72.5%) of the cases failed to include a statement on prognosis or potential need for reevaluation. The medical information transmitted to the courts in guardianship cases involving the elderly was inadequate for the courts to make informed decisions. Guidelines for evaluation were developed to facilitate the transmission of adequate patient data, and to direct physicians as to what information is needed by the court in making guardianship decisions.


Near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) is known to be a suitable technique for rapid fermentation monitoring. Industrial fermentation media are complex, both chemically (ill-defined composition) and physically (multiphase sample matrix), which poses an additional challenge to the development of robust NIRS calibration models. We investigated the use of NIRS for at-line monitoring of the concentration of clavulanic acid during an industrial fermentation. An industrial strain of Streptomyces clavuligerus was cultivated at 200-L scale for the production of clavulanic acid. Partial least squares (PLS) regression was used to develop calibration models between spectral and analytical data. In this work, two different variable selection methods, genetic algorithms (GA) and PLS-bootstrap, were studied and compared with models built using all the spectral variables. Calibration models for clavulanic acid concentration performed well both on internal and external validation. The two variable selection methods improved the predictive ability of the models up to 20%, relative to the calibration model built using the whole spectra.


Author(s): Taylor, Carmen | Advisor(s): Majumdar, Sharmila | Abstract: Chronic diseases such as cancer and cardiovascular disease are among the leading causes of death in industrialized nations such as the United States. In addition, many other chronic diseases such as osteoarthritis result in disability and reduced quality of life for even more people, especially as they age. Imaging modalities, such as single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and x-ray computed tomography (CT), have a unique advantage in the area of medical research relative to their classical counterparts such as histology and gross pathology. Noninvasive imaging methodologies are an attractive alternative for obtaining physiologic assessments without disruption of the phenomenon of interest.In response to the importance placed on noninvasive small animal studies at the biological and medical research fronts, the focus of this work is on the advancement of imaging technologies which will augment and extend the current capabilities of noninvasive imaging systems. In the initial portion of this thesis, we will focus on the advancement of SPECT and CT techniques used to measure perfusion and those biological factors to which it is correlated, including improvements in physiological monitoring, dual-isotope imaging, and dual-modality imaging. In addition, we will complement our design focus with an illustration of the effectiveness of the small animal imaging approach to the study of osteoarthritis using MRI. We will illustrate the utility of imaging techniques via an ex vivo MRI study of human osteochondral specimens, and then we will apply them to study the development of osteoarthritis in vivo in a rabbit model.


A sensitive and specific colorimetric assay for paracetamol (acetaminophen) in plasma is described. After a selective column extraction (Extrelut) and hydrolysis, paracetamol is determined by the (modified) Axelrod and Brodie procedure. The whole processing is performed in a centrifuge tube. This method yields a high recovery (90%), saves time and only 1 ml of plasma is needed. Due to low blank values, the limit of detection is as low as 0.2 microgram/ml. At a concentration of 10 and 2 microgram/ml the coefficient of variation is 4% and 10%, respectively. In contrast to the often used extraction method, no emulsions are formed with this column procedure. One person is able to perform 50 analysis per day.


The finite-dimensional semisimple Hopf algebras over an algebraically closed field are classified under the assumption that the algebra has a unique irreducible representation of dimension greater than 1. Bibliography: 9 titles.


Animals and in vitro preparations of cholinesterase were exposed to massive doses of gamma radiation from a barium-lanthanum source and from two x-ray sources. The cholinesterase activity and the activity-pS kinetics of rat brain were unaffected by an in vivo dose of 60,000 r from the isotope source. The animals were in violent convulsion and had severe diarrhea at the time they were killed. The activity of whole human plasma was unaffected by 100,000 r of 1000-kvp x-rays. Dilute hemolysate of human blood in 0.1% gelatin was inactivated 10% by 150,000 r of 250-kvp x-rays. Purified cholinesesterase in dilute sheep serum was inactivated at a rate of 15%/100,000 r of 250-kvp x-rays. In m/15 phosphate buffer containing 0.1% bacteriological gelatin it was inactivated at a rate of 50%/100,000 r from the isotope source. In buffer alone it was inactivated at a rate of 21%/10,000 r from the isotope source. The relationship between dose and effect appears to be linear, and this is attributed to the very low concentration of enzyme molecules which makes the probability of a second hit negligible. The gradation of protection is regarded as a nonspecific effect, a function of the concentration of large molecules which compete for the ionization. The enzyme was not protected by a high concentration of its substrate. While the enzyme can be inactivated by gamma irradiation, the conditions required are so different from those found in the intact animal that the signs and symptoms resembling cholinergic manifestations observed with supralethal doses cannot be explained in terms of inactivation of cholinesterase by the radiation.


Chapter one develops a dynamic model to investigate the paradox of the Chinese state-society relations before and after the reform. By assuming that citizens and the government are both forward looking and protestors in the CCP regime have to pay the durable cost, the model generates several findings. First, the model identifies an increasing number of protests in a transition economy because the decentralized reform has induced such significant changes as the weakened central authority, released social control and increased distributable income. Second, a low level of social unrests is found in both stationary and non-stationary equilibrium in a central planning economy. Third, the model demonstrates the strong capability of a command economy in administrating economic crisis. Finally, the future tendency of the Chinese state-society relations depends on the re-strengthening of central authority and the techniques that the center will apply to respond the mass incidents.Chapter two develops the Crowford and Sobel's cheap talk model (1982) and Hoff and Stiglitz's model of anarchy of demand for the rule of law (2004), and investigates the significance of peasants' rebellions on Chinese dynastic stability and the large variance in the duration of reign within the dynastic cycle. I contend that dynastic stability is determined by the initial land distribution and the center-local relationship in the Central Autocratic System. As the center cannot constrain the local corruption, the portion of peasant proprietors and thus dynastic stability has a tendency of decreasing over time. In addition, the patterns of dynastic longevity are shaped by the type of preceding wars before the dynasty was built.Very few researches focus on the role of judicial system in determining the level of corruption. Employing a formal model with empirical analyses, Chapter three incorporate economic factors with political constraints to investigate the different roles of democracy and judicial independence in determining the level of bureaucrats' corruption across countries. Empirically, the instrumental variable (IV) approach is applied to resolve the endogeneity problems. The evidence indicates that different levels of corruption across countries are significantly influenced by the degrees of judicial independence. To fight corruption successfully, I contend that the judiciary, as a hard institutional constraint to resist bureaucratic corruption, has to be independent from the government.


