We conducted this study with the objective of elucidating the mechanism of development of fibrosis in hematologic neoplasms and develop treatments for these patients. Among the suggested mechanisms of development of fibrosis is cases of hematologic neoplasms is the production of TGF-beta1 (transforming growth factor-beta-1) and TNF-alpha1 (tumor necrotizing factor-alpha-1) by the tumor cells, both of which are fibrosis-stimulating cytokines that act on fibroblasts to promote fibrosis. However, there are few reports based on human clinical pathology studies. We conducted an immunohistochemical study on paraffin-embedded formalin-fixed specimens obtained from 104 patients with various pathologic conditions (acute leukemia, malignant lymphoma, inflammation, cancer, etc.). The association of tissue fibrosis with positive immunohistochemistry for TGF- beta1 and/or TNF-alpha1, TGF-beta1 was found to be strongly associated with tissue fibrosis, and in cases with positive immunohistochemistry for TGF-beta1, the odds ratio for fibrosis was 12.8, which was significantly high. Combined positivity for TGF-beta1 and TNF-alpha1 was also associated with a significant odds ratio for fibrosis of 3.4, suggesting that TGF-beta1 expression is an important prerequisite. TGF-beta1 has been suggested as playing a relatively important role in tissue fibrosis. Future clinical application of these cytokines for both diagnosis and treatment is expected.


The ability of regression discontinuity (RD) designs to provide an unbiased treatment effect while overcoming the ethical concerns plagued by Random Control Trials (RCTs) make it a valuable and useful approach in education evaluation. RD is the only explicitly recognized quasi-experimental approach identified by the Institute of Education Statistics to meet the prerequisites of a causal relationship. Unfortunately, the statistical complexity of the RD design has limited its application in education research. This article provides a less technical introduction to RD for education researchers and practitioners. Using visual analysis to aide conceptual understanding, the article walks readers through the essential steps of a Sharp RD design using hypothetical, but realistic, district intervention data and provides additional resources for further exploration.


Anomaly detection among a large number of processes arises in many applications ranging from dynamic spectrum access to cybersecurity. In such problems one can often obtain noisy observations aggregated from a chosen subset of processes that conforms to a tree structure. The distribution of these observations, based on which the presence of anomalies is detected, may be only partially known. This gives rise to the need for a search strategy designed to account for both the sample complexity and the detection accuracy, as well as cope with statistical models that are known only up to some missing parameters. In this work we propose a sequential search strategy using two variations of the Generalized Log Likelihood Ratio statistic. Our proposed Hierarchical Dynamic Search (HDS) strategy is shown to be order-optimal with respect to the size of the search space and asymptotically optimal with respect to the detection accuracy. An explicit upper bound on the error probability of HDS is established for the finite sample regime. Extensive experiments are conducted, demonstrating the performance gains of HDS over existing methods.


The tipping-curve calibration method has been an important calibration technique for ground-based microwave radiometers that measure atmospheric emission at low optical depth. The method calibrates a radiometer system using data taken by the radiometer at two or more viewing angles in the atmosphere. In this method, the relationship between atmospheric opacity and viewing angle is used as a constraint for deriving the system calibration response. Because this method couples the system with radiative transfer theory and atmospheric conditions, evaluations of its performance have been difficult. In this paper, first a data-simulation approach is taken to isolate and analyze those influential factors in the calibration process and effective techniques are developed to reduce calibration uncertainties. Then, these techniques are applied to experimental data. The influential factors include radiometer antenna beam width, radiometer pointing error, mean radiating temperature error, and horizontal inhomogeneity in the atmosphere, as well as some other factors of minor importance. It is demonstrated that calibration uncertainties from these error sources can be large and unacceptable. Fortunately, it was found that by using the techniques reported, the calibration uncertainties can be largely reduced or avoided. With the suggested corrections, the tipping calibration method can provide absolute accuracy of about or better than 0.5 K.


The termination shock (TS) is a quasi‐perpendicular shock with broad regions on both sides that are populated by high energy ions. These energetic particles play an important role in the formation of the TS structure, which distinguishes it from planetary bow shocks. The pressure of the pickup ions is calculated by solving numerically the Vlasov equation in a time‐stationary one‐dimensional model shock with the parameters taken from the TS observations. The solution is obtained by backward tracing of the ion trajectories in the shock front. It is found that, in order to maintain the shock stationarity, the upstream density of the pickup ions should be comparable to the density of the solar wind protons.


Synaptic processes evoked in various functional groups of thoracic interneurons (Th10,11) by stimulation of ipsi- and contralateral bulbar reticular formation were studied in anesthetized cats with lesions of the spinal cord that remained intact only the ipsilateral funiculus. Activation of reticulospinal fibres of the lateral funiculus with conduction velocities of 30-100 m/s evoked monosynaptic EPSPs in the following types of cells tested: monosynaptically excited by group la muscle afferents; excited by flexor reflex afferents; excited mainly by descending systems; excited by low-threshold cutaneous afferents to a less extent. All these neurons with responses to reticular stimulation were located predominantly in the central and lateral regions of Rexed's lamina VII. Most of the cells in the dorsal horn were not affected by short-latency reticulofugal influences. The only exception were 6 neurons located in the horn most dorsal laminae. Functional organization of connections between the lateral reticulospinal pathways and spinal neurons is discussed as compared to that of medial reticulo-spinal pathways as well as to the organization of "lateral" descending systems: cortico- and rubro-spinal.


Background: This study was conducted to evaluate the eating attitudes and behaviors, the susceptibility to Orthorexia nervosa and obsessive attitudes of the students who were taking undergraduate education in the field of health and the students who were not taking undergraduate education in the field of health at the time of the study. Methods: This cross-sectional study was conducted at Akdeniz University with randomly selected 304 students who were studying in the Faculty of Medicine, Nursing Law and Communication, Antalya, Turkey. Data, sociodemographic features of the students were collected using the questionnaire form consisting of Eating Attitude Test (EAT-40), The Orthorexia Nervosa Evaluation Scale (ORTO-15) and Maudsley Obsessive-Compulsive Inventory (MOCI). Results: 61.5% of the students were female. 51.9% of them were studying in the health field, while 48.1% of them were studying in other fields. At the beginning of the study, the use of ORTO-15 scale was planned to evaluate the students' orthorexic behaviors, but they were evaluated with the ORTO-11 scale because of the validity and resusceptibility of the ORTO-15 scale were found as too low. The incidence of orthorexic behavior was higher in students who were not studying in the field of health for both ORTO-15 and ORTO-11 scales. Conclusion: It is necessary to acquire healthy eating habits for university students by practical nutrition education given informal and non-formal education institutions, thus their quality of life can be increased.


Low-cycle fatigue behavior of a newly developed cold-work tool steel containing 0.8C-8Cr-2Mo was investigated. The aim of this study is to examine the fatigue behavior in connection with its microstructure and hardness of the specimens tempered at several temperatures. The specimens were tempered at 473K, 793K and 823K, and then were tested under fully reversed stress amplitudes of 1568MPa and 1176MPa. The reasons of choosing three kinds of tempering temperatures were follows. Firstly, the secondary hardening was remarkable at 793K and the hardness at this was 62HRC while the hardness of specimens tempered at 473K and 823K was almost same of 60HRC. Secondly, amount of retained austenite (γR) were 14vol% and 2vol% for specimens tempered at 473K and at 823K, respectively. At the higher stress amplitude of 1568MPa, the fatigue lives of the specimens tempered at 793K and 823K were almost same, while the life of the specimen tempered at 473K was the shortest. In this case, the fatigue lives were attributed to the time till carbide cracking. Thus, the crack initiation process was influenced by the strength of steels. On the other hand, at the medium stress amplitude of 1176MPa at which the fatigue life was 104-105 cycles corresponding the actual tool lives, fatigue lives of the specimens tempered at 473K were the longest, then with increasing tempering temperature from 793K to 823K, the fatigue lives decreased. Fisheyes were observed on the fracture surface of the specimens tempered at 473K and 793K. The fatigue lives in this fracture morphology were attributed to the crack propagation process until it reached to KfC. Additionally, it was found that γR contributes the increase of the resistance for crack propagation.


Results of investigation of a double layer dielectric system applied for pressure distribution determination is discussed in the paper. The system consists of elastic and rigid solid dielectric layers. The trybo-charge is generated on the contact between the rough surface of the elastic and dielectric layers when the system is subjected to an external stress. It was shown that the local effective surface charge density on the rigid dielectric layer depends on the local pressure value. The generated charge produces a proportional voltage across the solid dielectric layer after removing the elastic one (foam). This way, the pressure may be converted into a voltage signal, which is 'memorised" by a solid dielectric layer. Finally, the "pressure map" converted into 'an electric potential map" can be visualised by potential distribution determination. The potential distributions obtained in the system for different cases of non-uniform pressure distributions and different elastic layers are presented in the paper.


We present new observations with the Atacama Large Millimeter/submillimeter Array for a gravitationally lensed galaxy at z = 9.1, MACS1149-JD1. [O iii] 88 μm emission is detected at 10σ with a spatial resolution of ∼0.3 kpc in the source plane, enabling the most distant morphokinematic study of a galaxy. The [O iii] emission is distributed smoothly without any resolved clumps and shows a clear velocity gradient with ΔV obs/2σ tot = 0.84 ± 0.23, where ΔV obs is the observed maximum velocity difference and σ tot is the velocity dispersion measured in the spatially integrated line profile, suggesting a rotating system. Assuming a geometrically thin self-gravitating rotation disk model, we obtain Vrot/σV=0.67−0.26+0.73 , where V rot and σ V are the rotation velocity and velocity dispersion, respectively, still consistent with rotation. The resulting disk mass of 0.65−0.40+1.37×109 M ⊙ is consistent with being associated with the stellar mass identified with a 300 Myr old stellar population independently indicated by a Balmer break in the spectral energy distribution. We conclude that the most of the dynamical mass is associated with the previously identified mature stellar population that formed at z ∼ 15.