This article analyzes data from a summer literacy program for intermediate and middle-level children of migrant farmworkers. The program was grounded in a sociocultural perspective on literacy, stressing the importance of interaction and collaboration within socioculturally responsive pedagogy, using enabling literature to empower students. Adaptations of readers' and writers' workshop methods, emphasizing the significance of valuing students' individual responses, were used throughout. The students were presented with a documentary, young adult novels, and more than two dozen children's picture storybooks representing the lives of migrant farmworkers. Then, using their own responses to these enabling mentor texts as scaffolding, the students collaborated to create illustrated narratives about growing up as migrants. The program provided a safe space that encouraged migrant students to express their experiences and concerns—normally silenced in classrooms—during literacy tasks and empowered them to ask for support. The program demonstrated the benefits of combining socioculturally responsive critical literacy pedagogy with enabling instructional materials in the development of emergent conscientization among the students. Finally, this article shows how the migrant students' perspectives and experiences can inform and challenge teachers, citizens, and policy makers to address the systemic injustices in the lives of migrant children.


In this paper, we study metric structures with a nite number of metrics by extending the model theory developed by Ben Yaacov et al. in the monograph Model theory for metric structures. We rst de ne a metric structure with nitely many metrics, develop the theory of ultraproducts of multimetric structures, and prove some classical model-theoretic theorems about saturation for structures with multiple metrics. Next, we give a characterization of axiomatizability of certain classes of multimetric structures. Finally, we discuss potential avenues of research regarding structures with multiple


Gallium Nitride, a wide bandgap semiconductor, is a robust material with applications in high-power transistors and power amplifiers. However, processing technology is still maturing and transistors performance are far from theoretical limits. We investigate several design aspects of the heterojunction transistor including ohmic contact, gate insulation and high off-state breakdown. We discuss ohmic contact formation approaches for low contact resistance (Rc) and low temperature processing and achieve Rc less than 0.2 Ω∙mm. For the transistor gate insulation in the Metal-Insulator-Semiconductor Heterojunction, we study many high-κ dielectrics, deposited by Atomic Layer Deposition, using both TiO2 and HfO2 variations. We also discuss methods towards evaluating interface trap defects at the insulator/GaN interface. Lastly, we cover one method towards improving off-state breakdown voltage for an InAlN/GaN transistor. Various electrical characterization methods are discussed such as pulsed and DC Current-Voltage and Capacitance-Voltage measurements.


With the proliferation of location-based services, geo-textual data is becoming ubiquitous. Objects involved in geo-textual data include geospatial locations, textual descriptions or keywords, and various attributes (e.g., a point-of-interest has its expenses and users' ratings). Many types of spatial keyword queries have been proposed on geo-textual data. Among them, one prominent type is to find, for a query consisting of a query location and some query keywords, a set of multiple objects such that the objects in the set collectively cover all the query keywords, and the object set is of good quality according to some criterion. Existing studies define the criterion either based on the geospatial information of the objects solely, or simply treat the geospatial information and the attribute information of the objects together without differentiation though they may have different semantics and scales. As a result, they cannot provide users flexibility to express finer grained preferences on the objects. In this paper, we propose a new criterion which is to find a set of objects where the distance (defined based on the geospatial information) is at most a threshold specified by users and the cost (defined based on the attribute information) is optimized. We develop a suite of two algorithms including an exact algorithm and an approximation algorithm with provable guarantees for the problem. We conducted extensive experiments on both real and synthetic datasets, which verified the efficiency and effectiveness of proposed algorithms.


Defense establishments and the armed forces they organize, train, equip, and deploy depend upon the security of capital and capital flows, mechanisms that have become increasingly globalized. Military capabilities are thus closely tied not only to the size of the economic base from which they are drawn, but also to the viability of global convertibility and exchange arrangements. Although the general public has a stake in these economic matters, the interests and interpretive understandings held by policy elites matter most-in particular those among the owners or managers of capital who focus on international finance and the international monetary regimes that sustain global commerce and their capital positions. In The Dollar and National Security, Paul Viotti explores the links between global capital flows, these policy elites, and national security. After establishing the historical link between currency, gold, and security, he continues the monetary-security story by examining the instrumental role the dollar has played in American economic and national security over the past seven decades. He reveals how perceived individual and collective interests are the key drivers toward building the kind of durable consensus necessary to sustain the external financing of American foreign and national security policy, and addresses the future implications for national security as decision-makers in the BRICs and other countries position themselves to assume an even larger policy presence in global commercial, monetary, and security matters.


The author considers the acoustic phonon radiation by the plasma waves of quasi-two-dimensional inversion electron layers. The electron-phonon interaction is taken into account using the phenomenological deformation potential in the jellium model.


Microbial technology for the comprehensive utilization of excess activated sludge, i.e. production of PHA by adding native PHA synthesis-bacteria during domestication and fermentation for activated sludge; bioleaching activated sludge to remove heavy metals by Acidithiobacillus ferrooxidans and Acidithiobacillus thiooxidans; production of biological fertilization by using solid state fermentation for P-solubilizing bacteria and K-releasing bacteria. Results showed that the ratio of PHA in VSS was above 20% under the 500 L pilot scale; the contents of heavy metals in activated sludge accorded with the National Discharge Standard; the number functional bacteria for microbial fertilizer was above one hundred million.