First, a systematic procedure is derived for obtaining three-dimensional bound-state equations from four-dimensional ones. Unlike {open_quote}{open_quote}quasipotential approaches{close_quote}{close_quote} this procedure does not involve the use of delta-function constraints on the relative four-momentum. In the absence of negative-energy states, the kernels of the three-dimensional equations derived by this technique may be represented as sums of time-ordered perturbation theory diagrams. Consequently, such equations have two major advantages over quasipotential equations: They may easily be written down in any Lorentz frame, and they include the meson-retardation effects present in the original four-dimensional equation. Second, a simple four-dimensional equation with the correct one-body limit is obtained by a reorganization of the generalized ladder Bethe-Salpeter kernel. Third, our approach to deriving three-dimensional equations is applied to this four-dimensional equation, thus yielding a retarded interaction for use in the three-dimensional bound-state equation of Wallace and Mandelzweig. The resulting three-dimensional equation has the correct one-body limit and may be systematically improved upon. The quality of the three-dimensional equation, and our general technique for deriving such equations, is then tested by calculating bound-state properties in a scalar field theory using six different bound-state equations. It is found that equations obtained using the method espoused here approximate the wave functionsmore » obtained from their parent four-dimensional equations significantly better than the corresponding quasipotential equations do. {copyright} {ital 1996 The American Physical Society.}« less


Biological activity is governed by the timely redistribution of molecular interactions, and static structural snapshots often appear insufficient to provide the molecular determinants that choreograph communication. This conundrum applies to multidomain enzymatic systems called nonribosomal peptide synthetases (NRPSs), which assemble simple substrates into complex metabolites, where a dynamic domain organization challenges rational design to produce new pharmaceuticals. Using a nuclear magnetic resonance (NMR) atomic-level readout of biochemical transformations, we demonstrate that global structural fluctuations help promote substrate-dependent communication and allosteric responses, and impeding these global dynamics by a point-site mutation hampers allostery and molecular recognition. Our results establish global structural dynamics as sensors of molecular events that can remodel domain interactions, and they provide new perspectives on mechanisms of allostery, protein communication, and NRPS synthesis.


To develop an in vitro system for mouse immunoglobulin (Ig) class switching, the expression vector of murine CD40 ligand (CD40L) which is expressed on T cells was transfected to BHK cells. By using culture plates coated with the BHK cells expressing the recombinant CD40L, Ig class switching of splenic B cells was examined. The CD40L mRNA was cloned from splenic T cells of BALB/mice activated with anti-CD3 antibody in vitro. As the No.593 base in the open reading frame sequence of the CD40L from BALB/c spleen differed from T to G, when compared with the known sequence from C57BL/6, one of the BALB/c-derived clones was reconstructed to the known CD40L by site-directed mutagenesis. Splenic B cells from BALB/c were induced secretion of Ig isotypes, IgM, IgG1 and IgE when cultured on two types of BHK cells, the transfected BHK cells with a CD40L clone from BALB/c and the transfected BHK cells with the reconstructed CD40L clone, in the presence of IL-4. However, when splenic B cells from C57BL/6 were cultured on the same systems, the B cells produced Ig isotypes, IgM, IgG1, IgG2a, IgG2b, IgG3 and IgE. In the similar experiments using the transfected BHK cells with a empty vector and the normal BHK cells, none of B cells produced any Ig isotypes other than IgM. These results indicate that Ig class switching of murine B cells can be induced by using these two types of CD40L-expressing BHK cells in vitro.


Plant Resistance (R) proteins play an integral role in defense against pathogen infection. A unique gain-of-function mutation in the R gene SNC1, snc1, results in constitutive activation of plant immune pathways and enhanced resistance against pathogen infection. We previously found that mutations in MOS4 suppress the autoimmune phenotypes of snc1, and that MOS4 is part of a nuclear complex called the MOS4-Associated Complex (MAC) along with the transcription factor AtCDC5 and the WD-40 protein PRL1. Here we report the immuno-affinity purification of the MAC using HA-tagged MOS4 followed by protein sequence analysis by mass spectrometry. A total of 24 MAC proteins were identified, 19 of which have predicted roles in RNA processing based on their homology to proteins in the Prp19-Complex, an evolutionarily conserved spliceosome-associated complex containing homologs of MOS4, AtCDC5, and PRL1. Among these were two highly similar U-box proteins with homology to the yeast and human E3 ubiquitin ligase Prp19, which we named MAC3A and MAC3B. MAC3B was recently shown to exhibit E3 ligase activity in vitro. Through reverse genetics analysis we show that MAC3A and MAC3B are functionally redundant and are required for basal and R protein–mediated resistance in Arabidopsis. Like mos4-1 and Atcdc5-1, mac3a mac3b suppresses snc1-mediated autoimmunity. MAC3 localizes to the nucleus and interacts with AtCDC5 in planta. Our results suggest that MAC3A and MAC3B are members of the MAC that function redundantly in the regulation of plant innate immunity.


Iron based superconductors sent material scientists into a renewed excitement reminiscent of the time when the first high-Tc superconductors were discovered 25 years ago. This feature article reviews relationships between structural chemistry and magnetic as well as superconducting properties of iron arsenide compounds, which are outstandingly rich and uniquely coupled. Particular attention is paid to the nature of the structural phase transitions of the parent compounds and their possible origins, on effects of doping on the crystal structures and on the coexistence of magnetic ordering and superconductivity. In spite of the many fascinating insights that have already enriched the research on superconductivity, many questions are still open and prove iron based superconductors to be a good recipe for future discoveries in this lively field.


Abstract. Controlled drainage combined with winter crops was investigated for the first time as a mitigation measure for reducing nitrate loss through drainage systems during a three-year period (2012–15) on a loamy soil in Denmark. The impact of controlled drainage on groundwater levels, drain flow, total nitrogen, nitrate, ammonium, nitrous oxide, total phosphorous, and phosphate when applying regulation levels of 50 and 70 cm above drain pipes were determined by using a before-after control-impact (BACI) study design. The regulation level had to be 70 cm to significantly elevate groundwater levels and reduce drain outflow and nitrate loss, which were reduced by 38–52 % (97–127 mm) and 36–48 % (6–8 kg nitrate-N ha−1) relative to conventional drainage levels, respectively. Controlled drainage did not appear to influence harvest yield or cause pollution swapping as the loss of total phosphorous, phosphate, and nitrous oxide was reduced by 44–45 %, 44–54 %, and 36–38 %, respectively. Stable isotope analysis of δ15N and δ18O in nitrate from drain water supported by measurements of nitrate, sulphate, and ammonium concentrations in drain water revealed that denitrification was not enhanced markedly at the impacted plots, except during one event where a pronounced decline in nitrate concentrations and ceased drain flow was observed.


Mobile Ad Hoc networks (MANETs) are gaining increased interest due to their wide range of potential applications in civilian and military sectors. The self-control, self-organization, topology dynamism, and bandwidth limitation of the wireless communication channel make implementation of MANETs a challenging task. The Connected Dominating Set (CDS) has been proposed to facilitate MANETs realization. Minimizing the CDS size has several advantages; however, this minimization is NP complete problem; therefore, approximation algorithms are used to tackle this problem. The fastest CDS creation algorithm is Wu and Li algorithm; however, it generates a relatively high signaling overhead. Utilizing the location information of network members reduces the signaling overhead of Wu and Li algorithm. In this paper, we compare the performance of Wu and Li algorithm with its Location-Information-Based version under two types of Medium Access Control protocols, and several network sizes. The MAC protocols used are: a virtual ideal MAC protocol, and the IEEE 802.11 MAC protocol. The use of a virtual ideal MAC enables us to investigate how the real-world performance of these algorithms deviates from their ideal-conditions counterpart. The simulator used in this research is the ns-2 network simulator.


NASAL GRAFTS AND IMPLANTS A PANEL discussion on "nasal implants" was an interesting part of the program at the recent meeting of the American Academy of Ophthalmology and Otolaryngology in New York City. The members of the panel, Dr. John Converse, of New York, Dr. Oscar Becker, of Chicago, and the senior author of this review, were in close agreement regarding the clinical value of various implants and tissue grafts which may be used to correct nasal contour defects. Implants were defined as nonliving substances, and grafts were considered to be fresh organic tissues with living cells. Thus, preserved cadaver cartilage and possibly frozen dried cartilage (if the cells are nonviable) are implants, whereas fresh cartilage, fresh bone, and the like are grafts. All panel members agreed that autogenous cartilage and autogenous bone are the most satisfactory grafting materials. Preserved bank cartilage implants and fresh homogenous cartilage grafts were held


Background and Aims Currently, 80% of grafts are taken from brain-dead (BD) donors. However, BD markedly reduces the tolerance of liver grafts to preservation/reperfusion injury and reduces graft survival. In addition, steatosis is currently estimated to be present in up to 50% of deceased donor livers and is recognized as a key donor variable predicting post-transplant outcome. HMGB1 has been described in different inflammatory disorders, and the deleterious effects of brain death may counteract the protection conferred by ischemic preconditioning. Therefore, our study examined how HMGB1 may affect preconditioned and un-preconditioned steatotic liver grafts from brain death donors undergoing transplantation. Methods Steatotic grafts from non-BD and BD donors were cold stored for 6 hours and then transplanted. HMGB1 was pharmacologically modulated in liver grafts from brain death donors alone or in combination with ischemic preconditioning. Before the implantation of liver grafts in the recipient and after transplantation, hepatic damage and inflammatory response was analyzed and HMGB1-underlying mechanisms was characterized. Results and Discussion We report that BD reduces HMGB1 in preconditioned and un-preconditioned livers, which is associated with inflammation and damage. Exogenous HMGB1 in BD donors activates PI3k/Akt and reduces hepatic inflammation (neutrophil accumulation, oxidative stress) and hepatic damage, altogether increasing the survival of recipients. Combination of exogenous HMGB1 and preconditioning shows additional benefits and stronger protection against damage, oxidative stress and neutrophil accumulation than HMGB1 treatment alone. This superior beneficial effect may derive from the anti-oxidant and anti-inflammatory properties of different mediators generated by preconditioning, which may act dependently of HMGB1. Conclusions We show the injurious effects of BD in steatotic liver transplantation, which was associated with reduced HMGB1 expression. Pharmacological interventions to activate the HMGB1 signaling pathway in combination with ischemic preconditioning could be useful to reduce the incidence of postoperative complications in steatotic liver transplantation from deceased donors.