We report a Cu NMR Knight shift K in a prototypical heavy-fermion system CeCu6 in the temperature range of 1.5 K–100 K at applied magnetic fields up to 15 T. With increasing magnetic field, the 63Cu NMR Knight shift for H‖[001] is suppressed drastically. The suppression of K with increasing field is consistent with the field dependence of the susceptibility. In order to explain this behavior, we adopted the Kondo resonance level model, where the thermodynamics at low temperatures are proportional to the density of states at the energy µH. The resonant model was found to correctly predict the suppression of the Knight shift with increasing magnetic field.


A fuzzy adaptive distance dynamic clusters (FADDC) algorithm, which is specially designed to search for clusters that lie in subspaces (such as lines, and (hyper)planes) is presented. One major drawback of all clustering algorithms is that the number of clusters has to be known a priori. A novel compatible cluster merging (CCM) technique, which finds the optimum number of clusters in an efficient way, is proposed. Such subspace clustering techniques may be used for character recognition and to obtain straight-line descriptions of an edge image. They may also be used to obtain planar approximations of 3-D (range) data. The effectiveness of the proposed algorithms in several such situations is demonstrated with real data.<<ETX>>


This second volume of The Shakespearean International Yearbook continues the work of assessing the present state of Shakespeare studies in the new millennium. Comprising 20 essays by distinguished scholars from North America, the UK and Australia, it is divided into sections on criticism and theory; text, textuality and technology; Renaissance ideas and conventions; and Shakespeare and the city. The essays address issues that are fundamental to our interpretive encounter with Shakespeare, including those of gender and sexuality, the staging of plays, and historical research on matters such as the monarchy, language, religion, and the law.


A study was carried out to examine how people react to acts of intimacy between parent and child. Based on an extensive series of studies reported in 1998 by Reis who found less intimate interactions between two men who are friends than between men or women or between two women who are friends, it was reasoned that intimacy between two males may violate norms of our culture, so it was predicted that people would react less favorably to intimacy between father and son than to intimacy between father and daughter, mother and daughter, or mother and son. Men (n= 19) and women (n = 26), most of whom were 18–24 years of age, read versions of a mother or father having an intimate interaction (lap-sit, hair-stroke, hug/kiss) with an 11-yr.-old daughter or son and then rated the act on a 7-point scale from good to bad. As predicted, the undergraduates rated intimate interactions between father and son less favorably than those between father and daughter, mother and daughter, and mother and son.


We discuss the existence of inflationary solutions in a class of renormalization group improved polynomial f(R) theories, which have been studied recently in the context of the asymptotic safety scenario for quantum gravity. These theories seem to possess a nontrivial ultraviolet fixed point, where the dimensionful couplings scale according to their canonical dimensionality. Assuming that the cutoff is proportional to the Hubble parameter, we obtain modified Friedmann equations which admit both power law and exponential solutions. We establish that for sufficiently high order polynomial the solutions are reliable, in the sense that considering still higher order polynomials is very unlikely to change the solution.


The prospects for producing orientation of the 1s level in highly charged ions using tilted foils is discussed. We analyse the transfer of orientation from the initial orbital angular momentum of an ion emerging from a foil to the ground-state spin via a combination of the spin - orbit interaction and cascade decays. An enhancement of the orientation can be obtained using a multi-tilted-foil technique similar to that used to orient nuclei.


We survey mechanisms which introduce lepton-number violation into the standard model. These mechanisms involve extensions in the fermion or scalar sectors. We present a minimal model with explicit lepton-number breaking and an invisible axion. Neutrino masses are generated at one loop. For a reasonable range of parameters the model provides a solution to the strong {ital CP} and solar-neutrino problems.


Objective: This study aims to portray the patient's safety interfaces in intensive care in a Brazilian public health institution and the presence of iatrogenies. Design: This study has an exploratory descriptive approach of qualitative condition; the research was carried out from 2009 to 2010. Setting: The study was carried out in six units, which require intensive care in health, of a large public hospital in the state of Pernambuco. Subject: Of the 163 participants in the qualitative study, thirty-one were nurses, a hundred and ten were nursing technicians and twenty-two were nursing assistants. Measurements and main results: This study also highlights the performance deficit in relation to the protocol used in the diet, that 91 (55.8%) health professionals do not perform intensive therapy in diet administration according to the protocols. Interventions: Updates and training programs are being developed intensively in the hospital with the purpose of promoting the best functional performance of the employee and maintaining the institution's sustainability in the health market. Conclusion: In intensive care in Brazil, it is still emphasized that educating the health professional is fundamental to increase the quality of care to the critical patient and, thus, to reduce the negative indicators of iatrogenies.


Camouflage versatility is probably no better developed in the animal kingdom than in the coleoid cephalopods (octopus, squid, cuttlefish). These marine molluscs possess soft bodies, diverse behaviour, elaborate skin patterning capabilities and a sophisticated visual system that controls body patterning for communication and camouflage (Packard 1995; Hanlon & Messenger 1996; Messenger 2001). Cephalopods form a key component of the food chain and are preyed upon by nearly all of the major carnivores in the ocean – an enormous variety of marine mammals, diving birds and teleost and elasmobranch fishes. Their primary defence is visual camouflage (Hanlon & Messenger 1996). The diversity of visual systems represented by these predators is quite extraordinary and the camouflaged body patterns of cephalopods have evolved in response to these selective pressures. Benthic shallow-water cephalopods have rapid adaptive camouflage so that they can move about freely (foraging, finding mates, etc.) in multiple ecohabitats and avoid visual predation by tuning their camouflage to nearly any visual background in their natural ranges.


Unilateral chorioretinitis caused by ophthalmomyiasis interna posterior in a 5-month-old, female spayed Dachshund is reported. Larva removal by pars plana vitrectomy was performed after an unsuccessful photocoagulation of the organism. The larva was intact after surgical removal and was identified as a first stage instar Cuterebra spp. larva. The eye remains visual and comfortable with no signs of residual or recurrent inflammation postoperatively. This report describes, for the first time, the successful surgical retrieval of an intravitreal fly larva in a dog using vitrectomy techniques without sacrificing either the globe or vision, and taxonomic identification of the parasite.


Background: Percutaneous nephrolithotomy (PCNL) and retrograde intrarenal surgery (RIRS) are widely used for pediatric upper tract stones; however, comparisons of their clinical efficacies are needed. Methods: Literature searches for relevant articles were performed using PubMed, the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials, Embase and the China CNKI database. Study quality was assessed by Jadad and Newcastle–Ottawa Scales. Standard mean differences (SMDs) or odds ratios (OR), and 95% confidential intervals (95% CIs) were pooled for meta-analysis. In addition, data was evaluated the quality of the body of evidence by means of grading of recommendations assessment, development, and evaluation (GRADE). Results: Data from 4 studies (231 PCNL, 212 RIRS cases) were analyzed. There was no significant difference in operation time (SMD: 1.39; 95% CIs: −0.049 to 2.82; P = .058), overall stone-free rate (OR: 3.72; 95% CIs: 0.55–25.22; P = .18), or complication rate (OR: 1.92; 95% CIs: 0.90–4.07; P = .091). PCNL cases had longer hospital stays (SMD: 1.22; 95% CIs: 0.95–1.50; P < .001), but showed a higher stone-free rate for stones greater than 20 mm (OR: 6.38; 95% CIs: 1.83–22.22; P = .004). For stones less than 20 mm, however, no significant difference between PCNL and RIRS was found (OR: 0.92; 95% CIs: 0.33–2.55; P = .87). The quality of evidence based on the GRADE system was low. Conclusion: Results of our systematic review and meta-analysis suggest that, for the treatment of larger kidney stones (>20 mm) in pediatric patients, PCNL is a better option due to its higher stone-free rate, although RIRS may be associated with shorter hospital stays. A large-scale clinical trial is necessary to validate our findings.


This article explores the disparity between the Central Tibetan Buddhist doctrines espoused and spread by the Tibetan Empire (Tib. Bod chen po, ca. 7th c. to 842) and those of the multi-ethnic inhabitants of Dunhuang (敦煌) during the same period. It begins with the multi-ethnic background of the Tibetans themselves and how the Tibetan Empire maintained complex relations with those on its borders, as well as their Buddhism(s). It then unpacks the 'self-presentation' of Tri Songdétsen's (742–ca. 800, Tib. Khri Srong lde brtsan) royal discourse (Tib. bka' mchid) of doctrine and its spread throughout the Tibetan Empire by means of imperial machinery of state administration. The second half of the paper focuses on Tibetan-ruled Dunhuang (perhaps late 750s/early 760s, or 787, to 848) and evidence of the many different beliefs there not contained in Tri Songdétsen's royal discourse. It looks at the Aparimitāyurnāmasūtra from the perspective not only of content but also of the evidence of scribal practice spread over its many copies from Mogao Cave 17, also known as the Library Cave (Chin. Cangjing dong 藏經洞). This view from the periphery suggests the variety of Buddhist beliefs not explicitly included in the royal discourse, as well as the varying perspectives on how the Tibetan emperors connect with them and some of the ways in which these influenced the margins of the Tibetan Empire after it fell in the mid-ninth century.


Although reverse shoulder arthroplasty is used in massive rotator cuff tears, it is also used in proximal humerus fractures and shoulder arthroplasty revision. In this study, we aimed to examine the early radiological and clinical results of patients undergoing reverse shoulder arthroplasty with different diagnoses. Between 2010 and 2013, reverse shoulder arthroplasty was applied to 10 patients (4 men, 6 women) with the diagnosis of arthropathy due to rotator cuff tear (n: 7), multi-fragmentary proximal humerus fracture (n: 2) and hemiarthroplasty revision (n: 1). The median age of the patients was 74 (64- 85) years and the median follow-up was 15.5 (3-35) months. Patients were assessed in terms of joint range of motion, Constant score and Visual Pain Scale (VAS) and radiological examinations before and after surgery. Preoperative active shoulder flexion, abduction, internal and external rotation degrees of the patients were 65, 30, 40 and 50 degrees, and 105, 95, 30, 57.5 degrees respectively in their final controls. Constant score was 20.5 (14-63) preoperatively, and 54.5 (38-64) in the final controls (p˂0.05). While the preoperative VAS was 7 (3-9), it was found to be 1.5 (1-3) in the final controls (p˂0.05). As a complication, scapular notching was observed in one patient. Internal- external rotation values were better in the rotator cuff arthropathy group than the fracture group. Reverse shoulder arthroplasty, especially in the treatment of patients with rotator cuff arthropathy, has good early results and a low complication rate. We recommend paying attention to the glenoid component location to avoid scapular notching.