Background: This study concentrated on evaluation the FBXW7 levels and other markers in T2DM patients related to the duration of metformin monotherapy and duration of T2DM. Method: The current study includes 60 diabetic patients type II and30 control subjects. The groups of patients were subdivided in to two groups: (group I) (30) Newly diagnosed T2DM which also subdivided to two groups(> 1 year, and 1 year and <1 year). In the present study FBXW7, FetuinA, pentraxin3, Nitric oxide and insulin were determined bythe enzyme linked immune sorbent assay (ELISA). Biochemical markers, fasting serum glucose, and lipide profile were determined through spectrophotometere technique in patients and control groups. Result: The levelsof glucose, HbA1c and IR significantly affected byincrease the duration of diseaseWhile each of fbxw7, pentraxin 3,NO, and fetuin A not influenced by increase duration of disease. There was nonsignificant effect of metformin therapy duration on levels of Fbxw7,fetuinA, pentraxin3 and lipid profile. While IR showed significant decrease when the duration of treatment increase. Conclusion: Fbxw7, fetuinA, pentraxin3 and NO arenot affected by long duration of therapy or by duration of disease while glucose, HbA1c, and IR are affected by increase duration of diseaseonly. Whereas insulin and IR are affected by both; duration of disease and therapy.


This article presents an automated method of semantic analysis of patent array, used for patent examination and designed to reduce the time that an expert spends for the prior-art search and for the decision making if the patent should be granted or not. This method is part of a three steps methodology, consists of preprocessing step, statistical analysis and semantic analysis. The method includes: the decomposition of the complex sentence into several small sentences, methods of morphological and semantic analysis of the text, the semantic network simplification, the comparison of semantic networks based on an algorithm Levenstein.


A 61-year-old male presented with a brain abscess manifesting as high fever and generalized convulsion attacks. Magnetic resonance (MR) imaging disclosed a ring-like enhanced lesion in the parietal lobe. Thallium-201 single photon emission computed tomography (201Tl SPECT) images demonstrated a high uptake lesion with a 201Tl uptake index on the early image of 2.21, which suggested malignant disease. The washout ratio was 0.73. His symptoms and the ring-like enhanced lesion on MR images disappeared after 2 months of antibiotic treatment. The final diagnosis was brain abscess, despite the 201Tl SPECT findings. 201Tl SPECT washout ratio may be a better indicator of brain abscess than uptake index.


Adult male Woodhouse's toads (Bufo woodhousi) developed clinical disease, hepatomegaly, and died at a higher rate when externally exposed once to either a high or low sublethal dose (0.011 or 0.0011 mg malathion/g toad) of field grade malathion and challenged with a sublethal dose of Aeromonas hydrophila injected intraperintoneally (1.1 × 104 bacteria/g toad) when compared to toads not exposed to malathion but challenged with A. hydrophila (P < 0.007). Toads exposed to malathion (high or low dose) and challenged with A. hydrophila had clinical disease, hepatomegaly, and died at a higher rate [9 (90%) of 10] than toads exposed to malathion alone (P < 0.002). Toads exposed to the high and low doses of malathion had a 22% and 17% decrease in brain cholinesterase levels, respectively, when they were compared to nonmalathion exposed toads (P < 0.025, P < 0.006). It appears that field grade malathion applied externally to adult Woodhouse's toads may cause increased disease susceptibility when challenged with a potentially pathogenic bacteria.


ABSTRACT This pilot study examined effects of HIV prevention messages about self and partner benefits of antiretroviral therapy (ART) and condom effectiveness on increased intentions for behavior change. Data were from Messages4Men, a study examining prevention messages among 320 HIV-positive and 605 HIV-negative Black and Latino MSM. Men completed a computer-based assessment after message exposure, and multivariable models controlled for risky sex and demographics. A majority of HIV-positive men reported increased intentions for ART use; 22% reported partner benefit information was new. HIV-positive men with a detectable viral load had significantly greater adjusted odds of reporting intentions for ART use. Over half of HIV-negative MSM reported ART benefit information was new, and 88% reported increased intentions to discuss ART use with infected partners. Black MSM anticipated they would increase condom use in response to the self and partner benefit messages. Tailored messages on benefits of ART are needed for MSM.


This paper presents a novel application of QBF solving to automata reduction. We focus on Transition-based Emerson-Lei automata (TELA) , which is a popular formalism that generalizes many traditional kinds of automata over infinite words including Büchi, co-Büchi, Rabin, Streett, and parity automata. Transitions in a TELA are labelled with acceptance marks and its accepting formula is a positive Boolean combination of atoms saying that a particular mark has to be visited infinitely or finitely often. Algorithms processing these automata are often very sensitive to the number of acceptance marks. We introduce a new technique for reducing the number of acceptance marks in TELA based on satisfiability of quantified Boolean formulas (QBF) . We evaluated our reduction technique on TELA produced by state-of-the-art tools of the libraries Owl and Spot and by the tool ltl3tela . The technique reduced some acceptance marks in automata produced by all the tools. On automata with more than one acceptance mark obtained by translation of LTL formulas from literature with tools Delag and Rabinizer 4, our technique reduced 27.7% and 39.3% of acceptance marks, respectively. The reduction was even higher on automata from random formulas


Early-age concrete shrinkage induces stress, which affects the cost and service life of concrete pavements. Concrete construction quality assurance has been evaluated as an experiment test, but in this paper, a performance monitoring method for initial concrete quality management using sensors was proposed. To monitor the behavior of Portland cement concrete, strain measurements of field slabs were conducted, and a methodology was presented that independently derived autogenous, drying, and thermal shrinkage in the initial stages of concrete placement using strain sensors. Total strain was measured under five different environmental conditions and shrinkage strain was calculated for each condition. By measuring the strain of the slab and the specimen, the drying shrinkage strain range was measured to be approximately 54% higher than that measured by the conventional non-stressed cylinder method because it was possible to measure the drying shrinkage strain at the surface rather than in the middle part of the slab along its depth direction. Furthermore, calculation of the stress-dependent strain allowed the presentation of more intuitive and accurate results. As the monitoring of independent shrinkage occurrence is possible, the consequent calculated result of the stressdependent strain acting on real slabs will help improve the construction quality, reduce the development of defects in concrete structures, and increase the service life.


Semiconductors increased power and voltage capability enable their usage in components of medium voltage grids. These components can be medium voltage AC/DC converters, which are made of a rectifier, an inverter, a transformer and another rectifier. The converter size can be reduced as well as efficiency increased, when a bipolar medium frequent rectangular voltage with a frequency between 1 and 10 kHz is applied in the intermediate circuit. Medium voltage transformers can be insulated with resin impregnated fibers, which might be used as insulation for the medium frequency transformer. The breakdown voltage of the impregnated fibers is unknown in this frequency range. Therefore, the insulation capability with respect to the breakdown voltage of the resign impregnated fibers is investigated in a frequency range between 1 and 10 kHz. The breakdown voltage of the resign impregnated Nomex 410 and Mestastar YT510 fibers decreases in the medium frequent range in contrast to 50 Hz. The reason might be a change of dielectric losses and a thermal heating of the material. Therefore, the breakdown mechanism might change from an electrical breakdown at 50 Hz to a thermal breakdown in the medium frequent range.


The mechanisms underlying chaotic advection and mixing in inertial flow at Reynolds numbers above the Stokes flow regime are incompletely understood. This paper describes numerical investigations of chaotic advection and mixing for time-periodic inertial flow in a two-dimensional rectangular cavity driven by alternating motion of the upper and lower walls. The effects of inertia are analyzed in terms of the flow topology and tracer dynamics. The periodic unsteady high Reynolds number laminar flow results in the evolution of the Poincare map as the Reynolds number increases. Periodic points shift in position from their original locations in Stokes flow, and the Poincare sections transition from those characteristic of Stokes flow to a different characteristic pattern at higher Reynolds numbers. Tracer motion exhibits increasing degrees of disorder with increasing Reynolds number and decreasing forcing frequency resulting in increased chaotic mixing. The forcing frequency has a much greater impact on chaoti...


Barbiturate therapy was performed on 84 head trauma patients which were measured on GCS score of 8 or less, through October 1979 to December 1982. More than 3 g/day of thiamylal or more than 1.5 g/day of pentobarbital were administered for barbiturate therapy. Barbiturate therapy was discontinued in patients whose ICP remained less than 20 mmHg for more than 36 hours. In patients whose ICP sustained higher level, barbiturate was administered continuously until brain death was confirmed or non-filling was recognized. The patients were divided into two groups; Group I in which barbiturate therapy was carried out for 72 hours or less, and Group II in which it was administered for more than 72 hours. The patients in each group were further divided into responder and survivor (a), responder but late death (b), and no-responder or acute brain death (c), As far as age of patients concern, 19 out of 26 patients whose age was less than 20, 22 out of 35 patients whose age was 20-50 and 13 out of 23 patients whose age was more than 50 years responded well to the barbiturate therapy. But one patient died among young age, 4 patients died among middle age and 9 patients died among aged group at later stage. As for Group I (51 patients), Group I a consisted of 22 patients (mean age; 26.2 years, mean GCS score; 6.04, mean initial and maximal ICP; 11.9 and 27.8 mmHg), I b of 8 (52.5 years, 4.75, 17.0 and 27.8 mmHg), and I c of 21 (41.4 years, 4.57, 38.1 and 98.0 mmHg respectively).(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)


Phytochemicals derived from different plants are promising therapeutic agents. Herbal compounds can be used under diseases, etiological causes of which are alterations of carbohydrate, protein, and lipid metabolisms, along with increased oxidative stress and chronic low-grade inflammation. Potential sources of biologically active substances may be grape wine, rich in phenolic compounds. Well-studied examples of polyphenols are phenolic acids, catechins, anthocyanins, and flavonoids, etc. Another source of biologically active compounds is yacon (Smallanthus sonchifolius Poepp. & Endl.). The aboveground part of yacon is rich in phenolic compounds and terpenes. Main biologically active substances from tuberous roots of yacon are fructooligosaccharides and phenolic compounds. The section will be devoted to the analysis of hypoglycemic and antioxidant effects, and molecular targets of the complex of biologically active substances derived from red wine and yacon.