Introduction. Determination of the scientifi cally substantiated frequency of cleaning the ducts of local exhausts of industrial buildings and structures is one of the tasks in the fi eld of fi re safety of industrial enterprises. The paper describes design methods, in particular, a method for determination of the induction period during spontaneous combustion of dust deposits in air ducts of ventilation systems and equipment, which can be used in solving problems focused on the development of preventive measures to ensure their fi re and explosion safety.Methods. In order to solve the problem set in this paper and compare the indicators obtained in the calculation and analytical part of the studies with the growth dynamics of deposits in real facilities, fi eld tests have been accomplished in the production facilities of the fl our mill of OJSC MK "Voronezhsky" and JSC Concern "Sozvezdiye".Results and discussion. The timeframes for cleaning of deposits on ventilation (aspiration) equipment of buildings and structures cannot be universal for various industries and must take into account the dynamics of the growth of deposits depending on the specifi cs of combustible deposits, the workload of the production facilities of the protected object in a given period of time, and the operating conditions of the equipment. As a result of the experiments, it was found that the places of maximum accumulations of deposits are most often formed on the surfaces of joints and on the bends of pipelines of ventilation systems. The conditions of spontaneous combustion of combustible dust are studied by calculation and analytical method, depending on such process characteristics as the speed of the dust-air mixture fl ow in the duct, as well as the diameter of the duct's cross section.Conclusions. The nomograms built on the basis of the studies performed can be used to determine the multiplicity of cleaning of combustible dusts of equipment and air ducts of industrial ventilation systems. The paper provides a calculation of the period of induction of spontaneous combustion of combustible dust deposits using the example of rye fl our with asymmetric heat transfer. Its signifi cance is due to the process of accumulation of deposits of combustible dust to a critical thickness in terms of spontaneous combustion conditions.


[1] Spectral ultraviolet (UV) and visible irradiance has been measured at the South Pole between 1991 and 2003 by a SUV-100 spectroradiometer, which is part of the U.S. National Science Foundation's UV Monitoring Network. Here we present a new data edition, labeled ''Version 2.'' The new version was corrected for wavelength shift errors and deviations of the spectroradiometer from the ideal cosine response. A comprehensive uncertainty budget of the new data set was established. Below 400 nm the expanded standard uncertainty (coverage factor 2) varies between 4.6 and 7.2%, depending on wavelength and sky condition. The uncertainty of biologically relevant UV irradiances is approximately 6%. Compared to the previously published data set, Version 2 UV data are higher by 5–14%, depending on wavelength, solar zenith angle (SZA), and year of observation. By comparing Version 2 data with results of a radiative transfer model, the good consistency and homogeneity of the new data set were confirmed. The data set is used to establish a UV climatology for the South Pole, focusing on the effects of aerosols, clouds, and total column ozone. Clouds are predominantly optically thin; 71% of all clouds have an optical depth between 0 and 1. The average attenuation of UV irradiance at 345 nm by clouds is less than 5% and no attenuations greater than 23% were observed. Attenuation by homogeneous clouds is generally larger in the visible than in the UV. The wavelength dependence of cloud attenuation is quantitatively explained with the wavelength-dependent radiance distribution on top of clouds and the incidence-angle dependence of cloud transmittance. Largest radiation levels occur in late November and early December when low stratospheric ozone amounts coincide with relatively small SZAs. Owing to the large effect of the ''ozone hole,'' short- and long-term variability of UV during the austral spring is very high. When the ozone hole disappears, DNA-damaging irradiance can decrease by more than a factor of two within 2 days. Typical summer UV index values range between 2 and 3.5 and vary by ±30% (±1s) between different years. Linear regression analyses did not indicate statistically significant UV trends owing to the large year-to-year variability and the fact that the network was established only after the first occurrence of the ozone hole. Current measurements therefore document variability on an elevated level. INDEX TERMS: 0360 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Transmission and scattering of radiation; 0394 Atmospheric Composition and Structure: Instruments and techniques; 3359 Meteorology and Atmospheric Dynamics: Radiative processes; KEYWORDS: ultraviolet radiation, UV, Antarctica, South Pole, uncertainty, total column ozone


Archaeological monitoring during topsoil stripping of a hotel and leisure development site in Glen Cloy, Isle of Arran in 2001 revealed the presence of a well-preserved, substantial roundhouse and an associated complex souterrain. The discovery is significant in terms of the information it provides for the distribution of souterrains in Scotland generally and in the west in particular, and for settlement and craft activities on Arran in the late Iron Age. Dates obtained from the roundhouse suggest a construction date in the late 2nd or early 1st century BC.


Classification in bioinformatics often suffers from small samples in conjunction with large numbers of features, which makes error estimation problematic. When a sample is small, there is insufficient data to split the sample and the same data are used for both classifier design and error estimation. Error estimation can suffer from high variance, bias, or both. The problem of choosing a suitable error estimator is exacerbated by the fact that estimation performance depends on the rule used to design the classifier, the feature-label distribution to which the classifier is to be applied, and the sam- ple size. This paper reviews the performance of training-sample error estimators with respect to several criteria: estimation accuracy, variance, bias, correlation with the true error, regression on the true error, and accuracy in ranking feature sets. A number of error estimators are considered: resubstitution, leave-one-out cross-validation, 10-fold cross-validation, bol- stered resubstitution, semi-bolstered resubstitution, .632 bootstrap, .632+ bootstrap, and optimal bootstrap. It illustrates these performance criteria for certain models and for two real data sets, referring to the literature for more extensive appli- cations of these criteria. The results given in the present paper are consistent with those in the literature and lead to two conclusions: (1) much greater effort needs to be focused on error estimation, and (2) owing to the generally poor perform- ance of error estimators on small samples, for a conclusion based on a small-sample error estimator to be considered valid, it should be supported by evidence that the estimator in question can be expected to perform sufficiently well under the circumstances to justify the conclusion.


Task assignment in multiagent systems is a complex coordination problem, in particular in systems that are subject to dynamic and changing operating conditions. To enable agents to manage dynamism and change, adaptive task assignment approaches are needed. In this paper, we introduce DynCNET, a protocol for dynamic task assignment that extends standard contract net (CNET). DynCNET allows the agents involved in the protocol to switch the assignment of tasks dynamically. We use an industrial automated transportation system as illustration and present results obtained from a real-world test setting that compare DynCNET with standard CNET and afield-based approach for task assignment.


NAVTEQ is a leading global provider of digital map data. NAVTEQ maps drive most in-vehicle navigation systems, the top routing web sites, and the leading brands of wireless navigation devices. NAVTEQ continues to enhance the technologies used for collecting, analyzing, and delivering new content to a wide range of users and devices. This presentation will address NAVTEQ's perspective on automatic creation and update of a navigable map through the use of high-end mobile data collection sensors and computer vision techniques. Results of research efforts based on large scale, geo-referenced, ground level video and LIDAR data collection as well as various challenging problems related to automatic feature extraction for mapping and navigation will be presented. Specifically, our approach to automatically reconstruct lane level maps, overpasses and traffic signs to create a virtual 3D map will be presented.


Correlated component failures (COCOF) may degrade the reliability of a component based software application, and hence these failures should be expressly incorporated into the software reliability analysis process. The correlated component failures on the software application reliability should be analyzed within the context of the applying design and the architecture of the application can be represented based on the CTMC. Several Contemporary reliability analysis approaches introduce an exponential number of parameters and are computationally inefficient, however, cannot scale to even small-sized software applications. This paper presents an efficient, scalable approach to analyze the reliability of component-based software applications with COCOF. As a result the approach is simple and efficient, and can be applied to large systems to determine the correlations.


Nowadays, distribution network operators are beginning to integrate communication based equipment and active participation of customers into the operation and planning of their grids. Active distribution network and the so called Smart Grid enabling technologies provide solutions for the transition of distribution networks from the usual, passive fit-and-forget approach. However, there are still some barriers preventing the large scale deployment of such technologies, principally the high implementation costs. Despite this widely accepted barrier, there is still a lack of publicly available information about cost — benefit analyses and appropriate design tools. This paper proposes a simple methodology for the technical and economic evaluation of active distribution network projects. A case study is presented to illustrate the proposed methodology, where technical benefits are quantified in monetary terms in order to conduct a feasibility analysis of the project. The assessment shows that a better understanding of the impacts that such projects bring to distribution networks will push further development of active distribution network technologies.


ABSTRACT Mora, A.; Bautista, E.; Méndez, F., and Barbosa, M., 2018. Asymptotic solution for the reflection of long water waves by asymmetric convergent/divergent harbours. In this work, formulas for the reflection and transmission coefficients of linear long water waves propagating along a slender harbour composed of an asymmetric convergent/divergent region connected to uniform inlet and outlet regions are obtained. The governing equation is solved using the Wentzel-Kramers-Brillouin singular perturbation technique. A better sheltering function of the harbour is found for a divergent harbour with asymmetric variations in width. For convergent harbours, the largest values of the reflection coefficient are obtained for the limit in which the length of the harbour is of the same order of magnitude as the wavelength. A zero-reflection phenomenon occurs for a convergent symmetric harbour with a linearly varying width and a parabolic depth profile. The results reveal that in the presence of a linear transition in either width or depth, the reflection coefficients exhibit oscillating behaviour. The present mathematical model is compared with a simple numerical solution and with another analytical solution expressed in terms of Bessel functions. The formulas are also checked by considering an energy identity, which is satisfied to very good accuracy. Therefore, the deduced formulas can serve as a preliminary means of identifying which harbour geometries can significantly amplify or attenuate the amplitudes of water waves.


This research study presents the results of evaluating the response to stress by heat in a flock of one hundred tropical milking criollo cows (TMC), maintained under a system of double intention for more than forty years in the Mexican tropic. In addition, the behavior of the indicators: climate; ambient temperature (AT oC) and relative humidity (RH %) were analyzed in the region under study during both years of experience and the previous forty years. The rectal temperature (RT oC) and the respiratory frequency (RF) rpm were considered as physiological responses to stress. The climate of the region showed a great stability in the years of study and the previous forty as well as clear seasonality between the dry - rainy seasons, with a temperature and humidity index (THI) different among times and morning and evening readings (p 36 rpm), 29 with soft and moderate stress (46 -60 rpm) and 35 with high stress (61 - 90 rpm). These data demonstrate that the cows belonging to the breed (TMC) are not a homogenous group against stress by heat, and allow to establish criteria for future selection programs


The system is made with main distributed components: - first level: Industrial Computers placed in Control Room (monitors thermal and electrical processes based on the data provided by the second level); - second level: PLCs which collects data from process and transmits information on the first level; also takes commands from this level which are further, passed to execution elements from third level; - third level: field elements consisting in 3 categories: data collecting elements; data transfer elements from the third level to the second; execution elements which take commands from the second level PLCs and executes them after which transmits the confirmation of execution to them.

The purpose of the automatic functioning is the optimization of the co-generative electrical energy commissioning in the national energy system and the commissioning of thermal energy to the consumers. The integrated system treats the functioning of all the equipments and devices as a whole: Gas Turbine Units (GTU); MT 20kV Medium Voltage Station (MVS); 0,4 kV Low Voltage Station (LVS); Main Hot Water Boilers (MHW); Auxiliary Hot Water Boilers (AHW); Gas Compressor Unit (GCU); Thermal Agent Circulation Pumping Unit (TPU); Water Treating Station (WTS).


No nutritional data are collected by the National Emergency Laparotomy Audit (NELA), despite the association of malnutrition with worse outcomes. This study aimed to describe the current practices, pathways and barriers encountered in identifying malnutrition in NELA-eligible patients.

 Following piloting and validity assessment, anaesthetic and surgical NELA Leads at hospitals across England and Wales that submitted data to NELA's 7th report were emailed a survey link. Responses were gathered using Qualtrics. Descriptive analysis and correlation with laparotomy volume and professional subtype was performed in SPSSv26. University of Sheffield ethical approval was obtained.