A novel amphiphilic pH-sensitive triblock polymer brush (poly(β-amino esters)-g-cholesterol)-b-poly(ethylene glycol)-b-(poly(β-amino esters)-g-cholesterol) ((PAE-g-Chol)-b-PEG-b-(PAE-g-Chol)) was designed and synthesized successfully through a three-step reaction, and their self-assembled polymeric micelles were used as hydrophobic anticancer drug delivery carriers to realize effectively controlled release. The critical micelle concentrations were 6.8 μg/mL, 12.6 μg/mL, 17.4 μg/mL, and 26.6 μg/mL at pH values of 7.4, 6.5, 6.0, and 5.0, respectively. The trend of critical micelle concentrations indicated that the polymer had high stability that could prolong the circulation time in the body. The hydrodynamic diameter and zeta potential of the polymeric micelles were influenced significantly by the pH values. As pH decreased from 7.4 to 5.0, the particle size and zeta potential increased from 205.4 nm to 285.7 nm and from +12.7 mV to +47.0 mV, respectively. The pKb of the polymer was confirmed to be approximately 6.5 by the acid–base titration method. The results showed that the polymer had sharp pH-sensitivity because of the protonation of the amino groups, resulting in transformation of the PAE segment from hydrophobic to hydrophilic. Doxorubicin-loaded polymeric micelles were prepared with a high loading content (20%) and entrapment efficiency (60%) using the dialysis method. The in vitro results demonstrated that drug release rate and cumulative release were obviously dependent on pH values. Furthermore, the drug release mechanism was also controlled by the pH values. The polymer had barely any cytotoxicity, whereas the doxorubicin-loaded system showed high toxicity for HepG2 cells as free drugs. All the results proved that the pH-sensitive triblock polymer brush and its self-assembled micelle might be a potential delivery carrier for anticancer drugs with sustained release.


(hvKP) strains can cause invasive liver abscess syndrome, which is characterised by liver abscess with extrahepatic compli-cations including central nervous system involvement, necrotising fasciitis or endophthalmitis (Siu et al. 2012). hvKP was first reported in Taiwan in 1985 and, since then, infections caused by hvKP have been described in several parts of the world, with many cases reported in Southeast Asia (Li et al. 2014). In the Americas, in-vasive liver abscess syndrome has been reported in the United States of America, Canada and Argentina (Siu et al. 2012). However, this strain has not been previously reported in Brazil. Recently, a 57-year-old woman with diabetes mellitus was admitted to the emergency de-partment with a history of fever, nausea, vomiting and mental confusion for five days. On the day of admission, she was comatose, icteric and had a poor general appear-ance. Her temperature was 37.8°C and her blood pres-sure, pulse and respiratory rate were 110/60 mmHg, 96 beats/min and 48 breaths/min, respectively. Respiratory and cardiovascular auscultations were normal; however, a neurological examination revealed neck rigidity. Bac-terial meningitis was suspected and ceftriaxone 2 g IV q12 h was empirically prescribed after performing a di-agnostic lumbar puncture. Her cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) was xanthochromic and showed glucose 0.0 mg/dL, pro-tein 485 mg/dL and 8,640 cells/mm


ABSTRACT An investigation of the flow around an obstacle positioned within the wake of a rotor is described. A flow visualisation survey was performed using a smoke wand and particle image velocimetry, and surface pressure measurements on the obstacle were taken. The flow patterns were strongly dependent upon the rotor height above the ground and obstacle, and the relative position of the obstacle and rotor axis. High positive and suction pressures were measured on the obstacle surfaces, and these were unsteady in response to the passage of the vortex driven rotor wake over the surfaces. Integrated surface forces are of the order of the rotor thrust, and unsteady pressure information shows local unsteady loading of the same order as the mean loading. Rotor blade-tip vortex trajectories are responsible for the generation of these forces.


Therapeutic drug monitoring can be defined as a multiple step activity involving: (i) the measurement of a drug; (ii) the interpretation of the concentration by taking into account the concentration-effect relationship; (iii) the individual dose adjustment. For over 15 years pharmacology-toxicology departments have implemented liquid chromatography coupled to tandem mass spectrometry (LC-MS/MS) on a daily basis. This article discusses the current position of this technology in TDM routine activity.


Cosmic-ray muon radiography is a novel method to detect high-Z materials in thick shield, and the reconstruction algorithm is the key point of this technique. In this paper, we have improved the traditional maximum likelihood algorithm, using EM method to get the estimation and OS technique to accelerate, and using the result from the Point of Closest Approach algorithm as the initial value. Having done the simulated numerical experiments in three dimensional space, we get some preliminary reconstruction results. This new method will be embedded into platform program and expanded into widely practical applications in muon tomography.


Y-27632 is a well-known inhibitor of the Rho-associated coiled kinase (ROCK) and has been shown to significantly improve the culture of a variety of multipotent stem cell types. However, the effects of Y-27632 on the expansion of adult human adipose-derived stem cell (hADSC) cultures remain to be established. Here, we aimed to characterize the effects of Y-27632 on the culture of hADSCs. Adult hADSCs were isolated from subjects submitted to elective plastic surgery procedures and cultivated in vitro under optimized conditions. Our results show that the continuous supplementation of hADSC cultures with Y-27632 led to decreased numbers of cells and decreased global metabolic viability of hADSC cultures when compared with control conditions. This effect appeared to be dependent on the continuous presence of the drug and was shown to be concentration-dependent and significant for 10 µM and 20 µM of Y-27632. Moreover, the Y-27632-induced decrease in hADSC numbers was not linked to a block in global cell proliferation, as cell numbers consistently increased from the moment of plating until passaging. In addition, Y-27632 was not able to increase the number of hADSCs present in culture 24 hours after passaging. Taken together, our results suggest that, in contrast to other stem cell types, Y-27632 supplementation is not a suitable strategy to enhance hADSC culture expansion.


We address the reservation pricing problem for a two-echelon fashion supply chain in which the downstream manufacturer with private information on its operations cost (low or high type) reserves the capacity for a critical component from the upstream supplier before placing the final order. We consider the case when the demand forecast is partially updated. We find that a novel menu of reservation contracts containing the unit reservation fee with reservation quantity and final order could induce the manufacturer to reveal its operations cost information truthfully. We also show that the supplier should require less capacity reservation and charge a lower unit reservation fee if it has asymmetric information about the manufacturer's operations cost. Finally, we analyse the effects of forecast update, and our results indicate that: (i) the supplier benefits from forecast update because the optimal reservation pricing strategy is designed to reveal the true information and meanwhile induce a higher capacity reservation; and (ii) a greater amount of forecast update decreases the supply chain deficit and increases the supplier's agency cost.


ABSTRACT This study assessed the validity and reliability of the Pandemic Coping Scale (PCS), a new brief measure of coping with pandemic-related stressors. Methods The PCS was administered to N = 2316 German participants during the COVID-19 pandemic. Exploratory and confirmatory factor analysis was applied among random splits of the sample. Global goodness of fit (χ 2, RMSEA, SRMR, CFI, TLI), local goodness of fit (factor loadings, communalities, factor reliability, discriminant validity) and additional test quality criteria (internal consistency, item discrimination and difficulty) were evaluated for a four-factor model vs. a four-factor model combined with a second-order general factor. Convergent and divergent validity were examined by Pearson correlations of the PCS subscales with the Brief-COPE subscales; criterion validity was evaluated by correlations with wellbeing (WHO-5), depressive (PHQ-9) and anxiety symptoms (GAD-2). Results Exploratory factor analysis suggested a four-factor solution ('Healthy Lifestyle', 'Joyful Activities', 'Daily Structure', 'Prevention Adherence'). Confirmatory factor analysis showed a sufficient global fit for both specified models which did not differ in their fit to the data. Local goodness of fit indices showed moderate to large factor loadings and good factor reliabilities except for the subscale 'Prevention Adherence'. Internal consistencies were good for the PCS total scale (α = .83), the 'Healthy Lifestyle' (α = .79) and the 'Daily Structure' (α = .86) subscales, acceptable for 'Joyful Activities' (α = .60), and low for 'Prevention Adherence' (α = .52). The four subscales evidenced convergent and divergent validity with the Brief-COPE subscales. The subscales 'Healthy lifestyle', 'Joyful activities' and 'Daily structure' showed criterion validity with wellbeing, depressive and anxiety symptoms. Conclusions The PCS is a reliable and valid measure to assess pandemic-specific coping behavior in the domains of 'Healthy Lifestyle', 'Joyful Activities', and 'Daily Structure'. The PCS subscale 'Prevention Adherence' might be improved by adding items with varying item difficulties.


Hybridization of robots has led to great leaps in capability, often with minimal additional complexity, and refers to a synergistic combination of different actuation modes within a single platform. Doing so extends the capabilities and task space of a robot by pooling together the strengths of the individual modes and results in a single platform that is greater than the sum of its parts. In this paper we present a novel 2-D tread module capable of exerting motive forces in two orthogonal directions. Hybridization of this mechanism is explored to create a holonomic differential drive configuration as well as a holonomic tread/limb serpentine hybrid robot. Some preliminary results of the tread module performance are presented as well.