 There were 166/289 NELA Leads and 117/167 hospitals that completed the survey (57.4% and 70.1% response rates, respectively). Respondents reported low rates of nutritional screening (39.2%) and assessment (45.8%) for malnutrition pre-operatively with no awareness of local screening tools (41.6%) despite 68% of units having a Nutrition Support Team. Contrary to guidelines, NELA Leads report albumin levels continue to be used to determine malnutrition risk (73.5%). Post-operative pathways were common (71.7%). Reported barriers to nutritional screening and assessment included a lack of time, training and education, organisational support, and responsibility. NELA Leads indicated nutrition risk is inadequately identified and is an important missing data item from NELA (71.2%). Responses were not correlated with hospital laparotomy volume or professional subtype.

 Identifying malnutrition risk in NELA patients requires attention. Barriers are wide reaching and include a lack of time, knowledge, and ownership. Nutrition pathways that encompass the pre-operative phase and incorporation of malnutrition data in NELA may support improvements.


The ultimate aim of this study is to construct polymer nanocomposite patterns by dip-pen nanolithography (DPN). Recent investigations have revealed the effect of the amount of ink (Laplace pressure) on the mechanism of liquid ink writing. In this study it is shown that not only the amount of ink, but also physisorption and surface diffusion are relevant. After a few writing steps, physisorption and surface diffusion outweigh the influence of the amount of ink, allowing consistent patterning governed by dwell times and writing speeds. Polymer matrices can be utilized as a delivery medium to deposit functional particles. DPN patterning of polymer nanocomposites allows for local tuning of the functionality and mechanical strength of the written patterns in high resolution, with the benefit of pattern flexibility. Typically polymer matrices with volatile components are used as a delivery medium for nanoparticle deposition, with subsequent removal of loosely bound matrix material by heating or oxygen plasma. In our study, nanocomposite patterns were constructed, and the differences between polymer and nanocomposite patterning were investigated. Cross-sectional SEM and TEM analysis confirmed that nanoparticles can be deposited with the liquid-polymer ink and are evenly distributed in the polymer matrix.


In the first decades of the twentieth century, the Chicago Public Library employed a brand of casual candid censorship embraced by its peers. In 1910 the Chicago Tribune favorably reported on a so-called "Book Inferno" in the library; a metaphorical pit where works of questionable merit were hidden from immature readers. Patrons, especially juveniles, needed to convince a librarian of their honorable intentions before being granted access to works in the Inferno. By 1936, the same institution issued a forceful Intellectual Freedom statement that affirmed the right, and the obligation, of the library to provide access to books on any subject of interest to its readers, including controversial works. An examination of the treatment accorded controversial works in the Chicago Public Library in the decades preceding the 1936 Intellectual Freedom statement reveals both continuity and change in attitudes towards censorship.


Ice hockey is the fastest team game played and is also considered to be one of the roughest of all sports, with a high injury incidence. Injuries and their causes were recorded by the questioning of players in the first league of the Federal Republic of Germany. Eighty-eight out of a total of 207 first league players were included in this study. Head injuries were found to occur most frequently: however, lesions of the shoulders and of the upper and lower extremities had a more detrimental effect. The links between causes and mechanisms of the different kinds of injuries make it clear that a marked tightening of the rules and an improvement in protective clothing would serve to reduce the incidence of injuries in ice hockey.


Lake Baikal in Eastern Siberia contains a remarkable flock of 29 species of teleost fishes of the suborder Cottoidei (sculpins, bullheads) that are endemic to the lake and its associated rivers and occupy all depth habitats down to over 1500 m. The species are divided into three families, the Cottidae with 7 species, the Abyssocottidae with 20 species, and the Comephoridae with 2 species. Nucleotide sequences of the rod opsin gene from 12 of these species, plus a non-Baikal marine species, have been used to examine the evolutionary relations and the divergence time of the flock. Phylogenetic trees, generated by neighbor-joining and maximum parsimony, indicate that the unique Comephoridae family with its viviparity and unusual appearance is closely related to the Cottidae and Abyssocottidae, whereas the genus Cottocomephorus, at present placed in the Cottidae, was the first to diverge from the ancestral species and forms a separate lineage. The major adaptation to deep water would appear to be of relatively recent origin, and there is evidence that the ancestral species occupied a shallow-water-marine or brackish habitat. Estimates of antiquity obtained from synonymous substitutions place the origin of the species flock at around 4.9 million years ago.


(1) Background: The aim of the present study was to examine the characteristics of over 70,000 long-distance finishers over the last four years in Chinese half- and full-marathon events; (2) Methods: The available data of all finishers (n = 73,485; women, n = 17,134; men, n = 56,351) who performed half- and full-marathon events in Hangzhou from 2016 to 2019 were further analyzed for the characteristics of gender, age and average running speed; (3) Results: The total men-to-women ratio was the lowest in the half-marathon event (1.86) and the highest in the full-marathon event (17.42). Faster running performance in males than in females and faster average running speed in short-distance runners were shown. Gender and race distance were observed to have the most significant effects on average running speed (p < 0.01). For both male and female finishers, the slowest running speed was shown in older age groups (p < 0.01) during the full marathon. Our results indicated that the gender difference in performance was attenuated in the longer race distances and older age groups; (4) Conclusions: Understanding the participation and performances across different running distances would provide insights into physiological and biomechanical characteristics for training protocols and sports gear development in different groups.


This paper investigates how politicized wall writings in contemporary Athens are informed by their urban context. It examines the sites and material surfaces of application, as well as the events during which they were executed. The paper deploys Kress and van Leeuwen's notion of 'semiotic landscape' to capture the cultural specificity and historical development that determines how this practice is perceived in its context. It attempts a close examination of politicized writings on a specific wall in Athens' city centre and utilizes the Latourian concept of 'iconoclash' to expose the latent meaning of these marginal image wars in Athens. The paper aims to introduce an architectural method of reading graffiti in situ and to provide insights into the Athenian particularity of the phenomenon.