The IP identifier (IP ID) in the IP header has become enormously popular as a side channel leaking valuable information on destinations. In the recent decades, the researchers have exploited the IP ID in a variety of different applications, from estimating outgoing server traffic, to covert communication and to remotely understanding firewall rules and port status. However, the complexity of inferring IP ID due to high fluctuating traffic rates from multiple sources leaves it an open question how practical the applications that leverage IP ID are.We perform the first Internet wide study of IP ID behaviour in the Internet and evaluate how practical it is to build applications on top of IP ID. We analyse experimentally the applications on the dataset of IP ID values that we collected. We show that our SVM classifier can achieve the accuracy of the IP ID prediction of more than 99%.


The purpose of this paper is to study the development of the coastal flow i.e. its micro-scale characteristics within the surface layer at the sea-land transition and to investigate the development of inland formation of cloudiness during merging of sea/land and valley- mountain breeze regimes. The area is the mountainous southern tip of Italy, about 50 km wide and 300 km long, in the Central Mediterranean Basin. Here, thermal meso-scale circulations and cloud formations on the mountains are pronounced because of their peculiar elongated shape. Upslope flow is very strong, due to the steepness of Apennines, and sea-breeze circulation is supported by the thermally forced meso-scale flows. Here, we present preliminary results from a case study during six consecutive days where sea/land breeze circulation was well developed and discuss the effect on the formation of inland clouds. Sea breeze days are selected by a sodar and surface meteorological station measurements. Cloud development is analyzed by subjective inspection of METEOSAT MSG images in the visible channel. The WRF (Weather Research and Forecasting) model is used to analyze the meteorological situation. The Institute of Atmospheric Sciences and Climate CNR-ISAC in house modular Multi-Tone Sodar system (PC-MTSodar) and the surface meteorological station are installed and operated at a coastal site located at about 300 m from the coastline. Preliminary results show that the methodology is viable to study the development of thermally forced meso-scale circulations over Calabria at micro and large scale and that these circulations can be intense over the peninsula thanks to its peculiar shape. It is shown that the formation of afternoon cumulus clouds, which may result in rainfall, is modulated by synoptic scale conditions. Further development will be a climatic assessment of the role of breezes on local climate.


Current higher education policy in England is characterised by some enduring dilemmas and challenges that the New Labour government has so far largely failed to resolve in its unprecedented three terms in office. How to pay for a mass system that is approaching 50% participation by young people, how to achieve greater equity of access to that system and how to transform higher education to meet new social and economic needs are the principal long-term challenges among others that remain unfinished business. This article examines policymaking on expansion, diversity, funding, research and teaching during this period. It argues that the policymaking process in England, and the trajectory this has taken since 1997, may be as significant as the policies themselves in limiting future options. It identifies four characteristics of the current policymaking process and their implications for the future direction of HE policy in England: increasing centralisation, the co-option of sector initiatives for government purposes, the tensions between short-term initiatives and longer-term approaches and the predominance of ideology over research as a basis for policy. Instead, it concludes, we should be developing a mode of policymaking that is iterative, research-informed, cooperative (rather than merely 'consultative'), strategic and that produces a long-term framework for enabling change.


Carbonated smart water injection (CSWI) is a potential hybrid EOR technology under development. The process involves dissolving CO2 in smart water ripping the benefits of the synergic effect of CO2 injection and smart water. Based on the experimental laboratory data, including core flood experiments, this paper presents numerical investigations of the combined impact of dissolving carbon dioxide (CO2) in smart water (SW) on oil recovery in carbonate cores. An advanced processes reservoir simulator was utilized to build a core-scale model. Both the physics of smart water flooding as well as CO2-gas injection were captured. The generated model was validated against the coreflooding experimental data on hybrid CSWI, including cumulative oil production (cc) and oil recovery factor (%). The Corey's correlation relative permeability model was used for capturing the multiphase flow. The numerical model was used to understand the underlying recovery mechanisms and crude oil-brine-rock interactions during CSWI. The model was further utilized to perform sensitivity analysis of different parameters and to optimize the CSWI design.
 Based on the numerical results, the experimental coreflooding data were accurately history-matched using the proposed model with a minimal error of 8.79% applying the PSO-based optimization method. Moreover, this history-matched model was further used for sensitivity analysis and optimization of the CSWI process. The objective functions for sensitivity analysis and optimization are based on minimizing the history-matching global error and maximizing oil recovery. The optimized design was achieved by performing a sensitivity analysis of various input parameters such as oil and water saturations (Soi and Swi), DTRAP (i.e., relative permeability interpolation parameter). On the other hand, in terms of maximizing the oil recovery while minimizing the usage of injected CSW solutions during CSWI, the optimal solution via the PSO-based approach achieved a cumulative oil recovery of 55.5%. The main mechanism behind additional oil recovery with CSW is due mainly to wettability alteration and ion exchange between rock and brine. Additionally, CSWI was found to be more efficient in releasing trapped oil compared to waterflooding, indicating the synergic effect of dissolved CO2 in SW solutions. Based on this research, the envelope of CSWI application in carbonates for CO2-storage is expected to expand. This study presents one of the few works on numerical modeling of the CSWI process and capturing its effects on oil recovery. The optimized core-scale model can be further used as a base to build a field-scale model. This promising hybrid CSWI process under optimum conditions is expected to be economical and environmentally acceptable, which promotes future field projects.


Purpose To determine the extent of remnant cone structure within early foveal ellipsoid zone (EZ) lesions in macular telangiectasia type 2 longitudinally using both confocal and split detector adaptive optics scanning light ophthalmoscopy (AOSLO). Methods Spectral domain optical coherence tomography (SDOCT), confocal and split detector AOSLO were acquired from seven patients (10 eyes) with small (early) EZ lesions on SDOCT secondary to macular telangiectasia type 2 at baseline, 6 months, and 12 months. The presence of cone structure on AOSLO in areas of EZ loss as well as cones at 1° eccentricity, and their change over time were quantified. Results By split detector AOSLO, remnant cone structure was identified within and on the borders of all foveal EZ lesions. Within the extent of these lesions, cone spacing ranged from 4.97 to 9.95 µm at baseline, 5.30 to 6.10 µm at 6 months, and 4.99 to 7.12 µm at 12 months. Four eyes with significantly smaller EZ lesions showed evidence of recovery of EZ reflectivity on SDOCT B-scans. Remnant cone structure was identified in some areas where EZ reflectivity recovered at the following time point. Eyes that showed recovery of EZ reflectivity had a continuous external limiting membrane. Conclusions Remnant cone structure can persist within small SDOCT-defined EZ lesions, which can wax and wane in appearance over time. AOSLO can help to inform the interpretation of SDOCT imaging. Translational Relevance The absence of EZ in early macular telangiectasia type 2 and other retinal conditions needs careful interpretation because it does not always indicate an absence of underlying cone structure. The integrity of the external limiting membrane may better predict the presence of remnant cone structure and recovery of EZ reflectivity.


A two-layer slab method is developed for determining the thermal diffusivity of polymer with the modulated light heat source. A solution of heat transfer equation is obtained for an infinitely wide two-layer slab, and the expression for the temperature-wave phase shift is given. The use of phase shift measurement avoids some of the problems associated with temperature measuring instrumentation of polymer. Measurement is possible even at a softening temperature because one of two layers in a slab plays the role of a mechanical holder. An analysis of energy loss at the back surface indicates that experiment should be feasible even when losses are so large. An abrupt change of thermal diffusivity at about 50°C higher than the glass temperature as well as the well known abrupt change at the glass temperature, is obtained in as well as the polystyrene, polymethacrylate, and nylon 6.


Adult granulosa cell tumor (GCT) of the ovary is the most common malignancy amongst the sex cord stromal tumors. Clinical stage, age, tumor size, residual disease and several histologic factors have been reported to be of prognostic significance. There were 839 ovarian malignancies at our institute during the period from 1998 to 2002. Out of 54 granulosa cell tumors, 40 cases were evaluable which includes 37 cases of adult GCT and 3 cases of juvenile GCT. They were studied retrospectively. Majority of patients presented with abdominal symptoms and FIGO stage I. All patients were treated surgically and 62.1% of adult GCTs were given post-operative chemotherapy. Clinical stage, presence of residual disease and tumor volume were the most important prognostic factors. Age of patient, menstrual status, post-operative chemotherapy, mitosis or histological patterns were of little significance in our study.


Physical inactivity has become a serious public health problem as it contributes to major non- communicable diseases. Increasing activity levels has beneficial effects on musculoskeletal health and mental health as well. In Poland there are a few studies which refer to the physical activity (PA) of the overall society and which are based on an international questionnaire, thus enabling comparative analysis. The aim of the study was to assess the PA level of the Polish society and to examine fields of their activity and intensity of them in order to compare the data with fifteen European countries. A survey based on computer-assisted personal interview (CAPI) was carried out in Poland in November 2006. A random sample of Polish adults (n=1028) was selected and divided according to demographic criteria. PA was estimated by a short version of the International Physical Activity Questionnaire (IPAQ). In the last seven days 53.4% of the Polish society reported no vigorous PA whereas in the European sample the percentage was significantly higher (57.4%). For the PA of moderate level of intensity 39.8% of the Polish respondents reported no such PA; in the European sample the percentage was 40.8%. Only 12.8% of the Polish respondents reported not having walked in the past week, whereas in the EU the percentage was 17.1%. It must be noted that in all aspects the results were varied in the studied countries. These observations indicate a need for urgent actions to promote HEPA across EU member countries and in particular the least active member states. The present study is the first referring to PA of the whole Polish population, based on a representative sample and an international standardised questionnaire. The data confirm that the PA level of the Polish society is not as low as it has been shown in many studies.


Pain is a significant public health issue in the United States, and pain management has serious implications for the regulation of healthcare professionals. Pain management is recognized as important and integral to the practice of nursing. This article describes the legal and regulatory framework for pain management and identifies 4 specific regulatory issues. The public protection responsibility of boards of nursing is complicated by the need to appropriately concentrate on investigative, educational, and disciplinary work of the boards while not interfering with safe, effective pain management nursing care. Proactive board functions are suggested to support boards in maintaining this balance.


The determination of global optimized (GO) shape of a flying configuration (FC) (namely, the simultaneous optimization of its camber, twist and thickness distributions and also of the similarity parameters of its planform) leads to an enlarged variational problem with free boundaries. An own optimum-optimorum (OO) theory was developed in order to solve this enlarged variational problem. According to this OO theory, a lower limit hypersurface of the drag coefficients of elitary FCs versus the corresponding set of similarity parameters of their planforms is defined. The elitary FCs corresponding to the optimum set of similarity parameters, which is obtained by the numerical determination of the position of the minimum of this hypersurface is, at the same time, the GO FC of the set. The GO shapes of three FCs models were designed by the author according to her OO theory. The transversal cuts of the GO FCs look like those of gliding birds and also their behaviors, by changing of start values of optimization, are similar because nature optimizes too.


We investigate the private returns for academics that start new businesses. Total earnings for the universe of 478 individuals working at Swedish universities who quit to become full-time entrepreneurs between 1999 and 2008 are compiled. To the best of our knowledge, this is the first analysis of entrepreneurial returns to include capital gains. Entrepreneurship for academics appears a gradual process and episodic. Earnings are similar before and after becoming an entrepreneur, and dividends and capital gains are inconsequential. But the income risk is more than three times higher in entrepreneurship.


We introduce an introductory engineering education course for engineering majors and non-engineering majors. This course does not require any previous knowledge and experience on engineering. It requires strong curiosities and imaginations on current and future society we live in, where technology is inseparable ingredient. Course encourages attendees to explore fundamental issues of engineering: what is proper technology and what are proper ways of exercising engineering, issues dealt in soft engineering. Since course topics cover many aspects of technology, traditional learning methods fail to be successful and efficient. Various efficient learning methods have been proposed and implemented. We utilize various interactive tangible media, which include simulated thought experiments and physical media experiences. About 20 episodes in short film format are produced based on scenario written according to related issues selected. Physical media like interactive robots are introduced for attendees' stimulated experiences. We summarize our exciting experiments on interactive teaching experiences at Pusan National University which include on/off-line interactions, assignments, projects, and evaluations.


The aim of this study was to assess whether hepatitis C virus (HCV) coinfection would affect the clinical and immunological outcome of HIV-infected patients following a simplification strategy. A prospective cohort of HIV-infected patients starting a ritonavir boosted darunavir monotherapy (mtDRV/rtv) was followed for 24 months. HCV infection was evaluated by HCV viremia and hepatic fibrosis. Immune activation was studied as HLA-DR CD38 coexpression on CD4(+) and CD8(+) T cells and also the quantification of plasma sCD14 levels. Microbial translocation was studied by the plasma levels of 16S rDNA and lipopolysaccharide (LPS). A total of 150 HIV-infected patients were enrolled in this study, including 46 individuals also infected with HCV (30.6%). HIV/HCV coinfection did not decrease mtDRV/rtv efficacy, since similar rates of HIV-1 intermittent viremia (HCV: 26.6% vs. no-HCV: 34.7%) and episodes of virological failure (HCV: 22.2% vs. no-HCV: 11.2%, p-value = 0.381) were found. No major differences were found between both groups at baseline, although higher HLA-DR(+)CD38(+)CD4(+) T cell counts were found in the coinfected group (HCV: 6.65% vs. no-HCV: 4.55%, p-value = 0.032); this difference was maintained in the 24 months of follow-up. After the 24-month follow-up, both groups, HIV-monoinfected patients and HIV/HCV-coinfected patients, presented similar immune activation and microbial translocation profiles. In conclusion, the use of a simplified mtDRV/rtv strategy compromises neither HIV nor HCV viremic control in coinfected patients, although a higher immune activation of CD4(+) T cells was found.


Background
Choroidal neovascularization (CNV) leads to blindness in many fundus diseases.Study showed that naringenin suppresses CNV, but it presents with poor bioavailability because of its poor solubility in water.β-cyclodextrin (β-CD) can increase the water-solubility of drugs, however, whether the inhibitory effect of naringenin on CNV can be improved after clathrated with β-CD remains unclear.

Objective
This study was to compare the inhibitory effects of naringenin with naringenin/β-CD compounds on CNV in rats.

Methods
Naringenin/β-CD clathrate compounds were prepared with saturated solution, the solubility of naringenin in water was calculated based on standard curve.Thirty-two male Brown Norway rats were randomized into normal control group, model control group, naringenin group and naringenin/β-CD group.Laser-induced CNV models were created in the right eyes of rats from the model control group, naringenin group and naringenin/β-CD group.Naringenin and naringenin/β-CD clathrate compounds were intraperitoneally injected at a dose of 20 mg/kg in the rats of naringenin group and naringenin/β-CD group since the day after modeling, respectively, once per day for 4 weeks, and equal volume of DMSO was injected in the same way in the model control group.Fluorescein isothiocyanate dextran (FITC-D) was injected via rat hypoglossal vein for the preparation of flatmounts of choroid in the fourth week, and the areas of CNV were measured and compared among the groups.The retinal pigment epithelium (RPE)-choroid-sclera tissues were isolated from the rats, and the relative expression levels of vascular endothelial growth factor (VEGF), cyclooxygenase-2 (COX-2), phosphatidylinositol-3-kinase (PI3K), p38mitogen-activated protein kinase (p38MAPK), matrix metalloproteinase (MMP)-2, MMP-9 mRNA and their proteins in RPE-choroid-sclera tissue were detected using real-time PCR and Western blot.

Results
The solubility of naringenin in water increased by 11.8 folds after encapsulated with β-CD.The CNV areas in the model control group, naringenin group and naringenin/β-CD group were (34.56±1.67), (20.90±1.47) and (13.20±1.38)×103 μm2, respectively, showing significant reduces in the naringenin group and naringenin/β-CD group compared with the model control group (t=3.973, P<0.05; t=5.532, P<0.01), and the CNV area in the naringenin/β-CD group was significantly smaller than that in the naringenin group (t=3.605, P<0.05). The relative expression levels of VEGF, COX-2, PI3K, p38MAPK, MMP-2, MMP-9 mRNA and their proteins were significantly declined in the normal control group, naringenin group and naringenin/β-CD group in comparison with the model control group (all at P<0.05). In addition, the expression levels of VEGF mRNA and COX-2 mRNA and their proteins were significantly lower in the naringenin/β-CD group than those in the naringenin group (all at P<0.05).

Conclusions
The naringenin/β-CD clathrate compounds can improve the water solubility of naringenin and enhance their inhibitory effect on rats CNV.The inhibitory effect of naringenin on rats CNV probably is associated with anti-inflammatory pathway.

Key words:
Naringenin; β-Cyclodextrin; Choroidal neovascularization


A telomere-binding protein consisting of 56-kDa (alpha) and 41-kDa (beta) subunits binds specifically to the single-stranded T4G4T4G4 sequence at the termini of macronuclear DNA molecules in Oxytricha nova. The recent availability of separate alpha and beta polypeptides, expressed in Escherichia coli, allows investigation of the assembly of the telomeric complex ("telosome") from its individual components. By mixing wild-type subunits and electrophoretically distinct variants, we verify that the telosome contains one alpha and one beta subunit. By using telomeric DNAs of two lengths, we find that there is one DNA molecule per telosome. The DNA-protein and subunit-subunit interactions were studied by glycerol gradient sedimentation and chemical cross-linking. The formation of alpha-DNA and beta-DNA cross-links in the telomeric complex indicates that both subunits are in proximity to the DNA. When incubated together, both subunits exist predominantly as monomers in the absence of telomeric DNA. Upon binding to DNA, alpha and beta subunits directly interact with each other to form a heterodimer. We suggest that this DNA-dependent dimerization may allow each subunit to carry out distinct functions as a monomer, in addition to its participation in chromosome capping as part of the heterodimer.


Experimental evidence for self-organised criticality (SOC) in
non-conservative systems has recently been found in studies of rat
cortical slices. The size distribution of observed neuronal
avalanches has been attested to obey $3/2$ power-law scaling. A
mean-field sandpile model of a noisy neuronal system is proposed to
refute the irreconcilability between non-conservation and
criticality put forward by longstanding SOC hypotheses. The model
predicts that neuronal networks achieve and maintain criticality
despite non-conservation due to the presence of background activity
originating from membrane potential fluctuations within individual
neurons. Furthermore, small networks are demonstrated to tip towards
epileptiform activity when background activity is strong. This
finding ties in redundancy, an intriguing feature of brain networks,
to robustness of SOC behaviour.


Deoxyribonucleic acid (DNA) and ribonucleic acid (RNA) hybridization in formamide at low temperature was applied to hybridization of ΦX174 replicative form DNA and in vivo ΦX174 specific messenger RNA (mRNA) with some modification. We found that ΦX174 mRNA up to molecular weight 1.2 × 106 could be hybridized to and eluted from DNA without apparent breakage of phosphodiester bonds and the 5′ terminal guanosine triphosphate and adenosine triphosphate of the RNA. By alkali hydrolysis of the purified in vivo ΦX174 mRNA and subsequent thin-layer chromatography of the digest, we isolated the 5′ terminal nucleotides and identified them as 2′- or 3′-monophosphate guanosine 5′-triphosphate (pppGp) and 2′- or 3′-monophosphate adenosine 5′-triphosphate (pppAp). By comparing the in vitro and in vivo synthesized ΦX174 mRNA, a difference in the pppAp-pppGp ratio was observed. In the in vitro RNA, this ratio was 1.5, whereas in the in vivo RNA it was 5.5.


Expert information in the form of decision or evaluation is often used to solve tasks with the help of artificial intelligence theory and methods. The usage of information has strict requirements for the degree of expert consensus. Unfortunately, the format of calculation of the degree of consensus does not cover in the practice existing spectrum of the task format, so it is necessary adapt a practical task to a theoretical method format. The paper describes one of the methods and research being evaluated.