A nonempty circular string C(x) of length n is said to be covered by a set Uk of strings each of fixed length k≤n iff every position in C(x) lies within an occurrence of some string u∈Uk. In this paper we consider the problem of determining the minimum cardinality of a set Uk which guarantees that every circular string C(x) of length n≥k can be covered. In particular, we show how, for any positive integer m, to choose the elements of Uk so that, for sufficiently large k, uk≈σk–m, where uk=|Uk| and σ is the size of the alphabet on which the strings are defined. The problem has application to DNA sequencing by hybridization using oligonucleotide probes.


ABSTRACT Objective: This study deals with phytochemical analysis, high-performance liquid chromatography (HPLC), antimicrobial activity analysis of endophytic fungi Pestalotiopsis sp. isolated from midrib and lamina region of Acalypha indica leaves. Methods: An endophytic fungus isolated from potato dextrose agar medium. Ethyl acetate extracts of Pestalotiopsis sp. were investigated for their HPLC, and a qualitative analysis of the phytochemical analysis was performed. The antibacterial activity of isolated endophytic fungi was tested against two Gram-positive bacteria (Staphylococcus aureus and Streptococcus pneumoniae) and two Gram-negative bacteria (Salmonella typhi and Escherichia coli) by disk diffusion method. Results: The crude extract of Pestalotiopsis sp. HPLC retention time of 5.76 shows the maximum area of 78.15%. The qualitative analysis of endophytic fungi showed positive results for terpenoid and negative results for alkaloid, flavanoid, tannin, and carbohydrate. Crude extracts could inhibit Grampositive bacteria (S. aureus and S. pneumoniae) and Gram-negative bacteria (S. typhi and E. coli). Conclusion: This study recorded that Pestalotiopsis sp. produce bioactive compound. Further studies on characterization, in-vitro and in-vivo studies, would reveal the antibacterial activity can be performed to see the activity of this endophytic fungus in clinical trials against different human ailments. Keywords: Pestalotiopsis sp., Phytochemical analysis, Antibacterial activity, Acalypha indica.


Continuous phase modulation (CPM) and trellis-coded modulation are well-understood schemes that layer trellis codes with multilevel modulation to produce efficient bandwidth waveforms. This paper describes a novel modulation scheme which takes advantage of existing trellis codes and adds parallel branches to create a new modulation with greater spectral efficiency and reduced receiver complexity. The first part of the paper discusses the trade-off between Euclidean distance and modulation bandwidth for the standard 1-REC CPM waveform. A set of orthogonal signals can be added to the CPM constellation which provides a series of parallel branches in the natural trellis structure of the CPM modulation. The corresponding bandwidth expansion and throughput improvement is analyzed and the advantages of this modulation technique are discussed. This new, non-constant envelope CPM waveform is compared to the multi-level, multi-amplitude CPM waveform (described in Proakis). In similar fashion, a trellis-coded, shaped PSK modulation is expanded to include orthogonal signal shaping and the power and spectral efficiencies are discussed.


Abstract Although walking is considered an automated process, internal and external factors can alter gait performance. Fear of falling leads to walking with a wider base of support and decreased walking speed, due to a combination of shorter stride lengths and/or stride time. Exacerbation of gait deficits have been reported under high cognitive load situations (HCLS, also known as dual-tasks). Talking on a phone is considered an increased HCLS over talking in-person due to visualization of the individual on the phone. The purpose of the study was to explore the added effects of walking while talking on a phone compared to talking in-person. Fifteen healthy older adult subjects (70.86±4.7yrs) performed three conditions while walking on a self-paced treadmill for ten minutes: (1)walking alone, (2)walking while talking in-person, (3)walking while talking on a phone. Mean stride length(SL), stride time(ST), and step width(SW) were compared using one-way, repeated-measures ANOVAs (p=0.10). Dual-task cost of walking while talking in-person and on a phone was calculated for each gait variable and compared with t-tests. Mean gait variables did not differ between conditions (SL p=0.95, ST p=0.77, SW p=0.57). Dual-task costs were not significantly different between talking conditions (SL p=0.99, ST p=0.54, SW p=0.14). Use of a self-paced treadmill allowed the subjects to perform in their "comfort zone", however, walking on a set-speed treadmill may force walking speed outside of the comfort zone, pushing one's "reserve", and revealing differences. Use of a self-paced treadmill better approximates daily life by providing the opportunity to make adaptations under HCLS.


This poem is about a mother who suffered from borderline personality disorder and schizophrenia. The mother recently lost custody of her daughter due to her physical abuse of the child. Both were ordered by the court to attend therapy sessions to improve their attachment. As a family therapist, I struggled to keep a balance between empathizing with, and challenging the mother. I wrote this poem and used it in session to help the mother appreciate the effect of her aggressive behaviors on her daughter. (PsycINFO Database Record (c) 2019 APA, all rights reserved).


The treatment of phrasemes is problematic both in a lexicographic view and a corpus analytic view, even though the efforts of the collocation research provide enormous amounts of output. Finding and automatically extracting phrasemes, that are longer than two or three word collocations, is still not satisfactorily possible, because there are no markers in the text, that indicate the borders of the expressions. If in addition the perspective is an historical one, the problems arise as the amount of available historical texts decreases. For an historical phraseographic analysis realistic examples are extremely help- and needful, so that other sources for assembling examples have to be found. The following text proposes some approaches, how dictionaries can be used as corpora, and shows, which results (examples, illustrations, links etc.) can be expected. The point of origin of the idea is to use dictionaries not in the classical way – that means: searching the headword and reading the related article –, but to use the whole dictionary as a corpus. This inverse use of dictionaries allows us to find a lot of implicit lexikographic information, that in a normal way of using dictionaries could only be found by coincident.