A carefully shaped air gap in a silicon block would concentrate laser light enough to produce photons that interact with one another, even using a weak laser beam, according to theory.


Face Recognition is an important technology for managing security, human interface, and so on. Though face recognition techniques have been used in many fields, it still has several problems to be solved, such as robustness to variations of pose, illumination and expression. In this paper, we focus our research on pose-robustness and propose a pose-robust face recognition method based on 3D reconstruction. We first reconstruct a 3D shape model from several different posed 2D face images. Then we generate new pose face images using the reconstructed 3D shape model. Face recognition is performed with generated multi-pose face images. Experimental results show that the accuracy of face recognition can be dramatically improved by our proposed method compared to that without 3D shape reconstruction.


Quality is an essential factor for organizations facing a context of economic globalization, the rise of Information Technology and Communications (ICT) and increased competition. This framework is a challenge for the accomplishment of its mission; therefore, it is imperative to develop effective audits as a tool for assessing and monitoring performance management system. In order to improve the quality of this activity and meet the needs of the audit client, a design for the planning, implementation, monitoring and improving the quality of integrated audit process, which has twelve tasks grouped into four stages it is proposed and whose center is linked to the use of the computer tool AUDIT_INTEGRATED. The proposal is conceived to encourage the continuous improvement of audit quality through verification system; supported in compliance with regulatory documents.


Using different credit measures, this study identifies the credit booms in Turkey that have occurred after December 2002, and examines their determinants. We find that the primary factors that have a strong correlation with the probability of a credit boom are the changes in the slope of the yield curve, reel exchange rate, US interest rate and net capital inflows. The results imply that these factors should be considered as important elements in forecasting such events that could threaten financial stability.


Hemoglobinuria is encountered in several well defined clinical conditions in which intravascular hemolysis occurs. In the present study an unusual case of acute, severe hemoglobinuria, accompanied by jaundice and slowly developing anemia, with final recovery, is reported. The clinical and laboratory findings in this case do not conform completely with those in any recognized type of hemolytic attack leading to hemoglobinuria. The diagnostic procedures utilized are discussed. The effects of posture and of exercise on the production of hemolysis were investigated. The continuation of the hemolytic attack for three weeks in this case gave an unusual opportunity for studying the quantitative aspects of the hemolysis. Hematologic studies were made; the plasma and the urine hemoglobin and the plasma bilirubin were studied quantitatively, and the urinary and fecal excretions of urobilinogen were measured. The total amount and rate of hemolysis during the attack have been calculated from certain of these data.


Hysteroscopy Center, Fuxing Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing 100038, China; Assisted Conception Unit, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Hong Kong, China Correspondence to: Tin-Chiu Li. Assisted Conception Unit, Department of Obstetrics & Gynaecology, Chinese University of Hong Kong, Shatin, Hong Kong, China. Email: firstname.lastname@example.com. Provenance and Peer Review: This article was commissioned by the Editorial Office, Annals of Translational Medicine. The article did not undergo external peer review. Comment on: Feng Q, Gao B, Huang H, et al. Obstetrical outcome in the third trimester after hysteroscopic adhesiolysis. Ann Transl Med 2020;8:51.


PURPOSE OF REVIEW
The review focuses on the evaluation and management of abdominal sepsis.

RECENT FINDINGS
A multitude of surgical approaches towards abdominal sepsis are practized in the world and may be associated with significant morbidity and mortality rates. Despite decades of sepsis research, no specific therapies for sepsis have emerged. Without specific therapies, the management of abdominal sepsis is based on the control of the infection and organ support.

SUMMARY
Early clinical diagnosis, adequate source control to stop ongoing contamination, appropriate antibiotic therapy dictated by patient and infection risk factors, and prompt resuscitation are the cornerstones of its management.


Because organ donation does not take place without the consent of next-of-kin and because family discussion is known to be the strongest predictor of consent to donate, transplant advocates have promoted family communication about organ donation, but without much success. Fewer than half of all people who are willing to be organ donors discuss their wishes with family members. Family discussions about donation in the African-American community are especially critical because the need for organs in this ethnic group dramatically outstrips the availability, thus leading to a disproportionate number of deaths among African Americans. This study, grounded in the Organ Donation Model, surveyed 311 African-American adults about their attitudes and behaviors regarding family discussions about organ donation. Logistic and multiple regression analyses revealed that, as hypothesized, family talk attitudes and behaviors were predicted by attitudes, knowledge, and social norms associated with organ donation. In addition, variables such as bodily integrity, medical mistrust, religiosity, and altruism were found to contribute significantly to the explained variance. The implications of these findings for health communication researchers and campaign organizers are discussed.


The contribution that Professor Pieter M. Venter has made to the study of the Old Testament during his academic and ecclesiastic career is reviewed. After a brief biographical introduction, the article surveys the development of his research interests, focusing specifically on his contributions to the study of wisdom literature, narratives and narratology, second temple literature, the formation of the canon, and Old Testament Theology. The review concludes with reference to his way of practising critical theology, taking full cognisance of research into the linguistic, historical critical, narratological and ideological aspects of Old Testament texts, but always with a sensitivity for the needs of the church as interpretive community.


A high-speed active-input cascode current mirror is presented. The proposed configuration combines a high output impedance with the high-frequency performance of a source- or emitter-driven active-input topology. Simulation results in a 0.35 μm SiGe BiCMOS are presented to demonstrate the validation of the proposed current mirror. A much higher (about 30 to 40 times) output impedance is achieved, with no degradation in the high-frequency behaviour compared to conventional emitter-driven active-input current mirrors, without increasing the power consumption. The proposed configuration can be applied to both bipolar and CMOS technology.


Background: Although the monitoring of a pitcher's throwing arm workload has become a hot topic in both research and the pitching world, the impact of mound height and distance still remains unclear. Purpose: To compare the kinetics and kinematics between pitches from a mound and flat ground at 2 different distances. Study Design: Descriptive laboratory study. Methods: A total of 21 healthy high school varsity baseball pitchers (age, 16.2 ± 1.3 years; weight, 73.6 ± 11.0 kg; height, 181.3 ± 6.4 cm) participated in this study. Players were fitted with a motusBASEBALL sensor and sleeve. Each pitcher was instructed to pitch 5 fastballs under 4 conditions: mound at 60.5 ft (regulation distance), flat ground at 60.5 ft, mound at 50.5 ft, and flat ground at 50.5 ft. Linear mixed-effects models were used to account for both intra- and interplayer variability. A multivariable model was used to evaluate the association of mound pitching, flat-ground pitching, and their distances (50.5 ft and 60.5 ft), and their interaction to arm speed, arm slot, arm rotation, elbow varus torque, and ball velocity. Results: There were no statistically significant effects of mound, flat-ground, or distance variation on arm speed or shoulder rotation. Arm slot was significantly higher (+3.0°; P = .02) on pitches from the mound at 60.5 ft compared with 50.5 ft. Elbow varus torque was lower (–1.5 N·m; P = .02) on mound pitches at 60.5 ft compared with 50.5 ft. Pitches thrown from the mound displayed significantly faster ball velocity compared with flat-ground pitches at both distances (P < .01 for both), with pitches at 60.5 ft having higher velocity (+0.7 m/s; P < .01). Conclusion: Contrary to long-standing notions, the study results suggest that pitching from the mound does not significantly increase stress on the elbow compared with flat-ground pitching. Lower elbow varus torque and faster ball velocity at the regulation distance compared with the reduced distance indicate that elbow stress and ball velocity may not correlate perfectly, and radar guns may not be an appropriate surrogate measure of elbow varus torque. Clinical Relevance: A better understanding of the kinetic and kinematic implications of various throwing programs will allow for the designing of programs that are driven by objective data with aims directed toward injury prevention and rehabilitation in baseball pitchers.


This paper explores the pillars of sustainable development in the environmental, socio-economic, and political context of Ghana, with a basic focus on its Small and Medium-size Enterprises (SMEs). Sustainable development has developed into a common mantra within the discourse of present-day development. However, given its universal and the enormous acceptance it has acquired over the years, the term still appears vague as several gaps still exist that questions the context, meaning and insinuations of sustainable development for practice. Extensive literature was reviewed to explore the pillars of sustainable development in Ghana, one of the emerging countries in Africa. The paper recognizes and maintains that the whole question linked to sustainable development cut across generations and are fundamentally grounded on three major pillars: social, economic and environment. The study recommends that key players in the interior of the United Nations, private sector, governments, civil society organizations need to be repetitively watchful of the relationships and compromises among these pillars of sustainable development. Keywords: SMEs, sustainable, environmental, development, political, economic, social, Ghana DOI: 10.7176/JESD/10-14-04 Publication date: July 31 st 2020


Thirty-five of 41 asthmatic patients, who had been taking oral corticosteroids regularly for between one and 12 years, recovered their adrenal function after courses of depot tetracosactrin, even those with apparently complete adrenal suppression. They all showed benefit by transfer to depot tetracosactrin, though steroid withdrawal symptoms could be troublesome. Skin pigmentation in three, and two severe reactions to tetracosactrin were encountered. We believe that it is advisable to give depot tetracosactrin when converting severe asthmatics to the use of beclomethasone dipropionate aerosols who have previously been treated by long-term steroids with consequent adrenal suppression.


Reflection high-energy positron diffraction (RHEPD) is a new surface analysis tool having a capability to determine structure of adsorbed layers, surface Debye temperatures and metal dipole barriers with less disturbance from bulk. We have constructed a positron beam apparatus for RHEPD experiments and succeeded in observing RHEPD patterns and totalreflectionof positrons. In this article, we introduce the principle of RHEPD and some of its applications.


Research suggests that elements of the family environment may have significant associations with cognitive and language development outcomes. Less is known, however, about the family environment in peri-urban China, where rates of cognitive and language delay in children aged 0-3years are as high as 51% and 54%, respectively. Using data collected from 81 peri-urban households with toddlers aged 18-24months in Southwestern China, this study examines the associations between stimulating parenting practices, the home language environment, and parental self-efficacy, with cognitive and language development. The results indicate that stimulating parenting practices was significantly associated with cognitive development, the home language environment was significantly associated with language development, and parental self-efficacy was significantly associated with cognitive development. The implications of such findings reveal several mechanisms for supporting healthy cognitive and language development among toddlers from peri-urban China.


We incorporate stocks that pay no dividends into an otherwise standard, parsimonious dynamic asset pricing framework. We find that such a simple feature leads to profound asset price implications, which are all supported empirically. In particular, we demonstrate that no-dividend stocks command lower mean returns, but also have higher return volatilities and higher market betas than comparable stocks that pay dividends. We also show that the presence of no-dividend stocks in the stock market leads to a lower correlation between the stock market return and aggregate consumption growth rate, a non-monotonic and even a negative relation between the stock market risk premium and its volatility, and a downward sloping term structure of equity risk premia. We provide straightforward intuition for all these results and the underlying economic mechanisms at play. JEL Classifications: G12.


Background The 3 Ayurvedic constitutional types or Doshas – vata, pitta, and kapha – are responsible for homeostasis and health. The doshas determine various functions, including sleep. According to the Ayurvedic texts, sleep is caused by increased kapha and insomnia by increased vata or pitta, which may follow physical or mental exertion, or disease. The present study was carried out to determine whether this relationship could be found using contemporary standardized questionnaires. Material/Methods In this cross-sectional single-group study, 995 persons participated (646 males; group average age ±S.D., 49.1±15.2 years). Participants were attending a 1-week residential yoga program in northern India. Participants were assessed for dosha scores using a Tridosha questionnaire and the quality of sleep in the preceding week was self-rated using a sleep rating questionnaire. Results Multiple linear regression analyses were used to determine if each dosha acted as a predictor of quality and quantity of sleep. Vata scores significantly predicted the time taken to fall asleep [p<0.01], and the feeling of being rested in the morning [p<0.001]; with higher vata scores being associated with a longer time to fall asleep and a lesser feeling of being rested in the morning. Kapha scores significantly predicted day-time somnolence [p<0.05] and the duration of day-time naps in minutes [p<0.05], with higher kapha scores being associated with longer day-time naps. Conclusions The results suggest that the doshas can influence the quality and quantity of sleep.


The training program in diabetology is developed. The training program contains 17 stages and will be agreed with author's algorithms of differential diagnosis of the diseases and states which are followed by a hyperglycemia, glyukozuriy, poliuriy. The principles of the training program are discussed. For didactic reasons all options and types of diabetes are considered in total as a class of the diseases united by the general sign — a hyperglycemia. Its separate fragments are given the scheme of the training program and as an illustration. The training program resolves issues of diagnosis of diabetes at the level of professional ability and increases number of the right answers by 4—5 times.


Historically, various methods have been used to predict stability constants. Simple extrapolations and linear-free-energy relationships are useful and rapid methods for these predictions provided that relevant data exist. Acid–base methods allow log K1 values to be predicted for some metal–ligand interactions. Empirical methods allow the prediction of log Kn values, as well as predictions of stability constants for multidentate ligands, in systems for which equations have been derived. However, no single approach is applicable to every chemical system. This paper gives an overview of the methods available to predict stability constants, and demonstrates their use in selected environmental chemical systems.


In this paper, we examine a co-simulation solution between SystemC and a new generation emulator called ZeBu. SystemC is a C++ hardware description library that supports design modeling from the RT level to the system level. SystemC is part icularly effective for IP and embedded systems verification. ZeBu is a hardware verification product built on a PCI card with the latest Xilinx Virtex-II FPGA devices. First, we discuss a verification scenario based on a SystemC test bench stimulating the design mapped in the emulation board via bit-signals/vectors, and propose an implementation solution. This method offers the simplicity of use but limits its performance to few hundred KHz. To push the performance into the MHz, we then propose to raise the level of abstraction using the SystemC channels in a transactional mode. This approach allows a transaction level systemC test bench to be easily connected to the emulator for high-speed performance.


Published reports of burning aluminum in oxygen using ASTM G 124-type testing demonstrated that aluminum alloys are difficult to ignite but once ignited are extremely flammable in terms of regression rate and energy release. The ignition resistance of aluminum is associated with its tenacious and protective oxide, which allows aluminum to safely contain high-pressure oxygen in certain applications. The ignitability of aluminum varies between alloys and surface treatments so a test method was developed to evaluate the ignitability of various aluminum surfaces. The test method uses a promoted ignition chamber consistent with ASTM G 124 testing; however, the test sample is configured in the shape of a coupon. Instead of promoting the sample with an electrically heated wire, a controlled electrical arc is generated by drawing an electrode away from the center of the coupon while passing current through the sample. The level of energy applied to the surface of the coupon is semi-quantifiable and kept constant between tests. Based on this semi-quantifiable amount of energy, an ignition pressure is established and the influence of alloy composition and surface treatments on aluminum is evaluated.


A wearable based long-term lifelogging system is desirable for the purpose of reviewing and improving users lifestyle habits. Energy harvesting (EH) is a promising means for realizing sustainable lifelogging. However, present EH technologies suffer from instability of the generated electricity caused by changes of environment, e.g., the output of a solar cell varies based on its material, light intensity, and light wavelength. In this paper, we leverage this instability of EH technologies for other purposes, in addition to its use as an energy source. Specifically, we propose to determine the variation of generated electricity as a sensor for recognizing "places" where the user visits, which is important information in the lifelogging system. First, we investigate the amount of generated electricity of selected energy harvesting elements in various environments. Second, we design a system called EHAAS (Energy Harvesters As A Sensor) where energy harvesting elements are used as a sensor. With EHAAS, we propose a place recognition method based on machine-learning and implement a prototype wearable system. Our prototype evaluation confirms that EHAAS achieves a place recognition accuracy of 88.5% F-value for nine different indoor and outdoor places. This result is better than the results of existing sensors (3-axis accelerometer and brightness). We also clarify that only two types of solar cells are required for recognizing a place with 86.2% accuracy.


This paper presents a comparative analysis of three different quadrature signal generators such as the frequency locked loop (FLL) based linear Kalman filter (LKF) (LKF-FLL), the second order generalized integrator (SOGI) and FLL based quadrature signal generator (QSG) (SOGI-FLL) and the extended Kalman filter (EKF). In the LKF-FLL technique, the FLL is integrated with the LKF, where the LKF tracks the orthogonal waveforms of the gird voltage fundamental component based on the fundamental frequency estimated by the FLL. The LKF-FLL technique provides better steady state results and also takes smaller convergence time during the transients as compared to the SOGI-FLL and the EKF techniques. Moreover, the LKF-FLL technique is less complex than the EKF. Synthetically generated grid voltage waveforms are used in MATLAB/Simulink to depict the superior performance of the LKF-FLL technique.


With interest, we read the article by Birca et al.1 describing a 15-year-old adolescent boy with acute disseminated encephalomyelitis (ADEM) and a dorsal brainstem lesion who presented with pathologic yawning. We previously reported a 20-year-old man with antimyelin oligodendrocyte glycoprotein (MOG) antibody-associated brainstem encephalitis that involved the dorsal brainstem and cerebellum.2 Our case also presented with pathologic frequent yawning in addition to nystagmus, decreased hearing, and truncal ataxia on admission, although we did not describe these additional findings in detail in the article. Because it is well known that almost half of pediatric patients with ADEM are MOG-IgG seropositive3—and because MOG-IgG-associated brainstem encephalitis might relapse, as in our case—serum MOG-IgG status should be determined in this case as well.


According to received wisdom, 'sham trusts' is a doctrine which provides an exception to the normal objective process of ascertaining intentions to create a trust by permitting courts to give effect to subjective intentions as the 'true' intention. This article makes three points. First, that approach does not properly reflect how courts deal with sham trusts: courts are not concerned with ascertaining subjective intentions when dealing with 'sham trusts'. Second, 'sham trust' cases are but specific factual applications of a general approach, namely that an objective intention to create a trust is ascertained from any admissible evidence accepted by the court as being relevant to its inquiry. Thus, there is no separate 'sham trust' doctrine, and therefore no special requirements to be fulfilled (such as an intention to deceive) for legal effect to be withheld from a trust instrument. Third, the general approach can be particularised in the form of a flexible framework, which explains how courts deal with the admissible evidence. While any relevant evidence is admissible, certain types of evidence are given more weight than others.


Abstract Although the neonatal and infancy period is short, it is well documented that the early neonatal environment is critical for appropriate physical, behavioral, and cognitive development that lasts into adulthood. Dairy calves are commonly removed from the dam shortly after birth and raised in individual housing and fed limited milk allowances (4 to 6 L/d) in commercial farms around the world (conventional raising). Individual housing was developed to promote health status and facilitate individual animal monitoring. However, it is associated with high labor demand, and early life social isolation is associated with cognitive and behavioral abnormalities. Recently, group housing and enhanced milk-feeding programs are being increasingly adopted by farms; these practices more closely resemble the social and nutritional environments in natural or seminatural environments when the calf is raised with the dam. Conventional raising may lead to short- and long-term effects when compared to calves raised with the dam or peers. Short-term effects of conventional raising include impaired social skills when introduced to novel peers, reduced consumption of novel feeds, increased activity in a novel environment, and signs of hunger associated with limited milk intake and poor growth during the preweaning period. Evidence also suggests that the long-term effects of conventional artificial raising systems include behavioral differences, such as lower social submissiveness, increased heart rate and cortisol when presented with a novel environment, and production differences such as milk yield and reproductive performance. However, research on the long-term effects of maternal, social, physical, and nutritional restrictions in early life is still limited and should be encouraged. More research is needed to determine the long-term effects of artificial raising systems (individual, group housing, dam-raised) on future behavior, cognition, performance, and health parameters in dairy calves.